Chapter 230: Troubled Times and the Far-Reaching Shadow
Chapter 230: Troubled Times and the Far-Reaching Shadow
Elsewhere, Hell Valley, the Uchiha clan's encampment.
The Uchiha clan, who had been stationed here for a long time, had already constructed town-style buildings on this slightly flat, forested hillside.
These were traditional Japanese-style houses, serving as both workplaces and residences.
At this moment, the wind blowing from the Land of Frost Iron carried a chill that didn't belong to spring.
By the fireplace, where flames danced brightly, an old man and a middle-aged man sat in silence, each holding a cup of hot tea as they stared at the cloud-laden night sky with heavy expressions.
The slightly younger Uchiha Kagami broke the silence after a moment, taking out a letter from his chest and handing it to the old man.
"This is news from Granny Neko," he said.
"Iwagakure suffered defeat at the Green Ridge Reef battlefield. They attempted to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Water, but their strategic plans for the rear of Kirigakure have completely fallen apart.
"They've drastically reduced their purchase of ninja tools, instead shifting focus to acquiring large numbers of transport vehicles for relocating supplies.
"This war is effectively over."
Uchiha Setsuna took the letter, extracted the paper, and read through it for a moment before sighing deeply.
"As expected," he murmured.
"The Third Great Ninja War has finally come to this day."
He paused, his brows furrowing slightly, and looked up to ask, "What about the village?"
Uchiha Kagami's stern face flickered in the light of the flames, alternately bright and shadowed.
"Just as we predicted back then," he replied.
"The battlefield in the Land of Rain is set to expand, affecting the seven neighboring countries, both large and small. The Sannin, Konoha's regular forces, and the new generation of ninjas will all likely be deployed to the battlefields in the Lands of Rain, Grass, and Taki.
"A large number of small clans and civilian Konoha ninjas will be sent to the Land of Fields to counter Kumo's offensive.
"As for us and the Hyūga clan, we'll be dispatched to the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire to deal with Kirigakure's imminent assault.
"We have only two months left in this window of preparation."
Hearing this, Uchiha Setsuna tightened his grip on the tea cup in his hand and stared silently at the rippling water within. After a moment, he murmured to himself,
"Only two months, is it?"
After a long pause, he wearily waved a hand, looking at Uchiha Kagami through the flickering flames. He hesitated before finally speaking:
"Kagami, what do you think of Uchiha Ci? Do you think it's possible for him to master this sword art?"
"Uchiha Ci, huh?"
Uchiha Kagami was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows slightly.
"That boy, with his talent, should theoretically have no chance of mastering this sword art.
"Uchiha-style swordsmanship has long surpassed the standards of this era. After generations of refinement, its learning threshold has reached an exceedingly high level."
He paused, a strange expression crossing his face, then chuckled and shook his head.
"However... for some reason, this kid has managed to pick up a hodgepodge of sword styles—wild styles, hot water styles, the samurai style of the Land of Iron, Kumo-style, Kirigakure-style, and even the Hōzuki clan's Hōzuki-style swordsmanship, which normal people shouldn't be able to learn. He's already begun to grasp their essence."
"And the root of Uchiha swordsmanship, essentially, lies in how our ancestors used the Sharingan to replicate swordsmanship, taijutsu, and ninja arts from various schools across the ninja world, extracting their essence while discarding the dross."
"This swordsmanship is tailor-made for the Sharingan, allowing its wielder to preemptively counter opponents as if they had the power of foresight."
"He's not walking the same path as us; instead, he's treading a road similar to that of the earlier Uchiha generations."
"Even if he cannot immediately reach our level in the short term, over time, as he faces stronger opponents and gains more combat experience, perhaps..."
"He could reach the 'ultimate realm' of this swordsmanship, just as Clan Leader Uchiha Madara did during the founding of Konoha—Mastery of all styles!"
Uchiha Setsuna looked up in surprise.
"I didn't expect you to hold such a high opinion of that boy!"
Uchiha Kagami simply smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Since he's someone you've taken an interest in, I've naturally paid more attention to him.
"Though his talent is mediocre, his combat tenacity and those eyes of his have a certain sinister charm. He gains something from every battle he fights. It's no wonder you've taken a liking to him."
Uchiha Setsuna nodded slightly. Of all people, he was the most acutely aware of Uchiha Ci's extraordinary rate of improvement.
After all, just a month ago, when they left the village, he wouldn't have imagined that in such a short time, the boy could hold his own against a jinchūriki.
"From what I see now, he has a pair of eyes that can see further than ours."
Uchiha Setsuna paused and murmured,
"Perhaps he truly can go farther."
Hearing this, Uchiha Kagami was momentarily stunned. He looked up sharply, his gaze heavy as he locked eyes with Uchiha Setsuna.
"So... you've already decided to go through with it?"
A resolute glint flashed in Uchiha Setsuna's eyes. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
---
"The Third Great Ninja War is only going to grow more perilous!
"The village, the clan, the future—all will face increasingly difficult circumstances in such an unstable environment.
"And it's clear that if Konoha falters, we'll inevitably be forced to the Kirigakure battlefield, where our clan alone will have to face an entire major ninja village.
"This kind of situation—"
Uchiha Setsuna gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with a mad intensity, like a lion cornered in desperation.
"The Uchiha need a second Uchiha Madara!"
---
Inside a wooden cabin nestled against the inner side of the cliff:
Bang!
With a sudden puff of smoke, a naked boy dove headfirst into a wooden tub filled with icy medicinal water.
"Ptooey! Ptooey!"
Uchiha Ci surfaced, spitting out mouthfuls of strange-tasting liquid. It was salty, sweet, bitter, and spicy all at once—like the medicinal baths he'd encountered in his past life.
At this moment, a colorful gleam flashed through his eyes!
Endless knowledge and texts flickered through his mind, forming a complex secret technique.
When he was in Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage had seemingly used some combination of poison and genjutsu to hypnotize him, forcing his dazed consciousness into the spiritual realm.
During what felt like both a brief and endless time, his spirit—barely able to articulate even "ah" or "ba"—managed to memorize an extraordinarily complex secret technique.
Sage Art: Projection of Distant Shadows.
Now aware of the technique's name and its effects, which differed from normal sage arts,
Uchiha Ci's eyes lit up. He couldn't help but activate his snake-like Sharingan, opening up a 360-degree panoramic view.
His snake-like pupils contracted as he widened his eyes, a wide grin spreading across his face.
He looked as excited as a child who had just found a treasure.
But as soon as the ominous sensation of being watched and the accompanying sense of danger disappeared,
Uchiha Ci's smile faded. His brows furrowed slightly as he leaped from the tub, donned a short-collared kimono, and approached the desk in the cabin.
Picking up a brush, he flicked off some water from his body, letting droplets fall onto the desk. At the same time, he completely dropped all mental defenses.
The next moment, from Uchiha Ci's perspective, the hand holding the brush lifted as if it had a will of its own.
With stiff, mechanical movements, it began leaving lines of script on the desk, resembling the complex, Sanskrit-like text of the sage art recorded in his mind.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ci's pupils contracted sharply!
He couldn't help but recall the final words left by the White Snake Sage:
"So-called: 'Through this body, reach another.'"
What on earth could that mean?