Chapter 293: The Moment the Madman Opens His Eyes!

Chapter 293: The Moment the Madman Opens His Eyes!

When everyone is eagerly waiting for a person to die, it only means that this person truly deserves death!

However, the person who was burdened with these great expectations—hoping he would die miserably, absurdly, ridiculously, preferably riddled with bullets, stabbed 81 times, and finally hanging himself to death—

The Daimyō of the Land of Lightning, was very self-aware.

The moment the first assassination attempt was made, he sensed that something was off. Without hesitation, he grabbed his things and fled overnight to Kumogakure. Under the solid, muscular chest of the Third Raikage, he enjoyed the world's greatest sense of security.

Meanwhile, the son he had abandoned—the young lord of the Land of Lightning, Ryūzōji Sugiya—

On this very day, personally witnessed the Iwagakure ninja, Rōshi, storm into the Tenshukaku, transforming into a monstrous figure draped in pitch-black fur, swaying four ominous tails!

Then, before his very eyes, Rōshi crushed his mother, his concubines, and a great number of his noble uncles—figures of supreme authority and wealth beyond measure.

Gold-filled warehouses, symbols of power and financial supremacy, the royal seals—priceless emblems of his noble status—

At that moment, in front of that monk-robed ninja, who wore a face of benevolence, they were all reduced to mere scraps of paper!

The people being slaughtered were like fish gasping frantically on a chopping board, desperately sucking in air yet unable to draw a single drop of water—

And then, they were thrown into the furnace.

Of course, all of this was merely Ryūzōji Sugiya's imagination.

He only felt that this was an appropriate way to describe it, because—

At that moment, by some inexplicable impulse, he had not stepped into the Tenshukaku.

Because at that time, the entire Tenshukaku had already become a furnace.

A literal furnace.

In the end, everyone was turned into eerily lifelike "grilled fish."

Everything—

The horrifying, chilling truth—was buried beneath a mountain of collapsing ruins.

That monk-robed ninja, wearing a face of mercy, turned his head, leapt out, and solemnly addressed him, comforting his terrified self—

"Your Highness, do not worry. I have already driven the assassin away!"

He even smiled as he stroked his beard, without even bothering to wipe off the blood!

Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha!

Such an absurd thing actually exists in this world?!

At that moment, as if plunged into an icy abyss, with his hands and feet frozen stiff, Ryūzōji Sugiya suddenly understood—he awakened, he comprehended—

Power is the reason to rule!

Without power, to think that he could command these ninja, these people who could evaporate him on the spot with a mere wave of their hands—the last person in this world to know the truth—

Was he not simply playing with fire on the tip of a blade?!

Yet, Ryūzōji Sugiya knew—he had a chance to escape.

With the assistance of the hidden forces that protected the Daimyō's palace, he could abandon everything and flee.

But if he had to give up everything he had gained up to this point—

Give up the power he had enjoyed for over twenty years—

To become a lowly porter,

To struggle alongside the very minor nobles he once looked down upon,

To barely scrape together a wage insufficient to even pay taxes—

He could not bear it.

He could not do it.

He could not let go.

And he could not accept it!

So, when that ninja, known as the "Golden Flash"—Namikaze Minato, sent a letter telling him he could become his power—

Ryūzōji Sugiya agreed without hesitation!

Because—

Even if the power was borrowed,

Even if it came at a price,

Even if it meant helping Minato kill his own father—

It was still power!

And now, the most urgent matter before him was—

Surviving this night!

---

"This is a sacred artifact, passed down through the generations of the Land of Lightning! According to the Kojiki, this sword once belonged to Takemikazuchi-no-Kami. It accompanied him in slaying the god of Kumano, and in honoring Emperor Jimmu's arrival in this world, purging evil!"

"It is an artifact equal in rank to the Totsuka Blade and the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!"

"Now, I bestow it upon Lord Minato!"

"May Lord Minato restore the glory of this sword, and just as Takemikazuchi-no-Kami honored Emperor Jimmu, may you aid me in ascending to the throne of Daimyō of the Land of Lightning!"

Ryūzōji Sugiya, struggling, held up the sword box containing the sacred weapon and presented it before Namikaze Minato.

Then,

This nobleman bowed his head, bent at the waist, and deeply bowed, his voice hoarse with emotion as he declared—

"I ask only that you do not betray me!"

Using Mind's Eye, Uchiha Ci watched the scene before him, and his expression became somewhat strange.

Ryūzōji Sugiya's words were indeed impassioned,

And for a noble of his rank to lay bare his trust so completely before a mere ninja—

If the person standing here wasn't Namikaze Minato—someone who wished to upend the entire shinobi world order—

Perhaps another ninja would have already knelt, sworn allegiance, and been moved to tears, just like those Guardians of the Daimyō.

Moreover, the historical references this bastard mentioned were not incorrect—

But…

Considering his surname, which was strikingly similar to a certain historical Daimyō of the Sakura Country, this situation was starting to feel strange.

The Ryūzōji clan he referenced was known as the "Bear of Hizen"—

And the enemy slain by Futsunomitama, the very sword he was offering, was called "Kumano-no-Kami"—a god with "bear" in his name.

This scene...

Was he seriously handing over a sword meant to behead himself…

To a man who wanted nothing more than to hang him from a lamppost?!

This was truly mythology come to life!

---

Shaking off these increasingly ridiculous thoughts, Uchiha Ci turned his gaze to the sword box Ryūzōji Sugiya had just opened.

Inside, was an extremely long, single-edged straight sword, measuring seven feet and four inches in length.

Unlike a regular longsword, it exuded an undeniable majesty.

The hilt was wrapped in woven wheat-colored cord, gleaming with gold.

Midway along the hilt, a sword ring was embedded.

The guard was asymmetrical—long on one side, short on the other.

The blade itself was slender, with a width of only two fingers at the base, and tapering to just one and a half fingers at the tip.

From Uchiha Ci's perspective,

As a killing weapon, this sword was clearly unqualified.

It was nowhere near as practical as the Kusanagi Sword gifted to him by Orochimaru.

This was more of a display piece fit for a museum.

However—

The moment he laid eyes on the sword,

Uchiha Ci felt an inexplicable tremor within him.

This sword…

It seemed to be subtly resonating with a certain power inside his body.

And that power's name was—

The Third Force, Susanoo!

At this moment,

Minato looked at the divine sword offered by the daimyo's son and hesitated.

It wasn't that he was a saint, completely indifferent to such things. After all, it bore the title of "divine weapon," which made it obvious how valuable it was.

However, his simple and pragmatic mindset led him to consider—

How much was this thing worth?

He was about to become a rogue ninja wandering the world. While he could always return home instantly with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he would no longer be able to rely on Konoha's mission system to earn money for his family.

Seeing this sword, his first instinct was to wonder—

Would Konoha's antique dealers buy it?

Would the money be enough to buy Kushina a house in the heart of Konoha before he left?

He could endure hardship, but he absolutely couldn't let Kushina suffer.

However—

Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, directly into the sword case, and grasped the esteemed blade.

"Clang~!"

Uchiha Ci decisively drew the sword, flicking his finger against the blade, listening to the resounding chime that echoed through the grand hall. His face showed a look of amazement.

The moment he grasped the sword, a line of text appeared before his eyes:

[You have obtained a special weapon: Sword of Raijin—Futsunomitama (Spirit Sword, can be embedded into Susanoo's equipment slot, Quality: Divine Weapon).]

On the grand hall's dais, the gathered samurai immediately showed expressions of fury.

A mere attendant had seized the sword presented by the heir of the Land of Lightning right in front of the daimyo—without even being the designated recipient. Such behavior was beyond impudent!

One of them could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward, shouting angrily:

"You insolent rogue! How dare you disgrace the lord in his own hall! Do you have no sense of decorum? Kneel before His Highness and beg for forgiveness at once!"

At the end, he added with emphasis:

"And remember, you must kneel in the manner of a vassal before his superior!"

However—

Upon hearing this rebuke from behind him, Uchiha Ci merely let out a scoff. Without turning his head, he casually tilted it to the side, casting an indifferent glance at Ryūzōji Suguya, whose expression instantly froze. Then, in a calm voice, he asked:

"Oh? You have a problem with that?"

Seeing this scene, hearing these arrogant words, and looking at this brat who clearly had no concept of respect or courtesy, Ryūzōji Suguya's eyes flashed with a trace of malice.

But after a brief moment, he concealed his expression and forced an awkward smile.

"Of course not, of course not…"

"As long as you like it."

Uchiha Ci couldn't be bothered with him. Instead, he turned back toward Minato.

At this moment, seeing Uchiha Ci so delighted with the sword, Minato couldn't help but smile gently. If Ci truly liked it, then perhaps he could put off the house-buying matter for a little while.

"Do you really like this sword, Ci?"

Uchiha Ci shook his head. With a casual flick of his wrist, he spun the 2.7-meter-long sword into a dazzling flourish.

"It's not about whether I like it or not."

He lifted his gaze, facing Minato, and calmly asked:

"Minato…"

"Did you know that the Uchiha Clan has a secret S-rank forbidden sword technique—"

Hearing this, Minato was momentarily stunned.

A secret S-rank forbidden sword technique—such a long and flashy name actually fit his aesthetic quite well.

He couldn't help but wonder—

Was this the technique Ci had used in Hell Valley, when he single-handedly fought off three Kage-level opponents?

Or was it the one he had wielded when they jointly suppressed the Nine-Tails—the towering hundred-meter greatsword that pierced the heavens?

However, before Minato could fully process his thoughts—

Uchiha Ci's expression suddenly turned cold!

Without warning, he swung the Sword of Raijin—Futsunomitama straight at Minato's face!

The 2.7-meter-long straight blade slashed down fiercely, instantly cutting through the air with a deafening sonic boom!

Swoosh!

A chilling blade gleam flared to life.

Inside the grand hall, everyone was caught completely off guard.

Who would have thought that this boy, who seemed to be Minato's mere attendant, would suddenly strike at him?!

For a moment, silence reigned—one could hear a pin drop!

Even Minato himself was stunned.

He had never expected Uchiha Ci to attack him.

However, with his exceptional reflexes, he instantly pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai from his waist, twisting his body and stepping aside as he slashed at the incoming sword, attempting to parry it.

Yet—

At that moment, before Minato could even ask what Ci was trying to do—

Reflected in the gleaming blade—

He suddenly saw—

A pair of crimson eyes, opened by one who had forsaken sight—

Three black tomoe encircling a black cross-shaped pupil, spinning violently!

Sharingan!