Chapter 295: The Era of the Daimyō Has Ended!

Chapter 295: The Era of the Daimyō Has Ended!

Dojutsu: Blood Dragon Nine Seal!

This was a brand-new dōjutsu that Uchiha Ci obtained after successfully merging his Sharingan with the Blood Dragon Eye.

Of course, merely fusing a Three-Tomoe Sharingan with a regular Blood Dragon Eye wouldn't awaken an overpowered technique on par with the Mangekyō.

This technique was derived from the inherent abilities of the Blood Dragon Eye.

Its effect involved using ocular power to manifest an intangible Yin Release creation, forming a blood dragon. This dragon inherited the Blood Dragon Eye's ability to control blood dragons, possessing a physical form capable of actual combat. Essentially, it was like a temporary mini-mecha.

Furthermore, when the blood dragon successfully struck an enemy, it would trigger another effect of the Blood Dragon Eye—

Blood Manipulation!

It allowed control over the enemy's blood, disrupting its circulation. If no one dispelled the dōjutsu within thirty minutes, arterial blockages would lead to cellular necrosis, eventually causing death.

Of course, this effect was somewhat redundant.

The sheer size and impact force of the "mud-headed dragon" were already immense.

If someone got hit by it without any defensive measures, the result wouldn't be much different from being run over by a truck going 180 km/h.

Aside from being a dragon-shaped battering ram, its true power lay in this—

As long as the blood dragon hit its target, the user could manipulate the opponent's blood to seal their chakra, rendering them unable to resist and effectively turning them into… well, a blood slave.

On paper, this dōjutsu seemed incredibly strong—and in reality, it was incredibly strong.

However, like all sealing techniques, it had one critical flaw—

It had to hit.

Ninjas weren't stationary targets; they could move.

A standard Jōnin performing an L-shaped movement might have a slim chance of dodging this straightforward battering ram attack.

And an even stronger or more extreme opponent might be able to stop the dragon barehanded.

Fortunately, this technique had a special synergy with another of Uchiha Ci's dōjutsu—

Its appearance was extremely deceptive!

The blood dragon looked almost identical to the red dragon summoned by his Senjutsu: Sharingan - White Stimulus Eye.

Since Uchiha Ci was the one shaping the blood dragon, he could further disguise its form to resemble the red dragon from the White Stimulus Eye.

Unless someone had suffered multiple combos of Uchiha Ci's dōjutsu, they would struggle to tell which technique had hit them.

Dojutsu: Blood Dragon Nine Seal!

Senjutsu: Sharingan - White Stimulus Eye!

One real, one fake—one illusion, one reality!

This created the perfect scenario.

When Minato saw the blood dragon, he instinctively mistook it for Senjutsu: Sharingan - White Stimulus Eye.

But in truth, it wasn't.

At this moment—

Minato's mind went blank. In this single second, his mental CPU overheated, struggling to process when exactly he had fallen into Uchiha Ci's genjutsu.

And—why was Uchiha Ci attacking him?!

He couldn't figure it out. He really couldn't!

Then—

"—ROOOAAAR!!"

With Uchiha Ci's left eye wide open, the blood dragon surged forward, whipping up a violent storm.

It roared furiously and lunged at Minato, slamming him into the ground and dragging him backward, gouging out a deep ten-meter trench!

BANG!

The ground cracked instantly, forming dense, web-like fractures.

Only now, with the dust settling, did Uchiha Ci finally breathe a sigh of relief.

And in the blink of an eye—

The so-called "Yellow Flash," whom everyone in the hall had revered, was lying motionless—ambushed and defeated by the short, inconspicuous "attendant" standing behind him.

The change happened too fast, like a tornado.

The nobles in the hall barely had time to react.

One moment, they felt the fierce wind and saw the flash of red light—

The next moment, everything was quiet again.

The only difference was—

That radiant, golden-haired young man had somehow collapsed in a corner of the great hall.

The wall behind him trembled precariously, dust and gravel trickling down, while cracks spread across its entire surface like an intricate spiderweb.

At this moment—

Ryūzōji Sugiya, who had instinctively shut his eyes against the raging winds, slowly opened them—

And saw something utterly incomprehensible.

The mighty Namikaze Minato, whom he had pinned all his hopes on—his chosen savior—was now slumped in the corner.

His wide, disbelieving eyes stared in Ryūzōji's direction.

His lips, trickling blood, moved faintly as if he wanted to ask something.

Then, with a look of sheer incredulity, his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed completely.

And the one responsible for this—

Was the black-haired, blindfolded boy standing before him, the one he had assumed was merely an attendant!?

Wait, no—he had eyes again!?

Did he just… kill the "Yellow Flash" Namikaze Minato!?

"You—"

Ryūzōji Sugiya swallowed hard, his face pale with terror.

His gaze slowly lifted to the young man standing in the center of the hall—

One hand gripping the 2.7-meter-long Sword of Raijin: Futsunomitama, the other lowering from his face.

His expression was icy and indifferent.

Looking at this ruthless, unhesitating killer, an uncontrollable chill crawled up Ryūzōji's spine.

For over twenty years of peace, he had never witnessed such brutal ninja conflicts.

Yet today—he finally understood.

This is what a ninja truly is! Cold, heartless, merciless!

And they—the nobles who sat atop these warriors—what kind of danger had they truly placed themselves in?!

At this moment—

Uchiha Ci exhaled slowly, his cold gaze shifting toward Ryūzōji Sugiya.

From observing him, it was easy to deduce what kind of man he was and what he truly wanted.

Without a doubt—a greedy fool who didn't even realize his own foolishness.

A coward willing to risk everything for survival.

Currently, in the ruins of Unmei Castle, with the Tenshukaku reduced to rubble and the Daimyō exposed as an imposter—

The most powerful and prestigious figure left in the city was none other than Ryūzōji Sugiya, the Daimyō's son, the "Young Lord" of the Land of Lightning.

And all the scheming shinobi who had originally plotted against the Land of Lightning's Daimyō—

Their target had now shifted to him.

By tonight, every plot, every conspiracy, every kidnapping attempt aimed at the Daimyō—would fall squarely onto his shoulders.

The true Daimyō didn't care about this son of his—just as he hadn't cared about his relatives dying in the collapsed castle.

And now, Ryūzōji Sugiya was trapped.

With no other choice, he had agreed to Minato's conditions.

To survive tonight, he had to cooperate.

His request was simple—to live.

For that, he was willing to abandon everything: his position as heir, the prestige of the Daimyō, his father's life, even his dignity.

Perhaps, from a certain perspective, this made him a "smart" man.

Uchiha Ci's eyes narrowed slightly as he took a step toward Ryūzōji Sugiya.

Step… step…

The sound of footsteps echoed clearly in Ryūzōji Sugiya's ears.

He shuddered involuntarily as he watched the young man before him draw closer and closer, each step seeming to tread upon his very heart—

Creak. Creak.

It was as if he could hear his own heart, overwhelmed and trembling in fear, twisting and convulsing under the pressure, letting out a sharp, agonized wail.

"Stop! Stop! You—you bastard, don't come any closer!"

"Get lost—no, stay away! Get the hell away from me!"

Ryūzōji Sugiya stared at the boy who was approaching slowly, sweat pouring down his face. His complexion turned deathly pale as he trembled and stammered,

"Wh-who the hell are you!?"

"Me?"

Uchiha Ci smiled, his deep gaze locking onto his target.

"Look into these eyes. Trust me, you must have heard my name before."

Hearing this, Ryūzōji Sugiya couldn't help but lift his head and look into those eyes—

Those crimson pupils, glowing eerily in the grand hall, were far more sinister than an ordinary Sharingan—more blood-red, more chilling, more malevolent, and even more—

Beautiful!

"These eyes… You're from the Uchiha clan?"

"The Uchiha that appeared in the Land of Lightning!?"

As if struck by an utterly terrifying realization, Ryūzōji Sugiya's eyes widened in horror. He lifted his head abruptly, his breath hitching, his throat tightening as though a pair of invisible hands were strangling him.

Finally, a name escaped his lips—a name that sent shivers down his spine:

"You… you're Uchiha Ci!"

He was the Uchiha who appeared in Unmei City, the leader of the Immortal Heretics, the one who dared to assassinate the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning and halt the war in its tracks!

He was also the Uchiha who fought alone in Hell Valley against three Kage-level powerhouses—who slew one, severely injured another, and even managed to wound the Third Raikage!

Uchiha Ci!

But… wasn't that an imposter!?

Why? Why was the real Uchiha Ci standing before him!?

Were the rumors true? Or were they false!?

At that moment, Ryūzōji Sugiya stood frozen in place, his mind blank, his gaze lost. As he stared at the approaching boy, his vision seemed to blur, as if he were seeing double.

Who was he? Was he Uchiha Ci? Then who was that shorter brat who assassinated his father?

Which one was real? Which one was fake?

What the hell was going on?

He couldn't tell—he truly couldn't tell anymore!

As he watched the young man before him, whose expression remained calm and indifferent, Uchiha Ci walked past him without even sparing him a glance.

Only when they brushed shoulders did he slow his pace slightly and state, in an indifferent yet detached tone:

"The era of the Daimyō is over."

Here, Uchiha Ci paused briefly—not for any deep reason, but simply to deliver his final words with dramatic flair:

"You're a smart man. You should know what you need to do for me."

"…If you still wish to live."

The moment Uchiha Ci passed him, the immense pressure crushing Ryūzōji Sugiya's body suddenly lifted.

He gasped sharply, turning around in a daze, staring blankly at Uchiha Ci's back.

"I… I…"

He wanted to say something, to prove something, to give something—

But just then—

"Kisama!!"

A furious roar exploded beside Ryūzōji Sugiya, making him tremble violently. His pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his eyes flashed with an expression of sheer dread—

"Impudence!"

"Daring to kill in the Daimyō's hall, threatening the young lord!"

"You brat—do you take us for nothing!?"

Swish!

A gleaming blade flashed brilliantly!

A samurai stepped out from the crowd, clad in gray-and-white armor, his head cleanly shaved in a traditional chonmage, his face twisted in fury.

With a swift leap, he soared into the air, one hand pressing against the sheath at his waist while the other gripped the hilt of his sword.

In that fleeting moment—

The blade danced like a fleeting bloom of red spider lilies!

Sharp, dazzling, yet resolute—an uncompromising strike!

In a flash, the sword was drawn—

And it swung straight toward Uchiha Ci's unguarded back!

This technique was called—

Secret Sword—Iaijutsu!