Chapter 296: Secret Sword—Swallow Return! The Daimyō’s Backup Plan, the Samurai’s Uprising!
Chapter 296: Secret Sword—Swallow Return! The Daimyō's Backup Plan, the Samurai's Uprising!
A flash of steel, sharp and biting cold, slashed through the air in a fleeting instant.
A ten-meter-long blade shadow swept forth, its tip nearly touching Uchiha Ci's back.
"Got him!"
The chonmage-haired samurai's eyes gleamed with excitement as he locked onto the brat's exposed back. His lips curled into a cruel grin.
Secret Sword—Iaijutsu!
This technique, created by the samurai of the Iron Country, combined Chakra Infusion, the Body Flicker Technique, Taijutsu, and traditional samurai swordsmanship.
The essence of this sword technique was—speed!
Faster than breath.
Faster than sight.
Faster than thought.
Before a ninja could even form a single hand seal, this near-inhuman speed would carve them apart, reducing them to mere lambs awaiting slaughter.
In his mind's eye, the samurai could already picture this arrogant brat crumpling to the ground, vomiting blood in agony.
His excitement surged. His gaze burned with anticipation. Even his thrusting arm exuded a newfound strength—at this moment, he felt as if he had reached the very pinnacle of his life's martial prowess!
However—
Just then, the brat standing before him turned his head slightly, his gaze calm and indifferent.
"What are you expecting?"
As the words fell, the samurai's vision twisted bizarrely—
Then, everything snapped back to clarity.
The next instant, he froze in place. His sword hand trembled uncontrollably.
At this moment, the blade he had sworn would cut down Uchiha Ci—
Was pressed tightly against his own throat!
Just a fraction more force, and his head would roll!
"Is this... genjutsu?"
A chill ran through the samurai's spine.
Before this, he had never locked eyes with Uchiha Ci—
The only moment of contact had been when that brat briefly glanced at him just now!
"It was then! I see now! He used his dōjutsu to cloud my judgment!"
"Real and fake, fake and real!"
"But in reality, with the speed of my strike, he shouldn't have been able to react at all!"
"In that case—!"
The samurai's eyes turned sharp with determination!
Blue veins bulged on his arm as he clenched his sword hilt—then ruthlessly drove the blade forward against his own throat!
Schlick!
A geyser of blood erupted!
His head separated from his shoulders in an instant!
Even Uchiha Ci was momentarily stunned by this scene, his mind flooded with question marks.
Wait... bro.
I already lifted the genjutsu—what the hell are you doing?!
Watching the headless corpse collapse with a thud, Uchiha Ci blinked. He had the sudden urge to scratch his head in confusion.
As for the reason behind this bizarre scene—
It all started when a sudden notification floated before his eyes earlier:
[Iron Country Samurai, Tetsudamaru (Father of Tetsubaki, Direct Disciple of Samurai General Mifune) has developed a killing intent toward you and intends to cut you down with Secret Sword—Iaijutsu!]
This was the first talent notification he had seen in a long while—long before Tetsudamaru had even drawn his blade.
Since he had just fought against Minato, Uchiha Ci had initially assumed his talent system was about to settle the battle's rewards.
Maybe a powerful sealing technique?
Maybe, if he was lucky, Flying Thunder God Technique?!
But apparently not.
Because Minato had never truly considered him an enemy—nor had he ever harbored any negative intent.
As a result, the fight with Minato hadn't triggered the talent's "Heartsteel" effect.
Instead, the notification came from this suddenly aggressive random background character—Tetsudamaru.
Upon seeing the notification, Uchiha Ci had calmly activated his serpent-pupil Sharingan, expanding his 360-degree vision and subtly distorting Tetsudamaru's perception with genjutsu.
Then, just as Tetsudamaru was about to slit his own throat, Uchiha Ci had lifted the genjutsu—intending to interrogate him about his motives.
Who could have guessed—this samurai was way too hardcore!
At that moment, another notification appeared:
[Ding!]
[You used exquisite genjutsu to counter Tetsudamaru, trapping him in an illusion. You have acquired a random skill from him: Secret Sword—Iaijutsu (B, Master).]
[Counterattack effectiveness is high—Reward CRITICAL HIT!]
[Due to the fusion of your Uchiha Sword Style—Solar Halo Dance, your "Master of All Martial Arts" trait, and your previously acquired sword techniques, your reward has undergone a second CRITICAL HIT!]
[Final skill upgrade: Secret Sword—Swallow Return (A+, Grandmaster).]
[Basic Swordsmanship—Skill Menu unlocked. You may now review your techniques.]
Uchiha Ci wasn't sure how the system determined reward calculations,
But the speed difference between strong opponents and random mobs getting settled was ridiculous.
Against a strong enemy? The reward processing was sluggish as hell.
Against a mob character? Instant payout!
Whatever.
Shaking his head, he turned his attention to this double-critted new reward:
"Secret Sword—Swallow Return?"
As the knowledge flooded his mind, Uchiha Ci suddenly understood.
Among birds, the swallow was renowned for its speed.
Secret Sword—Swallow Return was a technique that could cut down even a swallow in flight.
It was faster than a single Iaijutsu strike.
Faster than Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū's Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki.
It unleashed three slashes in an instant:
The first sword blocked the enemy's path.
The second sword ensured a fatal strike.
The third sword severed their retreat, delivering absolute death.
Three strikes—executed in the same instant.
This technique had already surpassed human limitations, a blade beyond mortal reach!
"Now this... is interesting."
Pondering the applications of this technique in the ninja world, Uchiha Ci glanced at the two-meter-seven Sword of Raijin—Futsunomitama in his hands, an amused smile curling his lips.
However—
That smile sent shivers down the spines of everyone around him.
To them, the young man standing amidst a pool of blood—
Who had just forced an unyielding samurai to commit suicide with cruel precision—
Now had a faint flush on his face, inhaling deeply, as if unsatisfied.
His gaze dropped to the massive blade in his hand—
And an eerie, almost demonic smile crept onto his lips.
It was as if—
He was savoring the thrill of the kill!
A wave of dread swept through the surrounding samurai.
They exchanged glances, horror flickering in their eyes.
Then—
"Damn it!"
"That wicked Uchiha brat has slain Lord Tetsudamaru!"
A trembling samurai tightened his grip on his sword, his stance shifting as a resolute glint shone in his eyes.
"For justice—
For the Daimyō—
Samurai, rise!!"
The battle cry rang loud—
But not for the young lord,
—For the Daimyō himself!
In an instant, the entire battlefield transformed!
Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!
All at once—
The draping curtains connected to the hall's pillars were sliced apart!
From behind them, an overwhelming flood of armed samurai, rogue ninja wielding explosive kunai, and even three elite Cloud ninja bodyguards emerged!
All of them rushed toward Uchiha Ci!
Yet at the same time—
The three elite bodyguards darted against the tide, kunai flashing as they charged toward Ryūzōji Sugiya!
Seeing the situation, Uchiha Ci's brow furrowed slightly.
"Rogue ninja, ronin, Iron Country samurai... and these strong chakra signatures..."
"So this... is the Daimyō's true plan?"
Instantly, he realized—
He had walked straight into a trap.
And at its core—
Was a deadly scheme laid out by the Daimyō himself!
The hall erupted with sound!
Screams! Battle cries! Swords clashing! Explosions!
Uchiha Ci exhaled deeply, then—
He slammed Futsunomitama into the ground,
And snapped open his furious crimson Sharingan!
"You people—"
"Are way too damn noisy!"