Chapter 76: Methods for Enhancing Ocular Power
Early the next morning, the ronin were rudely awakened and, full of resentment, made their way toward the caravan encampment.
Without your command, the once-victorious fighters had slipped back into their undisciplined habits. They staggered as they walked, completely lacking any semblance of formation. One group of three was even ambushed by a patrolling Genin, who managed to kill all three with a surprise attack using shuriken.
The careless trio didn't even have time to draw their swords before they were swiftly dispatched—by a Genin who had only just graduated.
The Genin hurried back with intel, and the caravan—having suffered once before—wasn't about to be caught off guard again. The guards were immediately ordered to don armor stored in the wagons and ready their shields. Even the laborers picked up pre-prepared bows and arrows, forming a solid defensive line.
As expected from someone with ambition, even such a modest caravan managed to form a fairly convincing battle formation. They positioned the wagons sideways to serve as barriers, creating cover and dividing the battlefield.
Soon after, the ronin discovered the bodies of their fallen comrades. Under your subtle guidance, they begrudgingly moved to within a hundred meters of the caravan.
Then, mounting their horses, they launched a direct charge.
Though the armor provided some protection, the first wave still managed to cut down six or seven caravan members. However, due to the prearranged formation and the fact that this basic armor could barely withstand attacks from a Genin—let alone a Chūnin—the ambush by Chūnin hiding within the formation ended in disaster for the attackers. Massive shuriken hurled by the Chūnin wiped them out completely.
By now, the remaining ronin had reached the caravan on foot and began to clash with the last few defenders. Though the dozen ronin faced a dwindling force of less than ten caravan members—many of whom were just laborers—one must never underestimate the impact of a ninja on the battlefield.
Even with only one Chūnin and one Genin left, they held overwhelming dominance over the scattered, war-weary ronin, who were more interested in fleeing than fighting.
Fortunately, you had already hidden nearby, remotely directing the battle.
It was like a fully immersive VR game.
Using the illusion mark of your Sharingan, you could jump into someone's perspective at will and manipulate their actions with surgical precision. That was how the unsuspecting Genin was suddenly cut in half at the waist by a ronin you controlled.
When the Chūnin witnessed this, his eyes went bloodshot. He kicked his opponent away and raised his blade, ready to charge. You quickly shifted your ocular power from controlling a single person to crudely manipulating five or six at once. Though less refined, this mass control was enough to block the Chūnin's assault. The five moved in unison, giving him no chance to counterattack.
They formed a tight encirclement, making it impossible for the Chūnin to use the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
Under this coordinated ocular manipulation, you felt your own Spirit and Ocular Power steadily growing. It made you crave more—like puppets on strings, you toyed with these people at will.
This kind of killing gave you an addictive rush.
Maybe this was what those so-called elites enjoyed—the thrill of deciding life and death with a mere thought. Only, you took it a step further—controlling people like literal marionettes.
Outside the Chūnin's battle circle, a wounded ronin and the last remaining guard clashed to mutual destruction. In the chaos, a fallen torch tipped over and landed on the dry grassland.
The fire spread immediately.
Realizing the situation, the Chūnin fought through his injuries to slaughter the five ronin surrounding him. Knowing the mission had utterly failed, he dove toward the wagons, scooped up the unconscious but miraculously still-breathing Genin, and fled from the growing inferno.
But then—you appeared.
Your masked figure blocked their path.
"Who the hell are you?!"
It was clear now. The Chūnin understood this entire scenario had been premeditated. But regret was pointless.
"I'll make sure you die with answers."
You made the hand sign for the Mind Body Switch Technique.
The Chūnin froze in place.
Then, you immersed yourself in the experience—comparing the Mind Body Switch Technique's control to the Sharingan's.
The former offered deeper immersion and tactile feedback from the body you controlled. The latter had a less realistic "feel," but allowed for control over multiple targets at once. Each had its strengths.
Under your command, the Chūnin tossed the gravely injured Genin into the river, then turned and walked back into the burning field. His movements were calm, as if accepting death—a suicide to cover his failure.
Of course, you were the one in control via the Mind Body Switch the entire time. So as the flames devoured him, you felt the searing pain with him.
Your Spirit and Ocular Power rose in sync with the agony he endured. It was then that inspiration struck—you'd found a new method to evolve your eye.
Opening the Sharingan requires a massive influx of negative emotions. Pain, naturally, counts as one of them. But you had no family, no friends—nothing to lose. Pain was the only thing that could truly move you.
Self-inflicted pain, however, would ruin your ability to fight.
Now you had a solution.
What was originally a random win—a bet that earned you the Mind Body Switch Technique—had now become a powerful tool. You could let others suffer in your place, and simply connect through the technique to feel their pain. This would allow you to temper your Spirit and enhance your Ocular Power without injuring yourself.
"I really am a genius!"
The Chūnin's brain finally carbonized in the flames, snapping your consciousness back into your own body like a lightning strike. You recoiled instantly. Fortunately, the Uchiha clan's meditation techniques weren't bad. After taking two soldier pills to recover, your mind quickly returned to full strength.
In fact, you were stronger than before.
Your Ocular Power had surged.
You then approached the Genin floating half-dead in the river. Using a fallen tree, you pinned his body beneath the water, keeping only his head submerged.
In this way, you experienced drowning and suffocation firsthand.
Your Ocular Power improved again.
The euphoric sensation of your Sharingan evolving so rapidly made you briefly consider slaughtering a few villages to continue the pace.
But that would be overkill. You noticed that after just two kills, your lust for blood surged to disturbing levels. If you wiped out an entire village, you might lose your mind on the spot.
Most Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō were either insane or idiots—some both. You had no intention of joining their ranks.
You needed time to process the side effects of this newfound power.
One mission, one application of this method—that was enough to steadily grow your Sharingan...
...
[Month Three]
This mission had taken a full month to complete. After a short rest, you returned to Konoha.
From Root, you received the Wind Release techniques that Danzō had picked for you. Not one, but two jutsu: the foundational Wind Release: Great Breakthrough and the B-rank Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
Rumor had it that both combined well with Fire Release.
Naturally, upon returning, you also resumed Danzō's routine hypnosis sessions. But by now, you'd already found a reliable way to counter Kotoamatsukami.
Danzō, pleased with your performance, was limited by his aged body that hadn't been enhanced with Hashirama's cells. He couldn't use Kotoamatsukami frequently.
In the span of a month, you only underwent the technique about ten times, and each time you erased its imprint by the next evening.
A few harder-to-remove cases required two consecutive days of Danzō's hypnosis—but after that, he'd need a full week to recover.
All in all, Kotoamatsukami had become your personal XP farm for upgrading the Sharingan...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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