16-20

**Chapter 16: The Great Twist! An Ancestral Laugh! Uchiha Setsuna's Awakening!**

The ruins of a village, ravaged by ninja battles, lay in complete disarray.

Within the towering barrier, the ground was littered with shuriken, scattered threads, and fragments of earth, dead branches, and broken bricks—remnants of the battle.

In the center of the scene, as Uchiha Shinji quiet words fell, Moroi shuddered involuntarily, as if reacting to a trauma.

Though his earlier moves had been as fierce as a tiger, his current state was nothing short of miserable.

His red cloak was shredded to tatters by ninja wire, exposing smooth, bloodied cuts beneath.

The stinging pain from the wounds forced him to suck in sharp breaths.

If it hadn’t been for the sealing scroll he carried—a scroll that could activate without hand signs, and which conveniently contained a Binding Formation Seal—he might have met his end at the hands of Uchiha Setsuna, a mere novice genin.

Moroi narrowed his eyes, not daring to be careless. He formed a seal with his hands and used a sensory ninjutsu to scan Uchiha Shinji from head to toe for any remaining tricks.

Finally, he exhaled in relief.

Pressing forward with his long blade, Moroi sneered and spoke coldly:

“Kid, are you still trying to bluff me at this point?”

“I’ve already checked. You’re nearly out of chakra, your stamina is all but gone, and you’ve been hit by my Lightning Binding. With your current strength, you can’t even use a basic Substitution Jutsu!”

A smirk spread across Moroi’s face, his gaze smug as though victory was already his. In a tone of finality, he declared:
“You’ve lost!”

“There’s no way out for you now but death!”

Yet, Uchiha Shinji expression remained eerily calm—so calm, in fact, that it was unsettling.

As Moroi had said, Shinji was indeed in a dire situation.

Forget the Substitution Jutsu; he didn’t even have enough energy left for the simplest E-rank Rope Escape Technique.

But in that moment, a look of strange relief appeared on Shinji face. He muttered softly to himself:

“At last... finally... finally...” (ᇴ‿ᇴ)

“What are you mumbling about, kid?” Moroi frowned, his eyes fixed on Shinji.

Despite his apparent dominance, Moroi dared not drop his guard after their earlier intense battle.

Shinji, however, merely stared back at him and suddenly curled his lips into a faint smile. With a voice as steady as if narrating a tale, he said:

“Do you know?”

“I’ve been waiting for this moment... for so long!”

“And now—”

Shinji eyes gleamed with madness, and his lips stretched into a maniacal grin. “I’ve finally reached it!”

“You’re completely insane!”

Moroi frowned deeply at Shinji, who, even in such a predicament, was spouting what he considered nonsense. In a cold voice, he barked:

“Whatever your last words are, they end here!”

“Die!”

He decided not to waste another second.

Moroi raised his long blade, gripping the hilt with both hands. He stepped back slightly, leveling the blade at his waist.

The tip of the sword pointed directly at Shinji heart.

With just one thrust, this boy would no longer be able to utter another word.

His gaze turned sharp, and he drove the blade forward.

In his mind, he could already see Shinji collapsing.

But at that precise moment...

Uchiha Shinji, bound hand and foot by the Lightning Binding, suddenly threw his head back and let out a loud, deranged laugh:

“Hoo-hoo-hoo... Ha-ha-ha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!” ψ(｀∇´)ψ

The laughter was layered, evolving from a mocking chuckle to a full-throated roar, and finally becoming so uncontrollable that he seemed to almost choke on it, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

Lowering his head, Shinji glanced at Moroi with a scornful gaze.

“Kumogakure ninja, don’t tell me you actually thought you’d won?”

As Shinji words rang out, Moroi’s blade tore through the high-collared black robe covering Shinji chest.

What Moroi saw beneath made his eyes tremble wildly, the smug smile instantly freezing on his face.

The hand pushing the blade forward also came to an abrupt halt.

“Wh-what... what is that?!” Moroi stammered in shock, his head snapping up to look at Shinji.

“What is it?” Shinji laughed maniacally, his tone utterly deranged.

“Let me show you exactly what it is!”

Despite the searing pain from the electric currents coursing through his body, Shinji gaze turned sharp.

---
A hand grabbed the black robe of Uchiha's high collar in front of his chest and tore it off directly!

The black robe ripped apart, exposing a strong, youthful body to the sunlight.

However, on this body was a close-fitting garment made entirely of densely packed explosive tags!

The black explosive tag patterns covered the entire body, from head to toe, with tags in every corner!

The dense, chaotic "explosion" characters provided a strong visual impact!

The sheer number of tags could likely flatten the entire village!

Moroi suddenly felt a tingling sensation that ran from the tips of his toes straight to his scalp, causing his entire body to uncontrollably tremble.

Uchiha Shinji, this little brat, actually wears explosive tags as clothing?!

What the hell?!

A lunatic!

A complete lunatic!

This is insane!

Aren't you afraid of accidentally setting them off and sending yourself to the heavens?!

Uchiha Shinji suddenly felt his body relax, and the sealing mark on the ground, inscribed with the character for "thunder," stopped providing chakra due to Moroi's daze.

Uchiha Shinji moved his shoulders a bit, then jumped down. He cast a cold glance at Moroi and said calmly, "The real winner here is me!"

With that, Uchiha Shinji grabbed the explosive tag on his chest.

All it would take was a light tug, and the entire village would be blown to pieces along with Uchiha Shinji!

The battlefield suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

---

Outside the barrier, three people were closely watching the battle within.

As Moroi successively cast the Fire Sealing Mark, Binding Array, and Thunder Killing Bind, the situation suddenly reversed.

The roles of hunter and prey were flipped, and Uchiha Shinji was now under control.

It seemed like his life was about to end with a single strike!

"Shinji!"

The elder, Uchiha Setsuna, could not help but gasp in shock. He immediately attempted to break free and use a powerful ninjutsu to break the barrier.

At this moment, Uchiha Shinji significance in Uchiha Setsuna heart had changed beyond recognition.

Mastering the Uchiha style of the “ Uchiha Shuriken” at an age far beyond his years, Uchiha Shinji had quickly grasped the Dragon Fire Technique and Phoenix Fire Flower Claw, all of which made even Uchiha Setsuna marvel.

Furthermore,

He could integrate these three techniques to create combined jutsu that left even him in awe.

In Uchiha Setsuna mind, Uchiha Shinji was no longer the useless child who couldn’t even activate the Sharingan!

He was,

A genius among geniuses!

As one of the top leaders of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Setsuna naturally understood the path to unlocking the Sharingan.

He could easily arrange a strong enough stimulus to make any clan member awaken the Sharingan.

However, such actions were akin to forcing growth—unlocking the Sharingan without the talent to support it would only lead to it becoming a burden, a coveted and dangerous power that others would seek to steal.

But Uchiha Shinji was different!

His innate talent was enough to support such power!

In fact, in the brief moment just now, Uchiha Setsuna had already devised a tragic scenario, one filled with life-or-death drama, that would allow Uchiha Shinji to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan and become the ultimate genius in his clan.

But now, the situation on the battlefield had reversed!

This genius, who had just begun to show his potential, was about to be buried in a foreign land.

For the Uchiha clan, for their faction, this was an immense loss!

Uchiha Setsuna gritted his teeth, his eyes sharpening with resolve.

He had decided to use the Izanagi technique to swap one of the two Cloud Village ninjas blocking his path, then forcibly break the barrier and take Uchiha Shinji away.

Such a talent cannot die here!

---

(End of this chapter)

**Chapter 17: The Elder's Emotional Outburst! Crying Out: Uchiha Doesn't Need Your Sacrifice!** (song :die with smile)ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

Outside the barrier,
two Cloud Ninja encircled Uchiha Setsuna, one in front and the other behind.

Seeing Moroi gain the upper hand, the two exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

Rami used a combination of Lightning Style and Earth Style to coordinate interference from the rear. At the same time, Dodai harassed Uchiha Setsuna from the front with relentless attacks, pairing the Lightning Bull Thunder Plow Hot Knife with Lava Style’s Molten Lava Fist.

Uchiha Setsuna wanted to seize the opportunity to cast a genjutsu on one of them, aiming to use Izanagi to take down at least one opponent. However, the two Cloud Ninja continually shifted their positions, avoiding a direct confrontation. Their attacks stopped short, showing no intention of fighting to the death.

It was clear—they intended to stall until Moroi killed Shinji and then returned to finish him off.

This left Uchiha Setsuna struggling to defend himself, with no opening to exploit.

The expression on Uchiha Setsuna's face grew darker, his demeanor increasingly tense.

If this continues,
not only will he fail to save Shinji, but he himself will also be killed here by these three.

The situation was dire!
But just then,

the battlefield changed once again—

"Hohoho... Hahahahaha! Ahahahahaha!"

A loud, erratic laugh suddenly echoed from within the barrier!

Moroi’s face twisted in fear as he formed seals to modify the barrier, allowing sound to pass through from both sides.

"Rami! Dodai! Retreat immediately!"

Moroi's panicked voice followed the maniacal laughter.

"What?!" Rami froze for a moment upon hearing the command, turning to look inside the barrier.

And what he saw was—

Shinji, bare-chested and covered in countless explosive tag patterns, advancing step by step toward Moroi with a sneer on his face.

"What in the world is this?!" Rami's eyes widened in shock.

Seeing Shinji's body covered in explosive tags, Rami felt his scalp tingle. He couldn’t help but shudder and break out in a cold sweat.

With just one glance, his previously dull, aged eyes cleared.

"This kid... has he lost his mind?!"

"With that many explosive tags, he could blow this entire village sky-high!"

Even Dodai, one of the Third Raikage's most trusted aides, couldn’t stop himself from swallowing hard.

As someone accustomed to reckless tactics, he found himself horrified at the sight of Shinji.

Who uses explosive tags as clothing?!

Not even the Hozuki Clan of the Hidden Mist would dare pull something like this!
This isn’t recklessness; this is sheer madness!

Outside the barrier, the movements of all three opponents came to an abrupt halt as they turned their attention inward.

Uchiha Setsuna’s eyes reddened with fury.

Seeing Shinji dressed like a terrorist, he feared that one misstep could set off the explosive tags.

And then—

Boom! Just like that, this newly risen Uchiha prodigy, who belonged to his war faction, would be gone in an instant.

"Shinji! What are you doing?!"

He shouted angrily, sweat streaming down his forehead, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and dread.

Clutching the explosive tag near his chest, Shinji turned his head and calmly replied:

"Elder, you’ve seen it. I have no other choice but to do this!"

Uchiha Setsuna's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. Trying to mask his anxiety, he spoke in a firm, coaxing tone:
"Shinji, calm down!"

"Quickly, take off those explosive tags! I’ll find a way to save you!"

"Don’t worry. These fools can’t stop me!"

"No." Shinji shook his head firmly, continuing his deliberate steps toward Moroi. His voice was steady as he replied:
"Elder, we both know the reality of this situation."

"If I stop resisting and let this guy escape the barrier alive, the three of them will join forces. Elder, you’ll undoubtedly die here!"

"If you fall here, the clansmen back in Hell Valley will soon face an attack from the Two-Tails Jinchuriki!"

"At that time, the Uchiha will suffer immense losses!"

"And it won’t just be the loss of lives,"

Shinji exhaled deeply and continued with a heavy tone:

"Chinoike Clan will be freed, and the Land of Lightning Daimyo’s commission will end in failure. The reputation of our clan will be severely damaged."

“Having lost external financial support and our war leader, chaos, division, and disputes are bound to erupt within the Uchiha clan.”

“Outside forces, including those old dogs Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, still harbor unending hatred toward our clan!”

“At this moment, we are caught between internal strife and external threats—a true crisis of survival!”

Uchiha Shinji eyes gleamed with determination. He took a firm step forward and forcefully tugged at the explosive tags strapped to his chest.

“I finally understand why I stand here!” ͼ(ݓ_ݓ)ͽ

Moroi scrambled backward on all fours, his face filled with terror as he screamed:
“What do you understand?! Get away from me!”

“What are you trying to do?! Stop right there! Don’t move!”

“Don’t pull those anymore! It’s going to explode! It’s going to explode! Aaaaaahhhh!”

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!”

Outside the barrier, the Uchiha clan elder, Uchiha Setsuna, clenched his fists tightly. His hand gripping the sword trembled with emotion.

The words Uchiha Shinji spoke struck a chord deep within him—how could he not understand them?

But he never expected this—

Uchiha Shinji possessed such sharp insight, as if he were standing at the pinnacle of the clan, seeing everything with remarkable clarity.

This... this...

Uchiha Shinji wasn’t just a genius. He was a visionary genius with extraordinary foresight!

No wonder—no wonder he volunteered for such a perilous mission!

It turned out that he had foreseen everything all along.

This fledgling eagle, barely grown, leapt from the cliff not because of a desire to fly, but because he had glimpsed the Uchiha clan’s looming collapse.

It was the fear of what lay ahead—the destruction of their home—that drove this young boy, at an age when he should be enjoying peace and honing his skills, to step into an unfathomable abyss.

But precisely because of this, Uchiha Setsuna’s heart ached so intensely that he could barely breathe.

“Shinji!”

His eyes turned red, his perpetually cold face finally showing emotion. Uchiha Setsuna gripped his sword tightly, his gaze growing sharp and unwavering.

He glanced at the three members of the Cloud Village team, his rage so overwhelming it seemed to reach the heavens.

Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Setsuna bellowed:
“Shinji! That’s enough!”

“Stop this, now!”

“The Uchiha clan doesn’t need your sacrifice!”

Uchiha Shinji smirked. His previously calm and somewhat indifferent expression softened.

Turning to face Uchiha Setsuna, he shook his head with a faint smile.

“Elder, there’s no need to persuade me.”

“An eagle must have the demeanor of an eagle!”

“This is my final farewell!” Uchiha Shinji said with a smile.

“After this mission, don’t forget me. Next year, please visit me at the Memorial Stone. That will be enough to satisfy me.”

Uchiha Setsuna’s heart clenched. He looked up abruptly, just about to speak again, when Uchiha Shinji asked him quietly:

“Elder, do you regret choosing me?”

For a moment, Uchiha Setsuna was lost in thought. Uchiha Shinji image reflected in his Sharingan, merging with the image of the reckless young boy from the clan meeting long ago.

The elder’s expression softened again. He remembered how, in a fit of anger, he had sent Uchiha Shinji to the battlefield.

His face twisted with regret, his gut wrenching with remorse.

If only he had known back then that Uchiha Shinji was such a prodigy, how could he have sent this boy to war?

Moreover, he had once thought of using Uchiha Shinji as cannon fodder in their plans for a coup.

Now, seeing this boy sacrificing his life to buy even the slightest chance of survival for the clan, Uchiha Setsuna wanted to slap himself hard.

How foolish he had been!

Uchiha Setsuna’s lips trembled as he looked at Uchiha Shinji, his eyes filled with reluctance and sorrow.

“Shinji...”

---
(End of Chapter)

Chapter 18: Blood, Tears, Madness, and Promises! The Fury of the Uchiha!

Amid the wreckage and ruins—

Uchiha Setsuna clenched his fists tightly, his eyes radiating a piercing, bone-chilling glare as he turned to face the three Cloud Village ninjas: Moroi, Ramui, and Dodai.

Never before had he felt such searing pain!
He was the elder of the Uchiha clan, a soaring eagle that roamed the skies freely!

He was the admired figure that young eagles in the clan aspired to emulate!
But now,
Here,
All he could do was watch as the fledgling eagle—destined to pierce through the clouds, shatter the skies, and rise beyond the heavens—

Used its frail, flesh-and-blood body to carve out a humiliating escape route.

The three tomoe in Uchiha Setsuna’s Sharingan spun rapidly, nearly forming a pitch-black line, almost evolving into a new pattern.

But that was all it could do.

Uchiha Setsuna, clear-headed yet tormented, painfully realized a truth: he wasn’t like Uchiha Kagami, gifted with exceptional talent.

He lacked the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

So, all he could do was glare with his sharingan eyes, blood vessels webbing across the whites,

His crimson-red eyes resembling those of a demon.
A single tear of blood slid silently down his cheek.

Closing his eyes in agony, Uchiha Setsuna saw in the darkness countless familiar figures, long departed.

Uchiha Tajima, Madara, Izuna, Kagami—
One after another, these figures formed a wall of Uchiha before him.

Silent, numb, their crimson eyes wide with resentment,
Their lips, teeth, and even their faces trembled.

They stared at him with anger, hatred, and reproach—
Why?
Why was it that, from the Warring States Era to now, the one who survived was someone as mediocre and useless as him?!

Uchiha Setsuna abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze now devoid of hesitation.

Like lightning, his blood-streaked Sharingan scanned the three Cloud ninjas.

Suddenly, Uchiha Setsuna threw back his head and laughed:

“Hahahahahaha!”

Though he was laughing, his laughter carried a sharp, agonizing pain, like nails being ripped from flesh.

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“Uchiha Shinji! As the elder of the Uchiha clan, the leader of the War Faction, and your godfather—

I acknowledge your resolve!”

Uchiha Setsuna roared in grief and rage:

“Go ahead and die!”

“Die here, without any regrets!” (song : die with smile)

Inside the barrier, Uchiha Shinji felt his heart skip a beat as he instinctively glanced at Uchiha Setsuna.

He feared that the old man, overwhelmed by emotion, would choose to stay behind and stage some kind of tragic, self-sacrificial drama.

After all he’d done, the last thing he needed was for the old man to lose his mind!
Damn it, if you can’t win, just run! What’s so shameful about that?

But—
Uchiha Setsuna raised his longsword, pointing it at the three Cloud ninjas, his gaze cold and unyielding, like an eternal iceberg.

With a sharp voice, he vowed:

“Don’t worry, I’ll flee like a stray dog with its tail between its legs!”

“But these three…”

“They will bear the eternal wrath of the Uchiha clan!”

“From this day forth, I will rally the full power of our clan to exterminate them!”

“The daimyos and ninja villages of the Five Great Nations will simultaneously receive a bounty, one with no expiration date!”

“Beyond that, underground bounty exchanges will permanently display a mission for their heads!”

“Every group in the ninja world—whether Star Village, Taki Village, Grass Village, Rain Village, Hot Springs Village, female ninjas, the Land of Iron, Ryūdōin, Akatsuki, Mori, Rin, Banryo, or Yangyan—

All factions, all organizations!”

“They will all know—”

Uchiha Setsuna’s eyes burned with madness, his expression twisted with fury as he growled each word like grinding steel:

“Your heads are worth * 100 million ryo each!*”

Each word was etched with pain and determination!

“What the hell are you saying?!” Ramui couldn’t stop trembling, her face pale with panic.

“Uchiha Setsuna, have you gone insane?!”

“Are you trying to destroy the unwritten rules of the ninja world?!”

“This is a path to your own destruction!”

Beside her, Dodai and Moroi stood frozen, their heads buzzing as if struck by a hammer.

Madness!

All of them had gone mad!
The young one was mad!
Now the old one had gone mad too!

In the chain of hatred in the ninja world, every clan and every village has endured bone-deep hatred and pain. However, on the surface, no one—and I mean no one—would dare to go as far as Uchiha Setsuna.

At most, someone might discreetly post a bounty anonymously at an underground exchange.

The reasoning is simple: You killed my son, so I put a price on your head. Nothing wrong with that.

But actions like this inevitably escalate conflicts, causing wars to drag on endlessly, reducing villages to rubble and nations to ruin. Naturally, the ninja villages of various countries impose strict limits on such behavior.

However, the Uchiha Clan is different.

As one of the two strongest clans during the Warring States Period, the Uchiha have the means to bypass the ninja village mission system and directly hand their vendetta orders to various organizations.

Even though no one has ever gone this far before, the Uchiha do possess the kind of high-level connections forged by force and influence to make it possible.

Still, offering a public bounty of three billion, with potentially over ten billion spent in the shadows, is a cost that most organizations can only look at with frustration and helpless rage.

Spending so much just to kill three people would require selling off the entire clan's assets, forcing everyone in the clan to tighten their belts just to survive.

Wouldn't that stunt the development of the entire ninja clan?

But the Uchiha are different!

The Uchiha are wealthy. Very wealthy!
Such expenses wouldn’t even scratch the surface of their resources.

Moreover, War faction within the Uchiha Clan are all a bunch of lunatics who would gladly dip into their own pockets to fund such bounties.

Upon hearing Ramui words, Uchiha Setsuna grinned coldly, his eyes filled with disdain and arrogance:
“Rules? Do you think I care about rules?!”

“Did you mistake me for someone else? I am—”

“Uchiha Setsuna!”

As the words fell, Ramui, Dodai, and Moroi's expressions simultaneously changed.

Yes, this old man is none other than Uchiha Setsuna!

At this point in time, his name was infamous among high-level ninjas across all nations.

This was the man who dared to stage a coup and plot the assassination of the Second Hokage during peace negotiations.

He’s practically cut from the same cloth as the Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumogakure!

And during all this, the current clan leader, Uchiha Kagami, was still alive!
Setsuna is utterly insane—a complete lunatic. There's nothing surprising about what someone like him might do in a moment of madness.

The only difference between this old man and Kumogakure's Gold and Silver Brothers is that one succeeded in assassination, while the other failed before he could even begin his coup.

A bona fide terrorist!

“You're just a damned lunatic, a lunatic, a lunatic!” Dodai cursed in terror, his voice trembling.

Ramui pointed a trembling finger at Uchiha Setsuna, his whole body shaking with anger, unable to form a single coherent word.

Moroi's face was ashen, bordering on despair.

Who could understand his feelings right now?

In front of him stood a little lunatic wearing exploding tags as clothing.

Behind him stood an old lunatic threatening to take his head and use it as a chamber pot.

He was on the verge of a mental breakdown!

Even Uchiha Shinji felt like a bone was stuck in his throat as he glanced nervously at Uchiha Setsuna, his scalp tingling.

A sudden thought occurred to him: he didn’t want to die here.

If he were to die in this place and Setsuna returned to the clan, the Uchiha might face destruction even sooner than in the original timeline!

Uchiha Shinji couldn't help but wail internally:
Help me!
Why are all these Uchihas such lunatics?!

I finally managed to get rid of Uchiha Shisui, and now I have to deal with someone even crazier—Uchiha Setsuna?!

*(End of Chapter)*

**Chapter 19: A Desperate Struggle! A Furious Clash!**

At this moment,
following Uchiha Setsuna's speech that was as extreme as a self-destruct attack,
the situation on the battlefield polarized drastically.

On the Kumogakure side: trembling hands, pale faces—both awaiting their inevitable doom.
Meanwhile, on the Uchiha side: one blows himself up, the other steps forward. It’s a relentless back-and-forth.

It could truly be described as:

**The Grand Uchiha Stage: If you’re insane, come on over!**

Shinji himself realized that the words he’d blurted out earlier might have been a bit too much.
He glanced at Uchiha Setsuna, who looked profoundly moved by his intense speech.
But Shinji original intention was simply to achieve a relatively positive outcome and then safely lead his squad back home.

For that, he lied to everyone present!

Shinji words were based on the claim that the defenders of Hell Valley would be destroyed by Kumogakure using the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, causing great losses for the Uchiha.

However, this was actually a false premise.

The truth was, Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water would soon no longer need Uchiha protection.
The schemes of Chinoike Clan and Kumogakure had already collapsed when the envoy of the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning was killed.

The woman who had accompanied the envoy to beg forgiveness from the Daimyō and offer herself was the wife of Chinoike Clan’s patriarch, Yūya-jō.
After returning to Hell Valley, at this exact moment in time, she had already taken her own life. Unable to endure the humiliation and scorn from her clan members, combined with the crushing pressure of their failed mission plunging her clan into war, she had ended her life.

She left behind only her daughter, Chinoike Chino.

As for Chinoike Yūya-jō, or rather,
**Yūya-jō En!**

Upon learning of his wife’s suicide,
he was consumed by regret, guilt, and resentment, and harbored deep hatred for all the clan members who had driven her to death!

His Blood Dragon Eye likely evolved to a level comparable to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And like the Mangekyō, it came with a heavy price.

He went insane!
But in exchange, he gained incredible power.

In this era where traditional ninja combat techniques still dictated the norm,
there would come a day not too far in the future when he would personally slaughter his entire clan, taking his daughter away from Hell Valley to settle on a small island in the Land of Water.

He would become one of the most influential figures in the ninja underworld: a black market kingpin, a gladiatorial arena mastermind, and the foremost trafficker of kekkei genkai.

But for now, Shinji deception could save the lives of his two squad members, at the cost of his own.

To Shinji, this was the best possible outcome.

At this moment,
Elder Uchiha Setsuna turned his head to look at Shinji. His gaze was heavy with sorrow and regret, yet his tone carried an oddly twisted gentleness.

"Shinji, you must die."

"As long as I’m alive, this vendetta will never end!"

"Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, can’t stop me!"

Sweat trickled down Shinji’s forehead. He thought to himself, *Elder, isn’t this a bit too extreme?*
*If the war faction follow your lead, they might just end up in the trash heap of history.*

However, as he surveyed the scene,
it was clear that the situation had reached a point of no return. Uchiha Setsuna had even planned out his posthumous affairs.

If Shinji didn’t die now, it would seem unreasonable.

His eyes hardened with resolve. He looked at Setsuna with unwavering determination and said in a deep voice,

"Then my death will be worth it!" (︺︹︺)

The three Kumogakure ninjas froze in shock, their gazes fixed on Shinji.

Earlier, Shinji had been struck by the Lightning Binding Strike, leaving him barely able to move his arms and only able to feign a posture of self-detonation.

In truth, his fingers had been so numb that he couldn’t even hold the explosive tags properly.

But after a moment, Shinji body began to adjust to the electrifying numbness. His fingers regained some strength, enough to clutch the explosive tags on his chest.

Without hesitation, he ripped them off!

“No! He’s really going to self-destruct!”

“Dodai, quick, scatter!”

Ramui grit her teeth as she watched Shinji tear at the tags on his chest. Turning toward Moroi, who was trapped within the barrier, she reluctantly gave an order:
“Moroi, use it!”

“You have to survive! If you don’t, the mission will fail!”

“What?” Moroi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He hesitated before saying,
“But, Captain, the Third Raikage said that was a contingency for Chinoike Clan!”

---
“Even if it means dying, you must not use it prematurely!”

Ramui tightly clenched his fists, trapped in a dilemma, but there was barely any time left to think.

His eyes turned bloodshot as he looked at the two Uchiha. After a moment of internal struggle, his gaze grew resolute.

Grinding his teeth, Ramui spat, “Who the hell could’ve imagined running into two maniacs like this during a mission?!”

“If you don’t act now, you’ll either be blown to bits or crippled, fail the mission, and then get slapped with a sky-high bounty by that Uchiha lunatic!”

“Think about it—do you want to lose your life or fail this damn mission?”

“If you act now, we can regroup and take down Uchiha Setsuna. He won’t even have the chance to issue a bounty!”

“Otherwise, just wait to die!”

Ramui trembled uncontrollably with tension.

As a veteran ninja who had survived since the Warring States era, Ramui understood better than anyone the weight of Uchiha Setsuna’s words.

When that lunatic says he’s coming for you, he truly means to stake his life on it!

Ramui tone grew heavy as he barked at Moloi, “If the Uchiha clan fully mobilizes, we might not even make it out of the Land of Hot Water before being completely surrounded. At that point, not only will the mission fail, but we’ll lose our lives too!”

“Damn it, think it through!”

One hundred million ryo—for a single head.

Even if they returned to the Land of Lightning, countless organizations would relentlessly infiltrate just to claim their heads for the bounty!

Inside the barrier, Moroi sat on the ground, his expression shifting wildly.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, glaring coldly at Uchiha Shinji as he barked in a tone of resignation, “Uchiha Shinji, is it?”

“You’re good. I’ll remember you!”

“But don’t think for a second that you’ve truly won!”

Hearing the all-too-familiar line, Uchiha Shinji raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself, *Are you seriously trying to play turn-based combat with me?*

Without a word, he coldly glanced at Moroi, entirely unfazed.

Seeing this, Moroi gritted his teeth.

Uchiha Shinji was covered in explosive tags. No matter where he struck, it would inevitably detonate the ticking time bomb.

But if he didn’t kill him, Moroi was certain to be blown to pieces instead!

For a ninja specializing in sealing techniques, there were generally only two types of combat methods:

The first involved quick-use sealing techniques, performed on the spot using hand signs and scrolls—like the Fire Seal and Thunder Binding techniques Moloi had just used.

Similar techniques include the Evil Sealing Method, Reverse Evil Sealing, and Limbs Binding Seal, among others.

The second method involved creating sealing arrays. This process was time-consuming, required complex hand signs, and needed the drawing of runes—making it a cumbersome choice for dealing with sudden situations like this.

To quickly deploy sealing arrays on the battlefield, one needed expensive sealing scrolls pre-inscribed with partial arrays, enabling rapid deployment.

This was similar to the Sealing Bind Array he had just used with the help of a scroll.

Now, as Uchiha Shinji drew closer, the explosive tags on his body flaring with increasingly exaggerated movements, Moroi pupils shrank to pinpoints, his eyes bloodshot with terror.

The fear of death pounded violently in his chest!

Moroi entire body trembled as countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

But at last, his gaze hardened. With gritted teeth, he reached into the scroll pouch at his side, pulling out a sealing scroll.

Uchiha Moroi eyes narrowed as he observed the action, preparing to counter any unexpected moves.

Suppressing the numbing pain from the electric jolts in his arms, he yanked hard on the explosive tags on his chest.

*Rip!*

A blinding light flared suddenly!

At the same time—

Moroi tore off the string binding the scroll, aggressively unfurling it.

He plunged his hand into one of his open wounds, ignoring the searing pain as he scooped out a handful of thick, coagulated blood.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, Moloi slammed his bloodied hand onto the scroll, raised his head, and roared furiously at Uchiha Shinji:

“Do you think I’d lose to a useless genin like you?!”

“Watch closely!”

“Sealing Technique: *Irrational Wrath Cascade!*”

Chapter 20: The Three-Second World, Homeless Stray Dog

As Shinji tore open the first explosive tag, the intricate patterns on all the tags surrounding him instantly flared up with a blazing golden light!

At that moment, Shinji *became* light.

Literally, in the physical sense.

He was even brighter than the first rays of dawn breaking over the horizon.
The intense light flooded Shinji vision in an instant, giving him the illusion that what he held wasn’t an explosive tag but rather a glowing rod of divine energy.

It was almost as if, in the very next second, Shinji would transform into a Ultraman and launch an all-out attack.

Of course, that was merely a fleeting fantasy.

Shinji hadn’t even awakened his Sharingan.

And honestly, he didn’t think someone like himself—a man who got up at precisely 6:00 AM, went to bed at exactly 10:00 PM, drank a can of soda every night before bed, and kept his emotions as steady as the clock ticking away beside his bed—would ever awaken such a power.

After all, that was something only lunatics would awaken.

Shaking his head, Shinji couldn’t help but bare his teeth in a wide grin, letting out a wild laugh:

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” ヾ(*ΦωΦ)ﾉ

“Goodbye, Uchiha!”
“Goodbye, you damn, screwed-up world!” (╥╯θ╰╥)
(cue die with smile song again)

He threw his head back, his face smug, arms outstretched as he dove into the sea of flames.

▒▒▓█▇▅▂∩( ✧Д✧)∩▂▅▇█▓▒▒

Like a victor, he embraced the world in a fiery farewell.

The temperature soared; flames licked at his skin.
If nothing unexpected happened, in three seconds, Shinji would be reduced to fireworks, taking his final bow on the stage of the ninja world.

Then, clutching a hefty five-billion insurance payout, he’d happily head back home.

This move? It was like taking a bath in explosive tags.
A one-stop funeral package with all the steps skipped, straight to the crematorium. The speed of incineration rivaled a dragon divebombing its prey.
Tell me, how could I possibly lose here?

Seriously, how the hell could I lose?! *(dramatic pose with hands on hips)* *｡٩(ˊωˋ*)و✧*｡

However, lost in his beautiful daydream, Shinji forgot something important.

Before setting out, he’d smashed his alarm clock with his own hands.

And he had sent himself to the ever-volatile battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War.

Also, could someone who preferred soda over herbal tea really keep his emotions stable?

---

**Sealing Technique: Endless Rage and Relentless Wrath**

This was a unique sealing jutsu of the Hidden Cloud Village. It could even be said to be one of the top-tier sealing techniques in the current ninja world, rivaled only by the Uzumaki Clan's techniques.

Why? Because its main component was the ink of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.

This material could only be harvested by the Third Raikage, a man renowned as the “Strongest Spear” and the “Strongest Shield,” through relentlessly beating the Eight-Tails into submission.

How powerful was this technique?

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Gyūki and Killer Bee once used it to seal nearly a thousand enemies simultaneously!

The expelled ink would transform into clones of the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, who used a swastika-shaped jutsu to immobilize opponents. Three seconds later, the target would be completely dyed black and sealed.

However, the technique had one glaring flaw:
It took a full three seconds from contact with the target to activation.

Coincidentally, explosive tags also had a designed delay for ignition. Typically, unless manually triggered, it took three seconds from the moment they were thrown to detonation.

Talk about timing!

At that moment, standing at the edge of a barrier surrounding the ruins, Moro’i’s eyes turned icy cold. His blood-soaked hands weaved through hand signs as he roared:
“Sealing Technique: Endless Rage and Relentless Wrath!”

A massive "8" symbol glowed brightly on the blood-stained scroll.

A torrent of black ink surged out of the scroll like an inky waterfall!

From the ink emerged a hulking figure cloaked in a black-and-red tailed beast chakra shroud.

It tilted its head, and its blank, emotionless white eyes instantly locked onto Shinji.

In the next moment, the Jinchūriki’s shadow form sprinted across the ink-made waterfall and lunged forward.

A perfectly executed *Lariat*!

Its elbow locked tightly around Shinji’s neck.
One foot stomped on Shinji, making him lose balance and topple sideways.
Then, with one leg pinning Shinji arm and the other braced against his waist—

What a masterful "Taijutsu"!

Uchiha Shinji was laughing maniacally when, out of nowhere, a burly man clad in the Tailed Beast's cloak charged into the still-spreading sea of fire. In one swift motion, he executed a grappling move, pinning Shinji to the ground forcefully.

The friction from the maneuver scraped the delicate skin off his once-handsome face!
The next moment, Uchiha Shinji vision went black.

The burly man dissolved into a puddle of ink, dripping steadily downward.

Uchiha Shinji, now looking as stunned as Patrick Star sprayed with lemon juice by Squidward, blinked blankly.

The ink spread rapidly across his body.

Wherever it passed, the explosive tags, once glowing fiercely with a bright yellow light, dimmed instantly and turned into useless scraps of paper.

Nearly 70 to 80 percent of the explosive tags were rendered inactive, and the remaining 20 percent, which were on the verge of detonation, also quieted down.

The grin on Uchiha Shinji face froze in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the other side,
Moroi, who had just activated this sealing technique, wore an expression almost identical to Uchiha Shinji.

He was dumbfounded.

Staring at the sealing scroll before him, he couldn’t help but question his life choices.

Before departing, the Third Raikage had sternly warned him only to use this technique if the entire Chinoike Clan defied orders, attempted rebellion, and sought to escape Hell Valley.

He had emphasized—repeatedly—that it should *only* be used during a *full-scale* uprising!
But this?
This was it?!

You’re telling me this technique is supposed to suppress the Chinoike Clan?
All it managed to do was summon a seemingly intimidating Jinchuriki phantom to execute a flashy grappling move on this brat.

Where’s the actual effect? Where’s the power??!
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)
Moroi was on the verge of cursing out loud.

However, at that very moment—

Eight kunai flew through the air, brushing past Moroi's cheek before embedding themselves deeply into the barrier wall behind him.

Immediately after—

A bone-chilling, guttural roar that sounded like the wail of a starving demon erupted in his ears!

“What the hell have you done?!” ( ▀ 益 ▀ )

The sheer resentment in the voice was akin to a hellhound that had just clawed its way out of the underworld, only to find two of its three heads severed, left to wander the wasteland in utter despair.

The source of the voice—

A drenched and ink-covered Uchiha Shinji struggled to crawl up from the ground. He raised his head, his face smeared with pitch-black ink, his features twisted into a grotesque contortion.

Suddenly, his crimson Sharingan flared up!

A single, lonely tomoe began spinning wildly in his eye!

Uchiha Shinji, dark and malevolent, crawled on the ground like a savage beast. With a hoarse and broken voice, he screamed in fury:

“What did you do?!”

“I’m asking you!” '(◣_◢)'

“What did you do?!!!”

“Answer me!”

“What did you do!!!!!!!”

“Speak up!”

“What the hell did you doooooooo!!!!!!” (╬ﾟ◥益◤ﾟ)

Uchiha Shinji tilted his head back, his eyes wide with rage, his teeth clenched tightly, and his entire body trembling.

His eyes, bloodshot and filled with veins,
A single tear of blood streaked down his cheek.

He resembled a feral beast on the verge of devouring its prey! The murderous intent, fury, and madness in his gaze were almost tangible.

Unfortunately,
Three seconds later—

The world remained unchanged—

Uchiha Shinji

Still,

Failed to bid farewell to this world.

̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з=(◣_◢)=ε/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

**(End of Chapter)**