Chapter 10: Infighting, Blazing Phoenix Flower!
[You righteously countered Uchiha Seiichiro with reason.]
[You gained a skill from the target: Fire Release - Phoenix Flower Jutsu (C-rank) (Proficient).]
[Your Heart of Steel stacks have increased.]
[You can now view your Heart of Steel stack count and access your skill panel.]
Uchiha Takanotsume blinked, a wry expression crossing his face.
He genuinely hadn't meant to trigger this talent—he was just fishing for an excuse to die.
This counts as a clash too?
With a thought, a translucent grid appeared before his eyes.
[Employee: Uchiha Takanotsume]
[Title: Heaven-Sent Tough Guy]
[Talents: Heart of Steel (SSS), Sharingan (Unawakened, B), Combat Instinct (Undeveloped, S)]
[Skills: Uchiha Style - Wire-Threaded Shuriken Technique (Mastered, S), Fire Release - Great Fireball Jutsu (Beginner, C), Fire Release - Phoenix Flower Jutsu (Proficient, C), Taijutsu (Beginner)]
[Heart of Steel Stacks (Expandable)]
[Insurance Status: Enrolled]
Takanotsume gave it a quick glance. It was about what he'd expected, so he dismissed the panel with a thought.
The sudden appearance of [Combat Instinct] puzzled him, but everything else was within his predictions.
An extra panel and a C-rank jutsu weren't a big deal.
The panel was just for show, and the Phoenix Flower Jutsu was a standard Fire Release—famously "merciful," following the smoke but no damage rule.
If he could convince his two teammates, this was still a prime chance to get himself killed.
But while Takanotsume's plan sounded nice, reality wasn't so cooperative.
His preachy words hit Seiichiro's ears, darkening the man's expression instantly.
As a dovish Uchiha who knew the mission's stakes, Seiichiro was already brimming with resentment. Being called out by Takanotsume pushed him over the edge. His eyes narrowed, a pair of Sharingan glowing faintly.
"Uchiha Takanotsume, are you lecturing me?"
Seiichiro's brow furrowed, his voice icy as he stared Takanotsume down.
"A genin who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan—you dare lecture me?"
"Looks like you need a lesson!"
Takanotsume's words had some logic, but Seiichiro's goal in this mission was to stay alive.
Charging through a border at night? That was for lunatics—way too risky and not even on his radar.
That's why he was so furious.
Seeing Seiichiro's Sharingan flare, Takanotsume instinctively averted his gaze, focusing below Seiichiro's chest.
Then he saw—
Seiichiro lunged, one hand grabbing Takanotsume's hair, the other aiming for his shoulder to shove his head down.
A knee strike rocketed toward Takanotsume's skull!
Takanotsume's pupils shrank.
He hadn't expected—
With Great Elder Setsuna right there, Seiichiro would dare start a fight and attack him!
In the next instant, Takanotsume sucked in a breath, his body moving on instinct.
Following the force pulling his head, he twisted his feet against the ground, channeling power through his waist, back, and legs. He flipped backward, mid-air, tilting his face to dodge the incoming knee.
His hand darted to his lower back, flinging three shuriken in a flash.
In that split second, he locked onto Seiichiro's exposed throat, wrist, and temple by his ear.
"What!" Seiichiro flinched, his Sharingan widening. With its dynamic vision, he could clearly track the shuriken spinning toward him.
He leaned back hastily, releasing Takanotsume's hair to dodge the three projectiles.
Shock gave way to boiling rage.
Uchiha Takanotsume dared to fight back!
Against him, his chūnin superior!
Seiichiro's two-tomoe Sharingan spun, his eyes narrowing dangerously. His hands flashed into seals—
But Takanotsume had started sealing mid-air, before Seiichiro even landed.
Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Rabbit - Tiger!
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
As Seiichiro finished his final Tiger seal, six sizable fireballs were already blazing toward him.
Right behind the fireballs came the sharp whistle of more projectiles!
Six shuriken and three kunai surged like a tidal wave alongside the fireballs.
"Crap!" Seiichiro's eyes widened.
Quantity overwhelmed quality. Fifteen projectiles barreled toward him. Even with his two-tomoe Sharingan tracking their trajectories, it was useless.
All he could do was use Body Flicker to dodge.
But after those fifteen, Takanotsume was still pulling more.
His left hand already held four more shuriken between his fingers.
And that wasn't all!
Takanotsume's right hand reached for the scroll pouch at his waist, pulling out a sealing scroll and unfurling it.
At the scroll's center was a bold "Ninja" character!
Judging by its length, it held no fewer than a hundred ninja tools.
What the hell!
How does this kid have so much ammo?!
"Enough!"
Great Elder Setsuna's cold voice cut through, the one who'd been silently watching.
He appeared between them, casually drawing the ninja blade from his back.
The blade arced like a crescent moon.
Clang, clang!
Without missing a beat, the six fireballs, six shuriken, and three kunai were sliced down or deflected.
"Uchiha Seiichiro." Setsuna sheathed his blade slowly, his gaze chillingly cold.
"Get to work."
Seiichiro trembled under that stare, then fell silent.
He walked off to set up perimeter traps, his face tinged with defiance.
He was a chūnin—caught off guard only because Takanotsume had spammed ninja tools.
If he got serious, this genin wouldn't stand a chance.
The conflict halted, Takanotsume quietly picked up his scattered tools, wincing inwardly.
Setsuna's slash had ruined two of his high-quality kunai.
As for the cheap shuriken? Split in half, no question.
That was all money!
Money meant for crushing enemies, wasted on Seiichiro—Takanotsume felt like he'd been robbed.
Setsuna's gaze lingered briefly on the first three shuriken Takanotsume had thrown, then withdrew.
With his vision, he'd noticed those initial "missed" shuriken were tied with fine wire.
If he hadn't stopped the fight—
Seiichiro would've flickered to that spot, and Takanotsume would've pulled the wire.
If the kid was ruthless enough, Seiichiro might've been decapitated.
Setsuna's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Takanotsume.
He suddenly felt an odd sensation.
As if he had been the one fighting Seiichiro just now.
This kid's shuriken skills… they were something.
"You're Uchiha Takanotsume, right?" Setsuna asked abruptly.
"Uh, yeah, that's me." Takanotsume nodded, caught off guard.
Setsuna narrowed his eyes, sitting by the campfire and beckoning Takanotsume over.
"Come here."