Chapter 15: Fire Seal, Binding Seal, Thunder Shackle Kill!
After unleashing a bone-crushing combo, Uchiha Takanotsume wiped the sweat from his brow.
He exhaled softly, staring at the roaring blaze of the Dragon Fire prison.
Physically and mentally, he was nearing his limit.
From yesterday to now, he hadn't had a moment's rest.
Woken from sleep by an explosive tag, he'd barely had time to react.
One C-rank and one B-rank jutsu, paired with his Uchiha Style Wire-Threaded Shuriken Technique, had nearly drained his stamina and chakra reserves.
Yet, gazing at the black smoke billowing from the fiery cage, he couldn't shake a nagging doubt.
This fight hadn't felt that challenging.
And Moroi, a special jōnin sealing specialist, hadn't shown anything close to his supposed prowess.
Plus, Fire Release was notoriously "merciful."
Surely he wasn't so weak that I killed him just like that, right?
The sudden turn of events caught the three onlookers off guard, especially Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna.
Truth be told, when he saw Takanotsume push Seiichiro away to cover the retreat alone, his heart had leaped to his throat.
Takanotsume's shuriken skills might echo Setsuna's own youth, but his opponent was a jōnin.
Trapped in Kumo's barrier, Setsuna's gut screamed disaster—Takanotsume stood no chance.
Yet, in mere moments, the tides turned!
To the untrained eye, it was a spectacle; to an expert, it was a masterclass.
Takanotsume's clutch response, paired with his flawless Uchiha Style Wire-Threaded Shuriken Technique, had transformed two weak C-rank jutsu—Dragon Fire and Phoenix Flower—into something extraordinary.
It was like he'd elevated them!
Dragon Fire and Phoenix Flower, as C-rank Fire Release techniques, had clear flaws: wide range and strong suppression but scattered power.
Takanotsume's genius was in using ninja wires to guide Dragon Fire and shuriken to upgrade Phoenix Flower into Phoenix Flower Claw Red, focusing the scattered fireballs into a single point. He'd fused the power of two C-rank jutsu into one devastating strike.
It hit with the force of an A-rank technique!
Add to that the razor-sharp tension of the taut ninja wires—
When the net closed, it was like dozens of ninja blades slashing at once!
This seamless combo left Setsuna in awe. Even if he tried to replicate it himself, he doubted he'd do better.
This kid's combat talent is terrifying!
Setsuna had taught him moves mere hours ago, and Takanotsume was already wielding them like a pro.
It's like a calf getting zapped by a power line—shocking brilliance!
"Moroi!" Dodai, among the Kumo trio, cried out, eyes wide with shock.
Who could've predicted that in moments, Takanotsume would pull off an underdog upset, overpowering a stronger foe with such finesse?
"Damn it! This kid… he got Moroi…" Dodai's face darkened, veins bulging, barely restraining himself from charging in with a Lava Release fist to crush the brat in the barrier.
He knew losing Moroi meant that, while he and Ramii could still overpower Setsuna, they'd never corner him for the kill.
If that happened, their mission might end here.
"Calm down!" Ramii, older even than Setsuna, gripped Dodai's shoulder, steadying him. "Don't be reckless, Dodai. Focus on our goal!"
"Moroi's not as weak as you think. Look—the barrier's still intact."
"He's alive!"
Even so, Ramii's brow furrowed tightly.
Takanotsume's onslaught was too swift, each move chaining perfectly, catching everyone off guard.
In martial arts, speed reigns supreme.
Moroi, a barrier ninja, had most of his skills tied to seals.
Even a veteran jōnin like Ramii would struggle to form seals in time against such a rapid assault, forced to react move by move.
His heart grew heavier.
The three locked in their own fight instinctively slowed, their peripheral vision glued to the deathmatch barrier.
It was just a genin's fight.
Yet, somehow, it was shifting the entire battlefield—maybe even Kumo's whole strategy in the Land of Hot Springs!
Inside the barrier.
Black smoke roiled, flames raged.
Dozens—hundreds—of razor-sharp wires, under Takanotsume's control, sliced toward the center!
It looked like a one-sided slaughter.
Uchiha Takanotsume, a genin without an awakened Sharingan, had suppressed Kumo's special jōnin Moroi single-handedly!
But soon, Takanotsume's expression shifted.
Something felt wrong.
The wires cutting toward the fire's heart should've torn Moroi apart like butchering meat.
Instead, they met resistance, like taut strings snapping against a tangled ball of yarn.
The more they tightened, the thicker the resistance, unable to press further.
Suddenly, the fire's core churned.
A bone-chilling voice rang out—
"Kid, you didn't think you'd won, did you?"
As the words fell—
A pattern, like a summoning formula, erupted from the fire's center.
Takanotsume's pupils shrank.
He released the wires, flinging eight shuriken from his pouch toward the inferno's heart!
"Useless!" Moroi's cold voice echoed.
His figure slowly emerged from the flames.
"Emerged" might not be quite right.
In Takanotsume's view, the fire itself was fading.
Like a toilet flushing, the entire blaze swirled clockwise toward Moroi at the center.
Moroi knelt, one hand gripping a scroll on the ground, his eyes icy as he shouted: "Fire Sealing Method!"
With that, the entire firestorm was sucked into the small scroll.
By then, Takanotsume's eight shuriken were closing in.
Moroi, unfazed, formed the Boar seal, pressing his hands into the air.
A spherical array unfurled.
"Binding Seal Array!"
This was what had blocked Takanotsume's wire cuts.
Moroi rose, stepping toward Takanotsume.
His hands wove intricate seals without pause.
Takanotsume sensed danger, instinctively moving to dodge.
But—
Moroi's hand shot out, roaring: "Where do you think you're going, kid?!"
A seal formed in his palm, and he slammed it into the ground.
"Thunder Shackle Kill!"
Crackling currents surged toward Takanotsume, forming a circular pattern under his feet.
A bold "Thunder" character appeared!
Four electric whips snapped around his limbs, binding him tight!
Electricity coursed through him. Takanotsume tried to move, but it was futile.
Half his body was numb; even speaking was a struggle.
"Heh, got anything else to say, kid?" Moroi sneered, stepping closer.
Takanotsume looked skyward, a million curses stuck in his throat.
The ancients were right—
Fire Release really is the merciful jutsu!
All smoke, no harm!
Moroi approached, drawing his blade and lifting Takanotsume's chin mockingly. "You Uchiha love these flashy, useless tricks."
"But too bad—you met me!"
With a cold laugh, he pressed the blade to Takanotsume's neck, declaring: "Your fancy nonsense ends here!"
Facing Moroi's dominance, Takanotsume's expression twisted.
He wanted to cackle but held back, not daring to laugh too soon.
The more he suppressed, the more his face contorted.
His eyes widened slightly—
Seven parts mockery, three parts disdain, and ninety parts godly calm.
He smirked, locking eyes with Moroi, and let out a low chuckle.
"Is that so?"