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##
Forty-five years ago, on the eve of Clan Leader Uchiha Madara's departure from the Village.
The young Uchiha Setsuna had once asked him:
How must one be to possess the power of a god?
Uchiha Madara gave him a cold glance and said:
Do you also wish to dance?
##
Golden Flame Piercing the Sky.
The undulating dome was set ablaze, and the burning molten rubber fell with flames.
This scene, reflected in Uchiha Setsuna's eyes, seemed like the heavens twinkling, with stars falling.
Yet, he no longer had the strength to move.
He could only look up at the constantly enlarging fiery meteor in the air, slightly widening his eyes.
Swoosh—
A black shadow leaped down, grabbing Uchiha Setsuna by the neck and flinging him onto a nearby rocky outcrop.
Sizzle—
The meteor hit the boiling spring, causing a large splash of sparks to scatter.
Uchiha Setsuna was slightly stunned, staring in shock at the Great Elder who had appeared before him.
Uchiha Setsuna didn't say much, his gaze scanning the surroundings.
At this moment, the volcano formed by Earth Release: Excavation was continuously drawing boiling hot springs from underground.
The water level was rising rapidly, the air was compressed, and it was about to cause a massive explosion.
He raised his head, gazing at the burning dome, his eyes narrowing.
Then, he formed hand seals and cast several ninja techniques in succession.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique, Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
Several fire techniques flew out, hitting the dome, but only caused a violent shaking inside the volcano.
Uchiha Setsuna frowned slightly and stopped his actions.
Uchiha Setsuna looked at him, his face filled with shock, as if he had seen a polar bear in the Antarctic.
"Great Elder, why are you here??"
Before being thrown into the volcano, Setsuna was clearly not within the range of the Cloud Hidden Ninja Earth Platform technique.
Now, with the barrier ninja's means of restraining Uchiha Setsuna gone, he should have been able to easily leave the scene.
Uchiha Setsuna snorted coldly and said calmly:
"Nonsense, of course to save you."
Uchiha Setsuna's words left Uchiha Setsuna momentarily speechless. "Wait, Great Elder, you should..."
Uchiha Setsuna shook his head and responded very calmly:
"As you said, I should retreat."
"I should fulfill my duty, go to Hell Valley to oversee, and prevent Cloud Hidden from causing trouble, to avoid significant losses to the clan."
He looked at Uchiha Setsuna's bloodied body with knife wounds and burns, his arm dislocated and hanging limply on the ground, and frowned slightly.
This level of battle damage was even more terrifying than a ninja returning from the battlefield in the Land of Rain.
Uchiha Setsuna's eyes flickered, and he took a deep breath.
"But—"
"What about you?"
"Me?" Uchiha Setsuna was stunned, then shook his head, unable to help but laugh.
"Great Elder, don't joke. Compared to the clan, what value do I have to be saved?"
"No." Uchiha Setsuna's eyes narrowed, and he said solemnly:
"I believe you do!"
"At least, compared to me, compared to this mediocre and useless old man—"
"You, with your firm will and long-term vision, have a better chance of reaching the shore that I can never touch,"
"You should live on!"
Uchiha Setsuna's smile froze.
Uchiha Setsuna closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He placed his hand on Setsuna's head and rubbed his hair, which was frizzy due to the electric shock.
When he reopened his eyes, a pair of crimson eyes glowed.
His gaze was calm yet resolute.
"Setsuna, as you can see—" Uchiha Setsuna released his hand, took a step forward, and gripped the hilt of his sword.
"From the Warring States period to now, this old body of mine should have long embarked on its predetermined fate."
"Aging and fading, heading towards death."
"However,"
"All my life, I have been deeply mired in the dirty swamp of power, unable to extricate myself."
"But I have never experienced the fleeting yet brilliant moment that life should have, as my name suggests."
Uchiha Setsuna's gaze was stern.
"Until your appearance—"
"I know, this is the guidance given to me by the former clan leader, Uchiha Madara."
"I firmly believe that now is that moment!"
Uchiha Setsuna was stunned, looking at Uchiha Setsuna, who seemed ready to sacrifice himself, and felt a pang of panic.
"No, wait, please, Great Elder, what are you talking about?"
"What you understand and what I understand, are they the same?"
"I am not as noble as you think, I..."
Uchiha Setsuna was about to say something when
Uchiha Setsuna suddenly turned his head and smiled knowingly.
Then, his tone changed, and he coldly said:
"I know—"
"You want to die."
"You, who lost your parents at a young age, were bullied by clan members, lived in a swamp, and found life meaningless,"
"Have long wanted to die."
Uchiha Setsuna's eyes narrowed, and he sneered maliciously:
"But, you don't want to die in a way that makes people laugh."
"You want to wash away your shame, to die gloriously, to die as an Uchiha!"
"So—"
"I, will not let you die."
Uchiha Setsuna opened his mouth to explain but suddenly remembered.
His body's background was indeed as Uchiha Setsuna described, but the motive was completely different!
The one who wanted to die was clearly me!
"Wait, you must have misunderstood, Great Elder, please listen to me..."
"Humph." Uchiha Setsuna snorted coldly, his face arrogant and stubborn: "I have my own judgment."
"Then, next—"
Uchiha Setsuna looked coldly at the boiling spring about to erupt under his feet, slowly drew his long sword, and said coldly:
"Brat, watch carefully."
"I will use the Uchiha Clan Secret S-Rank Forbidden Sword Technique—"
Hearing Uchiha Setsuna's words, Uchiha Setsuna couldn't help but be stunned.
He thought, apart from fire techniques, shurikens, and dancing with mechs, we Uchiha have this kind of thing?
An S-rank sword technique? There are only a few in Konoha, right?
While Uchiha Setsuna was stunned, no one expected Uchiha Setsuna to suddenly leap backward and, with a reverse grip, slam the hilt of his sword onto Uchiha Setsuna's back of the head.
This blow was like a heavy hammer, making Uchiha Setsuna see stars and fall to the ground.
"Damn, you... you old bastard, playing a sneak attack!"
Uchiha Setsuna couldn't help but curse, and his vision went black as he fainted.
However, faintly, he heard Uchiha Setsuna's final sneer:
"That's right, hate me! Loathe me! And then, live on in a hideous way!"
Then, he leaped!
In a daze, Uchiha Setsuna seemed to see a bright flame suddenly light up the entire volcano.
A blurry figure wielded a flaming sword that reached the heavens and earth, and with a gentle swing, the volcano collapsed and shattered instantly.
Like a god!
Then, he heard a splash, as if something had fallen into the boiling sea about to erupt.
After that, his consciousness fell into a blurry darkness.
It was only then that a talent notification sounded in his mind.
[Clang!]
[You bravely retaliated against the enemy who mocked you, and the enemy has died, unable to refute.]
[The retaliation was strong, resulting in a critical hit.]
[You have obtained a random skill from the enemy: Deadly Combat Barrier (Proficient, A)]
[The skill has critically hit, and the current attribute is: Super Deadly Combat Barrier (Mastered, S)]
[Your Heart of Steel layers have increased.]
Uchiha Setsuna, male, a character in the Japanese manga "Naruto" and its derivative works. He is an upper-level ninja of the Uchiha clan in the Hidden Leaf Village of the Fire Country, a member of the Konoha Police Force, a cunning and deceitful person, inheriting the will of Madara, and highly dissatisfied with the Second Hokage Hashirama Senju's policies towards the Uchiha clan. He has always longed to regain power from the Senju clan and is a hawkish member of the Uchiha clan. ——The Book of Arrays
(End of Chapter)