[You righteously and logically countered Uchiha Seiichiro.]
[You gain the opponent's skill: Fire Style - Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (C-Rank) (Proficient).]
[Your Heart of Steel stacks have increased.]
[You can now view your Heart of Steel stacks and access your skill panel.]
Tsukasa was taken aback for a moment, then looked speechless.
He truly hadn't intended to trigger this talent—he was simply looking for an excuse to die.
This thing can even activate from arguments?
Tsukasa's consciousness shifted, and an ethereal interface immediately appeared before his eyes:
[Shinobi: Uchiha Tsukasa]
[Title: Heaven-Sent Tough Guy]
[Talents: Heart of Steel (SSS), Sharingan (Unawakened, B-Rank), Combat Intuition (Undeveloped, S-Rank)]
[Skills: Uchiha Style - Wire Shuriken Manipulation Technique (Master Level, S-Rank), Fire Style - Great Fireball Technique (Beginner Level, C-Rank), Fire Style - Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Proficient Level, C-Rank), Taijutsu (Beginner Level)]
[Heart of Steel Stacks: Several layers accumulated (expandable)]
[Insurance Status: Premium Paid]
Tsukasa took a quick glance and, seeing it was about what he expected, closed the panel with his mind.
Aside from the unexplained addition of [Combat Intuition] to his talents, which puzzled him, everything else was within expectations.
An additional interface and one jutsu were harmless—after all, the panel was just for viewing, and this was only a C-rank Phoenix Fire technique.
Fire Style was notorious for its compassionate nature, following the principle of "lots of smoke, little damage."
As long as he could convince his two teammates, he could still take advantage of this suicidal opportunity.
However, despite Tsukasa's optimistic thoughts, reality was far from perfect.
His lecture echoed in Seiichiro's ears, causing his expression to darken considerably.
Seiichiro, a member of the Uchiha clan's dove faction, knew the inside story of this mission.
Already filled with resentment about being forced to participate, Tsukasa's rebuke made his eyes narrow as his Sharingan flickered ominously.
"Uchiha Tsukasa, are you lecturing me?"
Seiichiro raised his eyebrows coldly, staring intently at Tsukasa with an icy tone.
"How dare a genin who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan lecture me?"
"It seems you need a lesson!"
While Tsukasa's words had merit, Seiichiro's original motivation for this mission was purely self-preservation.
Crossing the border at night—something only a madman would attempt—was far too dangerous and beyond his risk tolerance.
Hence his fury.
Seeing the Sharingan activate, Tsukasa instinctively averted his gaze, focusing only on Seiichiro's chest and below.
Then he saw Seiichiro suddenly attack—one hand grabbing his hair, the other seizing his shoulder, forcing his head downward.
A powerful knee strike aimed straight for Tsukasa's skull!
Tsukasa's pupils contracted.
He had never imagined that with Great Elder Setsuna still nearby, Seiichiro would dare attack him!
The next moment, Tsukasa inhaled sharply, his body moving instinctively.
He followed the force of the headlock, pivoting on his foot. Simultaneously, he exerted power through his back and legs, dodging backward while slightly turning his face mid-air to avoid the knee strike.
By then, his hand had already reached his back, swiftly launching three shuriken.
In an instant, they locked onto Seiichiro's exposed throat, wrist, and temple.
"What?!" Seiichiro was startled, his Sharingan fully activating. With his enhanced dynamic vision, he could clearly see the spinning projectiles approaching.
He quickly leaned back, releasing his grip on Tsukasa's hair and dodging the three shuriken.
Shock washed over him, followed by a surge of rage!
Tsukasa dared to defy him! Defy his chunin superior!
The two tomoe in Seiichiro's Sharingan spun rapidly, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The next moment, he began forming hand seals—
But Tsukasa had already started his sequence mid-air before his opponent even landed.
Snake - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Rabbit - Tiger!
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
As Seiichiro completed his final seal, six large fireballs appeared before his eyes, rapidly hurtling toward him.
Following the fireballs came several more whistling sounds cutting through the air!
Six shuriken, three kunai, and six fireballs launched at him like a tidal wave.
"Damn it!" Seiichiro's eyes widened.
Quantity had created a qualitative change. Fifteen projectiles were barreling toward him. Even though his two-tomoe Sharingan could track every trajectory, it was useless—there were simply too many.
All he could do was dodge using the Body Flicker Technique.
But even after fifteen projectiles, Tsukasa was still reaching for more.
He already had four additional shuriken between his left fingers.
And he wasn't finished yet!
Tsukasa's right hand reached for the supply pouch at his waist, pulled out a storage scroll, and unrolled it.
Inscribed in bold calligraphy was the character "Shinobi"!
Judging by the scroll's length, it must contain no fewer than a hundred ninja tools.
Damn it! How is this kid so skilled with projectiles?!
"ENOUGH!"
At this moment, Setsuna, who had been silently observing, spoke coldly.
He suddenly appeared between the two combatants, casually drawing his ninja blade from his back.
With a circular swing, the katana gleamed with a crescent arc of light.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Six fireballs, six shuriken, and three kunai were all deflected by the single strike.
"Uchiha Seiichiro," Great Elder Setsuna slowly sheathed his blade, his gaze chilling. "Go complete your assigned tasks."
Seiichiro trembled under the Great Elder's stare and fell silent.
Wordlessly, he walked away to set up perimeter traps, dissatisfaction still lingering on his face.
He was a chunin who had merely been caught off-guard by Tsukasa's projectile barrage. If he got serious, the genin would surely be no match for him.
The conflict was defused, and Tsukasa was now silently collecting the scattered ninja tools, his heart aching.
The Great Elder's strike had instantly shattered two of his high-quality kunai.
As for the mass-produced shuriken, it was even worse—cleaved cleanly in half.
That was all money! Money that should have been spent against powerful enemies, wasted on Seiichiro!
The humiliation stung.
Setsuna's gaze lingered momentarily on the three shuriken Tsukasa had initially thrown, then looked away indifferently.
With his experienced eye, he could clearly see that those three "missed" shuriken were connected by thin wire.
If he hadn't stopped the fight, Seiichiro would have moved to that exact position, and then Tsukasa would have pulled the wire.
If this kid had been more ruthless, Seiichiro would have been decapitated.
Setsuna frowned slightly as he studied Tsukasa.
He suddenly felt a strange sensation—as if he had been the one attacking Seiichiro instead.
This kid's shuriken technique seems... exceptional.
"You—your name is Uchiha Tsukasa, correct?" Setsuna suddenly asked.
"Yes, that's right," Tsukasa was startled but nodded.
Setsuna narrowed his eyes slightly, walked to the campfire and sat down, gesturing to Tsukasa.
"Come here."
The groundwork is laid—now the real story begins!
End of Chapter 10
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