Chapter 79: Level Eight and the Black Flames
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have leveled up to Level 8.
The system's notification echoed in Uchiha Raizen's mind as he traveled alone through the forest, on his way to the Kaguya clan. Traveling by himself had its perks; he could focus entirely on his pickup system, absorbing the faint orbs of natural energy that lingered in the untamed wilderness. The yield was low, but it was consistent. Every little bit counted.
His mind was occupied with the Scroll of Seals. He now had access to its contents, a library of forbidden and powerful jutsu. He hadn't even mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from the first page, but he had picked up an orb containing it during the recent battle, boosting his progress to 90%. With a few more days of practice, he would have it.
Other complex kinjutsu, like the Impure World Reincarnation and the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, were within his grasp in terms of knowledge, but his innate talent for fuinjutsu held him back. Thankfully, he wasn't working in a vacuum. His sworn brothers, Uchiha Natsume ("Fatty") and Uchiha Ryoken, were back at the compound, diligently studying these very techniques. Both possessed a natural aptitude that surpassed his own, especially Natsume, who was a veritable ninjutsu prodigy. He was already on the verge of mastering the Impure World Reincarnation, a cornerstone of the brutal strategy Raizen was about to propose.
War was cruel. If you hesitated to use every tool at your disposal, it was your own people who would die.
"System, open the Level 8 upgrade package," he commanded silently.
Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: Amaterasu! Usage Condition: Activate the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Amaterasu! The name sent a thrill through him. This was the pinnacle of flame release, the inextinguishable black fire of Itachi Uchiha. The system had just granted him a power that, by all rights, should have been locked behind a specific Mangekyō ability. It seemed his system could indeed transcend the normal rules of this world.
He knew its reputation well—a fire that burned until its target was completely ash, so potent that the Fourth Raikage had been forced to sever his own arm to escape it. But the condition was a stark reminder of his current limit. He needed the Mangekyō, and he had no idea what unique power his own eyes would manifest when—if—that day came.
Storing the knowledge of the black flames deep within his system space, Raizen continued his journey. He was in no particular hurry. The longer the Uchiha maintained a tense silence, the more the Senju would be forced to remain on high alert, their resources and nerves stretched thin. He had coordinated this with Madara before leaving: no moves against the Senju until he returned from his diplomatic mission.
Four days later, Raizen stood before the grim, bone-palisaded gates of the Kaguya clan's territory.
"Uchiha Raizen, Elder of the Uchiha clan, under the orders of Patriarch Madara, requests an audience with your leader on a matter of great importance," he announced to the guards, his tone formal and carrying the weight of his station.
The guard, a wild-eyed man with sharpened bones protruding from his elbows, grunted. "Uchiha? Wait here." He disappeared inside.
Several minutes later, the Kaguya Patriarch, Kaguya Wei, emerged. He was a tall, gaunt man, his skin pale and his eyes holding a feral light. "Elder Raizen. Your reputation precedes you. To what do we owe the… pleasure?" he asked, his voice a dry rasp.
"Patriarch Kaguya," Raizen replied, his expression stern, masking his internal excitement. "Do you truly intend for us to discuss sensitive matters here, at your gate?"
Internally, he was ecstatic. The ground around the Kaguya compound was littered with glowing orbs, each one representing fragments of their Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit. Unlike ninjutsu, which he could use once, bloodlines could be permanently acquired once he collected enough fragments.
Kaguya Wei's eyes narrowed, but he gestured inward. "My apologies. You are right, that was discourteous. Please, come inside."
Raizen nodded, his face a mask of solemn diplomacy, and stepped into the lion's den, his mind already calculating how many bloodline orbs he could collect before the real negotiation began.