Chapter 14; Fierce Battle! Divine Thread Control, Dragonfire Prison!
Amidst the ruins.
The battlefield had been split in two, divided by a massive circular barrier stretching high into the sky, trapping Uchiha Ci completely within.
"Tch. So one of you managed to escape."
Moro'i's icy gaze locked onto Uchiha Ci, a feral smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"But that's fine. I'll make sure your death is quick."
Uchiha Ci's expression tightened as he studied the man before him—clad in a crimson cloak, with yellow hair and a thick beard.
He recognized him instantly.
This man had appeared in the original story—
During the Fourth Great Ninja War.
He was the one who deployed thirty-six regeneration barriers on Ryū Island, blocking Naruto and Killer Bee from reaching the battlefield.
Those barriers possessed terrifying defensive power—so great that even Naruto and Killer Bee together had struggled to destroy them.
He was the former leader of the Cloud's Barrier Corps, a specialist in high-level sealing techniques.
But that was then.
Right now, the man standing before him was still only a special jōnin.
Still, Uchiha Ci couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.
A ninja specialized in sealing arts… did that kind even have offensive power?
Then again, the man was a special jōnin—superior in taijutsu by a huge margin—and Seiichiro had said he was skilled with a blade.
So he should be strong enough to kill him… right?
"Kid, what's with that look?" Moro'i's tone was flat as he unsheathed the long blade from his back, pointing the tip straight at Ci.
"You're out of luck. A worthless genin who hasn't even awakened his Sharingan yet… running into a master like me so early in your career."
Moro'i's voice was calm, almost indifferent, as if the outcome had already been decided.
"One strike is all I'll need to kill you."
[Your opponent, Moro'i, is taunting you.]
Uchiha Ci ignored the floating system prompt, instead breaking into a wide grin. He nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. I like that kind of confidence, Cloud brother!"
"Just make sure you don't hold back. Remember—when a lion hunts a rabbit, it still uses all its strength!"
His tone suddenly dropped, serious and steady.
"Listen well— Whatever you do, don't let this turn into a drawn-out fight!"
"…You little brat!" Moro'i's brow twitched violently as fury surged through his chest.
Was this kid mocking him?
Was he implying he couldn't last long? That he was… weak?
Still, he didn't take the genin's words seriously.
As a barrier ninja, he had some degree of sensory perception—and he could feel that the chakra within Uchiha Ci's body was no higher than genin-level.
Clearly, this brat was only trying to stall for time so his companion could escape.
Moro'i sneered. His grip on the sword tightened.
In the blink of an eye—he twisted his heel, formed the hand sign for the Body Flicker Technique, and vanished from sight.
He reappeared above Uchiha Ci's head—
blade raised high—
then swung down with both arms, channeling his full strength from shoulder to elbow in a single, lethal slash toward Ci's neck!
A killing blow, sharp enough to split the air!
"Just a genin. This'll be over in one stroke." Moro'i thought coldly.
The blade whistled through the air—its edge gleaming with lethal brilliance!
The sheer killing intent and pressure made every hair on Uchiha Ci's neck stand on end.
A chill raced down his spine.
For an instant, death itself seemed to descend upon him.
And then—
A jolt of electric energy shot through his entire body, clearing his mind and sharpening his reflexes to the extreme.
He ducked and twisted to the side, the blade slicing past his cheek by mere centimeters—
and his hand had already reached instinctively toward his tool pouch.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three black shadows shot upward, forcing Moro'i to bring his blade up in a quick guard.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The kunai ricocheted away, and Uchiha Ci seized the moment to widen the gap between them.
As he quickly assessed the distance between them, a chill crept up his spine. His face twisted in exasperation.
"You've got to be kidding me! I told you to go all out!"
"You're a barrier ninja—why the hell are you using taijutsu!?"
"Can't you just once follow instructions properly!?"
Moro'i's teeth ground together in rage. His temper exploded.
"You damn fool! Enough games—just die already!"
He lunged again, stabbing his blade straight toward Ci's vital points.
Uchiha Ci's eyes narrowed. His right hand flicked forward—
Eight shuriken shot out in a graceful curve, arcing through the air from different directions to lock onto Moro'i's body.
Alarm bells went off in Moro'i's mind. He stopped abruptly, letting the eight shuriken whistle harmlessly past him.
But before he could even breathe—his vision dimmed.
Uchiha Ci had already unfurled a scroll and hurled it forward.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of kunai burst out in a storm of steel!
Moro'i almost swore aloud.
What kind of genin was this?!
How could a genin afford this much ninja gear?!
Was this brat made of money?!
Under the relentless downpour of weapons, he could only swing his blade wildly, deflecting one kunai after another.
By the time the barrage ceased—
The ground around him was carpeted with embedded kunai.
Breathing hard, Moro'i gritted his teeth.
They'd already expended much of their stamina chasing the Uchiha squad down.
And now this kid—this infuriating genin—was fighting like a porcupine, with shuriken skills too refined for his rank.
Just as he steadied himself to finish things once and for all—
Uchiha Ci's finger twitched.
The moment he pulled, every kunai handle flashed with a faint, silvery light.
The ruins, the ground, the shattered walls—everything around Moro'i suddenly cracked apart as if sliced by invisible blades.
Dust exploded into the air.
Moro'i felt a sting on his cheek—blood trickling down.
He touched his face.
His fingertips came away wet with crimson.
Following the faint glint in the air, his pupils dilated in horror.
Countless threads—thin as spider silk yet sharp as wire—interlaced around him, forming a dense, glowing web.
A web that sealed off every direction.
A web of death.
"What… what the hell is this?!" Moro'i's face twisted in shock.
"How is this even possible?! So many chakra threads—and in such a complex structure?!"
"In such a short time, how could this brat set all of this up?!"
Uchiha Ci only shook his head slowly.
A special jōnin losing to a genin—what a joke.
No wonder everyone said the Cloud were muscle-brained brutes.
Clearly, subtlety wasn't their strong suit.
His once-playful gaze hardened to steel.
"For your arrogance… pay the price."
His hands formed four rapid seals—
Snake → Dragon → Hare → Tiger!
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled violently—
flames roared along the chakra threads, racing toward the trapped Moro'i.
The blazing inferno swallowed the man whole.
And yet Uchiha Ci wasn't finished.
With the patience of a craftsman finishing his masterpiece, he formed another sequence—
Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Hare → Tiger!
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
As he reached the final hand seal, he flipped his wrist, drawing eight shuriken from his pouch—
launching them into the air, merging them with the surging fireballs.
Wind fed the flames, and the shuriken screamed through the air with a piercing avian cry—
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower, Crimson Claw Formation!
The fiery blades spun within the blazing threads, forming a tightening vortex of death.
And then—
The web contracted.
The threads strained with a chorus of metallic creaks—
Screeeech!
—and snapped inward, slicing and crushing everything within.
At that moment—
Dragonfire became a prison, phoenix flames sang in the sky.
Uchiha Ci stood still, gaze indifferent as he watched the firestorm consume its prey.
Then he whispered softly—
"Jā na~ (Goodbye)."
TL notes: if you're wondering why Uchiha Ci can't just get himself killed by holding back, that's because if he did so, it won't be a valid death — thus, no payout. He had to fight with everything he had for it to be considered a glorious death, instead of deliberate suicide. So, he had to face an overly powerful enemy for his death to be valid — according to the author.