Chapter 24 — Interlude: Setsuna
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Forty-five years ago—
On the eve of Clan Leader Uchiha Madara's departure from the village, A young Uchiha Setsuna once asked him:
"Tell me, how can one truly obtain the power of a god?"
Madara merely cast him a cold glance, then replied faintly:
"You too… wish to dance?"
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Golden flames tore through the air.
The molten ceiling writhed and burned, sheets of blazing, rubber-like magma crashing down from above.
The scene reflected in Uchiha Ci's eyes looked like the heavens themselves collapsing—
like a sky full of stars falling from the firmament.
But by now, he no longer had the strength to move.
All he could do was stare upward, eyes widening slightly, as the fiery orb grew larger and larger before him.
Whoosh!
A black silhouette suddenly leapt down from above, grabbed Ci by the neck, and hurled him onto a rocky ledge to the side.
Zzzhhh!
The fireball crashed into the boiling spring below, exploding into a shower of sparks that scattered in all directions.
Ci froze in stunned disbelief—his gaze fell upon the elder standing before him.
It was none other than Uchiha Setsuna.
He didn't speak much. His sharp eyes simply swept across the surroundings.
At this moment, the volcano formed by Earth Release: Open Earth Rising Excavation was still drawing up scalding water from underground.
The water level surged wildly.
The air compressed tighter and tighter.
A catastrophic explosion was seconds away.
Setsuna lifted his head and gazed at the burning dome above. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—forming several seals in swift succession—
> "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet Technique!"
Several fireballs shot up, crashing into the molten ceiling, triggering violent tremors throughout the volcano.
But that was all.
Setsuna frowned faintly, stopping his hands mid-seal.
Ci looked at him in disbelief—like someone who had just seen a polar bear in Antarctica.
> "G–Great Elder? What are you doing here?!"
Before the barrier had been tossed into the volcano, Ci had clearly seen that Setsuna wasn't within the range of the Cloud ninja's Earth Release technique.
Now that the Cloud had lost their barrier specialist, the old man should have easily escaped the battlefield!
Setsuna snorted, voice calm and cold:
"Hmph. Obviously—I came to save you."
Ci blinked, dumbfounded.
"Wait, wait, Elder, you should—"
Setsuna shook his head, answering evenly:
"According to your logic, I should retreat."
"I should fulfill my duties—go to Hell Valley to stand guard, prevent Cloud from stirring up further chaos, and protect the clan from greater loss."
His gaze drifted down to Ci's battered form—blood, burns, deep sword wounds; one arm dislocated and hanging uselessly.
Setsuna frowned.
This level of damage looked worse than any shinobi coming off the battlefields of the Land of Rain.
A sigh escaped him.
"However—"
His eyes sharpened.
"What about you?"
"Me?" Ci blinked, half-laughing, half-crying.
"Come on, Elder, stop joking. Compared to the clan, what value do I have to save?"
"No."
Setsuna's tone hardened. His voice grew deep and resolute.
"Old as I am, I believe—you are worth saving."
"Compared to me, a man who has achieved nothing, who has done nothing but rot in the mire of politics— You, with your unyielding will and far-reaching vision… you have a chance to reach that distant shore I never could."
"You must live on."
Ci's smile froze on his face.
Setsuna, meanwhile, closed his eyes and drew a long breath.
He reached out, placing a palm on Ci's head, ruffling his hair—already frizzy from electrocution.
When his eyes reopened, a pair of crimson Sharingan shone brilliantly, calm yet filled with final resolve.
"Ci," he said softly, stepping forward and gripping the hilt of his blade.
"From the Warring States to today, this old body should have embraced its fate long ago."
"Aging fades, and death awaits."
"And yet— I was mired in the filthy swamp of power, unable to free myself. Never once did I live up to my name… never once did I feel that fleeting, radiant moment that life should hold."
Setsuna's gaze burned bright.
"Until you appeared. Then I understood—this was the guidance left to me by the first clan leader, Uchiha Madara."
"I believe… this moment—is it!"
Ci stared at him, utterly bewildered, heart pounding.
"Wait, wait—hold on! Elder, what are you even talking about?! Are you sure we're understanding the same thing here?"
"I'm not nearly as noble as you think, I—"
Before he could finish, Setsuna tilted his head slightly and smiled knowingly.
Then, his tone shifted—cold, detached.
"I know... You want to die. Orphaned since childhood, bullied by your own clan, drowning in filth and despair— You've long since lost the will to live."
Setsuna's eyes narrowed, and a cruel, cunning smirk curved across his lips.
"But you don't want to die pathetically."
"You want to die gloriously—to die as a proud Uchiha!"
"And that is exactly why— I refuse to let you die."
Ci's mouth fell open.
For a moment, he wanted to argue—but then he remembered.
This body's past really did match everything Setsuna had just said. Except… the reason was totally wrong!
The one who wants to die is me, damn it!
"Wait—Elder, you've completely misunderstood! Let me explain—"
"Hmph."
Setsuna cut him off with a dismissive snort, arrogance radiating from every word.
"Old men don't need explanations."
Then his gaze turned toward the roiling spring beneath their feet, now moments from erupting.
He drew his blade slowly, voice like steel.
"Watch closely, brat. I will now unleash the Uchiha Clan's secret sword technique—an S-rank forbidden art."
Ci blinked, dumbstruck.
S-rank sword technique?
Since when did the Uchiha have that?
All we're known for are Fire Release, shuriken, and opening giant mechs to "dance."
Before he could finish that thought—
Setsuna suddenly leapt backward, reversed his grip on the sword, and—
Whack!
Slammed the pommel straight into the back of Ci's head.
The blow landed like a hammer, sending stars spinning in Ci's vision as he collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"You… you sneaky old bastard! You attacked me?!"
Ci cursed through gritted teeth—then darkness swallowed his world.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, a final, mocking voice reached his ears:
"Yes, that's it. Hate me. Despise me. Then live on—ugly and unyielding."
Then—
A burst of flame brighter than the sun.
Through the haze, Ci thought he saw a blazing figure wielding a colossal, flame-wreathed blade, cutting through heaven and earth in one divine strike.
The volcano split apart with a deafening roar.
A godlike light illuminated the world—
Then a single splash echoed, as something fell into the boiling sea below.
And everything went dark.
---
A faint chime rang in his fading mind.
[Ding!]
You bravely retaliated against the enemy who mocked you.
The enemy is now dead—unable to respond.
Critical bonus triggered.
You have obtained a random skill from the enemy: "Duel Barrier" (Proficient, A-Rank).
Skill has critically upgraded: "Super Duel Barrier" (Mastery, S-Rank).
Your Heart of Steel stack has increased.