Chapter 43: A Child Without a Master Is Like a Blade of Grass
Stelle activated her ninjutsu faster than any of them could react. A Fire Cremation Technique erupted directly through the crowd, and in the flicker of an eye, she reappeared behind the Great Elder.
She extended a hand toward the old man's back and clenched her fingers into a fist.
"Fire Release: Flame Prison Technique!"
A massive, violet fireball materialized from thin air, its purple flames radiating an intense, shimmering heat as it instantly trapped the Great Elder at its core. This was nothing like the Water Prison Technique, which merely suffocated its victim. The entire sphere of fire functioned like a furnace, its internal temperature soaring to lethal heights. To be caught inside for even a moment longer meant being roasted alive.
"Great Elder!"
Several of the younger Uchiha turned deathly pale, their faces masks of disbelief. How could the Clan Head's disciple be this powerful?
Uchiha Setsuna, in particular, could scarcely believe what he was seeing. He had practiced day and night, never slacking through the harshest winters or the most sweltering summers. He was a prodigy who possessed the Sharingan, the pride of his clan. Yet, in a single, blindingly fast exchange, he hadn't even managed to touch her before the Great Elder—the very man who had always championed him—was taken hostage.
A deep, burning frustration ignited in his eyes, and the tomoe in his Sharingan spun with violent agitation.
Stelle let a cold sneer curl her lip. "Old man, I am Uchiha Madara's disciple. It is not your place to act so brazenly before me. If I were you, I'd be at home enjoying my retirement instead of coming here to seek your own death."
As she spoke, her fingers twitched almost casually. The fireball tightened. A choked scream of agony erupted from the Great Elder, muffled by the roaring flames.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from beyond the courtyard. Someone must have sent word to Uchiha Kagami. He appeared in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush onto the scene, followed closely by a group from the Uchiha clan's moderate faction.
Seeing them arrive, Stelle relaxed her hand, and the Flame Prison dissipated. The Great Elder, charred and miserable, collapsed to the ground.
"Stelle, are you alright?" Uchiha Kagami rushed to her side, spreading his arms to shield her like a mother hen protecting her chick. He scanned her from head to toe, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming she was unharmed.
He then turned to look at the Great Elder, who was now being helped to his feet by his supporters. The old man was a scorched mess. His hair was completely singed, and as he moved, a large clump of it simply fell away, revealing a perfectly bald patch on his scalp.
Kagami's expression went blank for a second. He then let out two sharp, violent coughs, his shoulders shaking as he desperately tried to suppress a laugh.
Stelle shook her head at his transparent attempt to hide his amusement. For someone who had spent so much time in the Anbu, who had been schemed against by Black Zetsu right alongside her, he was still far too emotional. He was a veteran of the battlefield, a man whose life she had saved from countless near-death situations, yet he wore his heart on his sleeve.
'It's just a bald head,' she thought, a little exasperated. 'He's the one I plan to recommend as the new Uchiha Clan Head. He really needs to learn how to maintain a poker face.'
"Kagami, I'm fine," she said, her voice steady. "Tell everyone to disperse."
Stelle turned and walked back into the house, beginning to pack her belongings. She could vaguely hear the two factions arguing outside, neither side willing to yield, until the commotion finally died down and the crowd scattered.
Knock, knock.
A soft rap sounded at the door before Uchiha Kagami let himself in.
"Stelle, I'm so sorry." He looked incredibly apologetic, bowing deeply as he spoke. His sincerity was so deep one might think he was the one who had caused all the trouble. "I apologize to you on their behalf."
"It's fine," Stelle replied, her tone dismissive. "Those are the Mangekyo Sharingan, after all—the only pair in the world. It's only natural for them to be cautious about them."
She glanced at the pile of things she needed to pack and felt a headache coming on. Suddenly, a wracking cough seized her. She covered her mouth, and when she pulled her hand away, her palm was stained with blood.
She was about to go wash it off when Kagami suddenly grabbed her wrist, his voice tight with alarm. "What happened? You're injured. I'm taking you to the hospital."
"It's nothing, just a minor injury," Stelle said, waving his concern away.
The past few days had been utterly terrifying. First, she had fought a three-on-one battle against Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and the Nine-Tails. Then, she'd had to face Madara one-on-one. And he hadn't held back in the slightest, throwing every ultimate technique in his arsenal at her.
What kind of opponents were they? Anyone else would have been ground to dust long ago.
To ensure her various aliases didn't get their power levels mixed up, she couldn't use her true trump cards, which meant injuries were inevitable. Even with her immortal body, which boasted incredible recovery and top-tier durability, she had still suffered internal damage. That duo was truly frightening.
"How can this be a minor injury!"
Kagami pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiped the blood from her palm, and began insistently leading her toward the hospital. Despite his usually easygoing and slightly goofy nature, once he became stubborn, he wouldn't listen to anyone. Defeated, Stelle allowed herself to be dragged to the hospital for treatment.
By the time they were finished, it was nearly dark.
Back at the house, Kagami watched as she immediately resumed packing. "Stelle, why are you packing your things?"
"I'm moving out of the Uchiha compound," she said, stuffing items from a table into her bags. "I'm not actually a member of the Uchiha clan, so it's no longer appropriate for me to live here."
Uchiha Kagami fell silent. Since the day she had arrived in the village, Stelle had always lived in the Uchiha manor. Now that both the Clan Head and her Master were gone, was there truly no place for her here anymore? This was the home she had lived in since she was a child. The thought of her being forced to leave felt unbearably cruel.
"Actually, you don't have to…"
Stelle cut him off. "Kagami, it's just moving. It's not a big deal."
Living alone would be quite freeing, she mused. Being in the Uchiha compound, facing those unfamiliar 'red eyes' every day, was just awkward.
"Let me help you."
Using her injury as an excuse, Kagami made her sit down and rest while he took over the packing. Stelle, seeing no reason to refuse, didn't stand on ceremony.
That night, she moved into a small apartment, her bags and baggage filling the rooms to the brim. That silly boy Kagami—who knows what tragic scenarios were playing out in his head—kept looking at her with an expression steeped in guilt. He even took the initiative to help her tidy up the new place, cleaning it carefully from top to bottom.
'What a good senior brother,' Stelle thought. She recalled that in the original story, Kagami had died young. She decided then and there to add him to her future resurrection package.
[System, I want to go offline. Playing this alias isn't fun at all. I want to log off and find some new friends.]
[Then how does the Host plan to go offline? For a 'Fall of a Genius' script, there are currently no suitable opponents available.]
[That script is outdated now. I'll just have to find another opportunity. Let's see how the Four Great Nations move. I have a feeling this First War won't end so easily. There will be plenty of chances to go offline.]
…
"I heard you moved out of the Uchiha clan lands?"
The day after she moved, Senju Tobirama sent for her. The moment she stepped into the Hokage's Office, he hit her with the question.
"Yeah," she confirmed. "I'm not an Uchiha, nor do I have Uchiha blood. Staying there would only invite a bunch of 'red eyes'."
Senju Tobirama shot her a sharp glance.
Stelle quickly held up her hands to explain. "I meant the Sharingan, of course. Not your natural red eyes."
A muscle in Senju Tobirama's jaw twitched visibly.
"The room you're staying in is too small," he stated, his tone flat. "I've allocated a two-story house for you on the street next to the Hokage Building. Move there tomorrow."
"That's not necessary!"
She was ready to retire this alias at any moment. Getting such a nice house would be a complete waste, since her next persona couldn't exactly inherit it.
"This is an order, not a discussion." Senju Tobirama used his sternest tone to perform the kindest of gestures. "Also, the Uchiha elders came to ask me where Madara's eyes went. I told them his eyes were gouged out by the black-robed man's accomplice during the battle. Are those eyes with you?"
"Yes," Stelle answered without hesitation. "They're with me."
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]