An eerie silence fell over the entire arena.
Ten seconds.
Counting from the moment Shingetsu formed the Seal of Confrontation, only about ten seconds had passed.
Too fast…
In the eyes of the village’s Jōnin, the reason the fight had ended so quickly was not because Fugaku was too weak.
It was because Shingetsu’s very existence defied every bit of common sense a ninja had.
Even in Jōnin-level battles, Taijutsu was usually only used to probe the opponent, existing as a supplement to ninjutsu.
Shingetsu’s fighting style was closer to Kumogakure’s nintaijutsu, swift, sharp, and deadly.
But he had no chakra…
so how exactly was he doing it?!
Even Fugaku, who was from the same clan, could not figure it out.
How could anyone else understand?
…
“Cough, cough…”
Fugaku’s eyes were full of unwillingness.
“You clearly had this kind of strength…
So why…
why did you pretend?!”
If he had known Shingetsu was this strong, he would have gone all out from the start.
He never would have lost like this!
“When did I ever pretend?”
Shingetsu’s knee pressed against Fugaku’s chest, with small flames still burning on his body.
He lowered his head and leaned closer.
“I’ve been telling people since I was three that I was born with divine strength.
Did you think I was joking?”
“For the Clan Head’s sake, I kept holding back against you before, and you still dared to provoke me!”
…
“I…
When did I provoke you…?”
Even though he looked miserable right now, and being pinned down by someone younger was deeply humiliating, Fugaku’s confusion still outweighed his anger.
Fugaku swore he had never mocked Shingetsu’s constitution.
He had not even thought about it.
His father had specifically told him to look after Shingetsu’s family, whose parents had died young, and Fugaku had done exactly that.
I personally delivered your clan relief money every year, and whenever my family slaughtered a cow, I even had a whole cut sent to you!
Why do you hate me so much?!
…
If Fugaku had started cursing him out, Shingetsu would not have felt embarrassed.
But that resentful look…
No!
I can’t go soft!
Shingetsu’s expression turned dark, and he said coldly, “That’s none of your business.
Anyway, stay far away from me from now on!”
He did not dare directly say, “stay away from Mikoto.” That sounded too much like a sister complex, and it was humiliating.
He raised his fist.
…
“Brother!
Stop!!”
There was real anger on Mikoto’s face.
“Brother Fugaku has always helped us.
Is this how you treat him?”
“A brother like this is too much!”
…
Shingetsu suddenly realized that his previous method might have been wrong.
Mikoto had the kind of gentle personality that sympathized with the weak.
Beating down Fugaku would not make her think he was weak and unreliable.
It might even have the opposite effect.
Just like in TV dramas, if he tried too hard to stop them, it would only make Mikoto rebel and get together with Fugaku even sooner.
Then…
what kind of man did girls hate the most…
Shingetsu turned his head and looked into the crowd, toward a certain tall white-haired man who was watching the show.
His mind spun quickly.
If one plan failed, he would make another.
The right approach was to befriend Fugaku, dig up dirt on him, and tell Mikoto about it.
Once they were close, even if there was no dirt, he could create some dirt!
A little girl would never like the kind of pervert who peeped at women’s bathhouses!
That was it!
…
“I was too impulsive, Fugaku-senpai.”
Shingetsu unclenched his fist and stood up, then reached out to pull the bewildered Fugaku to his feet.
His fierce grin turned into a calm smile.
“I was too eager to prove myself to everyone.
I’m sorry.”
“And thank you for holding back.
If you had used your Sharingan on me from the beginning, I definitely would have lost.”
“I’ll call a doctor for you.”
How to put it…
Fugaku could not keep up with Shingetsu’s train of thought at all.
It felt exactly like what Orochimaru had just experienced.
The explanation sounded too reasonable, which somehow made it feel even stranger.
…
Fugaku wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“I’m…
I’m fine.
It’s not serious.”
It was only a few broken ribs.
He should just go back and let the clan doctor treat him.
After they formed the Seal of Reconciliation, Mikoto’s expression finally improved a little, and she handed Shingetsu his outer robe.
“Fugaku-nii-san, I’m so sorry.
My brother, he…”
Mikoto had repeated that apology so many times that it had become muscle memory.
Fugaku held his abdomen with one hand and waved it off.
“Something just came up at home.
Let’s talk another time.”
…
…
“If I am not mistaken, Shingetsu-kun, you were not born without chakra, nor is this so-called natural divine strength…”
Orochimaru walked closer, a strange light shining in his eyes.
“You converted all your chakra into physical strength, and that is why you possess speed and power capable of breaking through ninjutsu!”
“An unprecedented…
special Kekkei Genkai!”
…
Shingetsu patted out the flames on his body, put on his outer robe, and smiled faintly.
“I’m not certain, which is why I would like to ask for your guidance.”
He had never planned to hide the abilities of his Heavenly Restriction and Binding Vows.
Any experienced ninja who saw him fight would come to the same guess as Orochimaru.
Not to mention, the village had plenty of those cataract-eyed people who could see that something about his physical strength was abnormal.
He couldn’t pull off the whole “pretend to be weak until it’s time to shock everyone” act, and he had no interest in trying.
If he did not even have the nerve to show his strength, and could only hide in the shadows…
Then how could he talk about surpassing his predecessors and becoming the strongest?
…
On the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his small mustache in thought.
He had reached the same conclusion as Orochimaru.
Shingetsu possessed some kind of special Kekkei Genkai.
If this Kekkei Genkai had appeared in a small ninja clan or in a civilian ninja, it would indeed be a wonderful thing, but…
The Uchiha were famous throughout the world for the Sharingan!
If all his chakra had been converted into physical strength, leaving none to awaken the Sharingan, wasn’t that trading away a treasure for pocket change?
Shingetsu Uchiha’s current combat strength was indeed outstanding, but he could never compare to a clansman with the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This Kekkei Genkai had a very high floor, but its ceiling was nothing impressive.
No matter how strong a pure Taijutsu ninja became, how strong could he really be?
Without chakra, he could not even sign a contract with a summoned beast, and he could not use explosive tags either…
Unless he carried around a summoned beast that could use ninjutsu to support him in battle.
Or unless he learned Sakumo’s combat style, equipped himself with a powerful enough ninja tool, and became a blade for breaking through enemy formations.
…
It had to be said, Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed an exceptional tactical master.
In such a short time, he had already analyzed most of the pros and cons of Shingetsu’s ability and even thought up matching tactics.
At the end of the day, Konoha was a military organization.
A ninja’s combat strength was the most important measure of value.
As he thought about it, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly realized something, and his eyes lit up.
Tobirama-sensei had once said that the Uchiha’s instability came from the Sharingan, that the foreign chakra in their brains stimulated and intensified their emotions.
Then an Uchiha who would not awaken the Sharingan, while still having promising combat strength…
Once he grew up, would that not become the opportunity for the village and the Uchiha to fully integrate?
From another angle, if he branched out and had descendants, then after a number of years, two factions would naturally form within the Uchiha Clan.
That would make them even less of a threat to the village!
Thinking of how Shingetsu had been born not long after Tobirama-sensei’s death…
Tobirama-sensei’s revelation!!
Could he be the result of your research in the Pure Land?!
Ahem…
that was going a little too far, but this child truly was…
No!
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s brows tightened.
Judging by what he had just seen…
Fugaku, who had awakened the Sharingan, looked far more normal than Shingetsu, who had not!
With such a volatile personality, the hidden dangers of this Kekkei Genkai might be even greater!