"In conjunction with Aoki's shuriken, I used the Sharingan genjutsu to hypnotize him and kill him," explained Yōichi. The general situation could also be extracted from the brain of that Iwa ninja Jōnin during the interrogation.
'What do ninjas normally rely on to kill enemies? Ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu.
However, under the superpower [Catch the Blade Barehanded], it directly nullified the ninjutsu and taijutsu of that Iwa ninja Jōnin, turning him into a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Of course, the same applied to me.
Fortunately, I reacted quickly enough, allowing my teammates to kill the Iwa ninja Jōnin in time; otherwise, it would have been me who died.'
"Sharingan genjutsu? Your single tomoe Sharingan? Can it hypnotize an Iwa ninja Jōnin?"
To Kanbayashi, this seemed somewhat incredible. After all, a Jōnin wasn't just some pushover. They had undergone various assessments, and their ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu were almost flawless.
"How is it possible for a Jōnin to not be able to dispel genjutsu? And this isn't even a Mangekyō Sharingan, just a single tomoe," Kanbayashi questioned, skeptically.
Regardless of whether Kanbayashi believed it or not, Yōichi shrugged and said, "Senior Kanbayashi, that's just how it is. Maybe this Iwa ninja Jōnin wasn't adept at dispelling genjutsu and I caught him off guard."
"You're lucky this time. Your luck seems to be good every time; this is already the third time," sighed Kanbayashi. Yōichi was also considered a talented junior within the clan. Becoming a Chunin at the age of twelve was relatively rare in all of Konoha, especially considering he had also awakened the Sharingan.
Originally, they had wanted him to join the security team, but Yōichi didn't like the fixed schedule of the security team, so he declined and chose to join a task force in Konoha instead.
"Senior Kanbayashi, what should I do next? Will I still be assigned to a task force?"
"Forget about that. I doubt anyone would be willing to be your teammate. Losing three task forces in six months, with less than a fifty percent survival rate for your teammates, that's why the village is investigating you," Kanbayashi shook his head. Considering this, he was contemplating whether to recruit Yōichi into the security team. What if fellow clan members were teamed up with him, and they suffered losses again?
Although he didn't completely believe it, the recent streak of unfortunate missions had led Kanbayashi to think about whether it was wise to include Yōichi in the team.
"Let's go back and wait for further instructions. Yōichi, I'll also ask the clan leader about this," Kanbayashi said.
Yōichi nodded. "If necessary, I'll just take on solo missions. I can still handle some C-rank missions as a Chunin, as long as the mission office doesn't cram S-rank missions into the C-rank category."
C-rank missions didn't involve other ninjas. With his current Chunin status, Yōichi could handle solo C-rank missions quite easily. Except for certain escort missions that required a specific number of people, solo missions were convenient, and he didn't need to worry about teams.
In two years, Kakashi would become the youngest Chunin despised by everyone, just like him, without any team requests. He would then take on missions alone.
Now, it was the year 42 of Konoha. Kakashi had just graduated from the academy as the youngest ninja, possessing the skills of a genin at the age of five, making his name known throughout Konoha.
In two years, White Fang will commit suicide.
In four years, the Third Great Ninja War would begin.
In six years, the Third Great Ninja War would escalate, with various ninja villages taking turns fighting each other. Even Jōnin on the battlefield faced the risk of death at any moment.
Thinking about this, Yōichi couldn't help but sigh. If everything went according to plan, he would have had the chance to become a Jōnin at the age of sixteen, with the possibility of unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But that was it. Even as a member of the Uchiha clan, it would only increase his chances of survival on the battlefield; it couldn't guarantee his survival.
There were many names of Uchiha on the memorial stone, including some strong ones with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Don't worry too much, Yōichi. I'll talk to the clan leader tomorrow and see if I can get you into the security team," Kanbayashi said.
Hearing Yōichi's sigh, Kanbayashi thought he was worried about not finding a task force and regretted his refusal to join the clan. Suddenly, he felt that he shouldn't have rejected his fellow clan member due to unrealistic concerns.
"It's alright, Senior Kanbayashi. I'll rest for a couple of days and wait for the village's decision," Yōichi said. He still didn't want to join the security team primarily because of the freedom. As a leader of a task force, he could rest or train when not on a mission.
"Then I'll go back and rest. Goodnight, Senior Kanbayashi."
After bidding farewell to Kanbayashi at the intersection, Yōichi headed home. He had his own place in the clan compound, although the original body's parents had died in the war.
Feeling a bit hungry after returning home, Yōichi found that the interrogation department provided meals were insufficient. He had to make something for himself, but fortunately, he had plenty of instant noodles in storage.
As he cooked noodles, it struck midnight, and the Superpower Roulette refreshed once again.
"Let's see what bizarre ability I get this time. Eh, X-ray vision?"
Looking at the power that appeared on the illusory roulette, Yōichi's expression changed rapidly from surprise to disgust in just two seconds.
[Bilateral Perspective]: Nothing can block your line of sight, but when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you; Note: The target and distance of the perspective are randomly activated, and once locked onto a target, it cannot be controlled, lasting for one hour.
Bilateral perspective, indeed.
Yōichi's mouth twitched at the sight of this ability. Once again, it was a useless power. While it might come in handy when encountering enemies, he was resting at home now. By next month, this ability would be replaced.
Not only did he have X-ray vision, but it was also random. What if he bumped into an old man on the street and suddenly activated the X-ray vision? Then, would he and the old man end up seeing each other naked?
Damn it, just the thought of that scene made Yōichi feel disgusted. He resolved not to go out tomorrow and instead focus on training in the clan compound.
He had already used twelve superpowers, nine of which were completely useless abilities. These included bizarre powers such as [Increased Eating Speed through Nostrils by Five Times], [Tenfold Defense and Weight Increase of the Stomach], and [Capable of Eating Extreme Spiciness but Cannot Eat Sugar].
All sorts of strange abilities, most of which were unusable.
This ability was no exception. If it were similar to the Byakugan, it would be a powerful ability, but adding a buff to the perspective target, coupled with its uncontrollable activation, greatly diminished its value.
After finishing the instant noodles, Yōichi took out a scroll hidden in his home. It contained the training method for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Let's start practicing tomorrow. To become a Jōnin also needs to master two or more chakra nature transformations. I'll choose the Lightning nature."
Like most Uchiha clan members, Yōichi only had one nature - Fire. Most of the ninjutsu he knew were Fire Release techniques.
Since he couldn't take on missions lately, he decided to train in the village.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode was a secret technique of the Kumogakure ninja. Only a few elite Jōnin from Kumogakure could practice it. Once successfully mastered, it could comprehensively enhance the body, greatly increasing the chances of survival.
If successful, Yōichi's survival rate in the Third Great Ninja War would increase by at least thirty percent.
(End of Chapter)
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode utilizes a special form of lightning chakra to stimulate the body's nerves, increasing one's speed. It can also be used to wrap lightning chakra around the body for offense or defense."
Yōichi read through the scroll more than ten times, committing every word to memory. After reaching a point where he could almost recite it backwards, he destroyed the scroll.
First, he needed to control the nature transformation of chakra into lightning, which was a prerequisite for performing lightning release ninjutsu.
Nature transformation, in essence, involved making chakra simulate various elemental changes. It didn't actually transform chakra into lightning or water. When chakra is used to cut by wind release or burn by fire release, it was due to the chakra mimicking the sharpness of wind or the temperature of fire, achieving similar effects.
Yōichi distinctly remembered when Sarutobi Asuma taught Naruto wind nature transformation. He mentioned splitting chakra into two parts and continuously rubbing them together to make it thinner and sharper, which represented the nature transformation of wind.
There were many variations of lightning nature transformation, but for the Lightning Release Chakra Mode ninjutsu, Yōichi felt he should first master the 'stimulation' and 'conduction' aspects.
"By increasing the flow of chakra through the body's meridians, simulating the effect of electric current, one can achieve a level of chakra activation similar to physical activity. However, Lightning Release Chakra Mode is a bit more complex."
Yōichi was already a Chunin, so naturally, he could perform tree climbing and water walking, and concentrating chakra on his feet could enhance his speed.
"I'll go find an electrician this afternoon, see if they can make me a transformer that releases electric currents. It might be helpful for my training."
The technological advancements in the ninja world were quite advanced. Electricity was already in use at this point.
Soon, Yōichi began to simulate lightning nature transformation with chakra. One benefit was that he could suddenly activate his abilities when looking in the mirror, allowing him to observe his body's meridians and prevent internal injuries from overtraining.
This might be the only utility of this ability—observing himself training of his meridians to minimize risks.
"Yōichi, are you training?"
After arriving at the training ground, Kanbayashi saw Yōichi sitting on the ground, sweating profusely. He nodded silently. This was how a genius of the Uchiha clan should be—possessing both talent and diligence.
Yōichi, slightly out of breath, said, "I want to train in lightning nature transformation. After a week of training, I can finally achieve cellular activation."
Kanbayashi nodded. "You've achieved cellular activation after just a week? Yōichi, your talent is remarkable. Achieving this level of lightning nature transformation is already considered a success. Once you master the second nature transformation of chakra, becoming a Jonin won't be far off."
With strength attained, only experience remained. In this regard, the Uchiha clan had the ability to rapidly give experience for its members.
"Let's not dwell on that. The clan head wants you to visit his home; apparently, the village has made a decision."
"It's been a week, and I thought they'd postpone it until next year."
"Yōichi, I know you felt unfairly treated for being reprimanded despite your achievements, but sometimes the clan head has to compromise. You'll understand that when the time comes."
Kanbayashi sighed.
Fugaku wasn't entirely satisfied with the Uchiha clan being confined to the Konoha Military Police Force. He wanted the Uchiha clan to integrate more deeply into Konoha, including ANBU, mission teams, and so on. Therefore, in certain matters, Fugaku would make concessions to the Konoha high command in exchange for the advancement of their clan.
Kanbayashi was aware of this situation and believed that Clan Head Fugaku's decision was reasonable. To gain something, one must sacrifice a little, and the clan members should understand that.
However, Uchiha was an exception. He wasn't a pure-blooded Uchiha.
"I'll go change my clothes, Senior Kanbayashi."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
After that, Kanbayashi and Yōichi went home together. After training all morning and sweating profusely, they were a bit dirty and needed to take a shower and change clothes.
"Senior Kanbayashi, I haven't eaten yet."
"Let's talk about it after we leave the clan head's house. It probably won't take long."
Then, the two headed towards Fugaku's house. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the entrance of a residence.
After ringing the doorbell, it wasn't long before the door opened. A young woman exuding a mature charm smiled and said, "Senior Kanbayashi, so this must be Yōichi. Fugaku has been waiting for you."
"Apologies for the disturbance."
After Kanbayashi and Yōichi bowed slightly, they changed their shoes in the entrance and walked in.
This should be Uchiha Mikoto. Judging by the timing, in another two years, the biggest filial son of the Uchiha clan would be born. Thinking of Uchiha Itachi, Yōichi wanted to find an opportunity to drown him.
After entering the house, the two were led by Mikoto to the living room.
Fugaku was already waiting in the room. Upon seeing Kanbayashi and Yōichi, Fugaku nodded expressionlessly and said, "Senior Kanbayashi, Yōichi, you're here. Please, take a seat."
"Clan Head."
After sitting down, Fugaku got straight to the point without beating around the bush. "Yōichi, the matter from last time has been discussed by the Konoha high command. Your bringing back the head of an Iwa ninja has greatly aided the village. Now, the village has dispatched personnel to thwart the plans of the Iwa ninja."
"However, the interrogation team also questioned your surviving teammate and the intelligence obtained from the head of the Iwa ninja. The village believes that during your mission, you showed a tendency to exploit your teammates. Although you accidentally achieved merit this time, the village high command does not recommend you continue to form or participate in mission teams."
"Senior Kanbayashi also informed me of your intention, even so I wanted to ask you personally today: Do you wish to join the Military Police Force?"
After hearing this, Yōichi remained silent for a moment before asking, "Clan Head, I'm a bit confused. Facing an enemy team consisting of one Jounin and more, while our team had one Chunin and three Genin, surviving was already unexpected. How do they think I exploited my teammates?"
"The surviving member of your team is now unable to be a shinobi. According to him, you had the opportunity to save him at the time."
"How could I save him without chakra? Should I rely on the will of fire or my mouth? Clan Head, why didn't the Konoha high command rescue the Second Hokage back then? Weren't they Anbu at the time?"
"Yōichi, this is the village's suggestion. As the clan head, I have accepted this suggestion, and I hope you understand."
Fugaku's tone grew slightly heavier. This was the result of discussions between the Uchiha clan and the village, and although it was a suggestion, it couldn't be changed now.
However, he also knew that Yōichi felt wronged, so he softened his tone a bit and continued, "The clan acknowledges your merits, so compensation can be given to you."
"No need, anyway—"
"Fugaku, I've prepared some refreshments for you."
Just as Yōichi was about to say something, he heard the gentle voice of Mikoto outside the door, so he held back his words.
But at this moment, Yōichi's eyes began to itch slightly—not with Sharingan, as he had long been able to control it freely.
Damn, it's that useless ability!
In Yōichi's view, a snow-white figure entered with a tea tray.
"Fugaku, I'll leave the refreshments here. Oh, oh, oh!?"
Mikoto hadn't finished speaking when her eyes widened instantly. She was now struggling to understand the situation before her—why was there a naked boy in front of her?
(End of Chapter)
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