Interlude, Setsuna

Forty-five years ago, On the eve of the Patriarch Madara Uchiha's departure from the village. The young Uchiha Setsuna once asked him: How can a person possess the power of God? Madara Uchiha gave him a cold glance and uttered: Do you want to dance too?

Golden flames tore through the air. Igniting the writhing dome, the burning molten rubber rained down with fire. This scene reflected in Uchiha Ci's eyes, like the heavens flashing, stars falling. But he no longer had the strength to move. He could only look up at the expanding falling fireball in mid-air, his eyes widening slightly. Whoosh— A black shadow leaped down, grabbing Uchiha Ci by the neck and flinging him onto a nearby platform of earth and stone. Sizzle— The fireball plunged into the boiling spring, creating a large splash of sparks that scattered. Uchiha Ci was slightly stunned, looking at the Great Elder who appeared before him in astonishment. Uchiha Setsuna didn't say much, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. At this moment, The volcano formed by Earth Rising Excavation was continuously drawing scorching boiling springs from the ground. The water level was rising rapidly, the air was being compressed, and it looked like a world-shattering explosion was imminent. He looked up, gazing at the burning dome, his eyes narrowed. Immediately, he formed hand seals and cast several ninjutsu in succession. Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique, Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet. Several fire ninjutsu flew out and struck the dome, but only caused violent shaking within the volcano. Uchiha Setsuna frowned slightly and stopped his actions. Uchiha Ci looked at him, his face full of shock, as if he had seen a polar bear in the Antarctic Circle. "Great Elder, why are you here??" Before the barrier was thrown into the volcano, Ci had clearly seen that Uchiha Setsuna was not within the range of the Kumogakure Ninja Dodai's technique. Now that the barrier ninja, the means to restrain Uchiha Setsuna, was gone, he should have been able to leave the venue with ease. Uchiha Setsuna snorted coldly and said calmly: "Nonsense, of course, it's to save you." Uchiha Ci was dumbfounded upon hearing this, "Wait, Great Elder, you should..." Uchiha Setsuna shook his head and replied very calmly: "According to you, I should have retreated." "I should have fulfilled my duty and gone to the Valley of Hell to hold the line, preventing Kumogakure from causing trouble and the clan from suffering great losses." He looked at Uchiha Ci's body, covered in bloody cuts and burns, his arm dislocated and hanging limply on the ground, frowning slightly. These battle damages were even more terrifying than those of a ninja fresh from the Battlefield of the Land of Rain. Uchiha Setsuna's eyes flickered slightly, and he let out a long breath, "But—" "What about you?" "Me?" Uchiha Ci was stunned, then chuckled wryly and shook his head, "Great Elder, stop joking. Compared to the clan, what value do I have that's worth saving?" "No." Uchiha Setsuna's gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice: "I think you do!" "At least, compared to me, compared to me, a mediocre and useless person—" "You, with your firm will, long-term vision, and hope of reaching the other shore that I can never touch," "Should live on!" The smile on Uchiha Ci's face froze instantly.

Uchiha Setsuna, standing beside him, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He slapped his hand onto Ci's head, ruffling his messy hair, which was now a bit wild from the electric shock.

When he opened his eyes again, a pair of scarlet Sharingan lit up.

His gaze was calm yet resolute.

"Ci, as you can see—" Uchiha Setsuna released his hand, took a step forward, and gripped the hilt of his sword.

"From the Warring States period until now, this old man's old bones should have long since met their destined fate."

"To wither and fade, to embrace death."

"However,"

"My life has been mired in the filthy quagmire of power, unable to extricate myself."

"Yet, unlike my name, I have never experienced the brief yet brilliant moments that life should hold."

Uchiha Setsuna's gaze was stern.

"Until your appearance—"

"I know, this is the guidance given to me by the Previous Patriarch, Madara Uchiha."

"I firmly believe, now is that moment!"

Uchiha Ci stared in disbelief, watching Uchiha Setsuna, who looked as if he were about to meet his doom, and his heart couldn't help but panic.

"No, wait, hold on, Great Elder, what are you talking about?"

"What you understand, and what I understand, are they the same thing?"

"I'm not as noble as you think, I."

Just as Uchiha Ci was about to say something, Uchiha Setsuna suddenly turned his head, smiled knowingly, Then, his tone shifted, and he spoke indifferently and abruptly:

"This old man knows—"

"You want to die."

"Having lost your parents at a young age, bullied by clan members, living in a mire, feeling that the world holds no meaning—"

"You've wanted to die for a long time."

Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his eyes, sneering with insidious cunning.

"But, you don't want to die in a way that makes people laugh."

"You want to wash away your shame, you want to die gloriously, to die as an Uchiha!"

"Therefore—"

"This old man will not let you die."

Uchiha Ci opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but suddenly remembered.

The background of this body's life was indeed exactly as Uchiha Setsuna had said, but the motivation was completely different from what Uchiha Setsuna had described!

It was me who wanted to die!

"Wait, you must have misunderstood something, Great Elder, let me explain."

"Hmph." Uchiha Setsuna snorted coldly, his face filled with arrogance and stubbornness. "This old man has his own judgment."

"Then, next."

Uchiha Setsuna looked indifferently at the erupting Boiling Spring beneath his feet, slowly drew his long sword, and said coldly:

"You damned brat, watch closely."

"I will unleash the Uchiha Clan's Secret S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu Sword Technique Ougi—"

Hearing Uchiha Setsuna's words, Uchiha Ci couldn't help but freeze.

He wondered if the Uchiha, besides fire style, shuriken, and piloting Gundams in dance battles, had such a thing?

An S-Rank Sword Technique Ougi? Konoha barely had a few, right?

While Uchiha Ci was in a daze, Unexpectedly, Uchiha Setsuna suddenly leaped backward, reversed his grip on the sword hilt, and smashed it into the back of Uchiha Ci's head.

The blow was like a heavy hammer, directly causing Uchiha Ci to see stars and collapse onto the ground.

"What the hell, you. You bastard old man, you sneak attacked me!"

Uchiha Ci couldn't help but curse, his vision instantly darkened, and he fainted groggily.

However, vaguely, he heard Uchiha Setsuna's final cold laugh directed at him:

"That's right, just hate me! Resent me! And then live on, ugly!"

With a leap, he was airborne!

In a daze, Uchiha Ci seemed to see a blazing flame suddenly illuminate the entire volcano.

A blurry figure wielded a heaven-piercing, earth-shattering Burning Flame Longsword.

With a gentle swing, the volcano immediately collapsed and shattered with a roar.

Like a deity!

Immediately after, he heard a plop, as if something had fallen into a boiling sea on the verge of eruption.

Then, his consciousness plunged into a blurry darkness.

It was only then that a talent broadcast sounded in his mind.

[Ding!]

[You bravely counterattacked the enemy who taunted you. The opponent is now dead and unable to retort.]

[The counterattack had significant force, triggering a critical hit.]

[You have obtained a random skill from the opponent: Deathmatch Barrier (Proficient, A)]

[Skill critically hit, current attribute is: Super Deathmatch Barrier (Mastery, S)]

[Your Heart of Steel stacks have increased.]

Uchiha Setsuna, male, a male character in the Japanese manga Naruto and its derivative works. A Jonin of the Uchiha Clan from Konohagakure Village in the Land of Fire, a member of the Konoha Military Police Force. He is an insidious and cunning individual who inherited Madara's will. He is highly dissatisfied with the Second Hokage Tobirama's policies for governing the Uchiha Clan and has always yearned to reclaim sovereignty from the Senju Clan. He is a hawk faction Uchiha Clan Member. -- Book of Formation