Can't Even Dance Anymore

Cursed Energy.

It originated from the caster's own negative emotions, such as fear, anger, and sorrow.

It was a form of spiritual energy that could be controlled and used in certain specific ways.

Chakra originated from the God Tree, but that did not mean all chakra belonged to the God Tree. The God Tree was merely the seed.

It was an energy produced by the perfect fusion of the various energies controlled by the human body, similar to "Qi."

This energy could accomplish almost anything. Tailed Beasts were a fairly representative product of it.

Creating form from nothing and granting it life.

Black Flash, in its simplest form, was an ordinary attack landing an absurd critical hit.

In truth, it was a technique born from an extremely deep understanding of one's own power. Whether one could unleash a Black Flash did not depend on luck.

It depended on one's comprehension of the core of energy.

The ninja world also had a similar way to enhance chakra's power: Sage Mode.

Sage Mode not only granted danger perception and wide-area attack capabilities, but also allowed one to incorporate the natural energy around them into their body for use in attacks.

One's ninjutsu and taijutsu could be enhanced dozens of times over, and the development of ninjutsu would also be greatly improved.

For instance, Naruto had thrown a Rasenshuriken. Before learning Sage Mode, he simply could not have done so.

Compared to the all-around enhancement of Sage Mode, the Black Flash Kagami Uchiha had comprehended lacked versatility.

What they had in common was that both borrowed energy that existed in nature itself.

Kagami Uchiha poured all of it into attack power!

Unstoppable black lightning descended with his movement.

This was destruction of space itself!

BOOM!!!!!!

The blazing sun hung high overhead.

The instant the black-red lightning erupted, even the sunlight was stained with an aura of death.

That overwhelming force reduced every obstacle to dust!

BANG!!!!!!

The explosive blast made the surrounding ninja cover their ears, their faces twisted in pain.

The shockwave from the explosion alone was comparable to a large-scale Wind Release!

When the smoke cleared.

After that earthshaking explosion and tremor...

The terrifying destructive force, like that of a modern weapon, had blasted a bottomless abyss into the ground.

The massive crater spanned more than ten meters across. It was hard to imagine... that it had been created by a human fist.

Tiny black-red arcs of lightning still flickered along the rim of the crater.

As for the Iwagakure jonin who had been the target, not even bones remained.

Dead silence...

Utter silence.

In fact, several people present were no strangers to such a sight.

Those people had one thing in common.

They had...

Seen a Tailed Beast Ball explode with their own eyes!

Its range might not have matched a Tailed Beast Ball's, but that fatal sensation in that instant... there was no doubt it was a terrifying power on that level!

"A Black Flash struck with Cursed Energy could not possibly possess such power..."

Sukuna's voice was low, devoid of any discernible emotion. "I believe chakra truly is an energy superior to Cursed Energy."

"Kagami Uchiha, you possess exceptional talent, as well as a 'hunger' for power that would make you cast everything else aside."

"Even in my thousand years of life, I have rarely encountered someone like you."

"If you can cast aside your ridiculous will toward your clan, you will reach an extremely high realm."

"Attain true freedom, like me!"

This was the first time Sukuna had addressed Kagami Uchiha by name.

Kagami Uchiha looked at his cracked arm, which carried the scent of scorched flesh.

Half his body was nearly numb. He could not even feel pain anymore.

His body was not enough to support the use of such power.

"What is true freedom?"

Kagami Uchiha asked Sukuna, then answered himself.

"Like you, calling yourself one who possesses true freedom, yet obsessing over whether others show you respect."

"Indifferent to the lives and deaths of others, killing without end in an attempt to find pleasure."

"I am not trying to persuade you to be good, Sukuna."

"It is just... your meaningless slaughter makes me feel bored."

"True freedom is not doing whatever you want. It is being able to refuse what you do not want to do."

"My clan is not my weakness. It is my conviction to become stronger."

"The Uchiha should be the strongest!"

"Sukuna, what right does someone trapped in shackles have to speak to me of freedom?"

"Someone who cannot even dance anymore... how pathetic."

Just like that, with a single thought from Kagami Uchiha, the mighty Lord Sukuna was locked back into the little dark room before he could even retort.

Whoosh!

As Kagami Uchiha fell helplessly, waiting for the giant eagle to fly over and catch him, someone arrived even faster.

"That was too reckless, Kagami."

Minato Namikaze caught Kagami Uchiha in his arms and landed on the ground.

He looked at him with some reproach. "You could have defeated her without using that technique."

But she was not the only one I wanted to defeat.

"Because you were there to cover for me, I dared to try that technique."

This risk had been worthwhile.

Black Flash was like a formula. Once he had used it for the first time, he would eventually master it completely.

Minato Namikaze gave a bitter smile and glanced at their teammates, who had begun to surround and eliminate the Iwagakure ninja.

Already at an overwhelming disadvantage in strength, the Iwagakure ninja had lost all will to fight after the previous impact.

There was no suspense left in this battle.

"Does your technique have a name?"

"Black Flash."

"Mirror Flower Water Moon was one thing, but this name is really too ordinary!"

"...Minato Senior Brother, you do not have to keep acting silly just to maintain your image."

"Haha, I was only joking." Minato Namikaze smiled.

Actually... he still cared a little.

"I will take you for treatment first. Shibi and the others can handle things here."

Kagami Uchiha nodded.

"Oh, right. Put me down. At least I have no problem walking on my own."

He was not Kushina. He did not enjoy Minato's embrace in the slightest; it only made him uncomfortable.

With Minato Namikaze, a battlefield teleporter, around, he was not worried about being left injured and exposed on the battlefield.

He had to make more use of the Flying Thunder God express delivery before it got busy, and grind some experience for himself.

In less than a few minutes, Fugaku and the others had dealt with the enemy. They looked at Kagami Uchiha with complicated expressions.

"As expected of your junior brother—another incomprehensible super genius," Choza Akimichi said with a sigh.

He had thought Minato, after learning the Flying Thunder God, was already unrivaled in the world. He had never expected someone even fiercer than him.

A single punch produced an effect comparable to a Tailed Beast Ball. Was that even human?

"Uncle Akimichi, you should be saying that Minato is worthy of being my senior brother." Having successfully unleashed the chakra version of Black Flash, Kagami Uchiha was in a good mood and teased him.

Choza Akimichi pulled a long face. "You are Minato's junior brother, so you should call me Big Brother!"

"And I am only eight or nine years older than you!"

"Alright, I will send Kagami back for treatment first. I will also bring back the corpses of those Iwagakure ninja."

As he spoke, Minato Namikaze seemed to recall something. He turned to Kagami Uchiha. "Although I said protecting yourself on the battlefield is the most important thing."

"When there is such a disparity in strength and you can control the enemy... could you not use the Sharingan to gather some intelligence first?"

Kagami Uchiha curled his lip disdainfully. "Go say that to Uchiha Fugaku."

Fugaku looked a little embarrassed. He had been the one to kill the last Iwagakure jonin.

Kagami Uchiha had stirred him up, and he had wanted to display the strength he possessed as the Uchiha clan head...

He had not considered at all that, given the situation just now, they could have captured the enemy alive.

Minato Namikaze said nothing further. He had actually been saying that for Fugaku's benefit; it was simply more convenient to say it through Kagami Uchiha, since he was his junior brother.

The Flying Thunder God was activated.

A yellow flash raced across the battlefield.