The Limits of the Cursed Seal State

"Ah!"

"Damn it, don't underestimate the Uchiha."

"No one's leaving here today."

Ten minutes earlier, both sides' shinobi had already clashed at close quarters.

The Uchiha's individual combat prowess was excellent, but the enemy held an overwhelming numerical advantage. For the moment, neither side could completely overpower the other.

Next, it came down to which side had greater endurance.

Chidori Sharp Spear!

Lightning burst from his fingertips, bisecting an enemy with his back turned. Sosuke didn't pause for a moment; he immediately turned and dashed toward another clansman locked in fierce battle.

By now, he had fully transformed into a battlefield opportunist, never engaging head-on, always exploiting the Chidori Sharp Spear's traits to launch sneak attacks.

Activating his Cursed Seal state, his chakra instantly surged several times over.

A shinobi's battle was a battle of chakra—this substance enhanced every aspect of a ninja's abilities.

Whether taijutsu or ninjutsu, they were merely external manifestations of chakra; the core essence never changed.

With enough chakra, a single person's Fire Style could rival an entire squad.

Even Emperor Kai, famed for his unmatched taijutsu, fundamentally used chakra to amplify his physical strength—it wasn't pure bodily power that could distort space.

Once Sosuke entered his Cursed Seal state, his overall abilities stabilized at a level on par with Captain-level combatants.

Coupled with the unpredictable Chidori series of jutsu, he became a headache for everyone—a true opportunist.

[Points: 1735]

In the blink of an eye, his point reserve was closing in on the two-thousand mark.

"The enemies aren't weak at all."

Repeated use of the Chidori Sharp Spear left the youth slightly winded, but he couldn't stop yet.

Gritting his teeth hard, chakra resembling purple flames suddenly flared up, swirling around his body.

The Cursed Seal began drawing more Nature Energy from the air. Since his body couldn't fully harmonize with it, Sosuke felt a terrifying tearing force.

It was as if invisible hands had grabbed his head and feet, trying to rip him apart.

Correspondingly, the chakra within Sosuke surged again, quickly surpassing its original limits.

Influenced by the foreign chakra, the Chidori in his hand slowly began to change color.

"Let's continue this slaughter." A grim smile curled at the corner of Sosuke's mouth. With a single step, he was already behind an enemy.

Ignoring the enemy's attempt to parry, the Chidori easily tore through his arm, the lightning piercing his chest. Sosuke even felt the warmth of the man's heart.

"Ah, I'm taking you with me!" The man used his last strength to wrap his arms tightly around Sosuke, while two others behind him charged in with blades.

[Points: 1845]

Points credited—the man before him had breathed his last. As for the two approaching from behind—

Chidori Stream!

Releasing a high-output Chidori Stream drained most of the chakra left in his body in an instant.

There was no choice; without doing this, he couldn't handle enemies of this level.

Fortunately, the result was gratifying—he claimed two more heads.

[Points: 2048]

Points had broken through the two-thousand mark, a cause for celebration, but his chakra was nearly depleted.

Silently scanning his surroundings, his side's situation remained grim.

If he withdrew from the battlefield now, he'd be abandoning everyone left.

Among them, many had always treated him with respect. At least until all hope was lost, Sosuke didn't intend to abandon these clansmen who had shared hardship with him.

"No choice."

[Special Ration Pill (Medium), Item Grade D, Exchange Cost: 1000 Points]

The price was steep, even putting his points in the red.

But the medium-grade ration pill's effects were ideal. As soon as it entered his stomach, his chakra and stamina began recovering rapidly.

"I need a more efficient way to fight." After a moment's thought, Sosuke drew the Short Sword from his back.

Lightning Style chakra coated the blade, instantly multiplying its cutting power several times over.

"Chidori Blade—suited for close-quarters combat. Paired with the Sharingan, its chakra consumption is far lower than using the Chidori at full throttle."

To win, he first had to bring both sides' combat power back to the same starting line.

Once the numerical gap was closed, the Uchiha feared no enemy in equal numbers.

His role was to be the sharp blade, tearing a gap in the enemy's heart.

"Die!"

Dodging the incoming blade, Sosuke stepped diagonally forward, reversed his grip on the Chidori Blade, and swept it upward in a rising slash, then charged toward the next target without looking back.

Behind him, the enemy clutched the wound on his abdomen and slowly collapsed, his intestines soon spilling across the ground, the terror in his eyes gradually losing their luster.

"The kill speed has slowed, but at least the chakra consumption is dropping at the same rate."

Even so, his kill efficiency still far outstripped everyone else.

Sosuke's excessive brilliance quickly marked him as prey for others.

Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!

The man fired the chakra he had built up in his mouth like a barrage of bullets, unleashing a powerful Wind Style technique aimed directly at the youth's back.

"This is—" Sosuke's Sharingan narrowed slightly, instantly calculating the landing points of the enemy's ninjutsu.

The enemy's Wind Style left no trace, but in the world of the Sharingan, it was clearly visible.

With an almost graceful motion, he flipped and leaped in place, twisting his body through the air, dodging every single one of the enemy's Vacuum Spheres.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Sharingan, scum."

Hearing the youth's taunt, the man's fury flared, but he forgot a law that had spread across the Ninja World.

Never lock eyes with a member of the Uchiha clan.

Seeing the enemy dare to glare at him, Sosuke smirked and cast a genjutsu. In an instant, his body dissolved into smoke, vanishing completely from the enemy's sight.

"Not good!"

Only then did the enemy belatedly realize his mistake, but the fatal blade was already upon him.

Chidori Blade!

[System Notification: Successfully killed Shimura Mōmō. Earned 420 points.]

"Strong enough, but too stupid for his own good."

Looking at the system notification, Sosuke realized that the enemy's team had included a member of the Shimura Clan.

He had thought this was just a game between them and the Fūma Clan, but it turned out other forces had slipped in behind the scenes.

"Not afraid of provoking Uchiha retaliation?"

[Points: 1610]

Glancing at the surge in points, Sosuke smiled with satisfaction, his mind already wandering to where he might find a few strong opponents to toy with.

Just then, a sharp pang of danger surged through his heart. Without a second thought, he lunged forward with all his might.

Boom!

The moment he left his spot, a violent explosion engulfed the entire area.

A figure carrying a massive shuriken on its back slowly stepped forward.