The Simplified Version of Lightning Release Armor?

"..."

Every time Uchiha Ao looked at this success rate, his heart gave a painful twinge.

A ninety-eight percent death rate? How was that any different from suicide?

Forget making progress—he didn't even dare touch it!

The previous time he'd succeeded, it had been partly due to luck and partly because he'd only used a small amount of Lightning Release Chakra. It had covered less than a quarter of the limbic system in his brain, which was why he'd barely made it through.

Even with all that caution, he'd come within a second of suffering a mental breakdown.

That showed just how dangerous this secret technique was.

"For now, I can only put this method aside. In the original story, after Sasuke awakened his Sharingan, nothing particularly traumatic happened to him while he went from One Tomoe to Three Tomoe. Maybe the clan has another way."

Even if it didn't...

Since this secret technique was marked as an incomplete scroll, there had to be a way to improve it. Maybe once it was perfected, the death rate wouldn't be so absurd.

Crack! Crack!

Once he'd thought it through, Uchiha Ao felt he'd recovered most of his strength. He got to his feet, stretched, then raced toward the Land of Fire's border.

"I haven't seen Kagami Uchiha in a while. As a member of the elite guard, he might be at the border too. Besides the secret technique, perhaps he can offer me a good lead on how to grow from One Tomoe to Three Tomoe."

Three days later, at an Underground Exchange in the Land of Fire.

"That'll be two million taels."

The Scarface Man wore a high-collared shirt. He rested one hand on a scarlet scroll and held out the other to a Black Robe Hooded Man, his expression cool.

"I haven't even looked at it. How do I know the information is real?"

The Black Robe Hooded Man gazed at the scroll, his tone displeased.

"The Underground Exchange has branches throughout the Shinobi World. We won't ruin our reputation for your sake. Besides..."

A trace of impatience flickered in the Scarface Man's eyes as he started to pull back the scroll.

"You can choose not to make the deal, but we won't refund your deposit."

"Wait!"

The Black Robe Hooded Man hurriedly stopped him and pulled some bills from his robes. "I'll pay. I'll pay!"

The Scarface Man counted the bills and, once he'd confirmed the amount, tossed him the scroll. He also opened the stone door that had been shut behind him.

"After you."

The Black Robe Hooded Man took the scroll without giving it more than a glance. In a flash, he vanished.

Watching him leave, the Scarface Man's lips curled slightly.

"Someone from the Cloud Village, huh? Record his features. Sell the information later, and that'll be another deal.

"Next!"

After leaving, the Black Robe Hooded Man took a winding route. He didn't dare stop to catch his breath in a quiet forest until he'd traveled dozens of miles.

Even then, he didn't let his guard down. He formed hand seals, and two glowing clusters of electric chakra appeared over his eyes as he scanned his surroundings.

After a moment, once he'd confirmed no one was following him, he let out a long breath and lowered his hood, his expression relaxing.

Beneath it was a face typical of the Land of Lightning, but a scar along his cheek made him look fearsome.

Nibi Ge unrolled the scroll and read it carefully. A moment later, anger flashed in his eyes.

"Those black-hearted bastards at the exchange charged me millions for a mission, and this is all they gave me—vague, useless information! Once I finish this reconnaissance mission, I'm going to report them to Lord Kinkaku and Ginkaku and have them wipe out the Underground Exchange in the Land of Fire.

"Especially that man. I'll kill him with my own hands!"

Nibi Ge angrily gripped the bills in his hand, which now amounted to barely more than a hundred thousand taels. The Underground Exchange owner's cold expression flashed through his mind.

In Kumogakure, he was a collateral member of the Yotsuki Clan. Though he still had some way to go before becoming a Special Jonin, ordinary people treated him with respect, if not outright deference.

Whenever he went to a village shop, no one dared say a word if he casually took something worth less than nine hundred and fifty taels.

He hadn't expected that one mission would drain more than half the fortune he'd spent years saving. Worst of all, he couldn't claim reimbursement...

"It's not like I did anything more than steal the Raikage's underwear. Was there any need to send me on this miserable mission...?"

Boom!

Suddenly, a Blazing Fireball slammed into the spot where Nibi Ge was sitting.

Flames surged as sand and dirt scattered everywhere.

"What're you mumbling about?"

Uchiha Ao stood on a nearby tree, tilting his head as he picked at his ear. A Single Tomoe spun in his crimson eye.

The guy hadn't even set a basic Warning Trap. Ao was starting to wonder if he was actually a Ninja.

He leaped lightly to a spot near the explosion and said, looking puzzled, "We're still dozens of kilometers from the Land of Fire's border. What's a Cloud Village shinobi doing out here?"

Zzt!

Just then, Nibi Ge's dark, contorted face appeared behind him. His raised right hand crackled with Blue Electric Arc. His dark palm, like a sword, drove viciously toward Ao's heart.

"Die, you arrogant brat!"

But just as the lightning-charged palm was about to pierce Uchiha Ao's back—

Ao's lips curled slightly. With a pop, his entire body became a bolt of lightning.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Clone!" Nibi Ge cried out.

That was an A-rank Ninjutsu even he hadn't mastered!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three kunai flew in from different directions. Nibi Ge braced himself with his left hand and twisted around, then swept his right hand, wreathed in lightning, through the air. He knocked all three kunai aside with ease.

As soon as he regained his footing, he began scanning his surroundings.

But he couldn't see Uchiha Ao anywhere.

"Could it be...?"

After a long moment, Nibi Ge seemed to realize something. He looked up sharply and saw a fireball more than ten meters across hurtling down at him!

"!!"

At the critical moment, he used the Body Flicker Technique, barely escaping the fireball's blast radius. But the shockwave still sent him tumbling, scrambling in a panic.

"...Just as I thought. It really is the Kindness Technique. Twice now, and I haven't even touched a hair on this guy's head."

Uchiha Ao crouched on the branch above him, staring down with a helpless look.

Honestly, he'd run into this guy by pure chance. Seeing how suspicious he looked, Ao had tried him with the Kindness Technique first. He hadn't expected the guy to actually be from the Cloud Village.

Ao hadn't held back with that Great Fireball Technique, but even with such a good opportunity, he still hadn't hurt his opponent.

"Come to think of it, shouldn't he be using some other Lightning Release techniques by now?

"My Sharingan is practically starving for them!"

With that thought, he deliberately stood up and beckoned Nibi Ge with a finger.

Sure enough, when Nibi Ge saw how completely Ao seemed to disregard him, he flew into a rage. Several veins bulged across his dark forehead.

"Arrogant!"

Before the word had even left his mouth, a thin layer of blue lightning chakra surged over his body. Like an arrow of lightning, he flashed in front of Uchiha Ao. Threads of violent electric arcs gathered around his palms once again, and he lunged at him!

He was several times faster than before!

"This speed—could it be...?"

Ao had no time to think. The sharp, lightning-charged blades of Nibi Ge's palms slashed toward him!

Ao's crimson eye contracted. As he quickly recorded the path of his opponent's chakra, he activated Thunder Breathing.

With his Dojutsu Power and Thunder Breathing enhancing him together, everything around him seemed to slow down more than tenfold. He tensed every muscle in his body and twisted aside in a way that should have been impossible.

Zzt...

The razor-sharp lightning blade of Nibi Ge's palm just barely grazed past him. Even so, its electric arcs tore through his clothes from inches away.

"!!!"

In his fury, Nibi Ge had forgotten the inertia generated by his own strength. That fatal oversight nearly made him lose his balance.

Ao's eyes flashed coldly. He seized Nibi Ge's neck with his right hand and slammed him down with all his might!

Boom!

Under that overwhelming force, Nibi Ge cried out in pain as his sturdy body crashed to the ground!

Giving him no chance to react, Ao pinned his head with one knee. He drew a short blade from his waist with his left hand, then clasped both hands around it and viciously plunged it toward Nibi Ge's throat.

Squish!

Scalding blood sprayed out, coating Uchiha Ao's face and lending his handsome features a touch of cruelty.

But he wasn't done.

He yanked out the blade and flickered backward several times, retreating to a safe distance. Only then did he scan the area with his crimson eyes, searching for any enemies who might show up.

After confirming there were no Ninja waiting in ambush, Uchiha Ao jumped over to Nibi Ge's corpse and stabbed it a few more times. Only then did he feel safe enough to gather up the chakra around him.

"Whew... Too bad I don't know any genjutsu. With just the Sharingan's abilities, this fight would've been a lot easier.

"And that Ninjutsu... Why did it look so much like the Raikage's Lightning Release Armor?

"Could it really be...?"

Thinking this, Uchiha formed hand seals for the Ninjutsu he'd just recorded with his Sharingan. Lightning Release Chakra instantly covered his body.

[Lightning Release Armor (Simplified Version) 0/100]

"Just as I thought!"

He tried clenching his fist, but his brow furrowed.

After testing it, he found that this simplified version of Lightning Release Armor was better than Thunder Breathing at channeling chakra over his body. But in terms of boosting his strength and speed, it was only slightly better.

"That makes sense. It'd be strange if an ordinary Ninja knew how to activate Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Still, it's not like I got nothing out of this. When I have time, I'll study this technique and see if I can combine it with Thunder Breathing."

After dispersing his chakra, Uchiha Ao moved on to his favorite part.

Looting the body!

Using the method he'd rehearsed countless times in his head, he rummaged all over the corpse. Before long, he'd pulled out two scrolls and more than a hundred thousand taels.

"Well, well. He's got some money.

"Hmm? What's this scroll... It's a diary? Let's see what he wrote... 'When a man says no, he means yes'... 'A real man should do other men'... 'The care and upkeep of the chrysanthemum'...

"What the hell is this? Ugh... My eyes!"

Uchiha Ao leaned against a tree and retched for a while. He hurriedly threw the scroll aside, then kicked the bastard in a fit of anger. As if the corpse had dirtied him, he wiped his shoe on a tree.

Damn!

What rotten luck!

He hesitated for a long while after that, but finally worked up the courage to read the other scroll.

This time, however, he'd only read for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened.

This was...

If he gave this information to the Hyuga Clan, would they be so grateful that they'd publicly reward him with a cute Byakugan girl?