Phantom Seal

It's necessary to establish a switch between daily mode and combat mode.

Although Uchiha Rei is still very strong now, even with his Chakra suppressed to the Genin level, he can still defeat ordinary Jonin with his Sharingan and combat skills.

However.

His imaginary enemies were never Jonin from the start.

They were Kage, Six Paths.

They were the beings who truly stood at the pinnacle of the Ninja World.

"If the speed of switching Chakra for Genjutsu is too slow... when encountering an enemy, I might die before I even finish one hand seal," Uchiha Rei muttered to himself, as if contemplating, or perhaps making a final gamble.

He closed his eyes and slowly circulated the Chakra within him. He condensed and compressed his remaining Chakra, hammering it down bit by bit like forging a sword. Soon, a core of Chakra essence formed between his chest and abdomen, simultaneously concentrating the essence of the poison within him.

"This won't do, I need to seal it," he judged calmly.

Chakra flowed along his meridians, and Uchiha Rei guided it to gradually infuse into the cellular tissues deep within his body. He didn't let it dissipate completely, but instead wrapped a layer of Chakra membrane around its surface, like a sealed scroll, locking it firmly within the cells.

"This part... I'll call it the 'Phantom Seal'," he said softly.

As long as this seal was broken, he could instantly restore his original Chakra output and reawaken his Mangekyo.

The existence of the "Phantom Seal" allowed him to maintain a Genin-level Chakra amount during normal times, effectively slowing the spread of the poison while enabling him to recover his strength in real combat.

Uchiha Rei exhaled a long breath, "The Phantom Seal is more reliable than drinking that potion from the Third Elder."

He silently compared his current state in his mind.

If he took the potion, he would need fifteen days of rest, during which he would be unable to fight;

But now, the time for the poison to spread within him had been extended to a month, a full thirty days!

"And I still have strength."

To survive and retain one's strength, in the Ninja World, was already the greatest victory.

After temporarily suppressing the crisis of the poison spreading within him, Uchiha Rei's expression softened slightly, and he formed a hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

With a puff of smoke, a clone appeared before him. The clone didn't speak, merely nodded slightly at him, then leaped out the window and disappeared into the moonlight.

Uchiha Rei coughed lightly, feeling the Chakra within him suddenly plummet, like a suddenly opened floodgate.

"...As expected, I haven't experienced Genin-level Chakra for a long time," he rubbed his temples and gave a wry smile.

The feeling of losing power stirred a long-lost unease in his heart.

The powerlessness of being stripped of everything, forced to face the ninja world's storms naked, made him feel annoyed.

"I must find Tsunade as soon as possible... otherwise, if the poison returns, it will be a dead end."

He muttered to himself, his gaze gradually firming.

Fortunately, he still had trump cards.

Phantom Seal, Mangekyo, Kurama Genjutsu, Yasakani no Magatama.

He was not a pawn to be easily manipulated, nor a tool in the hands of Konoha's higher-ups or the Uchiha clan.

Even without the curse of the "Caged Bird Seal," he knew that the cage he was in was stronger than any Kekkei Genkai's shackles.

"As long as I'm alive, there will be a way to break it."

The night wind was cool. The Shadow Clone had already quietly infiltrated his small cabin in the center of Konohagakure. After checking the special mark set on the doorframe as usual and confirming no one had infiltrated, it gently opened the door and walked inside.

Everything was as usual, as if nothing had happened.

The Shadow Clone sat down and began to rest.

The next day, as dawn broke, Uchiha Rei went to the public training ground alone.

The sky had just brightened, and a familiar green figure was already performing physical training on the training ground.

"One thousand... one thousand and one..."

The voice was loud, full of passion and youth.

That person was Might Guy.

He wore the iconic green tight suit, his thick black hair like a burning flame in the morning light.

"Another thousand sets today... This is youth!!"

His voice echoed throughout the training ground.

Uchiha Rei stood at the edge of the training ground, his expression calm. He ignored the overly exuberant youthfulness and began to run laps around the training ground in silence.

This was a basic yet important practice.

Physical training could activate cells, allowing them to better bear Chakra. For him, who was currently forcibly suppressing the Chakra poison, increasing the limit of cell capacity was equivalent to extending his own lifespan.

One lap, two laps, three laps... Uchiha Rei ran quickly, his steps steady and powerful.

However, after not running for long, that green figure appeared beside him again.

"Hahaha, Uchiha Rei! Let's run together!!"

Might Guy ran alongside him without any hesitation, even giving a thumbs-up and flashing his signature brilliant smile. "Taijutsu is a man's romance!"

Uchiha Rei glanced sideways. He wasn't familiar with Might Guy, and they could even be said to be from completely different worlds. However, Might Guy always had a way of making friends with anyone, so passionate that it was impossible to refuse.

The two were from the same graduating class, both Jonin of Konoha.

Might Guy possessed the strongest Taijutsu abilities, while Kakashi Hatake was famous for his Ninjutsu.

As for Uchiha Rei, he had shown talent in both Fire Release and Genjutsu.

"In that case..." Might Guy's eyes suddenly lit up. "Then let's have a youthful duel! A fifty-lap race, whoever finishes first wins!"

Before he even finished speaking, he shot off like an arrow released from a bow.

Uchiha Rei shook his head with a hint of helplessness but refused to be outdone. He knew that accelerating his running not only improved physical fitness but also enhanced the efficiency of cell Chakra absorption.

"You're only twenty, why push yourself so hard?" he muttered, then also picked up his pace to chase after him.

On the training ground, two figures moved like wind and shadow, crossing paths and leaving behind blurred footprints under the morning sun.

Soon, the fifty-lap race concluded with a winner.

Uchiha Rei, with his superior rhythm control and energy distribution, had a slight edge and was the first to reach the goal. However, by this point, both he and Might Guy were drenched in sweat, their training clothes clinging to them like a heavy burden.

"Since I lost!" Might Guy suddenly turned, clenching his fist towards the sky. "Then I'll punish myself with an extra hundred sets of gravity training!!"

Uchiha Rei looked at Guy's incredibly serious expression and smiled calmly. "I'll join you. Actually... before the race started, I ran half a lap more than you. I was the one who truly lost."

As soon as he finished speaking, Might Guy seemed to be struck by a massive shock. He froze for a moment, then his eyes began to gleam.

"You... you're willing to train with me?"

His voice trembled slightly, and the look in his eyes at that moment was more fervent than seeing any beautiful woman.

For years, his training intensity had been extremely high, to the point where even his companions found it unbearable. The only one who could accompany him in shedding sweat was himself.

Uchiha Rei's simple "I'll join you" at this moment was no less than breaking his solitude.

"Alright!! Then let's have a second youthful contest, one hundred sets of gravity training, see who finishes first!!"

With that said, the two began to quickly engage in training, carrying sandbags.

Just over ten minutes later, Might Guy finished first, and the victory flipped once again.

"To celebrate my victory!" He leaped high, standing on his hands, his voice booming like a bell. "I'll reward myself with one hundred handstand push-ups!!!"

Uchiha Rei, not to be outdone, showed a rare smile on his face. "Since I lost, I'll do two hundred."

The two threw themselves back into their frenzied Taijutsu training, sweat soaking the ground, glistening like morning dew.

Meanwhile, far from the training grounds, the bushes rustled slightly.

Hidden behind them were two Konoha Anbu ninja, concealing their presence.

"His Chakra fluctuations are very weak."

The speaker was a ninja wearing sunglasses, from the Aburame Clan. Insects swarmed around him, and his tone was calm.

The other, from the Hyuga Clan, had already retracted his Byakugan. "His Chakra level is about that of a Genin..."

The two exchanged a look, their figures flickered, and they silently vanished from the edge of the training grounds.