Secret Technique

Compared to geniuses like Shisui, Uchiha Sora held no advantage in any aspect.

There was only one exception.

Comprehension—or more accurately, the ability to understand the essence of power.

He could adapt to the power of Rayquaza in a short time and combine it with his own abilities to develop targeted offensives.

Especially now, with the amplification from the Rayquaza fragment, his understanding of chakra had reached a new height.

He could not learn Shisui's Phantom Body Flicker Technique, and even if he did, he lacked Shisui's precise control, which would only result in him blindly imitating others.

Instead, after understanding the underlying principles, he developed techniques suitable for his own use.

Similar to Paper Release or snake-style ninjutsu, these were secret techniques with a distinct Uchiha Sora flair.

After the night of the Nine-Tails, Uchiha Sora had devoted himself to the development of these techniques.

The Dodai before him was the perfect subject to test his results.

Dodai clutched his severed arm, watching Uchiha Sora, who held the Blazing Blade, his body drenched in cold sweat.

Something is wrong...

This feeling is too strange!

Even though I am certain I haven't fallen under a genjutsu, why do I feel myself drifting off involuntarily...

There is no reason I shouldn't have been able to dodge an attack of that level!

Whoosh...

The flames on the blade seemed to possess a life of their own, coiling around Uchiha Sora's palm like fire snakes, yet they did not scorch his skin.

Uchiha Sora did not have the bad habit of revealing his intelligence.

His body was covered in irregular fire snakes, lifting his slightly curled hair as if by the wind.

He took a deep breath.

The rhythm of his breathing seemed to form a tide with the flickering flames, and the position where the tip of his blade hung was perfectly level with the rising sun over the distant mountains.

The air around him distorted due to the high temperature, and a faint, sun-like glow emerged behind him.

His posture while holding the blade was elegant, imbued with an indescribable charm; what appeared majestic and sacred to others felt only cold to Dodai...

The sun did not provide him with any warmth.

--

He swung the blade.

BOOM!!

A scorching torrent of flames erupted from the blade, the violent fire roaring like a vicious dragon, distorting the very atmosphere!

It's the Great Dragon Fire Technique...

Why is he able to use ninjutsu without performing hand seals!

No...

He completed the hand seals through the motion of swinging his blade!

Lava Release: Mountain Rock Rubber Armor!

Rumble—

Rubber fluid, mixed with rock and earth, formed layers of thick protective walls in front of Dodai.

What is a Kekkei Genkai?

It refers to nature transformations produced by organ mutation or the mixing of chakra attributes.

These are release techniques different from standard five-element ninjutsu, capable of being recorded in a ninja's genes and passed down to the next generation through bloodlines.

Hand seals are merely a way to assist the flow of chakra; ninjas who have integrated techniques into their bloodlines can simplify this process to a certain extent.

This was the reason why Dodai could still use Lava Release ninjutsu even after having one arm severed.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

The fire dragon roared as it impacted, shattering layer after layer of the protective film. Dodai could clearly feel the scorching impact, his mouth and throat parched as if he were standing inside a volcano.

Still, something is wrong!

Given that brat's chakra reserves, a Fire Release technique of this magnitude should have exhausted him after a single use; would he really be so irrational?

The situation was critical, and Dodai no longer hesitated, lifting his eye patch.

It was a peculiar eye; the pupil was black, the sclera was bright red, and the center of the pupil featured a horizontal "one" shape.

With the aid of this special eye, Dodai finally understood the source of the anomaly.

Uchiha Sora's Fire Release was nowhere near the scale he had witnessed before; it was of ordinary intensity and had long since been blocked by his protective membrane.

He gradually began to understand what was happening.

Genjutsu.

Uchiha Sora had woven genjutsu into the flowing flames—not by casting it directly onto the target through the Sharingan, but by causing anyone who saw the flames to misjudge their power.

Just like before, he hadn't felt that the blade could break through his arm guard at all; the flames burning at the tip of the blade had seemed as weak as a flickering candle.

As a result, his hand had been severed.

Making an enemy believe an attack is weak so they neglect their defense, or making an opponent believe an offensive is powerful so they waste vast amounts of chakra to guard against it...

Truly...

What a bizarre technique!

"Unfortunately, I have seen through your technique!"

Dodai flickered into existence beside Uchiha Sora, swinging his blade with his single arm!

Clang—

As the short blade parried the strike, Uchiha Sora caught sight of the peculiar eye in Dodai's socket.

During the intervals of his training, Uchiha Sora would read the texts made available within the clan, and he had some knowledge of this eye.

Ketsuryūgan.

It was the Kekkei Genkai belonging to the Chinoike Clan, a clan that shared some history with the Uchiha.

That was from an era even further back than Hashirama and Madara.

A daughter of the Chinoike Clan had been married off as a concubine to the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning; the girl was gentle in nature and beautiful in appearance, deeply favored by the Daimyo.

Because of this, she suffered the jealousy of the primary wife, who claimed the girl was involved in the Daimyo's death after he passed away.

It wasn't just the girl; the entire Chinoike Clan was implicated, with most of the clansmen slaughtered and the survivors exiled to a treacherous land.

The ones responsible for guarding the remnants of the Chinoike Clan were the Uchiha.

This surveillance did not cease until the establishment of the hidden villages.

Noticing the change in Uchiha Sora's gaze, Dodai sneered: "Do you recognize it? This is the hypnotic eye that once stood on par with the Sharingan—the Ketsuryūgan!"

"Brat, don't think you can trick me with your cunning schemes again!"

"Heh..."

Uchiha Sora let out a cold laugh: "It seems just about anything dares to try and climb the social ladder these days."

"Even if it is the Chinoike Clan, they were nothing more than prisoners. What exactly are you so proud of, you wretch who dug out someone else's eye to use for yourself?"

Clang!!

Uchiha Sora swung his blade with force, driving Dodai back.

The figures of the two flashed rapidly within the Blazing Fire Formation, the sounds of clashing weapons exploding through the air.

Dodai was a close aide to the Raikage, an elite-level Jonin without a doubt.

Possessing the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai and a Ketsuryūgan, his raw strength was superior to Uchiha Sora's.

That was, of course, before he lost his arm.

Losing a hand was a massive impairment for a ninja, and he quickly fell into a disadvantage during their taijutsu exchange.

Furthermore...

The Ketsuryūgan in his left eye began to throb with pain.

After all, it was not his own eye, and constantly using it to negate the effects of the genjutsu had drained a great deal of Dodai's energy.

Among the known ocular techniques, only the Byakugan could perfectly adapt to any ninja, allowing the user to decide for themselves whether or not to utilize the eye's abilities.

Others found it difficult to control eyes that did not belong to them without external aid; even a genius ninja like Kakashi faced immense pressure from bearing a Sharingan.

Since the Ketsuryūgan was mentioned in the same breath as the Sharingan, it stood to reason that it shared similarities with a standard Sharingan.

Dodai was unable to deactivate the Ketsuryūgan, usually relying on a seal on his eye patch to suppress its influence.

Blood tears streamed from his left eye socket; it was overloading.

"You even have to copy this? It's truly disgusting."

In Dodai's eyes, Uchiha Sora's movements once again took on that strange, eerie quality.

Every swing, every slash, and every gesture carried a certain rhythm.

It was as if he were playing a musical score that was gradually luring him into an obsession.

Gorgeous yet dangerous.

In just one minute, the Cloud Hidden ninjas he brought had been nearly wiped out; the last man likely wouldn't last much longer under Shisui.

This is what real ninja combat is like.

Victory or defeat is often decided in the blink of an eye; those who can engage in head-on, protracted battles are few and far between.

Swish—

In the split second his attention wavered.

A flaming arc was drawn, slashing toward his eyes.

Once again, combat experience saved his life.

Leaning his body back slightly, the scorching flame strike merely sliced open his nose and cheek.

There was no blood splatter; the moment the blade passed, it vaporized the blood, even kindly cauterizing the wound to stop the bleeding.

Watching Uchiha Sora wreathed in flames, Dodai felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

This form, wrapping the entire body in elemental chakra...

It was too similar...

Lightning Release Chakra Mode!!