The Inheritance of Izanagi

Though he'd guessed the clues behind the ambush, Uchiha Tenshu had no way to explain what he'd figured out. His deductions relied on knowledge from his previous life, but now he barely ever left home. He had no way of learning any of this information.

So, for the time being, Uchiha Tenshu could only keep it to himself and wait until later to figure things out.

"Honestly, I was already dead back then!"

Uchiha Raimon said with a rueful sigh.

"Dead?"

"Yeah! If it weren't for that jutsu!"

Faced with Uchiha Tenshu's wide-eyed confusion, Uchiha Raimon hesitated, then made up his mind and took a foot-long gray scroll from inside his clothes.

The scroll was ancient, worn by the passage of time.

After taking it out, Uchiha Raimon spent a full three minutes forming Hand Seals.

He was undoing the Cursed Seals and Sealing Jutsu placed on the scroll.

Cursed Seals and Sealing Jutsu were special abilities passed down through the Ninja World, activated by combining Chakra with runes.

The former could be used in most forms of cursed attacks, such as control, tracking, and death curses.

Examples included Hidan's curse, explosive tags, the Tsuchigumo Clan's Word Spirit, and Root's Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu, among many others.

The latter, Sealing Jutsu, could be prepared in advance to create specific barriers for protection, confinement, and sealing.

Even techniques like Earth Prison Dome, Four Violet Flames Formation, and Four Red Yang Formation could be prepared and cast in advance.

Because they could be set up beforehand, they could store vast amounts of Chakra as backup power. Breaking through these barriers by ordinary means would require paying a price many times greater.

Differences in rune specialization had divided them into two paths. The former was more secretive and uncanny, while the latter was open and direct. Both, however, were exceptionally rare forms of ninjutsu.

In short, anything that used these runes was collectively known as Sealing Jutsu.

As one of the Ninja World's most powerful clans, the Uchiha Clan might not be as skilled with runes or possess as many sealing techniques as the Uzumaki Clan, but it had its own unique sealing methods passed down through generations.

The scroll in Uchiha Raimon's hands was one such example. It was covered in numerous Cursed Seals and seals. The former would curse anyone outside the Uchiha Clan who picked it up, killing them instantly. Even if they escaped the obvious first attack, hidden measures would take effect, steadily draining their life force once they thought they were safe. Anyone outside the Uchiha Clan who touched the scroll would meet a gruesome end.

The latter protected the scroll from harm.

This scroll contained a secret Uchiha technique known to Elder Uchiha Raimon. It was the ultimate secret passed down through his branch of the family, known only to his branch and the clan head.

"That is..."

"Izanagi!"

Uchiha Raimon gazed at Uchiha Tenshu and activated his Sharingan. Three Tomoe turned slowly in his dark red eyes, radiating a fearsome presence.

Izanagi.

It was the Uchiha Clan's ultimate secret technique. By sacrificing one Sharingan, the user could overturn the boundary between life and death and alter the line between illusion and reality, turning every disadvantage into an advantage.

Even death itself could be reversed.

It was thanks to this forbidden ability that Uchiha Raimon had escaped certain death.

"In short, it was this forbidden jutsu that let me survive that terrifying attack."

Uchiha Raimon opened his Sharingan and explained Izanagi's effects to Uchiha Tenshu through Genjutsu. Seeing the shock in Uchiha Tenshu's eyes, he couldn't help feeling a little smug.

You thought nothing could surprise you. Now you know how much I, Uchiha Raimon, have tucked away! If the clan weren't full of idiots, and you, Uchiha Tenshu, weren't both clever and talented, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals, yet still so loyal to those you care about, I really wouldn't want to hand this over so soon...

Thinking this, Uchiha Raimon handed the scroll to Uchiha Tenshu with a helpless look.

Then Uchiha Raimon began explaining the finer points of Izanagi and its various applications. For instance, it was possible to prepare the technique in advance through a Transcription Seal, using a spare Sharingan from the clan instead of sacrificing one's own eye.

That was why Uchiha Raimon had returned alive with both eyes intact.

"But this method has a drawback. The longer the seal remains in place, the more Chakra it consumes, and its restoration can be unstable. I used a Transcription Seal on my eyes last year. After a whole year, restoring my body to its original state took a tremendous amount of Chakra, and..."

Uchiha Raimon glanced at his injured hands and feet, then shook his head helplessly. "Look. If I'd recovered even 0.01 seconds later, I probably would've lost my hands and feet completely!"

"Also, never use this forbidden jutsu unless there's no other choice. It's the Uchiha Clan's ultimate trump card, meant for the most crucial moment. Even the most flawless ninjutsu will eventually be countered. And even if it isn't, people will prepare for it sooner or later, stripping it of its ability to turn the tables."

Uchiha Raimon spoke sternly, resting a hand on Uchiha Tenshu's shoulder and making sure he understood.

"Flawless?"

Uchiha Tenshu asked in confusion. A moment later, his expression shifted to utter shock.

Uchiha Raimon couldn't help laughing. "You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't you? Sure, Izanagi's ability is outrageous, but that doesn't mean you can use it whenever you want. Even across the clan's entire history, this technique has only been passed down and used a handful of times. Everyone who's ever seen it has been killed—wiped out by the Uchiha Clan!"

"In short, don't think of it as a trump card you can use like an ordinary jutsu. Every use costs a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and even the clan doesn't have many eyes to spare."

"Understood."

Uchiha Tenshu calmed down and nodded.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Raimon didn't know the truth.

Uchiha Tenshu had indeed been shocked.

But it wasn't Izanagi's secret that had surprised him.

After all, Uchiha Tenshu knew the history of this world inside and out. He knew Izanagi's secret all too well.

Not only did he know about Izanagi, the jutsu that could alter fate, but he also knew about Izanami, the jutsu that forced its target to accept their fate.

What shocked him was this: if the scroll containing the inheritance of Izanagi had remained with Uchiha Raimon's branch in this world, without ever reaching anyone else in the clan...

And, most importantly...

If the jutsu was still flawless, with no known counter...

Then, according to the story, Izanami was bound to come into being.

In other words...

The events shown in the anime would include an extremely serious civil war within the Uchiha Clan.

And one of the main causes would be the many Uchiha Clan members competing for Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

According to the anime, these Uchiha Clan members wanted to use Izanagi's flawless, overpowered ability to seize power. But what kind of power would make them pay any price, even wage a civil war?

Uchiha Tenshu couldn't help wondering.