"I still haven't had enough contact with Taijutsu skills. So, even though I have all this power, I can't use it to its full potential."
A true master should use the least energy to inflict the greatest damage.
He was still a long way from reaching that level.
"Crackle!"
In less than half an hour, the waterfall where Uchiha Ye was training had dried up.
Terrifying steam rose into the sky, turning into an unimaginable mass of dark clouds. They collided, creating heart-stopping flashes of Thunder Light.
Seeing this, Uchiha Ye had no choice but to find another place to continue training.
So he plunged into the Land of Rain's largest lake, Lake Sea, and sank to the bottom to once again push his abilities to their limits.
Three days later!
"No way, what happened? Is the water in Lake Sea boiling?"
In the northwest of the Land of Rain, some residents had gathered by a boundless lake. They stared at the boiling surface in utter disbelief.
"If I'm not mistaken, the water level in Lake Sea seems to have dropped by more than a meter!"
"What on earth is going on? The water in Lake Sea is always ice-cold. How could it be boiling? Has a volcano erupted beneath it?"
"How could that be? There aren't any volcanoes in the Land of Rain!"
Countless residents stared at the unbelievable sight, dumbfounded.
"Look!!!"
Just then, someone with sharp eyes pointed at the center of the lake. "Isn't there something bright red over there?"
"There really is! Wait, it looks like it's getting bigger!"
"Is it just me, or is it getting hotter and hotter around here?"
The astonished residents suddenly felt parched, as if they were standing in the middle of a desert. It was so hot they wanted to take off their clothes.
But how could something like this happen in the Land of Rain, where it was always damp and cold?
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The lake suddenly shuddered violently, and the boiling grew even more terrifying.
A strong smell of sulfur rose into the air, accompanied by an oppressive presence that made their hearts tremble.
"What could it be?"
The residents swallowed nervously, feeling both frightened and eager to find out.
"Boom!"
At last, the patch of fiery red at the bottom of the lake burst through the surface, appearing before them.
"A person?"
"How is that possible? His whole body's covered in flowing magma. Is that a person?"
The residents stared at the figure standing on the water in the center of the lake, their expressions uncertain.
They knew that ninjas had all kinds of miraculous abilities.
But no matter how they looked at it, the sight before them didn't seem like something a ninja could do.
The already stuffy air became unbearably hot in an instant.
It was as if they were truly in the middle of a desert. Even from such a great distance, the heat made their skin burn, and they could barely keep their eyes open.
Even the dark clouds in the sky were driven away by the terrifying heat, rumbling loudly.
Changing the weather itself was something only a god could do.
"Seems like... I trained a little longer than I meant to!"
The figure of molten rock spoke.
The magma covering his body slowly receded, eventually revealing a figure dressed in a black cloak patterned with red clouds and wearing a conical hat.
[Devil Fruit Development Progress: 55%]
It was none other than Uchiha Ye!
"I wonder if there's any news about Orochimaru yet?"
After glancing at the residents gathered on the shore, Uchiha Ye vanished in a flash of the Body Flicker Technique.
"Red clouds... a black cloak, and the ability to control magma..."
A bespectacled young man on the shore managed to make out what had happened despite the searing pain in his eyes. His shock was so intense that his thoughts churned like a raging sea.
"There's no mistaking that ability. Only that person in the Akatsuki has it!"
He pushed up his scorching glasses. "But how did he suddenly become so powerful?"
"Bad news. I have to get this information to Lord Orochimaru immediately. That guy is one of the people hunting Lord Orochimaru. I can't let Lord Orochimaru be caught off guard and put at a disadvantage."
As for everyone else, they could only exclaim that they'd seen a god.
He had made the waters of the seemingly endless Lake Sea boil, then changed the weather with his scorching power.
What else could he be but a god?
That explained why the weather had been so strange lately.
Torrential rain!
Yet it was unbearably hot!
It turned out there really were gods in this world, and one had just appeared right before their eyes!
And so!
People began flocking here to kneel and make wishes.
Their prayers even seemed to work!
"We can make our move now!"
While heading toward the Akatsuki, Uchiha Ye received a message from Sasori of the Red Sands.
"The Land of Whirlpools?"
Looking at the information, Uchiha Ye couldn't help feeling surprised. "He isn't staying in the Land of Fields? What's he doing in the Land of Whirlpools? Gathering material for his research?"
Of course, where Orochimaru was didn't matter.
What mattered was that he was about to be in serious trouble.
"I'll use you to test just how strong I've become!"
After his battle with Sasori of the Red Sands, he'd been certain his strength was very close to Kage Level.
And now, he should have entered the realm of Kage Level!
He met Sasori of the Red Sands at their agreed-upon location.
"You've... gotten stronger!"
The two looked each other over and said the same thing at the same time.
"Then Orochimaru's in for a rough time this time," Sasori of the Red Sands said in a low voice from inside Hiruko, his tone utterly cold. "After this, the name Sannin will disappear for good!"
Uchiha Ye smiled, his gaze burning. "It'll be a historic moment, without a doubt."
To reach the Land of Whirlpools, they naturally had to pass through the Land of Fire.
And once they entered the Land of Fire, there was a chance they'd encounter Konoha Ninja.
As it happened, Uchiha Ye was in luck.
"Uchiha Ye! You actually dare show your face in the Land of Fire!!"
Eight members of Root suddenly appeared in front of him and Sasori, surrounding them with looks of excitement. Uchiha Ye couldn't help scoffing. "What, is the Land of Fire your home? Nobody else is allowed to pass through?"
The Root member leading them completely ignored his words. Instead, he suddenly laughed maniacally. "Excellent! Now I can finally avenge my big brother!"
"Prepare to meet your end, you damned bastard! This is where you die!"
Uchiha Ye couldn't help asking, exasperated, "Um, can I ask who your big brother was? Did I hurt him?"
The moment he said that, the man's eyes reddened with fury. "What did you say?! You don't even remember my big brother?!!"
His teeth ground together with a sharp rasp. "When you defected back then, there was a man wearing a Dog Head mask who died at your hands. How could you have forgotten?!!"
Uchiha Ye shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't bother remembering nobodies."
"Besides, I'm in a hurry. Could you please let us through?"
They were all only around Special Jonin level on average. Killing them wouldn't give him the slightest sense of accomplishment.
But those words completely enraged the man in the cat-patterned mask. He roared and charged forward at high speed. "You bastard, just die!!!"
"Fire Style..."
"Hellhound!"
Uchiha Ye struck first, his glowing, searing-red right arm mercilessly piercing through the man's chest.
After landing, Uchiha Ye flicked the blood from his arm and said coolly, "I'm truly sorry, but I don't go out of my way to remember the faces of insignificant insects!"
Before you continue