"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Yanbai knew that hand sign all too well.
Seeing Uchiha Izuna look as though he was about to vomit, Yanbai suddenly had an idea. He raised his free hand, grabbed Izuna's mouth, and clamped it shut over the fireball about to come out.
Yanbai's physical strength was overwhelming. Uchiha Izuna struggled for a while but could not break free.
Uchiha Izuna's eyes widened.
The flames that should have shot out went back down his throat instead.
Yanbai instantly activated his Restoration Technique on Uchiha Izuna.
At the same time, Yanbai saw Uchiha Izuna's features burning in those savage, merciless flames.
The instant Uchiha Izuna's face burned down to a skull, Yanbai's Restoration Technique restored it.
The brutal sight was unbearable even to watch.
Whenever Uchiha Izuna's face was restored, the flames kept burning because there was still fuel to consume.
It was an endless torture, and the scene was utterly horrifying.
Yanbai acted decisively. Holding Uchiha Izuna up, he continued healing his injuries while plunging his entire head into the Naka River.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
Uchiha Izuna's submerged head was so hot that the river water gave off great clouds of steam.
"Splash!"
Only after confirming that the fire was completely extinguished and the injuries healed did Yanbai pull the bedraggled Uchiha Izuna out of the water and toss him onto the bank like garbage.
Even though Yanbai had begun treating Uchiha Izuna immediately, it had not been enough.
That belated agony, that indescribable feeling of being roasted alive over and over, still tormented Uchiha Izuna like a delayed response from his nerves.
The pain made Uchiha Izuna, who prided himself on his iron will, twitch and thrash all over.
After confirming that he had completely healed Uchiha Izuna, Yanbai stopped touching him.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Uchiha Izuna clutched his head with both hands and rolled on the ground, letting out agonized screams like the wailing of a soul struck by a calamity out of nowhere.
The burning pain showed no sign of fading. Instead, it grew ever more intense.
With each beat of Uchiha Izuna's heart, that pain spread throughout his body.
Uchiha Izuna's expression had completely crumpled.
The agony had robbed Uchiha Izuna of all reason. Beyond screaming and rolling with every ounce of his strength, he could find no other outlet.
Yanbai turned a deaf ear to Uchiha Izuna's cries.
Looking utterly distressed, Yanbai drew a deep breath and only managed to let it out with difficulty. He suddenly clutched his chest, feeling a wrenching pain surge through it.
"Ah... I finally saved him... That scared me to death..."
For the first time since arriving in this world, Yanbai had been truly, genuinely frightened.
Fortunately, Uchiha Izuna was still young and did not have much chakra.
With enough chakra, even a casually breathed fireball could lay waste to everything.
Yanbai was now drenched in cold sweat. He could not be sure whether his Restoration Technique could save someone in time if the fireball really had been that devastating.
Yanbai decided that the next time he encountered this little brat Izuna spewing fire at full force, he would simply dodge.
The technique so many players jokingly called "Fire Release: Can't Burn Anyone to Death Technique" really was terrifying.
When spat out, it might not burn the enemy to death;
but when swallowed back down, it would probably burn the user to death.
According to the original plot, Uchiha Izuna should have been gravely wounded by Tobirama Senju several years later, then died from his injuries.
Uchiha Izuna's death was also the turning point that drastically changed Madara Uchiha's personality, as well as the catalyst for his awakening of the eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
But now...
Uchiha Izuna had not even awakened his one-tomoe Sharingan.
If Madara Uchiha discovered that Yanbai had gotten his beloved little brother roasted alive, he would turn to darkness right now.
As that thought crossed Yanbai's mind, he could not help looking at Uchiha Izuna, who was still rolling around in agony.
Izuna couldn't die before awakening his Sharingan...
Had... not... awakened...
Uh...
Not awakened, my ass!
Yanbai stared at Uchiha Izuna, who was rolling around with his eyes wide in anguish.
At that moment, Uchiha Izuna's face had gone blank. His mouth remained wide open as he screamed, and his unfocused eyes had changed color.
They were a pair of eerie two-tomoe Sharingan, seemingly capable of drawing a person's soul into them.
Yanbai: "..."
Yanbai seriously suspected that Uchiha Izuna had come specifically to get his help awakening his Sharingan!
Keeping his distance from Uchiha Izuna, Yanbai called out in frustration, "Hey..."
Uchiha Izuna clutched his head. "Aaaaaah!"
Yanbai said, "Listen... Uchiha Izuna..."
Seemingly registering Yanbai's voice, Uchiha Izuna began babbling incoherently. "Aaaaaah, big brother, big brother..."
Yanbai: "..."
He really could not take it anymore...
If I can't stand it anymore, there's no reason to keep putting up with it!
Yanbai strode up to Uchiha Izuna and raised his hand. With a loud smack, he slapped the still-screaming Uchiha Izuna unconscious.
The screaming cut off abruptly.
The world instantly fell silent.
Before coming to meet Uchiha Izuna, Yanbai had sent all kinds of nocturnal birds in the forest after the Uchiha guards who had followed Izuna, showering their heads with poisonous droppings. The surrounding forest was also covered in poisonous droppings, and now those men were "sleeping" soundly on piles of bird droppings in the woods.
They probably would not wake until the toxins had fully dissipated.
Yanbai was secretly relieved that he had used a slightly heavier dose.
Otherwise, with all this commotion, they would have come out long ago.
Yanbai crouched beside the unconscious Uchiha Izuna, propping his chin in both hands as he considered what to do next.
Uchiha Izuna's sleeping face was peaceful, and he showed no sign of waking for a long time.
Yanbai began to regret it. Who knew when this child would wake up? He could not just stay here watching him forever, could he?
Have the little animals take Uchiha Izuna home?
No, no, no...
If the little animals kindly took Uchiha Izuna home, wouldn't the Uchiha Clan guards roast them the moment they reached the entrance to the Clan Grounds?
How could I let that happen?
Besides, Uchiha Izuna really was a mess now. The clothes on his upper body had been burned to tatters. No matter how Yanbai looked at him, he seemed to have been brutalized by terrorists.
No...
He had avoided the confrontation between his father and younger brother. He should no longer have needed to fall out with Madara Uchiha.
Then this had happened.
Yanbai had already bullied Madara Uchiha once the last time they parted.
Madara might not mind being bullied himself, but seeing his beloved little brother treated so miserably by Yanbai would surely end badly!
Covering his face, Yanbai could not help muttering, "Ah... I didn't think that through."
No, I have to wake this kid up!
Whether I scare him or warn him, I absolutely can't let him go home and tell on me.
Before you continue