bookbashuk Page 103
Page 103
The training ground on the back mountain.
Ban looked at the inner disciple lying exhausted on the cratered ground, covered in dust and wounds, and after a moment of contemplation, he gently clenched his shoulders and said, "Is that all you can do?"
"No... I can do it." Xue gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and stood up shakily.
"Zzz!" The Sharingan reappeared in the pupil, its sharp gaze returning.
Ban's lips curled up: "Very good. Remember how you feel right now. Every time you feel you've reached your limit, it's an opportunity to break through your own limitations!"
Boruto Uzumaki... has already acquired a power called Karma.
And I only learned today that Feng has awakened the 'Mangekyou Sharingan' and also gained the power of the 'Karma'.
The two of them will grow at a monstrous rate from now on.
But I will not give up! Because I am my father's daughter!
"Boom!" Xue'er formed a hand seal in front of her chest, her long hair moved without wind, and intense blue chakra erupted from her body.
"Snap!" As her chakra reached its peak, she changed the hand seals.
"Boom!" The wooden dragon that burst from the ground passed over Xue's head and forcefully swallowed the ground where Ban was standing!
"Very good, you have successfully mastered Hashirama's wooden dragon. I am proud of you... However, as my inner disciple, Uchiha Madara, I want you to be thrown to an even more distant shore!"
"Boom!" Madara's Susanoo ignited into a fierce, muscular half-body, using his crossed swords to block the wooden dragon's body!
"Next training exercise! Manipulate the wooden dragon to crush my current Susanoo form to smithereens!"
"Crack!" "Crack!" Behind Susanoo's original two arms, another pair of azure arms ignited, the two blades clashing together, slashing towards the spot where Yuki stood.
"And... that's under the premise of facing my attack!"
"Boom!" Xue, riding the wooden dragon, gritted her teeth and narrowly avoided the sword's slash. A flying pebble left a cut on her cheek.
"Awoooooo!" Ignoring everything else, she rode the wooden dragon to attack Susanoo!
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
Outside the training field, Sarada gripped the barbed wire tightly, her eyes trembling with shock and resentment.
"Is this... her way of training? She's the same age as me, but we live in completely different worlds. The training we thought we did to get stronger is all child's play."
"No wonder, no wonder even Boruto was impressed by her. How could I possibly compare myself to a girl like that..."
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, we should do something meaningful and down-to-earth.
Sarada turned her head to look at Obito, who had appeared behind her at some point. "You, when did you...?"
Obito stepped forward: "Uchiha Sarada, I've been watching you for a long time. I've seen almost everything you've done since you arrived in Anbi."
Sarada exclaimed in surprise, "You...you're the leader of the Dark Shadows, sent to spy on me?!"
Obito laughed and said, "Think it over before you speak."
Sarada shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile: "Yeah, what value do I have to be monitored? I'm just an insignificant Konoha rogue genin."
She asked, "Then why were you following me?"
Obito approached her, his gaze fixed on the intense battle taking place on the training field.
But in his heart, he was thinking about how to make the girl next to him lower her guard.
Just like he did to her father back then, only with completely different motives.
"There's no particular reason, it's just that as a fellow Uchiha, I couldn't help but want to lend a helping hand to a junior who's lost his way."
After much thought, I still believe that sincerity is the most touching thing.
Sarada's eyes lit up: "You, you're also an Uchiha?"
"That's right, but I am already dead. Like Madara over there, I am a spirit summoned back to the world by Uchiha Chen using the Impure World Reincarnation technique."
Sarada had already heard about the Impure World Reincarnation from Mitsuki. This village was full of those 'living dead'.
Sarada figured it out just by looking at Obito's skin and eye features.
But the fact that the latter took the initiative to tell her about it made her instinctively let go of some of her resistance.
"I always thought that the Uchiha clan was down to just me, my mom and dad. I never imagined that in this secluded place, there were so many... The adults are all stronger than my dad, and the children... are all stronger than me."
Sarada lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with conflicting thoughts.
"I really don't know whether to be happy or frustrated."
"Oh?" Obito glanced at her sideways: "You are better than Sasuke. I am impressed by your ability to make such a judgment."
Sarada: "You call my father by his first name... You know him?"
Obito narrowed his eyes to slits: "Hmm, we're old acquaintances. You should know me too, logically."
Sarada: "What's your name?"
"Uchiha, Obito..."
After Obito finished speaking, he waited for her reaction, but to his surprise... her eyes behind her glasses blinked a few times, as if she was trying hard to recall.
"You...you don't recognize me?"
Sarada smiled slightly awkwardly: "I'm sorry, I... I don't really pay much attention to our ancestors. Regarding the Uchiha clan of the past, I only know about my father's father, Fugaku; my father's older brother, Itachi; and Shisui, who was famous for his Body Flicker Technique..."
Obito's lips twitched a few times.
I think I understand the frustration of the 'inter-pillar style' a bit better now.
But that's fine... If she knew that I was the instigator of the Ninja World War in the past, causing countless ninjas to lose their families and friends, it would probably be very difficult for her to talk to me anymore.
Sarada adjusted her glasses and said seriously, "Hey, you just said that instead of wallowing in self-pity, we should do something practical... Do you know what I'm complaining about?"
Obito laughed and said, "Of course I know."
Sarada said, "Nonsense. How could an old-fashioned adult like you possibly know what I'm thinking?"
"Of course I know," Obito said calmly. "Isn't it just about 'love'?"
"Huh!?" Sarada looked at him in surprise.
"I deeply understand the feeling of liking someone and wanting to go through fire and water for her."
"I know exactly what I'm capable of doing for one person."
"After all, I've been there," Obito said with a sigh, looking at the starry sky.
Sarada looked at his wrinkled half-face, the captivating sense of vicissitude, and unconsciously... became curious.
"Obito, do you... also have someone you like?"
"Yes, there is. She's watching me from heaven."
"Huh?" Sarada's curiosity froze instantly, replaced by apology and guilt for offending someone.
"I'm sorry... I... I didn't know she was already..."
"It's alright." Obito's calm gaze instantly soothed Sarada, and at the same time... she was even more eager to know the story behind Obito's eyes.
Obito smiled and said, "Would you like to hear me ramble on about her?"
Sarada's eyes sparkled with excitement; this was the first time since arriving in Dark Village that she had forgotten all her unhappiness.
"I...I want to hear it!"
"Boom boom boom!" The deafening roar of the battle between the wooden dragon and Susanoo still echoed across the field, but that was no longer the main theme.
Obito said gently, "It's too noisy here. Let's find a quiet place. I'll tell you slowly."
"Dust... I'm almost there."
"I am also...light."
"Ee, ee-ya...!!!"
Chapter 142 Two Lineages
Under the cool moonlight, Sarada rested her chin in her hands, listening quietly as Obito recounted the story of Rin and her two companions.
She looked at Obito and asked, "So, it sounds like Rin actually likes your silver-haired, spiky-haired genius classmate, Obito?"
Obito smiled quietly, "Ah, that's how it was back then. But when you like someone, you're satisfied just to see the light in their eyes. She only occasionally cast a glance at me with some attention, and I felt like I was about to explode with happiness."
After a long while, Sarada exclaimed, "Obito, you really are amazing."
Obito: "What do you mean?"
Sarada clutched her chest and said, "I... I don't think I can do what you're saying. I don't have such a broad and open mind. If the person I'm looking at isn't looking at me in the same way, that oppressive feeling that's like a python coiling around my chest will drive me crazy."
"Hey... Obito, tell me, am I being too selfish and narrow-minded?"
Obito smiled and said, "I don't think so. Everyone's feelings and understanding of love are different. In addition, self-awareness and self-positioning are very subjective things. It's like looking at flowers through the fog. People can't actually see the true face of their own hearts."
"Only when you truly experience the moment of loss can you see the true nature of your heart."
"Whether it's landmines or dampness, it's the underlying nature that the Creator has laid in the deepest part of our subconscious, a powerful potential energy that is independent of our individual will. This potential energy is strong enough to destroy everything connected to us."
"But when all the twists and turns come to nothing, and you look back, you realize that in the end, only you have been destroyed. This is what is called 'calamity'."
Obito was lost in his own emotions when he came to his senses and saw Sarada with her mouth agape, looking dazed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I probably said something you couldn't understand."
"No, it's nothing. Although I don't know exactly what you're talking about, I feel like I can understand how you feel. Hehe, it's really strange. Even though it's our first conversation, it feels like I've known Obito for a long time."
Seeing that the time was almost right, Obito said.
"Sarana, let me teach you a technique."
Under the moonlight, Obito stood up and said earnestly, "Whatever your initial reason for choosing to stay here, you can't keep being discouraged. People always have to look forward, don't you think?"
Sarada lowered her eyes, thinking: Yes, I've been trapped in my own emotions these past few days, and I'm not acting like a ninja at all.
Obito noticed me, and when I was most helpless, he talked to me, comforted me, and even taught me ninjutsu.
This shows that this hidden ninja village, and its master Uchiha Chen... are far more humane than I originally imagined.
Boruto, Boruto probably saw through this a long time ago, which is why he came here with some kind of belief and became Uchiha Chen's apprentice, right?
I can't keep acting childish.
However... matters of principle must be stated beforehand.
Sarada stood up, looked up, and straightened her headband, which belonged to a Konoha rogue ninja. She said, "Obito, there's something I need to say upfront. Although I've already defected from my village, I... don't intend to become an Anku ninja. If you mind, please don't teach me any more techniques."
Obito's smile remained kind and approachable: "Why should I care? Whether you're an Anku ninja or not doesn't affect the fact that you're one of the future hopes of this ninja world."
It's impossible to describe Sarada's feelings at this moment.
She took off her glasses, and two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?"
"It's nothing... just some sand blowing into my eyes."
Obito thought to himself: But you're wearing glasses...
Sarada wiped away her tears, put her glasses back on, and three bright black tomoe appeared in her red-rimmed eyes. She looked at Obito solemnly and said, "Please teach me your technique!"
Oh? You've already unlocked the three-magic-level? In that case, it might be easier to get started than I expected.
Obito raised his hands, which were covered in cracks, from beneath his gray shrine robe, and slowly and meticulously formed the three seals '丑、卯、申' in front of his chest, then grasped his right wrist with his left hand.
"Crackling!" Intense blue lightning leaped and arced, gathering into a dazzling lightning clump under his loosely clenched right palm.
“This…” Sarada’s eyes widened in shock.
Obito said, "This technique is called 'Lightning Blade'. It was created by my best friend. It is a thrusting technique that can only be used to unleash its full power when combined with the Sharingan!"
Sarada: "Chidori...? Isn't that Daddy's Chidori!?"
"Ugh..." The incandescent light pierced through Qing's slightly open eyelids, and Qing, lying on the instrument table, let out a muffled groan.
"So, I'm still alive." Qing moved her right fingers and subconsciously tried to sit up, but found that her left side had completely lost sensation and was unresponsive.
"Don't move." A deep, resonant male voice came from the left.
"Cough cough cough!" Then, the pungent smoke entered Qing's nostrils, choking him and causing him to cough violently. The swelling and pain in his chest and throat also brought his somewhat muddled consciousness back to clarity.
Qing turned her gaze to the left and saw a middle-aged man with orange glasses, gray hair, and a thick beard sitting in front of the control panel. He had a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth, and he was taking deep drags, drawing long ash from the cigarette. His hands were typing rapidly on the keyboard.