Chapter 13: Roar, Deathmatch! Sacrifice!
Boom!
A massive foot, as large as a building, crashed down, shaking the ground with a thunderous roar!
Neo Uchiha opened his eyes and immediately saw the massive form of the Two-Tails, Matatabi, rampaging through a camp he didn't recognize.
Cries, shouts, the whizzing of kunai cutting through the air, the deafening blasts of exploding tags—
And—
A terrifying beast roaring into the sky!
Blue-black chakra condensed into a dense sphere at its mouth.
Then—
Boom!
A Tailed Beast Ball was fired, hurtling straight toward Neo Uchiha!
Faced with this overwhelming and horrifying jutsu, Neo's heart pounded wildly. His mind went blank, and his pupils began to lose focus. The primal fear of a colossal beast surged uncontrollably in his heart.
But in the next moment—
[Talent Activated: Combat Instinct (S)]
The world went dark for Neo, and his body moved instinctively.
"Wake up, all of you! We're under attack by the Hidden Cloud!"
The roar of Setsuna Uchiha echoed in his ears, followed by fragments of debris from a nearby explosion scattering all around him.
A faint jingling sound accompanied it.
Neo shook his head, sending a cloud of dust cascading from his hair.
When he opened his eyes, he realized he had been dreaming.
His body was wedged awkwardly between a collapsing wall and a broken roof beam.
Ahead—
Setsuna Uchiha was locked in a tense standoff with three Hidden Cloud shinobi, all panting heavily.
Nearby—
Seichiro Uchiha clutched a kunai, trembling all over—his hands, feet, and even the Sharingan in his eyes quivering uncontrollably.
"Why, why, why do I, a Chunin, have to face enemies like this?!"
His trembling voice cracked as he shouted, barely holding back tears.
"At last! I've found you rats, Uchiha scum!"
The eldest of the Hidden Cloud shinobi, Ramii, sneered, forming hand signs swiftly:
Tiger - Snake - Tiger - Snake - Tiger!
A ball of crackling lightning formed in his hands, ready to strike.
It was Lightning Style: Scatter Shock Stream,
a small-scale, lethal jutsu similar to Chidori. However, unlike Chidori, this technique didn't accelerate cellular metabolism. Instead, it emitted bursts of electricity to damage all nearby targets.
Blue lightning illuminated the serious face of Setsuna Uchiha, who stood grimly before the three foes.
He could see that these were no ordinary enemies.
The most dangerous of them stood in the center—a one-eyed shinobi in a black cap named Dodai.
Dodai was one of the Third Raikage's trusted aides, wielding the terrifying Lava Release Kekkei Genkai. His strength was nearly on par with a Kage.
Though Setsuna's strength was comparable, the addition of Ramii's interference and Moroi's ability to trap their movements with barriers made their trio a dangerous force.
Their goal was clear: to eliminate him, Setsuna Uchiha.
Narrowing his eyes, Setsuna made a swift decision.
Turning his head slightly, he barked a cold command to his subordinates behind him:
"Neo, Seichiro!"
"Go!"
"Complete the mission. I will create an opening for you!"
At Setsuna's words, Ramii frowned.
He narrowed his eyes and turned to Moroi, speaking curtly:
"Kill those two. Setsuna likely has critical information. We cannot let them escape—notify Uchiha."
Moroi hesitated, frowning. "Ramii-senpai, if I leave, we won't be able to seal off Setsuna's escape route."
"That's why you must act quickly. Finish them off, and return immediately to set up the barrier."
Ramii's eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"Setsuna must die today! Otherwise, with his ocular power, he could restrain Matatabi in Hell Valley and ruin our entire plan."
At this, Moroi inhaled deeply and nodded.
He began moving, bypassing Setsuna, and sprinting toward Neo Uchiha and Seichiro.
Seeing this, Setsuna instinctively moved to block Moroi.
However, two figures
suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
Dodai smirked coldly. "Old man, in a deathmatch, you might be stronger than me. But with the two of us here, we can dispel any illusions and hold you off with ease."
Setsuna gritted his teeth silently, though his expression remained stoic. "Is that so?"
"You little punks really like to talk big."
Crunch! Crack!
Neo Uchiha flipped his wrist, pulling a kunai from his tool pouch and breaking a wooden beam as he freed himself from the wreckage.
Hearing Setsuna's command, Neo quickly pieced together the information he had gathered so far.
Analyzing the situation briefly, he realized:
First, the Hidden Cloud's assault was premeditated.
Their plan was to unleash Matatabi, the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, into Hell Valley to annihilate the Uchiha forces stationed there, all to liberate the clan imprisoned in the Blood Pool.
For this to succeed—
Setsuna Uchiha, with his powerful ocular abilities capable of obstructing the Two-Tails, was their primary target.
Second, the current situation.
The Hidden Cloud had deployed three elite shinobi to ensure Setsuna's death.
Judging by the battlefield, it would take all three of them working together to eliminate him.
Now, one of the three—Moroi—had broken away to pursue him and Seichiro, aiming to prevent them from delivering critical mission intel back to the Uchiha clan.
This was dangerous, but also an opportunity.
Neo grinned as he dusted himself off and stepped forward boldly.
In the original timeline, facing this exact scenario, Shisui Uchiha had likely escaped using his Phantom Body Flicker Technique, leaving behind pacifist Seichiro, whose death had been the catalyst for Shisui awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If Neo Uchiha were to fall here, he resolved that he wouldn't do worse than the original story.
At the very least, the intel had to be delivered back to the clan.
After all, as a heavenly-transcended figure, he had to live up to a higher standard.
Fixing his gaze on the rapidly approaching Moroi, Neo stepped forward with sharp determination.
Turning his head slightly, he issued a resolute command to Seichiro:
"Seichiro-senpai, retreat. I'll cover you!"
"What?!" Seichiro exclaimed, stunned by Neo's words.
"Are you insane? That man—I've seen his file—he's a Special Jonin skilled in kenjutsu and barrier techniques!"
"You don't stand a chance against him!"
Neo shook his head and glanced at Seichiro, his voice calm and unwavering.
"Seichiro-senpai, if no one stays behind, both of us will die here, and the intel won't make it back to the clan."
"Besides, if you die here, your Sharingan will likely be stolen, leading to the clan's bloodline limit being leaked."
"So, it makes more sense for me to stay behind."
Seichiro was visibly shaken, staring at Neo in disbelief.
He couldn't comprehend how anyone could treat life and death so lightly—
Let alone someone willing to sacrifice themselves for him.
The enemy was a Special Jonin!
Neo's words nearly brought Seichiro to tears.
Clenching his fists, Seichiro gave a resolute nod. But just as he was about to turn away, his face turned pale, and he stammered:
"But Neo, I don't know how to contact the Ninja Cat Clan!"
Neo almost spat blood in frustration.
"Damn it, that is a problem."
After a brief pause, Neo reached into his pouch and pulled out a rolled parchment. He shoved it into Seichiro's hands.
"Take this—it's a one-time contract with the Ninja Cat Clan. Use it to summon them and ask the emissary for help."
Seichiro stared at the scroll in awe.
A summoning contract with the Ninja Cat Clan was an invaluable tool, something countless shinobi would kill for.
On the battlefield, it could save lives.
Yet Neo handed it over without hesitation.
To Seichiro, Neo's actions seemed as if he were entrusting his final wishes.
Before Seichiro could say a word of thanks, Neo's expression suddenly changed.
He shoved Seichiro aside just as a barrier erupted between them.
Moroi had placed his hands on the ground, activating a jutsu that sealed the space around him and Neo.
It was a Deathmatch Barrier.
Only the one who survived could leave.
If Neo hadn't pushed Seichiro out in time, both of them would have been trapped inside.
For a moment, Seichiro felt the world go silent.
Through the transparent barrier, he saw Neo's lips move silently, forming one clear word:
"Go!"
Seichiro's pupils shrank as tears streamed down his face.
In that instant, all the grievances and doubts he had about Neo disappeared.
In his heart, Neo became a towering figure, radiating selflessness and heroism.
Clenching the contract tightly, Seichiro scrambled away, crawling and running as fast as he could.
"Neo Uchiha, wait for me!"
"I will find someone to save you!"