Chapter 227: Practical Training, The Sage's Summon
Afternoon Training
The afternoon training was an intense regimen designed to refine ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu in unison. By adjusting the seals on the protective gear, Uchiha Ci's chakra was restricted to the level of a typical Uchiha Chūnin, providing a realistic scale for practical combat exercises.
The Uchiha clan seemed to place little value on the Zero-Tails within Uchiha Ci's body, nor did they show interest in further developing this artificial tailed beast. Their primary focus was on Ci's foundational abilities as a shinobi.
To Ci, this emphasis was quite evident. Compared to Uchiha Kagami, a master of swordsmanship who preferred to remain silent, the elderly Uchiha Setsuna was far more verbally harsh:
"Who taught you to cast ninjutsu like that?"
"Trying to give this old man a heart attack? Why do you always treat ninjutsu like shuriken to be thrown carelessly? Where's your aim?"
"Wrong! Completely wrong!"
"Are you an idiot? Shuriken are for distractions; ninjutsu is for killing!"
"Without your Fire Release: Chakra Mode, you couldn't even beat that little brat Shisui!"
"Hmph?"
"This Four-Element Chakra Blade of yours is somewhat interesting, but it's still lacking."
"Compared to Wind, Fire, and Water Release, your Lightning Release is so weak it might as well just scratch my back!"
When Ci finally exhausted his chakra, he was granted a brief moment of rest.
Thud!
Ci collapsed onto the chaotic training field, his face smeared with dirt.
Staring at the drifting clouds, flying birds, and falling leaves above, along with Setsuna's mocking grin, he felt a strong urge to curse the heavens: To hell with this training, I quit!
With his chakra limited to Chūnin levels, he could only rely on standard shinobi combat techniques. Against Setsuna, however, his entire form was riddled with flaws.
His once unstoppable Uchiha-style Manipulated Shuriken Technique was utterly ineffective. Every ninjutsu variation he attempted was swiftly dismantled by Setsuna's razor-sharp Sharingan. Then, with his vastly superior mastery of Uchiha-style swordsmanship, Setsuna would effortlessly weave through the air and earth, almost as if dancing through Kakuzu's ninjutsu barrage blindfolded. He would slip behind Ci like a fleeting shadow and mercilessly smack his rear with the flat of his blade.
When Ci attempted to counter with advanced Sharingan genjutsu, he found himself inexplicably trapped in Setsuna's illusions instead.
Out of desperation, Ci resorted to his trump card—a yet-to-be-named composite sword technique, an embryonic idea that had emerged during the Nine-Tails suppression mission.
This ultimate ninja sword technique combined three mastered elemental ninjutsu sword arts—Fire Release: Heartflame Blade, Water Release: Water Fang Sword, and Wind Release: Vacuum Blade—with a newly acquired technique learned after battling Killer B.
The result was a devastating fusion of four elemental ninjutsu, powerful enough to slice everything in its path down to the molecular level. Even Setsuna dared not confront it directly.
However, against someone like Setsuna, a shinobi with top-tier capabilities in every category, Ci's efforts were futile. Without the ability to unleash large-scale AOE attacks, he couldn't even graze the elder's cloak.
Setsuna's mastery of Uchiha-style swordsmanship, combined with the Sharingan's unparalleled insight, left Ci feeling utterly hopeless. No matter the angle or method of attack, every move was preemptively read, countered, and dismantled.
This was a pure technical suppression, where ninjutsu became a burden that drained chakra in vain. Even with Ci's impressive composite technique, he still suffered a crushing defeat.
But there was a silver lining.
Uchiha training left a lasting impression through the body's physical torment, relying on combat to drive growth. Even in defeat, Ci could gain valuable experience.
[Ding!]
[In the designated training mode with Uchiha Setsuna, your courage to confront him has earned you a reward: substantial practical experience in Uchiha-style swordsmanship.]
[Your Uchiha-style: Dance of the Solar Halo level has increased. Current progress: Proficient (11/300).]
Reading the notifications, Ci felt a rush of enlightenment. Suddenly, every bruise and scar from Setsuna's relentless strikes began to radiate warmth.
Each wound transformed into a torrent of knowledge, engraving itself into Ci's muscles as instinctive memory. From the angle and posture of his strikes to Setsuna's insight, predictions, and counters, a flood of indescribable understanding flowed through him, imprinting itself into his very being.
In an instant, Ci bypassed numerous arduous training hurdles, advancing from comprehension to mastery. The rapid progression filled him with a strange sense of euphoria, causing him to chuckle uncontrollably.
Nearby, Setsuna, finishing his water break, noticed Ci's foolish grin. With a smirk, he kicked Ci's rear.
"What are you grinning about?"
"Break's over! Get up and keep training!"
"Yes, sir!"
Ci quickly got to his feet, fully restored thanks to his remarkable recovery abilities. Soon, the next round of beatings commenced, and he continued to grow amidst the pain and joy.
---
Nightfall
Under the starlit sky, Ci, thoroughly drained from the day's dual training sessions, returned to his private cabin prepared by the clan.
But rest was still out of reach.
The Uchiha clan's training aimed to comprehensively enhance his foundational skills as a shinobi. Now, Ci had to follow a plan devised jointly by Orochimaru and the clan—one that revolved around mastering the Cursed Seal and achieving a perfect Sage Mode.
To date, Ci's development of the Cursed Seal of Heaven was rudimentary, limited to extracting natural energy and forming basic Sage Chakra.
The cursed seal itself was a pathway to Sage Mode. Despite its side effects—mental instability and physical mutations—the essence of the Cursed Seal of Heaven was a form of Sage Mode.
Orochimaru's genius design made this method safer and more reliable than Ryūchi Cave's traditional approach, which also involved injecting natural energy through a snakebite and hoping for the best.
The second stage of the cursed seal was an imperfect Sage Mode, granting Ci abilities like enhanced physique, serpent-like eyes, flexibility, explosive power, and extreme speed. But Orochimaru demanded more—Ci had to completely subdue this power.
To achieve this, Ci required a specialized medicine: the Awakening Pill. By consuming it, he would endure the agony of "death," gradually unlocking the full potential of the cursed seal while resisting its maddening influence.
Although Fugaku had given him the pill before leaving the village, it was lost during his fierce battle with Killer B. Now, he relied on a hastily delivered alternative: Awakening Decoction.
At this moment, Ci plunged into a steaming medicinal bath, its pungent aroma filling the air.
Sitting cross-legged with only his head above water, he calmed his mind and silently released the Sealing Jutsu wrapped around his neck.
The markings of the Cursed Seal of Heaven spread across his body, transforming his skin into pale serpent scales as he entered the second stage.
Just as Ci began delving deeper into the cursed seal's power, a cold, ancient voice echoed in his ears:
"Mortal!"
"Hear me! What you're doing is wrong!"
"To achieve the true form of the Ryūchi Cave Sage, you must embrace, not reject, this power. Accept it as an honor, not defy it!"
Startled, Ci's eyes snapped open. Before he could react, his surroundings spun violently.
With a puff of smoke, Ci vanished from his cabin in Hell Valley.