Kusagakure Village.
"Fire Release: Ghost Lantern Technique!"
A white-haired girl finished forming hand seals and shouted the name of the ninjutsu in her childish voice.
Then—nothing happened.
"Eh? Why didn't it work? Father always does it this way!"
The middle-aged man, Rōran, gently patted his innocent daughter Ryūzetsu on the head. "That jutsu is a B-rank technique. It's still too difficult for someone your age."
Ryūzetsu clenched her tiny fists and vowed, "I won't give up!"
Rōran asked curiously, "Why are you so eager to learn that jutsu?"
"Because that guy always takes first place!"
"That guy?"
"Mm. His name is Mukō—he's a boy in my class."
"Mukō?"
Rōran recognized the name—it sounded familiar. Mukō was the son of Muwei, the lord of the Ghost Lantern Castle.Muwei wasn't just the castle lord; he was also one of Kusagakure's top ninjas.
Rōran's daughter had shown remarkable talent for ninjutsu even at such a young age. For her to be competing with Muwei's son for the top spot—truly, like father, like daughter.
Perhaps because he got too absorbed in thought, Rōran didn't notice his daughter calling him several times. When he finally came back to his senses, Ryūzetsu had puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Ah, sorry, sorry!"
"Hmph." Ryūzetsu turned her head away in mock arrogance, like a sulking child.
"You really give me no choice." Rōran chuckled apologetically. "How about this? I'll teach you another ninjutsu to make up for it."
"Ninjutsu?"Ryūzetsu's eyes lit up. "What kind?"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."
"What rank is it?"
"C-rank."
Ryūzetsu's mouth instantly drooped in disappointment.
Rōran laughed and shook his head. "Kids these days only judge jutsu by their rank. That's not entirely wrong, but listen—"
"The value of a jutsu isn't decided by its rank. The rank only measures the difficulty of learning it. The Great Fireball Technique may be C-rank, but it was created by the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha clan?"
"Yes. They're said to be the strongest Fire Release clan in the entire ninja world."
"The strongest Fire Release clan? That sounds amazing!"
"Indeed. Though actually, what truly makes them powerful isn't—"
"What isn't?"
"Uh… feels like I'm getting off topic."
"Aw, you're teasing me!"
"Haha. Anyway, just remember—their Fire Release is incredible."Rōran deliberately kept the mystery, wanting to cultivate his daughter's information-gathering instincts.
As expected, her curiosity was piqued. "Hmph! I'll find out everything about the Uchiha clan myself!"
Hearing that name, Rōran couldn't help but recall a certain man who controlled a massive blue giant.Rumor had it that he even killed the Daimyō of the Land of Fire and crowned himself king.A terrifying man indeed.
Rōran had faced Tōshirō before and knew firsthand how powerful he was. Even now, the memory chilled him.
His grim expression caught Ryūzetsu's attention. "What's wrong, Dad?"
"Nothing…"Rōran didn't want to worry her. He brushed it off casually, silently praying that he would never cross paths with that man again.
Then he continued teaching. He explained that the Great Fireball Technique had originally been far more complex than its current form—it was only after many refinements that it became easier to learn while retaining formidable power.
"Everything must be done step by step," he said. "Once you truly master the Great Fireball and understand Fire Release, learning the Ghost Lantern Technique will be twice as easy."
Rōran gathered chakra in his mouth, deliberately slowing down his hand seals so his daughter could observe clearly. When he finished, he unleashed the Great Fireball Technique—a blazing fireball shot from his mouth, swelling midair into a massive orb of flame. The ground before them was scorched and plowed as if by a giant's hand, ending in an explosive crater several meters wide.
Ryūzetsu's eyes sparkled like stars. She bounced excitedly. "Dad, I want to learn that!"
Rōran smiled and carefully taught her each seal and chakra control method.
Impatiently, Ryūzetsu mimicked him, spitting out a tiny flame from her mouth. The difference in power between her fire and her father's was like night and day—it might barely light a candle.
"For your first try, that's already impressive," Rōran said truthfully, not merely to encourage her.
"Mm! I'll keep practicing!"
"Heh heh…"
After practicing together for a while, Ryūzetsu suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no!"
"What's wrong?"
She looked embarrassed. "I… I promised to meet someone!"
Still a child, after all. Rōran didn't scold her. "Go ahead—but remember to come back and keep practicing afterward."
"Thank you, Dad!" Ryūzetsu cheered and dashed off like the wind.
"This child…"Rōran watched her disappear, smiling and shaking his head. Just as he was about to leave, a playful voice drifted through the air.
"What a kawaii daughter you have…"
Rōran's eyes widened. He instantly sensed something behind him. Without turning, he leapt aside.A massive blue hand shot out from thin air, closing into a fist and grasping at where he had stood.
"Wh—what is this…?!"
Before he could finish, a dark figure dropped from above, kicking him hard to the ground.
"D-damn it…"
Flat on the ground, Rōran lifted his head to see two figures walking toward him casually.One had long black hair, an unnaturally pale face, and a pair of jade-green magatama earrings—his features soft yet sinister.
Rōran's eyes widened in shock. "Orochimaru…!"
Orochimaru looked down at the middle-aged man like a scientist who had found a fascinating specimen."Hehehe… quite an interesting one, indeed."
White hair, and those eyes—rings within rings, rippling like waves. They reminded him of the legendary Rinnegan.
Rōran's heart sank. With Orochimaru's fearsome reputation, there could be no good reason for him to appear here.
Then his gaze shifted to the young man beside Orochimaru—silver hair, turquoise eyes, unfamiliar face, yet somehow familiar presence.
The man spoke in a teasing tone, "Hm? You've already forgotten me?"
Rōran recalled the massive blue hand from before and his pupils shrank. "Y-you're…!"
"Not bad. Even after I changed my appearance, a little reminder jogged your memory."Tōshirō smiled faintly and clapped slowly, rhythmically. "Bravo."
Rōran scrambled to his feet and raised his voice to steady himself. "Didn't I already give you the jutsu? What are you here for?"
Tōshirō ignored the question and continued leisurely, "You know, I'm someone who values fairness above all. When you gave me the Dragon Blood Rebirth Technique, I promised not to harm your village—and I kept that promise. But you deceived me. You hid something from me. That's not fair."
"Pah! What twisted reasoning!" Rōran snapped, his neck stiff with defiance. "Your so-called fairness only serves yourself. You forced your terms on us!"
Tōshirō smiled faintly. "Wasn't that exactly how your village treated that Uzumaki mother and daughter? So spare me your righteous talk."
Rōran was struck speechless.
"Enough. I'm not here to waste time arguing."Tōshirō's tone hardened. "Let's get to the point—I want you to do something for me, as penance for your deceit."
Rōran's face darkened. "What scheme are you plotting now?"
Tōshirō smiled lightly. "Nothing complicated. I just want to know—can you die for me?"
(End of Chapter)
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