Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 278: Entrustment?

"Is senior Takumi’s eyesight... okay?"

Sora carefully chose his words, "I’ve heard that overusing the Sharingan can affect vision."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Ryota’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Brother is very strong, so of course his Sharingan is fine too. But... recently, he does seem to rub his eyes occasionally when looking at things. When asked, he just says he’s a bit tired."

Sure enough, signs of declining vision were already appearing.

The Uchiha Takumi brothers’ status within the Uchiha clan was not high to begin with. Even now, having awakened the Mangekyō, at this point in time, they likely still hadn’t encountered the stone tablet within the Uchiha clan’s secret chamber that records the secrets of the Mangekyō.

Naturally, they didn’t know that frequent use of the Mangekyō’s power would eventually lead to the "ocular risk" and end in blindness.

...

Several days later, the group arrived smoothly at the eastern coastal area of the Land of Fire.

The frontline camp where Konoha and Kirigakure were confronting each other.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the frontline with Kumogakure.

The two camps faced each other across a buffer zone, with no large-scale clashes, but small-scale friction and reconnaissance never stopped. It was a state of dangerous alertness.

After settling in, Uchiha Ryota took Sora to find his brother, Uchiha Takumi.

They saw that cold, stern figure at an observation post with a broad view.

"Brother!" Uchiha Ryota hurried forward.

Uchiha Takumi turned around. Seeing his brother, his usually icy eyes softened considerably.

But when his gaze swept over Sora behind him, they narrowed slightly again, before he gave a nod.

’His vision really is affected...’ Sora confirmed in his heart.

"Ryota, was the mission smooth?"

"Yes, very smooth. It was all thanks to Sora accompanying us."

Uchiha Ryota said, then remembered he still had team mission reports to hand in. "Brother, I need to go submit the mission report first. I’ll come find you later."

"Go ahead, be careful." Uchiha Takumi nodded.

After Uchiha Ryota left, only Sora and Uchiha Takumi remained at the observation post.

Uchiha Takumi was silent for a moment, then looked at Sora and asked.

"Sora, there’s something I’d like to hear your opinion on."

"Please go ahead."

"Regarding before, on the Iwagakure battlefield, that mysterious Uchiha who abducted Kitsuchi..."

"The village leadership, including the Hokage-sama, all seem inclined to believe it was our Uchiha clan acting in secret. What do you think?"

Uchiha Takumi’s gaze fixed intently on Sora, as if trying to see something from his reaction.

"That person... could he really be a hidden powerhouse from our clan?"

Hearing Uchiha Takumi’s question that went straight to the core, Sora shook his head.

"I don’t know."

"I’m not very interested in delving into these complicated matters within the village."

Upon hearing this, a rare smile appeared on Uchiha Takumi’s stern face.

"Coincidentally, I’m not very interested either."

His tone was casual, his gaze shifting towards the direction Uchiha Ryota had left.

"My world is very small. It can’t hold much. Ryota takes up most of it. The rest..."

He paused, his gaze returning to Sora.

"...I can barely count you in. After all, you saved Ryota, and you call me senior."

’I don’t want to be your beloved!’

Sora felt his scalp prickle. There’s something wrong with your phrasing!

But he still gave a slight nod, accepting this recognition that wasn’t exactly close, but was clear enough.

The scene from back then, when Uchiha Takumi taught him the Great Fireball Technique at the training ground behind the orphan, was still vaguely in his mind.

Uchiha Takumi’s tone shifted, turning serious.

"Compared to that person’s identity,"

"I care more about the power he displayed then. That deep blue, giant chakra figure, like a deity or demon descending. I assume Jiraiya-sama mentioned it to you too?"

"Yes."

Sora nodded, "It’s said to be a power that can be summoned when the Sharingan evolves to an extremely high level, the Susano’o."

"Susano’o... so that’s its name."

Uchiha Takumi looked thoughtful, his three tomoe slowly rotating.

"To be honest, I can achieve that state now too."

"But the cost is enormous. Every time I use it, it feels like my eyes are being scorched, and my vision blurs for a while afterwards."

He raised his hand and lightly pressed the corner of his eye.

"Precisely because of that, I find it even more puzzling."

Uchiha Takumi’s brow furrowed.

"The strongest existing experts within the clan are at most on par with me, or perhaps even less capable."

"Achieving the Mangekyō is already extremely rare. Having the chakra and ocular power to sustain that kind of Susano’o... there are very few such records even in the clan’s history."

"Where did this suddenly appearing Uchiha get such power? And what is his purpose?"

Sora remained silent, not responding.

He naturally knew the answer, but it involved too much, and besides, Uchiha Madara was not long for this world, so there was no need to say it.

Uchiha Takumi hadn’t expected an answer in the first place. Seeing Sora silent, he brought up another, more practical issue.

"Ever since the Kitsuchi abduction incident, the village leadership’s wariness towards our Uchiha clan has clearly deepened."

"Although there’s no full-scale war with Kirigakure, the casualty rate for shinobi from our clan sent to the frontlines is the highest. Those extremely dangerous reconnaissance and assault missions now seem almost tailor-made for us."

Sora could hear the dissatisfaction with the Konoha leadership in Uchiha Takumi’s words.

He sighed inwardly. The rift between the Uchiha and the village was already deep-rooted.

’The current situation is still relatively good. In the future, after Obito manipulates the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha, your Uchiha clan’s situation will truly hit rock bottom, completely isolated and suspected.’

Of course, he could only think this to himself.

Seeing Sora silent again, Uchiha Takumi looked at him deeply and said gravely.

"Sora, if... I mean if, one day in the future, something happens to me, and I can no longer protect Ryota..."

"I hope you can look after him a little."

Sora was slightly taken aback and looked at Uchiha Takumi.

The other’s expression was extremely serious, not like a joke.

He didn’t quite understand why the other would suddenly say something that sounded almost like an entrustment. Did he have a premonition?

Or was it simply because they were on a perilous frontline?

The image of that figure on the training ground, though cold, still patiently correcting his hand seals, flashed through his mind again.

Sora was silent for a moment, then met Uchiha Takumi’s gaze and slowly nodded.

"I will."

Uchiha Takumi smiled. He looked deeply at Sora.

"I owe you for this."

"In the future, if there is a chance, I, Uchiha Takumi, will repay you double, in a way you can imagine."

Having said this, he didn’t wait for Sora’s response, but turned and left.

The figure in the high-collared short-sleeve shirt flashed at the edge of the observation post and then disappeared in the direction of the camp, clearly off to carry out a new mission.

Sora stood where he was, pondering the meaningful final words of Uchiha Takumi.

’In a way I can imagine... does he mean the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan?’

He shook his head, temporarily setting these thoughts aside.

Regardless, he would do what he promised.

As for the future, who could say.

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