Chapter 104: Holder of the Uchiha Sasuke Template, Controller of the Strong

“Can a Divine Artifact really enhance one’s strength so rapidly?”

Kagura Shizuka had appeared at her side without warning, her longbow emitting a faint purple glow, her eyes filled with doubt.

Though she knew Amaha Kūrei was stronger than herself—and Kūrei had never denied it—the power displayed before her now seemed to exceed the limits of a Divine Artifact wielder.

“Naturally, others cannot.”

“But I am no ordinary person.”

Amaha Kūrei let out a light laugh, her ice blade elegantly slicing across the monster’s chest.

The sharp ice blade precisely split open the beast’s thorax, extracting intact a heart still faintly pulsing, glowing with an eerie blue light.

Kagura Shizuka watched this scene, merely nodding slightly, saying nothing further, offering no judgment on whether Kūrei’s actions were cruel.

It was just a demon. Cruelty toward demons is no sin.

The people of this country fear power, not morality; Kūrei’s cold-handed display today would become the foundation of her prestige.

“Then, let it end here.”

Amaha Kūrei snapped her fingers; the monster’s massive body instantly shattered into a thousand ice crystals, refracting dazzling halos in the sunlight.

Kagura Shizuka sheathed her bow, gazing at the gradually calming sea, wondering whether she had made the right choice in agreeing to Kūrei.

But even if it was wrong, it didn’t matter—nothing could be worse than it already was.

Far off on the horizon, a solitary figure stood midair, crimson eyes slowly rotating three tomoe.

“Looks like I didn’t need to intervene.”

He murmured softly, his gaze locked firmly on the two girls on the ice field.

“Who are those two?”

“Besides me, does this country have other Divine Artifact wielders?”

“No, perhaps they’re holders of Celestial Role Templates.”

He raised a hand to his eyes, fingertips clearly feeling the heat burning within his eyeballs.

Why?

Why did he receive the template of a weakling Uchiha Sasuke from before the Chunin Exams, not the full-power version?

Even these three-tomoe Sharingan were forged by his own forced breakthrough in utter rage.

The template gave him only the most basic Uchiha bloodline and jutsu he could have mastered easily under these eyes anyway.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, Lightning Release: Thousand Birds, Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique

Jutsu requiring hand seals? In battles of the strong, they’re nothing but burdens!

In the end, Uchiha rely solely on these eyes!

But without Uchiha Itachi’s Mangekyō, he’d never awaken the Eternal Mangekyō in this lifetime.

And as for the Indra chakra automatically granted by the Uchiha Sasuke template—what real impact could that have on his strength? Could it help him awaken the Eternal Mangekyō without Uchiha Itachi’s Mangekyō?

Let alone the Rinnegan beyond the Eternal Mangekyō!

And this country’s fabricated rumors of a Susano’o silhouette appearing in the sky to counter other nations’ Celestial Artifact wielders.

He still remembered how ecstatic he’d felt upon seeing that news, how desperately he’d hoped the bearer was an Uchiha Itachi template holder.

He’d even risked exposing his identity, tracked down the media, and used genjutsu to ask them where they’d seen it—only to find out it was all fake!

Had he not forcibly controlled his emotions then, he might have killed them on the spot.

“Truly, unpleasant.”

Merely recalling it made him furious; he should’ve killed those bastards back then.

Uchiha Ryōsuke cast one final, deep look at Amaha Kūrei and Kagura Shizuka on the ice field, then turned away without hesitation. His wings, developed from the Zhouyin state, fluttered faintly behind him, and his figure vanished into the sky.

To flaunt power like them?

He had no such intention.

In the Naruto world, there’s only one Danzō—but in this real world, who knows how many factions lurk in the shadows coveting Sharingan eyes?

Even if those two hadn’t appeared, he’d still been hesitating whether to go.

Not for the sake of this country—he was mainly worried that if that thing kept summoning tsunamis, his own home and family would be caught in the destruction.

Others didn’t matter to him, but his family—he couldn’t abandon them.

Now that those two women had stepped in, he no longer needed to worry about this.

With his Mangekyō still unawakened, his top priority now was to lie low and grow stronger.

This war in Sakura Country is being watched by nations worldwide.

Lighthouse, Great Xia, Bear, Gaul, and the Empire—all nations with relevant capabilities—are closely observing this battle.

Because this is the first supernatural entity since the Spiritual Tide’s arrival capable of genuinely threatening a developed nation’s security.

Of course, the “Deep King” from the One Punch Man world who appeared earlier in Great Xia could have done the same; under normal circumstances, once he entered a city, even Great Xia’s national power would struggle immensely to eliminate him, requiring enormous sacrifice.

But Great Xia had more than one fifth-rank powerhouse, and during this battle, a fourth-rank warrior emerged who inherited the Will of the Unlicensed Knight and obtained the God of War Insect Rite.

The Deep King, however, foolishly challenged Great Xia’s psychics to a duel, barely killing anyone—leaving nations that expected heavy casualties deeply disappointed.

They cursed the Deep King as a waste.

But this creature in Sakura Country’s waters, suspected to be a dimensional being, is different: not only is it powerful, but it’s also cautious, hiding entirely within the sea and destroying coastal cities by summoning tsunamis.

For nations with vast territories, timely evacuation would minimize damage—but Sakura Country is small and surrounded by sea. Though its own strength is considerable, it still has no way to deal with this creature.

What? You mention Lighthouse?

Less than three days after the Spiritual Tide arrived, Lighthouse had already withdrawn its overseas forces.

Now, mutated sea and sky creatures are still manageable for humans to navigate—but in the future, as these mutated beasts and birds grow stronger, the skies and oceans will become human Jinqu .

Even now, all nations have begun reducing their use of these domains; it may not even wait for the second Spiritual Tide before skies and oceans are banned to all.

Whether Lighthouse’s departure will weaken the “connection” between them? Only Lighthouse and Sakura know—but even if it weakens, as long as Lighthouse remains Lighthouse, Sakura will remain Sakura.

Thus, all nations await the outcome of this battle, wondering how Sakura will end this war; some have even prepared for the possibility that Sakura cannot defeat this dimensional being.

Then, out of nowhere, two Celestial Artifact wielders appear! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

The more frustrated they were, the happier Sakura became—but now, in their joy, they have no idea that today’s happiness will become their most regretful memory.

Thinking they can control Celestial Artifact wielders?

But only a stronger one can control the strong.

(End of Chapter)