Naruto: The Tale of Neo

After executing a full "crush and burn" combo, Neo Uchiha wiped the sweat off his forehead.

He glanced at the inferno raging inside the Dragon Fire Prison and exhaled softly.

The battle had taken its toll—both physically and mentally—pushing him close to his limit.

From yesterday until now, he hadn't had a moment of rest.

After being jolted awake by exploding tags, there was barely any time to react.

Two jutsu—Dragon Fire Technique and Phoenix Fire Technique, paired with Uchiha-Style Wire and Shuriken Manipulation—had nearly drained his chakra reserves and physical stamina.

But as he looked at the roaring flames and the black smoke rising from the Dragon Fire Prison, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The fight hadn't felt as pressuring as he'd expected.

As a Special Jonin specializing in sealing techniques, Moroi hadn't demonstrated the level of skill Neo anticipated.

Plus, fire-style techniques were known as "merciful jutsu."

Surely his opponent wasn't so weak that he'd die so easily, right?

The rapid escalation on Neo's side caught the attention of the three combatants engaged nearby.

This included Setsuna Uchiha, the elder.

To be honest, when Setsuna saw Neo push Seichiro away and choose to fight Moroi alone, his heart almost leapt into his throat.

While Neo's mastery of shuriken manipulation did remind Setsuna of his own prime years,

his opponent was a Jonin.

When Neo got trapped in the Hidden Cloud's barrier, Setsuna felt his worst fears confirmed.

There was no way Neo could defeat a Hidden Cloud Jonin.

And yet, in just moments—

The tides turned.

A novice might only see the excitement, but an expert could discern the true skill.

Neo's quick responses in dire moments and his flawless execution of Uchiha-Style Wire Manipulation elevated Dragon Fire Technique and Phoenix Fire Technique—both relatively weak C-rank jutsu—to something extraordinary.

It was practically a redefinition of the techniques!

Dragon Fire and Phoenix Fire, as C-rank fire-style jutsu, had clear drawbacks:

wide range and strong suppression but highly dispersed power.

Neo solved these issues by using wires to guide Dragon Fire and shuriken to condense Phoenix Fire into Phoenix Flame Scarlet Claw, focusing the fire's impact on a single point.

This combination turned two C-rank techniques into something with A-rank power!

Additionally, the tensioned wires, razor-sharp when taut, created a deadly web—

like dozens of blades slicing simultaneously.

The mastery and creativity displayed in Neo's combination jutsu left Setsuna in awe. He even considered replicating the maneuver himself.

It was perfect.

This kid's combat instincts were terrifying!

The techniques Setsuna had just taught Neo were now being executed with stunning proficiency.

It was like Neo was a prodigy cow brushing against an electric fence—utterly shocking.

"Moroi!" shouted Dodai from the Hidden Cloud team, his face twisted in shock.

Who could have imagined that, in mere moments, Neo Uchiha would perform a series of actions to completely reverse the situation?

"Damn it! That kid actually took down Moroi…"

Dodai's face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead as anger boiled over. He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and crush the brat with his Lava Fist.

But he understood the consequences. If they lost Moroi, then even with him and Ramii suppressing Setsuna Uchiha, they wouldn't have the strength to finish him off.

This mission could fail here and now.

"Stay calm!" Ramii, who was even older than Setsuna, grabbed Dodai's shoulder and spoke firmly.

"Dodai, don't act rashly. We must focus on the task at hand."

"Moroi isn't as weak as you think. Look carefully—the barrier is still intact."

"Moroi is still alive!"

Despite his composed words, Ramii's furrowed brow betrayed his concern.

Neo's relentless attacks had been incredibly fast, with each step leading seamlessly into the next.

In the martial arts world, speed is often unbeatable.

Moroi, as a barrier specialist, had devoted most of his abilities to sealing techniques.

Even an experienced Jonin like Ramii would have struggled to keep up with such rapid aggression.

The three combatants slowed their attacks as they glanced toward the deathmatch barrier.

It was just a Genin's battle—

yet it had influenced the entire battlefield and even the Hidden Cloud's strategic operations in the Land of Hot Water.

Inside the Barrier

Thick black smoke billowed, and fierce flames raged.

Under Neo's control, dozens of razor-sharp wires sliced relentlessly toward the center of the inferno.

The scene appeared overwhelmingly one-sided.

A Genin with no Sharingan, Neo had managed to suppress Moroi, a Special Jonin from the Hidden Cloud!

But suddenly, Neo's expression changed.

Something felt off.

The wires cutting toward the center of the fire should have sliced Moroi into pieces,

yet they met resistance—like pulling against tightly bound yarn that refused to give way.

The wires coiled tighter and tighter, but they couldn't break through.

Then, the fire's center began to churn.

A cold, bone-chilling voice emerged from within.

"Kid, you didn't think this was over, did you?"

With those words—

A summoning-style seal expanded from the fire's center.

Neo's pupils shrank in alarm.

He immediately dropped the wires, pulled eight shuriken from his pouch, and hurled them into the fire.

"It's useless!" Moroi's cold voice called out.

As he spoke, his figure emerged from the flames.

Perhaps "emerged" wasn't the right word—

The fire itself seemed to drain away, swirling clockwise toward Moroi as though being flushed down a drain.

Moroi knelt on one knee, his hand pressed against a scroll, his gaze icy as he growled:

"Seal Fire Formation!"

With those words, the entire inferno was sucked into the scroll, vanishing without a trace.

Neo's eight shuriken hurtled toward Moroi, but he remained calm. Forming the Water Sign, he pressed his hands forward, activating a spherical barrier.

"Sealing Binding Formation!"

It was this technique that had nullified Neo's wire attacks.

Moroi stood up slowly, advancing toward Neo while forming intricate hand signs.

Neo instinctively felt the danger and tried to retreat,

but Moroi thrust his palm toward the ground, roaring:

"Where do you think you're going, kid?!"

A seal formed under Neo's feet, shaped like a glowing circle with the kanji for "雷" (lightning) at its center.

"Lightning Bind!"

Lightning whips shot out from the seal, binding Neo's limbs and locking him in place.

Electric currents surged through his body, numbing him completely. Even opening his mouth to speak became difficult.

"Well, kid," Moroi sneered as he approached, his long blade gleaming menacingly.

"Do you have any last words?"

Neo tilted his head toward the sky, inwardly cursing with every ounce of his being.

The ancients didn't lie—Fire Style really was the "merciful jutsu."

So much smoke but no damage!

Moroi smirked as he lifted Neo's chin with his blade.

"You Uchihas… always relying on flashy but useless tricks."

"Unfortunately for you, you met me."

With a cold laugh, Moroi leveled the blade against Neo's neck and declared:

"Your show ends here!"

Yet, even in the face of certain death, Neo's expression grew more twisted.

Not out of fear, but because he was trying not to laugh.

His suppressed grin turned into a mocking sneer as he locked eyes with Moroi, his gaze filled with defiance and disdain.

"Is that so?" Neo murmured with a chilling smile.