It wasn't that the visual jutsu Setsuna was weak. On the contrary, it could be considered the most powerful of all Jie Uchiha's abilities.
When Jie used Setsuna, he could instantly record his current condition. Within five minutes, he could revert to that exact recorded state at will. Aside from the visual prowess expended by his left eye, his physical body and chakra reserves would completely reset to the moment he had marked.
Did that sound familiar?
"Isn't this just a powered-up Izanagi?!" Jie couldn't help but curse out loud.
Aside from the five-minute time limit, the technique's mechanics were virtually identical to Izanagi. No, there were a few distinct differences. Using Izanagi permanently blinded the caster's Sharingan. For Jie, Setsuna only consumed a massive amount of visual prowess. Furthermore, unlike Kotoamatsukami, it didn't require a decade-long cooldown period after a single use.
Jie calculated his visual prowess recovery rate; he could likely use the jutsu once a day. Armed with Setsuna, Jie practically gained an extra life—and that extra life refreshed daily. A jutsu that literally granted a second chance at life could never be considered weak.
It was just...
'To think both of my visual jutsu are defensive in nature. Just how afraid of dying am I?' Jie didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It was said that the Mangekyo Sharingan was the eye that reflected the heart. Upon awakening, it manifested specific jutsu based on the user's deepest, most desperate desires. For example, Shisui Uchiha had wanted to change the hostile attitudes between the village and the clan. Consequently, his Mangekyo Sharingan awakened Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate genjutsu capable of forcibly rewriting another person's will.
As for Itachi Uchiha, he wanted to follow in Shisui's footsteps and change the fate of the clan and the village, but he also desperately needed the sheer power to accomplish it. Because of that, Itachi's Mangekyo awakened the inextinguishable black flames of Amaterasu and the devastating genjutsu, Tsukuyomi.
Yet here Jie was, awakening the Mangekyo only to manifest two strictly defensive jutsu. It made him pause and reflect on whether his approach to life had been a bit too conservative.
After some thought, however, Jie realized awakening these abilities was hardly a bad thing. With his [System] backing him, as long as he kept developing, he was destined to reach the absolute pinnacle of the ninja world. As for the countless dangers and roadblocks he would inevitably face along the way, Setsuna and his other jutsu, Bansho, would serve as the ultimate safety net.
Realizing this, a wave of satisfaction washed over him. These jutsu suited him perfectly.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Jie noticed Naruto and Sasuke were still locked in a tense standoff. He stepped out from the shadows with an easy smile.
"Are you two little guys hungry?" he asked. "Since you've already had your little scuffle and gotten to know each other, how about doing me the honor of letting me buy you a meal? I hear the food at Ichiraku Ramen is pretty good."
The moment Naruto heard someone was treating him to ramen, the pain of his bruises seemingly vanished. He leaped to his feet with a dramatic kip-up, staring at Jie with starry, hopeful eyes.
"Hey, mister, are you really gonna buy me ramen?! I want the biggest bowl of miso ramen you can get!"
"Brother Jie, why are we buying a meal for this dead-last?" Sasuke asked, his face scrunching up in confusion. He clearly didn't understand what Jie was playing at.
"Little Sasuke needs to make a few friends too, you know," Jie said, chuckling as he patted Sasuke's shoulder. "Besides, this kid reminds me of an old friend. Think of it as just expanding your social circle."
"And you too, little Hyuga," Jie added, turning his gaze to Hinata, who was standing quietly off to the side. "Come along. I'll personally escort you back to your clan compound afterward."
"Um... is that really okay?" Hinata asked timidly, her head bowed as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"Of course."
"Then... thank you for the meal!"
Jie offered a casual smile, turning to lead the group of kids down the street toward Ichiraku Ramen.
"Ah, this is the best! Old man, another bowl!"
"You got it! Coming right up!"
Inside the small ramen stand, Naruto inhaled his food like a starving animal. In just a few minutes, he had completely polished off an extra-large bowl of miso ramen, not leaving a single drop of broth behind.
"Ramen really is the best food in the world," Naruto declared, his face glowing with pure excitement.
Sitting next to him, Jie merely smiled, offering no comment. Ichiraku Ramen was undeniably tasty, but it was ultimately just regular ramen. Naruto's exaggerated reactions were definitely a bit over the top.
Furthermore, having closely observed the man, Jie could definitively confirm that Teuchi, the owner, was completely ordinary. His chakra signature was incredibly faint, no different from any other civilian. It seemed that Teuchi's ability to survive the endless stream of future disasters that would strike Konoha was nothing more than sheer, dumb luck.
"Hey mister, what did you mean earlier when you said I looked like an old friend of yours?" Naruto asked, suddenly remembering the comment while waiting for his next bowl.
"Oh, that? Just a passing resemblance, nothing more," Jie chuckled smoothly, effortlessly brushing off the question.
"Really?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Jie suspiciously. Something about this generous older brother felt a little strange to him.
Fortunately, Teuchi slid a fresh, steaming bowl of ramen onto the counter right at that moment, immediately wiping every trace of doubt from Naruto's mind.
"So good!"
Besides, anyone willing to buy him ramen couldn't possibly be a bad guy, right?
"Delicious!"
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