Upon hearing Yashiro Uchiha mention some "Inheritance Trial," Ren's first thought was that the Uchiha clan possessed some kind of secret dimension, similar to those found in cultivation novels.
He expected to enter a mystical realm, undergo trials of the heart, resolve or witness "trolley problem" dilemmas, and eventually trigger a phantom of some ancient Uchiha ancestor who would offer cryptic advice before granting him a legendary reward.
Instead, to his utter confusion...
Yashiro Uchiha simply started writing letters to summon his buddies right in front of him.
The uncle, who clearly found Ren irritating, led him back up from the shrine to a Zen garden in the rear of the complex. The courtyard was meticulously arranged with exquisite craftsmanship—trees, sand, stones, sky, land, rockeries, and statues... Just looking at it, Ren felt a sense of profound meaning, as if every pebble held deep philosophical weight.
With water trickling through bamboo fountains, red bridges hidden in the foliage, and tea pavilions standing tall amidst white sand, the scenery was breathtaking under the lazy afternoon sun.
In the midst of this beauty, Ren was ordered to change into a short-collared kimono and wait.
After a long time with no one appearing, Ren stood barefoot on the white sand. Driven by curiosity, he accidentally snapped two bamboo water fountains. Panicking at the thought of the repair costs, he hid the broken bamboo behind a rockery—only to accidentally step on and collapse a hollowed-out decorative stone in his clumsiness.
The courtyard now looked like a tornado had hit a parking lot. He didn't dare touch anything else.
Everything looked incredibly expensive. His ninja salary—especially after paying for Minato's "Rasengan tuition"—likely wouldn't be enough to cover the damages. Finding nothing else to do, Ren stood in the center of the garden, nervously closing his eyes to pose as a stoic master.
Just then, two elderly voices drifted from the distance.
"Impressive!"
"What an aura this youth possesses!"
"To remain unmoved as Mount Tai collapses before him, eyes unblinking even as a deer leaps by his side!"
"Truly a genius of our Uchiha family!"
Ren fell into a profound silence. He recalled that just a month ago, he was called the "shame" of the Uchiha—someone who slacked in training, obsessed over D-rank missions that even a dog wouldn't do, disrespected his elders, and was even kicked out of a brothel.
This praise of being a "genius youth" actually made him blush.
Opening his eyes, he saw Yashiro Uchiha walking in front, leading two elders of extraordinary bearing. All three were clad in armor reminiscent of the Warring States period, carrying long blades and massive scrolls on their backs. They were armed to the teeth.
Walking with the gait of dragons and tigers, the visual impact they projected was powerful. One look was enough to tell: these were masters among masters!
Yashiro approached and stopped, his eyes fixed on Ren with a cold intensity.
"Kid... as you see, these two are Seniors Jie and Takeyoshi. Together with me, we are the strongest fighters currently stationed within the clan!"
"All three of us are battle-hardened Elite Jōnin! And even if we joined forces, we could not defeat the strongest man in the clan—Fugaku Uchiha!"
"If you wish to challenge Fugaku for the position of Clan Head, even with the Great Elder's endorsement, your strength cannot be too far behind! In the Uchiha clan, we follow only one rule: Might is Right!"
He paused, took a deep breath, and suddenly unsheathed a long blade forged from chakra-conductive metal. The cold tip of the blade, glinting in the sunlight, pointed directly at Ren!
"Come! Show us your full power. If you can survive ten minutes under the combined assault of the three of us, you pass the trial!"
Hearing this, the two elders furrowed their brows, a hint of worry flashing in their eyes as they looked at Ren.
"Yashiro, isn't this a bit too much for the little guy?"
"Indeed. When Fugaku was his age, he was still playing house with Mikoto."
"If the three of us go all out, an ordinary Jōnin would be killed within a minute!"
"Since it is the Great Elder's will, we must obey. He must have his reasons!" Yashiro snapped back coldly, his brow furrowed.
"The Great Elder is him, and I am me! Besides, even if we don't push him, what will happen when he faces other clansmen? This is something he must eventually face. In the Uchiha—"
The two elders fell silent. However, before Yashiro could finish his sentence, a clear, youthful voice interrupted him.
"Yashiro-senpai... are you sure you want me to use my full power?"
The two old men and Yashiro all turned their heads in shock toward the source of the voice. Ren scratched his head, asking somewhat uneasily:
"Are you... certain?"
Heaven be his witness, Ren hadn't fought many "normal" ninjas along his journey. He either encountered Kages or those on the level of Kages; everyone else was just "grass" to be mowed down by his AOE skills. He honestly couldn't say how many Jōnin were in those crowds.
He had originally planned to just stand there and let the three old-timers stab him for ten minutes. Once they got tired, they would probably realize the gap between them.
But you, Yashiro Uchiha, insist on seeing me at my peak?
Ren was genuinely confused. Had Yashiro not received the letters from Shisui and Shinichi? Did he not know that Ren Uchiha could take on an entire Sand Ninja division alone?
Or were these two elders actually hidden masters? Armed with the clan's secret vaults, did they possess techniques specifically designed to counter him? Were those massive scrolls on their backs... legendary sealing techniques comparable to the Uzumaki clan?
Yashiro was stunned by Ren's words for a moment, then let out a scoffing laugh. He felt it was absurd—a twelve-year-old Uchiha brat daring to speak to his seniors like that? Daring to lecture him with that tone?
His gaze darkened, and a cold smirk played on his lips.
"Do it! Use your full power! Don't blame me for not warning you—" Yashiro snapped his eyes open, revealing his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan. "If you don't take this seriously, you really will die!"
Seeing the man's serious expression, Ren's brow also narrowed, and his gaze hardened. He took a deep breath and struck his fist against his chest, right over his heart!
"I understand! I will go all out! It just so happens... I've developed a new form these past few days!"
Ren's eyes widened slightly, his pupils narrowing into sharp slits. A blood-like color bled into them, and the veins around his eye sockets bulged—a look similar to the activation of the Byakugan. Finally, they transformed into crimson Two-Tomoe Snake Pupils!
This was a physical manifestation of his body being permanently modified by Natural Energy! In other words, these eyes could act as a substitute for the Cursed Seal of Heaven, allowing him to absorb Natural Energy directly!
"Then... Seniors, please guide me!"
The next instant, the Eight Trigrams Seal on his abdomen glowed, and the swirling seal formula turned pitch black! The heart beating fiercely in his chest was suddenly engulfed in a stark white flame!
Burning the spirit, transcending his own limits!
This white flame transformed into threads that, along with the violent Dark Chakra erupting from his abdomen, rapidly spread through Ren's entire body! A primal, wild call echoed in his mind!
At this moment, he realized: his theory was viable! The Artificial Tailed Beast Mode could be completed!
Furthermore, the Dark Chakra from the Zero-Tails could be controlled using the principles of the Rasengan, forming a Sage Art: Dark Rasengan! However, since he wasn't currently in his Cursed Seal form—which Orochimaru had locked with the Evil-Sealing Method—he lacked the physical enhancement to fuse Senjutsu Chakra, making that specific move temporary inaccessible.
But...
Ren raised his palm, his snake-like pupils narrowing with a hint of madness. It seemed he had another way to utilize this simple, pure, and peak-level power!
And that was—
Artificial Tailed Beast Mode: Menacing Beast Beam (Kigōhō)!
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