Chapter 17: A Cowardly Man

Kai considered himself lucky despite his misfortunes. He never imagined that he would obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan in such a way.

His Mangekyou Sharingan symbol was unique, resembling a triangular rhombus.

Kai had always wondered what kind of stimulus could push him past the threshold, or break the 'wall' that stood in his eyes.

In this world, Kai had family, but he had no deep emotional ties with these so-called relatives.

For an outsider's mature soul to regenerate feelings wasn't easy, and Kai hadn't achieved that.

Furthermore, Kai didn't have any close friends. Entering the ninja school at five, he couldn't bond with the other kids.

At seven, he 'graduated' and was sent to the battlefield. Even if he wanted to develop such bonds, he had no opportunity.

On the battlefield, Kai experienced a shock; the deaths of comrades and enemies alike made him extremely uncomfortable initially.

However, such stimuli quickly faded. By now, Kai could suppress his discomfort and face everything stoically.

For someone almost without ties and indifferent to life, it was remarkable that Kai could achieve the three-tomoe Sharingan through genjutsu.

But the lack of emotional bonds meant that Kai was severely stuck in progressing further.

Having activated the three-tomoe Sharingan at ten, Kai was now thirteen with no significant progress except finding a 'wall.'

However, this time, facing a deadly threat from Minato, Kai's originally calm heart was violently shaken.

A strong desire to survive dominated Kai's mind, unexpectedly opening what he had longed for – the Mangekyou Sharingan!

Since arriving in this world and knowing his Uchiha lineage, Kai had been waiting and planning for this moment. Finally, the Mangekyou Sharingan bloomed!

"It's embarrassing to admit; others open their eyes by killing their loved ones, but I did it because I didn't want to die," Kai thought to himself while showing his Sharingan to Aya and Kenta.

Kai felt quite annoyed. Despite unlocking the Mangekyou, his abilities were bizarre.

He didn't gain familiar skills like 'Kamui,' 'Tsukuyomi,' or 'Amaterasu,' but something he had never heard of.

The Mangekyou abilities are formed based on the user's inner thoughts.

When Minato almost killed him, Kai was desperately thinking, 'If I could be faster, if Minato could be slower, if time could stop for me to dodge!'

Maybe because of such thoughts, Kai gained abilities related to time.

His left eye's power, 'Leap of Time,' could accelerate time for himself or the enemy.

His right eye's power, 'Reversal of Time,' could decelerate time for himself or the enemy.

The combined ability of both eyes, 'Stagnation of Time,' could pause time!

The 'Stagnation of Time' effect was terrifying. If it worked on anyone, Kai would indeed be a human nuclear weapon!

However, based on the feedback from his eyes, Kai realized he was dreaming.

The 'Stagnation of Time' effect was related to his ocular power and the opponent's strength.

Simply put, the longer he paused time, the more ocular power he consumed. The stronger the enemy, the higher the power consumption.

"This is... frustrating," Kai thought. Without enough power and ocular strength, this ability might last only a second or two, leaving him exhausted.

For instance, Kai fainted after using 'Stagnation of Time' to dodge an attack from Minato , abandoning his counterattack.

In essence, this ability felt like a one-for-one exchange. At this stage, it seemed like a desperate measure.

Moreover, both 'Leap of Time' and 'Reversal of Time' were not complete.

The complete 'Leap of Time' could make someone experience their entire life in a short moment!

Its horror was on par with 'Stagnation of Time,' offering a real, fear-filled experience.

The complete 'Reversal of Time' could genuinely reverse time!

"Unfortunately, they're not complete and consume a lot of power," Kai sighed, feeling something familiar about these abilities.

Frowning in deep thought, Kai realized his abilities resembled a media player: speed up, slow down, and pause, like a player with a timeline adjustment feature.

Reflecting on this, Kai felt at a loss. He had struggled for years to unlock the Mangekyou, only for it to appear when he was about to die.

It was a good thing, but his abilities were incomplete and power-consuming.

Worse, it was like a 'media player,' powerful but currently unaffordable for him.

Kai knew unlocking the Mangekyou didn't mean invincibility.

The Mangekyou merely placed him at a higher level, but not untouchable. Even against the Kage or someone like Danzo, it had limitations.

He only gained a degree of self-preservation. If he acted recklessly, he could be easily defeated by someone like Danzo or another powerful opponent.

"Did you just awaken the Sharingan like this?" Aya asked uncertainly, "And it's already the three-tomoe?"

"Something like that," Kai sighed, "I don't know why, but Uchiha Obito also awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan, right?"

"Are all you Uchiha destined to awaken your Sharingan near death?" Aya asked strangely, "Is it mental stimulation or a strong desire to live?"

Kai's face stiffened, "Mind your own business."

"Or did you awaken it because you were about to die? Truly a cowardly person!"

"Shut up."

(Chapter end)