hotmtlnovel Chapter 66: A gaze into the future
Chapter 66: A gaze into the future
A strange and oppressive aura seeped through the Fire Temple's main hall.
The towering Buddha statue, once a symbol of serenity and compassion, now stood as if alive—its stone face distorted by the reflection of Shinnosuke's violently fluctuating emotions.
The ancient Sage Art seals, carved into the walls and pillars by the monks years ago, began to stir faintly. Their dull glow flickered like embers in the dark, reacting to the turmoil within Shinnosuke's heart.
Those seals were remnants of a desperate act. Before their slaughter, the monks of the temple had bound the Buddha statue with natural energy, sealing something unspeakable inside it after Uchiha Gen's mysterious visit.
Now, Shinnosuke's inner struggle—the clash of fear, ambition, and doubt—had unknowingly awakened the defense mechanism of this formation.
Suddenly, his entire body froze. His limbs felt as though wrapped in chains of iron. His hands, against his will, pressed tightly together, then slowly rose toward his throat.
Shinnosuke's eyes widened in disbelief. His own hands were no longer his—they moved like the hands of a corpse, stiff and unyielding.
The invisible force tightened his grip around his neck.
Air vanished. A suffocating pressure spread from his throat to his chest, crushing his lungs. His vision blurred, dark spots swarming before his eyes. Sweat poured down his face like a storm, and veins bulged across his temples as his body convulsed violently.
The Buddha statue loomed over him, its once-compassionate features warped by shadow. Its eyes, carved in calm meditation, now seemed to glare with malevolent intent.
The air thickened with natural energy—yet it was no longer pure. It twisted and churned like stagnant water, pressing down on Shinnosuke with crushing force, threatening to obliterate his body and his will.
The seals etched into the floor pulsed one last time before beginning to fracture.
"No... I cannot die here!"
Through the haze of suffocation, fragments of his father's stern face flashed before him—Hiruzen, the Sarutobi name, the weight of clan and village.
I must live. For Father. For the Sarutobi. For myself!
With that desperate thought, the transplanted Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye ignited.
A searing crimson light burst forth, its tomoe spinning wildly before twisting into the dreadful kaleidoscope pattern.
The eruption of chakra was violent, like a floodgate torn open. A torrent of power consumed Shinnosuke's body, colliding head-on with the suffocating natural energy binding him.
The clash of the Mangekyō's will and the ancient Sage Art seal unleashed a shockwave that rippled through the temple, shaking the very foundation of the hall.
The glowing seals shattered all at once, scattering into thousands of dim, dying motes that faded into the air like fireflies snuffed out.hought burned through.
Father...
I will never allow this vision to come true. No matter what curse or prophecy binds me... I will not let you die.
His nails dug into his palm as he clutched the statue tighter, blood dripping between his fingers.
Even if I must defy fate itself... I will protect you.