Chapter 129: The Return of the Dao and the Sound of the Wind

Blood began to trickle from the corner of Yao's mouth. Uchiha Yao furrowed her brows.

She had hoped to eliminate two threats with this preemptive strike, but the final outcome was not as satisfactory as she had intended. Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan ability, intangibility, made her cautious, for she was not as truly immune to damage as she might appear.

In truth, when her Mangekyo Sharingan awakened, her heart’s deepest desire was to ensure that Uchiha Li would never be in danger. Consequently, her Mangekyo abilities were formed based on this desire, manifesting in two distinct powers. The ability of her left eye was named "Michikaeshi" (Road Return), and the ability of her right eye was called "Kaze-oto" (Wind Sound).

Legend tells of a deity named Michikaeshi, the guardian who seals the path between the mortal realm and the underworld, acting as the only barrier to prevent the corruption of the living world by the dead. As a guardian deity, this aligned perfectly with the abilities she awakened. Kaze-oto, too, was not a randomly chosen name; in legend, she was the daughter of the great deity Michikaeshi.

The nature of these two special ocular techniques can be understood through their names. First, the left eye’s "Michikaeshi."

Michikaeshi allows Uchiha Yao to place herself or those around her into a unique state. While under the protection of Michikaeshi, the protected individual is enveloped in a pale cyan radiance. Before this glow fades, non-lethal damage sustained by the protected person is temporarily nullified, while lethal damage is significantly mitigated. As the effect of Michikaeshi nears its end, the accumulated damage sustained during that period is released in a proportional burst. This was the reason why Obito had been suddenly stunned, his mind blanking, nearly dying at her hands in those final moments. Simply put, Michikaeshi functions similarly to a "counter-attack storm," highly consistent with her inner desire to protect Uchiha Li.

The right eye’s "Kaze-oto" is also related to the concept of protection, though from a different perspective. By activating Kaze-oto, Uchiha Yao can perceive her surroundings through the wind that flows everywhere. Although Kaze-oto has a limited range for perception, as long as she is within Konoha, it is not difficult for her to monitor Uchiha Li's situation. Thus, whether it was Uchiha Li’s confrontation with the Root ninjas during the Nine-Tails incident, Orochimaru’s attempt on Uchiha Li during the clan's relocation, or Obito’s recent schemes against him, she was fully aware of all of it through the power of Kaze-oto.

Furthermore, the sudden burst of speed she displayed during the battle was another facet of Kaze-oto. She could harness the power of the wind to reach a terrifying level of speed, one that ordinary ninjas could never react to. It was only because Obito’s ability was so unique, allowing him to turn his body intangible, that he avoided being killed by her surprise attack.

"It's a pity I couldn't finish those two off."

After regaining her composure, Yao pulled a wet wipe from her pocket and skillfully cleaned the blood from her body. Once she confirmed that no traces remained, she began to walk home. Just then, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. Her vision blurred, and the objects in the distance appeared as overlapping ghosts.

"What is happening?" Yao was startled, blinking rapidly in a panic. Fortunately, the dizziness soon faded, and the double vision disappeared.

"Am I just too exhausted, or is this a side effect of Michikaeshi?" Uchiha Yao had never faced such a situation before, so she blamed it on Michikaeshi, assuming it was the "damage settlement" after the technique ended. After resting for a while and feeling sufficiently recovered, she left the spot.

...

Within the Uchiha compound, in Uchiha Li’s room.

Uchiha Li was still unaware that Obito, who had been plotting against him, had been severely injured by Yao, rendering his concerns entirely unnecessary. After much deliberation, he activated a portal and entered Terra. He wasn't worried about Obito posing a threat to him directly, but rather that Obito might target those around him. After all, he could not be by Yao’s side every second of the day. The example of Obito was right before his eyes, and he did not want to fall into despair one day.

Therefore, he needed to provide Yao with an amulet. This amulet involved his greatest secret: the "Transcription Seal: Terra." He intended to create a portal for Yao that could be activated remotely, just as he had done before. If Yao were ever in danger, the Transcription Seal would trigger, allowing her to retreat into Terra. Once inside Terra, it would be his home turf.

Without further hesitation, drawing on his previous experience with the Transcription Seal, Uchiha Li began his work. Vast amounts of ocular power surged into the Sharingan within the petri dish, and the seal began to take shape. To enhance the defensive capabilities, Uchiha Li poured even more ocular power into it than last time. He also adjusted the activation conditions for the seal. After all, if Yao were truly threatened, she might not have the opportunity to actively activate the teleportation array. Thus, he added an "Uchiha Flame Formation" into the Sharingan.

Once it sensed chakra fluctuations on the scale of a Kage-level ninja, the Transcription Seal would trigger automatically, deploying the Flame Formation first, followed by the opening of the portal.

About ten minutes later, the ocular power transfer was complete, and Uchiha Li stopped. Considering that Yao was a girl, and given her aesthetic sensibilities, she likely wouldn't accept carrying a naked eyeball around. Uchiha Li put some effort into integrating the eye into a delicate small sphere. He then wound a cord around the sphere, completing a bead-shaped amulet.

After a moment's thought, Uchiha Li considered another issue. There was now Sara in the house, and it might not be ideal to give a gift only to Yao. Thus, he exerted himself once more to craft a second amulet.

"That should be fine now." Uchiha Li let out a sigh of relief and sat down in his chair to rest. The continuous output of ocular power, even with the enhancement of the First Hokage’s cells, left him feeling mentally exhausted.

After resting for a while, Uchiha Li returned to his room. As soon as he opened the door, he happened to see Yao hurrying toward her room.

"Yao, why are you being so reckless again?" Uchiha Li called out to her, saying, "I have something for you."

Uchiha Yao paused and turned back. "What is it?"

"A little trinket. Remember to always carry it with you." As he spoke, Uchiha Li handed the amulets to Yao.

"Okay, I understand." Seeing the gift from Uchiha Li, a smile bloomed on Yao's face, and she looked very happy. However, upon seeing that there were two amulets, she seemed to realize something. Her smile remained, but she suddenly asked, "This one is for Sara, right?"

"Yes, one for you, one for her," Uchiha Li replied, then asked, "You seem very tired. Are you alright?"

"Humph, I understand. I'll just go get some rest." Uchiha Yao glared at Li before turning away with the amulets. Uchiha Li rubbed his nose, feeling as though something was slightly off.