Uchiha Shizuru felt somewhat aggrieved, largely because he had absolutely no idea who he was currently fighting.
It wasn't that he was confused by the chaos of war; in the Ninja World, when two opposing forces clashed, it was customary to simply engage in combat without asking questions. Following this unwritten rule, striking first was the only correct choice.
So, when a ninja on his side was kicked to death—practically reduced to a paste of flesh and blood—it was only natural for Uchiha Shizuru to react instinctively.
"$Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu$!"
As the younger brother of Uchiha Madara, Shizuru's talent and potential as a shinobi were beyond doubt. However, talent requires time to realize. There was a gap of at least three years between him and Hane Genma, and raw potential was not enough to bridge that age difference. A massive chasm of strength lay between them.
Limited by his background, Genma's natural aptitude was indeed average, but in this world, having high aptitude did not guarantee strength. This era was filled with geniuses who died before they could ever grow up.
"$Suiton: Suiryūdan$!"
The small flames were extinguished in an instant. Using the screen of steam generated by the clash of water and fire, Genma rapidly closed the distance toward Uchiha Shizuru.
While Shizuru was busy dodging the Water Dragon Bullet, a hand with splayed fingers was already closing in on his skull.
In this situation, no one could accuse Genma of being ruthless. The Firefly organization was currently at an absolute disadvantage. As its leader, did he have the luxury to care about social niceties? Did those dead Firefly ninja deserve to die?
Genma was facing two enemies. His strategy—instantly kill the weaker one, then focus on the stronger one—was flawless.
However, a father would not allow his son to die before his eyes. Just as Genma was about to strike, Uchiha Tajima pulled Shizuru away in the nick of time, causing Genma's fingers to grasp at empty air.
"Shizuru, you are not needed here. Go find Nanami."
Tajima shielded Shizuru behind him, his eyes locked tightly onto Genma without turning his head. The three tomoe in his eyes were slowly morphing into a more complex pattern... The encounter had only just begun, but he already realized that this young shinobi was far stronger than he had imagined.
"Huh?"
Only then did Uchiha Shizuru realize they were attacking the organization where Nanami was located!
What an unfilial father, to have kept this from him all this time. But it was too late to argue; Shizuru had no choice but to follow Tajima's order and search for Nanami.
Yet, the moment he turned, before his raised right foot could even touch the ground, his entire figure simply vanished.
Although Shizuru wasn't in immediate danger, the close call just now had convinced Nanami to prioritize his protection.
This scene caused both Hane Genma and Uchiha Tajima to look up simultaneously toward a specific direction in the night. Genma shook his head helplessly, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
He had noticed earlier that Nanami was saving people, but she was using her ocular jutsu as if it were Kamui. Were the two even comparable? One could only imagine the immense strain Nanami was under by using a time-traversal pupil technique so frequently. In fact, one of her eyes could no longer maintain the Mangekyō state.
But Genma couldn't worry about that right now. He turned his gaze back to face the Uchiha Clan Head.
The opponent did the same, staring into Genma's eyes without making any other move. After a few seconds, Genma couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
"A Genjutsu-type Mangekyō?"
Are you winking at a blind man?
That wasn't entirely fair. Uchiha Tajima was a very traditional Uchiha shinobi; he excelled at weaving Genjutsu into combat, often catching enemies off guard and subduing them instantly.
Steam erupted from Genma's body. In the next instant, he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right beside Uchiha Tajima, his unsheathed longsword slashing diagonally from the opponent's right shoulder down to the left.
Uchiha Tajima intended to block, but a sudden sense of crisis made him switch from blocking to dodging.
Boom!
Genma's blade grazed Tajima's clothes and smashed into the ground, instantly leaving a rugged fissure in the earth.
Uchiha Tajima's taijutsu was exquisite. As he dodged Genma's attack, he stepped forward and kicked toward Genma's abdomen. Genma's right hand, still gripping the sword, exerted force; using the blade against the ground as leverage, he vaulted backward, putting a few steps of distance between them.
But by then, Uchiha Tajima's Fire Release ninjutsu was already prepared.
Sensing a massive amount of chakra moving toward Tajima's chest and abdomen, and feeling the impending danger, Genma had no choice but to release his sword and hurriedly weave hand signs to counter.
"$Katon: Gōka Messhitsu$!"
Before the jutsu was even fully released, Genma could already feel the scorching heat assaulting his nose. Having witnessed Genma's speed and flight ability, Uchiha Tajima immediately unleashed a wide-range attack that was difficult to escape... It had to be said, this old man's combat experience was incredibly rich.
Genma's hands moved so fast they left afterimages, and he finally completed his defensive jutsu just before the flames struck.
"$Suiton: Suijinheki$!"
A circular wall of water rose high, blocking Tajima's fire jutsu for a moment. However, within just a few breaths, the flames had boiled Genma's water wall into nothingness. Just as Shizuru's Fire Release couldn't stop Genma's Water Release, Genma's water couldn't hold back Tajima's fire.
Forced into a corner, Genma had to continue using ninjutsu, wasting a massive amount of chakra to defend.
"$Suiton: Bakusui Shōha$!"
A lotus-shaped wave of water surged from beneath Genma's feet. Spreading outward, it pushed back the sea of fire inch by inch, while simultaneously rising to lift Genma's body high above the scorching heat on a pillar of water.
To be the leader of the Uchiha Clan in this era, Uchiha Tajima's personal strength was truly exaggerated. To unleash such a scale of Fire Release with such ease... it was quite reminiscent of Uchiha Madara's style.
It is no shame for a father to resemble his son; in this context, it was a sincere compliment.
In this exchange, Uchiha Tajima seemed to have suppressed Genma, but he was actually feeling uncertain... Why? Why didn't the Genjutsu work?
If Uchiha Tajima's Genjutsu was ineffective, that meant he had to fight using only Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. No matter how he looked at it, this was abnormal.
Forget it. It seems I have to expend some ocular power, Tajima thought to himself. After witnessing Genma's strength, he felt the young man was worthy of a greater effort.
The super-scale Fire Release had set the entire block ablaze, but the surging water waves that followed had calmed things down again.
Standing on the water surface created by the Bakusui Shōha, Genma formed a hand seal to create a Water Clone. Then, the two of them openly began to form a Rasengan.
Anyone seeing the Rasengan for the first time would naturally attach great importance to such a high-density chakra sphere. And just as Uchiha Tajima's attention was drawn to the Rasengan...
Genma emerged from the shadows behind him.
The two figures on the water were both clones. His main body had used the cover of the flames to reposition using the Kagerō technique.
Silently, Genma slashed his sword toward the back of Uchiha Tajima's neck.
However, his usually unfailing assassination technique met its Waterloo this time. Genma's sword swung through empty air.
Uchiha Tajima suddenly ducked in a bizarre manner, dodging Genma's attack. Simultaneously, he used the $Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu$ to destroy the two clones charging at him with Rasengans.
It was extremely strange. The Phoenix Sage Fire didn't chase the clones; rather, it seemed to be waiting on the clones' attack path, as if the clones had actively slammed into the fire jutsu. Tajima even managed to deliver a backward kick, sending the caught-off-guard Genma flying.
Genma flipped to his feet, staring blankly at Uchiha Tajima's eyes.
Izanagi? No, impossible.
Connecting it to Nanami's Mangekyō Sharingan, a sudden realization struck Genma. He asked, "How many seconds? How many seconds into the future can your eyes see?"
Only one of Tajima's eyes was bleeding, and he hadn't lost his sight. This indicated he had used a special ability of the Mangekyō Sharingan, not Izanagi, which was rumored to alter unfavorable reality.
This Clan Head's Mangekyō ability was likely a time-based power derived from the same source as Nanami's. It wasn't as heaven-defying as hers, but it performed much better in direct combat.
"You know too much."
Uchiha Tajima subconsciously reached up to cover his eye. Only after shielding it did the corner of his eye twitch uncontrollably. Despite his calm expression, his back was soaked in cold sweat. He had been mere tenths of a second away from being decapitated.
What kind of stealth ability is that? Why was there no warning at all?
"It doesn't matter. How long can your Mangekyō last?" Genma retorted.
Leaving aside the duration, Uchiha Tajima felt that relying on it was too passive. Constantly being on guard against silent sneak attacks would severely divide his attention. In this situation, a quick victory was necessary.
And wasn't the so-called "absolute defense" perfectly suited for this scenario?
Thinking this, Uchiha Tajima narrowed his eyes. The battle had exceeded his expectations; there was no room for hesitation.
A massive amount of chakra suddenly surged from his body. It gradually converged and solidified. Semi-transparent ribs and a sternum surrounded Uchiha Tajima, followed by an arm extending from the right side of the skeletal frame to shield the ribs.
"$Susanoo$..."
Just the initial form? Isn't he looking down on me a bit too much?
"You know entirely too much about the Mangekyō Sharingan... Did Nanami tell you all this?"
What's wrong with him? Why does he care how I know?
Massive amounts of steam erupted from Genma again. His chakra became highly active, combining with the $Doton: Kajūgan no Jutsu$ (Weighted Rock Technique). Many people in history had smashed through the initial, first, and even second stages of Susanoo. Genma wanted to test if he could do the same.
In the next moment, the ground beneath his feet exploded as he shot straight toward the Susanoo.
A violent whistling of wind heralded his approach. The Susanoo's massive chakra palm swatted toward Genma.
However, perhaps limited by his current strength, Uchiha Tajima's Susanoo lacked agility. Genma simply changed direction, easily bypassing the palm. The maneuver slightly reduced his speed, but within a second, he accelerated to his limit once more.
Boom!
A flying kick slammed into the Susanoo's sternum. Both sides froze for a split second, followed immediately by a subtle cracking sound...
Pain shot through Genma's leg as the initial-stage Susanoo snapped in two.
My body strength is still not enough...
Genma landed on one leg out of instinct, then immediately swung his sword at the now-exposed Uchiha Tajima.
But at that precise moment, the shattered and dissolving Susanoo suddenly and rapidly formed another arm. A giant chakra palm swatted at Genma's body from the side.
Crack.
Genma was slapped away. The longsword that was meant for Uchiha Tajima's neck only managed to smash the opponent's forearm.
Genma was flung into a nearby building. Under the violent impact, the structure collapsed with a roar.
He looked to be in worse shape, but due to his unique physiology and the aid of medical ninjutsu, his injuries were recovering rapidly. As for Uchiha Tajima, at least for the duration of this battle, he wouldn't be able to weave signs for ordinary ninjutsu.
"Cough!"
Genma coughed lightly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to climb out of the ruins, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Ninjas who put blind faith in "Absolute Defense" never met good ends; that thing was practically the Ninja World's version of Tekkai.
After activating Susanoo, Uchiha Tajima couldn't use his "future sight" ability. Judging by the result, he might have been better off not using Susanoo at all.
Uchiha Tajima held his injured arm with one hand, only a few remnants of the chakra skeleton remaining around him. The anger on his face could no longer be contained.
"You will bear the consequences of angering the Uchiha."
At this, Genma finally couldn't hold back his laughter. Blood still stained his teeth, making his expression look bleak yet unrestrained.
"And then? The Uchiha gets angry... and then just stays angry?"
Chakra gathered behind Tajima once more. The Susanoo reformed, a massive chakra skull emerging, followed by meridians, flesh, and skin "growing" over the chakra bones.
He skipped the first stage of Susanoo and went directly to the second stage.
"Huh? Is this it?"
A Susanoo without the third stage—lacking the Karasu Tengu armor—was nothing special; its defensive capabilities were worlds apart.
Genma did not fear Susanoo, for he had envisioned many times how to deal with this chakra "Gundam."
The acidic mist of Futton (Boil Release) could dissolve Susanoo, but the requirements were harsh; the acid's corrosive effect worked best in a sealed space. In an open environment like this, the effectiveness of the mist would be greatly discounted.
"Looks like I have to use my trump card..."
Just as Genma thought this, four signal flares lit up the sky again, but this time the colors were two red and two blue.
This meant that the ordinary ninja had mostly evacuated from Kikyo Castle. The ninja responsible for the rear guard no longer needed to hold their ground and could now retreat while fighting.
On the other side, although Nanami was growing increasingly exhausted from saving people, her mastery over her Mangekyō Sharingan was becoming more exquisite. Unknowingly, she seemed able to precisely control the time of her jumps.
Beyond that, she sensed some other, deeper power.
But by now, her ocular power was nearly depleted. She actually wanted to throw her brother into the time tunnel, but regrettably, she could no longer do so.
At the same time, the Clan Head of the Hagoromo Clan was leading several ninja in pursuit toward her location.
Her position had finally been detected by the enemy.
Theoretically, the Hagoromo Clan wouldn't harm Nanami, but war is an uncontrollable, irrational act. Since the fighting began, the Hagoromo Clan had suffered losses far greater than anticipated. By now, their eyes were red with bloodlust.
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