Although a large portion of the white mist had been blown away by Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, a thin veil of fog still lingered in the courtyard.
Visibility was better than before—
But the battlefield remained hazy.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Both sides seemed to be waiting for a single decisive opening.
Suddenly—
Shisui's blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan caught it.
About ten meters to his front-right—
A subtle disturbance in the airflow.
So faint that ordinary perception would never detect it.
But to Shisui's eyes—
It was unmistakable.
"There."
His gaze locked sharply onto that spot.
Hands flashing into the Tiger seal—
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
A roaring dragon of blazing fire erupted from his mouth. Compressed chakra ignited into a furious inferno as it surged forward toward the disturbance.
Elsewhere—
Inside Uchiha Yusuke's bedroom.
In the darkness, Yusuke opened his eyes.
Truthfully—
He had already awakened the moment Mei entered the outer courtyard and clashed with Shisui.
Ever since the Third Great Ninja War, he had developed a habit:
At the slightest disturbance—
He would wake instantly.
The commotion outside told him one thing:
Someone had infiltrated his estate.
Unlucky for them—
They had been discovered by his subordinates.
They were likely fighting right now.
Tonight marked the first time since moving into the Clan Head estate that such an intrusion had occurred.
As for the intruder's objective—
Yusuke's guess was simple.
Most likely—
They were here for him.
"Who could it be?"
It wasn't remnants of the Third Hokage's faction.
Their power had long since faded.
And none among them possessed the strength to break into the Uchiha estate.
So if not from within Konoha—
Then from outside.
Possible candidates?
Obito.
The Akatsuki.
Or others operating in the shadows.
Still—
Yusuke didn't initially rise.
He trusted his subordinates.
They would handle it.
He could simply hear the report in the morning.
However—
The fighting didn't stop.
Instead, there were roars.
Explosions.
Shouts.
It was getting louder.
Annoying.
He sighed and finally sat up.
Might as well see which reckless fool dared invade his home.
Just as he moved—
A hand caught his arm.
"Yusuke-kun… what's happening outside?"
Kurenai asked softly, her eyes half-open and drowsy.
The sounds had reached her as well.
"It's nothing," he replied gently. "Probably just a little mouse that wandered in."
"I'll check. You keep sleeping."
"Mm…"
She nodded and drifted back into slumber.
The heavy rain earlier had left her utterly exhausted.
And she trusted his strength completely.
Yusuke left the room.
Back in the courtyard—
The blazing fire dragon plunged into the mist.
Moments later—
A startled voice rang out from within.
"Impossible—how did you find me—?!"
Then—
A scream.
Silence.
The fire dragon faded.
The mist began to thin.
When the caster falls—
The Hidden Mist dissolves.
As the white haze cleared—
Shisui saw it.
A body lay on the ground, unmoving.
He approached cautiously.
By then, Nono and the others had arrived.
"Shisui—"
"Captain—"
He gave a slight nod.
"Did you eliminate the intruder?" Nono asked.
"For now," he answered. "Let's confirm."
They surrounded the fallen figure.
"This person was strong," Nono murmured. "I wonder who they are."
Shisui silently agreed.
Whoever this was—
They were no ordinary enemy.
He stepped forward to remove the black veil—
But in that instant—
Something felt wrong.
His expression changed drastically.
"Trap! Get back—now!"
The moment the words left his mouth—
They saw it.
Explosive tags.
Affixed to the intruder's back.
Already ignited.
Sizzling.
Blinding light erupted into the night—
Then—
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through the courtyard.
Stacked explosive tags—
The force was significant.
When the smoke cleared—
Shisui, Nono, and the others emerged, slightly disheveled but unharmed.
Shisui's face darkened.
He had been completely outplayed.
That body—
Was nothing more than bait.
But there was no time for pride.
The intruder's real objective—
Had always been Yusuke.
Shisui's jaw tightened.
"Move."
"Protect Lord Yusuke—now."
Want More? Get up to +60 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ https://www.patreon.com/aureliusstudios
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
Thanks for the support!