Chapter 19 Lady Mikoto
Within Konoha Village, a series of messages are being continuously gathered at the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, his gaze fixed on the crystal ball on his desk.
The image reflected inside the sphere was of "Uchiha Yashiro, Hazuki, and Fugaku leading the children of their clan forward.
From their slightly moving lips, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his skillful lip reading, gleaned a great deal of useful information.
What is certain is that the Uchiha clan is experiencing an unprecedented trend of convergence.
'It's a pity, the Uchiha clan's territory is protected by a barrier, making it difficult to discern the truth.'
The Third Hokage's eyes flickered.
He always harbored complex feelings towards the Uchiha clan.
Beneath that deep vigilance, there was also a sliver of genuine hope hidden within.
He hoped they could truly integrate into Konoha, obey his orders, and help him accomplish the great feat that even his teacher, Tobirama Senju, could not achieve, thus establishing an unprecedentedly powerful Konoha.
But the ever-restless Uchiha were also constantly losing patience.
Since the passing of Uchiha Kagami, the bridge of communication, and with the daily admonitions of his three advisors and friends, his feelings towards that clan have long since changed.
'I hope the Uchiha clan can fulfill their duties in this great battle...'
A soft sigh settled in his heart, and Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing towards the doorway like a torch.
At the same time, a crisp knock sounded on the door, and a low voice from the secret service came from outside.
"Lord Hokage, the head of the Uchiha clan requests an audience."
What is he doing here?
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly suppressed all his emotions and replied in a deep voice.
"Let him in."
...
Uchiha clan territory, Nanga training ground.
The morning mist shrouded the Naka River like a light veil, and the river water shimmered with a cool light in the morning light, with the gurgling sound of the water and the chirping of birds in harmony.
The air was filled with the moist scent of grass and earth, but the tranquility was shattered by the sharp whooshing sounds and fiery explosions from the training ground.
Two figures, like cheetahs, suddenly crossed paths in the hazy morning light.
The force of their punches and kicks tore through the thin mist and startled the dewdrops on the grass on the shore, causing them to scatter everywhere.
A fierce whip kick swept out, while another figure ducked to block, the collision of arm and leg producing a dull thud.
Mikoto Uchiha moved with agility, her toes lightly touching the wet river stones as she floated backward, her hands already becoming afterimages.
'Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Red!'
The female ninja silently exhaled, completing the hand seal.
Dozens of crimson fireballs spewed from her mouth, carrying with them shuriken thrown from her hand that emitted a sharp whistling sound.
Like a crimson rain of flowers flowing upstream, they pierced through the thin mist and shot straight toward the pursuing Uchiha Anlan.
Faced with this dazzling yet dangerous offensive, Anlan remained calm.
Instead of exchanging ninjutsu, he instantly placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
'Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!'
bass--!
The clear, resonant sound of a blade pierced the sunlight.
The blade flashed like a crescent moon, drawing a perfect arc with the wrist as the axis.
Chakra clings to the blade, forming a sharp stream of air comparable to a B-rank Wind Release ninjutsu.
As the sword wind passed, the blazing fireballs and hidden chakra blade were deflected and shattered.
The scattered sparks seemed to ignite a brief fireworks display on the riverbank at dawn, vying with the rising sun for brilliance.
Anlan's swordsmanship has become even stronger...
Mikoto murmured to herself, her three-tomoe Sharingan already appearing in her eyes, capturing the barely perceptible gap when Anlan sheathed his sword.
She lowered her body, activated her teleportation technique, and left behind a slowly dissipating afterimage.
His true form cut into Anlan's body like a morning breeze, the kunai carrying a chill as it thrust straight at Anlan's right wrist, where he was holding the knife.
Anlan, however, seemed to have anticipated this.
With a slight twist of his right wrist, the tsuba (handguard) precisely knocked open the kunai, producing a clear "clang".
At the same time, her left hand shot out like lightning, aiming straight for Mikoto's wrist joint.
Knowing that her physical skills were inferior to her opponent's, Mikoto reacted extremely quickly.
She used the momentum to spin and retreat, her movements as fluid as a dance. During her retreat, she had already completed the hand seal with her other hand.
'Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!'
With chakra highly concentrated, a massive fire dragon roared forth.
The fire dragon evaporated the water vapor in its path and rushed straight towards Anlan with a scorching wave of air!
Faced with this even stronger fire jutsu, Anlan's eyes narrowed, his three tomoe spun, his chakra exploded, and his figure seemed to merge into the morning light, rushing towards the fire dragon at an incredible speed!
In the instant before he was about to be swallowed up, his body seemed to vanish into nothingness.
They brushed past the roaring fire dragon, leaving only a distorted, dissipating afterimage in the heat.
The next moment, he appeared beside Mikoto, his long sword sheathed.
One hand gently pressed on her wrist as she held the kunai, while the other hand rested lightly on her waist, which heaved with her breath.
"You lost, Mikoto."
His deep voice rang in her ears, prompting the pretty female ninja to retort.
"Anlan, it's not over yet!"
Mikoto tilted her head slightly and looked at Anlan, who was standing close by—the two pairs of Sharingan with three tomoe suddenly met!
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Anlan felt the surrounding scenery suddenly distort and fade, the training ground, the Naka River, and the morning light peeling away like shattered lenses.
Instead, countless enormous mirrors reflecting his image surrounded him from all sides—Sharingan Genjutsu: Mirror World!
Each "Anlan" in the mirror moved stiffly, with empty eyes, like a manipulated puppet, stepping out of the mirror step by step, approaching him with a cold killing intent.
'A brilliant counterattack.'
In reality, Anlan's lips curled slightly, the three-tomoe jade in her eyes swirled rapidly, and powerful pupil power surged forth like a tide.
The entire mirror world let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain, and cracks instantly covered every mirror before it exploded with a deafening roar!
The moment the illusion space shattered, reality returned.
The two remained very close, their bodies pausing slightly.
Mikoto let out a muffled groan.
The backlash from the forced breaking of the illusion caused her vision to go black and her body to sway slightly.
If it weren't for Anlan's hand gently supporting her waist, providing timely and steady support, she would have almost stumbled backward.
Mikoto took a few quick breaths, her Sharingan slowly fading, revealing her originally clear eyes.
The blush on her face from the exercise was even brighter than the sunrise.
She let out a soft breath, her face showing a hint of resentment at her repeated defeats.
She pouted her cherry lips and said reproachfully, "You never give me a chance. At least let me win once."
The helplessness in his voice was genuine, but so was his reliance on the powerful person before him and his hidden pride.
"but."
Mikoto changed the subject, her curiosity overshadowing her slight resentment.
"That last one... wasn't a regular teleportation technique, was it?"
"Yes, it's a new application of the Sharingan."
Anlan released her hand from Mikoto's waist, her gaze falling on her pretty face, and she leaned in to whisper with a smile.
"Want to learn?"
"My dear...Mrs. Mikoto?"
End of this chapter...