"Cheers!"
Inside a yakiniku restaurant in Konoha, Uchiha Kei and Kakashi's group sat together, raising their glasses. The only pity was that, due to their age, they couldn't drink alcohol.
But obviously, they didn't really care. This kind of gathering was meant to be fun, and judging by the atmosphere, they were having a great time.
Uchiha Kei sat among the group, watching his peers laugh and chat joyfully. This energetic vibe felt pretty nice—it reminded him of when he had first entered the Ninja Academy.
Still, Kei remained somewhat quiet, not sure what to say. Kakashi was the same.
Maybe Kakashi had just been through too much—his experiences had been relatively tragic, and he didn't like to talk about the battlefield.
As for Uchiha Kei, he simply didn't know how to explain his experiences. His life was hardly typical. Should he really tell them how he survived from the age of seven to become a "hero of Konoha"?
Though everyone was clearly interested, Kei wasn't sure how to respond. Seeing their curious eyes, he shared a few things selectively.
As for the rest, he glossed over it.
Fortunately, the kids of this era had all been through the war. They understood that the battlefield often held unpleasant memories.
If this had been Naruto and Sasuke's generation, they'd probably be pestering him with endless questions, trying to get every last detail.
"Kei, I really didn't expect it. You seemed so unremarkable back then, and you weren't as arrogant as the other Uchiha. Yet now, you've left us all in the dust," said Kurenai, sitting across from Kei, sighing after hearing some of his stories.
And it wasn't just her. The others felt the same—especially Might Guy, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
Listening to Kei talk about rescuing prisoners, saving Kakashi, and breaking through enemy lines against Kitsuchi's forces had his blood boiling.
Although Kei didn't mention what happened after sending Kakashi away, they all knew what the other ninjas had reported.
For example, that he'd singlehandedly taken down Iwagakure's demolition squad's "Kari," and even the troublesome Ishimizu team that gave Konoha such a headache.
"Guess I was just lucky," Kei scratched his nose. "But yeah, I've had some close calls. Also, we had Minato-sensei's backup."
"But now, you're probably the strongest among our generation," Kakashi said with a sigh. "Although… there aren't many of us left from our class. The ones in the years after us might fare a little better…"
Kakashi's words brought a somber mood over the group.
It was true—the number of surviving students from their class was pitiful. War was a massive meat grinder. It erased humanity, emotion, and life itself—no matter how young or old.
The horrors of war had left a deep shadow over their generation. But at the same time, it was the soil from which they grew—a deep, heartfelt desire for peace took root in each of them.
"Alright, let's not dwell on all that." Kei knocked on the table, then raised his cup. "At least we're still alive. So let's carry the will of our fallen comrades, take their ideals, and live well. When we pass on, we can tell them, 'Your sacrifices built the world we dreamed of.'"
"Cheers!"
Kei's words lit a fire in everyone's hearts. They eagerly picked up their glasses and clinked them together.
Seeing this, Uchiha Kei couldn't help but smile inwardly. A few encouraging words were all it took to stir up this bunch of youngsters.
And maybe now, their goodwill toward him had shifted from simple admiration to true friendship?
While Uchiha Kei and the others were enjoying their meal, another "Uchiha Kei" had quietly slipped away into the crowd.
This Kei was just a shadow clone. He had created it under the pretense of going to the restroom after entering the restaurant.
After using a transformation jutsu, the clone had silently exited the building and was now following Uchiha Isamu's patrol route.
Uchiha Isamu was extremely prideful—he didn't want teammates, which gave Kei a great opportunity.
However, due to Isamu's relatively high status in the clan, his patrol routes weren't in remote areas. This posed a problem for Kei.
If he made a move and got caught, all his plans would go up in smoke. And he definitely didn't want that.
Walking with his head down, Kei observed and analyzed his surroundings carefully. The closer he got to the Konoha Police Department, the more frustrated he felt.
This bastard's route wasn't just short—it was also entirely within Konoha's core area. The one spot that was slightly secluded was practically right next to the Police Department.
It was like Isamu had deliberately made it impossible for Kei to operate. Kei wasn't sure if a fight here would immediately draw in the police.
"Do I really have to use the Mangekyō's power…?"
Kei muttered to himself. He didn't want to use that irreversible power—not while his research was still incomplete. But if push came to shove, he wouldn't hesitate.
Yes, it was limited. Yes, it was a last resort. But if it came down to life or death, who cared?
With that thought, he made his decision. He could only hope it wouldn't come to that—but if it did, he was ready.
Just then, Kei suddenly stopped.
He had noticed that something was off about the forest nearby.
Turning toward it, Kei began investigating more closely.
The shadow clone jutsu was quite an interesting technique and incredibly useful. In the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto used it for Sage Mode and even Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
But for the Uchiha clan, this jutsu was a bit of a pain—because it didn't allow clones to use the Sharingan!
Maybe it was because the Sharingan was a special kind of bloodline limit?
Don't be fooled by Madara using Wood Clones with Susanoo—even that guy could use it without his eyes.
It's likely that Susanoo didn't actually need the Sharingan to activate—it was more of a Yin Release and chakra construct.
Without the Sharingan, Kei couldn't rely on visual prowess, so he carefully inspected the area using his battlefield-honed instincts.
Before long, he found several traces of activity in the woods.
Well, rather than signs of battle, they looked more like evidence of training…
Chapter 90: The Difference Between Senju and Uchiha
"Lord Yu has always been a very diligent person. He often goes to train after his patrol duties."
"Is that so? No wonder Yu has such a good reputation—turns out it's not undeserved."
"Lord Kei, please be cautious with your words."
Uchiha Asa looked around nervously, worried that someone might overhear Uchiha Kei's comment.
Fortunately, there was no one nearby, and only then did Uchiha Asa breathe a sigh of relief.
Early that morning, Uchiha Kei had approached him and asked about Uchiha Yu's activities.
Asa knew that Kei and Yu had a somewhat hostile relationship. Concerned about the future of the young and extremely promising Kei, Asa decided to honestly share everything he knew or had heard.
He sincerely hoped Kei wouldn't act rashly and end up bringing trouble upon himself, but it seemed like his warnings weren't very effective.
Was this the pride of a genius?
Asa was a little helpless. It was natural for young prodigies to be proud, but when that pride turned into arrogance, it could become dangerous.
Most in the clan were aware of the tensions between Uchiha Kei and Uchiha Yu, but under the clan head's pressure, nothing serious had ever broken out between them.
Now that Kei was asking questions about Yu, Asa assumed he was just being cautious and gathering intel.
"Relax, don't be so tense. It's not like I'm actually going to attack him," Kei said with a chuckle. "You know I don't get along with him. Gathering info ahead of time is totally normal."
"I understand, Lord Kei," Asa replied with a bow, not knowing if Kei was being truthful. Regardless, he could only act as if he believed him. "But in the future, such remarks…"
"I get what you mean. Don't worry— even if I said it to his face, it wouldn't be a big deal."
Kei waved his hand nonchalantly. "Still, thanks for the info. Now I know just how 'amazing' he is. I've got a direction to aim for."
"Oh, is that so?" Asa showed a genuine smile. "Then I look forward to seeing Lord Kei surpass Lord Yu and become the strongest in the clan."
The strongest in the Uchiha clan?
Kei smiled but didn't reply.
Being the strongest in the Uchiha clan wasn't something to be proud of in his eyes. In the future, even a random exiled Uchiha could easily wipe out the entire clan.
Of course, if the goal was to become the strongest Uchiha ever, Kei wouldn't dare take on that title so casually.
After casually waving goodbye, Kei left. He had obtained all the information he needed.
Thanks to Asa's details, Kei was able to confirm everything his shadow clone had discovered the previous day. It was a perfect opportunity.
From what he observed, Yu's training involved a wide variety of techniques—including signs of Fire Release training.
"With this kind of training, it's only natural that it creates big noise," Kei thought. "That means if we end up fighting, the commotion might not draw attention immediately."
Indeed, someone who routinely trains with large-scale jutsu wouldn't raise too many eyebrows if things got noisy.
But Kei also clearly understood the difference between training and fighting—the difference was in continuity and intensity.
In real combat, one doesn't continuously fire off jutsu like in practice. Nor can someone keep casting the same jutsu over and over. Combat and training are entirely different.
So if Kei and Yu did fight, it was inevitable they'd be discovered eventually.
Kei estimated that even if the fight was fairly balanced, they'd have maybe ten minutes before someone noticed.
Unless Kei used his Mangekyō Sharingan and overwhelmed Yu with a powerful genjutsu or technique—then it might be over quickly.
But Yu's strength made Kei wary.
Based on his recent research, Kei had discovered that his Mangekyō ability wasn't just based on chakra and ocular power—it was also influenced by the opponent.
When Kei activated his Mangekyō, it was essentially a battle of chakra and ocular energy, a contest of suppression.
His chakra and Mangekyō power had to work together to drag the enemy into the illusion.
This mechanism was common to almost all Mangekyō users. Unless you had Eternal Mangekyō, using a few powerful techniques usually left you completely drained.
Just look at Itachi Uchiha when he returned to the village after the Third Hokage's death. Classic example—used Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, then had to retreat due to depleted chakra and vision.
Sasuke Uchiha was no different. His overly intense battles led him to lose his sight faster than anyone.
How long did Sasuke even have his Mangekyō?
Not long—maybe a month tops.
But in that short span, he pushed himself so hard he was practically blind.
He went through multiple intense battles: getting beaten by the Kage, rescued by Obito, healed by Karin, then fought Danzo to the death.
That fight alone drained all his chakra and ocular energy. And after a brief scuffle with Kakashi's team, he was completely tapped out—blind.
Kei didn't want to end up in the same situation.
His Mangekyō was more speed-focused, which meant even fewer chances for continuous use.
If he forced himself to use it after draining his chakra, he was finished.
Worse yet, if his opponent had more chakra than him, his own chakra would deplete at an alarming rate while trying to overpower them.
"Wait, how does this work with controlling Tailed Beasts then?"
Kei suddenly had an epiphany. If Mangekyō genjutsu relied on chakra, how did it work on creatures like the Bijuu?
But he quickly realized he was overthinking it.
He wasn't a Senju—that clan relied on their monstrous chakra to suppress Tailed Beasts.
He was an Uchiha. He could use his Sharingan's genjutsu to mentally dominate the Bijuu.
Maybe the Mangekyō was just naturally effective against Tailed Beasts—the illusion it created was something the Bijuu couldn't resist.
"So if I train properly, I should be able to control a Tailed Beast with my Mangekyō too."
He sighed, half amused.
"The Tailed Beasts really got the short end of the stick."
"The Uchiha crush them with illusions, and the Senju beat them into submission with raw power… totally tragic."
Chapter 91: Ambush (Part 1)
Uchiha Yuu walked silently down the streets of Konoha, his cold eyes scanning the civilians around him.
His gaze was like that of a lone wolf—dangerous and filled with aggression.
All the civilians who met Uchiha Yuu's eyes instinctively looked away or lowered their heads.
Their breathing became uneven, and their movements turned visibly anxious. To Uchiha Yuu, their reactions were laughable—just a group of clowns.
He thoroughly enjoyed this feeling. He always found pleasure in seeing the fear in ordinary people's expressions. To him, the Uchiha clan were the rightful rulers of Konoha!
Yes, in Uchiha Yuu's mind, the Uchiha should be the true masters of the village.
But now, the Uchiha had become weak and powerless. His elder brother worked tirelessly to revive the clan's strength, yet within the clan, too many voices opposed him.
Behind those dissenting voices stood numerous people. Though Uchiha Yuu disliked politics, it didn't mean he couldn't understand what was going on.
To him, those weaklings were burdens that needed to be purged. It was because of them that the clan had grown soft and incompetent.
"Thankfully, more and more clan members are waking up," Uchiha Yuu thought quietly. "I believe in the near future, my brother will achieve his dream, and the Great Elder will fulfill his lifelong wish."
More and more members of the Uchiha clan were aligning themselves with their faction. With the outbreak of the Third Ninja War, many of them had achieved outstanding results on the battlefield.
And their clan truly had little influence in Konoha. They were rarely involved in any major decisions. With the regrets and ambitions of past generations in their hearts, many believed they deserved to reclaim their lost authority.
They were once the "minority," but now they were the "majority."
"But that little brat Uchiha Kei... why is my brother so optimistic about him?" Uchiha Yuu gritted his teeth internally. Just thinking about Kei made him furious.
From the bottom of his heart, Uchiha Yuu looked down on Kei.
Kei's father, Uchiha Keisuke, was merely a Chūnin, and an injured one at that—his career as a ninja effectively ended. His mother, Uchiha Ryoko, didn't seem to have any ninja ability either. There weren't even any remarkable shinobi in their lineage.
To Uchiha Yuu, a kid from a background like that had no future. Kei's early years certainly reflected that.
But somehow, inexplicably, this brat got lucky. On the battlefield, he awakened the Sharingan—and not just a single tomoe, but straight to three tomoe!
It had taken Uchiha Yuu a tremendous amount of effort, pain, and training to evolve his Sharingan to three tomoe.
And yet this kid? Just a brush with death during a friendly fire incident with Minato Namikaze, and he miraculously dodged a fatal strike by awakening his Sharingan.
Sure, awakening the Sharingan at the brink of death wasn't unusual, but going straight to three tomoe? That was absurd—and Uchiha Yuu was incredibly jealous.
Why did he have to suffer for years to achieve that, while this kid got it in an instant?
The unfairness gnawed at him, especially after Kei openly opposed his brother and succeeded in doing so.
To Uchiha Yuu, his brother was as important as his parents. It was his brother who had always protected and cared for him. So seeing Kei defy and defeat him triggered a deep hatred.
Just a few days ago, Kei had even launched a surprise attack on Uchiha Hiroki. That gave Uchiha Yuu the perfect excuse for revenge. It was also a chance to test Kei's strength firsthand.
According to the Hokage's report, Kei had independently killed Kari of Iwa's demolition corps and later took down Ishimizu Hiiragi's entire squad.
That kind of record was terrifying. But Uchiha Yuu didn't believe it. There had to be more to the story.
A newly awakened three-tomoe Sharingan user couldn't possibly do that—not even he could!
It was likely that Minato Namikaze had deliberately handed over the credit, trying to make amends for the death of an Uchiha on his team—especially since that brat Kakashi now had a Sharingan in his eye.
"What a waste… if not for that damned Uchiha…" Yuu cursed under his breath. "The clan leader is still too soft."
Yuu didn't particularly like Uchiha Fugaku. He felt Fugaku was too weak. Though he often positioned himself as neutral and claimed to act in the clan's best interest, many decisions—especially those proposed by Yuu's brother—were rejected under his leadership.
This deeply frustrated Yuu.
But at least he understood the importance of hierarchy. He dared not show disrespect to the clan leader, much less disobey him.
"Forget it. I should go train." Annoyed by his thoughts, Yuu quickened his pace toward the Konoha Police Department.
His training grounds were in a small forest about one or two kilometers behind the Police Department. Ever since joining the force, he'd made it a habit to train there daily.
After all, ninja were judged by strength. His brother had always been powerful, and as his younger brother, Yuu couldn't afford to fall behind. Deep down, he wanted to surpass his brother.
Only then could he protect him properly—even if his brother eventually stopped training and focused solely on building up the clan.
As for patrol duty?
Yuu didn't care. No one dared stir up trouble in areas he patrolled.
Everyone in the Police Department knew about his private training sessions—even Clan Leader Fugaku. But no one ever said anything.
That only emboldened Uchiha Yuu. Since no one objected, why should he care?
"Hmph. If it weren't for the Vice Captain position…"
He moved quickly and soon reached the forest. The woods were quiet, save for a few birds chirping in the branches.
Yuu liked this kind of atmosphere. He casually removed his forehead protector and green vest, tossing them aside as he began his warm-up routine.
What he didn't know was that a pair of eyes were watching him.
And just as he was preparing to start his training…
The owner of those eyes made their move.
Chapter 92: Ambush (Part 2):
A flash of blue light streaked by, and a long wound appeared on Uchiha Yuu's back—only for his body to turn into a block of wood immediately afterward.
Substitution Jutsu!
Uchiha Kei stood silently, staring at the piece of wood in front of him. Then he turned his head toward a large tree, where Uchiha Yuu was now standing, coldly observing him.
Kei had of course noticed the use of the Substitution Jutsu. Yuu was fast—he had already left the original spot the moment he completed the technique. Kei didn't pursue; instead, he was puzzled.
He had hidden so well—how had he been discovered?
"Uchiha Kei? Interesting," Yuu sneered. "From the angle of your attack, it seems you were trying to subdue me? Curious how I spotted you?"
"I am," Kei replied bluntly, admitting it directly.
He hadn't used the Transformation Jutsu, since under the Uchiha's Sharingan, that technique was basically useless. If it couldn't fool the Sharingan, why waste chakra?
"Because of the birds."
Yuu chuckled. "I train here every day. I'm familiar with where the birds build their nests. You hid well, but your presence startled them. They never landed near where you were hiding."
Birds?
Kei glanced up and admitted to himself that he had indeed overlooked the birds' sensitivity. And he had to admit, Yuu's observation skills were pretty sharp.
Who even pays attention to where birds are landing?
Even on the battlefield, Kei wouldn't normally track birds—unless he was intentionally trying to locate someone by flushing them out. And Kei hadn't even disturbed them after Yuu arrived.
"Since you made a move on me, I won't hold back," Yuu cracked his neck. "I'm going to kill you."
"Oh?" Kei twirled his blade lazily. "Then come try."
"You'll see."
Yuu formed hand seals at lightning speed.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Hmph. Pathetic." Kei snorted, leaping backward.
But just then, a sense of danger suddenly surged in his heart, and he instinctively dove several meters to the side!
A chilling kunai whooshed past, narrowly slicing the fabric of his clothing—he didn't need to look to know there was now a huge tear in the back of his shirt.
So fast!
Kei couldn't help but be impressed.
Yuu was really fast—and had used the fire jutsu to obscure Kei's vision, then launched a sneak attack.
If Kei hadn't reacted quickly and had excellent body control, he'd have been hit.
Now fully alert, Kei was done falling for cheap tricks.
His scarlet eyes rotated, the three tomoe of the Sharingan spinning. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes and launched backward in a graceful, drifting movement.
In a flash of blue chakra, Kei's blade glowed as he swung it back in a reverse slash.
Yuu was no pushover. His own three-tomoe Sharingan let him easily block Kei's strike.
He appeared calm, but inside, he was secretly amazed—this kid really wasn't simple!
That reaction speed was rare. Kei not only responded instantly, but also countered—his reflexes and coordination were both exceptional. No wonder he had taken out so many enemies on the battlefield.
Still, Yuu wasn't afraid.
He figured Kei's enemies had underestimated him, leading to their downfall. Now that Yuu was paying attention, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
He now viewed Kei as an equal-level opponent—even though Kei was just a 13- or 14-year-old kid.
Even after just a brief clash, Yuu had no choice but to acknowledge Kei's strength.
And when Yuu got serious, he was no joke. Kei could clearly sense a shift.
If the first exchange felt like Yuu was just fast, after a minute of taijutsu exchanges, Kei could now feel the pressure.
Fast, precise, ruthless.
That was how Kei would describe Yuu.
With the Sharingan's aid, Yuu's taijutsu left almost no openings. If Kei didn't have the Sharingan too, he'd be full of holes by now!
But Kei wasn't worried. This was just the beginning.
It was the perfect chance to test himself.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out through the forest as their fight intensified.
Strangely, neither of them had taken any real damage yet.
But Kei knew this wouldn't last.
Yuu's strength was impressive—but Kei was noticeably faster.
So Yuu's attacks were either blocked or narrowly dodged.
But there was one key difference—Kei's blade.
It was a chakra-infused ninja blade gifted by Kakashi.
Yuu was only using a regular kunai.
This gear gap meant that once Kei found an opening, Yuu would be in trouble.
And sure enough, under the relentless pressure and repeated weapon clashes, Yuu's kunai finally broke!
Yuu realized this too—he had long noticed Kei's blade was special.
Without hesitation, he threw the broken kunai at Kei, then leapt backward, once again using a fire jutsu to obstruct Kei's vision and buy time.
It was a clean, fluid series of movements—completed in an instant!
But there was no way Kei would waste such an opportunity.
After sparring with Kakashi for so many days, Kei hadn't just learned Raikiri—he'd also drawn inspiration from Uchiha Itachi's Clone Explosion, crafting tricks of his own.
Especially those based on basic jutsu—they could be extremely deceptive.
Just like the Crescent Moon Dance technique.
Kei didn't know the actual Crescent Moon Dance, but that didn't stop him from improvising something similar.
He closed in quickly, blade in one hand and the other hand forming a single-hand sign.
Blue chakra surged violently around him.
In an instant, a burst of smoke surrounded him—and when it cleared, three versions of Kei appeared, each charging at Yuu from a different angle, blades slashing simultaneously.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 93: Ambush (Part 3)
"Dance of the Crescent Moon? No, that's not it!"
Uchiha Isamu was momentarily surprised when three Uchiha Kei suddenly appeared before him—this move was far too famous.
The Konoha-style kenjutsu, Dance of the Crescent Moon, was created by the Second Hokage himself. It was the ultimate secret of the Konoha-style swordsmanship, a technique capable of felling enemies in a single strike.
But the true power of the technique wasn't just in its strength or effect—its clones were easily seen through by the Uchiha clan.
Even though the Sharingan could distinguish real from fake, it couldn't always react optimally in the split-second chaos of close-quarters combat.
It was likely that the Second Hokage had killed quite a few Uchiha with this technique.
And that was the point—this was the Second Hokage's technique.
At that moment, Uchiha Isamu even began to suspect that Kei had completely thrown in with the Hokage faction. Otherwise, how could he possibly know such a sword technique?
But Uchiha Isamu was no amateur. The moment they clashed, he realized Kei had deceived him.
This wasn't the real Dance of the Crescent Moon—it was just a trick.
The clones of the actual technique could still cause harm even if destroyed, but Kei's two copies were merely regular clones created with the Clone Jutsu.
As soon as Isamu clashed with one, it vanished in a puff of smoke, and he immediately pinpointed the real Kei's location.
This technique was a feint—it existed for that fleeting instant where, in a life-or-death clash, a moment's distraction could decide everything.
And that moment was enough to determine life or death!
That was exactly Kei's intent. He knew Isamu would have counters, but now that he had closed the gap, Isamu was the one in danger.
With a cold snort, Kei's ninja blade flared once again with light. At the same time, his left hand glowed brilliantly—
A dense gathering of lightning-nature chakra surged forth, crackling with a low hum.
Seeing this, Isamu's expression changed slightly. Looking at Kei's lightning-cloaked hand, he immediately guessed what was coming.
But Isamu remained calm. As Kei lunged forward, he instantly judged the situation.
Just before the crackling lightning touched him, he twisted his body and grabbed Kei's left arm with his own left hand, attempting to wrench it violently.
At the same time, he drove a kunai toward Kei's stomach and unleashed genjutsu through direct eye contact.
But in the instant their eyes met, Isamu's mind flickered—he lost focus for just a second.
That second was all Kei needed.
Kei instantly broke free from Isamu's grip, and using the Body Flicker Technique, he vanished.
Even though Isamu had already recovered, he could feel the dense killing intent directly behind him.
Still no amateur, Isamu relied on strong fundamentals and used his own Body Flicker Technique in that critical instant.
Even so, Kei's blade still sliced several clean wounds into him.
"You…" Isamu caught his breath as he retreated a safe distance. "Your eyes… that's impossible! Triple tomoe? And you awakened them so recently—how can your genjutsu be this fast? And this strong?!"
"Hmph, frog in a well," Kei sneered, unwilling to explain. Time wasn't exactly on his side.
Battles between two Uchiha seldom involved genjutsu, especially when their strength was evenly matched.
The Sharingan's resistance to illusions was just too high.
Even Isamu had only attempted it when he believed Kei was fully preoccupied.
What he hadn't expected was that Kei would move faster than him.
In truth, Kei had been waiting—for just that moment. His eyes were stronger than Isamu's.
If there was a chance to strike, Kei would take it.
It was a draining approach, but essential—both to protect his eyes and test his abilities.
Things were looking good so far. Kei had a pretty clear sense of where he stood now, and unless absolutely necessary, he had no intention of revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Taking a deep breath, Kei quickly formed hand seals. He had the advantage now that Isamu was injured—and he was going to press it.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Like a mirror image of earlier, Kei unleashed a massive fireball. The next second, he once again used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Isamu, his blade glowing with intense blue chakra.
Isamu was slashed as Kei struck, but the injury was minor. He quickly formed hand seals of his own—
But halfway through, he abruptly canceled them.
He realized Kei had done exactly what he had done earlier—the jutsu was just a feint to throw off his rhythm!
"Damn brat!" Isamu cursed internally and leapt back. But at the same time, he thought,
If you're going to copy me, then I'll copy you! But I need to be careful with his eyes—there's something off about them…
With that in mind, Isamu suddenly reversed grip and threw a kunai lightning-fast toward Kei.
Kei blocked it but laughed inwardly. He already knew what Isamu was trying to do.
But so what?
Kei's approach relied on adapting on the fly, enhanced with sword techniques he'd "borrowed" from others.
Even if Isamu was strong, there was no way he could come up with a full counter this quickly.
Their fight continued—oddly, it was as if their roles had reversed.
But the longer they fought, the more Isamu felt something was off, while Kei only became more ferocious.
Ever since returning to Konoha and undergoing intense training, Kei's chakra reserves had remained full—nothing like the battlefield struggles of before.
He wasn't afraid to go all-out against Isamu.
He'd always been cautious about his own strength, but now he realized—he might've underestimated himself.
"Hm?"
Kei suddenly frowned. One of his scout shadow clones near the Konoha Police Department had just sent a signal.
Apparently, the police force had picked up on their battle and was now mobilizing in this direction.
That irked Kei. He had found a perfect opponent to sharpen his fundamentals, and now it looked like their match was coming to an end.
Sigh… it was enough, I guess.
He sighed inwardly. I was hoping for another ten minutes, but it looks like I underestimated how fast the Uchiha respond to stuff like this.
"You're daydreaming at a time like this?" Isamu's voice suddenly came from behind him.
"You really have a death wish!"
A kunai lashed out, Isamu's face twisted in rage—
But the next second, the madness on his face froze.
His kunai passed right through Kei's body—and a sword pierced through his back.
"I told you," Kei's voice sounded behind him. "You're boring. And way too full of yourself."
Kei's form appeared behind him, and in his glowing red eyes…
A strange triangular, rhombus-like pattern had emerged.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 94: Terrifying Thoughts (A special update for Liu Ying Shui)
"Patriarch, it's just ahead."
Guided by a clan member, Uchiha Fugaku arrived at a small grove not far from the guard division.
The sky had already grown dim, and Uchiha Fugaku silently observed his surroundings, deep in thought about what had happened.
Earlier that day, Uchiha Fugaku had noticed signs of Fire Style jutsu being used near the guard division. At first, he hadn't paid much attention, since he knew that Uchiha Yuu had been training there. However, this time, something felt different, or perhaps the training hadn't lasted as long as expected.
Most importantly, Fugaku noticed that several trees had fallen nearby, which seemed strange. Even for taijutsu training, it wouldn't be expected to cause such damage. And most concerning of all, Fugaku sensed an unusual chakra presence.
To be safe, Fugaku had ordered the guard division's ninjas to investigate what was happening.
If there was nothing out of the ordinary, it wouldn't matter, but if something bad had occurred, they could respond quickly.
It was a fact that Uchiha Yuu was very strong, but a ninja's strength couldn't always be measured by chakra alone—there were too many uncertainties.
Even members of the Uchiha clan, when activating their Sharingan, had been killed on the battlefield.
No one dared to defy Fugaku's orders, and while they didn't think someone as strong as Uchiha Yuu could be in any danger, it didn't hurt to check.
But when they looked, they were all stunned. The grove was in complete disarray, with traces of battle everywhere.
There were kunai, sword marks, and signs of ninjutsu clearly visible, and aside from some bloodstains and a broken kunai, there was no trace of Uchiha Yuu!
This terrifying scene left the Uchiha ninjas unable to believe it. After a thorough search, they concluded that Uchiha Yuu had most likely been attacked!
Reluctantly, they quickly ran back and reported everything to Uchiha Fugaku.
At first, Fugaku was shocked, but the realization that came after filled him with fear. If someone in Konoha had been able to silently take down Uchiha Yuu, it could only be the higher-ups of Konoha.
However, Fugaku couldn't understand why the higher-ups of Konoha would want to target Uchiha Yuu. Did they intend to provoke a war between the Uchiha and Konoha?
But after thinking it through, Fugaku dismissed this idea. Though the Great Ninja Wars seemed to be winding down, everything wasn't settled yet. Starting a civil war would only benefit the other villages, and the higher-ups of Konoha wouldn't be that foolish—they certainly would have thought of this.
After contemplating the situation, Fugaku concluded that it was probably an attempt to frame someone, but why Uchiha Yuu? And why at this time?
Fugaku couldn't figure it out, but he decided to investigate further. Even if he ruled out Konoha's involvement, he would remain vigilant.
The relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha was already tense. Although Fugaku had only realized this recently, after Uchiha Kei had pointed it out, it had become completely clear to him.
Thus, even though Fugaku suspected that Konoha wasn't behind it, he would still remain wary of them. He couldn't trust Konoha easily.
"You all stay here. I'll go check the situation myself." Fugaku said to the Uchiha members beside him before heading toward the heart of the battle.
Normally, the Hyuga clan would be responsible for inspecting battlefields, but that didn't mean the Uchiha clan couldn't do so as well.
Fugaku began carefully examining all the traces left on the battlefield, not missing any detail.
The evidence was complex. There were scattered kunai marks, sword slashes, and signs of ninjutsu—things every ninja commonly used. However, Fugaku noticed something strange. The traces from these weapons were not as scattered as usual. In fact, there were very few of them.
Recalling the time between Uchiha Yuu unleashing his chakra and the moment Fugaku sent people to investigate, about five or six minutes had passed.
In a normal ninja battle, there should have been more traces. If Uchiha Yuu had been fighting alone...
Suddenly, Fugaku froze. If Uchiha Yuu had been fighting alone, then it made sense that there would be fewer traces. Or perhaps it was a Uchiha ninja who had activated their Sharingan—their battle traces would be minimal as well.
With the Sharingan, they could instantly spot openings in the opponent's defenses, and as a result, not leave many marks. Even if the fight was evenly matched, the focus would be on clashing weapons.
Thinking about this, Fugaku quickly focused on a broken kunai. He picked it up and studied it carefully. Soon, his expression grew grim.
The kunai had several deep sword marks, and the section that had broken off showed signs of having endured intense combat.
"An attacker... might also be an Uchiha!" Fugaku thought to himself.
The traces left behind revealed everything: Uchiha Yuu had been attacked by another powerful Uchiha ninja!
It was normal for the other Uchiha members to miss this detail, as they likely viewed the situation from their own perspective. They didn't think there was anything wrong with this battle.
Fugaku, however, had been to war, having participated in two Great Ninja Wars. He could objectively assess these details.
"Damn it, is it a family member? Or an Uchiha who has sided with the Third Hokage?" Fugaku thought bitterly. "Or perhaps... is it something to do with Danzo?"
Fugaku couldn't make sense of it. This situation was becoming increasingly complex. But one thing was certain: he was determined to find out the truth.
No matter who was behind this, no matter their purpose, Fugaku would get to the bottom of it!
Although the Uchiha clan wasn't as powerful as before, Fugaku still had the Mangekyo Sharingan, and he still had the potential to change everything.
"Better not be you," Fugaku's eyes turned a deep crimson as the three tomoe in his Sharingan began spinning slowly. "If it is, you'll regret it."
After making up his mind, Fugaku carefully hid the broken kunai and silently returned to the clan. He didn't want to leave evidence that could stir up the clan.
His mood was grim. He needed to return and investigate what had truly happened. Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Uchiha Kei showed a strange smile.
(End of chapter)