Chapter:10

Shimura Ryoma stood in the forest clearing, his eyes darting around as he faced two unknown attackers. He had been on a routine mission, one that should have been straightforward. But now, he found himself ambushed, and his anger and shock were palpable.

"Who are you?" Shimura Ryoma demanded, his voice echoing through the trees.

The two assailants did not answer. Instead, they silently brandished their kunai and launched an attack from both sides, their movements swift and deadly. The air around them seemed to chill with their murderous intent.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"

Shimura Ryoma quickly formed hand seals, expelling high-velocity chakra bullets from his mouth. The projectiles, concentrated and powerful, shot towards his attackers like machine gun fire.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

One of the attackers responded swiftly, slamming his hands on the ground. A thick wall of earth erupted from the ground, absorbing the chakra bullets and becoming riddled with holes.

Meanwhile, the second attacker took advantage of the diversion. Moving swiftly around the earth wall, he closed in on Ryoma and slashed at his throat with a kunai.

Ding!

Ryoma barely managed to block the attack with his own kunai, but the danger was far from over. The first attacker had already circled around and delivered a powerful kick to Ryoma's midsection, sending him skidding backwards.

As Ryoma regained his footing, he noticed something that made his blood run cold. His attacker's eyes had turned red, with three tomoe spinning rapidly.

"Sharingan!"

The sight of the Sharingan shocked Ryoma. The ambush had been orchestrated by members of the Uchiha clan. Despite the longstanding tension between his clan and the Uchiha, he never imagined they would go so far as to launch a direct attack. Weren't they afraid of being discovered by the village?

But there was no time to ponder. Ryoma quickly lowered his gaze to avoid the Uchiha's genjutsu. If he fell under their illusion, it would be over for him.

Bang!

He managed to avoid the genjutsu, but not the physical attack. The Uchiha who used the earth technique kicked him hard, sending him crashing into a massive tree. The impact rattled his body, and pain flared through his chest and back.

Swish, swish, swish!

A barrage of shuriken flew towards him. Ryoma dodged as many as he could, but a few found their mark, cutting into his flesh and drawing blood.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

One of the Uchiha quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a volley of small fireballs, each one attaching itself to shuriken and creating a deadly storm of flaming projectiles.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"

Ryoma countered with wind blades, slicing through the fiery onslaught and neutralizing the threat. But before he could catch his breath, the ground beneath him erupted.

An Uchiha with three tomoe spinning in his eyes emerged, his kunai flashing towards Ryoma's chest. Ryoma dodged to the side, but the Sharingan predicted his movements, and the kunai carved a deep gash from his chest to his abdomen.

Blood sprayed, staining the ground. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ryoma retaliated by throwing a handful of shuriken at his attacker, forcing him to retreat. Clutching his wound, Ryoma put some distance between himself and the Uchiha.

"Ahhh!"

A scream tore through the forest. Ryoma glanced towards the sound and saw Shimura Ichiro, a young prodigy of his clan, impaled by a kunai. Blood gushed from the wound, and Ichiro's eyes grew lifeless.

"Hateful Uchiha," Ryoma muttered, his expression dark. With Ichiro's death, two more Uchiha would be free to join the assault on him. His situation was growing increasingly dire.

"Lord Ryoma, escape!"

Shimura Sosuke, another of Ryoma's comrades, shouted out, his voice filled with determination. Severely injured, Sosuke performed hand seals even as a kunai slashed his throat.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

A powerful gust of wind erupted from Sosuke, stirring up leaves and dirt, creating a blinding storm that obscured everyone's vision. Ryoma seized the opportunity, sprinting away from the chaos.

"Your sacrifice won't be in vain," Ryoma thought, using the cover to flee. Sosuke's selfless act had given him a chance to escape. If he could reach the village and report this attack, the Uchiha clan would face severe consequences.

After running several hundred meters, Ryoma slowed, realizing he hadn't heard any pursuit. He allowed himself a moment of hope, thinking he had evaded them. But his relief was short-lived.

Ahead of him stood a masked figure in black, exuding a menacing aura far greater than the previous attackers. The air around him seemed to vibrate with danger.

Without hesitation, Ryoma changed direction, but the masked man appeared in front of him again, his Sharingan eyes now evolving into something more terrifying—a pattern of rings within rings, known as the Mangekyou Sharingan.

The realization hit Ryoma like a physical blow. This was no ordinary Uchiha. He was facing an elite, possibly one of the clan's strongest.

The battle was far from over.

"Who are you?" Ryoma demanded again, though he knew he wouldn't receive an answer.

The masked Uchiha remained silent, his eyes locking onto Ryoma with an intensity that made Ryoma's skin crawl. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, and Ryoma felt the crushing weight of the Uchiha's killing intent.