Chapter 11: Slash!
A year ago, Fugaku had defeated Jinhi to become the strongest of the Uchiha.
As the clan leader, he had no weaknesses in ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu.
Clang!
With a steel kunai, Fugaku parried Kagami's blade, his strength formidable.
"Kagami, you're a genius, but even a genius needs time to grow!"
Ding—
The kunai snapped, revealing a smooth, clean cut.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. He knew Kagami had a unique technique to release invisible wind blades from his fingertips.
But he didn't expect Kagami could do it with a weapon!
Thanks to his Sharingan, Fugaku barely dodged the slash that severed his kunai.
Touching the small cut on his neck…
"You're ruthless, aren't you, Kagami? No mercy for your clan leader?"
"Less talk," Kagami said, advancing with his blade.
If it weren't for Sasuke's birth, he might've attacked Fugaku in secret and taken him out.
This invisible slash was most effective for assassination.
Realizing the need to take this fight seriously, Fugaku gripped his kunai with both hands.
The two moved with such speed and anticipation that their movements seemed jarring to the naked eye.
Thankfully, all the spectators were Uchiha, with many activating their Sharingan.
"They… they're anticipating each other's moves!"
It looked like a taijutsu exchange, but it was actually a test of the Sharingan's predictive abilities.
The longer they fought, the more stunned Fugaku became.
In terms of insight, his Sharingan fell just short of Kagami's.
An incredible talent…
He couldn't keep up in swordplay any longer.
With that, Fugaku broke away, forming hand signs quickly.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Kagami raised his sword and cut through the fireball.
More fireballs rushed toward him.
The Fireball Jutsu was just an opener, obscuring vision; the real attack was the following Phoenix Flower Jutsu.
Each fireball was controlled with chakra, making it challenging to dodge completely.
Within the blaze, Kagami saw kunai hidden among the flames.
Was this like Itachi's Phoenix Sage Fire?
No, calling it that would be comparing the father to the son.
Fire Style, as the most destructive elemental jutsu, was best countered by Water Style.
If water wasn't an option…
Kagami swiftly formed hand signs, ending with the Tiger seal.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A fiery dragon shot from Kagami's mouth, burning through the fireballs and continuing forward.
Unlike the Fireball Jutsu, this technique focused on power and precision.
The dragon blazed upward, its intense light almost blinding, and the heat made it hard to breathe, as if one stood in a furnace.
The air around it twisted with the scorching heat.
It was well known that all Uchiha wielded fire.
Using the momentum of the dragon, Kagami quickly closed in on Fugaku, his palm extended toward Fugaku's face.
Despite the intensity of the dragon flame, it was this simple gesture that filled Fugaku with dread.
Kagami's technique was of an almost mystical level, akin to a Kekkei Genkai. Fugaku was fully aware of its power.
Release.
Shhhh—
The air was sliced instantly, producing a sharp, shrill sound.
Countless slashes struck Fugaku.
Poof!!
A shadow clone…
Seeing it disperse into smoke, Kagami wasn't surprised.
His Sharingan scanned the area and then paused.
Above!
Kagami looked up to see a massive wave of fire.
Like a hellish inferno, it spread across the sky, as if to consume the world in flames.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The power of ninjutsu lies in the user, and though Fugaku's fire didn't match Madara Uchiha's, it was impressive enough to shock many clan members.
Jinhi frowned, channeling chakra to his legs, ready to intervene if Kagami needed help.
"Brother!!"
Little Shisui called out in fear. If a clan member hadn't held him back, he might've rushed into the fight himself.
Facing the oncoming wall of flames, Kagami remained expressionless.
His body slowly lifted, as the ground beneath him was shaved away by invisible blades.
In his mental space…
Sukuna's four eyes stared intently at the outside world, even through the seal.
"Kid… you're something else…"
Shhh—shhh—shhh—
The piercing sound of cutting grew louder, drowning out the roar of the flames.
Blue sword energy whirled around Kagami, spinning faster and faster, forming a storm.
Each blade shone with a cold gleam, slicing through the air, creating a chilling symphony of blade song.
"What kind of jutsu is this…?"
"What terrifying pressure…"
The inferno approached, reflected in Kagami's triumphant smile.
He raised two fingers, gesturing upward.
I name this technique:
Ninja Art: Thousand Blades of Flowing Shadows.
Fwoosh——————
A boundless stream of blue blades tore through the flames, obliterating them!
Effortless devastation!
Leaping high in the air, Fugaku's eyes widened in disbelief.
Witnessing Kagami's ferocity, he had gone all out with this attack, yet it was destroyed so easily!
As the endless stream of blades rushed toward him, Fugaku gritted his teeth and formed hand signs.
Dragon Flame Jutsu!
Three fiery dragons spiraled around him, forming a protective circle.
Using offensive fire ninjutsu for defense demonstrated his exceptional control over jutsu.
The dragons were gradually sliced away, and the remaining blades lost their momentum.
Just as Fugaku relaxed, a silver-blue glow flickered in his vision.
What… is that?
Kagami thrust a rapidly rotating ball of chakra into Fugaku's chest.
Rasengan!
Boom!!!
The powerful impact, like a cannonball, sent Fugaku crashing down, raising a thick cloud of dust.
"Clan Leader!!"
"Fugaku!"
"Captain!"
Several clan members rushed toward the swirling dust.
One quickly used a Wind Style jutsu to clear the smoke.
Within the dust, they saw a deep crater marked with a spiral pattern. Fugaku, his clothes torn, was struggling to stand on his knees.
The Rasengan's power lay not only in its forceful impact but in its continuous destructive energy.
After striking its target, it continuously infused energy, causing successive explosions and widespread damage.
Fugaku's chest bore a vicious spiral wound, and his chakra was in complete disarray, making it hard to control.
Ignoring the blood seeping from his mouth, he glared at the descending Kagami.
"That's a powerful jutsu… Kagami… you truly are a genius…"
Kagami's breathing was heavy as well, his chakra nearly depleted.
Both wielding three-tomoe Sharingan, there was little advantage to be gained from it. Chakra-wise, Kagami didn't match Fugaku.
He had to maximize output to gain the upper hand quickly.
Kagami looked up, smirking. "That's classic… the usual flattery."
He knew his talent couldn't compare to monsters like Minato Namikaze or Itachi Uchiha, and he didn't have the same shortcuts as Naruto or Sasuke.
Sukuna would never be his ally.
Whatever he wanted, he had to fight for on his own.
For nearly two thousand days since he was two, he hadn't stopped training for a moment.
He wanted to be capable enough to avoid feeling helpless in the face of fate.
The excessive chakra output had left his hands trembling.
Gripping his sword tightly, Kagami began walking toward Fugaku.
Fugaku steadied his breathing; though injured, he was far from defeated.
Thump—
Jinhi's towering figure stepped between them.
"The match ends here. That's enough."
Any further, and someone could die, which was not an outcome Jinhi wanted.
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