Chapter 30

The Sharingan exhaled a cool breath, providing constant moisture to the eyes.

A sorrowful roar escaped Kurogan's lips, "Akagan!"

Though Akagan and Kurogan were not blood brothers, they had grown up together, learning Ninjutsu side by side. Those who once believed that the Konohagakure Shinobi could be easily defeated were now taken aback when Akagan fell before their eyes.

Kurogan was consumed by heartbreak and indignation, but his years as a Shinobi had left him with a thread of sanity. Losing control would jeopardize the entire team's survival.

Suddenly, a signal soared into the air, detonating in the sky. It was an Iwa Chunin, sacrificing a rib to send out a distress signal.

Several Chunin caught sight of the distress signal and grew frustrated and desperate. They could only buy more time, clinging to survival until reinforcements arrived.

Fugaku understood that they couldn't afford to delay any longer. Iwa's reinforcements would arrive soon.

"Retreat," Fugaku commanded, "Hyuga Tazumo, pinpoint Inuzuka Maru's location."

"If we leave, Akagan's sacrifice would be in vain," Kurogan hysterically protested. "Hold them off, and reinforcements will arrive. I will pay tribute to Akagan with their lives."

Kurogan threw himself into a desperate frenzy, utilizing his Koka Jutsu, launching wild close-range attacks, and suppressing Hyuga Tazumo.

With a swift Body Flicker Jutsu, Fugaku appeared before Kurogan, who stood before him in an extremely unstable state. Sharingan cast a genjutsu, projecting Akagan, not Uchiha Fugaku, into Kurogan's eyes.

Kurogan's chakra became disturbed, and his surface-level Koka Jutsu faltered, disrupting the opponent's nerves. Seizing the opportunity, Hyuga Tazumo swiftly moved into the position for Eight Trigram Palm when his opponent fell under the genjutsu's spell.

"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho!"

Both of Hyuga Tazumo's hands struck Kurogan's body, targeting vital chakra points and intercepting the flow of chakra within his opponent. By the time Hyuga Tazumo's strikes landed, Kurogan had already regained consciousness, his chakra surging wildly as he narrowly evaded Jūken's assault.

Blood stained his lips, and despite not completing the 64 palms, Kurogan's internal organs had suffered injuries.

Uninterrupted, Fugaku retaliated, swiftly targeting the opponent's vital points. Sharingan turned swiftly, enabling Fugaku to perceive each of the opponent's movements clearly.

"Clang, clang!"

Sparks flew from the clashes of their weapons. From the opposite side, Hyuga Tazumo launched a rapid attack, surging chakra through his hand as his Jūken struck directly at Kurogan's chakra points.

Injured and outnumbered, Kurogan was pushed to his limits under the combined assault of Hyuga Tazumo and Uchiha Fugaku. In the blink of an eye, several wounds adorned his body.

Blood seeped into his Shinobi uniform, trickling down and vanishing into the rain at his feet.

Kurogan couldn't halt the joint assault, only striving to buy time through his injuries. He believed that once Iwa's Shinobi reinforcements arrived, the Konohagakure Shinobi would be unable to resist.

However, Fugaku refused to grant him that time. Every minute spent here was perilous. Sharingan cast another genjutsu. Kurogan momentarily faltered, and Fugaku seized the opportunity, thrusting his weapon into the opponent's left rib.

A mouthful of blood spewed forth, making it difficult to breathe. Each breath was accompanied by bloody froth. Fugaku knew that his strike had pierced Kurogan's lungs directly. With the current state of medical treatment still undervalued among the Five Great Nations, Kurogan's demise was certain.

Motionless, Kurogan's suffering came to an end, adding another layer of hatred to this world.

A message materialized in Fugaku's mind.

"Kill a Jōnin and gain a moderate amount of Pupil Strength."

Fugaku could clearly sense the enhanced power of the Sharingan. It had absorbed Pupil Strength multiple times before, but this time he felt a distinct change, perhaps the previous accumulations had finally manifested.

"Prepare to retreat," Fugaku instructed. "Aburame Nozawa, monitor the surroundings closely and promptly notify us of any signs of Iwa Shinobi."

"Yes, sir."

The vigilant Aburame took on the responsibility of early warning, ensuring they wouldn't be caught off guard by the approaching Iwa Shinobi reinforcements.

Body Flicker Jutsu.

Simultaneously, Fugaku and Hyuga Tazumo vanished, appearing amidst a group of Iwa Chunin. One after another, the Iwa Chunin fell under the influence of Sharingan, briefly succumbing to illusions.

In Fugaku's hands, his strikes were unyielding, resulting in the demise of three Iwa Chunin.

Three consecutive messages appeared in Fugaku's mind.

"Kill a Chunin and gain a small amount of Pupil Strength."

"Captain, someone has appeared in the distance," Aburame Nozawa suddenly reported.

Fugaku glanced in the direction pointed out by Nozawa, but he couldn't spot the figure yet. However, since the keen Aburame had detected their presence, it meant they weren't far away.

Eyeing the three injured Iwa Chunin remaining, he commanded, "Withdraw. Hyuga Tazumo, lead the team in finding Inuzuka Maru."

"Follow me," Fugaku commanded, his afterimage flickering, leaving only the three injured Iwa Chunin and Uchiha Fugaku at the scene.

One of the injured Iwa Chunin looked at the motionless Fugaku, swallowing hard before speaking, "Why don't you leave? Our reinforcements will arrive soon. Staying here will only lead to our demise."

Fugaku observed the three Iwa Chunin. They were weak against him, yet fear and dread lingered in their eyes, fearing what he might do.

Several afterimages flickered, blood spattering.

Three consecutive messages appeared in Fugaku's mind.

Fugaku remained not only to eliminate the remaining three Iwa Chunin but also to erase any evidence of their skirmish.

Konoha's Intelligence Section possessed the ability to extract memories from the deceased and search the memories of the living. Fugaku was unsure if other Hidden Villages had this capability.

Continuing to engage the Iwa Shinobi team would reveal their full strength prematurely, making them vulnerable to Iwa's focus.

Transforming the several corpses into a chain of explosive traps would destroy both the bodies and the evidence, while also slowing down the enemy's pursuit.

Body Flicker Jutsu.

With several swift movements, Fugaku disappeared into the curtain of rain.

As Fugaku vanished, multiple afterimages appeared one after another.

A series of explosions erupted behind him. Fugaku couldn't tell if Iwa Shinobi reinforcements had been ensnared. His pace quickened. Eleven figures came into view ahead, their bodies riddled with wounds. Some sat cross-legged, while others stood, patiently awaiting Fugaku's arrival.

Glimpsing the deceased Iwa Shinobi on the ground, Fugaku commanded, "Destroy the brain tissue of the corpses and retreat."

For at least three months, the team's information must not be exposed. Otherwise, Iwa Shinobi would become an even greater threat once they became the target.

The wound on Fugaku's left arm continued to bleed, causing intermittent pain that made him furrow his brow.

A quick assessment revealed that the others were not faring much better. Though their injuries weren't fatal, they were soaked in blood.

Finding a secure location to tend to their wounds was imperative. Otherwise, encountering the enemy again would only result in their vulnerability being exploited.