The two tachi collided solidly.
Uchiha Yashiro chose the most direct approach. Relying on what he believed to be overwhelming speed and strength over Seisui, he wanted to defeat him in a single move through the most primitive, irresistible means possible!
Any exquisite technique or Kenjutsu had to be built upon strength.
Otherwise, it was a flower reflected in water, a moon mirrored in glass—flashy on the surface, but shattered at the slightest touch.
Yet judging from the shock on Uchiha Yashiro's face, his plan had failed.
Seisui gripped his sword with both hands, the muscles in his arms swelling slightly as Muramasa firmly suppressed Uchiha Yashiro's blade. He said coldly, "Senior, are you going to abandon all of the Uchiha Clan's pride and glory today?"
"No matter who your opponent is, once you draw your weapon, fight with everything you have in the name of Uchiha!"
Uchiha Yashiro's expression darkened as he resisted Seisui's strength with all his might. He cursed inwardly, I'm already using all my strength! Is this brat from the Senju Clan or something? How can he be this strong...
And you're saying this kind of thing—how am I supposed to save face now?
Just as Uchiha Yashiro's thoughts were thrown off slightly by Seisui's words—
Seisui suddenly withdrew the force behind his heavy, powerful blade. Uchiha Yashiro was still driving his strength forward and could not pull back his center of gravity in time, causing his entire body to lurch forward.
Seisui moved like a swimming dragon. His enhanced Double Tomoe and motor nerves gave him extraordinary clarity of thought and vision while moving; it was almost as if everything had slowed down.
A vicious, icy slash swept upward from the side, cutting from Uchiha Yashiro's abdomen toward his chest!
It was meant to gut him alive!
Alarm bells rang wildly in Uchiha Yashiro's mind. A ninja's sixth sense screamed warnings at him as the Three Tomoe in his eyes spun madly, and he threw himself backward with all his strength!
Slash!
The sound of tearing cloth rang out. After retreating more than ten meters, Uchiha Yashiro stared at Seisui with wariness filling his eyes.
From his abdomen to his chest, Muramasa had brutally cut a wound nearly half a finger deep. Blood poured out continuously, staining the ground of the training field red.
"Brat, you've made me angry..." Uchiha Yashiro endured the pain, swiftly tore open his fine shirt, and quickly wrapped the wound in a simple bandage to stop the bleeding.
"In terms of Kenjutsu, you're at least at the level of a Jonin within the clan. And your strength is far too great for a Ninja Academy child..."
"This match is indeed me bullying the young, but it is for the future of the Uchiha Clan. And just as you said, as an Uchiha, once you fight, you must give it everything you have."
"I'll apologize properly after I win."
"But now, I'm getting serious."
The Three Tomoe in Uchiha Yashiro's eyes spun fiercely. At that moment, his dynamic vision rose dramatically!
Bloodthirsty red light locked onto Seisui's figure.
This was the oppressive feeling of facing a Three Tomoe Uchiha one-on-one.
In a one-on-one fight, enemies without sufficient resistance to Genjutsu could not even look directly at an Uchiha. They could only flee in panic and take blows passively, much less defeat an Uchiha.
And even if their resistance to Genjutsu was high enough, the Three Tomoe Sharingan's dynamic vision and copying ability could provide the Uchiha with vast amounts of information, allowing them to seize the initiative the instant their opponent moved.
The Sharingan's copying ability did not only work on Ninjutsu; an enemy's Taijutsu could be copied as well.
"You may be a genius, but before these eyes of mine, all your tricks will soon have nowhere to hide..."
Uchiha Yashiro's entire demeanor changed, becoming confident and cold. "Experience the power of the Sharingan. No matter how proud a genius may be, he will hate the miserable fate of not possessing the Sharingan."
The corners of Seisui's mouth unconsciously curled upward. He softly said to Tobirama Senju within him, "Tobirama, I heard that Uchiha Izuna said something similar to you back then..."
"Yes. He told me that many times. The last time I heard it was before the Flying Thunder God Slash pierced his chest." Tobirama Senju smiled knowingly, folding his arms as he spoke in a calm, proud tone.
Seisui's fingers flew as he completed several hand seals in an instant.
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
Darkness descended upon the earth, and the pitch-black gloom froze Uchiha Yashiro's twisted smile.
But it was not over yet.
Seisui did not rush in to attack. Instead, he continued forming hand seals. "Water Release: Mist Technique!"
Thick mist covered the training field, and visibility plummeted. Even the space within a single meter could not be seen through.
Although Shisui was not caught within the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, he could not evade the Mist Technique that covered the entire field. So he crept into a corner by the wall and quietly chose to watch.
As the first Uchiha to be completely overwhelmed by Seisui, he understood this feeling very well.
Once someone else controlled the rhythm, every step went wrong. Even struggling with all one's strength only led to a miserable mess.
Little Shisui sat leisurely on the ground, looking in Uchiha Yashiro's direction. There was even a trace of pity in his eyes...
Uchiha Yashiro had wanted to mock Seisui a little more, but the unavoidable darkness swallowed his vision.
"Hmph... Mere Genjutsu, and you dare act so arrogantly before the Three Tomoe Sharingan..." Uchiha Yashiro sneered viciously. The red light in his eyes flared as his Dojutsu tore at the darkness like a sharp blade!
But the darkness was not pierced by his Dojutsu. Instead, Seisui's slash had already arrived, whistling down from directly above Uchiha Yashiro's head, intent on splitting him in two!
Uchiha Yashiro was jolted in shock. He truly had not expected the Three Tomoe Sharingan to be unable to dispel Seisui's Genjutsu!
What he did not know was that this Genjutsu, which Tobirama Senju had improved from Hashirama Senju's technique, also contained some of the properties of Uzumaki Fuinjutsu. It was not merely a simple Genjutsu.
Trying to break it quickly through Dojutsu alone was still extremely difficult...
At the very least, Uchiha Yashiro, who was encountering this darkness for the first time, needed time to adapt.
Uchiha Yashiro's eyes nearly split apart as he pushed his Dojutsu to its limit in a short burst, blood vessels surfacing in his eyes.
But even so, he could barely make out a trace of Muramasa's blade trajectory!
The merciless slash fell. Throwing all dignity aside, Uchiha Yashiro rolled sharply to the side, dodging the fatal blow in a move resembling a donkey rolling on the ground!
But this time, another wound of torn flesh appeared on his arm.
Fuck... I remember now. This is the Genjutsu recorded in the clan's ancient texts, the one Tobirama Senju specifically developed to counter the Uchiha! How does this brat know it?!
Uchiha Yashiro gritted his teeth, yet strangely, he felt a hint of relief.
Thankfully Tobirama Senju was dead. If that bastard had lived another twenty or thirty years, who knew how many more techniques he would have developed to plague the Uchiha!
"Senior Yashiro, focus."
Seisui's voice sounded from within the darkness, ethereal and cold. "I don't want to kill you, but don't lose focus. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to stain my hands with a clansman's blood..."
"The next slash will cut your left shoulder."
This was really too much...
Just yesterday, I was boldly boasting to all you esteemed readers—
If I didn't update on time, I'd owe you a chapter...
And today the power went out. Seriously?
Perhaps this was life! Spreads hands
Before you continue