Duel

"You... you all..."

Fugaku Uchiha's chest heaved violently.

He stared in disbelief at the Uchiha standing opposite him.

Nearly all of the Uchiha's young Jonin had chosen Kazuna's side, and...

"Why, Itachi?!"

Fugaku turned his gaze toward the corner, where a boy stood silently with one hand raised.

Uchiha Itachi!

His son, his pride, had chosen Kazuna's side?

Fugaku stared at the boy, his expression complicated.

Choosing Kazuna's side now meant opposing him!

Itachi calmly watched his father without saying a word, yet his expression was exceptionally resolute.

He had listened to Kazuna, and he had listened to his father. In the end, he had used his own eyes to examine the clan and the village, and he had made his choice!

"Cough, cough!"

Sougi Uchiha gave two dry coughs, glared behind him, and barked, "Shisui, what are you doing?"

Shisui looked embarrassed. He turned his head away, pretending not to hear, and did not lower his raised hand.

Sougi Uchiha glared at Shisui, both curious and helpless.

Even the backbone of the Dove Faction, Kagami Uchiha's son, had chosen the Hawk Faction?

"Haha!"

Setsuna Uchiha laughed. After coming back to his senses, he immediately signaled for the Hawk Faction members to raise their hands.

With him and the two men behind him, Kazuna had gained an absolute advantage.

Of the twenty-five Jonin, four had automatically abstained, thirteen had chosen Kazuna's side, and eight remained.

There were surely neutrals among them.

If every Uchiha Jonin were counted, there were thirty-three in total, and fifteen had chosen Kazuna's side—nearly half.

And who could guarantee that the clansmen who had not come would not choose Kazuna's side as well?!

"Impressive! Without anyone noticing, you actually won over so many of the clan's Jonin!"

Fugaku Uchiha had already regained his calm. He looked directly at Kazuna and said, "Kazuna, do you intend to launch an armed coup?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly plummeted.

Many people, including Shisui, turned their eyes toward Kazuna.

"How could that be?" Kazuna laughed. "Clan Leader, I guarantee that I will never be the one to start a war."

I'll only make those watching the Uchiha die in agony!

Kazuna's words made quite a few people sigh in relief.

Setsuna Uchiha, however, curled his lip in dissatisfaction.

"Not take the initiative?" Fugaku did not yield in the slightest. "Will you keep expanding the Uchiha Clan's strength, forcing the village to make the first move?"

"Clan Leader, do you know something? In some ways, you really are naive!"

Kazuna shook his head.

Deep down, Fugaku Uchiha was actually a man who loved peace.

Therefore, he instinctively worked toward that goal.

That was also the part Kazuna found hardest to understand.

Whenever someone in the Uchiha Clan wanted to disrupt the village's peace, Fugaku Uchiha would strike hard and crush them all.

So here was the question.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were the ones ruining things, why the hell didn't you go bite them?

It made no damn sense!

To put it bluntly, you were only ruthless toward your own people. That was just throwing your weight around at home!

As a clan leader, that was unqualified. Especially in the Original Work, when faced with Itachi's slaughtering blade, unwilling to see father and son kill each other, he had actually chosen to surrender without resistance!

Screw you.

Did you really deserve the Uchiha from top to bottom?!

"Oh, I'm naive? I'd like to hear the details!" Fugaku's expression remained calm.

Kazuna said speechlessly, "There are only so many people in the clan. Even if I expand to a hundred squads, there will still be the same number of people. Only the titles will be different, won't they?"

"Could it be that if I invited members of other shinobi clans to join, they actually would?"

Fugaku fell silent.

Those familiar with him sensed a hint of awkwardness.

Forgive him. It had been an instinctive reaction. The moment he heard that the Uchiha were expanding their strength, he could not stop himself from wanting to oppose it.

The Third Hokage and the others had pushed him into it.

Seeing this, Yashiro Uchiha hurriedly asked, "Clan Leader, do you accept this result?"

"He can only accept it, because there's one final step left!"

Kazuna suddenly took off his casual outer coat, revealing fitted combat clothes beneath, and walked toward an open area to the side.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, let's have a match. The Uchiha Clan respects strength above all else. If I defeat you, I assume you'll have nothing left to say?"

Everyone froze, then excitement gradually filled their eyes.

Just as Kazuna had said, what the Uchiha Clan admired most was strength!

Fugaku, Setsuna, and Sougi, however, all frowned almost imperceptibly.

They did not understand. With the situation so favorable, why did Kazuna not press his advantage and instead challenge Fugaku?

Even if he was confident in his strength, why create unnecessary complications?

Moreover, as the Uchiha Clan Leader, Fugaku had been known as Fierce Eyes during the Shinobi World War. His prestige was not much weaker than Blood Flame's; they had simply not lived in the same era.

Kazuna was only fifteen years old. He was still far from his peak!

If Kazuna lost, everything he had done could turn to foam.

Unless he was absolutely certain!

But against Fugaku Uchiha, the Uchiha Clan Leader—

Who could be absolutely certain?

"What's wrong, Clan Leader Fugaku? Don't tell me you're scared?"

Faced with Kazuna's provocation, Fugaku snorted coldly, rose, and walked toward him. "Kid, don't get too arrogant, or you'll be taught a lesson."

"Then come teach me one!"

Kazuna chuckled. Three Tomoe appeared in his eyes as powerful Dojutsu began to spread.

The same Three Tomoe appeared in Fugaku's eyes.

Looking at Kazuna, he suddenly said, "Come to think of it, Kazuna, I've never fought you before."

As the Uchiha Clan Leader, Fugaku Uchiha had guided many young Uchiha.

Shisui and Itachi most of all.

But Kazuna, whose fame had once surpassed both of them, had always avoided him.

He had always believed that Setsuna had said something to Kazuna. Yet everything today proved that this boy had long since begun walking his own path.

The two stared at each other.

Their auras clashed before either of them moved.

Feeling the pressure, the other Uchiha grew even more excited.

One was the Uchiha Clan Leader, hailed as the Uchiha's strongest.

The other was the Uchiha's rising star, the Blood Flame of the battlefield—Kazuna.

Who was stronger?

Suddenly, both began forming hand seals at the same time.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Their hand seals were equally skilled. The only difference was the color of their flames.

A ball of blood-colored flame reflected in everyone's eyes. After colliding with Fugaku's Great Fireball, it did not pause for even an instant, forcing the other flames back.

Overwhelming power!

Fugaku's expression changed slightly.

He had long heard Blood Flame's great name, but this was his first time experiencing the power of that demonic blood-red fire.

"Boom!!!"

The blood-colored flames crashed into Fugaku, erupting in a massive explosion that instantly swallowed him.

Yet Kazuna formed hand seals again without hesitation, aiming behind himself.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Countless blood-colored flames fell sporadically toward the earth like a meteor shower.

Fugaku appeared exactly there.

Body Flicker Technique!

But the Phoenix Sage Fire was already right before him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Fugaku's body was struck by the Phoenix Sage Fire, as though riddled by bullets. Holes appeared all over him before he turned into a cloud of smoke.

Shadow Clone Technique!

"Over here!"

Fugaku's deep voice rang out behind Kazuna. His hands formed seals, and his Fire Release was already prepared.

"Over here!"

The same words sounded behind Fugaku.

Fugaku's pupils contracted violently.

His rich combat experience made his body instinctively use the Body Flicker Technique.

"Too late!"

A wicked smile curled Kazuna's lips.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A massive blaze shot into the sky and instantly engulfed Fugaku.