Battle with Uchiha Feng

"Underhanded!"

He only had time to curse before being shocked by the speed of Katsuo's attack.

So fast!

His fist barely grazed Uchiha Feng's old face before Feng grabbed his wrist with his backhand, used Katsuo's force against him, and flung him toward an open patch nearby.

Katsuo flipped through the air, landed steadily, and charged at Uchiha Feng at full speed.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

Katsuo leaped up and viciously kicked at his head.

"Bang!"

Uchiha Feng raised a hand to block, his feet remaining perfectly still as his other hand reached for Katsuo's ankle.

But Leaf Whirlwind was a two-part kick. After the first strike was blocked, Katsuo remained steady and kicked away Uchiha Feng's reaching hand with his other foot.

"Leaf Rock-Destroying Rise!"

The moment he landed, Katsuo drove an elbow toward Feng's chin. Uchiha Feng took a step back and slammed his clenched right fist down head-on!

Katsuo grunted and retreated rapidly, his face flushing from the intense pain.

Seizing the opening Katsuo had revealed, Uchiha Feng pressed his attack repeatedly. In an instant, Katsuo was at a disadvantage and was kicked a long distance away.

Fortunately, his reactions were quick, and he was slightly faster than the elderly Uchiha Feng. That was the only reason he managed to block the kick, suffering only a minor injury.

No big deal!

"Kid, you're still too green."

Uchiha Feng sneered.

Katsuo remained silent. He understood what the old man meant. His strength was indeed still too lacking, but that was limited by his body and age. There was nothing Katsuo could do about it for now.

"Pretty thick-skinned..."

Katsuo suddenly smiled and tapped his right cheek with a finger, mocking him without restraint.

Feeling the slight burning abrasion on his right cheek, Uchiha Feng said darkly,

"Mikoto, move farther away."

Katsuo glanced at Mikoto, who was too shocked to react, and gave a soft laugh.

"Mikoto, get farther away. Don't worry, I'm only sparring with your Grandfather. I won't really hurt him."

At those words, Uchiha Feng's face twitched. After restraining himself and watching Mikoto leave, Uchiha Feng attacked immediately. He could no longer endure it!

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The signature opening ninjutsu of the Uchiha Clan came pouring from his mouth.

Katsuo's eyes widened. He had not expected the old man to get serious!

Isn't he afraid of hurting me? I'm only five!

Katsuo cursed inwardly, kicked off the ground, and rolled several times on the spot in the least energy-consuming yet most undignified manner possible. He chose to rely on his speed advantage to evade Uchiha Feng's Great Fireball.

Amid a thunderous roar, the massive fireball brushed past him!

Before Katsuo could steady himself and rise, the sound of a projectile tearing through the air rang out as a stone shot straight at his head.

"Clang!"

Without even raising his head, Katsuo pulled out a Kunai with his backhand. Sensing the direction of the incoming stone, he swung his hand and knocked it away with perfect accuracy. This was the benefit of his powerful spiritual strength and extraordinary five senses!

His powerful sensory ability was already comparable to the Byakugan's three-hundred-and-sixty-degree visual perception.

In fact, his spiritual perception had no blind spots at all, though its range was still too short, only extending three meters in every direction.

He did not need to look with his eyes; his brain could sense it. Beyond five meters, however, he needed his eyes to see.

After failing with one strike, Uchiha Feng swiftly fired three more Shuriken and then rapidly formed hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

The three Shuriken multiplied and split apart in the blink of an eye. In moments, the sky was filled with Shuriken flying toward Katsuo.

After swinging his Kunai to knock down several of the foremost Shuriken,

Katsuo coated his feet with Chakra and scrambled on all fours, rolling and crawling behind a large tree.

"Damn it, old man, are you seriously going all out?"

Katsuo shouted, not waiting for Uchiha Feng to answer.

The moment the Shuriken had completely missed, Katsuo flashed out and charged at Uchiha Feng!

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Dense clusters of small fireballs poured from his mouth, smashing directly toward Katsuo. This time, there was nowhere for him to dodge!

Just as delight appeared on Uchiha Feng's face, he discovered that the struck Katsuo transformed into a log with a bang!

"Substitution Technique! When did he...?"

Uchiha Feng was startled, but in the next instant, he realized Katsuo was still behind that tree. He had cast the technique first but delayed its activation—a common method for those skilled in using the Substitution Technique!

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A Great Fireball slightly smaller than Uchiha Feng's came hurtling straight toward him. Katsuo was finally going all out!

Katsuo followed closely behind the rapidly flying fireball. With a lift of both hands, he threw two Kunai to either side, then flipped his hands to reveal two more Shuriken. He intended to seal off Uchiha Feng's escape routes!

The precise Kunai-throwing technique made Uchiha Feng frown. His Chakra consumption was too great!

Though he recognized Katsuo's intention to wear him down, his hands continued forming seals at high speed.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

Every wielder of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was a master of ninjutsu. This was universally acknowledged in the ninja world, as copying ninjutsu was an ability unique to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Though he did not possess Water-nature Chakra, that did not mean he could not use Water Release ninjutsu. The consequence was merely that the technique would be weaker and consume far more Chakra.

But this Water Release was more than enough to block Katsuo's Great Fireball.

"Bang!"

"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"

After a brief collision, water and fire clashed, canceling each other out as thick steam erupted!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Through the smoke, clusters of small fireballs broke through the dense mist and crashed toward Uchiha Feng head-on. Only then did Katsuo's voice drift over.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

This time, it was Uchiha Feng's turn to flee in a sorry state!

Hiding behind a large tree, Uchiha Feng panted heavily. The battle had not lasted particularly long, but it had not been short either. He was already beginning to run out of steam.

After all, he was truly old. It had been at least ten years since he had last fought seriously. At his age and status, he did not need to do anything himself. He had plenty of subordinates and juniors at his beck and call.

Terrifying! Is this guy really only five and a half? Who taught him such combat experience and such use of ninjutsu? And how does he have this much Chakra?

Uchiha Feng's face was filled with disbelief. Uchiha Izumi had been sent by him to guide Katsuo, but he knew Izumi had never sparred with Katsuo in actual combat.

Although they all understood Katsuo's terrifying talent, they subconsciously believed he was still a child and not worth personally guiding through real combat. Uchiha Izumi had thought the same way.

Thus, aside from teaching Katsuo combat theory and techniques and providing guidance in cultivation, they had simply let him train his body on his own.

"Was he taught by that Genin named Might Duy?"

"That shouldn't be possible. Didn't they say that Genin only knew taijutsu?"

Uchiha Feng denied the thought himself. Though he had paid close attention to Katsuo and knew that he often trained with Might Duy, he did not know the specifics.

In truth, his guess was not wrong. Katsuo had indeed gained such combat ability with Old Duy's help.

In Old Duy's eyes, Katsuo was never treated like a child. They already called each other brothers, so naturally, he treated Katsuo as an equal.

Sparring and combat had been cultivation assignments Old Duy had recently demanded.

Old Duy's taijutsu was extremely powerful. When Katsuo fought him in taijutsu, he was beaten miserably and could not even touch the corner of the man's clothes.

He could only barely hold out for a while, avoiding an overly swift defeat, by relying on his use of ninjutsu, support from genjutsu, and the Shuriken-throwing techniques he had learned from Uchiha Izumi.

Thus, battle after battle, Katsuo's combat experience quietly improved at a rapid pace.

Listening to fireballs strike the tree trunk one after another, Uchiha Feng leaned against the tree and panted, intending to recover some Chakra.

But Katsuo refused to let him off, pressing forward step by step!

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A loud shout rang out. Uchiha Feng's face changed drastically, and without thinking, he rolled across the ground. He knew the tree he was hiding behind could not block a Great Fireball.

Yet the expected sound of an explosion never came. Instead, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

I've been tricked!

Katsuo's shout had merely been a bluff. Uchiha Feng had been fooled again!

But it made sense. How could a child under six have so much Chakra? And how could he keep throwing techniques one after another without stopping? It was obviously impossible, but Uchiha Feng did not dare take the gamble. Katsuo had already frightened him too many times. If another Great Fireball really came, that little tree would not be able to stop it!

In the end, he was simply cowardly. The older one grew, the more one cherished one's life...

Old and frail, he found it difficult to evade the incoming projectile.