How Heavily Heaven Favored the Uchiha!

"Mito-sama?"

"You!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's flushed red face turned ashen. He had never expected Mito Uzumaki to stab him in the back at such a critical moment.

Hadn't she said she would deal with the Uchiha?

Even if he defeated Uchiha Nan, Mito Uzumaki probably would not stand by his side. She would only stand with the Senju Clan!

Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his red-rimmed eyes around the area. Among all these distinguished men, there was not a single loyal subject of Konoha—not one person willing to follow the Hokage's final wishes!

Uchiha Nan broke into a grin. Hiruzen Sarutobi now looked utterly isolated and helpless, like a beast waiting for him to slaughter.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, if you don't dare, then get the hell down here already. Don't waste everyone's time!"

Uchiha Nan's icy gaze fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi, pressing him to make a decision. Uchiha Nan truly hoped Hiruzen Sarutobi would not back down.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still had to bear part of the blood debt owed to the Uchiha of that other world.

"Fine! Then let's settle this between ourselves!"

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not retreat now. Even if he had to die, he would die on the road to becoming Hokage. Otherwise, how could he face his teacher, Tobirama Senju, after death?

"Very good!"

"Let me make this clear first: blades and weapons have no eyes in a ninja duel. If someone dies, it only means they were inferior. Everyone present can bear witness!"

Uchiha Nan activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi as though he were prey, waiting for his response.

The crowd collectively sucked in a breath. Uchiha Nan intended to kill, yet no one spoke up to stop him with any nonsense about stopping at the right moment.

How was fighting for the Hokage Position any different from princes of the Land of Fire fighting over the daimyo's seat?

Brothers fighting brothers and kin slaughtering kin were commonplace. This was a life-and-death struggle, not a dinner party.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally agreed. Having come this far, there was absolutely no reason to retreat.

The scene shifted to the dueling ground, where Uchiha Nan and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood facing one another.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed off the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow at astonishing speed. Several shuriken seemed to appear in his hands as if by magic, and he hurled them all at Uchiha Nan.

"Showing off before an expert!"

Uchiha Nan sneered, moving nimbly without paying any heed to the rapidly approaching shuriken.

Under the dynamic vision of Uchiha's Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Hiruzen Sarutobi's movements were like slow motion.

"Perfect!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled smugly. As Kagami Uchiha's teammate, he had sparred with him dozens of times, if not more. He was thoroughly familiar with the Uchiha Sharingan.

And Uchiha Nan's casual evasions had given Hiruzen Sarutobi an opportunity!

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Uchiha Nan no chance to dodge. A shuriken enlarged dozens of times over instantly split into more than ten copies.

Every direction Uchiha Nan could move—front, back, left, and right—had been completely sealed off by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"It's over!"

A triumphant smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face as he savored the joy of his imminent victory. It suddenly reminded him of Tobirama Senju's teachings.

Arrogance was the Uchiha's common failing!

Tobirama Senju had mentioned more than once how he had personally killed Uchiha Madara's younger brother, Uchiha Izuna.

Feign weakness before the enemy. Uchiha who possessed the Sharingan had become arrogant to the extreme when facing kunai and shuriken attacks. By taking slight advantage of that arrogance, one could kill them with a single strike while they were off guard.

Tobirama Senju had spoken proudly of it. Killing Uchiha Izuna alone was one of his proudest achievements, something he could boast about for a lifetime!

"Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Jutsu!"

Uchiha Nan spat out spheres of magma, melting all of the dozen giant shuriken flying toward him.

Lava Release possessed a heat and corrosiveness that Fire Release lacked. It could easily corrode iron objects into nothing!

What?

The smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face froze. The ninjutsu Uchiha Nan had just used was Lava Release?

He had traveled far and wide with Tobirama Senju and seen most of the Ninja World's Kekkei Genkai. Naturally, he knew the power of Lava Release. Its scorching heat, combined with magma's powerful corrosiveness, could not be touched at all. The moment it made contact, flesh would melt away.

Without treatment from a Medical Ninja, wounds would only fester, become infected, rot, and ultimately lead to a painful death.

But how could Uchiha Nan use Lava Release?

Wasn't the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai the Sharingan?

The onlookers also widened their eyes one after another. What kind of fortune had the Uchiha stumbled upon? They had already inherited the Ninja World's most elite Kekkei Genkai, and now they had awakened Lava Release as well?

Didn't that mean the Uchiha might possess two powerful Kekkei Genkai in the future?

Were the Uchiha Clan the Sage of Six Paths' biological sons or something?

Did he have to favor the Uchiha this much?

The Sage of Six Paths was unfair!

"How can you use Lava Release?!"

"This isn't fair!!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi roared at Uchiha Nan. Seeing Uchiha Nan possess two Kekkei Genkai made Hiruzen Sarutobi so jealous his dick practically turned purple.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew perfectly well how difficult it was for a ninja without a Kekkei Genkai to become strong. Yet Uchiha Nan had two of them. Give him either one, and he could soar to greatness!

"Lava Release: Lava Solidification Jutsu!"

Uchiha Nan had no time to answer Hiruzen Sarutobi's questions. Right now, he only wanted to chop Hiruzen Sarutobi in half.

Uchiha Nan spat out yellowish-brown liquefied magma. The instant it touched the ground, it solidified. If an enemy touched even a little of it, they would be nailed to the ground.

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi fled in panic with his head tucked down, chased by Uchiha Nan's Lava Release ninjutsu. He did not dare slacken in the slightest. If he slowed down even a little, this battle could be declared over.

"What kind of skill is it to use Kekkei Genkai? If you've got the guts, fight me in taijutsu!"

As he ran, Hiruzen Sarutobi began to rage in frustration. This was practically cheating!

He had never even heard of one person possessing two Kekkei Genkai.

Dumbass!

That word surfaced in every onlooker's mind at once. If he was not going to use a Kekkei Genkai, then what was he supposed to use?

It was a gift Heaven had bestowed upon ninja!

Fight you in taijutsu?

If an enemy could be dealt with using ninjutsu, why would anyone stupidly fight you in taijutsu? Were they insane?

Was the Third Hokage candidate chosen by Tobirama Senju really this mentally fragile?

Though they too envied Uchiha Nan, that did not stop them from looking down on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi panted heavily, gasping for breath. His pace was gradually slowing, but he still persisted.

A cruel smile spread across Uchiha Nan's face. He felt the time was about right. What fun was there in pinning Hiruzen Sarutobi in place with ninjutsu and killing him?

He preferred the feeling of waiting until his prey was nearly out of stamina, yet still had enough strength left to run.

It was like Manji toying with mice, savoring the fear of prey desperately fleeing death. He would always play with a mouse until it was utterly exhausted before eating it bite by bite.

Having spent so much time with Manji, Uchiha Nan occasionally adopted Manji's methods to vent the unhappiness in his heart.

But not now!

This was a performance, put on for all the ninja clans in the village!