He couldn't be sure of the truth.
Based on his own experience, the ocular power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was fundamentally different from that of the Sharingan. It wasn't quite enough to overturn everything he knew, but the difference between the two was still obvious. The moment someone used the Mangekyō Sharingan's power in front of others, they would be discovered—even if they didn't use any unique techniques and relied on ocular power alone.
Sōken had used Genjutsu several times just now to defeat a number of clan members. Shisui had watched closely with his Sharingan, but hadn't noticed any unusual fluctuations in ocular power.
Even so,
Normally, there shouldn't be such a huge gap between Sharingan users with the same Three Tomoe, should there? How had Sōken's ocular power grown strong enough, while still at the Three Tomoe stage, to overwhelm other members of the clan with Three Tomoe?
The question defied explanation, leaving Shisui deeply perplexed.
Meanwhile,
the battle continued.
The Uchiha were a proud clan. Their pride wouldn't allow them to admit defeat or surrender. Even knowing their chances were slim, they would fight to the bitter end!
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spear!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Having witnessed their friends' crushing defeats, the two remaining men didn't give up hope and attack recklessly. They learned from their friends' failures and had seen how dangerous Samehada was, so they changed their approach once more. Abandoning Taijutsu, they switched to ninjutsu and desperately sought that one slim chance of victory.
Fortunately, the two men still had their wits about them.
They didn't actually resort to powerful ninjutsu capable of reshaping the terrain, like Great Fire Annihilation.
"Ninjutsu, huh?"
A pleased smile spread across Sōken's face.
Of the three great disciplines—ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu—his greatest strength wasn't Genjutsu or Taijutsu, but ninjutsu. His innate skill, Magic Release, allowed him to master Fire Style to its utmost limits. Otherwise, he wouldn't have earned the nickname Camael!
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Sōken formed the Tiger hand seal with one hand.
In an instant, he gathered the right amount of Chakra, then opened his mouth and exhaled. A lifelike fire dragon, its horns and scales clearly defined, grew larger as it rode the wind. It didn't charge straight ahead. Instead, it curved through the air like a fish in water, using its immense body to effortlessly swallow the Phoenix Flowers flying toward it.
Then the fire dragon suddenly dived toward the ground, destroying every stone spear that had thrust up from the earth. It scraped away the wooden floorboards and a layer of dirt as well. Just as the surrounding clan members prepared to intervene and save the two men, who were about to be swallowed by the fast and furious dragon—
the dragon spun around on the spot and extinguished itself.
"Impressive!"
Uchiha An, the only woman among the Six Clan Elders, praised him without thinking.
"Absolutely beautiful! Sōken, your Fire Style has a third of the flair I had in my youth!" Elder Homaru burst into hearty laughter. He clapped his hands vigorously, as though that were the only way to vent his excitement.
"So cool! As expected of Brother Sōken!"
Uchiha Hokuto jumped up. If Uchiha Arashiyama hadn't been holding him down, the little guy would have been dancing around.
It wasn't just one or two people praising Sōken's masterful Fire Style. The Uchiha were all experts at playing with fire, especially the Jonin gathered in the Secret Chamber, every one of them a seasoned practitioner. They understood even better than the Mist Ninja just how powerful Sōken's Fire Style was.
It had clearly transcended the limits of ordinary Fire Style and reached a level of complete control.
Unless it was an S-rank Fire Style technique, other Fire Style techniques were practically meaningless in Sōken's hands. Take the C-rank Great Fireball Technique, for example: Sōken could adjust its power to suit his needs, shifting effortlessly between A-rank and C-rank levels.
"You can use Great Dragon Fire like that? And here I was, always trying to release four fire dragons. I guess my perspective's still too narrow! Increasing the number isn't the only way to get stronger..."
"So this is Camael?"
"Can any of you do that?"
"How could we? If I could make my Fire Style look that cool, I wouldn't still be single!"
"Get lost! Your being single has nothing to do with whether your Fire Style looks cool."
The conversation had gone off on a tangent, but Sōken had achieved his goal. After his Genjutsu and Taijutsu, this stunning display of Fire Style had shaken the clan members. Even the veteran Jonin in their forties and fifties had started to change their minds without realizing it.
Their hostility and resistance toward Sōken had instantly lessened.
That was the Uchiha—
a clan that worshipped strength down to their very bones!
They were proud of their bloodline, their talent, their eyes, and their strength. And so they revered those stronger than themselves. In the presence of a truly powerful person, age, seniority, and rank... none of those things mattered anymore.
Amid the clan members' heated discussion,
the battle came to an end.
"You've lost!"
A Sōken stood behind each of the two men, holding a short sword against their kidneys. One thrust would be fatal.
"When did you—?"
The two men turned around in disbelief.
"While your vision was blocked by the Great Dragon Fire," one of the Sōkens answered with a smile.
"We lost! You... certainly have reason to be so arrogant."
In the end, the proud Uchiha lowered their heads before another Uchiha.
They couldn't bring themselves to deny the result or act like sore losers. Too many people were watching, and they couldn't stoop to something that shameful! Besides, as the ones who had faced him head-on, the two men couldn't shake the sense of defeat left by Sōken's breathtaking Fire Style.
They really couldn't put on the airs of seniority now.
The two men sighed as they helped their defeated companions to the left side of the Secret Chamber. Sōken also released the man trapped by the Restricting Bone Prison Technique. Uchiha Yashiro and the unlucky Uchiha Kōhei from earlier were freed as well.
But,
everyone now clearly understood how formidable Camael was, and kept quiet instead of making any more threats.
"Anyone else want to play with me?"
Sōken waved his hand. His two Water Clones burst apart, leaving two puddles on the floor. Come to think of it, the Secret Chamber really needed major repairs. Between the Earth Style and Fire Style, the wooden floorboards had been completely wrecked. If they didn't fix it up, everyone would have to split up and sit along the sides next time they held a meeting.
Sōken's voice echoed through the Secret Chamber.
This time, no one stepped forward. Four against one had already been shameful enough—and they'd still lost. Sōken wasn't even breathing hard, so he clearly hadn't reached his limit. Anyone who stepped forward now would most likely only humiliate themselves. There was no point in asking for trouble.
Sōken waited for about ten seconds.
When nobody spoke up, he didn't press them. He simply flexed his wrist, sending a signal that lowered the spikes raised along Samehada's surface.
Then,
he turned to the clan leader, whose expression had darkened.
"Since nobody else wants to play with me... let's get down to business. I, Uchiha Sōken, hereby impeach the current clan leader, Fugaku Uchiha. He has failed to do his duty and made one blunder after another. He bears undeniable responsibility for the predicament our clan is in today. At this point, he is no longer fit to remain clan leader."
Riding the momentum of his victory, Sōken boldly turned his attack on Fugaku Uchiha.
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