Difficult? Then don't do it.

Sealing Jutsu: Fire Sealing Method!

A casual barrier seal, effortlessly extinguishing the Fire Style that the Uchiha relied on.

Elder Hiroki felt utterly helpless, cursing the monstrous nature of Sealing Jutsu in his heart.

He drew his long sword, gathering fearsome wind-attribute Chakra.

If this strike landed, it would absolutely slice him in two as easily as cutting tofu.

"You never learn." Uzumaki Ashina made no special move; he simply raised his index finger and pressed it firmly into the empty space before him.

In an instant, the entire world seemed to ripple.

The fierce and domineering slash was utterly unable to break through the sticky seal. The closer it got, the weaker the power contained within the blade became.

"What the hell is this move?! Can't you just fight me head-on?!" Uchiha Hiroki was about to explode with anger.

Then, he was sent flying by the Adamantine Sealing Chains that suddenly appeared.

Gasping and spitting out a mouthful of blood, the Uchiha elder lowered his head, looking at his abdomen, which had nearly been pierced. His eyes flickered uncertainly.

He realized the enemy's strength seemed even greater now.

Adamantine Sealing Chains were a powerful Secret Technique capable of suppressing even the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Ashina's most prized creation.

If he had unleashed it with full power, Uchiha Hiroki's body would have been pierced on the spot, leaving him crippled if not dead.

However, he hadn't yet made up his mind, unwilling to completely alienate the Uchiha clan.

As many had commented, Uzumaki Ashina was a rather indecisive Clan Head, lacking the drive to abandon everything and strive for ultimate strength.

If his daughter hadn't been captured, this battle probably wouldn't have started so soon.

Silently getting up from the ground, Elder Hiroki's expression was grim as he constantly pondered a counter-strategy.

Suddenly, a flash of light seemed to flicker in the distance. A specially made Kunai broke through the air, shooting towards the enemy's rear from a blind spot.

"It's no use." Hiroki shook his head, knowing such an attack wouldn't achieve anything.

Without Uzumaki Ashina needing to turn around, golden chains automatically struck the Kunai down.

Just then, Kyosuke's figure appeared out of thin air, his Chidori blade swiftly slashing towards the enemy several meters away.

"Too far." He sighed inwardly, knowing the attack would likely be in vain.

The Flying Thunder God Technique hadn't advanced to the second stage, preventing him from teleporting by moving coordinates.

In other words, where he appeared depended on where the enemy struck the Kunai down.

A few meters might be a short distance, but it was enough for an enemy like Uzumaki Ashina to react.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu, as expected, is extraordinary." The chains swept out, and Kyosuke was instantly sent flying.

His so-called Jonin-level combat power was completely useless against Uzumaki Ashina.

Using the chains to pick up the special Kunai from the ground, Uzumaki Ashina attempted a few hand seals, seemingly searching for a way to seal space-time.

Kyosuke, of course, was unwilling to miss such a golden opportunity.

Attaching Lightning Release Chakra to his blade, he directly teleported next to the enemy, attempting a killing blow with speed.

Then, he experienced the helplessness that Minato and Tobirama felt when facing Six Paths Madara during the Fourth Shinobi War.

That feeling of being so close to a fatal blow, yet utterly unable to break through the defensive seal, was suffocating.

After several attempts, he was sent flying back without exception.

Even with Elder Hiroki cooperating, they still couldn't break through the dense chain defense.

"Are you kidding me?" Kyosuke sighed helplessly, knowing it was impossible to succeed today.

In the distance, Uchiha Madara arrived late, but his presence or absence would have yielded the same result.

After just two brief exchanges, the Dance King understood how troublesome the enemy was.

"This is difficult," Madara murmured quietly.

"Then don't do it." Kyosuke gave them a look and walked alone in front of Uzumaki Ashina, saying, "Clan Head Uzumaki, it seems today's battle is destined to have no conclusion."

"Hand over Mito, and you may leave as you please." Uzumaki Ashina directly stated his bottom line for negotiation.

Clearly, he lacked experience in dealing with others.

Smiling and shaking his head, Kyosuke chuckled and said, "Princess Uzumaki quite enjoys the Uchiha's hospitality. She probably won't be returning anytime soon."

Seeing that the other party intended to make a move, Kyosuke smiled and produced an item.

It was an object from Uzumaki Ashina's tent, and its appearance in the young man's hand indicated that he had recently visited the Uzumaki camp.

After a long silence, Uzumaki Ashina's expression finally turned completely grim: "Are you threatening me?"

As he spoke, a massive amount of Chakra gradually surfaced around his body. At this moment, he finally revealed his full strength.

Unfortunately, the more he did this, the more it highlighted his powerlessness.

Kyosuke's ability to infiltrate the camp and take things meant he had the ability to assassinate any target he desired.

This blatant threat forced Uzumaki Ashina to not dare make any rash moves.

On one hand, his daughter; on the other, his clan members. Already indecisive, he didn't know what to do.

What's more, the young man's Space-Time Ninjutsu was fully capable of teleporting the other two away.

Even if he decided to act, he wouldn't be able to keep all three of them.

"What will it take for you to let them go?" Uzumaki Ashina's tone softened.

"The Uzumaki Clan withdraws their troops," Elder Hiroki proposed an outrageous demand.

The result was predictable; the other party directly and decisively refused, leaving no room for negotiation.

Madara's suggestion was similar. In the end, it was Kyosuke who offered a relatively reliable proposal: "One year. After one year, regardless of the outcome, I guarantee Princess Mito will return safely."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Unfortunately, you probably don't have a choice."

"Why wait a year?"

The other two were also curious about this question.

In response, Kyosuke gave a completely unexpected answer.

"We need one year to figure out a way to defeat you."

"A year." Uzumaki Ashina sighed, knowing he didn't have many options.

He hadn't wanted to fully side with the Senju, and now that he could stall for a year, it seemed like a good choice.

"Very well, I agree." Uzumaki Ashina's gaze swept over the three of them in turn, his eyes filled with sharp intensity.

"If anything happens to Mito, my clan will use the entire nation's strength to completely annihilate the Uchiha."

With that, Uzumaki Ashina turned and left decisively.

Phew~ The three exchanged glances and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Uzumaki Ashina's oppressive aura was too powerful. Madara even suspected that the man's strength might surpass his father's.

While gaining a year was good, how would they find a way to defeat him?

"We'll seek outside help," Kyosuke gave a clear answer.

If the Senju could ally with the Uzumaki Clan, then the Uchiha could naturally find allies.

As for any so-called reputation, it was completely unimportant in the face of tangible benefits.

There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

Once this was understood, nothing was impossible.