Powerful High Beam

"Who exactly are you?"

Yashiro Uchiha's gaze was sharp as a blade as he stared fixedly at Shinji, who was surrounded on all sides.

The other man wore a fox mask and ordinary ninja attire. Yashiro secretly speculated: Was he Anbu?

Yet Shinji remained silent from beginning to end.

When Yashiro's gaze fell upon the bulging backpack behind Shinji, his expression instantly turned cold.

"Put down the bag on your back and surrender!"

His Sharingan narrowed sharply as Yashiro quietly cast a genjutsu, attempting to subdue his opponent without a sound.

However, Shinji merely raised a hand and lightly patted his backpack, showing no reaction whatsoever to the genjutsu.

The next moment, crimson tomoe lit up in his eyes as well. He had activated his Sharingan, having guarded against a genjutsu ambush from the start.

"Sharingan?!"

Yashiro cried out in shock. Looking at those familiar Dojutsu beneath the mask, he finally understood.

"You're one of our clan! Why are you doing this?!"

His voice was filled with rage and disbelief.

The Police Force ninjas around him also revealed angry expressions at those words.

Several of them advanced a few steps, instantly tightening the encirclement.

Yashiro completely lost his patience and waved his hand sharply. "Get him together!"

"Yes!"

The Police Force members answered in unison.

Before their voices had even faded, Yashiro had already drawn a kunai and leaped toward Shinji.

Shinji did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. He spun around and rushed toward the rear right.

Facing an encirclement of over twenty people, there were only three ninjas in that direction—the weakest and easiest point to break through.

Those three Uchiha Police Force members reacted swiftly as well.

One flung dozens of shuriken at Shinji, while another immediately pressed one hand to his lips and spewed flames from his mouth, coating the flying shuriken.

The two worked in perfect coordination, using a combined technique resembling Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson.

The last man drew his blade and slashed horizontally, sealing off every possible angle from which Shinji could break out.

Those who could enter the Police Force were all elites of the Uchiha Clan, skilled in cooperation and seasoned by experience.

Faced with the blazing swarm of shuriken, Shinji rapidly formed hand seals, his chest heaving violently.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A scorching orange-red fireball burst forth and collided violently with the flaming shuriken.

Amid the explosion, sparks scattered in every direction as turbulent air swept through the area.

Even so, several shuriken pierced through the aftermath of the blast and continued toward Shinji without losing momentum.

Shinji's pupils contracted slightly. Relying on the Sharingan's dynamic vision, he sharply twisted aside to evade.

At that moment, the blade-wielding Police Force member had already closed in. He stepped forward and brought his blade down in a direct slash.

The other two Uchiha members who had just completed their combined attack instantly flanked Shinji from both sides, forming a three-sided pincer attack.

Shinji hurriedly raised his arm and forcibly blocked with his kunai.

The footsteps of the pursuers behind him drew closer and closer. Knowing he could not afford a prolonged fight, he deliberately retreated, intentionally exposing an opening.

A sharp glint flashed in the sword-wielding ninja's eyes, and he thrust without hesitation.

The blade plunged viciously into Shinji's abdomen.

"Got him!"

But the next second, the pierced "Shinji" abruptly vanished, exploding into more than a dozen black crows that scattered and flew in all directions.

"He disappeared?! A Substitution Technique!" The blade-wielding ninja froze.

"He's behind us! Activate the Sharingan! He can turn invisible!" Someone immediately detected the disturbance and shouted a warning.

At the instant he was "hit," Shinji had used the Substitution Technique in conjunction with Transparent Release to vanish. Taking advantage of everyone's momentary shock, he tore open a gap and sprinted toward the less crowded direction without looking back.

One light after another came on in Konoha's residential district.

More and more people pushed open their doors and emerged, staring suspiciously toward the commotion. Some even mistook it for an enemy village's assault on Konoha.

Anbu, Root, and jonin from the various clans were all drawn by the disturbance.

When they saw the Uchiha Clan collectively pursuing a ninja wearing a fox mask, a thought immediately flashed through their minds:

Something major had happened to the Uchiha.

Quite a few people immediately followed after them, both to fulfill their duty of protecting Konoha and to uncover the truth behind the incident.

Shinji leaped rapidly across the rooftops, and after only a few bounds, landed atop a three-story residence.

The rooftops of the residences were covered in green tiles, making this one of the few high points nearby.

He stood still and slowly let out a breath.

Running forever was never going to solve anything.

With a thought, the System Shop unfolded within his mind, and he selected a single-use consumable he had noticed before.

Before long, Yashiro led the Police Force in surrounding him once again.

Not far away, Fugaku Uchiha happened to arrive with several clansmen. The moment he looked up and saw Shinji's scarlet Sharingan, his brows furrowed sharply.

He understood as well that Shinji was a member of the Uchiha Clan.

His gaze swept over the figures lurking in the shadows all around them, and he called out loudly:

"This is an internal Uchiha matter. I ask that our fellow Konoha shinobi refrain from interfering."

After a pause, he added, "The Police Force will apprehend this man. Afterwards, I will personally report the matter to the Hokage."

Figures flickered around them as shinobi from the various clans and the Anbu all revealed themselves.

"Please proceed, Clan Head Fugaku."

Someone responded, yet no one withdrew. Clearly, they all intended to watch how things unfolded.

The Uchiha were Konoha's foremost clan, yet one of their own had defected. The matter was enough to shake the entire village.

Fugaku's expression darkened, but he could not force them away. With a helpless sigh, he turned his gaze back to Shinji on the rooftop.

Yashiro immediately stepped forward and warned in a low voice, "Clan Head, be careful. He can turn invisible!"

Fugaku nodded slightly and coldly ordered the Police Force:

"Everyone, activate your Sharingan. Seal off every escape route and keep a close eye on his every movement!"

"Take him alive at all costs!"

Feeling the gazes converging on him from every direction, Shinji raised a hand and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The scene's getting bigger and bigger."

He silently closed the system.

The next instant, Shinji bent his knees and crouched down. His legs suddenly exploded with force, launching him skyward like an arrow.

Fugaku's heart tightened as he shouted an order:

"Move together! Catch him!"

More than twenty Police Force members leaped up at once, pouncing toward the sky from all directions.

Everyone's eyes were fixed firmly on that figure.

Under the moonlight, Shinji's silhouette slowly overlapped with the bright full moon.

He raised both hands before him, Chakra erupting in a raging torrent.

"Solar Flare!"

[Solar Flare (Consumable)]

[Type: Skill]

[Description: Concentrate Chakra in both hands, then abruptly spread your palms toward the enemy, instantly unleashing a flash of light even more dazzling than the sun]

[Note: A powerful high-beam flashlight!]

A blinding white light burst from his palms, instantly sweeping across the entire scene.

The cold moonlight was completely swallowed up. The night lit up like day, and more than half of Konoha was startled awake by the intense flash.

The Police Force members rushing toward him screamed as they clutched their eyes, falling one after another like kites with their strings cut. Even the Sharingan had no defense against such extreme light.

Fugaku, Yashiro, and every shinobi watching from the sidelines felt agonizing pain in their eyes. Tears streamed down their faces as they dropped to their knees in disarray, their formation completely collapsing.

"My eyes!"

"It's too bright! I'm going blind!"

"Damn it!"

Wails and curses rose one after another.

Taking advantage of the opening, Shinji's figure vanished into the night once more.

This time, no one could catch up to him again.