"Mito-sama?"
"You!!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's flushed face turned ashen. He never expected Mito Uzumaki to stab him in the back at such a critical moment.
Wasn't she supposed to deal with the Uchiha?
Even if he defeated Uchiha Nan, Mito Uzumaki probably still wouldn't side with him. She'd only stand with the Senju Clan!
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced around, his eyes bloodshot. Among all these important figures, there wasn't a single loyal Konoha subject—not one of them would obey the Hokage's final wishes!
Uchiha Nan grinned. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked as if he'd been plunged into utter isolation, just waiting for Nan to finish him off.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, if you don't have the guts, hurry up and get down here. Stop wasting everyone's time!"
Uchiha Nan fixed Hiruzen Sarutobi with a frosty stare, urging him to decide. Honestly, Nan hoped Hiruzen wouldn't back down.
Hiruzen Sarutobi still had to answer for some of the Uchiha's blood debt in another world.
"Fine. Then let's see which of us is stronger!"
There was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi could back down now. Even if he had to die, he would die on the path to becoming Hokage. Otherwise, how could he face his teacher, Tobirama Senju, in the afterlife?
"Excellent!"
"Let me make this clear first: in a fight between ninja, blades don't have eyes. If someone dies, it means they weren't good enough. Everyone here can bear witness!"
Uchiha Nan activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi like prey, waiting for his response.
Everyone present drew in a sharp breath. Uchiha Nan meant to kill. But no one spoke up to stop him or spouted any nonsense about holding back.
How was competing for the Hokage Position any different from the princes of the Land of Fire fighting over the Daimyo's throne?
Brothers fought, and kin slaughtered one another. That was business as usual. This was a fight to the death, not a dinner party.
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally agreed. He'd come too far to turn back now.
The scene shifted to the arena, where Uchiha Nan and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood facing each other.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed off with his feet and shot forward like an arrow. Several Shuriken appeared in his hands as if by magic, and he sent them flying toward Uchiha Nan all at once.
"Trying to show off to an expert!"
Uchiha Nan scoffed and moved nimbly, not even taking the rapidly approaching Shuriken seriously.
With the dynamic vision of the Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan, Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand movements seemed to unfold in slow motion.
"Now's my chance!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled smugly. He'd been Uchiha Kagami's teammate, and the two of them had sparred dozens of times. He knew the Uchiha's Sharingan all too well.
And Uchiha Nan's casual dodging gave him an opening!
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Uchiha Nan no chance to dodge. A Shuriken dozens of times larger instantly split into more than ten copies.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had sealed off every direction Uchiha Nan could move in.
"It's over!"
A smug smile spread across Hiruzen Sarutobi's face as he savored the coming victory. It suddenly reminded him of the lesson his teacher, Tobirama Senju, had taught him.
Arrogance was the Uchiha's most common flaw!
Tobirama Senju had said more than once how he'd once killed Madara Uchiha's younger brother, Izuna Uchiha, in a one-on-one fight.
Lure them into underestimating you. Uchiha with the Sharingan were so arrogant about attacks from Kunai and Shuriken that a little exploitation of their conceit was all it took to catch them off guard and kill them with a single blow.
Tobirama Senju had sounded proud. Killing Izuna Uchiha alone was one of his greatest accomplishments—the kind of thing he could brag about for the rest of his life!
"Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique!"
Uchiha Nan spat out balls of lava, melting all the dozen or so giant Shuriken flying toward him.
Unlike Fire Release, Lava Release had blistering heat and corrosive properties. It could easily eat through metal!
What?
The smile on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face vanished. Had Uchiha Nan just used Lava Release?
He'd traveled far and wide with Tobirama Senju and seen most of the Ninja world's Kekkei Genkai. He knew how dangerous Lava Release was: its scorching heat and the corrosive power of its lava made it impossible to touch. Even the slightest contact would melt flesh.
Without a Medical Ninja to treat the wound, it would become inflamed and infected, then rot until the victim died in agony.
But how could Uchiha Nan use Lava Release?
Wasn't the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai the Sharingan?
The spectators all stared wide-eyed, too. What kind of luck had the Uchiha stumbled into? They already had one of the Ninja world's most powerful Kekkei Genkai by birth, and now one of them had awakened Lava Release as well?
Did that mean the Uchiha might one day possess two powerful Kekkei Genkai?
Were the Uchiha the Sage of Six Paths' own sons or something?
Why favor the Uchiha so much?
The Sage of Six Paths was unfair!
"How can you use Lava Release?!"
"That's not fair!!!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi roared at Uchiha Nan. A man with two Kekkei Genkai made Hiruzen Sarutobi so envious he could turn purple.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew all too well how hard it was for a ninja without a Kekkei Genkai to become strong. Meanwhile, Uchiha Nan had two! Either one of them would have let Hiruzen soar to greatness!
"Lava Release: Molten Rock Solidification Technique."
Uchiha Nan had no time to answer Hiruzen Sarutobi's question. All he wanted now was to cut him in half.
Uchiha Nan spat out yellow-brown liquid lava. The moment it touched the ground, it solidified. If even a little of it touched an enemy, they'd be pinned to the ground.
"Damn it!"
"Damn it!!!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi ran around like a headless chicken, chased by Uchiha Nan's Lava Release techniques. He didn't dare let up for even a moment. If he slowed down just a little, the fight would be over.
"Using your Kekkei Genkai doesn't prove anything! If you've got the guts, fight me with Taijutsu!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi ran and raged at the same time. This was practically cheating!
He'd never heard of anyone possessing two Kekkei Genkai.
What an idiot!
That was the word that popped into the spectators' minds all at once. What else were you supposed to use if not your Kekkei Genkai?
It was a gift from the heavens to ninja!
Fight you with Taijutsu?
If you could beat an enemy with Ninjutsu, why fight them with Taijutsu like an idiot? What was wrong with him?
Was the man Tobirama Senju had chosen as the Third really this weak-minded?
They were jealous of Uchiha Nan too, but that didn't stop them from looking down on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi panted, gasping for breath. His pace was gradually slowing, but he was still holding on.
A cruel smile crossed Uchiha Nan's face. It seemed about time. There was no fun in pinning Hiruzen Sarutobi in place with Ninjutsu and killing him.
He preferred waiting until his prey was nearly exhausted, yet still had enough strength to run.
Just like Manji teasing a mouse, he enjoyed the terror of prey fleeing for its life. He'd always play with the mouse until it was utterly worn out, then eat it bit by bit.
After spending so much time with Manji, Uchiha Nan sometimes copied his methods to relieve his own frustrations.
But not now!
This was a show, a performance for every shinobi clan in the village!
Before you continue