Genjutsu

Uchiha Kei, who was fully focused, reacted the moment Gari appeared. If it were in the past, Uchiha Kei would definitely not have done something so risky.

Now Uchiha Kei was completely different. Although he still disliked doing such dangerous things, he also knew that if he didn't show some 'flaw', this guy named Gari wouldn't come out.

Not all Iwa Ninja were a group of ninjas with strong physical power who were good at Earth Style and liked to fight head-on.

They also had individuals who liked to use the characteristics of Earth Style to launch various sneak attacks and deliver fatal blows.

A ninja is a tool skilled in forbearance; this is the wartime principle of a ninja, Uchiha Kei remembered it vividly.

It was clear that this Gari was such a character. His speed was very fast, his stealth was silent, and his bloodline limit was also terrifying. He was simply a poisonous snake.

The moment Gari made his move, Uchiha Kei immediately activated his Substitution Technique. His Sharingan had been watching the surrounding movements the entire time.

Although he looked very relaxed, he was definitely not truly relaxed. That wouldn't be foolish, it would be suicidal!

This guy named Gari was clearly also experienced. When his fist hit the 'Uchiha Kei's' body and he felt the sensation was wrong, he immediately kicked the tree trunk hard.

Using the rebound force from the tree trunk and the huge explosion generated by his punch, he quickly left his original position.

And not long after he left, several kunai flew out from the smoke at his previous location.

Uchiha Kei would not let him hide again. If they just let him drag on, Uchiha Kei and the others would be doomed!

The front line was cooperating with them, but who knew how long they could hold out? Moreover, Uchiha Kei and the others had already spent a lot of time fighting their way here.

If they were truly held back by a 'poisonous snake', or if Imai Kenta, that idiot, happened to be ambushed, and Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato couldn't disengage.

Then they would truly be finished!

After all, even if the troops on the frontal battlefield couldn't return immediately, they still had Kitsuchi in their rear.

Gari clearly intended to stall, but Uchiha Kei had already appeared behind him without anyone noticing.

The medicine from the Akimichi Clan had temporarily given him ample Chakra. He attached the Chakra to his ninja sword without hesitation!

The silver blade emitted a faint blue light. Uchiha Kei unhesitatingly slashed at Gari, and his Sharingan stared intently at the guy.

He had let him escape once, and Uchiha Kei did not want to experience it a second time!

"Caught you!"

As expected, facing Uchiha Kei's slash, Gari still chose to dodge rather than confront it directly. His tactic was probably to stall these Konoha ninja!

However, what he never expected this time was that after Uchiha Kei's sword cut through his Substitution Technique, he suddenly flicked the ninja sword and attacked him again at a strange angle!

Feeling an extreme threat, Gari knew he couldn't dodge. So, he decisively leaped backward, not forgetting to throw a few kunai at Uchiha Kei.

These kunai had no killing power at all, but if Uchiha Kei ignored them, he might also get injured.

With a few casual slashes, Uchiha Kei blocked these kunai, then directly pursued. However, Uchiha Kei had already missed the best opportunity to kill this guy, as he had already landed firmly on the ground.

Seeing this, Uchiha Kei also stopped temporarily, but his eyes remained fixed on the guy.

"Pretty good, aren't you?" Gari suddenly let out a light laugh. "I heard you fought Kitsuchi? You're still alive? Impressive."

"Ah, it was indeed quite dangerous," Uchiha Kei said with a smile, completely unconcerned. "That's why I said you'd be easier to deal with than him. After all, you're just a rat, while he's a true warrior."

"Hmph, a low-level provocation," Gari sneered, but he didn't hide anymore. "I've always been curious about how powerful the legendary Sharingan truly is. Let me test your skills and see how you fought Kitsuchi."

"The fact is, this isn't a low-level provocation," Uchiha Kei wouldn't let go of this opportunity, but his Chakra was already brewing.

Neither of them intended to speak further, and a silence fell between them.

However, the silence was brief. In just a moment, Uchiha Kei's ninja sword was unsheathed again.

He erupted with Chakra at his feet and lunged forward. His movements were swift, and the Chakra-infused blade shimmered like a stream of light under the sun.

Gari, being an expert in the explosion unit of the Iwa Ninja, sidestepped to evade Uchiha Kei's lunge. He even had the leisure to throw an elbow strike at Uchiha Kei.

Uchiha Kei quickly stepped forward to evade the blow while forcefully swinging his ninja sword backward.

Gari was incredibly fast, dodging under Uchiha Kei's blade with a sidestep. At the same time, an unusual light appeared in his right hand again.

This strange light made Uchiha Kei frown. He had seen this power once before, and he couldn't forget the violent explosion.

However, this power also seemed somewhat familiar to Uchiha Kei. He recalled seeing it somewhere in the original work, though he couldn't quite remember where.

But Uchiha Kei couldn't possibly consult his notes during a battle, especially since he hadn't brought them with him.

Uchiha Kei felt that the most likely scenario was that this guy was just a minor character in the original work. Yet, even a minor character wouldn't be someone simple. At least to the current Uchiha Kei, he was still very dangerous.

He felt that this punch could directly blow his opponent apart!

"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"

"Explosion Release?"

Uchiha Kei frowned slightly. He seemed to recall this Kekkei Genkai, similar to Deidara's.

However, Uchiha Kei didn't dwell on it too much. The most crucial thing was that this was an excellent opportunity!

For Uchiha Kei, who possessed the Sharingan, as long as the enemy attacked, he would inevitably find some flaws.

Unless the opponent's strength completely surpassed Uchiha Kei's, like Kitsuchi, against whom Uchiha Kei was helpless.

But this Iwa Ninja named Gari was not in that category. Although this technique made Uchiha Kei feel danger, he didn't want to miss this opportunity at this moment!

After a moment of thought, Uchiha Kei made his decision. Gari's fighting style was not as cautious as Kitsuchi's; he hadn't avoided Uchiha Kei's eyes.

"In that case, Genjutsu: Sharingan!"