The Final Battle (5)

Uchiha Kei panted, looking at the four Iwa Ninja before him. He realized he had truly met his match.

If Uchiha Kei were to face these four individually, it wouldn't be easy, but he certainly wouldn't be as disheveled as he was now.

That's right, Uchiha Kei felt truly disheveled at the moment. Although the coordination of these four wasn't seamless, it was undeniably full of tacit understanding.

The Ishi-mizu-shu Squad lived up to their reputation for causing Konoha significant trouble in the Land of Grass. Their teamwork was excellent, and their current tactics were specifically designed to counter Uchiha Kei's Sharingan.

They always had one person to restrict Uchiha Kei from the front, while the other three would sneak attack him from the sides and behind.

No matter how Uchiha Kei turned or maneuvered, these individuals always surrounded him in the same formation.

And the one facing him directly would always consciously take the initiative to tie Uchiha Kei down. This ninja wouldn't consider how to kill Uchiha Kei; his sole objective was to prevent Uchiha Kei from having time to observe his surroundings.

This kind of restraint truly left Uchiha Kei helpless. The best way to deal with an Uchiha was a multi-person encirclement, preventing the Uchiha clansman from utilizing the advantages of the Sharingan.

"What a troublesome bunch."

Uchiha Kei thought to himself. These guys had taken shamelessness to the extreme. While it was normal, it made Uchiha Kei feel exceptionally uncomfortable.

If it weren't for the Akimichi Clan's medicine that had restored Uchiha Kei's Chakra, coupled with his years of battlefield experience allowing him to maintain his energy for extended periods, Uchiha Kei would likely be lying on the ground, unable to move.

He wouldn't have been defeated by these four Iwa Ninja, but rather exhausted himself.

However, the Akimichi Clan's medicine had long since passed its duration. Although Uchiha Kei hadn't yet felt the onset of physical weakness, he knew it was only a matter of time.

Once the drug's inhibitory effect wore off or his Chakra was depleted, he would be finished.

He had been entangled with this group of Iwa Ninja for several minutes, and Uchiha Kei's wounds were gradually increasing. Being surrounded by four powerful ninja, Uchiha Kei couldn't possibly remain unscathed.

Most critically, Uchiha Kei's muscles were starting to ache. Facing the encirclement, while he could evade some weapon attacks, he couldn't completely dodge all the punches and kicks.

His strength was considerable; even facing some Jonin, he could fight to a draw or even win. But his age was a factor, and his physical resilience was limited.

Although his Sharingan and keen speed meant the damage from the Iwa Ninja was very limited, and these injuries weren't severe enough to affect his combat, Uchiha Kei knew he would be in real trouble if this continued. He took a deep breath, and his expression turned dangerous.

He had long been prepared to use the power of his Mangekyo, but adhering to the principle of "if I don't have to use it, I won't, and I'll wait for Namikaze Minato's rescue if possible," Uchiha Kei had fought them until now.

But now, Uchiha Kei knew he shouldn't think like that anymore. Although he could maintain high-intensity combat, as a ninja, he knew his situation was likely being figured out by these four Iwa Ninja.

The wounds on his body were the best proof. Since they could inflict these minor injuries, it wasn't impossible for them to land a fatal blow if this continued.

It was just that Uchiha Kei was hesitant about which eye's ability to use. Either one seemed capable of dealing with these guys relatively easily.

As for using both eyes' abilities, Uchiha Kei felt it was best not to try it lightly. The first time had left him with a very bad impression, and besides, this wasn't the most critical life-or-death moment!

With that thought, Uchiha Kei raised his Kunai and blocked a sneak attack from an Iwa Ninja behind him, but the next second, Uchiha Kei's expression stiffened.

Suddenly, an Iwa Ninja, taking advantage of Uchiha Kei dodging, burst forth and kicked him.

Bang!

A tremendous force came from behind Uchiha Kei, making him feel as if his insides were about to be expelled.

Uchiha Kei was sent flying backward. However, mid-air, he braced himself with one hand on the ground and pushed back forcefully, narrowly dodging a sneak attack from several kunai.

Uchiha Kei had encountered this level of coordination countless times. He landed steadily, swallowing the blood in his throat. His face turned a deep red, then quickly became pale. He lowered his head for a long time before letting out a breath.

"You are indeed strong," an Iwa Ninja suddenly said. "To resist us four for so long at your age is truly worthy of being a member of the Uchiha clan. We will study your corpse thoroughly. Finish him!"

"Yes!" The remaining three Iwa Ninjas shouted in unison. The four immediately spread out and launched a surprise attack on Uchiha Kei from different directions. They surrounded Uchiha Kei once more, leaving him no room to escape.

"Hmph."

Just then, Uchiha Kei let out a cold laugh. He then abruptly raised the head he had been lowering, his gaze chillingly fixed on the Iwa Ninjas before him. In his blood-red eyes, a triangular prism slowly rotated.

"You think you can?"

Activating his Mangekyo Sharingan once more, Uchiha Kei felt an unprecedented sensation—a feeling of ultimate control over his body.

Uchiha Kei felt that while his speed hadn't increased, his body's coordination had improved. If he had used these eyes from the start, he probably wouldn't have been hit so many times by these guys' fists.

However, in return, Uchiha Kei felt his Chakra draining like a breached dam. The rate of this depletion was several, even more than ten times, faster than when he used his Three Tomoe Sharingan!

"Time Leap!"

While Uchiha Kei could endure this rate of depletion, it certainly couldn't last long. With this thought, Uchiha Kei immediately used his Dojutsu on himself.

In an instant, Uchiha Kei felt his speed increase. Just as the charging Iwa Ninja was about to slash down with his kunai, Uchiha Kei grabbed his arm with unbelievable speed.

With a slight twist of his right hand, the kunai flew out of the ninja's grasp.

Uchiha Kei caught the falling kunai in mid-air and then, with speed imperceptible to the naked eye, plunged it into the ninja's heart.

Then, Uchiha Kei suddenly turned. The strange triangular prism rotated slightly, and the second Iwa Ninja's body stiffened.

The Genjutsu of the Mangekyo was incomparable to the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Uchiha Kei showed no mercy. His body twisted again, and he grabbed the third Iwa Ninja, who was holding a kunai.

He then twisted his right hand forcefully, causing the ninja's body to contort. The kunai in his hand, without missing, stabbed into the second Iwa Ninja's chest.

As for the third Iwa Ninja, by the time he realized something was wrong, Uchiha Kei had already pulled out a kunai and slashed it across his throat.

"Last one."

Having dealt with three Iwa Ninjas in quick succession, Uchiha Kei felt a slight throbbing in his left eye. This was within the normal range of tolerance, as long as it didn't start bleeding.

The problem, however, was that Uchiha Kei found his Chakra consumption to be excessive. As he used this Dojutsu, his Chakra drained even faster, and even the special substance in his eyes began to diminish at an extremely slow rate.

But now was not the time to dwell on this issue. Uchiha Kei quickly threw the kunai in his hand while simultaneously charging forward.

The moment the kunai struck the last Iwa Ninja, he also grabbed the ninja's neck!

"Do you want to dance too?"

Uchiha Kei's right hand gripped the ninja's throat tightly. Amidst the piercing sound of explosions and the constant shaking of the ground, Uchiha Kei twisted and pulled with force. Blood slowly flowed from the last Iwa Ninja's mouth.