Lady Mikoto

Within Konohagakure, a series of reports were constantly being funneled into the Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows, his gaze fixed upon the crystal ball resting on his desk.

Reflected within the sphere was the sight of Uchiha Yashiro, Hazuki, and Fugaku leading the children of their clan forward.

From the slight movements of their lips, Sarutobi Hiruzen, relying on his mastery of lip-reading, deciphered quite a bit of useful information.

What was certain was that within the Uchiha, an unprecedented trend of unification was taking hold.

"It is a pity that the Uchiha compound is protected by a barrier, making it difficult to discern the truth of the situation."

The Third Hokage's eyes flickered.

Regarding the Uchiha clan, he had always harbored complex emotions.

Beneath his deep wariness, there had always been a hidden, sincere expectation—

An expectation that they could truly integrate into Konohagakure, obey orders, and assist him in completing the great undertaking that even his teacher, Senju Tobirama, had failed to achieve: building an unprecedentedly powerful Hidden Leaf Village.

But the Uchiha, who were always restless, were also constantly exhausting his patience.

Ever since the bridge of communication, Kagami Uchiha, had passed away, and coupled with the day-to-day admonitions of his three advisor friends, his perception of that clan was no longer what it once was.

"I hope the Uchiha can do their duty in this coming war..."

A faint sigh settled in the depths of his heart, and Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly looked up, his gaze shooting toward the door like a torch.

At that very moment, a crisp knock sounded, and a low report came from an Anbu agent outside.

"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha clan head requests an audience."

"What is he here for?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly reined in all outward emotions and replied in a deep voice.

"Let him in."

Uchiha compound, Naka Training Ground.

The morning mist shrouded the Naka River like a veil, the water shimmering with a cold, faint light in the dawn, the babbling water harmonizing with the birdsong.

The air carried the damp scent of grass and soil, but the tranquility was shattered by the sharp, piercing sounds and scorching explosions erupting from the training ground.

Two figures moved like cheetahs, clashing suddenly in the hazy morning light; the force of their strikes tore through the mist and sent the dewdrops on the riverside grass scattering in all directions.

A fierce whip kick swept out, and the other figure crouched to block, the collision of arm and shin producing a dull thud.

Uchiha Mikoto moved with agility, her toes tapping lightly on the wet river stones as she drifted backward, her hands already moving in a blur.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"

The kunoichi whispered internally, completing the hand seals.

Dozens of crimson fireballs erupted from her mouth, accompanied by shuriken thrown from her hands that whistled through the air. Like a red rain of flowers flowing upstream, they pierced the mist and shot straight toward the pursuing Uchiha Ren.

Facing this brilliant and dangerous offensive, Ren's eyes remained calm.

He did not counter with ninjutsu, but instead, his right hand instantly pressed against the hilt of the blade at his waist.

"Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!"

Cling—!

A clear, resonant ring of steel sliced through the morning light.

The blade's glow appeared like a crescent moon, using his wrist as an axis to carve a perfect arc.

Chakra adhered to the edge, forming a sharp air current comparable to a B-rank Wind Style jutsu.

Where the sword wind passed, the scorching fireballs and the hidden shuriken were deflected and shattered one after another.

The splashing sparks seemed to ignite brief fireworks on the riverside at dawn, competing with the rising sun.

"Ren's swordsmanship has grown stronger..."

Mikoto whispered in her heart, her Three Tomoe Sharingan already manifested in her eyes, capturing the imperceptible gap as Ren sheathed his blade.

She crouched low, activating the Body Flicker Technique, leaving behind a slowly dissipating afterimage.

Her true form cut into Ren's personal space like the morning breeze, a kunai held with cold intent, stabbing straight at his sword-wielding right wrist.

Ren, however, seemed to have anticipated this.

He rotated his right wrist slightly, the sword guard accurately knocking the kunai aside with a crisp clang.

At the same time, his left hand struck out like lightning, aiming directly for the joint of Mikoto's wrist.

Knowing her taijutsu was inferior to his, Mikoto reacted with extreme speed, using the momentum to spin and retreat. Her movements were as fluid as a dance, and as she pulled back, the seals on her other hand were already complete.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Chakra condensed to a high degree, and a massive fire dragon roared forth.

The fire dragon evaporated the moisture in its path, rushing toward Ren with a scorching wave of heat!

Facing this more powerful Fire Style, Ren narrowed his eyes as his Three Tomoe spun. Chakra erupted within him, and his figure seemed to merge into the morning light, rushing toward the fire dragon at an incredible speed!

At the very instant he was about to be swallowed, his body seemed to turn into nothingness.

He brushed past the roaring fire dragon, leaving behind only an afterimage that distorted in the heat wave before dissipating.

The next moment, he appeared beside Mikoto, his long blade returning to its sheath.

One hand gently pressed against the wrist holding her kunai, while the other rested lightly against her waist, which rose and fell with her panting.

"You lost, Mikoto."

His low voice rang in her ear, yet the beautiful kunoichi retorted.

"Ren, it's not over yet!"

Mikoto turned her head slightly to look at Ren, who was inches away—two pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan locked gazes!

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Ren felt the surrounding scene distort and fade abruptly; the training ground, the Naka River, and the morning light peeled away like shattered mirror shards.

Replacing them were countless massive mirrors reflecting his image, surrounding him from all directions—Sharingan Genjutsu: World of Mirrors!

Every "Ren" in the mirrors moved stiffly with hollow eyes, like puppets being manipulated, stepping out from the glass one by one and closing in on him with cold killing intent.

"A beautiful counterattack."

In reality, the corners of Ren's mouth curled up. The Three Tomoe in his eyes spun at high speed, and powerful ocular power surged out like a tide.

The entire World of Mirrors let out an unbearable groan. Cracks covered every mirror in the blink of an eye, and then they shattered with a roar!

The moment the genjutsu space broke, reality returned.

The two remained at an extremely close distance, both of their bodies pausing slightly.

Mikoto let out a muffled groan; the backlash from having her genjutsu forcibly broken made her vision go dark, and her figure swayed.

If not for the hand Ren had resting on her waist, which applied a steadying force at the right moment, she would have almost stumbled backward.

Mikoto panted rapidly for a few moments, her Sharingan slowly fading to reveal her originally clear eyes. The flush on her face from the exertion was more vibrant than the morning glow on the horizon.

She exhaled softly, her face showing a hint of reluctance from losing yet another battle. Pouting slightly, she complained, "You really don't give me a single chance. Let me win just once, at least."

In that tone, the helplessness was real, but the reliance on the strength of the man before her and the hidden pride were just as genuine.

"However."

Mikoto changed the subject, her curiosity overcoming her minor frustration.

"That last move of yours... it wasn't an ordinary Body Flicker Technique, was it?"

"Hmm, you could say it's a new application of the Sharingan."

Ren released his hand from her waist, his gaze falling on her pretty face as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"Want to learn it?"

"My dear... Lady Mikoto?"