King of the Uchiha Clan Mountain Stronghold

As the elder generation of the Uchiha reached a consensus amidst the scent of tea, the younger generation, even more eager for change, also took steps toward unity.

After seeing the children off, Uchiha Yashiro, Hazuki, and Fugaku did not disperse.

At Fugaku's sincere invitation, the three of them walked toward the center of the training ground with a tacit understanding.

The metallic ring of kunai being unsheathed pierced the morning mist; as their figures crossed, it was more than just a spar—it was a communion.

At the same time, the Hawk Faction Uchiha, having received their instructions, moved like arrows released from a bow, seeking out their colleagues in the Dove Faction.

Ever since Ren and Mikoto made their relationship public, the once-tense atmosphere between the two factions had suddenly become subtle.

At the very least, neither side was repelled by the other.

With the Dove Faction Uchiha acting as a lubricant, the two groups then sought out clansmen from the patriarch's faction, beginning to make friends through martial arts.

In the Uchiha clan, nothing resonated more deeply than fists; a single bout was far more convincing than mere words.

After all, chakra refers not only to the product of the balanced mixture of spiritual and physical energy, but also to the power the Sage of Six Paths used to connect the spirits of people to one another.

This was especially true for the Uchiha clansmen, whose emotions were so abundant they were nearly overflowing.

To them, the repressed and stifling clan was like a spring being constantly compressed, pressing against their nerves day and night.

In the moment they let go of their psychological burdens and their chakra collided violently, they could truly feel, "I have sensed your dominance, and you have understood my ambition."

Thus, their spiritual power began to surge, to swell, to grow with vigor, and the brilliance within their Sharingan became even more vivid and dazzling than the spider lily!

Heroic, hearty laughter intertwined with the whistling of ninjutsu, the roar of explosions, and the clashing of ninja tools, echoing like thunder over the entire training ground!

"Lord Fugaku, please advise me."

Dozens of Sharingan eyes around the training ground converged on the center.

Three tomoe appeared in Yashiro's eyes, glowing with a deep red light as he lowered his stance slightly.

His katana pointed diagonally at the ground, chakra rising from the soles of his feet, and an invisible current of air suddenly swirled around him—this was the opening stance of the Uchiha Style: Wind-Riding Sword Technique.

Pure chakra surged through his meridians, emitting a sound like a babbling brook.

Pale cyan light spread from his palms, wrapping around the cold blade; the air was sliced into fine, sharp hums, as if countless invisible threads were being pulled taut.

This complete sword technique, comparable to an A-rank ninjutsu, was enough to unleash power rivaling an S-rank ninjutsu in the hands of an Uchiha elite who had awakened the three tomoe Sharingan.

Fugaku nodded steadily, his opening stance for traditional Uchiha swordsmanship appearing perfectly natural.

His left hand lightly brushed the scabbard, while his right hand rested on the hilt wrapped in black silk.

As his mind stirred, his chakra completed its nature transformation; hot, violent fire-attribute chakra surged within the sheath, casting lava-like crimson patterns onto the blade forged from chakra metal.

Wisps of heat escaped from the gaps in the scabbard, distorting the light.

"Please."

Before Fugaku's words had even faded, Yashiro's figure transformed into a clear breeze and lunged forward.

The blade slashed out, and the vacuum blade condensed from chakra tore through the air—First Form: Dust Whirlwind, Slicing Cut!

The sharp wind pressure swept across like an invisible giant plow, carving deep, crisscrossing furrows into the hard surface of the training ground as gravel flew.

The dust was sliced cleanly in two, rushing toward Fugaku at an astonishing speed.

The three tomoe in Fugaku's pupils spun rapidly, and he drew his blade the instant the wind blade reached him.

"Clang—!"

A clear, resonant ring of steel sounded, and scorching flames erupted with the flash of the blade, as if a sleeping fire dragon had awakened—Uchiha Style: Iai, Jian Yue Yan!

The crimson firestorm collided fiercely with the pale cyan vacuum blade, erupting in blinding light.

Amidst the roar, the steaming heat waves spread in a ring, blowing the clothes of the spectators in the distance until they snapped in the wind; many were already putting themselves in the scene, contemplating how they would counter such an attack.

At the same time, the Wind-Riding Sword Technique was being dissected and analyzed by the three tomoe eyes.

Yashiro spun with the momentum of the collision, not stopping for a second as his blade danced continuously.

"Second Form: Claw, Wind of Kehi!"

Four more condensed wind blades generated out of thin air, like the talons of a giant bird, crisscrossing to seal off all of Fugaku's space for evasion.

However, Fugaku, whose strength had reached the Kage level, had no need to meet the attack head-on.

His three tomoe rotated, his footwork shifting flexibly, and in the split second before impact, he slipped through the deadly gaps woven by the wind blades.

His katana returned to its sheath in an instant, and in less time than it takes to blink, his figure blurred; using a Body Flicker Technique he had mastered to the bone, he closed the distance and approached Yashiro once more.

"Clang—!"

A deafening sound of metal clashing exploded!

Fugaku's sword stance changed abruptly, his previously steady posture transforming into an explosion of extreme power.

A single Iai strike appeared like a sudden thunderclap, aiming straight for Yashiro's center.

"Strong, but not as strong as Young Master Ren!"

Yashiro's pupils contracted, his three tomoe spinning frantically as he captured every subtle change in the flow of his opponent's chakra.

He gripped the hilt with both hands, leaped into the air, and poured his entire reserve of chakra into the blade, condensing it into a violently rotating deep cyan storm.

"Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm!"

From above, a tornado formed by five wind blades crashed down, tearing up the entire patch of ground below as soil and gravel were swept high into the sky by the violent force.

Fugaku's katana transformed into the light of dawn at this moment, with raging flames clinging to the blade, as he thrust upward against the momentum without a hint of retreat, piercing into the most vulnerable eye wall of the storm!

The second-stage burst of Jian Yue Yan was triggered, and a more condensed, destructive crimson chakra erupted like magma, forcibly tearing the violent tornado wall apart from within!

Sparks and chaotic air currents collided fiercely in the air, annihilating each other to bloom into a scene as tragically beautiful as a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, before transforming into a shockwave mixed with the scent of scorched earth that scattered in all directions.

The figures of the two men crossed paths amidst the aftermath of the explosion.

In the blink of an eye, Yashiro's wrist gave an imperceptible flick, his blade tip trembling as the triple thrust of "Third Form: Clear Storm Wind Tree" descended like the talons of an eagle.

Fugaku seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, swinging out the purest iaijutsu with a backhand strike; where the blade passed, even the light seemed to be severed.

When the final ring of the blades faded into the air, the two stood back-to-back, separated by a dozen meters.

Yashiro bent one knee slightly, using the tip of his blade to support his body as he gasped for air.

There was a distinct scorched mark on his sleeve, with wisps of blue smoke still rising from the edges.

Fugaku's expression remained unchanged, his breathing as steady as before.

Taking advantage of the motion of sheathing his sword, he flipped his wrist inconspicuously, tucking several scraps of dark fabric sliced off by the wind blades into his sleeve so that no one would notice a thing.

With a "clink," the katana returned to its scabbard.

Fugaku raised his eyes to look at Yashiro, a flash of admiration crossing his gaze.

"As expected of the Wind-Riding Sword Technique created by cousin Ren; it has added another heritage worth studying to the clan."

The surrounding Uchiha all laughed in unison.

When it comes to the ninja world, even Ma Huateng isn't as awesome as the Uchiha!