Two Pairs of Mangekyō

"Huh?!!"

"Is that the Flame Gunbai?"

"I never expected that I, an old man, would live to see this item again!"

The clansmen were completely plunged into excitement.

The Uchiha Gunbai, lost for decades, had returned to the clan; this was heaven blessing the Uchiha!

Compared to the gloomy-faced Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Chen, who had retrieved the Flame Gunbai and stood there looking high-spirited and arrogant, seemed to possess more of the true Uchiha flair?

"Chen! I support you!" "Maybe having Chen as clan head wouldn't be so bad?"

For a moment, scattered voices of support rang out, causing Uchiha Fugaku's heart to sink even further.

Nearly half of the clansmen had voiced their support for Uchiha Chen, and among the rest, many were inwardly conflicted and wavering.

He had managed the clan for years; even if he hadn't achieved great feats, he had always been diligent and conscientious. Did Uchiha Chen's few words and a single Flame Gunbai make you all defect?

Bang!

Fugaku slammed the table hard, no longer maintaining his previous composure.

He was also an Uchiha, and he had his own pride.

Once provoked, he would become like any ordinary Uchiha, his Wisdom attribute dropping sharply, turning into a hot-headed brute driven only by the desire for battle.

At this moment, he cast aside thoughts of the clan and the village; he only wanted to completely suppress Uchiha Chen and subdue the clansmen.

Only by sweeping through with the force of a thunderbolt could he maintain the dignity and status of his position as clan head!

Uchiha Fugaku slowly stood up, like a lion preparing to hunt. The Three-Tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly as he coldly glared at the few clansmen who were making the most noise.

"Inabi!"

Uchiha Fugaku barked a stern reprimand, and without hesitation, as Uchiha Inabi looked at him, he cast Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique, cleanly and decisively pinning him to the spot.

The gap between a jonin and a jonin is sometimes greater than the gap between a jonin and a dog!

Uchiha Fugaku's display of authority was quite successful; after taking down Inabi in a single glance, the secret chamber fell into instant silence.

"Chen, let me tell you this: the Flame Gunbai is certainly important, but the Sharingan is the true foundation of our clan's power!"

Uchiha Fugaku was now in high spirits, appearing as if he had grown many years younger; even his shoulder-length hair fluttered due to his powerful aura.

The three tomoe in Fugaku's scarlet eyes spun slower and slower, and the crimson at the bottom of his pupils grew deeper. Finally, the tails of the tomoe connected completely into a shape resembling the character '人', enclosing the pupil, with the original tomoe reduced to three ink-black dots.

"This is the power of the Mangekyō, the legendary power of the Uchiha. In front of these eyes, you have no chance of winning!"

Ignoring the gasps and shouts of the clansmen, Uchiha Fugaku stared straight at Uchiha Chen, locking eyes with him.

Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.

This farce ends here. Hmph!

Hm? Illusion rebound?

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Uchiha Fugaku's forehead, and the corners of his mouth, which had been slightly raised, twitched continuously due to the pain of the illusion.

His illusion had been rebounded back at him.

A clash of illusions for an Uchiha is a clash of Eye Power strength. Uchiha Chen's Eye Power is above mine, even after I've awakened the Mangekyō? How is this possible?

Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Chen in horror, as the other man's scarlet eyes also underwent a world-shaking change in this fleeting moment.

"You have also awakened the Mangekyō!"

Fugaku's lips parted slightly, his voice sounding somewhat distorted, and his hands began to tremble slightly.

"Is that so rare? If you can awaken it, why can't I?"

Uchiha Chen slung the Flame Gunbai onto his back, the smile on his face growing increasingly delighted as he looked at Uchiha Fugaku with amusement:

"In the end, we still have to fight.

But using the defeat of a Mangekyō user as the ceremony for my ascension to the position of clan head isn't bad either!

Let's go, outside. We can't display our full strength in here!"

Uchiha Chen laughed heartily, as if victory were already in his grasp, and took the lead as he walked toward the outside of the shrine.

Uchiha Fugaku clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging, as an indescribable sense of humiliation surged in his heart.

In his scenario, the worst outcome for this farcical 'usurpation' was that he would reveal his own Mangekyō Sharingan and subdue Uchiha Chen with absolute power.

But now, everything had spiraled out of his control. He had no confidence in a battle against another Mangekyō user.

With a grim expression, Fugaku stood still for a moment before walking toward the outside of the shrine as well.

After the two protagonists of the clan head dispute had left, the clansmen in the secret chamber finally erupted like a boiling pot, shouting, laughing, and going wild.

"My god! Two Mangekyō!"

Uchiha Ryoji's face was flushed, his hands clutching his chest, nearly unable to catch his breath.

Shisui carefully patted Ryoji's back with his fist to help him breathe, and at this moment, he chimed in: "It's true, who could have imagined it? Great-uncle, let me help you go rest!"

"Nonsense!"

Uchiha Ryoji tensed his body and sprang up abruptly, "Forget about me still being able to move; even if I were dead and turned to ash, I'd still have to float out to watch this battle! Let's go, if we don't hurry, we won't get a good spot!"

Uchiha Ryoji immediately used the Body Flicker Technique, forcibly cutting in front of several clansmen before turning back to give Shisui a smug grin and dashing off to the front.

"Four Violet Flames Formation!"

In the dense forest beside the Naka River, four Uchiha jonin activated this barrier technique known for its exceptional defensive power. The barriers rising from the north, south, east, and west merged together, igniting with transparent purple flames.

As Uchiha jonin, they were not lacking in Chakra.

Consequently, the range of this barrier was vast, quickly forming a cube with sides nearly a hundred meters long, enclosing Uchiha Chen and Uchiha Fugaku as they stood facing each other from a distance.

"Chen, I don't want to—"

Uchiha Fugaku still wanted to exchange a few words with Uchiha Chen, but he was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter from Uchiha Chen.

"Hahaha, hahahaha, HAHAHAHA!"

"Rest assured, Fugaku! If you can satisfy me, I will spare your life!"

Uchiha Chen held the Flame Gunbai in one hand, pointing it loosely at Fugaku, and let out a nonchalant yawn:

"However, I advise you to be careful. After all, stepping over an ant without killing it—that kind of power is very difficult to control!"

Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened further, but he did not retort.

He is seventeen; I can't out-talk him. I'd better let my skills do the talking.

Fugaku pulled a Sealing Scroll from under his arm, and amidst the poof of the Summoning Technique smoke, he instantly launched dozens of Shuriken from the scroll.

These Shuriken collided with one another in mid-air, altering their flight paths until they descended upon Uchiha Chen like an airtight net.

"Fire Style, Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Following the steel wires trailing behind the Shuriken, the Fire Style technique Fugaku spat out flew toward Uchiha Chen at incredible speed.

"Uchiha Reflection!"

Uchiha Chen swung the Flame Gunbai in his hand with force. The Great Dragon Fire was absorbed by the Flame Gunbai, converted into wind-natured Chakra, and transformed into a howling gale that blew away all the Shuriken raining down upon him.

"The Uchiha should dance on the edge of blades and sing amidst the flames!"

Uchiha Chen leaped high into the air, his Gunbai smashing toward Fugaku with unstoppable momentum as he laughed wildly and unrestrained:

"In the world of the Mangekyō, flashy tactics like yours belong in the trash heap, right alongside you, our incompetent clan head!"