Amano-Iwato

Boom, boom, boom.

Uchiha Chen wielded the Flame Gunbai in one hand and his long sword in the other, launching a relentless series of wide, powerful attacks at Fugaku.

Clang, clang, clatter.

Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan spun as he flung out a dazzling array of ninja tools. At times, he used the Shuriken Manipulation Technique to send shuriken whirling through the air; at others, he guided Fire Style attacks with precise control using wires.

But Uchiha Chen paid no attention to any of it. He had no intention of competing with Fugaku in insight or in the traditional Uchiha arts.

Ninjutsu? He reflected it with the Flame Gunbai. Shuriken? He dodged what he could and deflected what he couldn't.

He simply pressed Uchiha Fugaku with a fierce Taijutsu assault, mixing in a few Fire Style attacks between their exchanges. Fugaku was driven into a frantic, awkward scramble.

"Yes, that's it! Just like that!"

Outside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Uchiha Setsuna grabbed one clansman after another, pointing excitedly at Uchiha Chen like a child. Tears streamed down his face.

"This is how Clan Head Madara and Cousin Izuna used to fight! This is the Uchiha way of fighting!"

A flashy barrage of shuriken to disrupt the enemy, Taijutsu to control the space, then ninjutsu or genjutsu to decide the outcome.

Fugaku's high-skill, low-Chakra style had always been the mainstream approach of the Uchiha Clan.

There were historical reasons for the development of this style.

The Uchiha Clan had no shortage of Chakra, and every evolution of the Sharingan brought a major increase in their reserves. In terms of Chakra, they were surpassed only by the Senju and the Uzumaki.

So who had the Uchiha Clan been fighting for centuries before Konoha was founded?

As luck would have it, the Senju and the Uzumaki.

That was why centuries of inheritance and evolution had given rise to the Uchiha's current traditional fighting style: a Chakra-conserving approach suited to assassins.

"But how many Senju or Uzumaki are even left in the Shinobi World now?"

Uchiha Chen leaped down with a sweeping strike, forcing Fugaku to yank on his wires to propel himself backward. Chen immediately formed Hand Seals and shouted:

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

In an instant, three enormous torrents of flame burst from Uchiha Chen's mouth, becoming three lifelike fire dragons with clearly defined scales. They circled through the air, then lunged at Fugaku from the left, center, and right.

Seeing the fire dragons surge toward him from every direction, blocking every avenue of escape, Uchiha Fugaku had no way to evade them. He could only form Hand Seals of his own.

"Snake—Rooster—Dog—Goat! Fire Style: Flame Whirlwind!"

Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth and exhaled, using Fire Style Chakra to create a rapidly spinning tornado of flame around himself. It neutralized Uchiha Chen's three Fire Dragon Flame Bullets.

Amid the sea of flames, Uchiha Chen raised his arms to form Hand Seals and grinned.

"Now we're talking! A clash of fireballs is the true romance of the Uchiha!

Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Uchiha Fugaku's expression grew even darker.

Even from dozens of meters away, his Mangekyō Sharingan's keen perception let him sense the astonishing amount of Chakra gathering in Uchiha Chen's throat.

That amount would be enough for most S-rank ninjutsu.

Majestic Destroyer Flame was only a B-rank technique in terms of difficulty, but it was one of the rare techniques whose power could increase without limit as more Chakra was poured into it!

The Mangekyō Sharingan in Uchiha Fugaku's eye flickered repeatedly.

In the end, he chose not to use the same technique and clash head-on with Uchiha Chen. Instead, the three black tomoe in his left eye began to rotate, and a few drops of blood trickled from the corner of his eye.

Amano-Iwato.

In the myths passed down through the Shinobi World, the sun goddess Amaterasu once hid inside Amano-Iwato, plunging the entire world into darkness. Even the gods couldn't draw her out.

Amano-Iwato was the name of the Mangekyō technique that had awakened in his left eye. It could create a defensive Chakra field around his body, granting him an invincible defense even stronger than Susanoo's!

"Chen!"

Uchiha Fugaku let out a hoarse, furious roar. He stopped dodging and retreating, and charged straight at Uchiha Chen.

Boom!

The flames gathered into a raging sea, filling the entire Four Violet Flames Formation except for the space beside Uchiha Chen.

Yet amid that sea of fire, a seemingly tiny but unyielding "boulder" resisted the scorching flames as it rapidly drew closer to Uchiha Chen.

Clang.

Sword met sword.

Fugaku's blade cut through the long sword in Uchiha Chen's hand, then continued on to decapitate him.

But Fugaku showed no sign of triumph. His eyes were filled with confusion.

The feel of that strike was wrong!

Boom!

Exploding Clone Technique.

Uchiha Chen's decapitated body suddenly exploded, scattering countless sparks.

At the same time, the earth behind Fugaku split open. Uchiha Chen sprang out and stabbed at Fugaku's back.

Clang!

After a piercing clang, Uchiha Chen finally showed a look of surprise.

Using the recoil from his attack, he leaped high into the air, then sprang backward several times to put distance between himself and Uchiha Fugaku. Cautiously, he studied Fugaku.

There was blood in his left eye. A Mangekyō technique.

The exploding clone hadn't even singed Fugaku's clothes, and his own attack had been blocked. What kind of Mangekyō technique was it?

Not wanting to let a careless mistake cost him the fight, Uchiha Chen halted his assault. He watched Fugaku with his Sharingan while silently analyzing the situation.

"Chen, you've already lost!"

Uchiha Fugaku was beaming with delight as he gloated. "My Amano-Iwato can't be broken by any attack. You have no chance of penetrating my defenses!"

"I thought your Mangekyō technique would be something impressive, like spatial barriers or absorbing attacks!"

Uchiha Chen curled his lip in disdain and sneered:

"So it's just a turtle shell?"

"Fugaku, the Mangekyō Sharingan is the eye that reflects the heart. So what were you thinking about when you awakened yours?"

Uchiha Chen tilted his head, then gave a light laugh as if he'd thought of a joke. "Don't tell me you were thinking about how to become a turtle?"

Protected by Amano-Iwato, Fugaku was seething with rage and resentment. He even bit his lip until it bled.

"Huh? No way, no way!"

Seeing Fugaku's grim expression, Uchiha Chen needled him again. "Don't tell me I actually hit the mark?"

Garen's got Last Whisper—silenced and tilted.

Fugaku's expression was icy, and his eyes seemed to spit fire. Chen had clearly struck a nerve.

Early in the Third Great Ninja War, he had encountered the Third Raikage on the battlefield and, unsurprisingly, been gravely wounded.

To save his life, a friend had hidden him in a tree hollow and faced the Third Raikage alone. The friend had been killed with a single punch to the head.

Fugaku had been helpless, hiding in the tree hollow and watching it all unfold with his own eyes. His terror and desperate need for a sense of security had led him to awaken a defensive Mangekyō technique like Amano-Iwato.

"Chen, I never wanted us to come to blows. But now you've truly angered me! I'm going to kill you!!!"

Uchiha Fugaku's scarlet eyes were filled with murderous intent as he advanced toward Uchiha Chen step by step. With a furious roar, a purple-red Chakra phantom appeared around him, taking the shape of a clearly visible giant skeletal frame.

"This is Susanoo!"

Fugaku gritted his teeth, but there was still a hint of pride and arrogance in his voice.

"The Third Power, the Ultimate Power—only those who have mastered both Mangekyō techniques and developed their Eye Power to a certain level can wield it!

I'll use this power to defeat you once and for all!"

At last, Fugaku's confidence had swelled to its peak.