Struggle in the Death Realm

Time seemed to stretch infinitely in this moment.

The figure of Tobirama Senju magnified rapidly within the vision of Uchiha Sou's Sharingan. That cold, murderous intent felt like physical needles, pricking his skin and nearly freezing his blood and thoughts. The opponent's speed was too fast, the angle too treacherous; it completely sealed off every possible path of retreat!

Is this the strength of a Kage-level powerhouse? Merely targeted killing intent was enough to make him lose the courage to resist!

I will die! I am absolutely going to die!

His brain issued frantic warnings, and fear flooded him like a tide. Yet, under this extreme pressure of death, something deeply embedded in the Uchiha bloodline was ignited—it was unwillingness, it was fury, it was the most primal desire to survive!

"No!!!"

A hoarse roar erupted from Uchiha Sou's throat. His body, previously stiffened by fear, was driven by survival instinct in this instant. The chakra within him surged with unprecedented speed, flooding entirely into his eyes!

A tearing pain erupted from his eye sockets, and the world in his vision suddenly shifted!

The rapidly approaching Tobirama Senju—his movements, the subtle tremors of his muscles, the trajectory of his chakra flow, even the degree to which dust kicked up from his next potential landing spot... all this incredibly complex information poured into Uchiha Sou's brain like a rushing torrent with unprecedented clarity!

The single-tomoe Sharingan spun frantically at an unprecedented speed. The edge of that tomoe seemed to blur, showing faint signs of splitting! His ocular power erupted in an overdrawn burst under the pressure of death!

He saw it! Although it was still despairingly fast, it was no longer an uncatchable shadow!

The cold arc traced by the custom kunai in Tobirama's hand was aimed precisely at his throat!

He couldn't dodge! He absolutely couldn't dodge!

The judgment occurred in a split second. Uchiha Sou made the most instinctive and desperate choice—he threw himself backward with all his might while desperately holding his kunai up to block, attempting to deflect the lethal strike. He could even feel the chill brought by the kunai's tip as it tore through the air!

At this critical juncture—

"Get lost, Tobirama!"

Accompanied by a roar of extreme fury, a scorching, fire-red figure crashed in like a meteor from the side and rear! It was Izuna Uchiha!

He had clearly overdrawn his own strength, even choosing to take the brunt of the aftermath of Tobirama's previous attack just to reclaim this life-saving moment! His blade was wrapped in flames compressed to the limit; it was no longer a slash, but a direct, savage collision, slamming straight into Tobirama's side, forcing him to defend!

If Tobirama insisted on killing Tsang, he would inevitably be severely wounded by this enraged strike from Izuna!

Tobirama's cold expression finally showed a subtle change; it was the displeasure of having his calculations interfered with. In a flash, he weighed his options.

Killing a promising Uchiha brat was important, but trading his own serious injury for it did not fit his value assessment. Especially when facing an enraged Izuna Uchiha.

His wrist flicked with extreme subtlety, causing the trajectory of the kunai to shift by a hair's breadth. The lethal strike originally aimed at the throat became a slash toward Uchiha Sou's blocking kunai and chest. Simultaneously, his body twisted in mid-air in a way that defied physics, his other hand completing a seal in an instant.

"Water Style: Water Blade Slash!"

A high-pressure water blade met Izuna's fiery collision.

Sssss—!

A piercing sound of energy friction exploded!

Puchi!

At the same time, Tobirama's redirected kunai easily brushed aside Uchiha Sou's futile block, the sharp tip slicing across his chest and drawing a spray of blood; one could even vaguely see the ribs beneath!

The massive impact sent Uchiha Sou flying, slamming him heavily into a charred boulder. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he nearly lost consciousness. A searing pain radiated from his chest, and every breath felt like being cut by a blade.

But in the end... he had barely survived!

"Tsang!" Izuna's voice, filled with shock and rage, reached him, but he was now completely entangled by Tobirama. The two clashed fiercely once more, the sound of water and fire colliding echoing incessantly, the aftermath of their battle tearing the ground apart.

"Cough, cough..." Uchiha Sou coughed violently, struggling to climb up, but the sharp pain in his chest and the excessive consumption of chakra left him nearly collapsed. He leaned against the boulder, gasping for air, his Sharingan still locked onto the battlefield.

In his eyes, the rotation of the single tomoe gradually slowed, but its form was clearer and more solid than before. That brief glimpse of overdrawn potential, though short, had elevated his use and understanding of the Sharingan by a level; he seemed to be only a thin veil away from that double-tomoe state.

More importantly, he had personally experienced brushing shoulders with death against a top-tier powerhouse! That sense of oppression, that precision of lethal technique, was deeply carved into his mind.

He watched as Uncle Izuna completely abandoned his defense to save him, attacking Tobirama with a near-maniacal posture. Every strike was vicious, a life-for-life fighting style that temporarily suppressed Tobirama.

Is it because of me? Because of me, this "accident," did Uncle Izuna fall into an even more dangerous situation?

If not for saving him, Uncle Izuna could have dealt with Tobirama more composedly...

That thought about "change" surfaced once again, but this time it carried a heavier sense of guilt and confusion.

Just then, a Senju ninja seemed to notice that Uchiha Sou was at the end of his rope. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he broke through the interception of an Uchiha clansman and lunged at him, brandishing a ninja blade!

"Die, you damn brat!"

Uchiha Sou's pupils constricted. He tried to struggle to his feet, but the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to be a beat too slow. As the blade was about to strike—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several shuriken flew in with precision from the side, sealing off all of the Senju ninja's attack routes and forcing him to retreat and block.

Uchiha reinforcements had arrived!

Several Uchiha ninjas quickly closed in, shielding Uchiha Sou and engaging the Senju ninjas who were trying to rush over to pick off an easy target.

"Can you still move?" one clansman asked quickly, his eyes still fixed on the enemy.

"I can..." Uchiha Sou gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain, and used his kunai to support himself as he stood up. He knew that on the battlefield, falling often meant death.

The battle gradually fell into a state of greater chaos and intensity due to the constant arrival of reinforcements from both sides and the stalemate between the high-level combatants. The entire valley had turned into a purgatory, with people falling every single moment.

After another violent clash with Izuna, Tobirama leaped backward, his cold gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield. He saw that the Uchiha's resistance remained stubborn, and that Izuna's combat power, fueled by his desperation to save someone, exceeded expectations. Continuing to fight would come at a high cost even if he won, and the initial goal of "silencing" the target had already been achieved.

He made his decision decisively.

"Retreat!" Tobirama's icy voice rang out clearly, reaching the ears of every Senju ninja.

The Senju clan's ninjas were well-trained; upon hearing the order, they immediately disengaged from their opponents, covering one another in turns as they retreated rapidly toward the valley exit, their movements crisp and decisive, showing no desire to linger in the fight.

"You think you can run?!" Izuna roared, intent on giving chase.

But Tobirama turned back, his hands forming seals.

"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

A monstrous wave surged into existence out of thin air, like a burst dam, instantly crushing the burning wreckage and sweeping across the entire valley floor, forcibly cutting off the Uchiha's pursuit route.

Izuna could only stop in frustration, using Fire Style to evaporate the incoming torrent, watching helplessly as the figures of the Senju vanished into the dark forest.

The battle had begun abruptly, and it ended just as abruptly.

The valley was a scene of utter devastation, leaving behind only the crackling of flames, the sound of flowing water, and the pained groans of the wounded.

Uchiha Sou leaned back against a boulder, drained of strength, gasping heavily as the wound on his chest continued to bleed, staining his dark clothing red. He stared in the direction where Tobirama had disappeared, his gaze complex and unreadable.

I survived... but is all of this really just a coincidence?

He lowered his head, looking at his still-trembling hands; on the kunai gripped tightly within them, faint scratches remained from the collision with Tobirama's weapon.

The butterfly's wings seemed to have already stirred up an unpredictable storm. And he himself, caught within this gale, was being pushed toward an unknown destination. The barrier of those tomoe, in the space between life and death, seemed to have already begun to loosen.