The Shinobi World Was Full of LYBs!

"Looks like I underestimated you, White Dove... But do you think this is all the strength your clan head has?"

Uchiha Fugaku looked at White Dove, killing intent radiating from him until no one dared even breathe too loudly.

You had to know that in a place like the Shinobi World, the aura of a powerful shinobi could truly affect people.

When Orochimaru fled back then, he had used his aura to make Kakashi too afraid to stop him.

However... for that to work, there had to be a huge gap in strength between them, as well as a clear difference in resolve.

"Good. It's time to end the warm-up!"

White Dove released an astonishing aura of his own, resisting Uchiha Fugaku's killing intent.

Come on, he'd seen blood before. Sure, he wasn't one of those bloodthirsty maniacs who'd been hacking people apart on the battlefield since they were a few years old, but his resolve was still unshakable. The other man's killing intent had no effect on him.

And when he said that the fight so far had only been a warm-up, it was because he really hadn't been using his full strength.

He formed Hand Seals with one hand!

"Lightning Cloak!"

White Dove shouted.

Crackle!

A flash of blue lightning lit up around the gauntlet on his left hand, then spread over his body like a veil of blue silk.

Lightning Cloak!

Actually, this technique had another name.

Lightning Release Chakra Mode!

It was simply called different things depending on its focus.

In Kumogakure, for example, Lightning Release Chakra Mode was practically the Raikage's signature technique.

As a transmigrator, once he had the creativity, precise chakra control, and sufficient chakra reserves, it wasn't strange for him to develop a few techniques.

As long as he wasn't afraid of dying and had enough time and resources.

Unlike Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which wrapped the body in crackling electricity, Lightning Cloak seemed exceptionally "tame," so no one could mistake it for the same technique.

"This..."

"No way!"

"A genius who developed advanced Lightning Release?"

"Actually... maybe we should consider his New Uchiha idea!"

Seeing Lightning Cloak, some of the watching elders and clan experts began to waver.

But Uchiha Fugaku wasn't going to go easy on him just because he was a genius. If anything, he attacked even more fiercely, forming Hand Seals and using a technique.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

A huge, dragon-shaped mass of flame lunged at White Dove, who was covered in Lightning Cloak. Fugaku was clearly giving it everything he had.

Kage Level!

White Dove could now tell how strong his opponent was.

At least that was the level he was starting from. As for the Mangekyo... perhaps.

After all, reality wasn't an anime. If you really acted as though everything would go according to the anime, you'd only die faster.

Whoosh!

White Dove jumped backward to dodge.

"Summoning Technique!"

He slapped one hand against the ground.

Bang!

Smoke billowed outward.

Coo! Coo!

A flock of White Doves scattered into the air, more than a dozen in all.

The summoned White Doves had no combat ability, but they were extremely useful for support—and essential to several of White Dove's tactics.

Splash!

A figure abruptly burst from the Naka River behind White Dove. Shuriken after shuriken shot silently toward him from his blind spot.

Uchiha Shurikenjutsu!

It was an exceptionally sophisticated technique, one that only Uchiha with the Sharingan could wield with ease.

Normally, White Dove shouldn't have noticed, since his attention was focused ahead.

But without even turning his head, he swung his Ninja Blade behind him.

Clang! Clang!

Every strike hit a Shuriken with perfect precision.

It looked effortless, but only the spectators understood how difficult it was.

They didn't think they could necessarily handle it themselves—and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to do so in that way.

Zzt!

Amid a surge of electricity, White Dove's speed suddenly soared.

Lightning Cloak!

Just as the Cloud Ninja's Lightning Release Chakra Mode could improve their offense and defense, White Dove's Lightning Cloak could do the same—and to an even greater degree.

After all, theirs was a general-purpose version, while his was tailor-made.

It was harder to learn and use, of course, but its effects were correspondingly stronger. It also had two extremely powerful functions.

It enhanced Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Some techniques could even be cast instantly, without Hand Seals. The principle was simple: there was no need to draw chakra from within his body, because he could directly use the Lightning Release chakra in the Lightning Cloak. That meant less time spent channeling chakra, allowing him to use Lightning Release without Hand Seals.

That alone was enough to make Lightning Cloak an exceptionally effective technique, to say nothing of its other function.

It enhanced his reflexes!

Yes, you heard that right.

By using Lightning Release to stimulate nerve signals, it increased his reaction speed. That was the key.

The technique was so powerful that developing it had cost White Dove all his savings. He'd nearly gone bankrupt.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two clashed at close range. With Lightning Cloak bolstering him, White Dove's reaction speed clearly surpassed that of Uchiha Fugaku, who also had three Tomoe.

He was dominating the fight!

What had seemed like a one-sided beatdown by Uchiha Fugaku had now turned around.

"How is this possible..."

"This has to be fake!"

"Am I caught in a genjutsu?!"

Those were the thoughts of everyone except Tekka, Inabi, and Yashiro.

Uchiha Fugaku wasn't some pushover. He'd earned the title of Wicked Eye on the battlefield.

Yet now, he was being dominated by a fourteen-year-old member of his own clan... It was hard to accept.

If it had been a prodigy who'd stood out from childhood, like Shisui or Itachi, that would have been one thing. But this was someone they'd once thought of as nothing but trouble, which naturally left them with complicated feelings.

"Hahaha, so the captain really is this strong!"

Tekka was practically bursting with excitement.

They'd known White Dove was strong, but they hadn't expected him to be this strong.

"Don't let your guard down. Watch your surroundings, and don't let anyone interfere!"

Yashiro, the oldest among them, warned Tekka and Inabi. He knew there was no way the clan members would interfere, but they still couldn't afford to be careless.

"Don't worry. If anyone tries to interfere, I'll stop them, even if it costs me my life!"

Inabi replied firmly, scanning the area and readying himself.

As the three exchanged words, the battle entered its most dangerous phase.

Shinobi battles weren't drawn-out affairs that lasted "hundreds of exchanges."

Everyone was a glass cannon, with high attack and low defense. If you found an opening, a single strike could decide the fight, so it wasn't surprising that they'd reached the decisive stage so quickly.

Judging by what they could see, White Dove was clearly stronger, thanks to the powerful Nintaijutsu known as Lightning Cloak.

But as clan head, Uchiha Fugaku had an exceptionally solid foundation. Even when he was at a disadvantage, he could keep his footing steady, so the outcome was still uncertain.

"Clan Head Fugaku, you certainly live up to your title of Wicked Eye. Your strength is impressive. But if this is all you've got, I'll defeat you today!"

White Dove increased the pressure while speaking, trying to disrupt his opponent's concentration.

White Dove's reflexes were superior, but his opponent had far greater ocular power and chakra. He could already sense that in their close-range exchanges.

Mangekyo!

Yes, White Dove was now certain of it.

Without the transformation brought by the Mangekyo, his opponent would have lost long ago under the assault of Lightning Cloak.

But he'd only fallen behind. That could only mean one thing.

The Shinobi World really is full of LYBs!

The thought flashed through White Dove's mind, but it only strengthened his resolve to establish the New Uchiha.

How could the Uchiha be revitalized, the Hokage seat claimed, the Shinobi World conquered, the Otsutsuki crushed, and the pinnacle of life reached while surrounded by this lot of vermin?!

Today, he would take advantage of his "First-Sight Kill" to defeat Uchiha Fugaku and lay the groundwork for his plan.

Everything he'd schemed and planned depended on defeating Uchiha Fugaku.

Even if it was only in public!

The Uchiha respected strength above all. If he wanted to establish the New Uchiha without first defeating the clan head, he might as well be asking to die.

With that in mind, White Dove knew he might have to reveal a few of his trump cards.

When he fought at full strength, his combat ability was truly comparable to Kage Level. Chunin Kage Level was simply his usual state.

After all, those wildly imaginative techniques were unbelievably powerful.

The only problem was that his chakra quality and reserves couldn't support them, and his mental strength was insufficient. That was why he was only at Chunin Kage Level.

Uchiha Fugaku didn't respond to his verbal attack.

"Swallow Reversal!"

White Dove seized an opening and suddenly swung his Ninja Blade.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two brilliant flashes of blade light appeared at once, forming an intersecting "X" that sealed off every avenue of escape for Uchiha Fugaku.

Faced with this deadly A-rank sword technique, Uchiha Fugaku demonstrated the strength of a Chunin Kage Level shinobi. He shifted backward at an unbelievable angle, then used the Substitution Technique just as the blade was about to touch him.

Poof!

White smoke billowed up, and a section of wooden post was cut apart.

White Dove's attack had missed, but he wasn't disappointed. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he prepared to unleash his ultimate move.