Ambush

The two men used the same Uchiha Swordsmanship, but their styles were completely different.

Uchiha Fufeng's attacks were unpredictable. With his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he could always strike his opponent from an awkward angle.

Mo Jingxian's style, however, completely abandoned the Uchiha Clan's usual approach.

His swordsmanship was simpler, with a sense of reducing the complex to the simple.

Both fought at speed, clashing in the blink of an eye.

The Root shinobi silently attacked the other two, seemingly intent on splitting up the battlefield.

Fortunately, all three sides showed some restraint and refrained from using large-scale lethal techniques.

The onlookers retreated again and again, leaving them plenty of room to maneuver.

It was human nature: even the danger couldn't dampen the crowd's appetite for gossip. Some even offered the occasional comment.

"Tsk, tsk! The Security Force is useless. They're only fierce when bullying civilians."

"Exactly. I've never liked them. Hope they get taught a good, hard lesson."

Uchiha Fufeng had miscalculated.

He had thought he could easily capture Mo Jingxian, but instead, he was being held up.

His two companions were in a terrible state. They had already been injured in a short time, and the situation was starting to spiral out of control.

He couldn't let this continue, or there'd be no way to resolve the situation.

The two Tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly as a surge of Yin Release Chakra burst forth.

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!"

The Mist of Vitality shrouded a ten-meter radius around him. This was the optimal effect Mo Jingxian had determined through testing.

With high-frequency information exchange, the short sword in his hand could now contend with the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Suddenly,

a cold Chakra pierced the mist and invaded his brain along his line of sight.

"Son, study hard. Don't end up like your dad, who never amounted to anything in his life."

"You little brat, how many times have I told you not to eat so much junk food? Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack?"

"You're studying away from home, so take good care of yourself. If you need money, tell Mom. And—when you have time, call home more often, okay? Got that, you little rascal?"

Scenes flashed rapidly through his mind like frames from a film, stirring memories from the deepest part of his heart.

Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique awakened the fear within a person's heart.

So this was what it felt like to be caught in a genjutsu.

It was almost laughable. He'd once feared his father's expectations and his mother's nagging so much that they had left a shadow in his heart.

But now, with two worlds between them, the words that still seemed to echo in his ears had become an impossible wish.

Mo Jingxian could sense his surroundings through the floating water elements, and he could easily break free of the genjutsu.

But he couldn't bring himself to.

He wanted to spend a little longer with his parents, even if it was only long enough to say he was sorry.

Konoha, where the three-way battle was raging.

Uchiha Fufeng looked pleased. His genjutsu had successfully taken control of his opponent.

With this one trick, the Uchiha had struck fear into countless enemies.

The next moment,

Uchiha Fufeng used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Mo Jingxian. He chopped at his neck with the edge of his hand, figuring he'd capture him first and deal with the rest later.

Just as the strike fell, a Water Python shot out from behind Xian, hurtling toward Uchiha Fufeng's chest like a cannonball.

He'd been tricked!

His momentum carried him forward, leaving him completely unprepared.

"Bang!"

He was sent flying. He braced one hand against the ground, turning nimbly in midair before landing on his feet and skidding backward.

His feet carved a furrow in the ground. Uchiha Fufeng was twenty meters away, kneeling on one knee as he stared at Mo Jingxian in shock.

Had his opponent escaped the genjutsu and laid a trap?

No!

Uchiha Fufeng stared hard at Mo Jingxian's eyes.

They were unfocused and vacant.

Especially the two trails beneath his eyes—tears had run down his face.

The fighting at the perimeter was already over. Four Root shinobi held two half-dead Uchiha as they watched from a distance.

Fufeng couldn't be bothered to wonder why they weren't surrounding him.

With all eyes on them, Mo Jingxian had made their conflict public.

Even if it meant staking the Uchiha Clan's honor, he couldn't afford to lose here.

With a few quick dashes, Uchiha Fufeng closed in again.

A Water Python shielded Mo Jingxian and charged into the blade's path, keeping Fufeng at bay.

Though it was only a ninjutsu technique, the Water Python seemed almost alive.

It slammed, coiled, constricted, and lashed out, successfully holding back Uchiha Fufeng's attacks for a time.

As the fight went on, the mist around them grew thicker, and their stamina and Chakra rapidly drained away.

Everyone was transfixed by the wondrous ninjutsu unfolding before them.

Mo Jingxian regretfully opened his eyes.

"You've had your turn. Now it's mine!"

The moment he finished speaking, he appeared behind Uchiha Fufeng, his short blade shrieking through the air as it came down hard.

"Stop!"

The Uchiha Great Elder arrived with his clan members.

Mo Jingxian didn't hesitate for even a moment. His short blade flashed coldly through the air.

No blood sprayed. The spot was empty.

At the critical moment, the Yellow Flash had saved Uchiha Fufeng.

Everyone's vision blurred, and suddenly someone stood in the middle of the battlefield.

"Take this traitor into custody!"

Uchiha Yashiro arrived a step behind the others. His first words immediately decided what the incident was.

The amiable look on Minato's face turned cold.

"Uchiha elder, watch your words. There's no traitor here."

"Hmph! High Ninja Minato, this is the Uchiha Clan's private affair. There's no need for you to get involved."

"Is that so? Because the facts I've learned say otherwise."

Though Uchiha Yashiro had traded barbs with Minato, he stopped where he was.

Just as one disturbance seemed to settle, another arose.

Seeing that the situation had calmed, a squad of Root shinobi suddenly appeared and surrounded the scene.

Then a sinister, chilling voice rang out from the perimeter.

"Ganging up to attack a civilian—is your Uchiha Clan planning a rebellion?"

The crowd parted, and Danzo stepped into the scene.

Half his face was wrapped in bandages, making his expression hard to read. His single eye fixed maliciously on Uchiha Yashiro.

The situation kept shifting, one turn after another. No one had expected it to come to this.

Mo Jingxian put away his short blade, moved to Minato's side, and quietly checked the Prestige he'd gained this time.

Uchiha Yashiro wanted to stand before Danzo and confront him head-on, but reality was harsher than ideals.

Under the gaze of that single eye, the Uchiha Great Elder obediently looked away.

"Thump!"

His cane struck the ground hard.

"What? No one has anything to say? Then don't blame me."

Danzo had been keeping an eye on the Uchiha Clan for a long time. How could he let an opportunity like this slip by?

Hiruzen was old, always hesitating and worrying about the consequences whenever he dealt with these people.

It was time to make everyone recognize Danzo anew. Only he could lead Konoha to glory.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A string of explosions rang out—the sound of Explosive Tags.

Looking toward the source, the blasts seemed to be coming from the Hokage Building.

"This is bad. Xian, head back first. I'll go take a look."

In a flash, Minato was gone, the first to rush off.

The veins on the back of Danzo's hand bulged as he gripped his cane. Such a good opportunity, ruined by those damned Explosive Tags—his anger was stuck in his throat.

With the Hokage Building under attack, he, as the leader of Root, couldn't escape responsibility, no matter what.

Given the situation, it wasn't appropriate to keep pressuring the Uchiha.

"This matter isn't over. I expect a satisfactory explanation from you."

With that, he stopped pressing them.

"Move. I want to know what happened within ten minutes."

"Yes, sir!"

The Root members had arrived quickly, and they left just as fast.

In no time, only Mo Jingxian and a group of Uchiha remained at the scene.

Uchiha Yashiro gave Mo Jingxian a searching look.

He didn't want to admit it, but he really had misjudged him. This man wasn't a good-for-nothing at all—he was a sharp blade.

"Uchiha Xian, as long as you—"

"Stop!"

Mo Jingxian cut Yashiro off. He knew exactly what the man was about to say.

It was laughable how Uchiha Yashiro didn't realize how stupid he was. He was always scheming, yet could never manage to do it well.

"Uchiha Great Elder, I've brought your people back to you. You'd better think about how you're going to explain this to Lord Hokage."

He walked a short distance, then stopped and looked back.

"Oh, right. My name is Mo Jingxian. Next time we meet, make sure you get it right."

Watching him walk away with such ease, Uchiha Yashiro's face darkened.

Those words had felt like a hard slap in the face, right in front of everyone.

Wouldn't they all laugh at him for being so blind?

His face burned. He hated Mo Jingxian even more than Danzo now.

[Uchiha Yashiro Prestige +20]

The sudden Prestige left Mo Jingxian at a loss for words.

Seriously? You framed me and I haven't even held it against you. I only insulted you a little, and now you want to make this a fight to the death?

He put the irrelevant people out of his mind and checked his Prestige as he walked.

"972" points—far less than he'd expected.

Some of it had come from the onlookers, who had contributed almost one point each.

After several incidents, he was gradually figuring out how Prestige was earned.

Generally speaking, one point meant he'd made a lasting impression. At five points, it became a stronger emotion, such as admiration or hostility.

At ten points, it meant approval, respect, or hatred.

As for the twenty points he'd just received, there was no need to mention it. Yashiro was probably thinking about how to tear him limb from limb.

Plans never kept up with changes. Mo Jingxian had intended to make a scene, preferably one that reached the Hokage.

He'd gone to all the trouble of catching his enemy in a compromising position. It would've been a waste not to take full advantage of it.

He hadn't expected the sudden explosion to derail his plans, leaving him with less Prestige than he'd hoped to gain.

But that was how things went. You never knew what was waiting for you the next second.

It was no loss, anyway—just a matter of getting a little more or a little less.

While Mo Jingxian was making his way back to his place, more explosions rang out in the eastern and southern parts of Konoha.

The unrest wasn't dying down; if anything, it was growing worse.

This was bad news. Konoha might not be at the height of its power, but it wasn't a place just anyone dared to provoke.

Something big had to be happening.

With that thought, he quickened his pace and stuck to the wide streets.

It wasn't cowardice. He knew his own strength.

He could beat a few second-generation clan members who had never been to the battlefield, but if he ran into an enemy High Ninja, he had no confidence he'd make it out unscathed.

Judging by the scale of this attack, he refused to believe no High Ninja was involved.

He was lucky. He didn't run into any danger along the way.

Suddenly,

Mo Jingxian stopped.

At some point, a thick fog had risen around him.

The clamor that had been audible from several streets away seemed to be gradually receding.