The large-scale movements of the Cloud ninja prompted the Konoha ninja to respond in kind. Although the battle with the Third Raikage was taking place in the Land of Moon, its intensity—and the great fire that dyed vast stretches of sky crimson—was still visible to the Konoha observers.
Night had long since given way to dusk.
"Those are some nice eyes." Uchiha Yuji liked the emotions A displayed. Their sheer intensity made Zetton grow even faster.
His right hand quickly shifted to the tip of his foot. The crushing posture only made A angrier.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode already covered A's body. His bulging muscles and the veins standing out starkly beneath his skin showed how hard he was straining.
But the man standing on top of him didn't move an inch.
The Third Raikage didn't immediately shout or stop Uchiha Yuji from humiliating his son. He even held back the Shadow Guard members who wanted to step forward and fight Uchiha Yuji.
A person needed a little motivation to train with all his might.
Humiliation and hatred were more effective than so-called honor at keeping someone's fighting spirit burning bright. Until he had fulfilled his goal of [revenge], he would keep growing stronger.
Would he be crushed by that pressure?
What a joke!
That was his son, a powerful ninja destined to inherit the name of Kage.
"That's enough."
After letting it go on for a while, the Third Raikage finally spoke. "We'll send Konoha the war reparations as soon as we can."
Uchiha Yuji raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Third Raikage, somewhat surprised.
He was a little taken aback that the Raikage had called them [war reparations].
"Hmph. If you're weaker than your opponent, then you're weak. There's no shame in admitting it." Even as he said that, the Third Raikage's mustache trembled with anger. "Losing this time doesn't mean we'll lose next time."
"Not knowing your own limits is what's most dangerous."
"And next time, we'll definitely defeat Konoha. Isn't that right, A!"
A's face, pressed against the ground, twisted into a grotesque grimace. His eyes, more like a demon's than a human's, dipped in a stiff nod. "Next time, Kumogakure will be the ones to win."
Uchiha Yuji sneered and lifted his foot.
"You're just a defeated dog. You think you can make a comeback?"
"As long as I'm around, the Cloud ninja will always be beneath my feet."
There was no point talking to someone who wouldn't listen. Still injured, the Third Raikage turned and left without hesitation. After a few leaps, they disappeared from sight.
But the anger that grew ever more intense—that extra-spicy flavor—made Uchiha Yuji realize that the days ahead would be even more colorful.
Brilliant, radiant fire feathers continued to whirl through the air. The surging flames, devouring everything in their path, avoided one small patch of ground. Only one man remained standing there!
Fire was supposed to be merciless, yet the scorching heat seemed to feel something when faced with that man. It was too afraid to approach. Thanks to this strange phenomenon, the small Konoha garrison nearby saw the whole scene clearly and remained unharmed.
The dry weather made the flames spread even faster. If they weren't brought under control, the wind blowing toward Konoha would carry the fire across the entire Land of Moon and onward to the Land of Hot Water.
Uchiha Yuji slowly formed hand seals. After completing seventeen, he spat a gigantic ball of water toward the area ahead.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The waterball crashed to the ground and quickly spread in every direction.
Ordinary Water Release techniques relied on environmental advantages to deal effective damage. Compared with techniques like Fire Release and Lightning Release, Water Release clearly consumed far more chakra.
What the Second Hokage used wasn't Water Release. It was Ocean Release.
And what Uchiha Yuji was using now was just like the Second Hokage's Ocean Release. Water poured endlessly from his mouth and crashed to the ground, rapidly extinguishing the flames. In a matter of moments, the blazing hell had become a vast swamp.
The clash between water and fire produced a tremendous amount of steam, creating a fog even denser than the Hidden Mist Technique.
It not only obscured their vision, but also shrouded the minds of the scouting ninja.
"You've got to be kidding! He used a Water Release technique like that in these conditions!"
"Alone, he defeated the Raikage and his Shadow Guard, suppressing them completely with overwhelming power. His chakra reserves are practically those of a Jinchuriki. Is this the power of the Uchiha?"
The scene visible through the Byakugan deeply shook the Hyuga Branch Family ninja.
Even if the Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan was trained to its peak, could it really stand against those two monsters?
That Uchiha's power had already reached the level of a Kage. Did the Hyuga Clan truly have a ninja of that caliber?
The Hyuga and Uchiha were both famed as great clans of the three great dojutsu. Why was there such a huge gap between them in combat strength?
Uchiha Yuji had the Third Raikage under control, while the Third Raikage completely countered the Hyuga.
Could the Gentle Fist really seal the Third Raikage's chakra points?
Could they even land a strike under his high-speed movements?
Could they safely use the Gentle Fist against that wild Lightning Release Chakra Mode?
Even if they managed to strike his chakra points, could his vast, raging chakra really be sealed?
The answer to all of those questions was no.
They could accept their helplessness in the face of a Tailed Beast.
After all, nobody expected them to go up and slap a Tailed Beast flying. But that Uchiha was clearly still a boy, so much younger than they were.
When someone far surpassed your abilities, even if you stood on opposing sides, you didn't feel envy or resentment. You felt admiration.
It wasn't until a short while after Uchiha Yuji left that the ninja finally came to their senses.
"Report the situation here to Lord Hokage immediately!"
"The course of the war has changed!"
In the era of cold weapons, a brave leader could boost the morale of an army. The same principle applied just as well to ninja.
They immediately released their Ninja Hawks. Energized by their surroundings, the hawks beat their wings and raced through the sky, reaching Konoha in no time.
This time, the report wasn't encoded. Even a simple written description was enough to make Sarutobi Hiruzen feel as if his heart had stopped.
"He defeated that Raikage without a scratch." His eyes were unfocused.
He had treated Yuji like a blade, but its edge seemed far sharper than he'd imagined.
He'd beaten the Kage of an entire village in his very first battle.
This blade was even sharper than Hatake White Fang.
"Looks like he'll be much harder to break."
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