Solid Rock

Battles between ninjas are, fundamentally, wars of information.

Once the details of one's abilities are leaked, it becomes all too easy to be countered.

Use genjutsu or ninjutsu against taijutsu specialists, close the distance and slit the throat of a ninjutsu user, or identify the specific weaknesses of those who possess a Kekkei Genkai.

This is how ordinary ninjas fight.

The situation of the Uchiha clan is well-known throughout the Shinobi World; it's just the Sharingan, right? If it's one-on-one, run early; if it's one-on-many, strike from behind. Everyone has long since grown accustomed to dealing with the Uchiha.

But what kind of Uchiha is this guy?!

The abilities Uchiha Yuji displayed were completely different from the intelligence circulating in the Shinobi World.

His ordinary punches and kicks contained terrifying, immense power; that taijutsu didn't look like an Uchiha's at all, but rather more like that of the Senju clan.

A bizarre technique that absorbs chakra and ninjutsu only to reflect them back—such an ability was simply unheard of.

Gari's death was already unavoidable, but since he had used his life to probe for information on Uchiha Yuji, Ganga could only shoulder this heavy sacrifice and devise a strategy to deal with him.

His taijutsu is incredibly powerful; we absolutely must not engage him in close-quarters combat!

Does the ability to absorb and reflect ninjutsu require physical contact, or can he absorb any ninjutsu at all?

Gari of the Explosion Corps was already a fairly famous ninja among the Iwagakure Ninja, and the Iwagakure Ninja knew full well how strong he was.

He was a powerful ninja on an entirely different level from them, a ninja who carried the name of [Explosion Release].

Yet, that Explosion Release Gari, who was so incredibly powerful in their eyes, was killed in the span of a single exchange.

Just how strong is this Uchiha before us?

The moment this thought flashed through their brains, the Iwagakure Ninja felt a chill run through their bodies, their limbs turning weak.

"What? Why have you stopped?" Uchiha Yuji slightly raised his chin, arms crossed before his chest, the garment embroidered with the Red and White Fan fluttering in the gale.

The Mangekyō Sharingan reflected the expressions of the Iwagakure Ninja.

Their expressions were panicked, their pupils constricted; some were even trembling, the kunai in their hands shaking along with them.

"Ho, so that's how it is. You are afraid."

"Is this what you call the tenacious Iwagakure Ninja?"

"How utterly disappointing."

The moment the word "disappointing" fell, the ground beneath his feet suddenly began to shake violently.

The earth-shattering tremors did not cause Uchiha Yuji's body to sway in the slightest.

With his position as the center, the ground rapidly collapsed; in just a few blinks of an eye, the earth had sunk hundreds of meters.

All four sides were the yellowish-brown of soil, with only the azure blue of the sky visible above.

"We haven't lost our fighting spirit! Gari's sacrifice has only made me more furious!" Veins bulged on Ganga's forehead as his sturdy, half-crouched frame suddenly stood straight.

He quickly formed hand seals again, shouting loudly to his surroundings.

"Gari's sacrifice was not in vain! He secured precious intelligence for us; we must not let him die for nothing!"

"We are the united earth! We are the solid rock! No one can defeat us!"

This was not merely a slogan, but a path that the Iwagakure Ninja truly practiced.

"Ooooooh!"

A loud roar can make one briefly forget all troubles, and a firm belief can make one fearless.

Courage gradually dispelled the fear in their eyes, and their trembling bodies stood firmly upon the earth.

Having regained their fighting spirit, the Iwagakure Ninja followed Ganga in unleashing their ninjutsu.

Even within the sunken pit, Uchiha Yuji could vaguely hear the roar of the Iwagakure Ninja's will.

The edges of the square platform began to collapse under the influence of ninjutsu, and heavy, massive boulders were hurled from beyond his line of sight toward Uchiha Yuji's head.

The azure sky was completely blocked out by thick rock amidst the roaring, and the massive boulders obscured the radiance of the sun. In the shadows, the corner of Uchiha Yuji's mouth curled into a slight smile.

"This is more like it. If I were to crush you so easily, there would be no joy in victory. To completely shatter a united, fearless legion—my tongue has already tasted that bitter flavor."

"Since the enemy is a legion with such firm resolve."

"Then I shall get a little serious as well."

In the shadows, the blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly.

Dark armor was born from the void, instantly covering Uchiha Yuji's body; it was chakra deeper than darkness itself, the giant of [Destruction].

We won!

As the rocks filled the pit created by the Earth Core and there was no reaction from below, this thought surfaced in Ganga's mind.

Ninjas are a profession with high offense and low defense; many powerful ninjas capable of changing the terrain are often stabbed to death by an ordinary kunai.

If a kunai can kill a ninja of [Kage] level, then a collapsing mountain can naturally crush a person with ease.

The very next moment after that thought was born.

He felt an unusual vibration—one that was not the familiar tremor of collapsing rock.

The cause of the tremors revealed itself before his eyes the very next moment.

Dark-colored chakra soared into the sky, the ground cracked open, the air roared, and visible ripples swept everything in the vicinity away.

There was no trajectory of movement whatsoever; the massive Susanoo simply appeared abruptly upon the earth.

Its fifty-meter-tall frame stood as imposing as a small mountain, thick chakra armor covered the giant's body, and its blood-red eyes swept across the surroundings.

Merely by standing upon the earth, that terrifying chakra made the Iwagakure Ninja recall the fear that had once dominated them.

"Scatter!" A roar of terror echoed in every direction.

Susanoo raised its thick arms, and the black twin blades, which seemed to absorb even the light, were hoisted high.

Ganga's pupils constricted; he crouched down instantly and slammed his palms hard against the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Core!"

This time, the ground did not sink but rose directly upward.

The elevation of his footing meant the landing point of Susanoo's attack would also rise, so even if it swung its arms down, the blades would strike nothing but empty air.

Or at least, that was how it should have been.

Yet, in the very next instant, a dark sword light flashed before his eyes; Susanoo had somehow appeared back on the ground.

The long swords, trailing tangible shadows of chakra, descended upon the Iwagakure Ninja's formation with a fierce and sharp aura.

Yin-natured chakra, resembling a beam of light, surged forth, and a brutal shockwave rippled outward in all directions.

The Iwagakure Ninja, who had just mustered their courage and steeled their resolve, were torn apart like paper and blown away like dust.

Blood and wails instantly consumed Ganga's mind.