Pure Eyes from the Prophecy

The atmosphere in the Hokage Office grew heavy.

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brows tightly. His fingers lightly tapped the tabletop twice, producing a dull sound.

"Do you still believe those prophecies?"

Jiraiya laughed heartily when he heard that, his smile filled with unconstrained confidence.

"The Great Toad Sage's prophecies are never wrong."

He turned and walked to the window, looking out at Konoha's streets. His voice grew serious.

"This time, the Great Toad Sage told me that he dreamed of a pair of special eyes—eyes of unparalleled purity. He also dreamed of blood and fire covering the land of the Ninja World. It was a disaster, but after the disaster would come new life."

Jiraiya turned back and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Old man, I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm only letting you know about this. It's always better to be a little more vigilant."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer immediately.

He sat there, his fingers coming to a stop as his gaze fell on the tabletop, as though he were pondering something.

Those pure eyes... The first thing that came to mind was the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Although the Mangekyō Sharingan had nothing to do with purity, he inexplicably had that feeling.

Because he had once heard his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, say that the Uchiha Clan was an extremely emotional clan, but at the same time, it was also the clan that cared most about love.

The Mangekyō Sharingan had never been anything pure. Behind those eyes lay pain, loss, and emotions etched into one's very bones.

Madara Uchiha had been like that. Obito Uchiha had been like that. Genkawa Uchiha... would be no exception.

"I understand."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, his voice steady and revealing little emotional fluctuation.

After all, it was only a prophecy. He did not dwell on the matter, instead changing the subject.

"I called you back this time because I hope you can stay in the village for a while longer."

Jiraiya thought for a moment, then sighed softly. "That works. I want to go see that boy Naruto first."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded without refusing. Jiraiya had that right.

"The boy is currently being watched over by elite Anbu personnel, so there shouldn't be any danger. However..."

He paused, and a hint of weariness entered his voice.

"Because of Obito Uchiha's affair, my report to the Feudal Lord has already been delayed. The Feudal Lord's side can't wait too long, so I must hurry over there. For the time being, take on responsibility for the village."

Jiraiya's expression instantly collapsed.

"Give me a break."

He waved his hands, his face full of reluctance.

"I'll stay in the village for a few days at most. Once you return, I'll leave the village. You know I'm not suited to sitting in an office. I prefer traveling outside and looking for material..."

He said the word "material" very softly, as if afraid the old man would hear it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted, displeasure coloring his voice.

"You and Tsunade are both impossible. If either of you were willing to shoulder responsibility, why would this old man need to take on the duties of Hokage again?"

Jiraiya felt a little guilty after being reprimanded. He rubbed his nose and muttered something under his breath before suddenly raising his head.

"Isn't Orochimaru still around?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression froze.

He was silent for a moment, then sighed softly and shook his head.

"That fellow Orochimaru has been getting very close to Danzo lately. I can no longer see through him, and he isn't suited to become Hokage."

Jiraiya's eyes darkened.

Orochimaru.

He had once been his teammate, once been his friend.

But now, just as the old man had said, he was finding it harder and harder to understand that person. Something seemed to have changed after the war ended.

Jiraiya shook his head, tossing those thoughts from his mind. Then, as if afraid the flames would spread to him, he abruptly raised a finger and pointed at the Crystal Ball on the table.

"Look, they seem to be about to decide the victor."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention was drawn over.

Inside the Crystal Ball, the scene at the edge of the Forest of Death was displayed with perfect clarity.

Blades flashed.

Genkawa Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake crossed paths in the open space, moving so quickly that only afterimages remained.

The edge of the Forest of Death.

The open space was located at the entrance to the Forest of Death. The ground was hard yellow earth, while tall trees surrounded the area. Their crowns blotted out the sky and sun, breaking the sunlight into scattered specks that fell to the ground.

A few minutes earlier, Genkawa Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake had been standing several meters apart.

Kakashi Hatake's hand had already gripped the hilt behind his back.

He did not draw immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if adjusting his state.

He had not used this blade in far too long—so long that even the feeling of gripping it seemed unfamiliar.

But he quickly found that feeling again.

The sound of the blade leaving its sheath was soft and crisp.

It was a short blade, its body one-third shorter than an ordinary Ninja Blade. Its edge was so thin that it was almost transparent beneath the sunlight.

Black knots were wound around the hilt, worn nearly white. They were traces left behind by Hatake Sakumo.

Genkawa Uchiha looked at the blade in his hand and nodded.

Then he drew his own Ninja Blade, the gift Fugaku Uchiha had given him.

The blade was slender and slightly curved, its edge gleaming with a cold light.

He had not used the one Obito Uchiha had left behind. The two blades had different styles, and he wanted to see Kakashi Hatake's swordsmanship. Using the blade he was most familiar with was the best choice.

"Come on."

The moment Genkawa Uchiha finished speaking, Kakashi Hatake moved.

His speed was astonishing. Without the enhancement of Lightning Style Chakra, it was purely an eruption of physical strength. The short blade seemed to come alive in his hand as it swept diagonally upward from below, heading straight for Genkawa Uchiha's throat.

The strike held no flourish. It was clean and decisive, yet vicious to the extreme. It did not even stir the slightest breeze, striking silently and making it all the more terrifying.

Genkawa Uchiha's eyes lit up slightly.

He turned sideways to evade it while sweeping his Ninja Blade horizontally toward Kakashi Hatake's waist and abdomen.

Kakashi Hatake forcibly twisted half a circle in midair. His short blade came back to defend, and with a clang, the two blades collided.

Sparks flew in all directions.

Kakashi Hatake's wrist sank slightly. The tremendous force transmitted through the blade startled him.

What incredible strength. It isn't enhanced by chakra—it's purely physical power.

He quickly retreated, widening the distance.

Genkawa Uchiha gave him no chance to catch his breath. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and he had already closed in.

The Ninja Blade fell from above with tremendous force, carrying a howling wind.

Kakashi Hatake dodged to the side. The blade skimmed past his shoulder and cut off a strand of white hair. He thrust backward with his blade, aiming straight for Genkawa Uchiha's heart.

Genkawa Uchiha brought his blade up to block. With a clang, Kakashi Hatake's short blade was knocked aside. But he did not stop. The instant it was deflected, he twisted his wrist, changing the blade's direction and stabbing again from another angle.

The angle of the strike was treacherous, and its speed was astonishing.

The corners of Genkawa Uchiha's lips lifted slightly. He leaned back, and the blade skimmed past the tip of his nose.

At the same time, he swept his Ninja Blade horizontally, forcing Kakashi to retreat again.

The two widened the distance between them once more, then collided again in the very next instant.

In the span of a few breaths, they had already exchanged more than a dozen blows.

Genkawa Uchiha's swordsmanship was unrestrained. Its foundation was Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, but he had built his own understanding upon it.

In his view, swordsmanship—or rather, kenjutsu—was simply a means of killing enemies. It was nothing more than combining speed and strength. As long as it could kill, that was enough.

Every one of his strikes was simple, without any unnecessary movement, yet every strike carried tremendous force.

That strength did not come from chakra. It came from his physical constitution, combined with the Strength of a Hundred technique of the Senju. With the swift movement of Lightning Style Chakra Mode added in, his swordsmanship was like a violent storm that would not stop once it began.

Kakashi Hatake's swordsmanship, meanwhile, was a completely different style.

Cold and vicious, every strike was a killing move.

The Hatake Clan's swordsmanship had never cared for flashy techniques or schools. It cared about only one thing: killing.

Every strike went for a vital point. Every strike left no room for retreat, not even for the wielder himself.

That all-or-nothing momentum gave Genkawa Uchiha a sense of excitement he had not felt in a long time.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three consecutive collisions rang out. Blades flashed, and sparks flew in all directions.

Kakashi Hatake's attacks grew fiercer and fiercer. The short blade in his hand was like a silver bolt of lightning, constantly changing angles and rhythms.

He did not need the Sharingan to predict attacks. His swordsmanship had already been carved into his instincts.

But Genkawa Uchiha was stronger.

His strength was overwhelming. Every collision left Kakashi's wrist numb. His speed was too fast, forcing Kakashi to rely on instinct to respond.

His blade work was too simple, so simple that there were no openings to seize.

Another horizontal sweep came.

Kakashi Hatake raised his blade to block, but the impact sent him staggering three steps backward. The soles of his shoes carved deep marks into the ground.

His breathing grew hurried.

Genkawa Uchiha stood where he was, his Ninja Blade angled toward the ground.

What a satisfying fight!

My body is heating up.