The "Ordinary Person" Named Uchiha Kou

In the center of the clearing, the wind carried the dampness of the sea across the mountaintop, ruffling the black hair at Kou's temples and the hem of his Black Cloak with Red Clouds.

Kou stood there silently, longsword in hand, the blade gleaming with a cold, chilling luster under the sunlight.

His breathing was steady, and those black eyes had now transformed into the three-tomo Sharingan.

Three black tomoe slowly rotated within his irises, gazing at the empty, wind-swept grass on the opposite side of the clearing.

The next instant, accompanied by a gust of wind, the figure of Jiraiya appeared on the very spot Kou had been watching.

Unlike his usual dashing and flamboyant self, he had practically "crashed" into the scene.

Jiraiya landed with a stagger, bracing his hands on his knees as he gasped for air.

Sweat trickled down his bold, rugged face, dripping onto the grass beneath his feet.

Kou watched Jiraiya, who was practically doubled over, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking smirk:

"No way? Are you really so exhausted from such a short walk that you've turned into a dried-up toad?

Did you spend all night at the clubs yesterday? How did you end up looking this pathetic?"

His voice was filled with schadenfreude, his Sharingan flickering with an eerie light in the sun.

"Ha... ha... shut your mouth! You brat with no respect for your elders! Don't you dare slander this Sage here!!"

Jiraiya complained to the relaxed-looking Kou while gasping for breath.

He raised his head, his eyes filled with undisguised dissatisfaction:

"Why were you running so fast? In such a hurry to reincarnate?! Do you have any idea how much effort it took for this Sage to catch up to you?

I didn't even run this fast back when I got caught peeping at Tsunade!"

"Uh... that's quite the desperate effort."

Kou watched the theatrically dramatic Jiraiya, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

As he spoke, Kou observed Jiraiya, his gaze falling upon the hands braced against the older man's knees.

The ten fingers were slightly curled, pressed beneath his thighs, and were moving in an extremely subtle, rhythmic fashion.

Is this... a hand sign for Earth Style?

A cold light flashed in Kou's eyes:

This old pervert, he wants to play dirty with me, does he?

While mentally mocking Jiraiya, Kou kept his eyes fixed on him and slowly raised his longsword.

The blade traced a cold arc through the sunlight, the tip pointing directly at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya continued to pant heavily, saying with a "weak" expression:

"Ouch, I can't do it, I've winded myself—just give this Sage a moment to catch my breath..."

"Uchiha Style—"

Kou's icy voice cut through Jiraiya's performance.

"Sun Halo Dance."

As the words fell, three massive flame slashes erupted from the longsword.

Crimson flames condensed and compressed along the blade, then, the moment they were unleashed, they were enveloped by Wind Style, transforming into three enormous, arc-shaped fire blades.

This was no ordinary Fire Style; it was a composite ninjutsu combining fire and wind!

The crimson flames became intensely scorching under the reinforcement of the wind, carrying terrifying explosive power as they surged toward Jiraiya at high speed!

Feeling the approaching heatwave, Jiraiya's exaggerated expression vanished in an instant.

"Not good!"

His gaze turned sharp, a flicker of surprise crossing his lazy eyes.

He instinctively tried to dodge, only to find that two of the three flame slashes had suddenly changed direction.

One to the left, one to the right, combined with the one in the center—a three-sided pincer attack!

The attacks changed direction? Did he mix Wind Style into the Fire Style?!

Jiraiya analyzed calmly, a glint of brilliance in his eyes:

No, it's more than that. The trajectory of these three slashes is incredibly cunning, effectively sealing off any retreat.

Before swinging his sword, he used the Sharingan's powerful insight to analyze the optimal path,

and then, relying on his exquisite chakra control, he adjusted the orientation of the three flame slashes the moment he swung, forcing me to face this strike head-on?

Jiraiya marveled inwardly, his awe tinged with both admiration and wariness:

To be able to release such a sophisticated combination ninjutsu in an instant without hand signs, and to make such precise arrangements simultaneously...

This kid Kou, has he really grown to this extent?

From this single move alone, Jiraiya could see that Kou's application of the Sharingan and his deep research into Fire Style were worlds apart from his time back in Konoha.

Based on what he knew of Kou, this was absolutely not something he could have achieved through hard work alone...

"Unless he has a teacher who is extremely proficient in this art."

Jiraiya muttered in his heart, a complex light flashing through his eyes:

"Kou, what exactly have you experienced in these past five years?"

Feeling the approaching heatwave, Jiraiya instantly focused his attention on the three massive waves of fire ahead, a touch of gravity flashing in his eyes.

He recognized this technique: Uchiha Style Sword Technique: Sun Halo Dance.

One of the classic ninjutsu sword styles of the Uchiha clan, it fuses Fire Release into swordsmanship, allowing for long-range strikes from multiple angles.

But the move Kou was using now was different from the typical Sun Halo Dance; both its attack range and power far exceeded the original!

His gaze swept rapidly across his surroundings; the retreat paths to the left and right were already sealed, and behind him was a cliff.

In front? In front were those three approaching flame slashes!

"I have no choice but to take it head-on."

Jiraiya made a quick decision in his mind.

His ten fingers flew, instantly forming several hand seals, and he slammed his hands onto the ground, shouting in a low voice:

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Three massive earthen walls rose from the ground with a roar, blocking the three fierce flame slashes head-on.

However, in just an instant, those three massive Earth-Style Walls were shattered by the terrifying impact of the flame slashes.

Stones crumbled, dust flew, and the crimson flames completely swallowed Jiraiya's figure!

BOOM—!!!

A massive explosion echoed across the mountaintop, sending gravel flying and air currents surging.

Birds in the distance were startled, flapping their wings as they took to the sky.

Kou watched the sea of fire, his eerie Sharingan flickering in the reflection of the flames.

He seemed to realize something, activated the Body Flicker Technique, and his figure instantly vanished from where he stood.

The next instant, a pair of large hands reached out from his original position.

Those hands emerged from the ground, palms open and fingers curled, attempting to grab something, but they grasped only empty air.

Only the wind whistled through the fingers, leaving behind a hollow sound.

Jiraiya's figure burst out from beneath the ground.

He brushed the dirt off his body and looked at the black-haired youth who had already put some distance between them, his bold face filled with disdain:

"Yare yare, you brat really have no sense of martial honor, resorting to such a low-class sneak attack—it's truly shameful."

"The guy who pretended to be exhausted while actually hiding his hands under his thighs to secretly form seals doesn't have the right to say that to me, does he?"

Kou said with a huff, his peripheral vision scanning the direction where Jiraiya had originally been.

The flames dissipated; where Jiraiya had stood, there now remained only the broken ruins of the Earth-Style Wall and a scorched earthen doll that vaguely resembled a human shape.

It was an Earth Clone.

The moment before the flames struck, Jiraiya had already swapped himself with an Earth Clone he had prepared in advance, while his true body burrowed underground, intending to circle around and launch a sneak attack from behind.

Kou shifted his gaze to the unscathed Jiraiya opposite him and said with a look of contempt:

"You predicted I would test you with long-range ninjutsu, so you formed the seals for an Earth Clone in advance, hoping to use the cover of the Earth-Style Wall and Fire Release to sneak up and hit me with the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique?"

He paused, the tomoe in his Sharingan spinning faster:

"Do you really think these Sharingan of mine are just colored contact lenses!"

Kou raised the long sword in his hand, coldly staring at Jiraiya, his three-tomoe Sharingan flashing with an eerie light under the sun:

"You understand, don't you? In front of these eyes of mine, all your little tricks... are futile!"

Jiraiya looked at Kou, his expression turning grave.

He stood up straight, and the playfulness and exaggeration vanished from his bold face, leaving only the seriousness and caution of a true ninja.

"Sharingan... what a terrifying Kekkei Genkai."

Jiraiya sighed in his heart with genuine admiration.

He was certain that his previous movement had been sufficiently stealthy; even an elite Uchiha jonin with a three-tomoe Sharingan should have been unable to detect it even while observing with full focus.

Yet, Kou had discovered his movement in an instant.

There was no doubt that he had pushed the observational capabilities of those eyes to the absolute limit!

Jiraiya analyzed the situation in his heart, his eyes filled with gravity.

Only those who have truly fought against a ninja with a Sharingan can understand just how powerful these eyes are.

Instant replication of ninjutsu, casting genjutsu without hand seals, and meticulous, microscopic observation—each one of these, if possessed by an ordinary ninja, would be a top-tier asset.

And these three abilities, which any ninja would dream of, were all gathered within the Kekkei Genkai known as the Sharingan.

For members of the Uchiha clan who awaken the Sharingan, even those with mediocre talent can transform into exceptionally skilled ninja within a short period of time.

It is as if the Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan, were born specifically for the profession of a ninja.

This is one of the few conclusions Jiraiya has been able to assert throughout his decades of life.

His gaze rested on the three-tomo Sharingan in Kou's eyes, filled with scrutiny, wariness, and, more than anything, understanding.

Uchiha Kou is, in Jiraiya's estimation, the most representative example of this conclusion.

In his memory, almost all of the combat abilities Kou relied upon were developed entirely on the foundation of his own Sharingan.

This did not stem from the arrogance of the Uchiha clan, nor from a blind confidence in or dependence on the power of the Sharingan, but was based on a very helpless reality.

His gaze fell upon that face, which appeared uninhibited but was actually incredibly earnest, and a complex light flickered in his murky eyes.

Because, setting the Sharingan aside—Kou really is just an "ordinary person" with mediocre talent.

(Apologies for the late post.

I spent a bit more time polishing this chapter; does it read well to everyone?)