Go All Out, Absolutely Refuse to Lose

The two exchanged a few blows before Uchiha Arashi leaped backward.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

A serpent of fire slithered along the ground toward Izumi, who stood not far away.

Lightning flickered across Izumi's body.

In the next second, she transformed into a bolt of thunder, carving a wide arc across the ground to charge diagonally toward Uchiha Arashi, her Kunai crackling with electricity as she thrust it viciously at his throat.

Uchiha Arashi hurriedly drew a Kunai to parry Izumi's attack.

However, enhanced by the lightning, Izumi's Kunai was far sharper, and Uchiha Arashi could only watch helplessly as his own blade was slowly sliced through.

He continued to retreat.

Releasing his right hand, he risked injury by pressing his left hand against the side of the Kunai, barely managing to deflect Izumi's strike, while his right hand drew a second Kunai.

He had managed to block Izumi's Kunai with two consecutive parries in an instant, but her assault was far from over.

While Uchiha Arashi had focused all his attention on the electrified Kunai, Izumi had already prepared her follow-up.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

As she spat over a dozen fireballs from her mouth, she flicked her wrists, embedding a dozen bolts of lightning into them, instantly coating the surface of the fireballs in thunder.

"What are you doing? Playing with overload?!"

Uchiha Arashi shouted, intending to use a Fire Style jutsu to knock the fireballs away.

But the speed of the Phoenix Sage Fire was simply too fast, and given their close proximity, he had no time to weave hand signs, leaving him to watch as the fireballs flew straight at him.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—

An explosion far more powerful than any before erupted, the resulting shockwave forcing the younger siblings watching the fight to instinctively step back.

They immediately fixed their eyes on the center of the blast, their expressions tense.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."

Coughing soon echoed from within the smoke and dust; before long, the haze cleared to reveal Uchiha Arashi kneeling on one knee.

He didn't appear to be seriously injured, though he looked quite disheveled and covered in soot.

Izumi tilted her head.

"Didn't we agree not to use the Mangekyo?"

"If I don't use it, you're going to beat me to death!"

Uchiha Arashi couldn't help but retort.

"Fair enough. You possess advantages I lack, which might just bridge the gap between us," Izumi remarked with a calm expression.

In the next second, however, she glared at him without warning.

"Yomotsu Hirasaka!"

The surrounding environment shifted instantly, changing from the Shadow Space back to the Uchiha Compound.

Having lived two lives, Uchiha Arashi had experienced little that truly caused him agony; if he had to name any, the Night of the Massacre and the Nine-Tails incident were perhaps his most painful memories.

The former because he was powerless to change history and could only watch as he lost his greatest support.

The latter was the scene of his parents' deaths, which he witnessed before his past-life memories had awakened.

But as those memories surfaced, that pain had faded significantly.

Thus, the agonizing effect of Yomotsu Hirasaka had little impact on Uchiha Arashi; the only real threat was the spatial manipulation!

Swish!

In the next second, Uchiha Arashi leaped backward violently, and where he had been standing a moment before, a Kunai appeared out of thin air and slammed into the ground.

The dojutsu Yomotsu Hirasaka possessed the power to alter and control space; this entire area was now under her absolute command.

Uchiha Arashi's pupils darted rapidly, attempting to track Izumi's movements.

"It's useless!"

Without warning, Izumi appeared out of thin air behind Uchiha Arashi.

"Got you!"

"Don't joke around!"

Uchiha Arashi stomped his foot hard and twisted his body rapidly, attempting to block Izumi's strike.

Yet, the moment he turned, the space shifted again; front became back, and Izumi appeared behind him once more.

"So, what about this time?"

The Kunai glinted with a cold light, closing in on Uchiha Arashi's back.

Uchiha Arashi's eyes widened, his left eye spinning at a speed far exceeding anything he had achieved before.

"Kamui!"

A kunai sliced through the air, and Uchiha Arashi vanished into thin air.

Before anyone else could react, he reappeared behind Izumi, launching an attack in the exact same manner.

This exchange was as swift as a rabbit escaping a falcon; Izumi didn't even have time to shift space again, leaving her no choice but to turn and parry just as Uchiha Arashi had.

Sparks flew as the kunai collided, and the two separated after a brief standoff.

Izumi's breathing finally grew slightly ragged, becoming noticeably heavier.

"Are you really okay using Kamui so frequently?"

"You know I can sustain this drain for now. It's just a pity these aren't my own eyes, and the abilities are incomplete; otherwise, I wouldn't be at such a disadvantage."

Uchiha Arashi let out a dry laugh.

Although it started as a mere sparring test, as the fight progressed, he couldn't help but go all out.

He had even pushed past his previous limits, using Kamui twice in rapid succession to achieve a short-range instantaneous leap.

In the past, such a maneuver would have made him suffer; he wouldn't have even considered it, as it would mean prematurely exhausting the potential of his Mangekyo, a net loss.

However, ever since his deal with Orochimaru, he had secretly grafted a portion of Hashirama Cells onto his arm. Currently, a palm-sized white patch had appeared on his right arm—the result of the Hashirama Cells' erosion. Fortunately, as an Uchiha, he could withstand this erosion, unlike Danzo, who required a large number of Sharingan to suppress it.

Furthermore, the vitality provided by the Hashirama Cells allowed him to use his ocular techniques more freely without worrying about his eyes going blind rapidly.

Yet, even so, performing such a maneuver still placed immense pressure on him. Unless he could replace half his body like Obito, he could never be as composed as him.

"The strength test should have ended here..."

Izumi nodded and stepped toward Uchiha Arashi.

"But I really want to know how far you can go. Arashi, do you remember? Back when you were still in school, you would often come to me for sparring."

"I remember. I lost quite often back then."

"Exactly. That's why I always saw you as a younger brother. If you were in danger, I would want to protect you, until... that night arrived, and I realized you were even stronger than I had imagined. That is good, but it is not good enough. So, Arashi, show me more of your potential!"

Izumi suddenly lunged forward, and at the same time, she activated another ocular technique: Life Thread.

Almost at the same instant, Uchiha Arashi was struck by a sudden wave of weakness and lethargy.

The sensation came and went as quickly as it arrived, and he immediately returned to normal, but Izumi had already reached him. That momentary lag cost him his chance to dodge or resist.

As the kunai drew closer, Uchiha Arashi's eyes widened.

His eyes grew increasingly hot, and the Eye of God at his waist finally began to react.

"I really should do better... and so, I will never lose!"

Uchiha Arashi let out a low growl, and the Eye of God erupted with a brilliant golden light.