He Was Just Like Madara Uchiha!

"This child really is just like Madara Uchiha was back then!"

Looking at Li's small frame, which nonetheless exuded an aura of disdain for all living things, the Third Hokage narrowed his eyes slightly, his heart full of emotion. Not long after Konoha was founded, when the Third Hokage was still a child who knew nothing, he had been fortunate enough to see Madara Uchiha once. Madara's aura of disdain for all living things had left a deep impression on him, one he had never forgotten.

Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru both admired Li's courage, especially Hatake Sakumo. He was the kind of person who would stop at nothing to complete a mission, with an innate streak of disregard for all life hidden deep within him. Li's performance had moved him greatly. If Li hadn't been from the Uchiha Clan, he would have wanted to take him on as a student.

"Good, kid. You've got some backbone. Since you agree, let's begin. I'd like to see whether you're really capable of killing two elite Genin!" Though Elder Chiyo's face had turned ashen with anger at Li's insults, she swallowed her rage at the thought of being able to eliminate this budding talent. In her eyes, there was no way a six-year-old kid could defeat a battle-hardened Chunin.

"Hmph!" Li gave a quiet snort, then turned to face the Third Hokage, his gaze cold. The Third Hokage was his teacher, but just now, for Konoha's sake, he had unhesitatingly sent Li to the front lines, making a six-year-old child take the fall. Li felt nothing but contempt for such behavior. There was no point in talking about any teacher-student bond now.

Seeing Li's cold gaze, the Third Hokage sighed inwardly. What he had just done had indeed been wrong, but for Konoha, he would make the same choice again. After glancing at Li, he turned to the Third Kazekage and said calmly, "Since Sunagakure has asked Uchiha Li to prove his strength, and Uchiha Li himself has agreed, please send out the ninja who will fight."

Uchiha Hao was shaking with rage, his expression dark. He wanted to bite the Third Hokage to death. The Third Hokage's actions were tantamount to crushing a genius of the Uchiha Clan. How could Uchiha Hao possibly accept that?

"Damn you, Hiruzen Sarutobi! Damn you, Konoha! You're suppressing the Uchiha Clan like this. One day, I'll destroy every last one of you!" Uchiha Hao clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails nearly pierced his palms.

"Ding! Mission issued: Defeat a Chunin from Sunagakure. Reward: 5,000 points. Mission failure: Deduct 5,000 points from the host!"

After arriving at a training ground, Li stood facing a middle-aged man with a stubbly beard. The man was the ninja Sunagakure had sent for this match, and he wore a Sunagakure Forehead Protector. Side by side, Li's presence was overwhelmingly weaker—not only was his age a serious disadvantage, but he also didn't have a Forehead Protector.

The Third Hokage and the Third Kazekage had gathered their ninja around the Training Ground to watch the fight from a distance. Uchiha Hao was so anxious that his palms were sweating. If anything happened to Li, how long would it take for the Uchiha Clan to truly rise again?

Kushina stood beside the Third Hokage, staring at Li without blinking, her face filled with worry. She had been confident earlier that Li would win, but now, seeing this hulking man, Kushina couldn't help but worry for him.

"Kid, surrender now and I'll spare your life. If we really start fighting, I'll break your little bones one by one. You hear me?" The Sand Ninja Chunin was huge, three times Li's size, and exuded a heavy killing intent. Clearly, the Second Shinobi World War had only recently ended, and he hadn't yet recovered from it.

An ordinary child would have been frightened to tears by that killing intent. Even Li's expression turned grave. The difference between a Chunin and an elite Genin might sound small, but their strength was worlds apart. Without a special technique, it was nearly impossible for an elite Genin to defeat a Chunin.

"Sharingan!"

Li didn't answer the Chunin. His Black Eyes had turned blood-red, and the Tomoe in his eyes fixed on the Chunin's feet. At that moment, Li's nerves were taut. This was the greatest enemy he had ever faced. If he wasn't extremely careful, he could die.

"So this is the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan? Gah! Let me tell you, kid, I've killed plenty of Uchiha Clan members on the battlefield!" Seeing Li's Sharingan, the Sand Ninja didn't understand the significance of a child having two Tomoe, so he didn't think much of it.

Li ignored the Sand Ninja's boast, pulled out a Kunai, and sprang into action, sprinting toward him. He leaped into the air and kicked at the Sand Ninja's face.

"Kid, don't underestimate me! You're a hundred years too early to challenge me to Taijutsu!" the Sand Ninja roared. Facing Li's side kick, he didn't dodge. He simply swung a hand over, aiming to grab Li's foot.

Whoosh!

But at that moment, Li hurled the Kunai in his hand straight at the Sand Ninja's face. The two were less than half a meter apart, so the Kunai reached him in an instant. Midair, Li suddenly produced a silver wire and yanked hard. His forward momentum stopped abruptly, and he twisted his body around in midair, pulling back the foot that had been aimed at the Sand Ninja. After landing, he didn't pause. He braced both hands on the ground and swept his right leg toward the Sand Ninja's lower body.

"Good!"

Watching Li's rapid series of attacks, the Third Hokage and the others couldn't help cheering him on. It was hard to believe a child who had never been on a battlefield could have such polished combat skills.

Szz! Thud!

A snowflake drifted upward. At the critical moment, the Sand Ninja blocked the Kunai with his arm. He avoided a lethal blow, but the blade opened a gash in his arm, and crimson blood ran down. Before he could catch his breath, Li kicked him in the knee. The force made the Sand Ninja stagger several steps before he managed to regain his balance.

"You brat, I..." The Sand Ninja hadn't expected a full-fledged Chunin like him to suffer at the hands of a six-year-old kid. He was about to fly into a rage when he noticed something strange. The surroundings had somehow gone completely quiet. The spectators were still there, watching, and no one was missing. The wind still howled, and the trees still swayed. Yes, there were sounds, but he still felt a strange silence. They all seemed so unreal, filling him with a faint sense of dread.

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