"Hmph, all bluff."
Karatachi Yagura sneered. After all, they were still within the Land of Water.
And behind him, more and more Kirigakure Ninja were rushing over to provide support.
Even if his opponent had the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan,
Yagura firmly believed that, with the advantage of fighting on home ground,
he could wear Uchiha Obito down, even if it took time.
With the slightest movement of his will,
the Water Mirror Clone charged at Uchiha Yatsuhashi again.
Yatsuhashi simply took one step forward, and the seawater beneath his feet exploded, leaving a crater several meters deep.
That was pure physical strength.
Just as the Water Mirror Clone was about to collide with Uchiha Yatsuhashi,
"Bang!"
A deafening, muffled boom rang out.
With just one punch,
the Water Mirror Clone burst into a splash of water right in front of Uchiha Yatsuhashi.
"What?!"
Karatachi Yagura's pupils contracted.
By all rights, the Water Mirror Technique could perfectly replicate an opponent's strength.
The two beings, with equal speed and power, should have been locked in an evenly matched battle.
But that wasn't what happened. The two had never been evenly matched.
One punch.
With just a single punch, Uchiha Yatsuhashi had shattered the Water Mirror Clone on the spot.
Karatachi Yagura's heart sank.
Was this the power of those eyes?
Had they enhanced Uchiha Obito's strength?
Even Yatsuhashi himself was stunned.
He hadn't expected his strength to have reached such a terrifying level.
Karatachi Yagura was just about to form Hand Seals and use the Water Mirror Technique again
when he saw that Yatsuhashi's Mangekyō Sharingan had already locked onto him.
Under the gaze of those eyes, Karatachi Yagura felt an intense pressure.
"Water Release: Water—"
But before Karatachi Yagura could finish forming his Hand Seals,
Uchiha Yatsuhashi crossed dozens of meters in an instant and appeared right in front of him.
"Too slow."
Yagura only managed to raise his arms to block when the fist was already about to hit him.
"Crack!"
The clear sound of bones breaking rang out from his arms.
Even with his arms crossed in defense, Karatachi Yagura was sent flying by the monstrous force.
He crashed into the water in the distance like a rag doll,
sending up a towering spray.
But just as Uchiha Yatsuhashi was about to press his advantage
and finish Karatachi Yagura off for good,
dozens of figures shot up from the surrounding sea.
They were Kirigakure Ninja who had been lying in wait nearby.
Seeing the situation turn against them, they immediately launched a lethal attack on Uchiha Yatsuhashi.
"Get lost!"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi spun around and knocked them back.
Facing these Kirigakure Ninja, he used no tricks or techniques.
His raw strength alone now displayed utterly terrifying power.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Every swing of his fists and kicks was accompanied by the sharp crack of breaking bones and the Kirigakure Ninja's anguished screams.
Not one of them could withstand a single blow.
This wasn't a fight—it was a one-sided massacre.
The Kirigakure Ninja flew back one after another like puppets struck by a giant hammer.
But then, a sudden change occurred.
"Cough—!"
Uchiha Yatsuhashi suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and dropped to one knee on the sea.
His body could no longer withstand the strain of using the Eight Inner Gates.
His dark red skin gradually returned to normal.
A wave of intense weakness and agonizing backlash swept through his body.
On the distant sea, Karatachi Yagura struggled to his feet.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and watched, hope returning to his eyes.
"This is our chance!"
Karatachi Yagura shoved aside the Kirigakure Ninja who had just treated his arms.
Without another moment's hesitation, he moved at full speed, rushing at Uchiha Yatsuhashi once more like a phantom.
This time, he no longer carried himself with the arrogance he'd shown before. He gave it everything he had.
He was determined to kill Uchiha Obito on the spot and avenge his humiliation.
"Uchiha Obito, you're dead!"
Karatachi Yagura attacked like a raging storm, intent on killing.
But the figure kneeling on the sea moved again.
"Still too slow."
Though the Eight Inner Gates no longer empowered him,
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's left eye—
the Mangekyō Sharingan that had awakened within it, with its unique ability—
still strengthened his body.
"Bang!"
Another simple punch.
This time, it wasn't an overwhelming, one-hit finish. The two forces collided as equals.
The shockwave from their clash churned the sea around them into splashes.
Karatachi Yagura was astonished to discover that even without that strange chakra,
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's Taijutsu still held its own, relying solely on the bizarre Mangekyō Sharingan.
No—even in a contest of sheer strength, Yagura was being pushed back little by little.
"How is this possible..."
Karatachi Yagura was horrified. "Those eyes alone can strengthen him this much?!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
They traded blow after blow, and every collision left Karatachi Yagura's arms numb, his bones on the verge of breaking.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi, by contrast, was panting hard but remained on his feet.
Without needing to form Hand Seals, Yatsuhashi could use his eyes to predict Karatachi Yagura's every move.
Then he countered with that utterly unreasonable strength.
Finally, during one clash of strength,
"Bang!"
Karatachi Yagura was sent flying by a punch,
then sank beneath the sea, his life or death unknown.
Seeing this, the remaining Kirigakure Ninja hurriedly dove into the water.
They carried the unconscious Karatachi Yagura away,
using Water Release to disappear before Uchiha Yatsuhashi's eyes.
The sea fell silent once more.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi stood alone.
He gasped for breath, and his vision gradually blurred.
That battle had drained all his strength and stamina.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi's eyes slowly returned to their normal, dark color.
"So this is... the Mangekyō..."
His voice was heavy with exhaustion as he stared at the blurred sea.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi didn't give chase—not because he didn't want to, but because he no longer had the strength.
He had only just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and hadn't fully mastered it yet.
If he chased after them recklessly now, he could easily fall into their trap.
Uchiha Yatsuhashi staggered and nearly toppled into the water.
He clenched his teeth and dragged his battered body toward Thousand Port City.
He had to find somewhere to hide first.
He was completely spent.
At this point, any ninja could pose a lethal threat to him.
As the Kirigakure Ninja retreated in disarray,
Karatachi Yagura slowly regained consciousness as his wounds were treated.
He looked back unwillingly at Thousand Port City, barely visible on the distant horizon.
"Uchiha Obito..."
Karatachi Yagura whispered the name.
He swore to himself
that the next time they met, he would wipe away the humiliation he'd suffered today.
Before you continue