Mutual Destruction

Facing the sudden eruption of killing intent from Uchiha Fugaku, Yatsuhashi, who had been retreating continuously, unexpectedly remained in place this time, showing no intention of backing down.

His gaze was icy as he looked at the paper bag in Uchiha Fugaku's hand.

The word Okonomiyaki was printed prominently upon it.

This was the packaging specifically used for takeout from the pancake shop.

Uchiha Fugaku placed the paper bag containing the Okonomiyaki beside the gate.

"What, no plans to run anymore?"

Both men were cunning veterans.

Yatsuhashi understood Uchiha Fugaku's meaning in an instant.

One must know, the last person who dared to threaten his family like this, had long since been reduced to nothing but ashes.

Now that there was no one else around, if the two of them were to truly clash, it was not as if Yatsuhashi lacked the opportunity to keep Uchiha Fugaku here forever...

Sensing the aura of Yatsuhashi opposite him, it underwent a distinct change in a mere split second.

Uchiha Fugaku gave a mocking smile, "Then..."

However, before he could finish his sentence, Yatsuhashi's figure suddenly vanished.

Uchiha Fugaku's expression shifted slightly.

He spun around abruptly, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball roared toward his rear.

The scorching flames instantly engulfed Yatsuhashi, who had just arrived behind Uchiha Fugaku to launch a sneak attack.

Yet, facing the raging inferno, Yatsuhashi did not choose to retreat.

He charged straight through the flames and threw a punch!

"Bang!" With a dull thud, the Uchiha Fugaku struck by Yatsuhashi instantly transformed into a puff of white smoke.

He had not expected this to be a Shadow Clone Technique.

"Earth Release: Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

The real Uchiha Fugaku stood on a distant treetop, his hands forming seals.

Four thick earthen walls rose from the ground, trapping Yatsuhashi in the center.

Yatsuhashi looked up at Uchiha Fugaku standing on the tree not far away.

At this moment, the white cloth that had been covering his eyes was gone.

Blood was continuously streaming from his eye sockets.

This was the Mangekyo Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan.

And Yatsuhashi, trapped by the Earth Style: Earth Wall, had likewise activated the Mangekyo Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Fugaku watched Yatsuhashi, who had faced the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique without sustaining injury, "As expected, fire release is ineffective against you!"

"Hoo..."

Yatsuhashi readjusted his breathing.

He knew that the patriarch of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku, would not be so easily dealt with.

Once his breathing steadied, in the very next second, Yatsuhashi burst through the wall, and the great tree where Uchiha Fugaku had been standing collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Two figures became frantically entangled in mid-air.

The more they exchanged blows, the more shocked Yatsuhashi became.

He had to realize, this was him exerting his full strength.

His own speed had already been pushed to the absolute limit.

Yet, Uchiha Fugaku on the opposite side was still keeping pace with him.

Every time he was about to land a hit, Uchiha Fugaku would dodge at just the right moment.

Impossible, this was absolutely impossible!

He had to remember, he possessed the blessing of his exclusive ocular technique, Return to Basics.

And the Uchiha Fugaku before him was not some master proficient in taijutsu.

How could he possibly keep up with his movements?

Suddenly, amidst their continuous exchange, Yatsuhashi noticed the blood constantly streaming from Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.

Was this the ocular technique of his Mangekyo Sharingan?!

Upon confirming that his opponent was not relying on taijutsu to match him, Yatsuhashi's mindset actually stabilized.

Consequently, the duel between the two began to turn bizarre.

If any bystander were here, they would surely feel extremely bewildered.

Because the movements of both combatants exuded an air of extreme strangeness.

As Yatsuhashi and Uchiha Fugaku fought fiercely, their attacks would always come to an abrupt halt mid-execution, often retracting a punch before it was even fully thrown.

Or, they would employ all sorts of unexpected variations in their moves.

Coupled with the fact that their speed in launching and retracting attacks was simply too fast, to any onlooker, their taijutsu contest was filled with oddities.

This was because they were both using their Sharingan to predict the other's predictions, only Uchiha Fugaku's predictions, bolstered by his ocular technique, were often a cut above.

This game of wits filled the battle with pauses and variations, which was why it appeared so strange.

The two sides grappled for quite a while, until the blood flowing from Uchiha Fugaku's eyes became more and more profuse.

He suddenly hurled several kunai at Yatsuhashi, "Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Several kunai tore through the air, and Uchiha Fugaku took the opportunity to create distance, voluntarily ending their taijutsu confrontation.

"Lightning Release: Great Roaring Thunder!"

A bolt of azure lightning erupted from his mouth, striking toward Yatsuhashi, who had just dodged the kunai.

In response, Yatsuhashi did not choose to evade.

He prepared to take advantage of this gap

to continue applying pressure to Uchiha Fugaku.

However, when the Lightning Release struck Yatsuhashi, the body he had readied to continue his assault froze in place.

Although, at the moment the lightning made contact with Yatsuhashi, he had used Return to Basics to instantly revert the lightning ninjutsu back into its raw chakra, the intense paralyzing effect accompanying the lightning still transmitted into his body.

This caused Yatsuhashi's movements to stall for a split second.

"Huff... huff..."

Taking advantage of this opening, Uchiha Fugaku gasped for air, He hurriedly adjusted his physical state.

The recent exchange of taijutsu had pushed him to his physical limit.

Although he had not been struck by Yatsuhashi.

The excessive use of the Mangekyo Sharingan just now, had caused the scene before Uchiha Fugaku to begin blurring.

So much so that now, facing this perfect opportunity for a counterattack, he lacked the strength to launch an offensive.

"Eight Inner Gates: Space Gate, open!"

"Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Healing, open!"

"Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Life, open!"

"Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Pain, open!!!"

Veins bulged on Yatsuhashi's forehead, and a powerful aura erupted from his body.

He forced his paralyzed body to hold up, charging toward Uchiha Fugaku once more.

This punch was enough to split mountains and crack stones, carrying with it a fierce gale.

Yatsuhashi was confident he could kill Uchiha Fugaku on the spot.

Facing Yatsuhashi's undisguised killing intent, Uchiha Fugaku was not certain he could rely on his body to dodge in time.

His eyes sharpened as he shouted, "Susanoo!"

Instantly, an orange phantom enveloped Uchiha Fugaku.

That was the ultimate power of the Uchiha Clan, Susanoo!

But just as the Susanoo was about to take form, a stream of blood suddenly flowed from Yatsuhashi's right eye.

As his Mangekyo spun frantically, the orange Susanoo began to show signs of dissipating.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, under Yatsuhashi's punch, the already crumbling Susanoo vanished completely before him.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Uchiha Fugaku had blocked with his arms, but Yatsuhashi's strength had reached a terrifying level.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible.

Not only were both of Uchiha Fugaku's arms broken, but he also spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, Yatsuhashi's attack did not stop.

He turned his other hand from a fist into a palm, thrusting his fingertips straight toward Uchiha Fugaku's heart.

At this critical moment, Uchiha Fugaku actually used his broken arm to block Yatsuhashi's lethal strike in advance.

Although Yatsuhashi's palm had pierced his chest, the tips of his fingers were still a short distance away from that fatal heart.

That short distance was enough.

"Cough..."

Uchiha Fugaku coughed up another mouthful of blood.

He slammed his right foot down hard, and shouted, "Earth Release: Quicksand Burial!"

Instantly, the ground beneath the two of them turned into surging quicksand.

Yatsuhashi's expression changed; he had never expected that, Uchiha Fugaku was still able to perform ninjutsu despite both his hands being completely crippled.

In the blink of an eye, the quicksand had already submerged them up to their waists.

Uchiha Fugaku used his broken body to lock Yatsuhashi firmly in place, his momentum clearly that of someone determined to drag his opponent down to the grave with him.

"Although you can erase ninjutsu, you cannot undo the environmental changes caused by it..."

Fresh blood spilled continuously from the corners of Uchiha Fugaku's mouth, "Remember, this is your fatal flaw."