The Black-Clad Ninja

Flames soared above the river, turning the night sky orange-red.

The fire spread rapidly from one end of the twelve transport ships to the other, leaping from ship to ship like dragons of fire dancing wildly among the fleet.

Naoki had sent Uchiha Zongxin and the other man away. Now, gripping a long blade, he approached the "fire dragon."

He had been training for some time. Today, he would see just how good he really was.

He tightened his grip on the blade. Reflected in the flames, his Sharingan looked eerie.

The first Kirigakure Ninja to jump off a ship had barely landed when Naoki was already upon him.

A flash of steel, a muffled groan, and the man clutched his throat and fell.

"An enemy is closing in!"

More Kirigakure Ninja leaped from the burning ships. Some landed on the shallows, while others raced toward him across the water.

Naoki didn't retreat. Instead, he charged straight at them.

His blade swept in an arc, knocking aside an incoming Kunai. He spun with the motion, and the edge of his blade cut across a second enemy's chest.

Blood splattered his face, warm and metallic.

"Two-Tomoe Sharingan? He's Uchiha!"

Three Kirigakure Chunin lunged at him at once, their Kunai stabbing toward his vital points from different angles.

The Sharingan swiftly tracked every movement they made.

He leaned back slightly to dodge the first strike, then kicked the second man's wrist aside. With his left hand, he drew a spare Kunai from his waist and blocked the third attacker's blow.

He broke their combined attack in an instant.

"You're way too slow!"

Naoki shouted, sweeping his blade to force the three back as he formed Hand Seals with one hand.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Chakra surged from his mouth and coalesced into a ball of flame, hurtling straight at the three Chunin.

Two of them couldn't dodge in time. Engulfed in flames, they screamed as they fell into the river. The third evaded the attack, but Naoki followed close behind and ran him through with a single stroke.

In that brief moment, he had killed five Kirigakure Ninja with astonishing speed!

"Whew..."

Naoki exhaled and scanned his surroundings with the Sharingan.

The transport ships were still burning, and quite a few Kirigakure Ninja had already leaped ashore. But what caught his interest was a Jonin dressed in black, wearing a black mask that left only his eyes exposed.

The man had also jumped ashore and was forming Hand Seals. It looked as though he planned to use Water Release to extinguish the fires on the transport ships, but Naoki wasn't about to give him the chance.

Naoki pulled three Shuriken from his pouch and flung them at the man, then charged after them with his blade in hand.

Forced to interrupt his Hand Seals, the Black-Clad Ninja twisted aside to dodge the Shuriken and fixed his gaze on Naoki.

"Brat, you're asking for it!"

His voice was low and hoarse. His hands flashed through Hand Seals, completing them in an instant.

"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"

The river exploded. Several high-speed, spinning jets of water shot toward Naoki from different angles, like sharp drills.

Naoki's Sharingan spun rapidly, tracking the path of every water fang.

He pushed off the ground and darted through the barrage like a nimble swallow. Water blades grazed his clothes and tore the hem, but didn't touch his skin.

"Not bad."

The Black-Clad Ninja snorted and vanished in a flash.

The next moment, he appeared behind Naoki, his Kunai stabbing toward Naoki's back with a cold glint.

Naoki had expected it. His Sharingan had already seen through the man's attack!

He twisted around and raised his blade to block.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew in the night as metal struck metal.

Naoki broke free of the attack and landed firmly on the ground. The Black-Clad Ninja landed as well.

They faced off at close range. Then the man suddenly spoke.

"To move that fast with only a Double-Tomoe Sharingan... You're no ordinary Uchiha."

"You must have spent a long time planning this ambush. But it ends here!"

With that, the Black-Clad Ninja vanished in a flash.

"So fast!"

Alarm bells rang in Naoki's mind as his Sharingan frantically searched for the man.

Danger!

He instinctively rolled to the left. A Kunai grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.

Before he could regain his footing, a second attack came.

Naoki rolled again, barely keeping his balance. This time, the Kunai slashed his arm, and blood dripped from his sleeve.

"Decent reflexes, but let's see you dodge this!"

Naoki dropped to one knee, panting heavily.

The man had been far too fast. Even with the Sharingan's ability to track movement, Naoki could barely follow him.

That kind of speed couldn't be sustained for long. Naoki's instincts told him the man would make another move soon. Sure enough, mist began to gather, quickly enveloping the battlefield where they stood.

It was the Kirigakure Ninja's signature technique...

"Hidden Mist Technique."

Naoki held his breath and strained to search through the mist with his Sharingan.

In these conditions, his vision was limited, while the enemy could move freely through the mist. He was at a serious disadvantage.

The Sharingan was no Byakugan. It would be difficult to gain an advantage here. Naoki had to clear the mist as soon as possible.

"Brat, how much longer can you last?"

The Black-Clad Ninja's voice came from all directions, drifting about and making it difficult to pinpoint his location.

Perhaps because he had been reincarnated, Naoki had noticed during his daily training that his five senses were sharper than before. So he slowly closed his eyes and began to sense the movement around him.

Behind me, to the left!

He spun around and swung his blade.

"Clang!"

The Kunai collided with his blade, sending sparks flying.

The Black-Clad Ninja struck once and immediately retreated, disappearing into the mist again.

"Good instincts, but that was just luck."

His voice came from the mist once more.

Naoki remained silent, his breathing gradually steadying as he entered a strange state.

Since coming to this world, he had trained not only in Ninjutsu but also in Taijutsu and sensory skills. He hadn't trained for long, but he seemed to have some talent...

Front right!

This time, he chose to attack first!

His blade cut through the mist, thrusting toward the spot he had pinpointed.

The Black-Clad Ninja clearly hadn't expected Naoki to locate him so precisely. Caught off guard, he could only dodge to the side.

The blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a bloody mark.

"You..."

Furious and shocked, the Black-Clad Ninja had no time to recover. Naoki pressed in, swinging his blade in an unrelenting downpour of strikes.

His Double-Tomoe Sharingan whirled through the mist, tracking every subtle movement his opponent made.

The sudden, ferocious assault drove the Black-Clad Ninja back again and again, adding several more wounds to his shoulder and arm.

"Damn brat!"

He roared and hurriedly retreated, forming Hand Seals at the same time.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A massive water dragon suddenly took shape in the mist and lunged at Naoki, its claws and fangs bared.

Naoki's pupils contracted. He quickly leaped backward while forming Hand Seals with one hand.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"