The Uchiha Clan's Blind Swordsman

As he spoke, Chiba slowly drew his cane sword.

It was a plain, unadorned drawing motion.

With a light flick.

A flash of cold light streaked through the air.

"Can you truly see through the ambition hidden within this blade?"

"And can you truly bear the weight contained within this sword?"

In that instant, Chiba looked up.

He faced the purple-haired girl before him head-on.

And in that very moment he raised his head, he unleashed a demonic brilliance.

Yugao Uzuki had never felt anything like this before.

The person before her was clearly a boy five years her junior, and she couldn't even see his eyes.

Yet—

The sensation of being targeted made every hair on her body stand on end.

That keen instinct, like a fawn facing a lion, made her tremble uncontrollably in a single heartbeat.

The fleeting flash of cold light caused Yugao Uzuki's pupils to constrict instantly.

In that moment.

She felt as if she saw countless slashes flying toward her.

In the next second, she was torn to pieces by these invincible strikes, collapsing into a pool of blood.

Is this a genjutsu?

No, this is a hallucination.

Yugao Uzuki's right hand had been resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist.

She wanted to draw her blade.

But—

At this moment, the sword felt as if it had frozen inside its scabbard.

The blade at her waist felt terrifyingly heavy.

Was it that she couldn't draw it?

No, it was that she didn't dare to.

She lacked the courage to face the boy holding the sword before her.

Chiba was standing right there in front of her.

He hadn't done anything at all.

He simply stood there quietly, holding his cane sword.

Yet, she couldn't move.

She couldn't understand it.

Why?

Is this—

Is this the opponent I just provoked?

Who is he?

Who on earth is he?

Where exactly does the gap between him and me lie?

At this moment, she didn't even have the courage to raise her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"A gap like this is called a difference in rank!"

Chiba finally sheathed his sword.

After speaking, he turned around and picked up the dango he had set down.

Chiba touched it and found it was still warm.

He smiled immediately.

"Hmm, it shouldn't affect the taste!"

Leaning on his cane, Chiba's figure gradually drifted into the distance.

Only after Chiba had gone quite far away did the trembling in Yugao Uzuki's body finally begin to subside.

--Such a gap is called a difference in level!

Chiba's words seemed to still be echoing in her ears.

Who, exactly, is he?

He is merely a five-year-old boy.

Why could he unleash such an aura?

That aura felt as if it had been tempered through a thousand trials.

Yugao Uzuki could not comprehend it at this moment.

That pressure, which originated from Fujitora Issho, had a collective term in the world of One Piece.

--Great Swordsman!

Fujitora Issho was, without a doubt, a Great Swordsman.

Perhaps he did not reach the same level of prestige as Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.

However, in terms of realm and swordsmanship, he was the real deal.

It was for good reason that he, a civilian expert, was exceptionally promoted to Marine Admiral by the World Government.

Was it because the Marines lacked backup experts?

The strength of the Admiral candidates was not lacking.

Yet, there was only one reason why Fujitora Issho was promoted to Admiral, ignoring his background and lack of military merit.

That was his monstrous strength.

It was a level of strength sufficient to make even the Admiral candidates hold their tongues.

And what Yugao Uzuki had felt in that instant was the aura of a Great Swordsman, tempered through a thousand trials by Fujitora Issho.

Even first-class swordsmen would be intimidated.

Let alone in this Naruto world, where swordsmanship was not particularly advanced.

For Yugao Uzuki, who specialized in Konoha-Style Swordsmanship, this was akin to a dimensional strike.

Chiba had just demonstrated the phrase "winning without drawing blood" to the fullest.

Just as Chiba had said at the very beginning.

He did not know how to be chivalrous toward the fair sex.

Nor was there any need to.

Since the other party had come to provoke him with malice, there was no need for Chiba to show mercy.

This was cruel to Yugao Uzuki.

But, at the same time, it was also an opportunity.

Chiba could see the ambition within Yugao Uzuki's blade.

This aura was also a form of mental tempering.

When she overcomes this hurdle, she will surely reach a higher level.

If she cannot overcome it, it will become a permanent psychological shadow.

If she does overcome it, it will allow her to break through her bottleneck.

This was different from the humiliating nature of Asuma Sarutobi's attack.

Setting this aside.

Inside the office at the Hokage Building.

An Anbu was kneeling on one knee before Sarutobi Hiruzen, reporting intelligence.

However, it was not about the war on the front lines.

It was regarding his son, Asuma Sarutobi.

"Report, Lord Hokage!"

"After leaving Konoha, Asuma traveled through the night to the Daimyo Palace in the Land of Fire."

"He has applied for and taken the position of guard for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!"

This Anbu was arranged by Sarutobi Hiruzen to stay by Asuma's side and protect him.

After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood his son.

Unruly and willful.

These were all traits fostered by his own indulgence over the years.

Asuma was, after all, his youngest son.

And having suffered such a crushing defeat at the hands of Chiba, heaven only knew what he might do next.

It was only after hearing from his subordinates that Asuma had gone to the Land of Fire's Daimyo Palace that he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This was for the best.

At the very least.

There was no danger at the Daimyo Palace, and away from Kurenai Yuhi and Chiba, Asuma would surely not do anything foolish.

More importantly, Asuma serving as a guardian for the Land of Fire as the son of the Hokage.

Regardless of the perspective, it was beneficial for the consolidation of his own position as Hokage.

The development of the ninja village could not be separated from the economic support of the Daimyo.

Furthermore, when it came to the selection of the Hokage, the Daimyo held significant decision-making power.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt even more confident regarding the election of the Fourth Hokage.

He was getting on in years, after all.

It was impossible for him to hold onto the position of Hokage forever.

This was an opportunity for the new generation, and it would also make the Daimyo value Konoha even more.

Only with more outstanding Hokage would the Daimyo see the true value of ninjas.

And in turn, the more economic support they would provide.

However, for Sarutobi Hiruzen, he did not want to relinquish the position of Hokage.

He truly enjoyed the feeling of having such great power in his grasp.