A Father-Son Battle

Naraku wasn't familiar with Hiruko. Approaching him out of the blue to strike up a conversation might backfire.

The Second Shinobi World War was about to end. This should be the time when Hiruko felt keenly how weak he was and began preparing to develop the Chimera Technique.

"If I take control of the Military Police Force and arrest him before the Third Hokage catches on, it'll be easier to discuss working together afterward."

After paying, Naraku's thoughts churned. He resisted the urge to approach Hiruko and strike up a conversation, then turned and left Ichiraku Ramen.

"Does that guy seem to be keeping an eye on me?"

After Naraku left, Hiruko looked in the direction he had gone.

"My strength is far too weak. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade are already known as the Konoha Sannin. If I don't work hard to catch up, I'm afraid I'll never be able to match them."

Hiruko had suffered repeated setbacks in the Second Shinobi World War and had faced mortal danger several times. By now, he had become keenly aware of his weakness and mediocre talent.

He had already begun thinking about how to grow stronger. Since his talent had reached its limit, the only way to improve was to break through his own constraints.

The Uchiha Clan compound.

The Naraku House.

Naraku's mother, Uchiha Mei, watched Sanzang and Naraku face each other in the courtyard.

"Mom, don't worry. Father and I are just sparring."

"Mei, go back inside. Our son has grown up. I'll test him."

Hearing the two of them, Uchiha Mei looked even more worried. But she listened to Uchiha Sanzang and went back inside, no longer watching them.

"Let's see how far you've come, brat."

Sanzang spoke calmly. As the Uchiha's strongest ninja in name, Uchiha Sanzang couldn't help shaking his head inwardly at the thought that Naraku actually dared to challenge him.

This kid thinks he's invincible just because he's earned the name Copy Ninja. I'll show him today that there's always someone stronger.

The thought flashed through Uchiha Sanzang's mind.

"Father, you're no match for me," Naraku said calmly.

"Hahahahaha! You're an impressive kid. When I was your age, I might not have been as strong as you. But you're still too young to take on me as I am now."

Hearing Naraku's brazen words, Sanzang couldn't help liking them. His son ought to be this cocky.

"Then let's begin."

Naraku gathered chakra in his eyes. They turned red, and three Tomoe began rotating slowly within them.

"Sharingan!"

Sanzang didn't hold back either. He activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan as well.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Naraku pulled Kunai and Shuriken from his ninja pouch and hurled them at Sanzang.

Uchiha Sanzang leaped high to evade Naraku's Shuriken, firing Kunai continuously while in midair.

The sounds of Kunai and Shuriken slicing through the air rang out across the field.

Naraku leaned to the left, then the right. The Kunai skimmed past him, making him look casual and graceful.

After firing his Shuriken in midair, Sanzang landed and stood up, then looked at Naraku.

Naraku met his gaze without fear as the Tomoe in Uchiha Sanzang's Sharingan spun rapidly.

"Demonic Illusion: Sharingan," Uchiha Sanzang murmured.

Once the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, reached the Three-Tomoe stage, its user could simply activate the Tomoe with chakra and draw an enemy into an illusion through eye contact, leaving them unable to move.

At that moment, a pair of enormous crimson Sharingan appeared in the air of the mental space. Naraku's body was pierced through the torso and limbs by several stakes, pinning him in place so he couldn't move at all.

Demonic Illusion: Sharingan could be converted at any time into Sharingan Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.

The Shackling Stakes Technique, also called the Body Bind Genjutsu, was a kind of Body Bind Technique. It was also one of the Sharingan's most powerful abilities.

Since the Uchiha Clan served in the Military Police Force and lived in Konoha year-round, almost none of its Jonin ever went on missions outside the village.

Most ordinary ninja in Konoha had little contact with Uchiha ninja unless they got into trouble.

So the Uchiha's fearsome reputation still came from decades ago. It had been thirty-eight years since Konoha was founded, and almost no ninja had fought the Uchiha during that time.

"Son, you're still too green. You have a long way to go in mastering the Sharingan."

In the genjutsu space, Sanzang looked at Naraku, pinned by the stakes, and spoke calmly.

"Oh? Is that so, Father?"

Naraku asked in a quiet, expressionless voice.

Sanzang furrowed his brow slightly, troubled by Naraku's composure.

Just then, cracks appeared in the Sharingan suspended in the air. One, then two—the cracks multiplied until it began to shatter, and the illusion broke apart with it.

As the unexpected turn of events unfolded, Uchiha Sanzang felt a stabbing pain in his eyes. He tried to raise a hand to press against them, only to find that he couldn't control his body. He couldn't move at all!

Only then did Uchiha Sanzang realize how serious things were. The situation had been reversed: instead of Naraku being pierced and pinned by the stakes, Sanzang was now the one impaled.

Uchiha Sanzang couldn't even move a finger. The shattered Sharingan pieces fused back together, but the eyes weren't Sanzang's. They were Naraku's.

"M-Mirror Heaven and Earth... R-Reversal. W-When did you...? A-And how is your ocular p-power so strong...?"

Controlled by the genjutsu, Sanzang couldn't even manage to speak a complete sentence.

"Among the Uchiha, genjutsu is naturally crucial in a battle of illusions. You've been in charge of the Military Police for too long, Father. Your combat experience has grown far too shallow."

Naraku spoke indifferently. With a single glance from his Sharingan, Uchiha Sanzang had activated Demonic Illusion: Sharingan and followed it with the Demonic Illusion: Body Bind Genjutsu.

He had nearly grown used to it. In the past, Sanzang had naturally been invincible against the lower-ranked ninja in Konoha and the younger members of the Uchiha Clan.

But now his Sharingan faced another Three-Tomoe Sharingan—wielded by the hot-blooded young Uchiha Naraku.

Naraku had paid just a little attention to Sanzang's crude genjutsu and turned it back on him.

Naraku was deeply disappointed by the fight. Even his battle against Fugaku had been more exciting.

"Father, you powerful, influential Uchihas stand on the sidelines, passing judgment as you please, convinced you're strong. But you never imagined that once you stepped into the arena, you'd be worse than the little fighters already in it."

Uchiha Naraku shook his head and spoke calmly.

Uchiha Sanzang's face was pale. After hearing Naraku's words, he circulated his chakra frantically, trying to break the genjutsu, but he was completely helpless.

Naraku sighed, brought his index and middle fingers together before him, and called out:

"Release!"

He formed the Release hand seal. As he applied it to Sanzang's body, the chakra holding him in place dissipated at once.

Uchiha Sanzang was free again and immediately gasped for breath.

"Father, you've lost."

"How about we say this one doesn't count and have another go?"

The genjutsu had already been released. After all, he was Naraku's father, so Naraku wanted to save him a little face. He spoke softly.

"A wager is a wager. Your father isn't so shameless that he'd break his word in front of his own son."

Uchiha Sanzang's breathing had eased somewhat, and his breath gradually settled.

"So, about control of the Police Force?" Naraku asked quietly.

"You can take over as captain, but have you considered how Fugaku will feel?"

"Wouldn't it be fine for Big Brother Fugaku to be vice-captain?"

"Naraku, you're oversimplifying it. The position of Uchiha Clan Head and the captaincy of the Military Police Force have always been passed down within our family. In the past, my elder brother Dazang controlled the Uchiha, while I controlled the Military Police Force. Now you control the Uchiha. Have you never wondered why?"

"You and Uncle made a private agreement. I inherited the clan head position Fugaku was meant to have, so the captaincy you would originally have passed on to me now has to go to Fugaku?"

"Exactly. Your uncle and I made that agreement back then. If we went back on it now, it would likely drive a wedge between us."