"I was careless just now. Don't think I can't beat you!"
Uchiha Hikari glared at Uchiha Chen in a fit of rage. He wasn't just being stubborn—he genuinely thought he could win.
"Oh?"
Uchiha Chen raised an eyebrow, then held out one hand and curled a finger at him in utter disdain. He hadn't said a word, yet somehow he seemed to have said everything.
"Argh!!"
"Die!"
Uchiha Hikari crouched and leaped again, closing in on Uchiha Chen like a cannonball. He launched a flying kick at him, certain this strike would land!
Uchiha Chen remained calm. He kicked out to meet him, but this time his kick was many times more forceful.
"Crack~"
"Ah! My foot!!"
Uchiha Hikari was sent flying again and crashed heavily to the ground. Then he clutched his right foot, writhing and howling in pain.
But after what had happened just moments ago, no one dared to help him this time.
Especially when they felt Uchiha Chen's gaze fall on them. The few of them shuddered with fear and hurriedly backed away several steps.
As if they stood a chance! They couldn't even beat Uchiha Hikari. What chance did they have against someone who'd taken him down in an instant?
"That's it?"
Uchiha Chen glanced at Uchiha Hikari and the others with contempt, said nothing more, and left with the composed Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Clan Compound,
The reception hall of Fourth Elder Uchiha Sanhe's residence,
An old man sat cross-legged in the seat of honor, wearing a robe emblazoned with the Uchiha Clan Crest. An eerie air seemed to emanate from him.
His skin was as pale as paper. His eyes seemed to sink deep into his face, and his sparse gray-white hair lay in disarray over his smooth scalp. Even the goatee beneath his chin was yellowed and dry, while his hooked nose lent him an even more sinister air.
This old man was the Fourth Elder of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Sanhe!
"Where is he?"
Uchiha Sanhe slowly opened his eyes and glanced at Uchiha Hikari and the others, who were prostrated before him. He asked in a detached voice.
"Gulp~"
Uchiha Hikari swallowed hard. Prostrated on the ground, his whole body trembled as beads of sweat rolled down his bare scalp.
"Fourth Elder, Uchiha Chen had no respect for you! He refused to pay his respects and even insulted you!!"
"Oh? What did he say?"
Uchiha Sanhe raised an eyebrow. A faint red glow shone in his eyes as he spoke again in a hoarse voice.
"That bastard said you weren't worthy of having him pay his respects. He even said that if you wanted to see him, you'd have to visit him in person!"
"As your subordinate, I couldn't let him insult you like that, so I tried to capture him and bring him here to face you.
"But Uchiha Chen was far too cunning. He actually ambushed me..."
Uchiha Hikari kept his head bowed, doing his utmost to prove his loyalty.
"So the six of you couldn't even take down Uchiha Chen, who has only Chunin-level strength?"
Uchiha Sanhe's expression remained impassive, but the moment he spoke, a chill swept through Uchiha Hikari and the others.
"Fourth Elder, spare us!!"
"Hmph. A bunch of good-for-nothings. Raise your heads!"
Uchiha Sanhe snorted. Though Uchiha Hikari and the others were afraid, they had no choice but to obey and look up at him.
At that very moment, Uchiha Sanhe's eyes transformed into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Hikari and the others' gazes instantly went blank. Before long, their faces twisted in agony.
Five minutes later, they collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Their clothes were soaked with sweat.
Even so, they struggled to their feet and prostrated themselves before him, overcome with gratitude.
"Thank you, Elder, for sparing our lives."
Only five minutes had passed in the real world, but Uchiha Hikari and the others had endured five uninterrupted days of torment in the illusion.
Still, compared to death, they could bear this much pain.
"Since you've followed me for so many years, I'll let this go with a minor punishment. You suffered only five days of torture. You should consider yourselves lucky."
Uchiha Sanhe spoke coldly, without a hint of feeling.
"Thank you, Fourth Elder, for giving us another chance. This time, we'll definitely bring Uchiha Chen before you!"
"No need. I'll go there myself this time. I want to see whether Uchiha Chen really has what it takes!"
Uchiha Sanhe shook his head, rejecting Uchiha Hikari's offer.
"Elder, why would you need to deal with a mere Uchiha Chen yourself?"
"What, should I leave it to a bunch of good-for-nothings like you?"
"I've made up my mind. We leave at once."
After saying that, Uchiha Sanhe looked in a certain direction, his gaze distant and uncertain. No one could tell what he was thinking.
An hour later,
Uchiha Sanhe and his men arrived at Uchiha Chen's doorstep.
Uchiha Hikari was still at Uchiha Sanhe's side.
But several of the men behind Uchiha Sanhe had been replaced by unfamiliar faces.
"Fourth Elder, this is Uchiha Chen's home.
"But the door's shut. He must have heard you were coming in person and been too scared to come out."
Uchiha Hikari was beaming. His heart was already racing with anticipation. How would he get his glorious revenge this time?
"Mm. Then let's go in."
Uchiha Sanhe nodded.
He waved his hand. One of the burly Uchiha Clan members behind him stepped forward, went up to Uchiha Chen's front door, and kicked it clean off its hinges!
The group "walked" right into Uchiha Chen's courtyard without a hitch. There, they saw Uchiha Chen and Uchiha Itachi coming out of the inner room at the sound.
"My front door! Damn it, what kind of lunatics are you?!"
The moment Uchiha Chen saw his front door ripped off, he flew into a rage. It was the door to his new house! It had only been a few days, and now it was already wrecked?
Just then, Uchiha Hikari, who had been hiding behind Uchiha Sanhe, jumped out.
"Uchiha Chen, the Fourth Elder is here! Aren't you going to pay your respects?"
The moment Uchiha Chen saw Uchiha Hikari, he understood what was going on.
But he wasn't worried. So what if this was the Fourth Elder? The Uchiha Clan's young leader, Uchiha Itachi, was right beside him!
So Uchiha Chen ignored the so-called Fourth Elder and taunted Uchiha Hikari.
"Well, look at you—you recovered fast. That Medical Ninjutsu you got must've been pretty good."
Uchiha Hikari was just about to respond when Fourth Elder Uchiha Sanhe stepped forward and looked at Uchiha Chen with admiration.
"Uchiha Chen? Not bad, not bad. You really are bold. That's exactly the sort of thing this old man likes."