Anticipation! Tobirama Was Shaken

Puff, puff, puff!

The water mass was torn apart, and several high-pressure jets burst through the torrent and reached Uchiha Ye.

In his pupils, which had contracted to pinpoints, they pierced through his body mercilessly, like divine blades.

This was the ninjutsu that had easily torn through the Earth-Style Wall the Third Hokage had released in the original story!

It was also capable of slicing through the God Tree's thick branches.

Its power was absolutely not to be underestimated!

It was definitely no weaker than Orochimaru's "Sword of Kusanagi: Sky"!

"Ugh!"

Blood poured from Uchiha Ye's body, and he couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This was the outcome he had expected.

But he hadn't expected it to be this brutal.

"So this is... a master of Water Release. I really don't have the slightest advantage fighting him in the water!"

His power continued to rise, and the Heat finally dried up all the water.

"Whoosh!"

Just as he had finished drying the water, with mist still billowing around him from the intense heat,

another, even more terrifying jet of water shot straight at him!

This time, Uchiha Ye naturally used elementalization to avoid the attack.

Then his arm suddenly glowed red-hot. He spun around and unleashed a devastating strike behind him. "Hellhound!"

In the next instant, Tobirama Senju appeared, stabbing at him with a kunai.

"How is this possible? He predicted my movements?"

Seeing the scorching fist flying at him a step ahead of his own attack, Tobirama Senju was utterly shocked.

"How did this guy do it?"

He had planned to use the mist and Water Severing Wave to keep Uchiha Ye off guard, so he wouldn't have time to defend against the attack from behind.

At the very least,

he had hoped to use this opening to leave a Flying Thunder God Mark on Uchiha Ye.

That would have let him take Uchiha Ye down quickly.

But he hadn't expected Uchiha Ye to dodge the Water Severing Wave and launch an attack before he could, seizing the initiative from him with a strike that arrived first despite being launched later.

Whoosh!

Just as Uchiha Ye's fist was about to touch Tobirama Senju, Tobirama vanished in a flash.

"Flying Thunder God?"

Uchiha Ye's gaze sharpened. "What a convenient ability!"

He pushed his Observation Haki to its hundred-meter limit, sensing every Flying Thunder God Kunai marker around him.

"Over there!"

Suddenly, a faint chakra fluctuation came from a Flying Thunder God Kunai on a tree near the edge of his Observation Haki range.

"Hellhound!"

A scorching blast erupted from his body, propelling him at incredible speed toward the tree.

His searing arm dragged a wave of blistering air as it struck out, destroying everything in its path.

In the next instant, Tobirama Senju appeared right in front of his fist!

"Gasp!"

Seeing the fist right before him, even Tobirama Senju couldn't help feeling his scalp go numb. "Did this guy predict my movements again?"

His wariness of Uchiha Ye increased several times over. Then his cheeks puffed out. "Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!"

It came from the same source as Water Severing Wave, but compressed the water jets further into Water Senbon that could easily pierce any defense and strike vital points.

Facing the attack, Uchiha Ye immediately used elementalization to dodge.

But before he could counterattack, Tobirama Senju used Flying Thunder God again and disappeared.

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, Tobirama Senju appeared behind Uchiha Ye, beside a tree. He pulled out a kunai inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Formula and hurled it at Uchiha Ye.

At the same time, he rapidly formed Hand Seals again. "Water Release..."

But before he could finish, a stream of scorching lava burst from Uchiha Ye's body. "Dog-Biting Crimson Lotus!"

It swallowed the kunai bearing the Flying Thunder God Formula and surged toward Tobirama Senju, forcing him to abandon his Hand Seals and leap away.

"What a sharp instinct!"

Tobirama Senju's expression turned grave.

Uchiha Ye had immediately sensed where he appeared and struck back with pinpoint accuracy.

That level of perception made even Tobirama uneasy.

After all, he was an exceptionally perceptive shinobi himself.

Yet even at the same level of strength, his senses were inferior to Uchiha Ye's.

But before Tobirama could land, Uchiha Ye had already closed in again. "Great Eruption!"

There was no time to use Water Release or the Substitution Technique.

Tobirama had no choice but to use Flying Thunder God again to retreat.

"He used Flying Thunder God to dodge again?"

Uchiha Ye's Observation Haki rapidly locked onto him. "Looks like I'll have to destroy all these troublesome Flying Thunder God Kunai."

The next instant,

the distinctive spatial fluctuation of Flying Thunder God came from behind him on the right.

"Dog-Biting Crimson Lotus!"

A scorching strike, fast enough to light up the surroundings, shot toward the locked-on spot.

"Gasp!"

As soon as Tobirama Senju appeared, he suddenly sensed an intense danger.

A crimson Flame Dog was already rapidly growing larger in his vision.

"Tch! I'd already done my best to conceal my presence, but he still sensed me!"

There was no doubt that even Tobirama Senju couldn't completely dodge the attack.

He left behind an arm and retreated into the distance.

"Is that incredible perception thanks to his Sharingan?"

Looking at Uchiha Ye's remarkably youthful face, Tobirama clenched his fists. "I have to find a way to restrain his Sharingan!"

"Then I'll kill him!"

Aside from Kagami Uchiha, he had no fondness for the Uchiha Clan.

And a wandering shinobi like Uchiha Ye, with such exceptional talent, was even more dangerous.

He firmly believed that if he didn't eliminate Uchiha Ye, the man would one day become the root of turmoil in Konoha and even the entire shinobi world.

Just like Uchiha Madara had!

"What's the matter, Lord Tobirama Senju..."

Uchiha Ye looked at the intense killing intent slowly rising across Tobirama's face and smirked. "From the look of you, you can't wait to kill me, can you?"

"What a coincidence. I feel the same way."

His gaze sharpened, and terrifying heat erupted from his body once more. With a flash of the Body Flicker Technique, he rushed toward Tobirama Senju. "Dog-Biting Crimson Lotus!"

Roar!

A gigantic Flame Dog surged out with a roar, blasting the air with a deafening crack.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Tobirama Senju's gaze hardened. He formed Hand Seals and thrust both hands forward. Moisture gathered in the air, forming a swirling curtain of water that shielded him.

But that wasn't all!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

While maintaining the Water Formation Wall, Tobirama Senju launched an attack of his own. A mighty water dragon roared out, surging toward Uchiha Ye with ferocious force.

At such close range, dodging was nearly impossible.

"Hmph, trying to run?"

Seeing Uchiha Ye retreat from the water dragon, Tobirama Senju snorted. "Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"

This genjutsu, invented by his older brother, was also highly effective in his hands.

Uchiha Ye suddenly found himself plunged into darkness.

His vision was completely blocked!

"Your Sharingan's perception is indeed powerful. Even I have to admire it."

"But it's over!"

Tobirama Senju's voice drifted from somewhere nearby, brimming with killing intent. "Now that I've completely blocked your vision, you have no chance of surviving against my Flying Thunder God!"

He believed that Uchiha Ye had repeatedly predicted his movements thanks to his Sharingan.

So he had blocked Uchiha Ye's vision.

And what happened next was exactly as he had expected.

Uchiha Ye's movements as he dodged the Water Dragon Bullet immediately became chaotic.

Clearly,

he was right: Uchiha Ye's terrifying ability to anticipate attacks came from his Sharingan.

"Heh heh, then it's over!"

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju smiled triumphantly and charged forward, murder in his eyes. He drew his long blade and unleashed his proudest technique. "Flying Raijin Slash!"

Using a Flying Thunder God Kunai he had already placed nearby, he teleported to the blind spot behind Uchiha Ye.

Then he flashed forward, and his razor-sharp blade mercilessly tore open Uchiha Ye's throat.

Splash!

Crimson liquid sprayed everywhere.

Sasori of the Red Sands couldn't help feeling worried as he watched.

But the next moment, he raised his brows and relaxed.

Tobirama Senju, who had been looking triumphant, suddenly changed expression. "How is this possible?"

The scorching heat radiating from the blade in his hand, and the fact that Uchiha Ye's presence hadn't weakened at all, both told him without a doubt that he hadn't hurt Uchiha Ye.

But the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique clearly hadn't been dispelled.

How could Uchiha Ye still sense danger so precisely?

How had he dodged the killing blow?

But there was no time to think about it now. Realizing something was wrong, Tobirama Senju retreated again.