The Troubled Times First Kill the Saintly Mother!

"It begins!"

The smile on Uchiha Jin's face was warm—so warm it felt almost unreal, like snowflakes vanishing in a gentle spring breeze. Yet, beneath that warmth lay a chill, faint but bone-deep.

There was no other way.

If you do not die, I cannot rest easy.

Watching Shisui, who still appeared somewhat naive on the arena stage, Uchiha Jin felt the killing intent within him surge ever higher.

Indeed.

Although Uchiha Jin had used rhetoric to temporarily bluff the politically inept Shisui, if the two old schemers, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, were to join forces to "guide" him, the Sword of Damocles that was Kotoamatsukami would inevitably descend upon his head once more.

Therefore, before that blade could fall, Uchiha Jin had to exploit a window of time, and the first step was to muddy the waters.

The inexplicably tense atmosphere, the eager Uchiha Clan, the grand tournament with its hidden agenda—these methods were not particularly sophisticated, but they were enough to make the Hokage faction hesitate.

During this period, Uchiha Jin naturally needed to further bolster the clan's foundation while simultaneously elevating his own strength.

But the most important point was...

To bring the Reaper's announcement forward!

Uchiha Jin forcibly suppressed his inner killing intent and gave an imperceptible nod to Uchiha Zongxian on the arena.

Uchiha Shisui was currently sizing up the middle-aged man before him, who radiated a subtle sense of hostility, as he quickly recalled all the intelligence he possessed regarding this person.

Uchiha Zongxian!

An elite Uchiha jonin active during the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War, highly skilled in the combined tactics of shurikenjutsu and Fire Style. His reputation as the "Flame Demon" was well-known even within Kirigakure.

Unfortunately, during a large-scale encounter with Kirigakure, Uchiha Zongxian had been specifically targeted by the Hozuki and Kaguya clans.

Though he had managed to cling to his life, the internal injuries he sustained forced him into a secondary role. After the Third Shinobi World War concluded, he retired completely, pouring all his focus into raising his son.

However... Zongxian's son?

Though Shisui felt a faint sense of unease, it was clear that the Uchiha Zongxian before him had no intention of giving him time to think.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!!!"

A sea of fire, vast and surging like a tsunami, erupted from Uchiha Zongxian's mouth, bearing down upon the small figure of Uchiha Shisui. The terrifying momentum seemed as if it would burn the entire world to ash.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, it would be hard for anyone to imagine that Fire Style could be wielded with such exquisite precision. He was truly worthy of the terrifying title "Flame Demon."

Uchiha Shisui felt a slight pang of admiration; even an old man who had essentially retired could unleash such a shocking display of power. The clan's foundation was truly beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

It was a pity... they were not on the same path.

Uchiha Shisui's figure was completely swallowed by the flames, yet no one felt any concern. How could "Body Flicker Shisui" be a man of empty reputation?

Indeed!

Seven or eight afterimages appeared simultaneously on the arena, each one perfectly avoiding the range of the sea of fire while charging toward Uchiha Zongxian, who held a long blade.

The opponent had not performed the Seal of Reconciliation; this was no simple training match!

Uchiha Shisui was now fully certain that the "Flame Demon" before him truly intended to kill him.

Facing a figure who had carved out a name for himself during the Shinobi World War, Uchiha Shisui, who did not intend to reveal his Mangekyo, dared not be the least bit careless.

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!

Six kunai, wreathed in phoenix flames, locked down Uchiha Zongxian's movement path like the claws of a divine dragon.

"Naive!"

Uchiha Zongxian's gaze grew colder. The long blade he raised ignited once more with scorching flames. Unlike the previous display of staggering heat, this flame emitted a brilliant, piercing light that scattered the shadows on the ground.

Uchiha Style: Firefly Light!

Shisui was also a master of Uchiha-style swordsmanship. As the opponent struck down all the kunai, he utilized a Body Flicker followed by "Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame" to press the attack once more.

Such powerful chakra control, such exquisite Uchiha-style swordsmanship—even Uchiha Zongxian, as his senior, felt genuine admiration.

If he were merely a senior guiding a junior, Uchiha Zongxian would not have minded teaching him everything he knew, but recalling the man's special status as an Anbu...

Shuriken Manipulation Technique!

Uchiha Style: Sun Halo Dance!

Uchiha Style: Flash Cut!

Without holding anything back, the "Flame Demon" who had earned his fearsome reputation in the Third Shinobi World War was now fully "resurrected" on the arena!

However...

Uchiha Shisui, who had appeared to be in a precarious position just a moment ago, seemed to transform in the next instant. He wove flexibly through the airtight web of blades, his kunai—barely a foot long—reaching toward the center of Uchiha Zongxian's brow with eerie precision.

"What a waste, inheriting nothing but the same old flaws."

Watching the two figures, whose roles of attacker and defender had now reversed, Uchiha Jin's eyes revealed a trace of mockery.

Even when facing an enemy who truly intended to assassinate him, Uchiha Shisui still held back in his techniques.

In a battle of this caliber, holding back naturally came with a price. If the two continued this high-intensity close-quarters engagement, the outcome was not hard to guess.

Uchiha Shisui would win with a grievous injury, while Uchiha Zongxian would end up dying or defeated!

He was wary of so-called kinship, wary of the attitudes held by the clan's upper echelons, and even more wary of the thoughts harbored by the Hokage's lineage...

Even at the cost of sustaining heavy injuries himself, that fellow Uchiha Shisui still seemed unwilling to kill his opponent, appearing to hope that the elders on the dais would announce the match results prematurely.

He truly was a bona fide saint!

And just as Uchiha Shisui had hoped, Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku both stood up from the dais at that very moment.

But!

Just as Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku were about to intervene in a match whose outcome was already set, Uchiha Zongxian on the arena floor and Uchiha Jin below it both revealed a strange, eerie smile at the same time.

"Do you know?"

Uchiha Zongxian struggled to parry the flaming blades striking from every angle, yet his gaze pierced through the continuously bursting sparks to stare directly into Uchiha Shisui's scarlet eyes, speaking in a voice only the two of them could barely hear.

"In troubled times, kill the saints first; you truly deserve to die!"

At some unknown moment, the long blade in Uchiha Zongxian's hand had become covered in strange, fiery patterns. As he spat out his final words, it erupted with a light as blinding as the sun, and the scorching, explosive aura instantly engulfed the entire arena.

BOOM!