In Troubled Times, Kill the Saints First!

"It's starting!"

The smile on Uchiha Jin's face was warm—so warm it seemed almost unreal, like a snowflake drifting through a gentle spring breeze, gone in an instant. Yet that faint chill still seeped straight to the bone.

There was no helping it!

If you didn't die, I couldn't rest easy!

Uchiha Jin watched Shisui, who still looked a little naïve on the arena, with a beaming smile. But the killing intent in his heart only grew stronger.

That was right.

Earlier, Uchiha Jin had managed to fool the politically clueless Shisui for the time being with a few choice words. But if Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, those two old schemers, joined forces to "show him the way," then the Sword of Damocles that was Kotoamatsukami would sooner or later hang over his head again.

So before that blade fell, Uchiha Jin had to buy himself some time. And the first thing he needed to do was muddy the waters.

The inexplicably tense atmosphere, the Uchiha Clan itching for a fight, the grand tournament with its unknown purpose—these tactics were hardly clever, but they were enough to make the Hokage's faction think twice for now.

During this time, Uchiha Jin would naturally work to strengthen his clan's foundations further, while also improving his own strength.

Most importantly...

He would bring the Grim Reaper's summons forward!

Uchiha Jin forcibly suppressed the killing intent in his heart and gave Uchiha Zongxian, on the arena, an almost imperceptible nod.

Uchiha Shisui was also sizing up the middle-aged man before him, who seemed to harbor a faint hostility. He quickly recalled all the information he knew about the man.

Uchiha Zongxian!

An elite Uchiha jōnin who had been active early in the Third Shinobi World War. He excelled at combining weapon throwing with Fire Style, and the name "Flame Demon" was well known in Kirigakure.

Unfortunately, during a large-scale clash with Kirigakure, Uchiha Zongxian had received special attention from both the Hozuki Clan and the Kaguya Clan.

He had narrowly escaped with his life, but lingering internal injuries had forced him into a supporting role. After the Third Shinobi World War ended, he had retired completely, devoting all his attention to raising his son.

But... Zongxian's son?

Shisui felt that something was off, but Uchiha Zongxian clearly had no intention of giving him time to think.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!!!"

A vast sea of fire surged from Uchiha Zongxian's mouth and crashed down on the tiny Uchiha Shisui. Its terrifying force seemed capable of burning the entire world to ashes.

Anyone who hadn't seen it with their own eyes would have struggled to believe that Fire Style could be wielded with such precision. No wonder this fearsome man was known as the "Flame Demon."

Uchiha Shisui was quietly impressed too. Even an old man who had all but retired could unleash such a terrifying presence. The clan's foundations were truly beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

What a shame... they weren't on the same side!

Uchiha Shisui's figure was swallowed by the flames, but no one worried. "Body Flicker Shisui" certainly hadn't earned his name for nothing.

Just as expected!

Seven or eight afterimages suddenly appeared on the arena. Each one perfectly avoided the flames, and all of them charged at Uchiha Zongxian, who held a long blade.

His opponent hadn't formed the Seal of Confrontation. This wasn't a simple training match!

Uchiha Shisui was now completely certain: the "Flame Demon" before him really did want to kill him.

And facing someone who had made a name for himself in the Ninja World's great war, Uchiha Shisui—who had no intention of revealing his Mangekyo—didn't dare lower his guard in the slightest.

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!

Six kunai wrapped in Phoenix Flower Fire shot out like a dragon's claws, blocking Uchiha Zongxian's routes of movement.

"Naive!"

Uchiha Zongxian's gaze grew even colder. Flames blazed once more along the long blade he raised. Unlike the astonishing heat of his earlier attack, this time the flames gave off a dazzling light, their searing brilliance driving away the shadows on the ground.

Uchiha Style: Firefly Light!

Shisui was a master of Uchiha Style Swordsmanship as well. As his opponent knocked aside all the kunai, Shisui followed up with a Body Flicker Technique and then Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame, pressing in once more.

Such powerful chakra control, such exquisite Uchiha Style swordsmanship—even Uchiha Zongxian, a senior, couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of his heart.

If he were simply guiding a junior as a senior, Uchiha Zongxian wouldn't have hesitated to teach him everything he knew. But then he remembered the man's special status in Anbu...

Shuriken Manipulation Technique!

Uchiha Style: Sun Halo Dance!

Uchiha Style: Flash Cut!

The "Flame Demon," whose fearsome reputation had been forged in the Third Shinobi World War, held nothing back. On the arena, he had completely "come back to life"!

And yet...

Uchiha Shisui, who had seemed on the verge of defeat, suddenly appeared to become a different person. He nimbly slipped through the impenetrable web of blades, and the kunai in his hand, barely a foot long, reached eerily toward Uchiha Zongxian's brow.

"What a worthless lot, all cut from the same cloth!"

Watching the two men switch from attack to defense, Uchiha Jin stood below the arena with a mocking glint in his eyes.

Even when facing an enemy who truly meant to kill him, Uchiha Shisui still held back in his attacks.

And holding back in a battle of this caliber came at a price. If the two of them kept up this intense close-quarters fight, it wasn't hard to guess what would happen next.

Uchiha Shisui would win at great cost, badly wounded, while Uchiha Zongxian would either die or be left on the brink of death!

He was worried about the so-called bonds between clansmen, the attitude of the clan's higher-ups, and what the Hokage's faction might think...

Even if he had to suffer serious injuries himself, Uchiha Shisui still seemed unwilling to kill his opponent. He even seemed to be hoping that the elders in the stands would call the match early.

What a genuine saint!

And just as Uchiha Shisui had hoped, Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku rose from their seats in the stands.

But!

Just as Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku were about to stop a match whose outcome was already decided, Uchiha Zongxian on the arena and Uchiha Jin below it both revealed strange smiles at the same time.

"Do you know?"

Uchiha Zongxian struggled to fend off the flaming blades attacking him from every angle. Yet his gaze pierced through the constantly bursting sparks and met Uchiha Shisui's blood-red eyes. In a voice only the two of them could barely hear, he spoke calmly.

"In troubled times, kill the saints first. You really do deserve to die!"

At some point, the long blade in Uchiha Zongxian's hand had become covered in strange, flame-like patterns. As he uttered his final words, it suddenly burst into light as dazzling as the sun. The blazing heat erupted and engulfed the entire arena in an instant.

Rumble!