The Battle Begins

Seeing that familiar brown hair, that lovely, delicate face, and that graceful figure, Uchiha Yuzhen knew he'd run into an acquaintance: Terumi Mei.

But could someone tell him—

Why were these people able to so easily...

get past Namikaze Minato up ahead?!

Was this a test?!

It definitely was!

Yuzhen inwardly groaned. This really was a time-honored tradition passed down through the generations.

Kakashi tested Naruto, and Sasuke had apparently learned it from Minato.

"Hey, you... You're fighting me, and you still dare to get distracted?"

Terumi Mei leaped into the air. Seeing Yuzhen lost in thought, she let out a cold laugh and swiftly formed Hand Seals.

Dog–Boar–Tiger–Ox–Rat–Rooster!

"Then let my 'Hot Kiss' wake you up!"

As she spoke, her lips puffed out.

[Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique]

A stream of highly corrosive, viscous liquid poured from her mouth.

The liquid surged toward Yuzhen in a terrifying torrent!

This Kekkei Genkai, formed by combining Water Release and Earth Style chakra, could dissolve just about anything!

Madara and Sasuke's Susanoo had both been dissolved by it.

Uchiha Yuzhen didn't dare let his guard down.

Sparks began to kindle across his body, followed by flickering, illusory flames.

Sshk!

Yuzhen dodged the Lava Release technique at an incredible speed.

He drew his Ninja Blade, which glimmered with scorching flames.

[Uchiha Style: Four-Direction Slash]

The fiery blade flashed as he thrust forward like an arrow.

"What?!" Terumi Mei's eyes widened in disbelief as the thrust was already about to strike her.

How could he be so fast?!

But as one of Kirigakure's most talented shinobi, she was no pushover.

Though she had nothing to push off against in midair, she forcibly twisted her waist and evaded the deadly thrust.

Her hands never stopped moving as she rapidly formed Hand Seals.

She knew that if she didn't hurry, victory wouldn't just be out of reach—survival itself would be a pipe dream.

[Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique]

She exhaled a powerful acidic mist capable of dissolving anything.

The acid rapidly spread, seemingly about to engulf Yuzhen completely.

"Tch! What a troublesome woman!" Seeing this, Yuzhen abandoned his Four-Direction Slash and the three follow-up slashes.

That Boil Release was a powerful Kekkei Genkai capable of dissolving Susanoo.

And it was gaseous, too. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.

But he wasn't about to let her off easy, either.

Uchiha Style Nintaijutsu was an elaborate technique that combined the Body Flicker Technique, ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Clone Technique, and swordsmanship.

He'd already used all of them except the Clone Technique. So where was the clone?

Right below Terumi Mei!

Two sharp whooshes cut through the air.

A Yuzhen clone shot toward her at full speed.

"If your Boil Release makes you untouchable, then the clone's purpose is obvious."

Yuzhen's Shadow Clone raised its Ninja Blade and swung at Terumi Mei.

But the moment the flaming blade touched the Boil Release mist, it dissolved.

The clone frowned and slammed into her with all its might!

"Damn it! You can do that too?!" Terumi Mei reluctantly shielded her vitals.

With a thud, she was sent flying into the distance.

Something unexpected happened to Uchiha Yuzhen. The instant his Shadow Clone crashed into Terumi Mei, a glow of Affixes appeared, flashing purple and cyan.

There was no need to think about it. Yuzhen focused his mind. "System, extract the deepest purple Affix!"

[Lava Release (Purple)]: A controllable ninjutsu formed from Earth Style and Water Release chakra, with the properties of a highly corrosive, viscous liquid.

Lava Release? Not bad!

It was controllable, and extremely destructive, too.

Its destructive power had been demonstrated to the fullest during the Fourth Shinobi World War in the original story!

But I don't have Earth or Water nature transformations...

I hope I can use the Affix the system installed directly.

The thought crossed his mind and was gone in an instant.

Seeing Terumi Mei defeated in just a few exchanges was hard for the Kirigakure shinobi to accept.

Ao was still trading blows with the white-haired kid in front of him.

He caught sight of the scene from the corner of his eye and was instantly stunned.

"That's impossible! Mei has two Kekkei Genkai. She's a bona fide genius!"

"To send Terumi Mei flying in just a few exchanges... That Uchiha is no ordinary opponent!"

Obito, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes. Other people might not know, but he did.

That was their Uchiha Style Nintaijutsu, a technique only the best of the best could use with ease.

"Why does it feel like the gap between Yuzhen and me keeps getting wider?" Obito bit his lip, watching the enemy before him with frustration. "Damn it! If I can't even surpass you, when will my dream of becoming Hokage ever come true?!"

In an instant, Obito steeled his resolve and increased his chakra output.

He threw himself into an even fiercer battle with his opponent.

Kakashi, meanwhile, had more or less gauged Yuzhen's strength during that test. Awakening his Sharingan had brought him up to about the same level as Kakashi.

So Yuzhen's victory seemed only natural to him.

He calmly smirked at Ao. "I wonder where you got the nerve to send just one person to face off against a Three Tomoe Sharingan."

"Yeah... Run when it's one-on-one, fight when it's two-on-one, and only go all out when it's three-on-one..." Ao's face darkened. "Damn it! We all forgot that ironclad rule!"

Realizing his mistake, he immediately gave his subordinates an order:

"Keep the three kids occupied. I'm going to rescue Senior Mei!"

"Yes, Lord Ao!"

Someone immediately took over Kakashi's opponent.

Seeing this, Ao dashed toward Terumi Mei's beautiful figure.

Meanwhile, Biwa Juzo and the others, who were still lying in ambush up ahead, weren't about to underestimate Terumi Mei.

She was a Jonin at such a young age and possessed two Kekkei Genkai.

After all, Kirigakure was the Village of the Bloody Mist!

Every shinobi who graduated had clawed their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

And she was a genius whose reputation preceded her.

Biwa Juzo said in a low voice, "Let's move!"

[Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique]

A thick fog enveloped the area. From within the mist came...

Biwa Juzo's cruel voice:

"Whether it's the 'Yellow Flash' or that Uchiha brat, you'll all be... wiped out here by me, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen..."

"I'll slaughter every last one of you!"

His voice rang through the mist, brimming with confidence!

As if the fight hadn't even begun, yet he already had them right where he wanted them!

Namikaze Minato frowned slightly.

He'd planned to test a few of his students.

Who would've thought the Mist Ninja who'd disguised themselves beside the puddles on the road and laid an ambush would be so useless...

They'd lost in just a few exchanges.

Now they had to split up their forces to rescue that kunoichi.

This had immediately given Kakashi the upper hand.

After all, Obito and Rin weren't to be underestimated, either.

This was troublesome...

Should I keep holding back and let them test Yuzhen a little longer?

Minato had only just had the thought when Uchiha Yuzhen's contemptuous voice rang out through the mist.

"Enough blabbering! What a pain!"

"Why don't you just get this fight started?! Quit running your mouth!"

Yuzhen shouted, then rapidly formed Hand Seals.

Chakra flared around him,

surging upward in waves.