Uchiha Clan

Using Eight Trigrams: Air Palm repeatedly had greatly depleted Hiashi Hyuga's chakra.

The broken bones in his chest also throbbed with pain.

The barrier was filled with scorching lava. Hiashi Hyuga could not even find a place to stand, much less attack Rogge.

"I surrender!" Guided by a ninja's instincts, Hiashi Hyuga knew he had no chance of defeating Rogge, so he decisively admitted defeat.

Though unwilling to accept it, he knew that continuing would only put him in greater danger.

Hearing this, Sōju Hyuga, standing on the platform above, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, his son had not been blinded by the clan's honor and understood the importance of staying alive.

This way, he would not have to worry about Rogge, that brat, going for the kill.

If Rogge continued attacking after Hiashi Hyuga had voluntarily surrendered, Sōju Hyuga would have grounds to intervene.

With Hiashi Hyuga's surrender, this duel came to an end.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rose to his feet with a delighted expression and loudly announced, "The winner of this duel is—Rogge!"

After the announcement, the four special jonin maintaining the Four Violet Flames Formation joined forces to dispel the barrier.

With a loud rush—

The blazing lava surged wildly in every direction like unleashed rabid dogs.

Wherever it flowed, the rocks of the underground cavern let out agonized crackling sounds.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful! Of all the opponents I've faced, you lasted the longest. As expected of the Hyuga Clan's genius ninja—you're far stronger than Fugaku Uchiha!" After canceling his elemental form and returning to normal, Rogge praised Hiashi Hyuga in a mocking, sarcastic tone.

After his strength increased, Rogge's mindset had changed as well. He was no longer as low-key as he had been before.

Damn it!

On the platform, an Uchiha jonin standing beside Uchiha Zhenghong stepped forward. Looking down at Rogge with a stern expression, he said, "Do not insult the young master. Take back what you just said!"

The Uchiha jonin was filled with fury. This brat actually dared to look down on the Uchiha Clan's genius.

Uchiha Zhenghong symbolically tried to dissuade him. "Shimizu, don't be rash. He is only an arrogant brat."

Though Uchiha Zhenghong was also displeased, he did not want to provoke a greater conflict at this moment.

"Hmph!"

Rogge raised his head and said, "As far as I'm concerned, Hiashi Hyuga is stronger than Fugaku Uchiha! A man's word is his bond. I will not take back what I said."

A trace of mockery showed in his eyes.

"Arrogant!" Uchiha Shimizu flew into a rage and began forming hand seals...

Uchiha Shimizu believed that Rogge was provoking the Uchiha Clan's dignity.

In his heart, the honor of the Uchiha Clan could not be violated!

Rogge continued provoking him. "What? Are you going to make a move against me?"

There was a hint of provocation in his gaze, as if he were deliberately trying to anger Uchiha Shimizu.

"Stop!" Uchiha Zhenghong hurriedly spoke up to stop him.

He knew they could not let matters become more complicated now. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood behind Rogge; there was no need to make things worse.

Uchiha Shimizu reluctantly stopped forming hand seals and said, "Clan Head, this brat is far too arrogant!"

His heart was full of anger and helplessness.

"Enough, enough. We are all Konoha ninja, so say no more. The clan ranking tournament isn't over yet!" Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up to mediate the conflict.

He was helpless as well. This Rogge was simply too impulsive.

"Hmph!" Since the Hokage had stepped in to mediate, Uchiha Shimizu could only withdraw reluctantly.

But Rogge had no intention of stopping. He shouted up toward Uchiha Shimizu, "You Uchiha who spoke just now, what's your name?"

"My name is Uchiha Shimizu!" A voice suppressing its fury came from the platform.

Rogge smiled disdainfully. "Good. Uchiha Shimizu, I, Rogge, challenge you to a duel to the death one month from now. We'll stake the Uchiha Clan's honor on it. If you lose, your Uchiha Clan must admit that Hiashi Hyuga is stronger than Fugaku Uchiha!"

"Why wouldn't I dare? If you want to die, I'll gladly send you on your way!"

Uchiha Shimizu also had a fiery temper and regarded the clan's honor as everything.

Rogge had provoked him so openly. If he did not dare to accept, he would disgrace the Uchiha Clan completely.

"Fine. On this day next month, I'll be waiting for you here!" Rogge spoke with great confidence, as though victory were already within reach.

"What? Rogge, don't be ridiculous!" Hiruzen Sarutobi panicked and shouted at Rogge below the platform.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately felt a headache coming on. Rogge's personality was simply too impulsive.

Rogge narrowed his eyes. "Lord Hokage, there is no need to say any more. My mind is made up! I've been sick of the Uchiha Clan for a long time. They walk around with sour faces all day, as if everyone owes them a fortune. Today, I'm using this chance to challenge them and slap the Uchiha Clan hard across the face, so they'll take a detour whenever they see me in the future."

His eyes revealed his dissatisfaction with and provocation toward the Uchiha Clan.

"Hey, is Uchiha Shu here? Tell him to come out! Well, looks like he isn't here today."

"Hmph! Lord Hokage, last month, while I was training in the forest, Uchiha Shu accused me of being a Hidden Mist Village spy without any evidence at all. He even wanted to drag me back to the Police Department for questioning. If it hadn't been for the ANBU directly under the Hokage stepping in, I might have died at Uchiha Shu's hands!"

Rogge's voice was filled with boundless fury.

After hearing Rogge's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately understood why Rogge held such a grudge against the Uchiha Clan.

"Go back and tell Uchiha Shu that one month from now, he can come to the duel arena as well and fight me to the death!" After Rogge finished speaking, the duel arena fell silent.

Everyone looked at one another, all speechless.

The clan heads and high-ranking jonin of the major clans all thought Rogge was utterly insane.

The Uchiha Clan did not have a good reputation in Leaf Village, and everyone disliked them to some extent. But there was no need to say it openly in public like Rogge had.

After all, they were all from the same village. They saw each other constantly and sometimes even went on missions together; they could not let their relationship become too strained.

Besides, the Uchiha Clan truly was powerful. They could be considered Konoha's number one clan, and everyone feared them.

"Provocation! This is a provocation against the Uchiha Clan! Lord Hokage, even if Rogge is your adopted son, our Uchiha Clan can no longer tolerate him!" Uchiha Zhenghong's face was filled with rage, but inwardly, he was secretly delighted.

That brat Rogge had become swollen with pride after awakening Lava Release and actually dared to provoke the Uchiha Clan so arrogantly. This was the perfect opportunity to use the matter to eliminate him openly!

"Senior Zhenghong, Rogge is only a child. There is no need to hold it against him." Hiruzen Sarutobi was also angered by Rogge's arrogant words, but he had to stop Rogge from courting death.

"No! Third Hokage, Rogge is already a genin. He formally challenged Uchiha Shimizu, a jonin, to a duel to the death, and Uchiha Shimizu accepted. This matter is settled!" A cold glint flashed in Uchiha Zhenghong's eyes, his expression stern.

He was already calculating how to eliminate Rogge in the duel to the death one month from now.

"Alas." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

"Let all conflicts be settled during the duel to the death!"

"Ninjas must ultimately speak through strength! One month from now, only one of Rogge and Uchiha Shimizu will survive!"

"The winner lives, the loser dies!" Uchiha Zhenghong spoke with great excitement, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

A cruel smile appeared on Uchiha Shimizu's face as he loudly answered, "Yes, Clan Head! One month from now, I will definitely kill Rogge and wash away the Uchiha Clan's humiliation!"

A cold glint flashed through Rogge's eyes beneath the platform. He had never forgotten how, last month, Uchiha Shu had used the name of the Konoha Police Department to forcibly accuse him of being a Hidden Mist Village spy and tried to arrest him.

Now that he possessed strength at the level of a super Kage, enough to crush ordinary elite jonin, he would naturally avenge that humiliation and make the Uchiha Clan pay a heavy price for their arrogance and tyranny!

After a brief rest, Rogge's third duel began.

The lava on the ground had already been "cleaned up."

The new duel arena no longer used the Four Violet Flames Formation. It was merely a square platform raised one meter above the ground.

And Rogge's opponent was an elite genin from the Shimura Clan—Shimura Ayato!

Shimura Ayato was thirteen years old, a lively young girl who excelled at Wind Release ninjutsu!