The Uchiha Clan's Future

Under the moonlight, killing intent filled the air!

As Tobirama raced onward, he sensed the soaring aura ahead and immediately became cautious, his focus sharpening to its limit.

Sure enough, when only thirty paces remained between them, Enkō abruptly stopped. As he turned around, red light flashed in his eyes!

"Eyes like Izuna's!" Tobirama came to a sudden halt, his feet scraping two dark grooves into the ground!

In the Shinobi World, aside from the Uchiha Clan themselves, no one understood the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan better than Tobirama. The moment he landed, he shifted his gaze away, refusing to meet Enkō's eyes directly!

Eye Technique: Kagami no Mitama!

"As expected, the side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan alone are far too severe. Tobirama Senju truly lives up to his name. This time, it consumed nearly twice as much ocular power as it did with Ise!"

Bloody tears fell as Enkō endured the agony wracking his entire body and completed the theft of the ninjutsu!

On the other side, Tobirama's expression was grim. "Since it's the Mangekyō Sharingan, it should have developed a unique eye technique. Judging by how he looked just now, he must have activated it. But what exactly is it?"

"Phew..." Enkō took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they burned with fighting spirit. "Here I come!"

Clap—

Enkō brought his hands together, and chakra surged skyward from his entire body!

Water Release: Water Shockwave!

Rumble—

A towering wave suddenly rose from the flat ground, forming a raging torrent several yards high. Then, wind and water began spiraling around Enkō, gradually transforming into a massive whirlpool hundreds of meters across!

"Hmph! An Uchiha Clan member daring to show off Water Release in front of me!" Tobirama formed hand seals, utterly unafraid. "I'll show you the real... Hm?"

Tobirama had intended to use Water Release, but froze. The chakra within him circulated normally, yet no ninjutsu was activated!

Splash—

Losing focus in battle was a grave taboo. In the next instant, Tobirama was swept up by the waves and sent spinning through the sea of water. Forget using the current to maneuver—even keeping his footing was difficult. He had become a drifting leaf at the mercy of the tide!

Having seized the initiative, Enkō naturally would not let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. He formed hand seals, intending to finish Tobirama with a full combination attack!

Water Release: Water Dragon Bite Blast!

The water beneath Tobirama, who was tumbling amid the waves, suddenly caved in. A Water Dragon then surged up beneath him, carrying him into the air and forcibly hurling him backward dozens of meters in an instant!

Boom—

The Water Dragon exploded in midair, its unleashed chakra running wild in every direction. In an instant, it injured meridians throughout Tobirama's body. His face flushed crimson as he coughed up a mouthful of blood!

Water Release: Hard Whirlwind Water Blade!

The instant Tobirama was blasted away, Enkō appeared before him. In his palm was a water spear condensed from a rapidly spinning vortex, stabbing straight at Tobirama's face!

If that strike landed solidly, Tobirama's entire head would be pierced clean through!

"Bastard! Don't underestimate me!"

Tobirama's eyes turned bloodshot. With a wave of his hand, a string of Explosive Tags appeared out of thin air. Drawn by chakra, they detonated all at once, erupting in a blinding white light!

Ninja Art: Cursed Tag Detonation!

Boom—

The deafening blast resounded through the heavens. The rampant shockwave instantly sent both men flying apart, while the towering waves were reduced to a downpour filling the sky!

The two fell from the sky with the rain. Before Tobirama's feet could touch the ground, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air beside his ear. A stream of water sliced through the heavens and shot before him in the blink of an eye!

Water Release: Water Severing Wave!

Rip—

Blood splattered!

Tobirama swiftly leaped back dozens of meters, leaving a bone-deep wound on his shoulder. Blood flowed down his arm, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

"I understand now. Your eye technique steals other people's ninjutsu, doesn't it? And not just one technique, but an entire series of them. So how long can you keep it up?"

Enkō's expression remained calm as he formed hand seals again. "Long enough to kill you!"

Tobirama's gaze sharpened as he lowered his stance slightly. "Is it coming again? Wait... that hand seal is!"

Enkō's chest suddenly expanded, followed by a torrent of blazing flames!

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

"Fire Release!" Tobirama's eyes lit up. "Looks like the theft duration has ended!"

Whoosh—

Tobirama rapidly formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Dragon... Hm? I still can't use it! Damn it!"

Rumble—

The fireball exploded in the distance, instantly leaving behind a deep, black circular crater. Lingering flames burned across the charred earth, crackling softly.

"Hiss!" Enkō clutched his left eye in pain. Looking at the devastation before him, he sighed regretfully. "He still got away."

Enkō struggled to his feet. Only after confirming that there were no other pursuers did he turn and head toward the Uchiha Clan's camp.

After traveling less than a mile, he spotted Izuna in the distance. Izuna stood with his arms folded, leaning against a tree as he quietly waited.

"Second Brother?"

Izuna smiled faintly. "How did it feel?"

As though he had realized something, Enkō gave a bitter smile. "No wonder Tobirama chose to run. So you'd been here all along, Second Brother."

Izuna walked over and carefully checked Enkō's condition. Only after finding that he was not seriously injured did he speak. "After you left, Brother and I discussed it as well. We felt that you were right. Among the three of us brothers, your talent has always been the greatest. You really shouldn't have remained behind the scenes."

Then Izuna changed the subject, his tone becoming quite serious. "But right now, you're like a fledgling eagle that has just taken flight. You still lack real combat experience. As your brother, all I can do is watch over you until you can truly soar on your own."

Enkō's heart warmed. This was the Uchiha Clan: proud, yet fiercely protective of their own. To the Uchiha Clan, the bonds of family were the most important thing. Yet Konoha's future Will of Fire, under Hashirama's influence, had become somewhat backwards—placing the village's interests above all else. That was what led to tragedies such as the Uchiha Clan's extermination and the Hyuga Clan being forced to hand over their clan head!

"Thanks, Second Brother," Enkō said sincerely.

"Why are you thanking me?" Izuna punched Enkō lightly on the shoulder in annoyance. "How about it? Does your eye still hurt?"

"It's much better now." Enkō covered his left eye. "This time, I only managed to gain the upper hand because of the information gap. But the ability of my left eye has already been exposed. The next time I run into Tobirama Senju, it won't go so smoothly."

"You still have a long road ahead of you. And don't forget, you're not alone." Izuna spoke confidently. "Leave Tobirama Senju to your second brother."

"Uh... heh, right." Enkō smiled awkwardly. He did not want to undermine Izuna's confidence, but with him around this time, he naturally would not allow his second brother to die at Tobirama's hands.

When Izuna noticed Enkō had suddenly fallen silent, he assumed Enkō was still worried about his own strength. Smiling, he patted Enkō on the shoulder. "All right, don't overthink it. Let's go. Brother is probably getting impatient waiting for us."

Enkō came back to himself and nodded. "Yeah. Perfect timing—I have something I want to talk to you both about as well. About our clan's future..."