Just then, a clansman greeting guests outside the estate gates suddenly announced the arrivals in a loud, excited voice.
"Lord Third Hokage has arrived!"
"Adviser Utatane Koharu and Adviser Mitokado Homura have arrived!"
The two calls rang out through the bustling banquet hall.
The clan leaders who had been exchanging toasts stopped. The entire hall fell silent, and everyone turned toward the main entrance.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the hall.
Behind them followed Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, Konoha's two senior advisers.
All four of the highest-ranking figures at the heart of Konoha's power had actually come!
"Good heavens..." Shikaku Nara's wine cup tilted, spilling wine over the back of his hand.
He turned toward Hyuga Hiashi beside him and lowered his voice.
"This is an extraordinary honor. When Clan Leader Fugaku took over, the Hokage Building only sent an ANBU squad captain with a congratulatory gift."
"Today, with Ren taking over, the entire leadership has come in person. Not one of them is missing!"
Hyuga Hiashi said gravely,
"This shows that the Konoha Leadership's attitude has changed completely."
"Faced with the deterrent of Ren's overwhelming strength, they have no choice but to swallow their pride and offer him the highest honors to signal their willingness to compromise."
"Ren's influence in Konoha has reached an unprecedented level!"
Hearing this, the nearby leaders of the Inuzuka, Aburame, and other clans looked toward Ren at the seat of honor with awe on their faces.
At the seat of honor at the front of the banquet hall,
Ren wore the Clan Leader's Divine Robe and held a wine cup as he watched the Konoha Leadership approach.
He remained where he was, only nodding in greeting once Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others stood before him.
"Thank you, all four of you, for finding time in your busy schedules to attend my celebration."
Ren raised his cup.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile,
"You're too kind, Clan Leader Ren. The Uchiha are one of Konoha's founding clans. Your appointment as Clan Leader is a major event for the village. Of course we should be here to congratulate you."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and thanks, Ren set his wine cup on the table.
He surveyed the hall and spoke.
"Everyone!"
As soon as Ren spoke, the entire hall fell silent.
"It is an honor for the Uchiha to have you all here at this celebration today."
"But I did not invite you here merely to drink and celebrate."
"I also intend to show everyone in Konoha, and all its great clans, a whole new side of the Uchiha Clan!"
With that, Ren raised his hands and clapped.
Clap! Clap!
The crisp sound echoed through the hall.
The open space in the center of the banquet hall was cleared, forming a temporary training ground.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Eight figures wearing black Temple cloaks descended from above and landed in the center of the training ground.
The eight split into two squads of four. All were young people around twenty, with standard-issue short swords at their waists.
Ren gestured toward the eight young people and introduced them to the hall.
"These are members of the Uchiha Shrine. The Temple is a core organization I established specifically for the clan's young prodigies. I personally train and guide them."
"Today, they will demonstrate the strength of the Uchiha's new generation!"
At Ren's introduction, Utatane Koharu frowned where she stood nearby.
She studied the eight young people on the training ground and thought to herself,
Their killing intent is strong, and their chakra fluctuations have reached elite jonin standards. They certainly qualify as prodigies.
But they are only jonin. Against the strongest fighters, they would be cannon fodder no matter how many there were. Ren is far too presumptuous if he thinks a few jonin can intimidate the great clans.
Utatane Koharu was not alone. Many of the clan leaders present shared her opinion.
The Uchiha's new generation was outstanding, but nowhere near capable of changing the balance of power in the shinobi world.
Ren's next move shattered their understanding.
Looking at the two squads on the training ground, Ren issued a cold command.
"Activate Temple Formation!"
"Yes!"
The eight Temple Squad Members answered in unison.
The four members of each squad took their positions and formed hand seals.
Pillars of chakra light shot skyward from the two squads' formations.
The chakra, breathing rhythms, and spiritual presence of the four members in each squad resonated, merging into one.
Chakra that had originally belonged to four separate individuals fused into a blue Chakra Cloak that enveloped all four.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile vanished. He stepped forward, staring at the formations in shock.
"Their chakra has actually fused?! Every person's chakra has completely different attributes and wavelengths. Forcing them together would tear their chakra pathways apart."
"What method did Ren use to unite four people's chakra into a single whole?!"
Veins bulged at the corners of Hyuga Hiashi's eyes as he activated his Byakugan.
When he saw the chakra flowing within the formations, his legs went weak and he nearly fell.
"They've crossed it... they've crossed that barrier!"
Hiashi pointed at the squads on the training ground.
"The volume of their fused chakra and the pressure of their presence have surpassed the limits of jonin. They've reached kage level!"
Kage level!
Those words sent the entire banquet hall into an uproar.
This was the ultimate reward Ren had received after activating the God-Level Family System—Temple Formation!
Not only could it increase the speed of training,
it could also perfectly unite multiple squad members' chakra in actual combat,
allowing a squad with only jonin-level strength to unleash terrifying combat power rivaling a kage-level fighter!
The duel on the training ground had already begun.
"First squad, attack!"
Tekka Uchiha, serving as squad captain, shouted. Empowered by the Temple Formation's chakra, his eyes turned scarlet, each bearing three tomoe.
Bang!
The flagstones beneath Tekka's feet shattered. He shot toward Nanami Uchiha, captain of the opposing second squad, at tremendous speed.
"Bring it on!"
Empowered by the formation, Nanami unleashed a kage-level presence. She drew the short sword at her waist and slashed straight into Tekka's attack.
Clang!!!
The blades collided with the ringing clash of metal.
A circular blast of air radiated from the pair. The shock wave overturned the surrounding solid-wood dining tables, sending splinters and broken porcelain flying in every direction.
"Defend yourselves!"
The clan leaders summoned chakra to shield themselves, forced backward by the shock waves of the kage-level clash.
At the center of the battlefield, Tekka and Nanami's duel had reached a fever pitch.
They moved so fast they left afterimages in midair. Flashes of steel crisscrossed around them.
In just a few seconds, they clashed head-on dozens of times.
Every collision brought an explosive boom; every exchange carved furrows into the ground.
Lightning Release and Fire Release chakra surged along their blades, ravaging the training ground.
"They're too fast... that strength, that speed..."
Shikaku Nara clutched the pillar beside him, cold sweat soaking his back.
Watching the figures dart past one another, he said,
"Only kage-level fighters possess this kind of destructive power! The Uchiha have actually mastered a method like this!"
Awed by this display of strength, the clan leaders throughout the hall rose from their seats and watched the duel.
Meanwhile, at the very front of the banquet hall,
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two advisers, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, had gone pale.
The four of them stared in shock at the kage-level combat power created by combining ordinary jonin.
The Third Hokage and the others knew full well that kage-level fighters represented the pinnacle of a shinobi village's strength.
The Uchiha could actually use a secret technique to grant ordinary jonin kage-level strength. If they could produce such fighters in large numbers, the consequences would be unimaginable.
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