A single moment of confrontation determined life and death!
Sakumo Hatake's blade left its sheath as emerald-green vines surged wildly. The humidity in the air thickened almost to the point of forming dew, and the natural aura of the Rainbow Dojo pressed down like a living force.
Yet Sakumo Hatake stood firm at the forefront, steady as a stone wall, gripping his short blade and taking a silent step forward.
It was the sound of the blade slicing through the air, compressed wind currents dancing at its tip.
With a lift of Erika's hand, the earth trembled in response to her will.
Simultaneously, the Giant Vine before her moved to protect its Trainer.
Dozens of massive vines erupted from the ground, forming a collapsing wall of forest that shielded Erika completely at its center.
However, Sakumo Hatake's gaze remained unwavering.
His short blade trembled slightly.
Sakumo's figure seemed to evaporate from where he stood, reappearing instantly at the edge of the dense vine thicket.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!
The sound of wind vanished.
When clarity returned, every one of the dozens of vines bore crisscrossing hairline fractures.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!!!
The Giant Vine controlling them suffered severe damage and collapsed.
Sakumo Hatake had closed within five meters of her.
Facing Sakumo Hatake's assault, Erika remained remarkably composed.
With a backhanded sweep, green light bloomed from her palm like a flower.
Countless pollen particles scattered, rising in a storm of dust aimed directly at Sakumo's eyes, nostrils, skin, and even his Chakra flow points.
But Danzo intervened from the side, executing their prearranged countermeasure: "Wind Release: Great Vacuum Rupture!"
The air compressed instantly into an invisible cutting Wind Blade, shredding and dispersing the pollen cloud. The dust immediately turned to powder, drifting down mid-air.
They had deciphered all her attack methods—pollen, vines, wooden spikes.
All recorded, analyzed, and countered.
Gazing at the Wood Release and plants, Danzo's eyes burned with greed.
"This Wood Release… surpasses the results of the Professor's cell experiments."
"This power belongs to the Hidden Leaf Village."
Without hesitation, he rushed forward, seizing Erika's wrist, his eyes gleaming with possessiveness and obsessive curiosity.
Erika's gaze turned icy, her aura abruptly intensifying.
Her Chakra spread like a spring rain, a gentle yet astonishing vitality erupting from within.
The grass grew wildly, flowers bloomed, and a second wave of toxic pollen instantly burst forth.
Danzo's expression shifted as he retreated. At that moment, Sakumo's short blade became enveloped in Lightning Release.
Golden arcs of electricity split the air.
As the blade descended, the golden lightning formed a circular arc, an absolute domain that pulverized all the pollen.
The air was purified once more.
Sakumo's movements were concise, calm, and utterly emotionless.
Sensing the danger, Erika immediately raised her hand, attempting to summon new vines for protection.
But it was too late.
Sakumo's shadow had already lengthened on the ground. In the next instant, he stood directly before Erika.
The short blade gleamed coldly.
Silent and swift.
Sakumo Hatake's blade pressed against the side of Erika's neck, its edge tracing a hair-thin cold line across her pale skin.
Her head would roll in the next moment.
Danzo wanted to order Sakumo to stop, but it was too late.
In the instant before death descended—
The flowers and grass on the ground suddenly retracted violently, as if pulled by some invisible tide.
Then, the earth shook.
A gaunt yet spine-chilling shadow rose silently from the depths of the earth, stepping onto the rooftop of the Rainbow Dojo like a ghost.
It was Nagato.
Masked and cloaked in black robes with red clouds, he remained silent.
He merely raised his hand.
His palm faced directly toward Sakumo Hatake's blade.
In that moment, a force akin to heaven and earth being overturned emanated from his palm.
No explosion, no flames—
Only an absolute repelling power surged forth like mountains and seas.
Sakumo Hatake was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, his short blade instantly knocked off course as he slid back several meters at extreme speed, carving deep furrows beneath his feet.
The air was forcibly compressed outward, producing a piercing sonic boom.
The cold gleam that had grazed Erika's neck finally dissipated.
Then, with a light gesture from Nagato, countless plants surged wildly as reinforcements from the Land of Rain arrived, marking another failure for the Hidden Leaf Village's operation.
Left with no choice, Sakumo Hatake, Danzo, and all the Hidden Leaf ninja retreated.
"Thank you..."
After saying this, Erika lost consciousness and collapsed into Nagato's arms.
"Venusaur, please heal her."
Night lay heavy over the Uchiha Clan Grounds, flames dancing in the courtyard.
Beside the bonfire, Fugaku Uchiha sat motionless, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames yet devoid of warmth.
Soon, several clan elders approached with heavy steps.
They observed Fugaku's expression—
Not anger, nor fear, but a calm suppressed to its extreme.
An elder spoke gravely, "Fugaku, what do you have to say now? Many in the clan are already nominating Mikoto as the next Clan Head."
The firelight cast shadows on Fugaku's face as he slowly shook his head, his voice low but filled with steely resolve:
"In that case... let me face Mikoto in direct combat once."
As his words fell, the elders exchanged glances, hesitation flickering in their eyes.
Fugaku's proposal was dangerous and impulsive, yet it aligned with the Uchiha clan's longstanding rule that strength dictates authority.
They eventually nodded slowly. "...Agreed."
But the most shocked person was Mikoto Uchiha.
She stood frozen for a few seconds before stepping forward:
"Brother Fugaku, I don't want to fight you. I don't care about the Clan Head position."
Fugaku lifted his head, his gaze meeting hers.
His Three Tomoe Copy Wheel Eye spun within the firelight, radiating bone-chilling coldness.
"It's not about the Clan Head position, Mikoto."
"This is the Uchiha clan's rule—and my pride."
Three Tomoe?
Fugaku had awakened the Three Tomoe?
"If you won't even fight me... that would be the true insult."
Mikoto's heart clenched painfully; it was the first time she had seen Fugaku so unhinged, so tormented.
The two stood in stalemate for a long while, the air filled only with the crackling of the bonfire.
Finally, Mikoto exhaled softly and raised her head to look at Fugaku.
"...I understand."
Her gaze no longer wavered, instead revealing the characteristic determination of the Uchiha.
"If this is the answer you need."
Mikoto slowly clenched her fist as Vulpix materialized gently beside her, its tail igniting with golden sunlight.
"Then I... will give it my all."
Hearing this, Fugaku slowly closed his eyes.
In that moment, his resolve was set.
The Uchiha night burned hotter than the bonfire.
Soon, a large number of Uchiha clansmen gathered.
Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha stood facing each other in confrontation.
Moments later, golden flames enveloped Mikoto Uchiha entirely. With sun-like blazing flames coalescing in her palm, she gazed at Fugaku.
At that very instant, Fugaku Uchiha activated his Flash Fire ability.
In a flash, eerie, shadowy flames swirled into a vortex, dancing and gathering in his palm.
The assembled Uchiha clan members froze in astonishment.
It seemed Fugaku had also awakened a new power!
One radiated like the sun with Sunlight, while the other mysteriously manipulated flames with Flash Fire.
Their future descendant...
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