Night had fallen deeply over the Uchiha Clan Grounds, as if a crack of golden flames had been torn open.
Mikoto Uchiha's body blazed with golden Sunlight Flames.
The fire surged upward, illuminating the entire courtyard as bright as day.
Her Six-Tails Phantom manifested behind her, its tail feathers swaying, burning with a sacred and domineering radiance.
In the shadows, a group of lurking Anbu surveillance members were suddenly blinded by the intense light.
The intelligence reached Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears immediately.
And the battle had already ignited.
Fugaku Uchiha stood at the center of the sea of fire, his shadow stretched to an extreme length.
He remained silent, yet suppressed a certain violent emotion.
His Three Tomoe Copy Wheel Eye spun rapidly, reflecting Mikoto's Sunlight Flames.
Mikoto shouted clearly, "Come on, Brother Fugaku!"
The flames abruptly exploded.
In the next instant, the Immobilization Technique struck like an invisible blow, distorting the air and locking Fugaku's steps in place.
Immediately after, a massive pillar of fire crashed down with a roar!
"Boom!"
The flames engulfed Fugaku, flooding the entire courtyard in a golden-red blaze.
But just as the pillar of fire was about to settle, Fugaku's low murmur was heard: "Flash Fire."
He raised his hand.
In that moment, it was as if the fire had been summoned—the Chakra of the fire pillar reversed its flow as if being sucked into a black hole!
The entire pillar of fire was swallowed by Fugaku.
The flames converged in his palm into a searing sphere.
A sharp glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes: "Returning it to you."
"BOOM!!!"
He released the compressed, absorbed fire backward, firing it like a cannon shot toward Mikoto.
Mikoto's expression changed, and she swiftly dodged sideways. The flames grazed past her cheek and exploded against a distant stone wall, vaporizing it into ash.
The Uchiha clansmen watched with their scalps tingling.
Yet, Mikoto's body blurred into a band of light in an instant.
"BAM!!!"
Her fist, wrapped in Sunlight Flames, exploded right in front of Fugaku!
Fugaku was forced to cross his arms to block, but the flames swept over his entire body, burning his sleeves to tatters.
Fugaku was shocked: How could her martial arts be this strong!?
The Six-Tails served as the framework for fire externally and the foundation of spirit internally. Thanks to the enhancement of Sun Chakra, Mikoto's martial arts had become as domineering as Blazing Flame Martial Arts.
Mikoto's eyes trembled slightly.
A Chakra Wave at the spiritual level began to radiate outward, unleashing the Six-Tails' new skill, Mystic Force.
With every punch and every movement, her momentum visibly intensified.
She was no longer the Mikoto of before.
Her steps melted the stone tiles beneath her, and when her charging fist erupted, the courtyard was swept by a hurricane-like heat wave.
Fugaku retreated, then retreated again.
He could use Flash Fire, but martial arts were his weak point.
The Uchiha clansmen were stunned.
Fugaku steadied his mind and abruptly formed hand seals.
BOOM!!!
Black mist and flames erupted from beneath Fugaku's feet, like a breath from the abyss.
The mist churned and howled like ghosts and wolves, swallowing the courtyard.
Fugaku Uchiha was pushed to a corner, his Black Mist Release nearly completely suppressed by Mikoto.
Just as he could no longer withstand the scorching assault, Houndour's Dark Energy abruptly surged into his body.
That power was cold, violent, chaotic, like a shriek from the depths of hell.
Under the impact of the Dark Energy, Fugaku's Three Tomoe Copy Wheel Eye spun wildly, and vein-like black patterns spread from his neck to his cheeks.
Fugaku Uchiha's aura surged violently!
Darkness swirled as his body seemed embraced by the abyss, entering a semi-mistified state.
When Mikoto Uchiha's Solar Flame Fist descended, it briefly stalled due to the warping darkness.
Seizing that instant.
Fugaku used the Body Flicker Technique, diving out from the blazing sea of fire!
A black afterimage swept through the flames like dark fangs piercing toward the sun.
Yet Mikoto's fighting spirit peaked at this moment.
Her eyes shone like true suns as Vulpix's power erupted behind her,
Golden flames resembling not Amaterasu Divine Flame, but pure willpower fire.
The entire courtyard seemed swallowed by a second daylight.
She raised her fist, golden flames condensing to their extreme at her knuckles like a falling sun.
Fugaku Uchiha attempted to counter with Flash Fire, his palms swirling like vortices to devour the golden flames with the aid of dark energy.
This time, Flash Fire failed.
Because what Mikoto released wasn't mere Fire Release,
but Sun Willpower Flame enhanced by Vulpix's Mystic Force.
Fugaku's arms groaned under the pressure, black mist rapidly evaporating under the flame impact.
Scorching golden explosions swept through the entire training ground, completely swallowing Fugaku's figure and blasting him away like a meteor.
He tumbled multiple times across the ground before crashing heavily against a distant stone pillar, the black mist completely dispersing as Houndour let out a weak bark.
Fugaku himself lay completely defeated.
The Uchiha clansmen's hearts seemed to stop simultaneously.
Thus, Mikoto Uchiha solidified her position as the next Uchiha Clan Head.
When Fugaku awoke, he smiled in relief: "Truly magnificent, Mikoto."
At the border of the Wind Country,
Chiyo stood beneath Bellflower Mountain, her gaze dark enough to drip water.
Before her stretched an impossible sight for the Wind Country - originally barren sand ridges had transformed into emerald lakes and forests,
A strange building with blue roofs blocked the Bellflower Mountain pass: Cerulean Gym.
Chiyo's heart felt heavy as if crushed by boulders.
Her son Iemitsu...
And her daughter-in-law...
Had been missing for many days.
All clues ended here.
And this suddenly appearing strange gym
Was almost certainly the mastermind behind it all.
Yet the Sand Ninjas dared not act rashly.
Because the Hidden Leaf Village and Stone Ninjas had suffered losses.
Even the Cloud and Mist Ninjas were investigating the anomalies in the Land of Rain.
What was happening in the Land of Rain was no simple Ninja Beast chaos, but great changes beyond the entire Shinobi World's comprehension.
The Second Kazekage-sama seemed to be investigating this matter as well.
Inside Cerulean Gym
Indigo-blue lights reflected off clear water pools.
Gym Leader Misty was briskly running toward a familiar massive figure.
"It's Blastoise!!"
The blue-shelled giant turtle turned, emitting a steady and gentle cry upon seeing Misty.
Misty smiled until her eyes curved, patting Blastoise's head while circling it several times.
"You're in great condition~ Have you been practicing Water Cannon properly?"
Blastoise raised its arm cannons, letting out a steady roar.
Meanwhile, Konan presented a stark contrast to this scene.
Dressed in her black robe with red clouds, her expression remained calm as she walked to the gym's window,
Gazing with slight concern at the densely gathered Sand Ninjas in the distant Wind Country camp.
"This scale... they've mobilized half the Sand Ninja frontline..."
Like an army ready to conquer a small nation at any moment.
Yet Misty showed no panic, instead revealing a relaxed smile:
"Don't worry, Konan. The Sand Ninjas wouldn't dare make a move."
"...Why?"
Misty raised her hand and pointed into the distance:
"Right now, no major ninja village would dare commit their full strength to three Gyms."
"Isn't that just human nature?"
Within the Land of Rain.
A special guest arrived at this moment.
Jiraiya...
Ever since being forced to retreat to Mount Myōboku last time, Jiraiya had actually been restraining himself for quite a while.
In the end, he couldn't hold back any longer and used a special method to appear within the Land of Rain.
Only, he never expected the Land of Rain would have changed so much!