Chapter 104 - 4

Chapter 4: Sharingan and Genjutsu"Forget it, so what if we've been found out?"Uchiha Kaoru tossed his hair and stepped forward, closing in on Naruto with an increasingly contemptuous tone. "We weren't planning on hiding anyway. We just came to make you, a lawless fox brat, understand exactly what kind of attitude you should have when facing the Uchiha Clan in Konoha!""That's right."Uchiha Hiko finally spoke, his voice as cold as his gaze. "That defiant look of yours in the shop today made us very unhappy. We need to make sure you remember exactly what to do when you see an Uchiha from now on."Uchiha Shingen still didn't speak; he merely tilted his chin slightly, signaling the two to proceed.In his view, teaching a lesson to a 'Jinchuriki' who wasn't even a Genin and was a perennial dead last didn't require his personal intervention. As long as his two younger clansmen didn't go too far and provoke the Anbu to interfere, it would be fine.His role was more about 'holding the line' and 'controlling the situation.'Naruto looked expressionlessly at the three people standing in a triangular formation, faintly surrounding him.Three Uchihas...Chakra fluctuations... Kaoru and Hiko were average, while Shingen was slightly stronger, but none had reached a level that made him feel threatened.He silently rolled up his somewhat cumbersome sleeves, revealing forearms that were slightly slender but had already begun to show clear, fluid muscle definition.Then, he stepped forward and walked straight toward Uchiha Kaoru.This unexpected move caused both Uchiha Kaoruand Uchiha Hiko to freeze for a moment, followed by an even louder burst of mockery."Pfft, hahaha! Dead last, you don't actually think you can fight back, do you?"Kaoru laughed so hard he doubled over, tears nearly coming to his eyes. "Kneel and beg for mercy while we're in a good mood. Maybe then we'll only give you a light lesson, so your already ugly face doesn't—"Before he could finish his sentence.Thud—!A dull sound, like a heavy hammer slamming into a thick sandbag, cut off all of Kaoru's unfinished ridicule and laughter.The sneer on Uchiha Hiko's face froze instantly, and his pupils contracted sharply!He instinctively leaped backward. Simultaneously, a flash of crimson lit up within his eyes as a single tomoe spun rapidly!What happened?!Where was Kaoru?!He looked in horror at the spot where Naruto had just been standing—it was empty.And where Kaoru had originally stood...Naruto's figure had replaced Kaoru's at some unknown point.He stood slightly to the side, his right hand still extended straight forward with fingers slightly spread, as if he had just pushed open a non-existent door.As for Uchiha Kaoru...He was being caught by Uchiha Shingen's arms, slumped limply in his embrace. His eyes were rolled back, and thin trails of blood were slowly seeping from his mouth and nose. His entire face, centered around the nose, showed an unnatural depression; clearly, his nasal bone and cheekbones had been shattered.The composed and indifferent expression on Uchiha Shingen's face had long since vanished.He knelt on one knee, carefully placing Uchiha Kaoru against the wall, and then slowly stood up.Looking at Naruto a few steps away—who was slowly retracting his arm and casually rotating his wrist—the two-tomoe in Shingen's crimson Sharingan were spinning frantically at an alarming speed. They were filled with shock, horror, and a hint of offended rage!What was that just now?!No hand seals, no violent Chakra fluctuations—just pure speed and power?!It was so fast he hadn't even fully seen the trajectory of the movement; he only saw a flash of an afterimage, and then Kaoru was hit head-on like he'd been struck by an invisible battering ram!This fox brat... had he been hiding his strength all along?!This is...What disloyalty to the Village! What a devious and calculating mind!"Uzumaki Naruto!"Shingen's voice suddenly rose, sternly reprimanding Naruto from a distance. "How dare you strike a fellow villager with such heavy hands! If I hadn't caught him in time, Kaoru might have met an untimely end! Do you have no respect for the Village's laws? Do you have no sense of camaraderie?!"Naruto's movement of stretching his neck paused for a moment.He tilted his head and looked at the self-righteous Uchiha Shingen. After confirming that the 'upholding justice' expression on the man's face wasn't an act, a feeling of utter absurdity surged in his heart. Then, the corners of his mouth pulled upward uncontrollably, finally forming a cold and slightly mocking smile."Heh... hehe..."He laughed out of sheer anger.The laughter was exceptionally clear in the silent alley, carrying undisguised mockery.Uchiha Shingen's face grew even gloomier, provoked by the laughter. He took a deep breath and quickly raised his hands into a standard combat stance. The two-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes operated to their limit, locking onto Naruto's entire body, not missing even the slightest twitch of a muscle."Obstinate! It seems you won't understand what awe and rules are until you're taught a profound lesson!"Uchiha Shingen said sharply, "In my capacity as a member of the Uchiha Police Force, I declare that you have carried out a malicious attack on a fellow Ninja. You will now receive the necessary punishment!"The pre-battle incantation was finished, and the moral ground was established.Uchiha Shingen gave a sinister smile, his body sinking slightly as Chakra surged within him.With the dynamic visual capture of the Sharingan, he was confident he could see through all of the opponent's movements!Come on, kid!Experience true despair before these eyes!Naruto pulled back his smile and stepped forward into a dash once more.Uchiha Hiko's nerves had been taut the whole time. Seeing this, he unhesitatingly threw three shuriken from his Ninja tool pouch, which flew toward Naruto's path in a triangular formation, attempting to interfere and block him.Naruto's footsteps indeed showed an extremely subtle hesitation—it was the body's instinctive, almost reflex-like omen of evasion when facing a possible attack.Though it lasted less than a tenth of a second, it was enough for Uchiha Shingen, who had been focusing intensely and pushing his Sharingan's ocular power to the limit!Now!Their gazes met for a split second in the air.In Uchiha Shingen's pupils, the two-tomoesuddenly flared with light!"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!"A weak but sharp mental energy followed the visual link, attempting to invade Naruto's brain.Naruto's charging figure suddenly jerked to a halt. He stopped in place, his eyes seemingly losing focus as he stared blankly ahead, his body becoming slightly stiff.It worked!Uchiha Shingen's heart settled, and he breathed a sigh of relief.As expected, no matter how strong a taijutsu-type Ninja was, they had almost zero resistance against the genjutsu cast by the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!He maintained the genjutsu output while tilting his head slightly to give Uchiha Hiko a look.Hiko understood immediately. A cruel look of pleasure appeared on his face as he pulled out a Kunai and walked quickly toward the frozen Naruto.He understood his elder brother's meaning. By having him deliver the 'lesson,' they could achieve their goal while keeping Shingen clear of blame, avoiding any pretext of 'excessive use of force by a police force member.'He walked up to Naruto, looked into those hollow blue eyes, and raised his Kunai. Using the flat side rather than the edge, he swung it toward Naruto's cheek, intending to give this eyesore of a face a little'souvenir' first.