Chapter 105 - 5

Chapter 5: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"Boom!"A dull thud, accompanied by the crisp 'crack' of shattering bones!A figure flew backward like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily against the brick wall of the alley before sliding limply to the ground."Didn't I tell you, Hiko! Don't go too hard..."Uchiha Shingen instinctively frowned, intending to lecture the troublesome junior not to go too far.As his gaze swept over, he finally saw the Uchiha Clan crest on the figure's clothing!It was Uchiha Hiko!He was curled up on the ground, clutching his obviously twisted and deformed right arm, letting out a shrill scream."Hiko?!"Uchiha Shingen turned his head in horror, looking back at the spot where Naruto had been standing—it was empty!An icy, bone-chilling sense of crisis, like a venomous snake, shot from his tailbone straight to his scalp, making every hair on Uchiha Shingen's body stand on end!He didn't even have time to wonder why the genjutsu had failed; driven by instinct, his hands instantly completed three simple yet swift hand seals in front of his chest."Body Replacement Technique!""Boom!"White smoke exploded, filling the air with the scent of fresh wood shavings and bark fragments.Almost at the exact moment the white smoke rose, a palm carrying fierce wind pressure smashed the damp wooden log that had replaced Uchiha Shingen.Naruto's figure appeared from the not-yet-dissipated mist, his eyes devoid of any confusion from having fallen into a genjutsu.The Heavenly Restriction brought not only physical enhancement but also seemed to significantly improve his mental resistance, as well as his tolerance and recovery from abnormal statuses (including Chakra disruption and mental intrusion).The weak genjutsu energy attempting to invade his mind was instantly "evaporated" by the raw, unbridled vitality within him, and the remaining interference barely had any effective impact on him.Relying on his enhanced, abnormally keen perception, Naruto instantly locked onto the location pointed to by the subtle spatial fluctuation when the Body Replacement Technique took effect.He turned his head, his gaze crossing through the drifting wood shavings and mist, precisely locking onto Uchiha Shingen, who was about ten meters away, having just finished the technique, not yet fully steady on his feet, and looking over in a mix of shock and rage."Not bad," Naruto shook the wood shavings off his hand and nodded slightly, like a teacher at the Ninja Academy evaluating a student, "Your reaction is quite fast. I thought the people of the Uchiha Clan were all like those two on the ground—useless, flashy pillows.""You—!!!"His last shred of reason was completely ignited and incinerated at this moment!Uchiha Shingen's face twisted in extreme anger and humiliation, the two tomoe in his Sharinganspinning wildly!Since he was a child, as a genius of the Uchiha Clan, he had been admired and feared; when had he ever received such naked contempt and insult from a "demon fox dead-last"?!This was no longer just targeting him personally; it was a total trampling of his bloodline and the honor of the Uchiha Clan!This damned Jinchuriki! This monster who obtained power through unknown means! He had no reverence for the Uchiha Clan and no loyalty to the Village! He must be suppressed! He must be made to pay the price!Rage devoured his caution and temporarily suppressed his suspicion regarding Naruto's bizarre power.Uchiha Shingen's hands flew up and down like butterflies, moving so fast they left afterimages in the air! Chakra surged violently within him along specific meridians!"Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Tiger - Snake - Tiger - Snake!""Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"Uchiha Shingen took a deep breath, his chest swelling high, and then exhaled with full force!"Whoosh—Boom!!!"A scorching fireball more than three meters in diameter, carrying a terrifying heat capable of incinerating everything, roared out from his mouth!The orange-red fireball instantly illuminated the dim alley like daylight! The air was violently distorted by the high heat, emitting crackling explosions. The moss on the walls on both sides charred and curled at a visible rate, evaporating into pungent white smoke!Carrying a rumbling thud, the fireball, like a small sun, lunged straight at Naruto!Facing this unavoidable and terrifying Ninjutsuattack, there was still no panic on Naruto's face.He planted his feet, lowered his center of gravity, and his right arm muscles instantly bulged, the veins beneath his skin slightly protruding.The vast Chakra within him, which had always been difficult to control precisely, was channeled in the most brutal and direct way—not by guiding it to specific acupuncture points or meridians like a Ninja, but as if "charging" his body—forcibly infused into his entire right arm!In an instant, his right arm seemed to swell slightly, a faint, unstable light-blue halo appearing on the surface of his skin, and his muscle fibers let out a faint, overwhelmed hum.A surge of violent power rushed and collided within his arm, eager to find an outlet!No hand seals, no flashy techniques.Naruto faced the massive fireball already inches away, with waves of heat rushing toward him, and suddenly raised his Chakra-infused right arm, fingers pressed together like a blade, and then swung down with the momentum of splitting a mountain!"Sshhh—!!!"Two Chakra air blades erupted from the edge of Naruto's palm! The two waves crossed in an "X" shape, silently and instantly slicing into the orange-red fireball!There was no earth-shattering explosion, no stalemate of energy clashing.The massive Great Fireball was, in the face of these two "X"-shaped waves formed by the air blades, as fragile as a balloon sliced by a sharp blade.With a soft "pfft" sound.The fireball was cleanly sliced into four pieces! The cuts were smooth, and the scorching flames at the edges even momentarily froze and dimmed. The structure of the divided flames instantly lost balance, and the violent Fire Release Chakra inside lost the constraints that stabilized its form, suddenly collapsing inward, and then—"Boom—!!!"The flames, having lost control after being forcibly divided, shot, rolled, and expanded in all directions! Crimson tongues of fire licked the alley walls, billowing black smoke rose into the sky, and the scorching heat wave swept outward like a tsunami! Broken fragments of fire splattered like meteors, igniting a small amount of debris piled in the corner of the alley, emitting crackling burning sounds.Uchiha Shingen was forced to retreat repeatedly by the sudden blast wave, shielding his face from the oncoming hot wind and ash with his arms, his Sharingan staring fixedly at the center of the explosion, his heart pounding uncontrollably.What was that?! Was it some kind of unknown Bloodline Limit? Or was it extreme Wind Releaseor Lightning Release cutting technique?Before his confusion and shock could subside, the next moment, a scene appeared that made his eyes split with rage—A figure stepped out directly from the curtain of flames and smoke that had not yet fully dissipated!Blonde hair danced wildly in the heat wave, the hem of his clothes singed by sparks, but the person himself... was completely unharmed?!No, not completely undamaged; the skin on his exposed arms and cheeks was somewhat red—traces of being scorched by high heat—but that was all!Those azure blue eyes, through the drifting smoke and dust, coldly locked onto him, like a beast of prey locking onto its target.Uzumaki Naruto!!!!