Boom!
With a deafening explosion, thick black smoke billowed into the air. Three figures suddenly burst through the haze, sprinting forward at full speed.
They landed on the treetops, chakra coursing through their feet. With a slight push, they leaped effortlessly from one branch to another, weaving swiftly through the dense forest.
The wind howled past their ears. Mid-air, Tōshirō wore a grave expression as he stared ahead, uncertain if Uchiha Chi was managing to keep up behind them.
This mission was originally intended to cut off supply lines to the Land of Grass. Given that country's limited military power, it shouldn't have been too difficult.
But somehow, they had run into an elite unit. Though masked, their attire indicated that they were most likely ninja from Iwagakure.
As far as Tōshirō knew, Iwagakure had not officially declared war on Konoha. Could it be that they were taking advantage of Konoha's struggle against multiple enemies to launch a surprise attack?
He wasn't sure. The only thing he knew was that as soon as these ninja spotted them, they attacked without hesitation.
Had Uchiha Chi not made a quick decision to stay behind and cover them, they would have already been wiped out.
Tōshirō cursed under his breath—just their luck to walk straight into danger like this.
They continued fleeing in silence, covering some distance before Tōshirō suddenly sensed pursuers closing in from behind. Spinning around, he hurled a shuriken.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang through the air.
Seeing that the approaching figure was Uchiha Chi, Tōshirō and the others felt a wave of relief. It seemed they had successfully shaken off their enemies.
But Uchiha Chi, his face covered in blood, quickly shattered their momentary hope.
"Don't celebrate too soon. What we encountered before was just a small fraction of Iwagakure's forces. More of them are heading this way—we're gradually being surrounded."
Tōshirō's expression darkened. It was blunt to say, but aside from Uchiha Chi, he was the only real fighter in their group.
The other two were merely average ninja.
At this point, he had no choice but to stop holding back.
"We'll have to fight our way out," he declared.
But Uchiha Chi saw through his intent and immediately stopped him.
"Don't waste your energy. Even if we risk our lives, there's no way we can take on this many elite ninja."
A shadow fell over Tōshirō's face. Chi was right—even if he went all out, there was no way he could defeat such a large force.
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, causing a dull pain.
The battlefield had a way of amplifying the disadvantage of youth. For the first time, he truly wished he were older.
One of the team members asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
Uchiha Chi closed his eyes briefly before speaking in a low voice.
"I'll act as bait. The three of you will escape in different directions—at least one of you might make it out alive."
"No way! Sensei, you're an elite of the Uchiha clan! If anyone should be sacrificed, it should be a nobody like me who doesn't even have the Sharingan!" Sayuri cried out.
Uchiha Chi, unwavering, replied, "Both my father and grandfather died as ninja on the battlefield. Self-sacrifice is part of our duty."
"But—"
"You're all still young. You have a future ahead of you. One day, you'll have your time to shine. Until then, cherish your lives."
He then glanced meaningfully at Tōshirō.
"You… the inheritors of the Will of Fire… must protect the village."
At that moment, Tōshirō suddenly understood.
Elder Itachi must have entrusted Chi with certain secrets before his death. That meant Uchiha Chi was well aware of Tōshirō's true strength.
By having them split up, he wasn't just increasing their chances of survival—he was also ensuring that the others wouldn't hold Tōshirō back or discover his secrets.
"Sensei, you—"
For once, the usually stern Uchiha Chi smiled, though it was far from a pleasant sight.
"Don't feel bad for me. If I die, I'll simply become one of the stars in the sky, watching over you."
The three of them knew this wasn't the time to argue. Any hesitation would only waste Uchiha Chi's sacrifice.
Clenching their teeth, they turned and sprinted in three different directions.
Uchiha Chi watched in the direction where Tōshirō had fled, a smirk appearing on his lips. He could have captured Tōshirō right then and there, but that would have been far too inelegant.
On the other side, not long after Tōshirō ran, a deafening explosion erupted behind him. The sounds of battle raged on—Uchiha Chi was fiercely engaging the enemy, drawing their attention.
Tōshirō sighed deeply. The fact that Uchiha Chi had chosen to stay behind and act as a decoy meant that his chances of survival were slim.
He was still too weak.
One-on-one fights were manageable, but against multiple opponents, unless he had overwhelming strength, it was easy to fall into a disadvantageous position.
Once war broke out, both sides would continue to plant seeds of hatred.
I will avenge you.
His eyes, now filled with killing intent and vengeance, glowed with a crimson light, as if swearing this promise.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sharp noise sliced through the air behind him.
"Tatatata..."
Shuriken and kunai embedded themselves in the treetop where Tōshirō had just stepped.
Spinning mid-air, he turned to see the pursuing enemies. A bitter smile stretched across his lips—so even after all that, Uchiha Chi's desperate resistance hadn't been enough to stop them.
Landing on the ground, Tōshirō's expression darkened as he found himself surrounded by dozens of masked Iwagakure ANBU.
Ninjas who qualified for the ANBU were no pushovers.
Facing such a large number of skilled opponents at once, Tōshirō felt sweat bead on his forehead. He took a deep breath. Perhaps out of fear, he noticed that the air he inhaled felt heavier than ever before.
Damn it.
This is exactly why I didn't want to go to war before I had fully grown stronger—there are just too many unknown variables.
There was so much he wanted to complain about, but right now, even having the luxury to complain felt like a waste.
Without Uchiha Chi by his side, there was no safety net. And ninjas were inherently fragile—one wrong move and it could mean severe injury or death.
He couldn't afford to hold back.
His eyes widened, and deep within them, rapid changes took place. Crimson flooded his irises, and three tomoe swirled into existence. At the same time, half of his body darkened into pitch black, creating an eerie contrast with his blood-red eyes. The sight sent an ominous chill through his enemies.
"That's..."
Among the masked ninjas, a figure disguised as an ANBU member—Uchiha Madara—narrowed his eyes slightly, a gleam flashing deep within them.
He could sense a chakra similar to Hashirama's Sage Mode emanating from this kid.
Though the quality of Tōshirō's chakra was a significantly degraded version, nowhere near Hashirama's, it was still impressive compared to ordinary shinobi.
Interesting.
It seemed that somewhere outside of his surveillance, this kid had found his own opportunities for growth.
The Iwagakure ANBU hesitated slightly upon seeing Tōshirō's transformation.
"This brat looks strange… and he has the Sharingan. Stay alert."
"Hmph, even if he's an Uchiha, he's still just a kid." Another ANBU scoffed, dismissing the concern. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a barrage of shuriken at Tōshirō, determined to test his strength.
The air shrieked with the sound of spinning metal.
Tōshirō's enhanced vision caught every detail of the attack—what was once an unpredictable flurry of projectiles now appeared perfectly clear.
He stepped back, turning his body to evade the incoming shuriken. At the same time, he raised his sword, Enma, and positioned the blade through the circular gap in one of the spinning shuriken, pinning it into the ground.
A sharp, grating noise rang out as the shuriken scraped against the sword's edge.
At that moment, Tōshirō released the sword's hilt and rapidly formed hand seals. Taking a deep breath, he gathered an immense amount of chakra in his mouth before exhaling a massive fireball.
The moment the fireball hit the ground, it erupted violently, expanding into a semi-circular explosion.
Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust.
(End of Chapter)
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