*Chapter 21: Bakudō #81: Dankū!*

“Well done, kid!”

Juzo Biwa laughed heartily, letting out a roar of anger as his Executioner’s Blade, covered in chakra, swung mightily towards Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku’s eyes narrowed as he blocked the heavy strike with a kunai in his hand.

The two clashed in an instant, sparks flying from the impact.

Boom!!

In just a moment, Juzo was sent flying, crashing next to Raiga Kurosuki. He coughed and stood up, blood dripping from his left hand, which had been sliced by a kunai, leaving a long, narrow wound.

“Damn Sharingan…”

“You idiot, trying to match blades with someone from the Uchiha clan,” Raiga said emotionlessly, glancing at Juzo.

“Then you tell me how to fight him!”

Facing someone from the Uchiha clan meant they had to fight while constantly stirring their chakra to avoid falling under genjutsu.

Against an ordinary Jonin with three tomoe Sharingan, it might be manageable. But against someone like Fugaku Uchiha, a top-tier warrior known as “The Fierce Eyes,” it was a death sentence.

In high-level combat, getting distracted meant courting death!

“We can’t keep fighting. We’re still injured. Going head-to-head with this guy is suicide!”

With a glance at each other, both moved simultaneously.

Raiga charged toward Jiraiya, his twin lightning blades crackling, illuminating the ground with a ghostly white light.

Meanwhile, Juzo dashed toward Yoru, discreetly signaling a retreat.

Understanding Juzo’s signal, Fuguki turned and fled at top speed.

“Don’t even think about running!”

A swarm of insects danced in the air, but Raiga’s lightning blades struck them down with ease.

Suddenly, the surroundings shifted inexplicably, and fleshy walls materialized out of thin air.

The four who were attempting to escape were sealed within, except for Yoru, who used a burst of Shunpo to narrowly escape just as the barrier was closing.

“Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Bind!”

Inside the fleshy walls, Jiraiya coldly watched the three wielders of the ninja blades as he slowly stood up.

“None of you are leaving here today!”

“Damn it…”

Fuguki gripped his Samehada tightly as the fleshy walls around them grew rapidly, seemingly trying to engulf them. “Looks like we really pissed him off.”

Raiga swung his lightning blades, but the flickering sparks only left faint scorch marks on the surface.

“This is a special barrier technique. We won’t break through it anytime soon.”

“All we need to do is kill the one casting the technique, and the barrier will disappear!”

Juzo gripped his Executioner’s Blade, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “Even if he’s one of the Legendary Sannin, that’s exactly why we came here in the first place.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Three against one—we’ve got the advantage!”

The three gripped their swords tightly, while Jiraiya remained silent, his icy eyes seemingly sealing their fates.

Meanwhile, outside the barrier…

Using Shunpo, Yoru had barely escaped Jiraiya’s Toad Mouth Bind. But as soon as his feet hit the ground, a pair of crimson eyes with three tomoe appeared before him.

Clang!

Yoru’s pupils shrank, and the clash of kunai echoed as he blocked Fugaku Uchiha’s strike. Fugaku immediately followed with a punch aimed at Yoru’s chest, but it missed.

Using a burst of Shunpo, Yoru appeared atop a nearby rooftop, cautiously eyeing Fugaku.

【S-class target ‘Fugaku Uchiha’ detected. Side quest activated:】

【Task 1: Defeat Fugaku Uchiha. Reward: 50,000 points.】

【Task 2: Subdue Fugaku Uchiha. Reward: 80,000 points.】

【Task 3: Kill Fugaku Uchiha. Reward: 200,000 points.】

The system’s voice echoed in his ears, showing the same ranking as Jiraiya, confirming Fugaku’s terrifying strength.

Fugaku Uchiha, the current head of the Uchiha clan, owner of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and one of Konoha’s top-tier fighters, known as “The Fierce Eyes.”

Yoru wasn’t sure if his luck was amazing or downright awful—first encountering Jiraiya, then Might Duy, and now Fugaku Uchiha, Konoha’s top fighters in quick succession.

Jiraiya’s terrifying glare was no joke. The three sword-wielders were surely doomed. And with Fugaku’s Mangekyō Sharingan, there was no way to win this fight.

“Good luck to those three with the swords. I’m out of here.”

Glancing at Fugaku and then at the three trapped in Jiraiya’s barrier, Yoru didn’t hesitate. He activated Shunpo and sped off without looking back.

“You stay here and support Lord Jiraiya. I’ll pursue him,” Fugaku said coldly to Shibi Aburame before swiftly chasing after Yoru.

The whole reason Fugaku had followed Jiraiya was to track down Yoru.

As he raced through the forest, the wind howled past Yoru’s ears. He glanced behind him, his brow furrowed. “He’s still catching up? This speed… You’re the real Shisui of the Body Flicker, aren’t you?”

Whoosh!

A barrage of shuriken whistled through the air. Yoru tilted his head to avoid them, but then noticed the fine steel wire attached to them, pulled tight by Fugaku’s hands.

“Katon: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!”

A massive fire dragon roared along the path of the steel wire, bearing down on Yoru.

“Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!”

Yoru spread his fingers, summoning a round shield to block the roaring flames.

But before he could catch his breath, three more fire dragons came charging toward him, each as powerful as the first!

The fire dragons exploded, sending thick smoke billowing into the air. But Fugaku’s Sharingan, locked onto the smoke, never wavered.

His hands moved so fast that they seemed to leave afterimages, forming seals for multiple jutsu in the blink of an eye.

“Katon: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

“Katon: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!”

“Katon: Great Fire Annihilation!”

In two seconds, Fugaku unleashed three fire-style jutsu in rapid succession. The roaring flames rained down, accompanied by thunderous explosions, with the final Great Fire Annihilation adding even more fiery destruction.

Yet Fugaku’s expression remained tense, his Sharingan focusing more intently.

Amid the flames and explosions, a transparent barrier had appeared, made of something resembling air itself. Every fire jutsu and explosion was stopped by this invisible wall!

(End of Chapter)