Chapter 38 - The Raid on the Supply Convoy (4)
"Earth Release—Earth Dragon Bullet Technique!"
As soon as Hikari heard Uchiha Fugaku's voice behind him, his hands moved instinctively, forming the necessary seals in a blur. Without hesitation, he spun around, slamming his palm to the ground. The earth rumbled beneath him as a massive dragon of stone and dirt erupted forth, surging ahead like a living force of nature.
The summoned beast tore through the incoming inferno—a blazing Great Fireball Jutsu launched by Uchiha Fugaku.
There was no other way. No matter how intense the flames, raw fire alone couldn't burn through solid earth.
Faced with the rushing earth dragon, Fugaku had no choice but to dodge, leaping awkwardly to the side. But he knew he couldn't keep evading forever. If he kept running, it would only be a matter of time before Hikari cornered him.
"Fire Release—Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Mid-air, Fugaku's hands flashed through a complex sequence of seals. The moment he landed, he unleashed three blazing dragons of fire, each twisting and roaring as they streaked toward Hikari from different directions.
"Earth Release—Earth Flow Wall!"
Hikari's sharp eyes flicked to the incoming flames, and his mind worked quickly. There was no time to call back his earth dragon for defense, so he abandoned control of it entirely. Slamming his hands into the ground once more, he raised a towering wall of hardened stone between himself and the fiery assault.
The moment the three fire dragons collided, the wall trembled violently before shattering into a cloud of molten debris. The sheer heat melted parts of the stone, sending glowing embers scattering through the air.
At the same time, the earth dragon, now severed from Hikari's chakra, crumbled apart, its form reduced to nothing more than rubble.
As the dust settled, the two shinobi found themselves locked in another tense standoff.
But this time, the difference in stamina was apparent.
Hikari remained composed, barely winded. In contrast, Uchiha Fugaku was breathing heavily, his body covered in a sheen of sweat. His chakra was dangerously low.
Having cast multiple high-level jutsu in quick succession—especially the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, which consumed a significant amount of chakra—Fugaku was nearly drained. He wasn't an Uzumaki like Naruto, who could keep fighting for hours. He had limits.
His mind raced. The battle was no longer in his favor.
The Uchiha Clan had spent years serving within the village, focusing on security and law enforcement. Their usual enemies were common criminals, not hardened warriors. Life-or-death battles like this were rare.
Now, faced with the undeniable threat of death, Fugaku's priorities shifted. He had a beautiful wife waiting for him at home, a promising son, and the title of the Uchiha Clan's next leader nearly secured. He had everything to live for. Dying here would be a pointless waste.
Retreat was the best option.
And besides, in the world of adults, running away wasn't cowardice. It was called preserving strength for the next battle.
Hikari smirked, sensing Fugaku's hesitation. "Looks like I'll have to get serious if I want to take you down."
Fugaku straightened, forcing confidence into his voice. "Hmph. Then it's time for you to witness the true power of my eyes!"
Even if he planned to retreat, he couldn't afford to show weakness. The moment his enemy realized his hesitation, his chances of escaping would plummet.
But before the battle could continue, a third voice cut through the tension.
"Lord Fugaku, leave him to me."
Kazane's voice was calm but firm. He had arrived just in time to witness the last exchange of blows. His sharp gaze flicked to Fugaku, assessing his state. It didn't take long to see that the Uchiha was running on fumes.
Stepping forward, Kazane tossed something onto the ground between them.
A severed head.
The sight of the lifeless face made Hikari's breath hitch. His body stiffened as a surge of raw emotion overtook him.
"Daishi...!" His voice was barely above a whisper, his shock quickly turning into grief.
His longtime comrade, someone he had fought alongside for years, was gone. Just like that.
Kazane, however, had already lost interest in the fight. He glanced at Hikari with an air of boredom, as if deciding whether he was even worth killing.
"Your comrade is already dead. You're the last one left," Kazane said flatly. "What's the point of resisting? Surrender now. Tell us everything you know, and I'll personally plead with Lord Orochimaru on your behalf. Who knows? Maybe he'll spare your life."
There was no real sincerity in his voice. Kazane was simply confident.
He had fought two elite jōnin back-to-back, and now, standing here with barely a scratch, he could feel it—he had grown stronger. His skills, his speed, his instincts, all sharpened through battle.
Elite jōnin were no longer a threat to him.
Hikari clenched his fists, his breathing ragged. His grief twisted into something more volatile—rage.
"Bastard...!" His voice trembled, his whole body shaking.
He didn't care about Kazane's mockery. He didn't care about reasoning. He didn't care about survival.
He just wanted revenge.
"I'll kill you!"
His hands blurred through a rapid sequence of seals, each motion fueled by desperation and wrath. Slamming his hands into the ground, he roared:
"Earth Release—Earth Flow River!"
The moment his jutsu took effect, the earth beneath Kazane and Uchiha Fugaku liquefied, shifting into a swirling torrent of mud that surged forward like an unstoppable tide.
The ground, once solid, became treacherous and unstable, pulling at their feet like a living entity intent on swallowing them whole.
"Fire Release—Dragon Fire Technique!"
Had it been solid stone, fire would have done little to counter the technique. But against flowing, moisture-laden earth, Fugaku's flames had the perfect advantage.
Without hesitation, he formed the necessary seals and exhaled a concentrated stream of fire. The roaring flames crashed into the moving mud, rapidly drying and solidifying it into hardened rock. The waves of liquefied earth stilled, frozen mid-motion, leaving behind undulating ridges as evidence of Hikari's failed attempt to shift the tide of battle.
Kazane sighed.
"I was going to let you go," he murmured, shaking his head as if in mild disappointment. "But since you insist on resisting..."
His gaze flickered with cold intent as he took a step forward, his presence shifting. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, charged with unseen energy.
"I'll send you to join your comrades."
Without another word, Kazane exhaled deeply, centering himself. His body tensed for an instant before he unleashed the first phase of his overwhelming power.
"Eight Gates Release—Fourth Gate of Pain, open."
A surge of chakra erupted from him like a tidal wave. Blue energy crackled and shimmered, forming a powerful aura around his body. The ground beneath his feet fractured slightly under the sudden force.
Uchiha Fugaku, watching from the side, instinctively took a step back. Even without engaging in battle, he could feel the immense pressure radiating from Kazane.
And then, before the energy had even begun to settle—
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
A sharp crackle split the air as bolts of lightning flickered across Kazane's frame, dancing along his skin in jagged arcs. His already heightened speed and reflexes skyrocketed. Fugaku's Sharingan spun instinctively, trying to track the sudden shift in energy, but even with his advanced vision, he struggled to keep up.
Kazane slowly reached for the hilts of his twin swords.
"Two-Sword Style— Iai, Rashomon."
It was the pinnacle of drawn-sword techniques—a single, unstoppable strike, executed at a speed that rendered even the most skilled warriors helpless.
He calmly took a stance.
Then, he moved.
In the blink of an eye, Kazane vanished. A streak of blue lightning replaced him, surging toward Hikari with impossible speed.
Even with his Sharingan, Fugaku could barely follow the motion. His eyes caught only faint blue afterimages, ghost-like traces of movement left in the wake of Kazane's overwhelming speed.
Hikari barely had time to react.
"Earth Release—Earth Land Return!"
His instincts kicked in, and his hands formed the seals as fast as they could manage. A massive slab of rock rose before him, forming a protective barrier between himself and the incoming threat.
"You think you're facing just anyone? I am Hikari of the Hidden Rock! Earth Release—Earth Dragon—"
His voice, filled with defiance, was abruptly cut short.
A streak of light, followed by a sharp, ringing sound.
For a moment, nothing happened. The battlefield seemed frozen in time.
Then, the rock barrier split.
A fine, thin line ran vertically down its center. A heartbeat later, the massive slab cleaved apart, its halves sliding away from each other like two doors opening.
And Hikari—
Hikari had been cut in half alongside it.
A clean, effortless strike.
His upper body slipped from his lower half, blood spraying into the air in a violent arc. The moment his torso hit the ground, his lifeless eyes stared blankly upward, mouth still slightly open as if attempting to finish his last words.
The fight had ended in a single instant.
Silence settled over the battlefield.
Uchiha Fugaku remained motionless, eyes wide in shock.
Not long ago, this very man—Hikari of the Hidden Rock—had nearly overpowered him. He had barely been able to dodge, barely been able to hold his own. Yet now, in mere seconds, Hikari had been slain. Not just defeated—completely erased from the battle.
If Kazane told him earlier that he could take Hikari down in one move, Fugaku wouldn't have believed him. He would have dismissed it as arrogance.
But now, standing amidst the blood-stained battlefield, watching the lifeless remains of his former opponent, Fugaku had only one thought.
Am I still caught in a genjutsu's illusion?
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