Having reached an agreement, the group moved to a more open courtyard.
Kaito and Fugaku stood facing each other. Each raised two fingers and held them up, forming the traditional Seal of Confrontation.
"You can make the first move," Kaito said amicably, extending his right hand in a welcoming "please" gesture.
Fugaku remained silent, immediately pulling out several kunai and flinging them forward.
"Oh, not bad. He's sealed off every possible escape route," Tsunade couldn't help but praise. "Too bad..."
"Too bad his opponent is me." Kaito's figure blurred for an instant. When he reappeared, he opened his hands, letting the kunai he'd snatched from the air clatter to the ground.
"He caught all the kunai I threw?" Fugaku said, shocked.
Uchiha Tajima frowned and said gravely, "Fugaku, use your full strength. There's no need for any more pointless probing."
"Yes, sir!" Knowing his opponent's strength was far beyond his own, Fugaku's eyes widened. His dark pupils instantly turned crimson, and three tomoe-like patterns appeared, spinning around the black dot in the center.
It was the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai—the Sharingan!
'Oho, a three-tomoe Sharingan already? Not bad talent.' Kaito's interest grew. He pushed off forcefully from the ground, his body becoming a phantom as he charged toward Fugaku.
'I can see him!' With his Sharingan active, Fugaku could clearly track Kaito's movements. His confidence surged, and after dodging Kaito's punch, he retaliated, unwilling to be outdone.
The two then engaged in a textbook display of taijutsu offense and defense, seemingly evenly matched. The sight, however, left Tsunade puzzled.
"Is Kaito deliberately suppressing his speed?"
Uchiha Tajima, also observing the fight, was equally surprised. But soon, something even more astonishing occurred.
'Hey, hey, can you hear me, Clan Head Tajima? It's Kaito.'
'Kaito?' Hearing the voice echo in his mind, Uchiha Tajima couldn't help but look toward Kaito, who was locked in a "fierce" struggle with Fugaku.
'Ah, don't look. It's me. I'm using a secret technique that allows for direct mind-to-mind communication, hmm, probably similar to what the Yamanaka clan uses.'
'A secret technique similar to the Yamanaka clan's?' Uchiha Tajima's heart went cold. He quickly emptied his mind to prevent Kaito from gleaning any secrets he shouldn't know.
Once he had done so, he thought back: 'Was what you said earlier about being interested in the Sharingan a lie? Was it all just to use this secret technique to speak with me?'
'Half and half,' Kaito chuckled softly. 'But none of that matters compared to what I'm about to say.'
'Clan Head Tajima, are you truly unaware that a great disaster is about to befall the Uchiha clan?'
'???' Uchiha Tajima's expression instantly darkened.
'This feels amazing! So exhilarating!'
Fugaku had never felt anything so liberating. Every muscle, every sinew in his body seemed to sing. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu—he used whatever came to mind, without worrying about his own safety or his opponent's.
The man before him seemed omnipotent, always capable of countering his moves.
At first, he thought he was only a little bit behind, so he kept pushing his speed, but the gap always remained just that—a little bit. Fugaku finally understood that this "little bit" was actually a colossal, insurmountable gap.
So, he stopped trying to win and instead reveled in unleashing techniques he'd never dared to use before.
It felt incredible!
Unfortunately, his stamina limited the length of the battle.
When Fugaku landed, his calf suddenly trembled. His body swayed, and Kaito instantly seized the opening. Kaito swept his leg out, the sole of his shoe planting firmly on Fugaku's stomach and sending him flying backward.
The purple-haired girl seemed to have been prepared. She flickered to the spot Fugaku was flying toward and caught him, preventing any damage to the courtyard's landscaping.
"It seems the match is decided," Uchiha Tajima said calmly, as if nothing had happened. "Thank you, Sir Kaito, for going easy on my foolish son."
"Heh, and I must thank your son for his enthusiastic cooperation." Kaito clasped his hands in a farewell gesture. "Well, I'm satisfied now, so I won't disturb you any longer. We'll meet again if fate allows!"
"We'll meet again."
Uchiha Tajima watched Kaito and Tsunade leave before turning around. "Fugaku, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Fugaku said, catching his breath. "Just a little exhausted."
"Mm, that's good." Uchiha Tajima glanced at the two of them and asked, "What are your thoughts on that boy, Kaito?"
"He's incredibly strong, without a doubt," Fugaku said. "Although he didn't use any ninjutsu, based on his taijutsu and his ability to instantly break genjutsu, he's at least at the level of an elite jonin."
"Chiri, what about you?"
"In terms of strength, Fugaku, who fought him, knows more than I do, so I won't comment further," Uchiha Chiri replied. "I'm more concerned about why Jonin Tsunade, who has never had much interaction with our clan, was here. Could there be some other meaning to this?"
"And I don't know if it was my imagination, but it seemed like the one in charge between those two was the boy, Kaito."
"That was not your imagination. The reason for this visit was just as Kaito stated—it was all his request. So, there is no need to read too much into Tsunade's presence. The feud between our two clans faded away with the passing of our two great leaders. We are all members of Konoha now."
Uchiha Tajima did not mention his conversation with Kaito.
"Yes, sir!"
"You two are the most outstanding youths of your generation. I was worried you might get hurt in the war, so I didn't have you participate. Now, it seems I've been too lenient with you." Uchiha Tajima said, "In a few days, you will both accompany me to the Land of Rain to provide support."
The two looked at each other, their hearts filled with a mix of apprehension and excitement. "Yes, sir!" they said respectfully.
"So, what did you think? Did the Sharingan's power live up to your expectations?" Tsunade asked with a smile once they were outside.
"It's not bad. It provides a significant boost to a ninja's strength. Before, young Fugaku's skills were only at the level of a top-tier chunin. With the Sharingan active, the average jonin wouldn't be his match," Kaito said honestly.
In his mind, before it evolved into a Mangekyo, the Sharingan was still within the realm of conventional abilities. It hadn't yet become the "cheat" it was known to be. In terms of practical utility, it was still inferior to the Byakugan.
"Mm, that's why the Uchiha clan is called Konoha's most powerful clan. It's not without reason," Tsunade nodded.
"Then what about your Senju clan?"
"The Senju clan... has become the very foundation of Konoha."
"Sounds impressive. Where are we off to next?"
"It's noon now. Let's get some lunch and take a break first," Tsunade said. "This afternoon, I'll take you to enjoy the services of our Konoha bathhouse. I guarantee it'll wash all your fatigue away."
"Sounds good to me."
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