Chapter 48: Uchiha Akira's Guard Reform!
After defeating Itachi, Uchiha Akira left him with a "fend for yourself" and turned to leave, no longer bothering with Itachi. Uchiha Itachi knelt on one knee, the exhaustion of his body far less intense than the collapse of his mind.
He lost. He lost completely.
Tsukuyomi was directly immune! Amaterasu's inextinguishable black flames were easily blocked!
Why? Itachi's body trembled uncontrollably. He had clearly also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He had clearly endured the ultimate pain of losing his closest friend. Why was the gap between him and Elder Akira so vast?
Itachi raised his hand, covering his left eye which was shedding bloody tears. Is this… the difference in capacity?
Itachi had always believed himself to be a genius standing at the pinnacle, qualified and capable of bearing everything, of correcting the family's erroneous path. But reality delivered the most crushing blow to him. In the face of absolute power, his so-called resolve and his agreement with Shisui all seemed so pale, so ridiculous.
"Fend for yourself…"
…
Several days later, another Uchiha high-level meeting was convened. The atmosphere was completely different from when the Hawk and Dove Factions were at loggerheads. The elders, once clearly divided, now sat upright.
Uchiha Akira simply sat there quietly, yet he became the invisible center of the entire meeting room. Uchiha Fugaku, sitting in the main seat, seemed like an outsider.
"Everyone," Uchiha Akira spoke. "I have called you all today for one matter. The Guard Team's training model needs to be reformed."
An elder from the Dove Faction, relying on his seniority, couldn't help but frown and speak. "Elder Akira, the Guard Team has been using the current model for decades, which is sufficient to maintain peace within the Village and has proven effective. Why the sudden drastic change? This will not only consume the family's already scarce resources but may also cause unnecessary alarm among the Village's high-level officials."
His words represented the last lingering concerns in the hearts of some Dove Faction members. They had already submitted to Uchiha Akira's power, but they still held an instinctive fear of completely breaking ties with the Village.
Uchiha Akira did not directly refute him. "Theoretical debate is meaningless. I believe more in facts and data."
Akira's gaze swept over that elder. "I propose a practical combat exercise. Let the results speak for themselves."
Akira turned to the side, gesturing towards the door. A moment later, twelve figures walked into the meeting room. It was Uchiha Akira's Elder Guard.
The two at the forefront were Uchiha Kenji and Uchiha Shunichi, emanating the genuine aura of Jōnin. The ten behind them, though young, had Chakra condensation levels that were infinitely close to Jōnin.
Fugaku's pupils slightly constricted. The elders present held their breath. They knew Uchiha Akira's Guard was strong, but they hadn't expected them to become so strong in such a short time.
"The exercise content is simple," Akira's voice sounded again. "Simulate 'Root' ninja infiltrating the clan territory with malicious intent. My Guard will counter them. The opponents will be a mixed team of 20 drawn from the Guard Team, including 5 Jōnin."
"12 people against 20, including 5 Jōnin?" an elder exclaimed in disbelief. This sounded like a pipe dream. The elites of the Guard Team were not ordinary individuals.
On Uchiha Akira's face, there was no hint of worry, but rather a faint trace of confidence.
"Let's go to the Training Ground."
…
On the spacious Training Ground, the atmosphere was grim. 20 Guard Team members had already formed their ranks, the 5 Jōnin at the forefront with solemn expressions.
"Lord Fugaku, isn't this… isn't Elder Akira being too overconfident?"
"That's right, those are 5 Jōnin and 15 Elite Chūnin, with excellent coordination."
Voices of doubt quietly rose among the elders' seats. Uchiha Fugaku did not speak, merely fixing his gaze on Uchiha Akira.
"Start!"
With a command, the 20-person Guard Team opposite instantly moved. The 5 Jōnin led the charge, rushing from five different directions like fierce tigers descending from the mountain, while the Chūnin behind them quickly formed hand signs, preparing for a widespread Fire Release Ninjutsu attack. This was the Guard Team's most common and effective encirclement tactic.
However, they were facing Uchiha Akira's Guard. The moment the opponents charged out, the 12-person Guard moved. But they did not meet the charge, nor did they scatter.
Four of them instantly formed dozens of different hand signs.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
The fierce wind howled, instantly scattering the Guard Team members' formation and causing their forward momentum to stall. A thick earth wall rose from the ground, perfectly blocking their subsequent Fire Release Ninjutsu. The most bizarre was the silent Genjutsu. Several Chūnin with slightly weaker strength instantly fell into darkness before their eyes, their steps immediately faltering. In a confrontation between experts, victory and defeat are decided in mere inches.
In this brief chaos, the other eight Guard members, like phantoms, cut into the Guard Team's chaotic formation from four directions. They worked in pairs, coordinating flawlessly. One person used Taijutsu for a direct frontal assault, attracting attention. The other silently appeared in the enemy's blind spot, a kunai in hand, precisely pressed against the opponent's throat.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
With just one exchange, six Chūnin were instantly knocked out and fell to the ground. The elders on the high platform suddenly stood up, their faces filled with disbelief.
"This… what kind of coordination is this?!"
The 5 Jōnin of the Guard Team finally reacted, roaring as they tried to regroup. But the Guard gave them no chance. The remaining six Guard members, after completing the first wave of assault, did not pause at all, immediately engaging the 5 Jōnin. The battle instantly turned into a one-sided encirclement.
A Guard Team Jōnin had just unleashed a Great Fireball Technique, but what met him was a combination Ninjutsu of a water vortex and a wind blade. Water aiding wind, wind splitting water flow.
Compound Ninjutsu!
Boom!
A huge explosion of steam erupted, sending the Jōnin flying backward in a disheveled state. On the other side, a Jōnin skilled in Taijutsu was entangled by two Guard members. The Sharingan of these two Guard members were both two-tomoe, and they perfectly predicted every attack of the Jōnin, their movements flowing like water, always neutralizing them with the smallest cost. What made this Jōnin even more frustrated was that he felt like he was fighting against one person. The person on the left had just forced him to retreat, and the person on the right immediately blocked all his escape routes. Their coordination was flawless.
The battle had already shown a one-sided trend. Just then, a sudden change occurred on the field. One of the 12 Guard members actually broke through during his confrontation with a Jōnin.
One-tomoe evolved into two-tomoe!
His Chakra also surged, reaching Jōnin level.
On the high platform, there was dead silence. All the elders, including Uchiha Fugaku, stared intently at the young man who had just broken through during the battle. Their eyes filled with undisguised shock.
Uchiha Fugaku's face was incredibly heavy. As the clan head, he had to admit that the strength displayed by the Guard had exceeded his understanding. The 5 Jōnin were quickly defeated one by one.
In the meeting room, no one raised any further objections. The elder who had questioned earlier now hung his head, not even daring to look at Uchiha Akira.
"I propose that this 'High-Efficiency Training Model' be extended to all elite squads of the Guard Team." Uchiha Akira's voice broke the silence.
"Agreed." Uchiha Yashiro was the first to express his stance.
"Agreed." Uchiha Honoka followed closely.
"Agreed."
"Agreed…"
One elder after another stood up, bowing their once proud heads to Uchiha Akira.
Finally, everyone's gaze focused on Uchiha Fugaku. Fugaku slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all traces of struggle had faded, leaving only deep helplessness.
"…Agreed."