Chapter 10 — Clash! Uchiha Fugaku
At the stone-paved entrance of the Uchiha clan compound, beneath the quiet shade of old cedar trees.
A twelve-year-old girl with long black hair and a naturally gentle temperament stood stiffly, her brows drawn tight in rare anger. Her dark eyes burned as she glared at the young man blocking her path.
"Uchiha Fugaku, I've already made myself perfectly clear—I don't like you!"
Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with restrained fury.
"Stop bothering me!"
Uchiha Fugaku's expression sank at once. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something cold and possessive.
"Uchiha Mikoto," he said flatly, "this has nothing to do with whether you like me."
"This isn't your decision. I am the son of the clan leader. You are the granddaughter of the Second Elder. From the moment we were born, it was decided."
He stepped forward slightly, his voice lowering.
"You are destined to be my wife."
Mikoto's face flushed—not with shyness, but humiliation and anger.
"You're shameless! Absolutely disgusting!"
Fugaku gave a thin, arrogant smile.
"Say whatever you like. Once you graduate, you'll enter the Military Police. By then…"
His eyes gleamed with certainty.
"Will you really be able to resist me?"
Without waiting for her response, he reached out, intending to seize her wrist and drag her into the compound.
Whoosh—
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
Fugaku's instincts reacted before his mind did. He drew a kunai and slashed.
The impact he expected never came.
Instead—
Splat!
The incoming object split in two midair, and a burst of egg yolk and egg white exploded across his face.
Silence.
A thin trail of yolk dripped down his nose.
"Well, well," came a lazy voice from above, laced with amusement, "if it isn't our future clan head~ applying an egg facial mask right at the entrance?"
Perched comfortably on a tree branch overhead, Uchiha Tendō leaned back against the trunk, one leg dangling, a grin playing on his lips.
"Pff—"
Mikoto, already shaken and angry moments ago, couldn't help it. The sight of Fugaku standing frozen, covered in egg, combined with Tendō's mockery—
Her laughter burst out before she could stop it.
Fugaku's face darkened violently.
Slowly, deliberately, he wiped the egg from his eyes. His voice dropped to a deadly whisper.
"You little bastard… are you looking to die?"
Tendō remained lounging on the branch, utterly at ease, looking down at him with calm indifference.
"If you want me dead, then show me."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Let's see how capable our so-called young clan head really is."
Fugaku's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"Good. Very good."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
"Today, brat, I'll let you witness my true strength."
The instant he finished speaking—
Shhhk! Shhhk! Shhhk!
Several shuriken tore through the air, whistling sharply as they targeted Tendō's vital points with precise, lethal intent.
"Watch out!"
Mikoto's heart leapt into her throat.
She hadn't expected Fugaku to act so recklessly. The boy had only been hit with an egg and teased a little, yet now he was attacking so viciously—his pride was extremely fragile.
The more she saw of him, the deeper her disgust grew.
"Is that all, young clan head?"
Tendō's voice carried a faint sneer.
With casual precision, he flicked a single shuriken from his hand.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the stunned gazes below, that lone spinning blade struck Fugaku's incoming projectiles one after another, knocking each off course with flawless timing.
Mikoto inhaled sharply.
"Incredible… he only used one…"
Fugaku's pupils narrowed.
Without hesitation, he drew a kunai and dashed forward, chakra reinforcing his steps.
"Good!"
Tendō dropped from the tree, landing lightly. His own kunai flashed into his grip.
"Come!"
Clang!
Steel met steel. Sparks burst at the point of impact.
The collision lasted barely a breath, but the difference in raw strength was immediate.
Tendō's physical abilities were only at a Chunin level—he was no match for the exceptional Jonin, Fugaku.
With a sharp twist of force, Fugaku overpowered him.
Tendō was sent flying backward, boots skidding across stone before he flipped and landed several meters away.
Fugaku smirked coldly.
"Overestimating yourself, brat."
"You think deflecting a few shuriken gives you the right to challenge me?"
Tendō flexed his palm, feeling the numb sting in his bones. He exhaled.
"Still lacking in physical strength… as expected."
If Namikaze Minato were here, he might faint from rage.
At eight years old, Tendō had once faced a Special Jōnin head-on and escaped unharmed—yet he complained about being "lacking."
What about me?
Should I just ram into a wall and die?
Even legends like Hashirama Senju or Uchiha Madara weren't that monstrous at eight.
Before Fugaku could press his advantage—
A figure stepped between them.
"Stop!"
Mikoto's voice trembled with fury.
"Uchiha Fugaku, have you lost your mind? He is our clansman! A comrade of the village!"
Her eyes burned.
"Do you intend to kill him?"
"Mikoto. Step aside."
Fugaku's face was cold as iron.
"This does not concern you."
His voice lowered dangerously.
"If you interfere again—"
"I won't show mercy to you either."
If Tendō were any ordinary Uchiha, Fugaku would have stopped here.
But he wasn't.
He was Uchiha Tendō—the most talented of the younger generation. If allowed to grow, he would inevitably reach Kage-level.
And once that day came—
How could Fugaku ever inherit leadership?
A flash—
Fugaku vanished from sight.
He reappeared before Tendō, kunai thrusting forward without hesitation.
"Only those who survive…"
His voice was merciless.
"…can be called geniuses."
Pffft!
The blade pierced straight through Tendō's chest.
"M—!"
Mikoto's face drained of color.
He… actually did it?
He attacked a fellow clan child with killing intent?!
But—
Fugaku clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. Substitution."
Before him stood not Tendō—
But a wooden training dummy, split and pierced.
"That crafty brat."
He withdrew his kunai, eyes scanning the surroundings sharply.
"Only knows how to hide?"
He laughed mockingly.
"A genius at hide-and-seek, perhaps?"
He never saw the seals being formed behind the smoke.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
A massive sphere of flame erupted from Tendō's mouth, five meters wide, roaring forward like a blazing sun.
Heat distorted the air.
Fugaku's pupils shrank.
He reacted instantly, hands flashing through seals.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Boom—!
The two infernos collided midair.
An explosion tore through the courtyard, flames twisting together before bursting apart in a violent shockwave. Smoke, sparks, and debris blasted outward.
In that instant—
Opportunity.
Tendō's hands moved again.
Lightning crackled.
Lightning Release: Electric Net!
Golden arcs burst outward, weaving rapidly into a massive net of blinding electricity.
With a sharp hiss, it surged through the smoke, aiming to engulf Fugaku whole.