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Chapter 126: Duel of Geniuses
Hidden Stone Village, Back Mountain, Third Training Ground.
The setting sun painted the earth in a shade of blood-red.
Under the shadow of a giant rock, only a head protruded from the ground.
"Achoo!"
Buried in the dirt, Kizaru suddenly sneezed, the obsidian glasses on his nose slipping askew.
"Strange..."
He sniffed, looking bewildered.
"Who is talking about this old man?"
"Could it be that long-winded old man Sengoku?"
Kizaru struggled to move his neck, trying to adjust to a more comfortable position.
Although his body was firmly pinned down by the Weighted Boulder Jutsu, unable to move even a finger, the chakra within him began to circulate on its own along a strange path, forced by the external pressure.
It was like water encountering an obstacle and automatically finding cracks to flow through.
The originally raw Earth Style chakra became increasingly condensed and smooth under the squeeze of gravity.
"Mmm..."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes, feeling the warm current within his body.
"This feeling... is actually quite comfortable."
"I don't have to move myself, and the chakra gets stronger on its own."
"Is this what they call AFK leveling?"
"Not bad, not bad. The service in this dungeon is quite thorough."
Nearby.
Ishida and Iwako, who had long since collapsed from exhaustion, looked with awe at "Doi-aniki," who could still look so relaxed with only his head exposed.
"Doi-aniki... is too strong, un."
Ishida lay sprawled on the ground, his chest heaving violently.
"He's been crushed for a whole afternoon, yet he can still smile."
Iwako also wore a look of adoration. Though her fingers were trembling from fatigue, she forced herself to sit up.
"I want to be like Senior!"
Deep underground, where they couldn't see.
Around Kizaru's body, the soil was undergoing subtle changes.
The originally hard rock and dirt, influenced by his unconsciously emitted chakra, actually began to soften and flow.
It was like... he was assimilating his entire being into light... no, assimilating into mud.
A prototype of a brand-new ninjutsu, one that had never appeared in this world, was quietly gestating within this lazy man's body.
"But speaking of which..."
Kizaru looked at the sunset on the horizon and suddenly sighed.
"It's dinner time."
"If they don't dig this old man out, am I supposed to eat dirt?"
...
Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.
In stark contrast to the rough desolation of the Hidden Stone, this place was surrounded by lush forests, full of vitality and prosperity.
In the center of the village, the Hokage Rock, symbolizing the Will of Fire, overlooked the orderly streets and peaceful residents below.
But in the southeast corner of the village, within the Uchiha clan compound, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The architecture here was ancient and solemn, the streets were spotless, and every clansman who passed by wore a grave expression, their eyes carrying an innate pride.
The Uchiha, this noble clan that had birthed countless geniuses and possessed the "Divine Power" of the Sharingan, had their own set of survival rules, strict to the point of rigidity.
Today, this rigid tranquility was broken.
Third Training Ground.
This was a training area specifically for the younger generation of the clan, but right now, it was packed with people.
From white-haired elders to toddlers just learning to walk, almost every Uchiha clansman who was home had gathered here.
They surrounded the training ground tightly, yet no one whispered. The scene was so quiet that only the rustling of wind through the leaves could be heard.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the center of the field.
There stood two young boys.
One had a calm expression and handsome features. His black eyes were deep and tranquil. Even under the scrutiny of so many clansmen, he stood straight as a ramrod, like an unsheathed sword.
He was Fugaku Uchiha, the son of the Clan Head, hailed as the number one genius of the Uchiha's younger generation.
Standing opposite him was Golden Lion Shiki, reincarnated as "Tsubasa Uchiha."
After a month of hellish training, he had completely familiarized himself with the power called chakra within his body, and his physique had become leaner and tougher.
Unlike that old brute Garp, the Golden Lion did not reject power; any power that could make him stronger was good power.
On his face still hung a trace of wild arrogance and unruliness that was completely out of place with the surrounding environment.
Looking around at the scrutinizing, indifferent, and even slightly disdainful gazes of the Uchiha clansmen, he only felt a wave of amusement.
"A bunch of self-righteous frogs in a well..."
"Wait until I get that Sharingan, I'll gouge out all your eyeballs and turn them into collectibles!"
At the edge of the training ground, Setsuna Uchiha crossed his arms, watching his son in the field expressionlessly.
A month ago, he had given Tsubasa a mission.
Defeat Fugaku in Taijutsu within a month.
Fail, and get out of the Uchiha.
Today was the deadline.
No one thought Tsubasa could win.
Fugaku was a recognized genius who had received the most orthodox and rigorous elite education since childhood. Whether in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu, he was outstanding among the youth, and even within the entire Uchiha clan.
Tsubasa, on the other hand, was just a piece of trash with mediocre talent who hadn't even awakened the Divine Eye.
"Tsubasa, are you sure you want to fight?" Fugaku looked at Tsubasa opposite him and spoke calmly. "It's not too late to forfeit now."
In his view, this wasn't a duel at all, but a farce.
Tsubasa grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth, his smile manic and cruel.
"Cut the crap, Fugaku."
"Hurry up and start. I can't wait... to stomp on that self-righteous face of yours!"
Before his voice had even faded, the arrogant declaration was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up an uproar among the watching Uchiha clansmen.
"How impudent!"
"How dare he be so disrespectful to Lord Fugaku!"
Fugaku frowned slightly. He said no more, sinking his body slightly and assuming the starting stance of the Uchiha Style Taijutsu.
"Since you insist on seeking death, I'll oblige you."
The supervising elder glanced at Setsuna Uchiha, whose face was as calm as water. Seeing no reaction from him, he announced in a deep voice:
"Let the duel begin!"
Boom!
As soon as the words fell, Fugaku's figure instantly vanished from his spot.
He was extremely fast. pushing off the ground, his body like a fully drawn bow, he rushed in front of Tsubasa in an instant.
No superfluous movements—a knife-hand strike aimed straight for Tsubasa's throat!
Fast, precise, ruthless!
This was the essence of Uchiha Style Taijutsu: using the most efficient method to deal the most fatal blow to the enemy.
Faced with this fierce attack, there was no panic on Tsubasa's face. Instead, his manic smile grew even wider.
"Bring it on!"
He didn't choose to block, nor did he retreat.
Instead, in an extremely bizarre posture, he leaned his body backward until he was almost parallel to the ground, while his right leg whipped up from below like a lash, whistling toward Fugaku's chin!
This attack method, completely defying human biomechanics, shocked everyone.
Fugaku's pupils constricted sharply. He had never seen such a tricky angle of attack.
In the split second of sparks and flint, he forcibly retracted his hand strike and crossed his arms in front of his chest to guard.
Bang!
A muffled thud.
Fugaku felt a massive force transmit through his arms, and he was actually knocked back two staggering steps by the kick.
He steadied himself, shook his slightly numb arms, and the look in his eyes as he regarded Tsubasa finally changed.
It was no longer disdain, but gravity.
Tsubasa, having landed a hit, didn't press the attack. Instead, using the momentum of his backward lean, he executed a beautiful backflip and stood firm again.
He cracked his neck, making popping sounds, his smile full of provocation.
"A genius?"
"Is that all you've got!"
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