Uchiha Hikari had already anticipated Nara Ryusei's movements before he even acted.
Though she appeared young and composed, she had survived countless battles—so many that the word "endless" might have been more accurate. Her eyes were sharp, and her senses were finely tuned from years of combat.
"Shadows? From the Nara family?" she said calmly, her voice devoid of surprise.
"Oh? Since you already know I am from the Nara family, why are you still so careless?" Ryusei's hands moved swiftly, forming intricate hand seals as he shouted, "Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Almost instantly, Hikari felt her movements being constrained. No matter what she tried, her body mimicked every motion Ryusei made. Her hands, feet, and even subtle gestures moved in perfect synchronization with his.
Noticing the ninja tool pouch at Hikari's waist, Ryusei pulled a Kunai from his own pouch. Instantly, Hikari's hands mirrored the action, reaching for the pouch and drawing what she thought would be a weapon.
But Ryusei's expression stiffened almost immediately.
Hikari's pouch contained no weapons. No Kunai, no shuriken—only a handful of Food Pills.
"As a ninja, you don't even carry Kunai or shuriken?" Ryusei muttered, disbelief creeping into his voice. He could not believe what he was seeing.
Hikari tilted her head slightly, crimson eyes gleaming. The Chakra within her surged violently. With a simple gesture, she completely broke free from the Shadow Imitation Technique, leaving Ryusei momentarily stunned.
Without missing a beat, she released her next attack:
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Loud Singing Jutsu!"
Chakra coalesced in her chest, forming several massive, serpentine fire dragons that surged forward, each radiating an intimidating aura. The B-rank ninjutsu allowed her to control multiple dragons simultaneously, and now she directed them at Ryusei with terrifying precision.
Ryusei leapt backward, his hands forming seals with incredible speed. At the perfect moment, he called out, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive wall of compacted earth rose rapidly between him and the fire dragons. Each dragon slammed into it with a deafening impact, causing dust and debris to scatter in all directions. The wall trembled violently but held firm.
Ryusei exhaled slowly, wiping sweat from his forehead. This girl, appearing no older than a child, was exerting an immense pressure that few adults could match.
He could sense something peculiar: Hikari did not seem to be rushing. She wasn't using her full power, not even unleashing techniques like Susanoo. She was toying with him, playing a dangerous game that tested his reflexes and intellect.
He knew Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan gained unique abilities in each eye in addition to Susanoo. Ryusei's mind raced, analyzing every possibility.
Then… if she could finish me off easily and catch up to Sarutobi Sasuke, why isn't she in a hurry?
A brilliant strategist's mind never rested, and the gears in Ryusei's head began spinning faster than ever.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Sasuke had stopped in his tracks. His gaze fell upon a young figure blocking his path.
The boy appeared thin and slightly gaunt, with a shadowed expression and a cold, violent aura of Chakra that exuded menace.
"From the Uchiha Clan?" Sasuke asked quietly, sensing the nature of the man before him.
"Correct." Uchiha Setsuna's voice was calm yet resolute. He nodded slightly and continued, "Sarutobi Sasuke, is it?"
Though phrased as a question, there was no doubt in Setsuna's tone. He knew who he was facing.
"Does the Hidden Mist truly intend to go to all-out war with Konoha?" Sasuke asked, his voice steady but cold.
He had already sent intelligence back to the village. Within thirty minutes, reinforcements, including the elite ANBU, would arrive.
"Aren't we already at all-out war?" Setsuna tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk appearing on his lips.
Before Sasuke could react further, Setsuna's figure vanished, reappearing instantly in front of him. A Kunai flew toward Sasuke's throat in a blur.
Sasuke reacted immediately, retreating and forming seals with expert precision.
From the shadows beside him, a familiar figure appeared: Enma, the Monkey King, stepping forward with a commanding presence.
"Sasuke, is it time to fight?" Enma asked.
"I'll need your help. This opponent is an Uchiha. It's going to be tricky," Sasuke replied.
Meanwhile, Setsuna did not pause. His next move was sudden, relentless.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, flying at Sasuke with devastating speed. Reacting in time, Sasuke summoned another Earth Wall to block the attack.
While the wall held, Sasuke quickly formed a series of water seals, then unleashed:
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The water condensed, forming a dragon that leaped and shot forward with incredible velocity. Its sheer power was enough to crush a regular ninja instantly.
Sasuke's strategy relied on timing—the combination of earth and water ninjutsu made it difficult for most opponents to react in time.
But Setsuna was no ordinary opponent. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated, tracking the water dragon's trajectory perfectly. With a flash of movement, he dodged the attack.
At the same time, a light purple tail appeared behind Setsuna, covered in a viscous slime. When it dripped onto the ground, it corroded a small pit. He was now able to draw upon the Six-Tails' Chakra, and the harmony between him and the beast had become more stable, enhancing his attacks.
He roared, gathering immense power:
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The flames surged outward, forming a raging inferno over ten meters wide, aimed directly at Sasuke. The sheer scale of the attack was overwhelming.
Sasuke, however, remained calm. His mastery over all five chakra natures allowed him to counter nearly anything.
"Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!"
A massive wall of water rose to meet the inferno, the two elemental forces clashing with violent intensity. Steam and heat filled the battlefield, creating a surreal battlefield of fire and water.
Setsuna's eyes widened slightly at the effectiveness of the counterattack, but he pressed on without hesitation.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
Sasuke exhaled a thin stream of fire, which intensified into a turbulent inferno, his clan's secret technique designed to incinerate anything in its path.
"Enma!" Sasuke shouted.
"Understood!" Enma transformed instantly into the Adamantine Staff, its golden patterns gleaming as it elongated with incredible speed.
With a loud whoosh, the staff flew through the air.
Setsuna's eyes narrowed. He could not understand how the staff had reached him so quickly. There was still a significant distance, yet the tip now hovered dangerously close to him.
It can change length at will?
The realization hit him like a thunderclap. One clean strike, and it could either kill him or leave him completely incapacitated.
Setsuna tightened his grip on his Kunai, preparing for the inevitable clash. His entire body radiated lethal intent, his Sharingan gleaming with anticipation.
The battlefield was now a deadly chessboard. Every movement, every decision could mean life or death. Fire, water, earth, and shadows intertwined as two of the greatest ninja tacticians of the era faced each other.
And at the center of it all, the stakes were clear: if Setsuna prevailed, Konoha's forces would falter; if Sasuke held firm, the Eastern Army would survive—at least for now.
The clash of chakra, ninjutsu, and sheer willpower had begun.
If you want, I can expand this further into a 3,000+ word cinematic version of the battle, showing more of Hikari's Susanoo, the environmental destruction, and Sasuke's counter-strategies for a truly epic feel.
Do you want me to do that next?
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)