"I declare the match over!" Hyuga Hinata raised her small hand with a bright smile. She then turned toward Uchiha Ran and ran straight to him.
Ran smiled and opened his arms, ready to lift her up—
Suddenly, space twisted.
A vortex formed out of nowhere, and a hand reached out, snatching toward Hinata.
Ran's expression changed instantly.
He struck without hesitation.
A massive blue Susanoo hand materialized in midair, slamming down as his aura exploded, cold and murderous. The sudden pressure made Hinata freeze in terror.
"Hinata, get back!" Hyuga Hiashi shouted.
Hinata reacted a beat later, pupils shrinking as she turned her head.
That enormous hand was already inches away.
Her face went deathly pale.
At that instant, Hyuga Neji moved.
"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!"
Boom!
A violent burst of compressed air and chakra smashed into the outstretched arm. Obito, who had been about to solidify his body, was forced to delay his timing, letting the attack pass harmlessly through him.
Three seconds.
That was more than enough.
Ran's Susanoo hand slammed down between Hinata and the distortion. At the same time, Ran used Body Flicker, appearing beside her in a flash. He wrapped one arm around her waist and formed seals with the other.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun open.
The ability of his left eye activated—boosting both his ninjutsu and physical attributes.
The fireball doubled instantly.
Flames that should have burned crimson surged toward gold, heat roaring past a thousand degrees as the technique expanded to an overwhelming scale.
Obito's pupils shrank.
"Tch—troublesome!"
He retreated into the Kamui Dimension just before the flames engulfed him.
If Black Zetsu ever found out he had been forced to hide from a Great Fireball Technique, he would be mocked for the rest of eternity.
The inferno burned across the open ground. Seeing that the flames were about to spread into the Hyuga compound, Ran cut off his chakra output.
The fireball halted a hair's breadth from the estate.
The sudden surge of heat and chakra immediately drew ANBU and Hyuga guards, who surrounded the compound but did not dare approach while the flames still raged.
Inside the Kamui Dimension, Obito collapsed to the ground, staring in disbelief as that "ordinary" Great Fireball burned for a full minute.
It made him wonder whether the Fire Release he had learned was fake.
What he didn't know was that Ran's Mangekyō ability amplified both ninjutsu and himself simultaneously—true double amplification. The stronger the user, the more terrifying the effect.
During that single minute, Obito's fighting spirit plunged from its peak to absolute zero.
Susanoo alone made Ran nearly untouchable. If Obito ever solidified to attack, he would be the one cut down first.
That was why he had targeted Hinata—just as he once used Naruto against Minato.
But this time was different.
The crushing sense of death pressing down on him was something he had only ever felt from one man.
Uchiha Madara.
A flicker of despair surfaced in Obito's heart. Was even his confidence in killing Madara nothing more than self-delusion?
Ran's expression remained calm. Holding Hinata in his left arm, he said evenly, "Hinata, hold onto my neck. This isn't over yet."
Not fully understanding, Hinata instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cool cheek against him.
Ran began forming seals again, waiting.
From within the Kamui Dimension, Obito watched everything clearly. He clenched his teeth beneath the mask.
"A wise man knows when to retreat."
"I'm pulling out."
"Uchiha Ran, you are strong. Next time we meet, I'll take your head."
The space twisted open again.
Ran sneered. "Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
A blazing dragon formed instantly, its power doubled by his Mangekyō ability. With a roar, it charged straight into the distortion.
Obito's mind went blank.
Damn it—why did I open my mouth?!
Forced to seal the dimension, Obito could only use Kamui within Kamui itself, dodging the raging dragon as it rampaged for a full two minutes.
"Take your time," Ran said coldly. "Enjoy it."
Only after sensing the area for several minutes and confirming Obito had truly fled did Ran dispel Susanoo and set Hinata down.
He smiled gently. "Hinata, were you scared? That hand almost got you. Good thing Neji bought me time."
Neji smiled faintly. No longer bound by the Caged Bird Seal and now treated as a true genius of the clan, the gloom that once shadowed him had faded.
This time, he had acted purely as an older brother protecting his sister.
Hinata nodded earnestly. "Thank you, Brother Ran."
She then turned to Neji and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Brother Neji."
The danger had passed—but the balance of the ninja world had shifted once again.
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