"Inuyasha, don't be impulsive!" Kagome was about to intervene when she was interrupted by Uchiha Kagase.
"Miss Kagome, there's no need to stop him," he said, raising an eyebrow at the tense Inuyasha, his tone tinged with playfulness. "When a dog is disobedient, a good spanking will make it behave."
"Bastard, I'll cut you in half with a single strike!"
Inuyasha exploded instantly upon hearing those words. With a roar, he raised Tessaiga and charged at Uchiha Kagase, the blade whistling through the air as it came crashing down violently.
However, Uchiha Kagase merely tilted his body slightly, easily dodging the fierce blow. The blade brushed past the edge of his clothes and slammed into the floor, reducing the wooden boards to scattered splinters.
"This place is too small; I can't move freely," Uchiha Kagase remarked, glancing at the shattered floor before turning his gaze to Inuyasha, who was preparing to charge again.
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the door. "Let's go outside, half-Yokai!"
"Hmph! Fine by me! Let's see how I knock you down!" Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha hoisted Tessaiga onto his shoulder and followed Uchiha Kagase outside.
Hearing Inuyasha's footsteps behind him, a faint smile appeared on Uchiha Kagase's lips.
The reason he had provoked Inuyasha was precisely because he wanted to exchange blows and assess Inuyasha's strength, which would help him understand the power levels of this world.
It seemed that the single strike from earlier had already given him a rough idea of the situation.
Excluding the enhancement from Tessaiga's demonic power, Inuyasha's combat level was terrible. He only knew how to swing his sword wildly with brute force; his swordsmanship was crude… no, it shouldn't even be called swordsmanship. Calling it "blind attacks" would be a compliment.
If demonic arts and his demon physique were not considered, and if they fought using only taijutsu, he probably wouldn't even be able to defeat Naruto during the Chunin Exams.
After all, even though Naruto was the last in his class, he was still a Genin who had undergone systematic training at the Ninja Academy and graduated successfully; he had even passed taijutsu exams.
In contrast, Inuyasha was a half-Yokai who lived in a human castle as a child and then wandered alone after his mother's death, never receiving any formal training.
Relying entirely on demonic instinct to wield a sword inevitably led to his poor skill in taijutsu. As seen in the original story, most of Inuyasha's combat power lay in Tessaiga.
However, since they were going to fight anyway, it was quite fun to tease this big dog, Inuyasha, before leaving.
The two quickly took their positions in the courtyard. Looking at the furious Inuyasha, Uchiha Kagase slowly raised his hand and beckoned with his finger, gesturing for him to come forward.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha didn't fully understand the gesture, but he found it offensive and roared in anger.
"It probably means… come at him?" Kagome, watching from the doorway, couldn't help but point out.
"Or maybe it means victory in one move, Young Master Inuyasha~" added Myōga from Kagome's shoulder, fueling the tension.
"Damn it!" Enraged by their words, Inuyasha gripped Tessaiga and prepared to attack.
"No need to rush," Uchiha Kagase said calmly, still holding out his finger. "You're too weak; I don't intend to get serious with you. To deal with you, this finger is enough."
With that, he beckoned again. "Come on, half-Yokai."
"Bastard, just die!"
Inuyasha completely lost control. He launched himself off the ground, his body shooting toward Kagase like an arrow. The Tessaiga in his hand was wrapped in demonic power, shining with a dazzling white light.
He leaped into the air, gripping the sword with both hands, and brought it crashing down violently toward Uchiha Kagase. The blade sliced through the air with a piercing whistle.
"Too slow, and your movements are too obvious."
Uchiha Kagase spoke softly. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward and slightly tilted his body.
The edge of Tessaiga brushed past the tip of his nose, nearly cutting his skin, but missed by a hair's breadth.
At the same time, he raised a finger wrapped in pale blue chakra and struck upward forcefully at Inuyasha's chin.
Thud!
With a dull sound, Inuyasha felt a tremendous force erupt from his jaw. His head snapped backward, and his vision blurred for a moment; all his rage and strength were dispersed by that single blow.
The moment he shook his head and regained his senses, he saw that Uchiha Kagase was already standing in front of him, his finger bent and pointed at Inuyasha's forehead.
Before he could react, that finger suddenly flicked forward—
*Pow!*
A sharp, crisp sound echoed through the air. Inuyasha's body was instantly sent flying, crashing to the ground like a rag doll and sliding several meters. Finally, with a heavy thud, he slammed into the wall of the house before coming to a stop.
Clang—
Tessaiga slipped from his hand, tracing an arc through the air before crashing to the ground between them. The demonic power on the blade dissipated instantly, returning it to its original worn katana form.
At the entrance of the courtyard, Kagome and Myōga were both left speechless in shock.
"So… so strong…" Kagome murmured in disbelief, her mouth slightly open. "In an instant, Inuyasha was sent flying?"
"The difference in strength is too great!" Myōga stepped back, his tone serious. "Young Master Inuyasha is like a child compared to him."
"Damn it… that bastard! He just flicked my forehead!"
Clutching his swollen forehead, Inuyasha struggled to stand, baring his teeth as he glared angrily at Uchiha Kagase, who still held his finger raised. That gesture had seemed light, but the force behind it had been devastating; now his forehead throbbed painfully.
"Aside from the fact that your demon body is quite durable, your combat level is a complete disaster."
Uchiha Kagase lowered his arm, his voice filled with undisguised contempt. "Your attack movements are simple and direct, no different from a child swinging a sword. In short, your attacks are stupid and clumsy."
With that, he took out the Shikon Jewel fragment and flicked it with his finger. With a light "ting," the pink fragment shot forward in a flash of light and landed precisely in Kagome's hand.
"Your reward. Goodbye."
"Hey! Wait!… Huh? He disappeared?" Kagome was about to speak while holding the fragment, but Kagase suddenly turned into an afterimage and vanished instantly before her eyes.
"Damn it! Don't run!" Inuyasha roared, eager to chase after him. Having been defeated without any chance to fight back, he was extremely frustrated.
"Young Master Inuyasha, you can't beat him! Chasing him would just be a waste of energy!" Myōga appeared on Inuyasha's shoulder and spoke bluntly.
"What did you say?!" Furious, Inuyasha grabbed Myōga and threatened him through gritted teeth.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha… Sit!"
Kagome called out to him twice, and seeing that he ignored her, she immediately used her ultimate move.
Boom!
Inuyasha slammed heavily into the ground, causing the entire courtyard to tremble.
"Damn it—!"