Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
In the silent forest, the occasional sharp sound of metal clashing broke the stillness, only to quickly fade back into quiet.
If someone were present, they would notice that with each metallic clash, sparks would briefly illuminate two ghostly figures moving like phantoms.
Undoubtedly.
These two figures were none other than Sasuke and Shinji, locked in a battle to the death.
Clinging to a tree branch with his feet, hanging upside down, Sasuke's crimson eyes gleamed with excitement!
This unrestrained fight to the death had awakened the belligerent Uchiha blood coursing through his veins.
At this moment, he felt all his shackles vanish!
"Perhaps… this is my true full strength!"
A smirk curled his lips.
If he hadn't noticed the strange changes in his body during previous incidents, he was now keenly aware that his body seemed to be undergoing some transformation.
Across from him.
Shinji's shadow clone, leaning against a tree with only half his face visible, had a grim expression: "Is that Ōtsutsuki Indra's chakra? That chilling aura—it's suffocating even from a distance. Truly the pinnacle of Yin Release chakra!"
As a shadow clone, he had long been informed of his mission by the original.
But the situation was subtly slipping beyond his control. Sasuke's growth in strength was faster than anticipated, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the shadow clone to keep up.
At that moment, Sasuke suddenly spoke: "Shinji, I'm starting to understand that invincible feeling you had at the ninja academy!"
The shadow clone remained silent.
Still hanging upside down, Sasuke slowly spread his arms: "I feel like I'm getting closer to you!"
"It's time to activate the backup plan…"
The shadow clone's expression darkened.
He could sense Sasuke's chakra still rising, and the chilling aura emanating from him, combined with the eerie atmosphere of the Forest of Death, instinctively filled him with unease.
"Is the original ready? Don't let this go south!"
Sighing inwardly, the shadow clone closed his eyes.
Seeing Shinji close his eyes, Sasuke paused, a glint of curiosity in his gaze.
Then, the shadow clone, mostly hidden behind the tree, spoke slowly: "Sasuke, you've gotten stronger!"
Before his words finished, the shadow clone snapped his eyes open, revealing the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan in his sockets.
Sasuke was slightly startled: "You!?"
The shadow clone said calmly, "I'm not like you. Awakening the Sharingan is a simple matter for me—like this!"
After a brief moment of shock, Sasuke's face lit up with even more excitement: "As expected of you… the top student!"
The shadow clone's expression was grave: "Do you want to continue?"
Sasuke didn't hesitate: "Shinji, this is the life-or-death battle I've been craving!"
The shadow clone replied, "You'll die!"
"The fate of the Uchiha clan, whether it falls to you or me, is something worth looking forward to!" Sasuke's face showed no doubt or fear as he stared at Shinji: "Our clan's vengeance requires a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan to end it. Whether it's yours or mine doesn't matter!"
The shadow clone stepped out from behind the tree: "Then let fate decide the victor!"
Sasuke leapt down from the tree, landing steadily, then slowly advanced toward Shinji, his pace quickening until it became a full-on charge: "Getting close means surpassing! Shinji, I… have surpassed you!"
Clang, clang, clang.
In an instant, sparks flared frequently in the forest!
Their battle soon expanded from taijutsu to shurikenjutsu. After exhausting their supply of ninja tools, they turned to ninjutsu!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Almost simultaneously, both chose the same technique.
As they completed their hand seals, two massive fireballs erupted from their mouths, carrying scorching waves as they hurtled toward each other.
Boom!
In an instant, the two fireballs collided, unleashing a deafening roar.
The flames dispelled the forest's darkness, but the ninjutsu clash didn't end there. Both seemed determined to prove themselves in the Great Fireball Technique, the Uchiha clan's signature Fire Release ninjutsu!
Yet, unexpectedly, Sasuke's Great Fireball Technique soon broke the stalemate, overpowering the shadow clone's and gaining the upper hand.
As the balance tipped, Sasuke's advantage grew more pronounced, and the point of collision between the fireballs rapidly shifted toward Shinji.
Seeing himself about to be engulfed by Sasuke's Fire Release, the shadow clone abandoned the clash, leaping high into the air.
But just as he narrowly dodged the roaring flames, his peripheral vision caught Sasuke, who had predicted his move, also leaping into the air, locking eyes with him from a distance.
In the searing airflow, their gazes met.
No hesitation!
The two Uchiha, fresh from their ninjutsu clash, simultaneously chose to engage in another of the Uchiha's prided abilities: genjutsu.
Swish!
Swish!
Activating their Sharingan, they surged their dojutsu power, each trying to drag the other into their genjutsu.
In a breath, the surroundings warped.
The flames, heat, and smoke from their ninjutsu clash vanished, and the forest returned to its prior stillness—except the entire sky had turned crimson.
Shinji's shadow clone panted lightly: "Sasuke, you've lost!"
Sasuke surveyed his surroundings: "The Sharingan is merely a weapon like a kunai. Who's stronger depends on whose hands wield it! My Sharingan awakened earlier than yours! Your genjutsu—I've seen through it!"
Crack!
As if to prove his words, the moment Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan flared with light, the world around them distorted.
The crimson light faded, and the forest returned to normal.
Flames, heat, and smoke reappeared, filling the air with a scorched scent!
"How is this possible!"
Shinji's shadow clone clutched his eyes, half-crouching on the ground.
"I've won!"
The smile on Sasuke's face faded, and he stared at Shinji impassively, stepping forward.
As he approached, the three tomoe in his Sharingan spun faster, faintly forming a black ring.
Shinji's shadow clone struggled to stand, looking at the approaching Sasuke: "Do you dare to strike?"
A tear slid from Sasuke's eye, his expression turning cold: "I'll bear everything from here on! Shinji, farewell forever!"
Before his words finished, Sasuke thrust his kunai.
And as the kunai pierced Shinji's chest, as warm blood splattered onto his face, the Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes finally transformed. The black ring rippled, revealing a regular six-pointed star pattern…