Sakamoto was sent flying and slammed into a large tree.
Warm blood sprayed across his face as everything around him fell silent.
It was as if he were the only person left in the world.
His eyes scanned the scene—his three subordinates lay motionless before him.
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
"Genjutsu?"
Sakamoto immediately disrupted his chakra flow.
The illusion broke. Everything vanished—and the real world returned just seconds later.
In fact, no one around him even realized he had been caught in a genjutsu.
Thinking carefully, he did recall hearing the snap of fingers earlier—an auditory trigger, most likely.
"Hmph. Not bad, kid. To cast a genjutsu strong enough to trap me... that's impressive." Sakamoto looked at Uchiha Tatsumi with genuine admiration.
"I was going to say, 'Does Konoha have no one better to send than four kids?' But now, it seems you're at least qualified… to die by my hands." A mocking grin spread across his face.
Uchiha Tatsumi said nothing.
The genjutsu had been broken quickly—just a test, after all.
As expected of a Jōnin—none of them are easy targets.
Uchiha Tatsumi narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly, "Sakamoto is mine. Kushina, Mikoto, Nawaki—you handle the other three. I'll deal with him."
The others nodded, each locking eyes with their respective opponents.
Tatsumi gave a slight tilt of the head—an unspoken signal.
Sakamoto seemed to understand his intent and backed away.
He knew the genjutsu user was too dangerous. While he could resist it, his teammates likely couldn't.
Fighting a Sharingan wielder head-on would only get his squad killed.
Both Tatsumi and Sakamoto disappeared into the forest with a flash of movement.
While running, Sakamoto unsheathed a short blade from his back.
The moment the blade left its scabbard, his killing intent exploded like a storm.
The sheer pressure made it feel as though the air could tear apart.
Tatsumi hadn't expected such brutality from a man who looked scholarly behind glasses.
Exciting, indeed.
Chak!
Their weapons collided mid-air.
Tatsumi's kunai met the short sword—but the blade didn't lose any force. It cleaved through his kunai, shattering it.
So sharp!
Sakamoto's blade dipped down, aiming to slash under Tatsumi's ribs, then came up with a kick to follow.
Tatsumi bent back mid-air, blocking the blow with quick footwork.
Ping! Blade and kunai clashed several more times—
—until the kunai finally broke apart completely.
Tatsumi retaliated, launching a kick to Sakamoto's chest, pushing him back.
In the same moment, his hands blurred into one-handed seals.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
A massive fireball roared toward Sakamoto.
Sakamoto slashed into it with his sword, splitting the inferno cleanly in two.
But behind the flames—
Shuriken!
Concealed in the fireball's wake, a cluster of shuriken twisted through the air at odd angles, perfectly coordinated with ricochets.
Sakamoto's eyes narrowed.
This level of shurikenjutsu... he's Uchiha.
Thunk! The kunai struck a log—substitution technique!
Sakamoto vanished from the line of sight.
Tatsumi didn't hesitate.
Shunshin no Jutsu!
In a black flash, he reappeared on a tree branch—right above Sakamoto's new position.
Without pause, he swung his kunai at Sakamoto's head.
Sakamoto dodged, tilting his head back just in time—but not enough to avoid losing a lock of hair.
Sakamoto retaliated with three quick slashes—but Tatsumi blocked them all.
Then Sakamoto swept with full force, blade slamming into Tatsumi's chest.
But the impact passed right through him.
An afterimage!?
Tatsumi suddenly appeared from above and kicked Sakamoto off the tree.
The Jōnin slammed into a tree trunk. His blade embedded deep, halting his fall.
The two faced off again, panting.
"You're a sensor-type ninja?" Sakamoto adjusted his glasses.
He had used the Body Replacement Technique, yet Tatsumi found him instantly.
Only a sensor-type ninja could do that.
But Tatsumi said nothing.
He wouldn't reveal that it wasn't chakra sensing—he had Da Bai, his contract animal, watching from afar using infrared detection to track chakra signatures and enemy heat.
Ninja battles were all about information, and Tatsumi was fine stalling for time.
He couldn't take this Jōnin lightly—every elite had their hidden trump card.
Even with his best Taijutsu, he'd only gained a slight edge.
Then silence fell.
Tatsumi remained poised.
Suddenly, Sakamoto spoke.
"That Body Flicker Technique... You're Uchiha Kagami's son, aren't you?!"
Tatsumi blinked in surprise.
Eh? Even my dad's name gives me away? I'm not even that flashy...
Sakamoto's voice trembled with excitement and rage.
"That's right. With that kind of shunshin, there's no doubt. You're Uchiha Kagami's kid."
Tatsumi straightened his dusty clothes, lips twitching.
I guess there's no hiding it anymore—
But Sakamoto's gaze darkened behind his glasses.
"My sensei… died at the hands of Uchiha Kagami during the last war. I was told it was a mission gone wrong. I didn't expect to find his son here."
Sakamoto laughed—a twisted, hollow sound.
"…Great. Another Uchiha to kill."
...Oh. Enemy confirmed.
Tch. My dad sure made a lot of enemies. Didn't leave me money, but left me plenty of vendettas.
With that, Sakamoto dashed forward, blade raised high.
His sword was fast—too fast for most ninja to react.
But Tatsumi snapped his fingers once more.
Genjutsu: Cast!
It didn't stop Sakamoto completely, but it was just enough.
Tatsumi's kunai struck his chest directly—
—except Sakamoto recovered mid-swing and blocked it with his short blade.
His left hand suddenly drew another kunai, slicing across Tatsumi's forearm.
Tatsumi hissed in pain, but retaliated immediately.
Bam!
His punch landed cleanly on Sakamoto's chest.
It wasn't just a punch—it was enhanced with chakra control, Tsunade-style.
Sakamoto flew backward like a broken kite, crashing into the ground over twenty meters away.
He gasped, spitting blood.
Tatsumi didn't waste a second.
He had lured Sakamoto here for one reason—
The trap.
Sakamoto's body hit the trigger point.
Tatsumi's hands flew into seals.
The tearing sound of exploding tags igniting echoed through the forest.
BOOM!
The explosion roared, consuming the area in flame and smoke.
A wave of heat blasted outward, making Tatsumi's clothes whip violently in the wind.
He stood there, still and focused—watching.
Waiting.
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