Uchiha Haruki glanced back but didn't see the two injured ninjas. He turned to En and Retsu and asked, "Did you see those two water-type ninjas earlier?" The two looked back and answered simultaneously, "No."
Haruki grinned and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Sensei probably finished them off. I have a plan; maybe we can counterattack."
The three whispered among themselves for a while, grinning mischievously.
Then, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique," "Uchiha Shuriken Technique," "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique,"—each of the three performed a move, not even looking back as they continued moving forward. That wave of shuriken didn't even scratch the enemy; at most, it just scattered them a bit.
A moment later, they launched another wave of the same attack, but this time, the shuriken flew only toward the ninjas in the middle and on the left. The three on the right didn't dodge, which made them get ahead of the others.
Uchiha Haruki ran off to the right while the other two continued forward. The three ninjas on the right signaled for the ones behind them to leave it to them, then chased after Haruki.
Haruki ran strangely, as if circling around a central point, occasionally tossing a few shuriken. Suddenly, the three ninjas noticed him landing on the ground and rushing toward them.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!" At that moment, the branches the three ninjas were standing on exploded.
They fell to the ground. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Just as the three prepared to escape, from their left came: "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Up ahead, Haruki arrived. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" The fire style combined with the wind style exploded, instantly killing the three Root ninjas pursuing him.
"Sensei, En and Retsu are going to bring the enemies to the left side of the valley, the place where we planned to disguise ourselves before. We're very close; we can set things up in advance," Haruki said.
Uchiha Mei looked at his disciple with pride, his eyes filled with satisfaction. There was no time for small talk, but if there was, he'd definitely praise him properly.
The two arrived early at the target location and began setting up traps and mechanisms. Haruki made two clear squad markers in the direction Uchiha En would be coming from, ensuring his teammates would notice. Then, he hid nearby, waiting.
Soon enough, his two teammates, visibly tired, arrived at the marked spots. They quickly spotted the markers, adjusted their pace, changed their escape route, and slowed down slightly to lure the enemies deeper into the traps.
The pursuing Root ninjas adjusted their paths as well. When they felt they were closing in, En and Retsu suddenly sped up. At the same time, the traps were triggered, and the explosion tags detonated with a thunderous roar.
The two Root ninjas at the back quickly leaped backward. As they jumped, Haruki's voice came from behind them: "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
One of the ninjas was struck down, while the other, slightly injured, engaged Haruki in battle.
The leading ninja reacted quickly, accelerating with his partner to escape the trap zone. Just as they burst out of the smoke, they were met with Uchiha En and Uchiha Retsu's combination jutsu.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"—it was a combination of "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu" and "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough." The attack instantly killed the ninja beside them. Without lingering, the two dashed off to the right.
In the middle, one injured Jonin was locked in combat with Uchiha Mei. The leading ninja chased after En and Retsu, gradually separating the battlefield into three distinct zones.
The ninja fighting Uchiha Haruki was no slouch—his moves were swift and vicious. Even with the Sharingan activated, Haruki struggled to hold his ground.
He tried various tricks he'd been saving: throwing a single shuriken, transforming it into a shadow clone mid-air for an attack, and other clever techniques he'd imagined before.
But none of it worked, only consuming his chakra.
Uchiha Mei was having a smooth fight; his opponent was already wounded and caught off guard, forced into constant defense. With each clash, the enemy accumulated more cuts and wounds.
With Mei's experience, it was only a matter of time before he finished him off. But he wasn't alone; his students needed his support. The enemy Jonin seemed to understand the situation too, fighting desperately while waiting for his own backup.
Meanwhile, En and Retsu were getting pummeled. Despite their seamless cooperation, their opponent was simply far stronger, a ninja specializing in elemental jutsu. The loudest noise on the battlefield came from the clashing of various release techniques.
That kind of experience deepened their understanding of ninjutsu. The two attempted combination jutsu or alternated between offense and defense, but it still left them rolling on the ground, barely dodging each attack.
Their opponent was an expert at weaving hand signs, skillfully mastering three elements: Water, Earth, and Lightning Release, combined with the Body Flicker Technique. Simple ninjutsu, when used properly, became almost impossible to deal with.
The tide of battle seemed to be tipping against the Uchiha. The deciding factor would be whether Haruki could hold on and whether Uchiha Mei could finish his opponent.
The enemy ninja sneered, "Not bad for a little Uchiha brat to last this long. I'll send you to meet your dead clan members. Heh heh heh... A genius like you, born into a cursed clan... You should have been drowned at birth.
The Uchiha are the cancer of Konoha. Don't worry, Lord Danzo will make sure your entire clan joins you someday." He was obviously trying to provoke Haruki, and it worked. Haruki took a blow to the head; though he blocked with his arm, he was still sent flying.
The enemy didn't give him a chance to recover, rushing forward to finish him off. But Haruki wasn't hit because he was provoked.
As a reincarnated soul, Haruki had seen all kinds of internet trolls in his previous life. He got hit because the guy spoke. Root ninjas are always like emotionless puppets, yet this one was talking.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The fire jutsu forced the enemy back a few paces. The pain in Haruki's head was severe; blood dripped from his nose and left ear. He spat out some blood, feeling like he was going to pass out.
"Do you know why I'm talking to you? Haha... Your mother killed a few of our promising Root ninjas during your trial. We may prioritize missions, but each Root ninja still has someone they care about.
My brother was killed by your mother. I can't wait to see her face when she finds your corpse. It'll be so satisfying! Your sinful life ends here."
"So... Mom really did kill them that day... I thought..." Haruki's face turned red as he shook his head. He was ecstatic. His mother did all of that for him. That was amazing. He had to live, and he had to ask her about it. He had to survive.
"Heh, you love your brother so much? I'll send you to meet him. How sweet—you can walk hand in hand, wouldn't want him to wait too long."
The enemy lunged forward, roaring, "Die!" But what he saw was a pair of Sharingan—not the one-tomoe and one-tomoe pair from before, but a matching two-tomoe set.
He saw his brother right in front of him—an illusion. "Damn, Genjutsu!"
Haruki whispered, "Too late."
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
In his moment of distraction, Haruki's blade swung down, ending him.
If not for that breakthrough, he would have died. His head throbbed unbearably... Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, Haruki thought before losing consciousness: Still too weak...