Hakushi answered with a question instead
"Above me."
"Specifically, what's the gap?"
"If we fought to the death, I'd most likely die, and Sakumo-sensei would be seriously wounded."
Ruri wasn't being humble with this statement.
Rather, her strength really had reached that level now.
Sakumo's entire power lies in his swordsmanship, and his lightning-fast Instantaneous Body Jutsu, the combination of intricate swordsmanship making him unbeatable.
But because of this, Sakumo's specialization in swordsmanship means he lacks many options against his opponents.
Ruri might be exactly the type Sakumo finds hardest to deal with.
Ninja Techniques, Taijutsu, and Illusion Technique—all flawless, the perfect all-round ninja.
With Taijutsu Instant Body and the Three Tomoe Sharingan, she can keep up with Sakumo's speed and reflexes, but with the swordsmanship bonus, Ruri feels she'd really be at a disadvantage in close combat.
However, she also possesses advantages Sakumo lacks—wide-ranged Fire Style and mysterious Illusion Techniques, which can be used to restrict Sakumo's movements.
Hakushi nodded after hearing this, and gave his own opinion:
"The chakra shown by that Sharingan, and the enormous pressure it gave me, are even above what Sakumo-sensei has. And that's only in terms of Sharingan donjutsu—he's already far stronger than you in this regard. As for other aspects, he's likely not weaker than you, perhaps even stronger."
"Is that so? There aren't any such masters in the current Uchiha Clan, but isn't it a bit hasty to judge that this person isn't in Konoha?"
"Try thinking about it from another angle. If such a master really existed among the current Uchiha Clan in the village, our secrets would have already been exposed—there's no way they'd remain indifferent till now. After all, the enemy has subordinates with powerful infiltration abilities, so it would be impossible for us to keep our secrets hidden."
"..."
Ruri furrowed her brows.
"If those white creatures can be detected by Natural Energy, then it means that, before I researched Natural Energy, the enemy wasn't monitoring us. The first contact happened accidentally over at Akatsuki. Right after, these strange white creatures came to Konoha, infiltrated the Uchiha Clan Land… The mastermind targeted Konoha, maybe to monitor the Uchiha Clan, and took action only recently. As for Akatsuki…"
He sent Insect Man and the others to contact Akatsuki only about a month ago.
When the mastermind began monitoring Akatsuki, Hakushi has no way of knowing.
But it's enough to figure this much out.
An Uchiha Ninja not in Konoha.
Connected to Tailed Beast and Wood Style, with Sharingan donjutsu surpassing Ruri's, sending subordinates to infiltrate Uchiha Clan Land to gather intel.
These are the key points for decoding the right information.
Ruri obviously understood this, too.
But even with all these crucial clues, it's still hard for Ruri to judge which Uchiha Ninja the mastermind actually is.
"Speaking of which, in the past, did any Uchiha Ninja defect or leave Konoha?"
"In the past thirty-some years, only Uchiha Madara."
Ruri gave this almost unbelievable answer.
"That's just ridiculous. Everyone knows Uchiha Madara died at the hands of the First Hokage after the battle at the Valley of the End…"
Hakushi tugged up a smile, shaking his head.
But only he himself knows what he thinks inside.
After all, there's always that possibility, isn't there?
Wood Style, Tailed Beast, Sharingan.
Those are either ninja techniques Uchiha Madara fought against, targets he once controlled, or powers he personally possessed.
The conditions are all lined up now, aren't they?
Seeing Ruri also deep in thought, she's probably doubting whether that ancestor of the Uchiha Clan really died.
Hakushi reopened his insulated bottle, took a sip of hot water, and smiled: "Alright, don't put on such a gloomy face. Whether he's dead or alive, as long as we don't get involved with him, it's fine. Like you said, instead of wasting time on fruitless guessing, isn't it better to pour all our time and energy into getting stronger?"
"No, I was thinking, if he really is alive… I'd love to witness that legendary power that could split heaven and earth."
Ruri tightened her fist.
In the past, when ninjas mentioned the Uchiha Clan, the first thing that came to mind wasn't the Sharingan, but the name Uchiha Madara.
Because that was an even purer symbol of strength than the Sharingan.
But now, when ninjas mention Uchiha, what comes to mind isn't a specific Uchiha Ninja, but the Sharingan.
Ruri thinks this is the goal she needs to surpass in the future.
"That's so like you. Looks like I worried for nothing just now."
"Are you looking down on me? Anyway, even if that old fossil's alive, he'd be so old he couldn't even move now."
"I never said that. Besides, it's just speculation and can't be used as real evidence."
Seeing Ruri acting annoyed again, Hakushi smiled and explained.
"Hmph."
Ruri turned away, showing she didn't want to pay him any attention.
The sky was gradually getting darker, the beautiful sunset slowly sinking at the edge of the western forest.
Hakushi and Ruri strolled together along the road by a river.
The weather in May was already a bit warmer, and as the breeze blew, it brought a faint sense of comfort and swept away the irritation within.
The street lamps on both sides of the path were already lit. Looking off into the distance from here, that was the central area of the village—there, the lively night market was just beginning, lights coming on one after another.