Bang!
Uchiha Yuan suddenly exploded into a puff of white smoke.
A clone!
When did he make the switch?
Chijō was momentarily stunned. Ever since arriving on the battlefield, his focus had never left Uchiha Yuan, yet he hadn't noticed when the boy replaced himself with a clone.
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and a cruel smile crept across his face.
"What an amusing brat… That just makes me want to see his terrified face even more. Hahaha."
"Now then… where's the little ghost hiding?"
With a flicker of intent, Chijō spun around and swung his blade.
Clang!
Uchiha Yuan's figure appeared from thin air, one hand gripping a kunai that caught Chijō's slash mid-swing.
Chijō sneered. "Brat, you think you can ambush me?"
Using the recoil from their clash, Uchiha Yuan pushed off and leapt backward at high speed.
But Chijō's body blurred, moving even faster. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Uchiha Yuan again, his black blade cutting down like a flash of lightning.
Uchiha Yuan raised his kunai to block—but it snapped in two with a sharp crack, the katana's deadly arc continuing downward unabated.
Chijō's grin widened. He could already picture the boy's body being cleaved open in one stroke.
But in the next instant, the blade halted.
Chijō's eyes widened in shock—two fingers were pinching the edge of his katana, holding it perfectly still.
"What—?!"
A gleam of cold light flashed before his eyes. Uchiha Yuan's other hand had already drawn another kunai, slashing upward in a reverse grip.
Chijō threw himself backward in a sharp arch, then rolled several times, retreating dozens of meters away.
He touched his cheek—and his fingers came away smeared with fresh blood.
Though his reaction had been swift enough to dodge the killing blow, Uchiha Yuan's kunai had still cut a thin gash across his face.
"Damn it… Ai's gonna laugh at me for this." Chijō cursed inwardly, his expression darkening. His gaze flicked toward the Fourth Raikage.
The Fourth Raikage noticed the glance and barked, "Chijō, what's taking you so long? I'm running out of patience!"
Chijō let out a booming laugh. "Relax, Ai—the game's just getting started."
Then, his gaze snapped back to Uchiha Yuan. His figure shimmered, and four shadow clones appeared around him.
Without hesitation, the four clones charged straight toward Uchiha Yuan.
Uchiha Yuan's hand moved to his waist, pulling out a handful of shuriken that he flung in a dense spread.
The clones darted left and right, evading the storm of blades. Then, with perfect coordination, they landed in four positions surrounding him.
Uchiha Yuan lifted his hand, four kunai glinting between his fingers, ready to throw—
But before he could move, the four clones opened their mouths and uttered a strange, guttural chant.
Uchiha Yuan's body froze instantly, as if an invisible force had seized him.
The four clones melted like wax, collapsing into long black shadows that slithered up his body like chains.
"What is this?!"
Panic flickered in Uchiha Yuan's eyes as his limbs locked in place. The black shadows wrapped tightly around him, their surfaces crawling with countless dark symbols.
Chijō strolled forward with a smug grin. "Hahaha, brat! You're trapped by my Curse-Binding Technique! There's no escaping it."
Uchiha Yuan didn't answer, struggling silently against the invisible restraints.
Chijō sneered. "Don't bother. No one's ever broken free from my Curse-Binding Technique."
Just then, the Fourth Raikage dropped down beside them, his massive frame casting a shadow over the scene. He clapped Chijō's shoulder with a booming laugh.
"Good work, Chijō."
His eyes then shifted toward Uchiha Yuan, hardening into blades of fury.
"Uchiha brat… finally caught you."
Without another word, the Raikage's fist lashed out, smashing straight into Uchiha Yuan's face.
Boom!
Uchiha Yuan's body shot across the battlefield like a cannonball, slamming into the ground dozens of meters away.
"Lord Yuan!"
A few Konoha shinobi, still fighting nearby, shouted in alarm when they saw him fall. They tried to rush to his aid—but their Cloud opponents pressed harder, blocking their way. In a flash of blood and steel, one of the Konoha ninja was cut down on the spot.
Uchiha Yuan lay motionless as a dark shadow fell over his face. The Raikage stepped into view, planting his boot squarely on the young man's chest.
"Brat—my fist just now was for Uncle Dazai. And this kick—this is for the Cloud shinobi you've killed!"
Lightning burst from under his foot as he leapt high into the air.
Lightning Release: Furious Thunder Axe!
Boom!!!
The ground erupted violently, leaving a massive crater where Uchiha Yuan had lain.
Chijō watched as dust and rubble cascaded into the pit, then nodded with satisfaction. "To die under Ai's Furious Thunder Axe—he's earned the right to bear the name Uchiha."
The Raikage gave a short, cold snort, scanning the battlefield. "Now… let's finish this. It's time to claim our victory."
Chijō's eyes gleamed with killing intent as he turned toward the remaining Konoha shinobi. "Indeed. Today, the Leaf falls—and the Cloud will stand as the strongest in the ninja world!"
"Chijō, below you!"
Suddenly, Kurojō's voice rang out, alarmed. He leapt back instinctively.
"What?!"
Both Chijō and the Raikage froze in surprise. Before they could react, the ground beneath them exploded in a roar of stone and dust.
"What's going on?!" the Raikage growled, punching a flying boulder into dust as he rose into the air.
Chijō stared down—and his face twisted in shock. "That Uchiha brat… he's still alive?! That's impossible!"
He couldn't believe it. No one could have survived Ai's full-powered Furious Thunder Axe.
The Raikage's expression darkened in disbelief as well. His sharp eyes locked onto the scene below.
A storm of wind and stone erupted from the ground. At the center of that roaring vortex, a lone figure stood—Uchiha Yuan, barely upright, but alive.
Sparks crackled around the Raikage as he reignited his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, lightning arcing wildly across his body.
"Brat… DIE!"
With a roar like thunder, he dove down from the sky, arm extended.
Lightning Release: Lariat!
Down below, the dark curse marks covering Uchiha Yuan's body began to glow, flickering with fine arcs of electricity as they rapidly unraveled.
Uchiha Yuan suddenly raised his head—his eyes met the Raikage's in midair, murderous intent colliding between them.
Golden light flared at his brow, and the disintegration of the black curse marks accelerated violently.
And just as the Raikage's Lariat was about to strike him—
—the curse marks on Uchiha Yuan's body shattered completely and vanished.
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