One hour earlier, shortly after Uchiha Itachi had left Sasuke and Tōru behind at Training Ground Four.
The instant Itachi left Training Ground Four, a slender black cat emerged from thin air.
It wore a vest and carried a tiny backpack.
It was none other than Itachi’s ninja cat.
“Did you find out who it was?” Itachi crouched down and asked softly, pulling a super-spicy dried fish snack from his ninja pouch and handing it over.
This particular cat simply had unusual tastes.
“It was Lord Fugaku, meow.” The black cat happily curled its tail around itself and swallowed the dried fish after only a couple of chews, looking thoroughly satisfied.
“He’s hiding deep in those woods, meow.
He used Wind Release chakra to blur his figure, and even I almost failed to notice him, meow.” Itachi narrowed his eyes.
No wonder I sensed some inexplicable pressure earlier, but no hostility…
Itachi had already felt that something was off while the three brothers were eating lunch.
So he had used going to the bathroom as an excuse to slip into a corner and summon the cat with its excellent eyesight to investigate the surrounding area.
The result was almost exactly what he had expected.
After all, he could hardly imagine who else besides his father would take such an interest in the three brothers.
(Obito & Black Zetsu: Don’t involve us.) At this point, Itachi still couldn’t determine when exactly his father had begun spying on them.
How much had he seen and heard before this?
Was Tōru, who had awakened his Sharingan at the age of five, really worth this much attention?
And if Father also knew that Tōru possessed an extraordinarily high affinity for Water Nature…
Itachi’s expression gradually became solemn, far more serious than someone his age should have looked.
The more attention Father paid to Tōru, the greater the danger Tōru faced, and the more likely he was to become a tool for a coup.
Therefore, Itachi had to find out exactly how much Father knew, and what he was still waiting here to accomplish.
“Thanks for your help.
Say hello to everyone for me when you get back.” Itachi patted the cat’s head before releasing the Summoning Technique.
He then created two Shadow Clones.
To the first, he said, “I’ll leave the daimyō’s wife’s mission to you.” “I understand.
Be careful.” The first clone vanished instantly.
Itachi actually had no heart for the mission anymore, but the daimyō’s wife was an important client, and he couldn’t afford to break his promise.
He turned toward his second Shadow Clone.
“You know where Shisui is likely to be.
When you ask him to come here, have him watch for my signal.” “Got it.” The second Shadow Clone turned around and sprinted at full speed toward the Uchiha clan compound.
Itachi helplessly sighed.
Although he didn’t want to assume malicious intent on his father’s part, the things he’d seen and heard over the past few years had taught him that when predicting the actions of an Uchiha clan member, he had to prepare for the worst.
If Father truly knew about Tōru’s situation and intended to use him against the village— Then I’ll have no choice but to ask Shisui to use that technique and change his mind.
Itachi didn’t care what his father asked him to do.
But Sasuke and Tōru were his bottom line.
They should never be dragged into something like this.
Even if it meant falling out with his father, he would stop it from happening.
After both clones disappeared from sight, Itachi quietly returned to Training Ground Four and hid beneath the tree where the cat had left its mark.
He activated his Sharingan.
Only then did he finally spot a dark green phantom twenty meters away.
His father had used the color of Wind Release chakra to conceal his figure, blending perfectly into the surrounding foliage.
After locating his target, Itachi immediately looked away to avoid being detected.
I already left, yet Father is still waiting here…
What exactly is he waiting for?
Itachi’s brows knitted tightly as his rapidly spinning mind generated all kinds of possibilities.
In the end, he decided to stay where he was and wait for something to happen.
After all, patience was one of the most basic qualities of a shinobi.
Five minutes later, the Shadow Clone searching for Shisui dispersed on its own, sending all of its memories back to Itachi.
A little while later, Itachi spotted a crow perched on a branch behind him.
That meant Shisui had arrived and was hiding nearby, just like him.
No one could have imagined that several of the most talented members of the Uchiha Clan had gathered at Training Ground Four like children playing a game.
You watch me.
I watch him.
They had pushed the basic shinobi skill of surveillance to its absolute limit.
Soon, an hour passed.
When Uchiha Enka appeared at the training ground, Itachi couldn’t tell whether this had also been part of his father’s plan.
If it was, and Father knew perfectly well that Itachi was supposed to be carrying out a mission right now, what exactly did he want Uchiha Enka to do?
Was it Father himself who had lured Enka here?
Although Itachi knew Shisui was nearby, he was still worried that Sasuke and Tōru might be hurt.
Back when Uchiha Enka was still a Genin, he had already been a walking powder keg—the kind of person who dared openly mock the Hokage’s advanced age and incompetence at Yakiniku Q.
He frequently clashed with clan members as well.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he did something outrageous.
According to the information Itachi had gathered, Enka had recently failed the jōnin examination because he was too obsessed with personal performance and looked down on cooperation.
He had even been publicly criticized by Elder Mito Kado En, turning him into a laughingstock among Konoha’s newly promoted jōnin.
Unable to prove himself through the examination, he turned his attention toward the younger members of the clan whose strength was widely acknowledged.
He believed that as long as he defeated them, he could prove that he possessed jōnin-level strength.
The Uchiha’s most dazzling Body Flicker user, Shisui, and Itachi, whom Shisui himself acknowledged, were naturally on his list.
Itachi believed he was slightly inferior to Enka in a straightforward battle, but he had many ways to defeat him.
However, he also knew that someone like Enka would cling to him endlessly and keep issuing challenges even after losing.
So Itachi had simply avoided him and stopped going to the clan’s Training Ground altogether.
He never expected Enka to find him here.
But the moment Itachi saw Tōru suddenly knock down one of the Uchiha Genin, he was shocked.
And he made a decision.
He couldn’t let Father keep watching.
He didn’t know how much Father already knew, but the less he knew, the better.
So he made a hand signal toward the crow— —or rather, Shisui’s clone.
They’re in your hands.
Itachi was confident he could deal with Enka’s bad temper through tactics.
But Shisui, whose raw strength was more than sufficient, would only be faster.
If Father left behind a Shadow Clone, eliminate it.
After conveying the message, Itachi transformed into an ANBU shinobi, put on the good-luck fox mask Tōru had given him, and threw a kunai directly toward his father’s hiding place.
He didn’t use any of the Uchiha’s elaborate throwing techniques.
The kunai flew straight toward its target.
As expected, it was caught between two fingers.
It had successfully attracted Uchiha Fugaku’s attention.
When those Sharingan, whose ocular power far exceeded Itachi’s, turned toward him, Itachi felt as though spiders were crawling all over the veins behind his knees.
He almost lost control of his body.
So strong!
Is this what Father’s enemies feel when they face him?
And the difference in ocular power…
Could it be that Father and Shisui possess the same eyes?
The thought flashed through his mind.
Itachi recovered from his momentary daze almost instantly.
His body shot away at high speed.
After leaving Training Ground Four, he continued toward the outskirts of Konoha.
But his father was faster.
Fugaku quickly caught up with him, blocking his path with a volley of kunai fired simultaneously.
At such close range, Itachi had never expected his Transformation Technique to fool his father’s Sharingan.
So he immediately reverted to his original appearance.
“Father.” Itachi turned around, removed his mask, and bowed slightly.
His attitude was respectful, but his expression was gloomy.
Fugaku’s expression wasn’t much better after his secret had been exposed.
Just moments ago, the Shadow Clone he had left behind had also been silently destroyed.
And he could more or less guess who had done it.
“I’ve already made arrangements for Sasuke and Tōru.” Itachi calmly said, “From here on, I’d like to have a conversation with you, father and son.” A tense atmosphere spread between them.
Could it be that this father and son, who had been maintaining only a superficial relationship for the past two years, were finally going to lay everything on the table?
…
At the same time, elsewhere.
What’s going on?
That was the thought shared by every Uchiha present except Tōru.
Looking at the clan member lying unconscious on the ground with his eyes tightly shut, they wondered if their own eyes had stopped working.
Sasuke saw everything most clearly.
And therefore, he was the most incredulous.
When the young Uchiha carrying the rope approached them, he had probably been fooled by Tōru’s age and hadn’t shown the slightest bit of caution.
Tōru had simply struck him once directly below the sternum.
It was the same place Tōru had struck Sasuke when he had gotten a stitch earlier.
But the result was completely different.
He had actually— just— passed out?
A Genin wearing a forehead protector had been knocked unconscious by Tōru with a single clean punch?
How much strength does that take?
Sasuke had thought he’d already greatly overestimated his little brother.
But apparently, he’d been wrong again.
And now he was even a little frightened.
He often stole Tōru’s blanket while they slept.
But there was no time to ask questions or feel jealous.
His left hand reached toward the ninja pouch behind his waist while his right gripped a kunai.
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Tōru.
Although he didn’t know when his brother would return, or why Itachi hadn’t left a Shadow Clone behind as he usually did…
He had decided to fight alongside Tōru.
He absolutely couldn’t disgrace the brother who had taught him these techniques.
The other three men exchanged glances.
The casualness in their eyes had vanished completely.
“As expected of the clan head’s son.
Were you overfed as a child?” Uchiha Enka raised an eyebrow and said regretfully, “Such a powerful physique, yet you refuse to serve the clan and even spout such a long string of ridiculous arguments…
“What a waste of talent.
“Looks like the clan head has spoiled you far too much…” If Uchiha Fugaku had been present, he would probably have wanted to shout that he was innocent.
“Instead of worrying about my physique, you should be more concerned about the condition of your clan member.” Tōru expressionlessly retorted.
“From the way you treat him, it’s not difficult to tell that if you became a jōnin team leader, your subordinates would probably die very quickly.
“The village must have considered that before refusing to promote you.” As a Hashira, Tōru naturally had subordinates of his own.
But to prevent his subordinates from dying, he had always carried out all the demon-hunting operations in his assigned territory alone.
It wasn’t because he thought himself invincible and capable of handling everything by himself.
It was because seeing someone else killed by a demon caused Tōru even more pain than being injured himself.
But did shinobi feel the same way?
He didn’t know.
Given the Uchiha’s temperament, even if they did, most of them would never admit it.
“You sharp-tongued brat!” Uchiha Enka had once again been struck where it hurt.
His teeth clenched tightly, and he desperately wanted to blast Tōru in the face with a Fireball Jutsu.
“Someone who gets knocked down by a kid who isn’t even six years old isn’t worth worrying about.” He glanced at the fallen Genin and, drawing on his own experiences of being ridiculed, issued a rather cruel verdict.
“His shinobi career ends here.
“The humiliation of this incident will follow him for the rest of his life.” Of course, if the shock makes him awaken another tomoe, that’s another matter.
The other two Genin shuddered involuntarily when they heard this.
“Neither Sasuke nor I will tell anyone about what happened today.
His reputation won’t be damaged.” Tōru’s words made the two Genin slightly moved.
Someone actually didn’t consider this kind of defeat a big deal?
If it were them, they’d probably brag about it for the rest of their lives.
“Leave.
Don’t disturb us anymore.” Tōru stared into Uchiha Enka’s eyes and seriously analyzed the situation for him.
“And even if Itachi were willing to fight you, with your impulsive and simplistic mind, you still wouldn’t be his opponent.
“You’d only drag these clan members down with you and make them lose alongside you.
“If you consider losing a humiliation, then stop humiliating yourself.” Oh no!
Deep within the forest, Shisui slapped a palm against his forehead.
How could I forget?
The longer Tōru talks, the more infuriating he becomes.
He had originally thought there was no need for him to intervene.
But now the conflict had suddenly escalated.
Apart from Uchiha Enka, who looked ready to explode, the two remaining conscious Genin exchanged bewildered glances.
They couldn’t figure out whether this expressionless little brat was trying to calm things down or deliberately provoke them.
Either way, confusion was burning alongside their anger.
Especially for Uchiha Enka.
After being verbally attacked again and again, he had completely lost the patience one ought to have with children.
“Grab them!
Grab them both!
I’m going to hang that brat up and sew his mouth shut!” He restrained his impulse to attack personally with the last bit of reason he had left and shouted furiously, “You two, show me what you’re really capable of!
“Otherwise, go work under the village jōnin!” “Yes!” These two Genin, just like the one Tōru had knocked unconscious earlier, were graduates of this year’s Ninja Academy.
After graduating, they had rejected the village’s assignments.
Instead, they intended to follow their families’ wishes and become Uchiha Enka’s subordinates once he became a team-leading jōnin, so they wouldn’t be targeted by village shinobi who were prejudiced against the Uchiha.
Therefore, even though they didn’t want to bully children, they still had to carry out their superior’s orders.
Especially when these two children posed a certain degree of danger.
“One each.” The two Genin exchanged glances and divided the task.
They advanced toward Tōru and Sasuke respectively.
Can’t reason with them?
Tōru looked somewhat bewildered.
He thought he’d already analyzed the situation for them.
Why were they still refusing to let it go?
Why were they even angrier now?
He was the one whose lunch break had been interrupted!
Unlike Tōru, who was desperately trying to avoid conflict, Sasuke looked eager to fight.
“Let me show you what I can do.” Finally having a chance to gain some real combat experience, Sasuke was extremely excited.
His small left hand swept forward.
Three shuriken flew out along three different curved trajectories toward the man in front of him.
This was exactly what Itachi had taught him that morning.
He hadn’t expected to use it so soon.
Using the Uchiha’s shurikenjutsu against another Uchiha?
Not exactly clever.
Uchiha Enka and the hidden Shisui had the same thought.
Shisui also had several shuriken tucked between his fingers just in case.
He hadn’t intervened because he wanted to see what level Itachi’s two younger brothers were actually at to make Fugaku skip work and secretly monitor them here.
Besides, at this distance, his Body Flicker Technique was more than fast enough to prevent anything from going wrong.
Sure enough, Sasuke’s newly learned curved shuriken technique might have caused a civilian shinobi some panic.
Against an Uchiha, however, it was practically showing off an axe before Lu Ban.
“Kid, I’ve known what you just learned for years!” The Genin raised his right hand.
He threw only a single shuriken, but it struck the central shuriken with pinpoint accuracy, knocking it aside.
The deflected shuriken bounced away and struck the rightmost shuriken, sending both tumbling down.
The final shuriken was knocked away by the Genin’s kunai.
He lightly leaped onto a nearby tree.
His One-Tomoe Sharingan opened.
Then, with both hands, he threw six rapidly spinning shuriken toward Sasuke from different directions.
“This is your return gift!” Seeing the increasingly close sharpened edges, Sasuke’s face went pale.
He thought he was probably going to die today—or at least suffer serious injuries.
If he had possessed the Sharingan, however, he would have seen that the shuriken weren’t actually aimed at his body.
They were aimed at the space behind him.
And the transparent threads attached to those shuriken were the true core of the technique.
After all, the Genin’s assignment wasn’t to kill the clan head’s son.
It was to subdue him.
And among Uchiha techniques, there was hardly a more suitable one for that purpose.
Manipulated Shuriken Technique?
Shisui, watching from the shadows, nodded approvingly.
“He’s about as good as Itachi was at seven.
He’s a very promising junior.” Just as Sasuke, unaware of what was happening, began composing his last words, the other Genin chose to engage Tōru in close combat.
A sheathed ninja blade swung down toward Tōru’s head.
Tōru dodged it by a hair.
He didn’t use his Sharingan.
Nor did he use the Transparent World.
The Genin’s speed was nowhere near fast enough to require either.
The reflexes he’d developed through years of fighting demons were more than sufficient.
Seeing an opening, Tōru intended to knock him out just as he’d done to the previous Genin.
But because of what had happened earlier, he held back some of his strength this time.
Bang!
A muffled impact rang out.
The heel of Tōru’s palm struck the Genin directly on the xiphoid process.
But the Genin didn’t immediately collapse as expected.
His face went pale.
He clutched his stomach and staggered backward two steps, his eyes filled with lingering fear.
Tōru frowned.
Confused, he activated the Transparent World.
Only then did he discover that a layer of chakra covered the surface of the Genin’s abdomen, serving as a protective membrane.
It had already been dispersed by Tōru’s blow and was rapidly dissipating.
As for the principle behind it, it was probably similar to what Tōru had done earlier with the test paper—guiding chakra toward the chakra points in his hand.
The difference was that the Genin had taken the additional step of radiating chakra around the muscles and skin surrounding those points.
The fact that he could complete this entire process at the instant of impact was already extremely impressive.
Even though his chakra-covered body had blocked part of the force, his abdomen was still churning violently.
Sweat poured down his forehead.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so damn much!
If he hits me one more time, I’m going to throw up!
Just as the Genin endured the pain and considered how to deal with the child before him, Sasuke’s desperate scream caught Tōru’s attention.
Tōru immediately turned around.
He grabbed the six threads converging behind Sasuke and yanked hard.
The Genin hiding in the tree, who hadn’t even realized what was happening, was pulled straight down.
He can see them?
Uchiha Shisui’s eyes widened.
When Itachi’s clone had found him, it had briefly told him about everything that had happened since last night.
Naturally, Tōru’s awakening of the Sharingan had been included.
But just now, Tōru had casually grabbed those transparent threads, which were even thinner than fishing line.
And he hadn’t even used his Sharingan.
What exactly was going on?
Even if he could see them, how could he track their movement and catch them with such perfect precision?
But his confusion was quickly replaced by another shock.
Just as Tōru turned around to help Sasuke, the other Genin finally found an opening.
He raised his sheathed ninja blade and thrust it toward Tōru’s back.
“Do you dare get distracted while fighting a shinobi?” The force behind the thrust was enormous.
If he’d used the actual blade instead of the sheath, he could probably have pierced straight through a wall.
The Genin assumed that no matter how strong the child’s body was, he would at least be injured.
Victory seemed within reach.
However— Tōru turned around in time.
He extended the index finger of his left hand and struck the very tip of the ninja blade with incredible speed.
“Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust.” This was Drop Ripple Thrust performed using nothing but raw physical strength.
It was also the fastest opening among all the forms of Water Breathing.
In the next instant, the sheath struck by Tōru’s finger shattered.
It exploded in midair into a circular, ripple-shaped pattern before breaking apart into fragments that rained down.
The Genin felt an intense vibration travel through the weapon.
His hand involuntarily released the hilt.
The pain in his hand, however, continued.
Tōru reached out and caught the ninja blade.
With a clean sweep, he cut through the six threads in his right hand.
The six shuriken fell to the ground.
But it wasn’t over.
Before the Genin who had been wielding the blade could react, Tōru had already turned around again.
He slammed the hilt into the man’s neck.
The Genin immediately lost consciousness.
The remaining Uchiha Genin who had been dragged down by his own technique saw Tōru expressionlessly looking toward him.
His face became extremely tense.
All he wanted was to put as much distance between himself and Tōru as possible.
“Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!” He puffed out his cheeks and rapidly formed several hand seals.
More than a dozen palm-sized flames flew from his mouth.
They moved at speeds no slower than shuriken, following curved trajectories as they snapped toward Tōru.
Yet Tōru wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
He shoved Sasuke out of the way.
Then he stomped hard against the ground.
His body leaped high into the air.
Like a flying fish breaking from the water, he soared over one Phoenix Sage Fireball after another.
The ninja blade in his hand seemed as though it was about to slash directly at the Genin’s neck.
“Don’t!” The Genin shouted desperately.
Tōru immediately threw the blade aside.
As he landed, he raised his hand and swept it horizontally.
His palm struck the Genin in the abdomen.
“Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash.” Bang!
The Genin was smashed into the nearby earthen wall by the tremendous force.
A cloud of dust swallowed him.
In less than fifteen seconds, the two Genin had both been knocked unconscious.
One had rolled his eyes back.
The other looked as though he had become a coil of incense smoke.
Either way, neither would be getting back up anytime soon.
Deep within the forest, Uchiha Shisui had witnessed everything.
His mouth hung slightly open.
He had no idea how he was going to explain all this to Itachi later.
Uchiha Sasuke was completely numb.
He pinched his own cheek hard.
He didn’t even feel pain.
Yep.
Definitely a hallucination…
As for Uchiha Enka, he was completely at a loss.
The first Genin being knocked down could be excused.
He had simply been caught off guard.
But the other two had already used every technique available to them short of killing the children.
They had even used a C-rank ninjutsu that theoretically required Chūnin-level training.
Yet they hadn’t even managed to leave a scratch on either child.
Honestly, even if Uchiha Itachi appeared right now and defeated him, Enka felt he wouldn’t even have the face to claim victory.
At least when it came to training subordinates, he was far too inferior.
And if even his little brother, who hadn’t even entered the Academy, was this ridiculous…
Then what about Uchiha Itachi, who was five years older than this child?
“It’s over.” Tōru picked up the three unconscious Genin and lined them up.
“Take them away.
This fight is meaningless.” There was no joy in victory.
Instead, I feel guilty because I’m worried about their injuries.
After all, in Tōru’s eyes, these people were still just children.
Uchiha Enka didn’t speak.
He looked at his three subordinates.
His heart was filled with humiliation and anger, but he also understood that at least two of them had done everything they could.
Even relying solely on physical ability, this expressionless little brat’s strength was far beyond what a Genin could handle.
Forget it.
I’ll take them back for treatment first.
I don’t have the face to stay here.
But I’m still annoyed.
“Kid, you’re Uchiha Tōru, right?” Uchiha Enka hoisted one unconscious Genin over each shoulder and carried the third with his left hand.
He raised an eyebrow while looking at Tōru’s deep eyes.
“Have you really never even learned how to extract chakra?” “I learned it today.” Tōru answered honestly.
“You haven’t learned any ninjutsu?” Enka asked again, seemingly planning something.
“I don’t want to.” Tōru shook his head.
Although he didn’t want to learn the Uchiha’s techniques, because he had activated the Transparent World during the battle, he had inadvertently seen the hand seals, chakra pathways, and chakra points involved in the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique with absolute clarity.
“Oh.” Uchiha Enka suddenly gave a malicious grin and nodded.
“Then you definitely haven’t learned how to dispel genjutsu either, have you?” “No—” Before Tōru could finish, he saw the Sharingan in Uchiha Enka’s eyes rotate.
His entire body instantly froze.
He stood completely motionless.
His face suddenly became deathly pale.
“Tōru!” Sasuke hurried over.
“Tōru, what’s wrong?” But no matter how loudly Sasuke shouted, Tōru merely stared blankly ahead with an ashen expression.
Before long, tears began to flow from his eyes.
“What did you do?!” Sasuke turned around and glared furiously at Uchiha Enka.
“What did you do to Tōru?” “Hell Viewing Technique.” Enka answered.
“A little D-rank genjutsu.
It makes the target see whatever they fear most.
“Judging by that expression, I’d guess he saw the clan head spanking him.” He shrugged.
“It’s just a little greeting gift.
There won’t be any lasting effects.
“Once Uchiha Itachi comes back, he’ll naturally be able to dispel it.” He stuck out his foot and tripped Sasuke as the boy blocked his path.
“Tell Itachi he’s welcome to come find me and avenge his little brother.” With that, he walked away with his three subordinates, passing between the two rows of earthen walls.
In his mind, using such a low-level genjutsu had caused no actual harm to the brat while also provoking Uchiha Itachi into fighting him.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
However, after walking roughly twenty paces, he heard Sasuke’s pleasantly surprised voice.
“Tōru, you’re awake?” What the hell?
Uchiha Enka suddenly turned around.
The child called Tōru was indeed no longer where he had been.
Tōru bent down and picked up the discarded ninja blade.
Then he abruptly turned his head toward Enka.
A slightly unusual One-Tomoe Sharingan stared at him with burning fury.
It was the look of someone who had just found his sworn enemy.
Sharingan?
At that moment, Uchiha Enka understood.
Uchiha Tōru hadn’t actually broken free of the genjutsu.
It just so happened that whatever he had seen in the illusion was also something he wanted to kill.
Don’t tell me he’s actually going to fight me— “Water Breathing…” Blue light began to shimmer around Tōru’s hands.
In the artificial lake not far away, the water suddenly surged.
It seemed to respond to his call.
The entire lake began twisting into a long, spiraling current until every drop of water had been drawn from it.
“Tenth Form…” Tōru lowered his body slightly, seemingly preparing to charge.
The long vortex behind him twisted as though invisible hands were sculpting and kneading it into shape.
A fifty-meter-long ice-blue water dragon coiled behind Tōru.
And it was still growing.
What the hell, what the hell, what the hell?!
How did this Water Dragon Bullet just appear out of nowhere?!
Cold sweat poured down Uchiha Enka’s back.
He hurriedly threw the three “burdens” he was carrying aside.
His hands moved like fluttering butterflies as he rapidly formed hand seals.
“Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!” As he completed the seals, dozens of small earthen walls already scattered throughout the training ground began sliding across the ground and stacking together.
A massive defensive barrier more than three meters thick formed in front of him.
One after another, earthen walls of similar size rose from the ground like bookshelves.
They completely filled the space between Uchiha Enka and Tōru.
The instant the final massive earthen wall rose into place, the water dragon behind Tōru fully took shape.
A sharp glint flashed in its eyes.
It raised its head.
Then it released a dragon’s roar that shook the heavens.
“Constant Flux!” The water dragon and Tōru’s body surged forward together with unstoppable, terrifying momentum.
The first enormous earthen wall shattered beneath the dragon’s head as Tōru twisted his body.
It exploded into thousands of chunks of earth.
And unlike the B-rank Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet— every rotation and turn of Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux strengthened the power of the next attack.
Each strike was stronger than the last.
These earthen walls, which should have naturally countered Water Release, couldn’t possibly suppress the blue dragon that continued growing stronger with every rotation.
Eventually— it would bite into the body of the man Tōru wanted to kill.