Uchiha Yuan's words reached the ears of Uchiha Lihuo and the others as well.
In response, Lihuo let out a cold snort.
In his mind, no matter how hard or fierce one's fists were, they were nothing but fragile toys before the Sharingan.
And the man standing before him—Uchiha Yuan—had yet to awaken the clan's bloodline limit, the Sharingan.
That alone was reason enough for Lihuo's disdain.
Uchiha Eiji looked at the two of them and knew that this clash was unavoidable.
As someone who had challenged Uchiha Yuan more than once, Eiji understood better than anyone just how terrifying Yuan's strength truly was. Still, at this moment, he also wanted to see how far Yuan had progressed.
So he chose not to intervene.
A faint crimson gleam surfaced in Eiji's eyes as he quietly activated his Sharingan.
Two tomoe.
Uchiha Yuan sensed the subtle fluctuation of ocular power. His gaze shifted slightly, sweeping past Eiji for a brief moment.
"Uchiha Lihuo," Yuan said coldly, "are you ready? I've already lost patience with this pointless farce. You're wasting my time—and interrupting my gathering with friends."
His eyes were indifferent, his expression careless.
That was Uchiha Yuan's arrogance—blatant, unrestrained, and filled with undisguised contempt for Lihuo.
In an instant, rage exploded within Uchiha Lihuo's chest.
He roared and flicked his wrist, hurling a kunai straight at Yuan.
Shua!
The kunai pierced straight through Yuan's body.
—An afterimage.
The very next second, Uchiha Yuan appeared directly in front of Lihuo.
He raised a finger and lightly tapped Lihuo's forehead.
"You're dead."
So fast!
Shock appeared almost simultaneously on several faces.
The tomoe in Eiji's crimson eyes spun rapidly. Yuan's speed was simply too terrifying—his Sharingan had caught the trajectory, but all he saw was a chain of afterimages.
Nearby, atop a tree, even Uchiha Itachi's usually calm and composed face showed a rare hint of astonishment.
In the night, his scarlet eyes were strikingly sharp—three tomoe rotating clearly within his pupils.
Itachi's expression shifted from gentle warmth to cold seriousness. In his arms, Sasuke looked up at his brother in confusion, puffing his cheeks in mild displeasure.
With each additional tomoe, the power of the Sharingan increased exponentially.
Itachi had seen Yuan's movement clearly—just a single step forward, and Yuan had already crossed the distance to Lihuo.
There was no trace of chakra disturbance.
Purely physical movement… yet it reached such a frightening speed.
No wonder Shisui values him so highly, Itachi thought. In taijutsu alone, he's already terrifying.
During his years on the battlefield, Itachi had fought the Mist ninja countless times. Those battles had sharpened both his strength and his perception.
Though Yuan had only taken one step, Itachi immediately realized that Yuan's combat power likely surpassed that of most Kirigakure shinobi he had encountered.
Back in the clearing, Uchiha Lihuo stood frozen in place.
That finger had seemed light—but the sharp, killing intent within it had sent a numbing chill across his scalp, crushing his will.
For a fleeting instant, Lihuo felt as if he had glimpsed death itself.
Yuan's voice snapped him back to reality.
The moment he regained his senses, shame and fury surged through him.
Shua!
Lihuo leapt backward like an arrow released from a bow.
"I haven't lost yet!" he shouted angrily.
At the same time, his eyes flared crimson as he activated his Sharingan—two tomoe spinning into view.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Locking onto Yuan with his Sharingan, Lihuo formed seals at lightning speed and spewed forth a massive fireball nearly two meters in diameter.
Uchiha Yuan raised his hand like a blade and swung casually.
The fireball was instantly split apart, torn like fragile cloth.
In the next instant, Yuan vanished from Lihuo's sight.
Lihuo's heart lurched. He pushed his Sharingan to its limit, desperately searching—but he couldn't find Yuan anywhere.
Meanwhile, Eiji and the others changed color in shock.
They saw it clearly.
Uchiha Yuan was standing calmly behind Lihuo, hands clasped behind his back.
Lihuo darted around wildly, shifting positions again and again, his eyes scanning in every direction.
Yet he never realized that Yuan—like a ghostly shadow—was always right behind him.
Seeing this, Eiji and the others knew the outcome was already decided.
At this moment, Lihuo looked like a fool—being openly toyed with by Yuan.
If this were the battlefield, he would have died countless times already.
"Uchiha Yuan! Did you run away?" Lihuo shouted loudly.
"Are you afraid to face my Sharingan, so you fled in fear?"
Unable to find Yuan no matter how hard he searched, Lihuo resorted to taunts.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered the possibility that Yuan was behind him—but every time he suddenly turned around, there was nothing there.
"What an ignorant fool."
Yuan's calm voice echoed directly into Lihuo's ears.
Lihuo spun around in panic—and met Yuan's deep, unfathomable gaze.
In that instant, a domineering surge of ocular power erupted as Lihuo fully activated his Sharingan.
I've got him!
Ecstasy flooded Lihuo's heart, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
He had cast a genjutsu through his Sharingan.
He was certain that Yuan would never break free.
But in the very next moment—
Uchiha Yuan showed no sign of being affected at all.
His hand rose and fell in a clean, precise chop, striking Lihuo's neck.
How… are you not affected?!
Uchiha Lihuo stared at Yuan in utter disbelief as his consciousness faded and he collapsed unconscious.
"Yuan… you've grown stronger."
Uchiha Eiji walked over, looking at him with a complicated smile.
Yuan glanced briefly at the fallen Lihuo, then met Eiji's gaze.
"Eiji, your Sharingan has already reached two tomoe as well," Yuan said calmly.
"I can feel it—your ocular power is stronger than his."
Eiji gave a helpless smile.
"But I'm still not your opponent."
Then he asked,
"Yuan… Lihuo's Sharingan didn't work on you. Does that mean you've already awakened your own Sharingan?"
"No," Yuan replied flatly.
Then he continued,
"Eiji, don't rely too much on the Sharingan. There are many powerful figures in the shinobi world—not everyone will be bound by it."
His voice was steady, his words heavy.
"Remember this: the Sharingan is strong because you are strong—
not the other way around."
Some people die… but they don't die completely.
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