"Is that all you've got, you brat?"Tifai sneered, her eyes sharp and cold. "Don't underestimate someone who once served in ANBU. I'll end this fight right now."
The instant her words fell, lightning erupted around her body.With a sharp bang, the crackling chakra blasted outward—and the fine wires binding her snapped apart.
"Even Lightning Release Chakra Mode?!"Minato Namikaze's expression darkened. "This is supposed to be a Cloud genin? You've crossed the line—this is shameless."
He hadn't expected Tifai to possess even a rudimentary Lightning Armor. For a moment, Minato felt he might have pushed Uchiha Ran into a fight far beyond what he should face.
In Kumogakure, elite shinobi disguising themselves as lower-ranked ninja was practically standard procedure. He should have accounted for that.
The Cloud Village liked to present itself as bold and straightforward—but beneath that bravado lay countless underhanded schemes.Some had even bordered on outright betrayal, like the infamous defection of the Gold and Silver Brothers.Others were far more recent—such as the attempted kidnapping of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Faced with this, Minato made his decision.
If things turned truly dangerous, he would abandon his reputation and intervene to save Uchiha Ran.Protecting Ran mattered more than preserving honor.
Ran represented something precious—a gentler path for the Uchiha, a fragile hope for reconciliation between the clan and Konoha.
"On the battlefield, deception is expected, Namikaze Minato," a Cloud ninja scoffed. "You're an elite jōnin—don't tell me this surprises you."
"Yare yare… what a pain."Ran sighed softly as the last strands of wire fell away. His hand reversed its grip, closing around the hilt of his sword—Fushō no Yume.
"…What a perfect opportunity."
As he drew the blade, his voice dropped to a whisper, calm and reverent.
"Unfurl… Fushō no Yume."
At that very moment—
Tifai, now fully free, surged forward like a bolt of living lightning, tearing across the battlefield toward Ran.
"So fast—!"Gasps rippled through the onlookers.
Minato's body tensed, ready to use the Body Flicker at any second.
"Yare yare… wouldn't it be better to stay tied up and let everyone admire you?"Ran said lightly, almost teasing."If we're really going to clash blades, at least choose a more elegant pose."
His right hand flashed. The blade came out in a smooth arc, slashing toward the onrushing Tifai.
"He's far stronger than during the tests…"Yuhi Kurenai watched, eyes narrowed."Why did he hide his Sharingan? His true strength?"
I see, she thought.So gentle… Three-tomoe Uchiha are often born of tragedy. To avoid distancing himself from his teammates, he hid his eyes. To protect the warmth of his bonds, he restrained himself.
And yet—when it's for the village, he steps forward without hesitation… Ran, you really are—
If Ran could hear Kurenai's inner monologue, he'd probably nod seriously and say, Yes, yes, exactly that.
The truth, however, was far simpler.
When he was weak, Danzō didn't care about him.And when Danzō didn't care, Ran had far fewer headaches—and far less "fun."
That was all.
There was also another reason.
Ran's Sharingan was still at three tomoe. His mindset made awakening the Mangekyō nearly impossible through normal means. If he wanted to go further, he would eventually need to deal with Danzō—and with Orochimaru.
Showing some of his hand now… was necessary.
Like a streak of lightning, Tifai closed in. Seeing Ran's blade swing, she instinctively twisted her body mid-dash.
In that fleeting instant, she thought she heard him murmur again:
"Unfurl… Fushō no Yume."
A faint, dreamlike mist rose from the blade.
"Tch—so you finally drew your sword, you damn Uchiha brat!Lightning Release—Lightning God Kick!"
BOOM!
Her kick struck like a missile, blasting out a massive crater.Plasma surged wildly within it, lightning snapping through the air.
This was the Cloud's style—direct, brutal, overwhelming.
Dust and debris exploded skyward, obscuring everything.
All eyes fixed on the crater.
Only Tifai knew the truth.
She hadn't hit him.
With her own eyes, she'd seen it—the moment she launched the kick. Ran had already evaded.And worse—
He had smiled.
The crimson glow of his Sharingan burned clearly in her memory.
As the dust settled, Tifai stared into the crater—then froze.
Ran stood to the side, untouched.
Left hand adjusting his glasses.Right hand holding Fushō no Yume.A faint smile on his face.
As though everything had unfolded exactly as he'd foreseen.
A chill crept up Tifai's spine.
"Uchiha Ran…" she whispered."Are you really… a three-tomoe Sharingan user?"
"Yes," Ran replied calmly."This is the three-tomoe Sharingan."
"You're right about one thing—it's nothing special. Just an ordinary pair of eyes among the Uchiha.But they can see through illusions… and pierce the essence of all things."
He met her gaze.
"Your Lightning God Kick holds no secrets from me."
"Tch… damn it… this Uchiha brat is seriously pissing me off!"
Tifai suddenly lunged again—faster than before—her legs a blur as she unleashed a furious storm of kicks, each one crackling with thunder.
"Tifai… what are you doing—""Stop, Tifai—!"
"Minato Namikaze,"the Fourth Raikage said at last, his voice heavy."We've lost. Call your Uchiha back."
On the battlefield, Tifai was still unleashing Lightning God Kicks—into empty air.
As expected, Dodai thought grimly.Never face a three-tomoe Uchiha one-on-one. And never meet their eyes.Or you won't even know when you've fallen into genjutsu.
"Ran," Minato called out.
Seeing that Minato and the Raikage had reached an agreement, Ran decided it was time to end the performance—and the cat-and-mouse game.
This exchange had already yielded enough.
Minato.Ino–Shika–Chō.The Fourth Raikage.Killer B.Dodai.Troy.And countless chūnin and genin—
All of them had witnessed the Shikai of Fushō no Yume.
Ran gave Minato a slight nod, then leapt back from the battlefield.
The blade returned to silence.The mist faded.And the genjutsu—along with the illusion of his Sharingan's dominance—was gently released.
The battle was over.