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From the moment Uchiha Hiroki made his move to the instant he was beaten into a cripple, the entire exchange lasted less than a minute.
Most of the Uchiha had been watching with smug, entertained expressions, ready to enjoy the show of this arrogant brat getting put in his place.
No one could have imagined the outcome would turn out like this.
The one most shocked of all was Fugaku.
He had already made up his mind. The moment Akira was about to be crippled, he would reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan and step in to save his son.
He never expected things to end this way.
"Fugaku," Uchiha Tajima said darkly, staring at Akira standing calmly in the distance. "This guy… are you sure he's really your son?"
"Hah…" Fugaku took a deep breath, then spoke with absolute certainty. "No. He's definitely not my son. Akira couldn't possibly have the strength to one-shot a jōnin."
"Not your son? Even better," Tajima said, a savage grin spreading across his face as he strode toward Akira. "Then I won't need to hold back."
"Impersonating an Uchiha is bad enough, but you even dare cause trouble at our clan meeting. You're really tired of living."
"Everyone stand back. I'll deal with this reckless idiot myself."
Tajima rolled his neck. His three-tomoe Sharingan glowed blood-red, and powerful fighting intent surged from his body.
"The fact that you slipped into the Uchiha compound without being noticed means you've got some skill. And it's been a long time since I've had a truly satisfying fight. Don't disappoint me."
Seeing Tajima insist on fighting alone, Fugaku hurriedly warned him, "Be careful. This guy isn't simple."
"Relax," Tajima snorted. "I won't be fooled by appearances like Hiroki was."
He stopped about five meters from Akira, the perfect distance. Close enough to attack, easy to retreat, and ideal for using ninjutsu.
"Kid, I'll give you a chance. Tell me who you really are and why you infiltrated the Uchiha. Do that, and I might spare your life. Otherwise—"
"You talk too much," Akira cut him off. "If you want to die, then come."
Whoosh!
A sharp sound split the air.
Akira vanished and reappeared in front of Tajima in an instant, fast enough to look like teleportation.
Before Tajima could react, a heavy punch slammed into his chest.
But—
Bang!
Tajima's body exploded into a cloud of smoke.
A shadow clone.
As an elite jōnin, Uchiha Tajima clearly had some real skill. He had used a shadow clone without anyone noticing.
"Hmph! You think you can hide from my eyes?" Akira sneered.
His figure vanished again.
Up on a roof beam, Tajima was hiding there, already forming hand seals to launch a sneak attack.
When Akira suddenly appeared beside him, Tajima froze on the spot.
How did he find my real body so fast?!
"Nice hiding spot," Akira said mockingly. "Too bad it didn't help."
Boom!
The beam exploded into splinters, wood fragments flying everywhere.
The next moment, everyone saw Akira descend gracefully from the air, one hand gripping Tajima by the throat.
He looked relaxed, almost casual.
"I really don't get what you were so proud of."
"Ghk…"
With his neck locked tight, Tajima couldn't make a sound.
"What? Captain Tajima was subdued that easily?!"
"Damn it! Let go of Captain Tajima!"
The surrounding Uchiha could hardly believe their eyes.
An elite jōnin had lasted less than ten seconds.
Now he was completely restrained, dangling from Akira's hand like a helpless chick.
Akira ignored the shouting around him. His expression remained flat as he looked down at Tajima.
"You said I was courting death earlier, right?" he said calmly. "Now I'll show you what real courting death looks like."
Hearing that, and remembering Hiroki's miserable state, Tajima's soul nearly left his body.
He struggled wildly, but it was completely useless.
"Stop!"
At the critical moment, Fugaku finally stepped forward.
With a furious shout, his Mangekyō Sharingan activated instantly.
Though he and Tajima didn't get along, Tajima was still an elite jōnin, one of the clan's top combatants. Fugaku couldn't allow him to die like this.
Especially not in front of so many clan members.
The next instant, Mangekyō ocular power surged forward, crashing toward Akira.
"Hmph."
Akira's right eye transformed, revealing an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. An even stronger, more domineering ocular power burst forth.
Compared to it, Fugaku's power was like a single ripple in a raging sea.
The moment the two collided, Fugaku's ocular power was completely crushed.
"Urgh—ah!"
The backlash hit instantly. Fugaku clutched his eyes and dropped to one knee, his face twisted in pain, cold sweat pouring down.
"With such weak ocular power," Akira said disdainfully, "don't embarrass yourself in front of me."
"That overwhelming power… Compared to it, my own feels like an ant," Fugaku muttered in shock. "Could it be… that eye of yours is the legendary Eternal Mangekyō?"
The thought alone terrified him.
"Oh? You've got some knowledge," Akira said, raising an eyebrow.
"That's impossible… It can't be. In the clan's history, only Uchiha Madara ever awakened the Eternal Mangekyō. No one else ever has!"
Fugaku murmured to himself, then looked at Akira with a solemn expression.
"I don't know how you obtained the Eternal Mangekyō. But with eyes like that, even if you aren't an Uchiha by blood, you must have some connection to our clan."
"So please, let Tajima go. Everything before this was a misunderstanding."
Akira thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine. I'll spare his life, out of respect for you."
"But a little punishment is unavoidable. After all, he was pretty arrogant just now."
Fugaku let out a long breath. As long as his life was spared, a small punishment was nothing.
The very next second, Fugaku realized how laughable that thought was.
Crackle!
Blinding lightning flared in Akira's hand. Terrifying thunder engulfed Uchiha Tajima completely.
When the lightning finally faded, Tajima was left standing there, black smoke rising from his body.
His skin was scorched pitch-black, and the top of his head was completely bald.
There was even a faint smell of roasted meat in the air.
Fugaku stood there dumbfounded.
You call that a "small punishment"?
"..."
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