Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Chihaya Uchiha used Wind Release.

The wind fanned the flames.

In an instant, the flames surged and rushed like a tsunami.

Shining flames burst forth in the forest, and the Uchiha clan's Jonin, with no concept of self-preservation, all charged to the forefront.

They enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

wanton,

They unleashed their fiery fighting spirit at will!

As they age and suffer through countless traumas, the Uchiha clan may grow weary of the battlefield. However, the young Uchiha are eager to step onto the battlefield, demonstrate their martial prowess, and boast of their strength to others. Even the Grim Reaper cannot stop the Uchiha from rushing to the battlefield one after another!

······

"—It's a Konoha ninja!"

Upon receiving this expected intelligence from his comrades on the front lines, Hozuki Mangetsu lowered his eyes, the mocking smile on his lips vanished, leaving only a cruel killing intent as cold as autumn frost on his face, and his beautiful purple eyes, like stars, were as cold as winter.

"Zabuza, Kisame, Yuri, the hunt begins!"

The four of them formed a small team.

This team wasn't arranged by the bigwigs above, but rather because their teammates had died several times over, and the geniuses spontaneously gathered together. Only geniuses could keep up with the geniuses; the mediocre forced themselves to follow in their footsteps, only to be left behind in the end.

"Full Moon, stop pointing fingers here. I don't need you to give me orders."

Zabuza Momochi was rude.

His ambition is to become the Mizukage and then change the Hidden Mist Village, which he finds utterly displeasing.

"I was just saying it offhand. Our team still doesn't even have a captain yet, does it?" Hozuki Mangetsu's face once again showed that frivolous, bloodthirsty smile.

Kisame Hoshigaki remained silent. The reason why their team had not yet determined the identity of the leader was the struggle between Mangetsu Hozuki and Zabuza Momochi. As for himself, he always kept in mind the teachings of Suigetsu Hozuki: being a qualified ninja was enough!

They left the camp and headed west toward the island where fires and explosions were heard.

A thick fog had spread without anyone noticing. The [Hidden Mist Technique] was undoubtedly one of the signature skills of the Mist Ninja and one of the hallmarks of the Hidden Mist Village.

This technique itself is not a very difficult ninjutsu; any Chunin of above-average level can perform it. The reason it became the signature technique of Kirigakure is because of the [Silent Killing Technique] that it is combined with the Hidden Mist Technique.

Dense fog deprives the enemy of their most trusted sight, and silent assassinations can evade auditory detection. When a person is passively turned blind or deaf, they are not much different from fish on a chopping board.

The combination of the Fog Concealment Technique and the Silent Assassination Technique is like coffee and milk—a truly wonderful combination.

The two complement each other!

They complement each other perfectly!

Hozuki Mangetsu merely rolled his eyes, and Momochi Zabuza had already vanished from his sight. The prodigy from the Hozuki clan narrowed his eyes, even he had to admit that Momochi Zabuza's mastery of the "Silent Killing Technique" was superior to his own.

All four members of their team were considered geniuses in the village.

Hozuki Mangetsu's most powerful technique is the secret art of the Hozuki clan. He is regarded within the clan as a promising talent who has the potential to catch up with the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu. Kisame Hoshigaki, who comes from a small clan, stands out by relying on his unparalleled Water Release technique. As for Ringo Ameyuri, she needs no introduction. She is a lightning release genius who wields the Raito Kiba!

But Momochi will not be killed.

In terms of direct combat ability, he is probably no match for any of the three: Hozuki Mangetsu, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Ringo Ameyuri. The reason he is considered a genius alongside Hozuki Mangetsu and has earned the nickname "Demon" is because his [Silent Killing Technique] is currently the strongest in Kirigakure!

After he killed the previous generation's most skilled silent assassin in a one-on-one duel, Momochi Zabuza naturally became the number one assassination expert in Kirigakure.

If Zabuza Momochi were given the chance to assassinate Hozuki Mangetsu and the others, perhaps only Hozuki Mangetsu could survive thanks to the secret techniques of the Hozuki clan. Ringo Ameyuri, who prefers direct confrontation, would definitely not be able to withstand Zabuza Momochi's assassination attempt. As for Kisame Hoshigaki... unfortunately, he didn't have the great sword Samehada to inherit Suigetsu Fuguki's sword.

Otherwise, Kisame Hoshigaki could be even stronger than he is now!

Kisame Hoshigaki was undoubtedly the number one candidate among the many successors of the Great Sword Samehada. His compatibility with Samehada was even better than that of Suigetsu Hozuki. Unfortunately, Suigetsu Hozuki was still alive at that time and was Kisame Hoshigaki's superior.

It was impossible for the Great Sword Samehada to fall into his hands. After Suigetsu Hozuki died in battle, the Great Sword Samehada disappeared without a trace until recently when news came that it had fallen into the hands of Konoha.

"Clang."

In the mist, the sparks from the clash of sharp weapons flashed by.

Zabuza Momochi's prized silent killing technique failed once again. Shisui Uchiha, with his scarlet eyes wide open, blocked Zabuza's silent attack with a small katana. Fortunately, Zabuza had suffered many setbacks under the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan in recent days, and he immediately withdrew after missing his first strike, thus preventing Shisui from finding a weakness.

"Whoosh! It's a big fish!"

Hozuki Mangetsu became excited, and liquid clung to his fingertips without falling.

"[Shunshen] Shisui."

Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes flashed with killing intent. She gripped the hilt of the sword on her back and silently drew it. Just as Hozuki Mangetsu had said, this was an absolute big fish: Uchiha Shisui, the Body Flicker. This was a powerful figure that even the Byakugan assassin, Ao, feared. If she could kill Uchiha Shisui here, it would be a great achievement.

No verbal communication is required.

Zabuza Momochi, Mangetsu Hozuki, and Kisame Hoshigaki joined forces to hunt down Shisui Uchiha, who possessed the Body Flicker Technique.

As for Ringo Ameyuri, she's nowhere to be found. This lightning-style genius girl neither likes nor is good at the assassination tactics commonly used by the Kirigakure. What she likes most is to use the Lightning Blade Kiba to defeat her enemies head-on and use her twin swords to reap their lives.

[Chapter 114 The Great Explosion and Water Surge]

The thick fog, so dense that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face, obscured the surrounding vegetation and rocks, making even the ground beneath their feet difficult to see clearly. Even the Sharingan couldn't completely penetrate this fog rich in chakra. Uchiha Shisui could only see about four or five meters in front of him; beyond that, he could barely make out what he was seeing.

just,

Such a spectacle was nothing to him.

It wasn't the first time he had dealt with Mist Ninja. He had experienced the Mist Concealment Technique and the Silent Killing Technique before, and he had also killed several Mist Ninja who claimed to be assassination experts during the Third Shinobi World War. In his opinion, those people certainly had skills, but it was obvious that they weren't as good as they boasted.

Otherwise, he, Uchiha Shisui, wouldn't be standing here alive today.

"Can you tell me your name? The attacker from earlier?"

With his sword drawn in front of him, Shisui turned his eyes, searching for any clue that could help him catch Zabuza Momochi.

"Momochi Zabuza".

A faint, indistinct sound echoed in all directions. The Silent Killing Technique, as its name suggests, is a murder technique that eliminates sound. This technique contains many skills and methods of using sound, and the skill of making it impossible to pinpoint the speaker's location is one of the secrets of the Silent Killing Technique.

"[Keiren] Momochi Zabuza?"

Zhi Shui suddenly realized.

Just as he and Zongxuan earned their respective titles during the Third Shinobi World War, the vast Hidden Mist Village naturally had its own geniuses who shone brightly in that war. [Demon] Zabuza Momochi was one of the geniuses that the Hidden Mist Village heavily promoted. However, whether it was due to luck or manipulation, they never clashed during the Third Shinobi World War.

This is their first encounter.

“No wonder! Your silent killing technique is the most powerful I’ve ever encountered among all the Mist Ninjas. I almost couldn’t defend against that attack just now.” Shisui said, but his wrist suddenly twisted, and the small katana wrapped in a fierce wind slashed to his side.

I never heard the sound of flesh and bone being cut.

The only sound was the splash of clear water hitting the ground.

"Water clones? That's a real headache!"

Shisui subconsciously thought of it, but just as he sheathed his sword, he keenly sensed something was wrong. The water that had fallen to the ground was still moving. "Water Gun Technique." Hozuki Mangetsu, whose upper body was only outlined into a human shape by the water flow, raised his right hand, made a gun shape with his hand, and aimed it at Shisui's chest, shooting out a liquid with a power greater than that of a bullet from the tip of his index finger.

This is Hozuki Mangetsu's killing move.

Using the Water Transformation Technique to disguise a water clone, he could then approach Uchiha Shisui by surprise. He would then use the Water Gun Technique, which required no prior hand seals, to send Uchiha Shisui to the Pure Land and report to the Shinigami. This tactic seemed simple, but the simpler it is, the more effective it is.

Simplicity means fewer flaws.

Hozuki Mangetsu was confident that no one could dodge his Water Gun Technique at such close range.

until--

The liquid, powerful enough to pierce through rock, pierced the trunk of the large tree. Hozuki Mangetsu was still somewhat incredulous that his Water Gun Technique had been dodged. Was this Shisui's "Body Flicker"? Such a nickname... was truly fitting!

【Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame】

Shisui's counterattack followed immediately.

The previous missed strike, along with Hozuki Mangetsu's liquefied body, was enough for Shisui to identify the attacker's origin: a ninja from the Hozuki clan of Kirigakure, and if nothing unexpected happened, it was very likely that "prodigy" Hozuki Mangetsu.

He was quite puzzled. First it was Zabuza Momochi, then it was Mangetsu Hozuki. Was he surrounded by the geniuses of the Mist Ninja?

Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, he drew his sword guided by the four principles of 'fast, steady, accurate, and ruthless'. The blade, with its gleaming sparks, slashed diagonally down at Hozuki Mangetsu's body, fearing that a small cut would not be enough to inflict effective damage.

This was the first time he had encountered an opponent from the Hozuki clan. His understanding of the Water Transformation Technique was only on paper, so he naturally chose the safest method when he drew his sword.

and also,

Never forget Shisui's surname.

He was an Uchiha. The reason he forced Ao to retreat from the Mist Ninja was not because of his Body Flicker Technique, which was almost as fast as space-time techniques, but because of the Sharingan from the Uchiha clan. His genjutsu was no less powerful than his talent in Body Flicker Technique.

Just as he swung his sword down, the tomoe in his crimson eyes swirled, meeting the gaze of the unsuspecting Hozuki Mangetsu. Then, the [Magic Illusion: Shackles Technique] was activated, and metal wedges appeared out of thin air and drove into Hozuki Mangetsu's body, causing this prodigy of the Hozuki clan to instantly lose control of his body.

He was truly stunned, waiting for the blade to fall upon him.

Fortunately, he was not fighting alone this time.

【Water Release: Water Fang Bullet】

The compressed water jets spun at high speed, possessing astonishing penetrating power like a drill, yet as agile and free as a long snake. Under the command of Kisame Hoshigaki, who was hiding in the thick fog, two high-speed rotating water jets shot towards Uchiha Shisui from different angles.

Is there a third person?

Zhi Shui was somewhat helpless.

Judging from the timing of the attack and the power of the water-based technique, the attacker who did not show himself was not weak. Facing three highly skilled attackers at the same time, even he felt a bit of pressure.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rapidly approaching swirling water, but the kodachi's blade ultimately failed to unleash its full sharpness.

The blade, wreathed in flames, only severed one of Hozuki Mangetsu's arms. The moment the water and fire clashed, a hissing sound, like the whistling of a boiling kettle, could be heard. However, Shisui frowned slightly as he watched the arm fall to the ground and turn into flowing water.

This strike missed again.

Unfortunately, there was no chance to strike a second time. The water, spinning like a drill, was already within reach. Shisui had already completed the hand seals with his left hand and used the Instantaneous Movement Technique at will. The moment the water touched him, he disappeared from his spot and reappeared on a treetop not far away the next second.

"Too fast."

In the thick fog, Kisame Hoshigaki frowned deeply.

It wasn't surprising that his Water Fang Bullet Technique missed. If Shisui's Body Flicker Technique could be taken down so easily, he wouldn't have such a great reputation. What troubled him was that Shisui's Body Flicker Technique was too fast, so fast that he couldn't think of any attack that could catch up with Shisui.

As thoughts raced through his mind, he created a water clone that appeared beside Hozuki Mangetsu. With a single punch, he shattered Hozuki Mangetsu's body, completely reverting him to a liquid state. This also drastically altered the flow of chakra within Hozuki Mangetsu, allowing him to break free from the shackles of the Shackles Technique.

The freed Hozuki Mangetsu reappeared beside Kisame Hoshigaki, his arms intact and his body unharmed. This was the Hozuki clan's Water Transformation Technique, which completely negates most physical attacks, making him an exceptionally skilled survivor.

"Kisame, Zabuza, don't look directly into the Sharingan."

Hozuki Mangetsu wasn't sure if the Kisame Hoshigaki in front of him was his real body or a clone, but he was certain that Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi, who hadn't shown himself, could hear him. He had just had a close-quarters fight with Shisui Uchiha, and the two of them were naturally hoping to get some information from him.