Chapter 39: Genjutsu
Uchiha Kei reacted the instant Gari appeared. If this had been the old Kei, he never would've taken such a reckless gamble.
But the Kei of today was no longer the same.
Though he still disliked taking unnecessary risks, he understood that if he didn't deliberately reveal some sort of "opening," this man named Gari would never show himself.
Not all Iwa-nin were simply muscle-bound powerhouses specializing in Earth Release and direct confrontations.
Some, like Gari, used the properties of Earth Release for silent ambushes and deadly sneak attacks.
A shinobi is a tool skilled in patience and deception—that's a core wartime principle Uchiha Kei remembered well.
And Gari embodied that perfectly.
He was fast, quiet, and his bloodline ability was deadly. He moved like a venomous snake.
The moment Gari made his move, Kei activated his Substitution Jutsu, his Sharingan never losing track of the surroundings. Despite his relaxed posture, he was never truly relaxed. Acting that way was just asking to die.
Gari was clearly experienced. The moment his fist hit Kei's body and felt something off, he immediately kicked off a tree trunk and used the rebound and explosive force to retreat.
Barely seconds later, the spot he had vacated was pelted with kunai slicing through the smoke—Uchiha Kei would never allow him to vanish again and drag things out.
Letting someone like Gari stall them for too long would be a death sentence.
Even though the front lines were cooperating with their mission, no one knew how long that would last. Kei and Minato had already taken a lot of time fighting their way here.
If Gari delayed them any longer—or worse, if Kenta got ambushed again at just the wrong time and Kei and Minato couldn't break away to help—then they'd all be doomed.
The main battlefield might not respond in time, but Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi, was still waiting in the rear.
Gari clearly wanted to buy time, but Kei had already moved behind him without a sound.
Thanks to that pill from the Akimichi clan, Kei had plenty of chakra for now. Without hesitation, he channeled it into his ninja blade.
The silver edge gleamed faintly with blue light as Kei slashed at Gari. His Sharingan locked onto the man—he wasn't letting him get away again.
"Got you."
Sure enough, Gari didn't try to block the strike—he dodged again, sticking to his strategy of wearing them down. But what he didn't expect was that after slicing through Gari's Substitution Jutsu, Kei twisted his blade and struck again from a bizarre angle.
Sensing real danger this time, Gari knew he couldn't evade completely, so he leapt backward and flung several kunai toward Kei.
They weren't deadly, but ignoring them could leave Kei injured.
Kei casually deflected them and gave chase—but the moment for a decisive kill had passed. Gari now stood grounded and steady.
Kei halted for a moment, his eyes still locked on Gari.
"Not bad," Gari chuckled. "Heard you fought Kitsuchi? And you're still breathing? Impressive."
"Yeah, it was a close call," Kei smiled back. "But that's exactly why you'll be easier to handle. Kitsuchi's a warrior. You? Just a rat."
"Hmph. Weak provocation," Gari sneered, but he didn't disappear this time. "I've always been curious about the legendary Sharingan. But nothing impressive so far. Show me what makes it so special. Let's see how you survived against Kitsuchi."
"This isn't provocation," Kei replied, chakra already gathering in his hands. "Just facts."
Silence fell between them. Neither had anything more to say.
But the stillness only lasted a moment.
Kei's blade flashed out again. Chakra exploded underfoot as he shot forward with a thrust, his blade slicing through the air like a streak of light.
Gari—an elite of Iwa's demolition corps—sidestepped the thrust with ease and even managed to deliver an elbow strike.
Kei ducked with a quick step and slashed backward, but Gari spun past it, unnaturally quick.
Suddenly, Gari's right hand began to glow ominously.
Kei's eyes narrowed.
That glow—he'd seen it before. The explosion it triggered was burned into his memory. And it felt familiar—something he'd encountered in the original story… but he couldn't quite place where.
Now wasn't the time to dig through his mental files. Not during combat.
Still, even if Gari was just a minor character in the original work, he was far from weak—at least to the current Kei.
One hit from that technique could probably destroy his target outright.
"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"
"Explosion Release?" Kei's brows furrowed. That sounded familiar—wasn't that the same bloodline as Deidara?
But he didn't dwell on it. This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
To someone with the Sharingan, as long as the enemy made a move—there would be a weakness to exploit.
Unless the enemy was someone whose strength completely surpassed his, like Kitsuchi.
But Gari wasn't in that league.
Even if this jutsu was dangerous, Kei wasn't about to let the chance slip away.
No more hesitation. No more time-wasting.
Gari's fighting style wasn't nearly as cautious as Kitsuchi's—and he had failed to keep Kei's eyes off him.
"So be it—Genjutsu: Sharingan!"