"That's the Sharingan!"
Zhongtang recognized the crimson pupils in Uchiha Gin's eyes, a single tomoe spinning slowly.
The famed dojutsu of the Uchiha clan.
There's hardly a soul in the ninja world who wouldn't recognize it.
But for Gin, who had awakened it in the face of a life-or-death crisis, there was no joy—just gritted teeth and a low mutter.
"I should thank you, huh."
If unlocking the Sharingan meant coming this close to death, he'd rather it never awakened.
Gin feared death more than anything.
And the cost was devastating.
His entire body was scorched and raw, large swathes of skin damaged. Charred black in some places, crimson in others, some parts even exposed his internal organs—it was as if he'd been skinned alive.
A living torture.
Agonizing pain surged through his brain, only held back by the adrenaline flooding his system.
If he didn't get treatment soon, he'd be knocking on death's door.
Gin took a deep breath.
Rokukusenzai.
His chakra surged, and his skin began regenerating rapidly. In just a few breaths, the surface layer had healed completely.
Good thing he'd had the foresight to learn this technique.
Without Rokukusenzai, he would've died right there.
"This kind of jutsu..."
Zhongtang narrowed his eyes at Gin's rapid recovery. A regeneration technique of this caliber—he'd only ever heard of someone in Konoha named Tsunade possessing such power.
Now he was seeing a second.
"Round two."
From within the tattered sleeve of Gin's arm, Shiro popped his head out, opening his mouth to slowly spit out the Kusanagi sword.
Shiro had retrieved it during the previous clash.
At that moment, Zhongtang launched his next attack.
"Earth Style! Earth and Stone Dragon Technique!"
A massive earthen dragon formed from the soil and rock, flying across the jungle.
Gin quickly turned toward the forest.
The tomoe in his Sharingan spun.
"I see you."
The single tomoe granted insight—he could even see chakra flow.
The Zhongtang standing in front of him was nothing but a mud clone.
Facing the roaring earthen dragon, Gin dropped his stance and gripped the sword hilt tightly.
As he breathed heavily, sparks flickered from the corner of his mouth.
Using breathing to form hand signs, converting chakra into flame—
This was the Flame Breathing technique.
"Fourth Form! Blazing Serpent!"
Flames ignited along the blade, and Gin spun it in a spiral, slashing toward the earthen dragon.
In the next instant—
Flame and earth collided, kicking up a violent wind. Where fire and earth met, it created a molten, lava-like substance, which splattered outward with explosive force.
Gin quickly leapt back, trying to escape the molten splash zone.
As he retreated, he suddenly looked sharply down at the ground.
"I told you—I saw you!"
Gnashing his teeth, Gin jumped into the air, the flames on his blade growing fiercer, sparks flying from his lips.
"Flame Breathing! Third Form! Blazing Tempest!"
His flaming blade came down from above.
The searing fire split the ground, revealing Zhongtang hiding beneath with a grim expression.
Zhongtang's body disintegrated under the flame blade—it was another earth clone.
Even the residual mud was reduced to ashes.
Revealing a burning explosive tag within.
One trap after another.
Do these ninja ever fight fair?
In a flash, Gin slashed down.
His blade sliced the explosive tag in two, preventing the detonation.
Far off, Zhongtang knelt on one knee. His hair and back were scorched. Even with a swift substitution, he hadn't escaped injury.
Gin's performance had surprised him more and more.
"Nintaijutsu..."
Zhongtang was beginning to feel just how dangerous this Uchiha was. Sharingan, rapid regeneration, and this fierce hybrid fighting style.
Any one of these alone could produce a powerful shinobi.
And this kid had them all.
If Zhongtang had these techniques, he'd already be an elite jonin in Iwagakure.
Damn Uchiha.
"We're not done yet!"
Gin slammed both feet into the ground. Flames now wrapped around both his blade and his body.
Wherever he stepped, the ground caved in, leaving fiery craters.
Zhongtang blinked—and Gin was suddenly in front of him.
"Flame Breathing! First Form! Shiranui!"
The burning blade slashed down. Zhongtang's face twisted in shock.
But just as the strike reached him, Gin's foot missed its step.
The ground had been covered by cloth—beneath was a trap, an empty pit.
"Damn it!! Tricked again!"
Before he could fall, Zhongtang finished weaving hand signs.
"It's over!"
"Earth Style! Great Stone Burial Technique!"
Chakra formed a massive rock overhead.
With a gust of wind, it descended.
This was the only A-rank jutsu Zhongtang knew. Even Kage-level ninja wouldn't survive being crushed by this.
"So this is a jonin!"
What a sneaky bastard.
Gin grabbed onto stone spikes within the trap. Below were countless razor-sharp spears of earth—one slip, and his body would be skewered.
He looked up at the descending boulder that matched the trap's dimensions perfectly.
Hopeless.
But he wasn't ready to give up.
"Iron Body!"
"Rokukusenzai!"
"Gate of Opening—Open!"
He poured everything into defense, determined to endure this jutsu.
"You're not killing me that easily!"
He flipped and stood on the spears, gripping his sword so tightly his fingers turned white, veins bulging.
"Flame Breathing!"
Gin rested the blade on his shoulder.
"Ninth Form!"
Flames spiraled around him. The earthen spikes below shattered.
He became a roaring fire dragon, soaring toward the falling rock.
"Purgatory!"
The flaming dragon collided with the boulder.
Boom!
The force of that strike actually halted the rock midair. A deep cut appeared on its surface.
"Break, damn you!"
The flames intensified, turning the boulder red-hot. The air temperature spiked.
But it wasn't enough.
The crack didn't deepen. Though it looked like rock, it felt more like iron—unmoving against Gin's blade.
"Useless."
Zhongtang maintained his hand signs—the jutsu needed constant chakra supply.
Its power only grew with time.
That was the secret.
The rock resumed its descent.
Gin's momentum was gone. The flames faded. He fell straight down.
Landing on the earth spikes.
Gin looked up at Zhongtang one last time.
"Next time we meet, you're dead."
"There won't be a next time!!"
Zhongtang gave it his all. Facing such a genius ninja—that was the greatest respect he could give.
Iwagakure would no longer need to fear this future threat.
Watching the rock descend, Gin pulled up his sleeve, revealing a strange tattoo.
He had one last move.
A technique designed for escape.
"Reverse Summoning Technique..."
"Wind Style! Gale Palm!"
A violent wind suddenly roared, along with a flash of red.
"DIE A HUNDRED TIMES!!"
Kushina Uzumaki burst forth, chains wrapping around her arms, boosted by the wind, shooting toward Zhongtang.
Her full-power attack.
Even Tsunade wouldn't take it head-on.
Zhongtang quickly weaved signs—
Boom!
His body burst into a cloud of flying earth.
His real form appeared in the distance, face dark.
Seeing the newcomers, he knew what happened to his students—those two were top prospects in the village.
Dead now.
Without chakra to sustain it, the descending boulder cracked. The cracks widened, stones falling—the jutsu had failed.
"You people..."
Looking at Minato Namikaze and Kushina, Gin couldn't help but smile.
He withdrew the chakra he'd gathered for the Reverse Summoning.
"Idiots."
"We never abandon our comrades!!"
Kushina roared at Gin.
Behind her, Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
Wasn't she supposed to shout at the enemy?
"If you're happy, that's fine."
Gin shrugged, looking up at the boulder. Even broken, it still had momentum.
Rumble.
The rock fell, burying Gin.
Minato and Kushina showed no concern, staring hard at Zhongtang.
Just as they expected—
A burst of fire exploded from the rubble.
Gin flipped midair and landed in front of them.
Staring at Zhongtang.
Team 7.
Reunited.
"Round three."
Gin and Minato charged simultaneously, vanishing in a blur.
Their blades and kunai attacked in tandem, preventing Zhongtang from using jutsu.
Even surrounded, Zhongtang's taijutsu was sharp. He could still fend off one attacker, trying to create space.
But as soon as one was repelled, Kushina filled the gap.
Her attacks were the most threatening.
Zhongtang didn't dare take her head-on, forced to evade.
His only chance was to hide—but Gin's Sharingan locked onto him. Any move to escape, and Gin would pounce.
Zhongtang gritted his teeth. The earlier fight with Gin had drained too much stamina and chakra. Now he couldn't find an opening against the three.
But Team 7 saw one.
Kushina leapt high—
"Sky Kick!!"
The ground cracked under the impact.
"Perfect timing!"
The debris clouded the field of vision.
Zhongtang prepared to vanish within it.
But someone was faster.
"Flame Breathing! Fifth Form! Flame Tiger!"
"Steel Slash!"
The roaring fire turned into a massive tiger, bloated by the rushing wind.
Fast and ferocious.
Zhongtang had no time to react.
The tiger reached him.
He smiled faintly.
Then disappeared within the flames.