The attackers lurking in the darkness were elite among elites, no question about it. And they weren't holding back, unleashing highly distinctive secret techniques with the kind of resolve that screamed "succeed or die trying."
This fight was far from over.
Sogen knew that deep in his bones.
Sure enough—
"Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Jutsu."
Another clan ninja wielding a secret technique. Under the moonlight, a pitch-black shadow slithered like a snake, latching onto Sogen's shadow cast on the ground from his perch on the treetop. In an instant, an invisible, intangible force bound him, like a puppet in a play, his limbs tangled in unseen strings.
Sogen was stuck mid-motion—one arm holding Naruto, the other raising his long sword to strike—frozen on the branch, unable to move.
The moment he was pinned, two figures crackling with lightning burst from the forest behind him. Like the sword-wielding expert from earlier, these guys were clearly taijutsu specialists, moving at breakneck speed. Learning from their fallen comrade's mistake, they ditched the idea of a clean slash. Instead, they aimed to slip past the massive, door-like weapon strapped to Sogen's back, targeting his kidneys with a direct stab from below.
"Two idiots. Who're you underestimating?"
His body was bound, but his mouth still worked just fine.
The attackers caught the mocking grin on Sogen's face. How did they see it from behind him?
Simple—reflection. The flames that had been burning on his raised sword had faded, and the blade, now turned parallel to his face, gleamed like a crystal-clear pool under the bright moonlight. It was practically a mirror.
Sogen's grin was reflected on the blade, along with his crimson eyes.
"Genjutsu: Shackle Stakes Technique."
The moment they saw that taunting smile, they inevitably locked eyes with his scarlet Sharingan. In an instant, Sogen dragged their minds into a hellish illusion. Massive metal stakes pierced their bodies, robbing them of all ability to move.
Even knowing they were trapped in a genjutsu, these skilled attackers couldn't break free.
They'd disrupted their chakra flow, but it didn't matter.
The Sharingan was just *that* powerful.
"Next up… Uchiha Style: Firefly Glow." The long sword in Sogen's hand ignited once more with blazing flames. Unlike the scorching heat from before, these flames emitted a dazzling light, the blinding radiance scattering the shadows on the ground.
Sogen's shadow twisted violently as a result.
Combined with his constant struggle against the hidden Nara clan member controlling the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, the technique, already stretched to its limit, finally broke.
"Uchiha Style: Flame Leap Slash."
Freed, Sogen spun and swung his sword in one fluid motion. The searing blade sliced through the necks of the two immobilized attackers standing stiff as boards on a nearby branch. The charred wounds sealed shut, not a drop of blood spilled. Their headless bodies thudded to the ground.
The treetop still quivered.
Sogen's figure was already gone.
A second later, a fiery blade flashed in the darkness nearby. The Nara clan attacker—a man with a pineapple-shaped ponytail—was decapitated, his neck wound blackened and bloodless. The death toll climbed to five.
Yet, the remaining attackers didn't retreat.
They seemed utterly fearless, unfazed by their comrades' deaths, pressing on with their mission.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique."
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."
Their fallen allies didn't seem to shake the survivors emotionally, but the experience clearly taught them something. Close combat was a losing game against Sogen. After sacrificing five comrades and leaving one mentally scarred, they hadn't landed a single visible scratch on him.
Maybe they'd burned through some of his chakra?
That was it.
Stepping over their comrades' corpses, they finally understood that the Uchiha clan's "Flame Demon," rivaling "Instant" Shisui in reputation, was no empty title. They'd overestimated Sogen's strength as much as they could before the mission, but the truth? They'd *still* underestimated him.
So, they stopped worrying about harming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Honestly, they didn't have the luxury to care anymore.
They abandoned the plan to take Sogen down in close quarters and switched to their backup strategy.
The backup plan?
Overwhelm Sogen with long-range, relentless, and overwhelming ninjutsu. With their numbers advantage, they'd drain his chakra dry. No matter how skilled, even the best ninja's out of luck without chakra.
The first two attackers launched a combined wind and fire assault.
It wasn't a true combination technique, just a clever use of Wind Release to amplify the Fire Release. A C-rank Fire Release jutsu gained the destructive power of a B-rank one. A towering blaze surged forward in a straight line, homing in on the position their sensory ninja had pinpointed.
"Fire Release?"
The moment the Dragon Fire Technique flared, Sogen blinked like he'd seen a ghost.
*What kind of reckless newbies are these?* Playing with Fire Release in front of an Uchiha? That was enough to make Sogen laugh his head off. These fools clearly hadn't seen how the Uchiha clan used Fire Release to overpower the Mist ninjas' Water Release in battle.
And when it came to Fire Release, Sogen was second to none in the current Uchiha clan. No one dared challenge his claim to the top spot.
*Clang!*
He plunged his sword into the ground.
With one hand, Sogen formed the "Tiger" seal.
"Fire Release: Majestic Flame Destroyer!!!"
A massive surge of refined chakra gathered in his throat. Sogen opened his mouth and unleashed a roaring sea of flames, like a tsunami of fire. The puny, linear flame coming his way was swallowed whole, not even causing a ripple. The surrounding trees, grass—everything—was devoured by the inferno.
The two attackers who'd used Wind and Fire Release tried to escape with Body Flicker and Substitution Jutsu.
But both techniques had range limits. Worse, their maximum range wasn't enough to escape the firestorm's reach.
Their figures vanished into the blazing, radiant sea of flames. The others, far enough away to see the danger, fled in a panic, barely dodging the terrifying Fire Release.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't believe a single person could unleash such a Fire Release. You could claim seventeen or eighteen people teamed up for it, and folks would buy it.
"Is this… the Flame Demon?"
Someone muttered.
The others stayed silent, but their minds clicked. *No wonder.* A Fire Release this terrifying absolutely earned the title "Flame Demon"!
(End of Chapter)