The gathered Uchiha clansmen naturally understood the risks of becoming a shinobi—yet they had chosen this path regardless. Death was something they had long accepted. In fact, for the sake of the Uchiha clan's future prosperity, many were even willing to give their lives.
Among them, the radicals were the loudest.
"I support Uchiha Ryosuke!" one declared.
"The Uchiha clan has no cowards who fear death!"
Itachi's heart sank seeing so many clan members backing Ryosuke. Clearly, Ryosuke's influence was growing rapidly. If only these people held this level of conviction for the village instead… he thought bitterly. But their path, he believed, was misguided. And if he didn't act now, the clan would spiral further down a dangerous road.
Turning toward Ryosuke, Itachi's tone turned sharp.
"With your strength, do you really think you're qualified to represent the Uchiha?"
This was a direct challenge to Ryosuke's authority. Among the Uchiha, only those with overwhelming strength could truly earn the clan's respect and obedience. If he, Itachi, could defeat Ryosuke in front of everyone, maybe he could shake their newfound faith.
Ryosuke's expression chilled. So he still dares to question me…
He wasn't the same as a few months ago. After intense physical training under Might Guy and mastering the Fifth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates (Dōmon), his strength had skyrocketed. He had already humiliated Obito once—now it was Itachi's turn.
Ryosuke looked at Itachi and said flatly,
"How about we fight? I'll show you whether I have the strength to speak for this clan."
Itachi didn't hesitate.
"Exactly what I was thinking."
As the acknowledged genius of the Uchiha, Itachi had full confidence. He had heard of Ryosuke's recent taijutsu training with Might Guy, but in his mind, the Sharingan's insight trumped brute force. Turning to his father, he requested:
"Clan Head, please allow me to spar with Uchiha Ryosuke."
Fugaku nodded calmly.
"Very well. This hall is too cramped. Take it outside."
In truth, Fugaku was also curious. He wanted to see just how far his son had come—and how Ryosuke compared.
Uchiha Izumi, watching from the crowd, felt torn. Both Ryosuke and Itachi were people she cared about. At first, her admiration had leaned toward Itachi, but recent experiences with Ryosuke had changed that. His ideals, his courage… they resonated with her far more than Itachi's cold logic.
She had noticed something else too—Itachi's beliefs left no room for warmth. Around him, she always felt like she had to walk on eggshells. Ryosuke, on the other hand, spoke for the clan and made her feel like her voice mattered.
Conflicted, she still followed the others out to the training grounds.
The rest of the clan, however, was more excited than divided. The Uchiha had always been a battle-hardened clan. A duel between two rising stars? It was the perfect kind of spectacle.
In the open field, Ryosuke activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan. His crimson eyes whirled with anticipation.
Itachi was already extremely powerful at this point in the timeline—less than two years from the Uchiha Massacre. His skill wasn't just due to his Sharingan, but also his mastery of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. Even without the Mangekyō, he was deadly.
But today, Ryosuke thought, I'm going to break that arrogance of yours.
Across from him, Itachi frowned slightly upon seeing Ryosuke's fully-evolved Sharingan. So he's already reached three tomoe… no wonder he's gotten so bold. He remembered Ryosuke barely had two tomoe months ago. But even so…
Without warning, Itachi pulled out a handful of shuriken, tossing them with pinpoint precision. As the shuriken spun, they collided mid-air, redirecting at strange angles—his signature Shurikenjutsu technique that allowed him to attack from blind spots.
Ryosuke immediately recognized the danger. The Sharingan granted powerful perception, but not 360-degree vision like the Byakugan. These projectiles were cleverly manipulated to strike from behind and above.
Yet with sharp focus and enhanced reflexes from his three tomoe Sharingan, Ryosuke dodged each one narrowly, his movements calm and measured.
The spectators were stunned. The Uchiha had all seen shuriken battles, but Itachi's technique was on another level. His throws were like a deadly puzzle—one misstep and it was over. That Ryosuke had avoided them all? It was impressive.
Izumi recognized the technique too. So this is the famous "curving shuriken" Itachi told me about… She had once tried to mimic it, but the level of calculation and control was far beyond her. Still, she found herself amazed again—not just by Itachi's skill, but by how Ryosuke kept up.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. Not bad.
With that, he began weaving hand seals rapidly:
"Tiger → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger"
A moment later, he inhaled sharply and released a blazing Great Fireball Jutsu (Gōkakyū no Jutsu) from his mouth. The massive ball of flame roared toward Ryosuke with intense heat, searing the air as it approached.
This was no ordinary fireball—it was wide, fast, and devastating. The ground beneath it blackened as it passed.
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