In just a few more minutes, once their chakra was exhausted, they would become nothing more than fish on the chopping block, ready to be slaughtered.
Kaede stood off to the side, quietly observing the scene.
He had never taken the initiative to intervene, only watching the actions of the Uchiha clansmen.
At this moment, the Uchiha were ruthless in their strikes — nothing like the softer approach they would develop after living in Konoha in the future.
Their power was undeniable. Every move was meant to kill, aimed directly at the enemy's life.
It seemed that if they returned home, Kaede would have to train them according to the standards of the Uchiha of this era — for what he needed was an army that could fight and win, an unstoppable steel torrent that would crush anyone the moment they struck.
Leaning casually against the side, Kaede's posture should have been enough to tell anyone with sense not to provoke him.
But unexpectedly, some among the three clans seemed to think he was just standing there waiting for the other Uchiha to protect him — an easy target.
"Mind Transfer Technique!"
A member of the Yamanaka clan moved first, casting the jutsu on Kaede, attempting to take control of his body.
He felt a force trying to drill into his mind.
Kaede found it laughable.
Did they truly believe his strength was only at such a level? That his body could be so easily invaded?
If that were the case, it would be beyond ridiculous.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the Yamanaka clansman.
In that instant, the man clutched his head and collapsed to the ground — his spiritual energy annihilated.
Even if he recovered, he would live as an idiot.
"You… what did you do? We'll kill you!"
The other clansmen saw their comrade fall and Kaede standing calmly with his arms crossed.
Without stopping to think, they launched their attacks.
"Expansion Technique — Arm!"
A member of the Akimichi clan enlarged his arm, bringing it down like a swatting hand to crush Kaede.
"Die!" the man roared.
"Shadow Possession Technique!"
On the other side, a Nara clansman extended his shadow forward, catching Kaede's ankle.
If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to break free, and being struck in that state would have caused severe injury.
But Kaede only felt annoyed.
For so long, his opponents had always been the top elites of this world — whether it was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki or Senju Hashirama.
Even the weakest among them were Kage-level powerhouses — people like Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzō.
He never imagined that such small fry would dare attack him now.
It truly irritated him.
With a casual wave of his hand, flames surged forth, engulfing both the Akimichi and Nara clansmen.
"What? I clearly had him bound! How—"
The Nara clansman didn't even have time to finish his sentence before his body turned to ash without a scream.
The Akimichi's fate was even more miserable.
The flames spiraled up his arm as he approached Kaede.
By the time he stood before him, the flesh on his arm had been burned away, leaving only bone.
Looking into Kaede's cold eyes, the man suddenly began to plead.
"Please… let me go…"
Only now did he feel true fear, realizing he had provoked someone who could not be provoked.
If it had been another Uchiha, even if he lost, he could have died like a warrior.
But Kaede didn't care for honor in battle — his methods were pure torment.
"Oh? Let you go? How laughable. You try to kill me, and now you want me to spare you? Do you think things come that cheap?"
Without waiting for the man's reaction, Kaede sent the flames surging up, reducing him to ash in an instant.
After this, Kaede's irritation grew.
He had only wanted to test Madara's capabilities, and he had already seen enough.
With a wave of his hand, black flames of Amaterasu burst forth, twisting into a fire dragon that lunged toward the surrounding enemies.
"Ahhh!"
Against the fire dragon, the three clans had no chance to resist — they were burned to ash where they stood.
When the wind blew through the valley, it scattered their remains to nothing.
"They're gone…"
Nara Shikashō, who had been directing from a safe position, had planned to stall the Uchiha long enough for his clansmen to escape to safety.
But the moment he saw those flames, he knew it was impossible.
He turned to flee and warn his clan — only to find himself pinned against a tree trunk the instant he moved.
"Sensei!"
Madara and the Uchiha were shocked by what they saw.
None of them had expected Kaede's first move to end the battle in such a fashion — annihilating everyone in an instant with just one technique.
It was hard to believe.
Uchiha Jingliu knew well that the black flames were Amaterasu. Unless controlled by the user, they would never go out until their target was completely incinerated.
And to cast such flames, even for a moment, was already exhausting.
Controlling them to kill so many at once spoke volumes about Kaede's strength and endurance.
"In the future, when facing an enemy, finish it quickly if you can. Don't delay. The longer you wait, the more things can change. You never know what might happen," Kaede said.
"Yes!"
Madara lowered his head in shame.
If he hadn't been so slow, no one would have dared attack his teacher.
He took the lesson to heart — from now on, any enemy he faced would be destroyed completely to prevent future trouble.
"Let's go."
"Understood!"
After tidying up the battlefield, the group set off again.
Though they had been ambushed, with Kaede's protection, none of them had suffered losses.
(End of Chapter)
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