On the other side of the village, Uchiha Ryōsuke was eating at Ichiraku Ramen. He planned to train and improve his stats after he finished. He had been a bit lazy today, but he was in a very good mood. After training hard for several months, he deserved to relax a little.
As he strolled through the streets, he noticed that the malice directed at him had lessened considerably compared to when he had first returned to the village. This must have been the result of the news Uchiha Fugaku had spread, which had already changed some people's perception of the Uchiha clan. After all, not everyone in the village was a coward; some people still had a conscience, even if a portion of the population continued to slander the Uchiha. 'Those gossiping fools are not worth protecting. They're just selfish, cowardly people.'
He wouldn't let them ruin his appetite for ramen.
He downed several large bowls before paying and walking out of the restaurant, planning to take a stroll before heading back to his familiar little grove to train.
At that moment, far behind him, Asuma suddenly appeared on the street. He had already had someone thoroughly investigate who Kurenai had been with recently. That person was most likely the despicable villain who had stolen his woman.
The investigation revealed that this Uchiha Ryōsuke had been with Kurenai constantly for the past few months. People had even witnessed them entering a hotel together on more than one occasion. At this thought, his eyes practically shot out flames of rage.
'That bastard! He must have tricked Kurenai! He was the one who stopped me from confessing to her before. That scum must have used that opportunity to deceive her. I have to kill him!' He pulled two chakra blades from his ninja pouch. Kneading his chakra, he coated the blades, which formed a solid blue edge, a testament to their sharpness.
Using the Body Flicker Technique, he instantly appeared behind Uchiha Ryōsuke and slashed down, intending to end him.
But Ryōsuke had already sensed the killing intent behind him. He sidestepped, dodging the attack, then immediately kicked out at his opponent's side, sending the ambusher flying into a roadside stall, crushing the entire cart to pieces. The stall owner saw what was happening and scrambled to get away just in time to avoid being hit.
Only then did Ryōsuke get a clear look at his attacker. It was Sarutobi Asuma. 'So he's back? Does he know I've been with Kurenai?' A playful smile touched the corners of his lips.
The pedestrians on the street were terrified and scattered, keeping their distance. The troublemaker Asuma was back, and this time he was trying to commit murder in broad daylight.
Asuma struggled to his feet. He couldn't believe his attack had been dodged, and that his opponent had even used the opening to send him flying. It was all because he had let his anger get the best of him and hadn't concealed his killing intent, allowing his opponent to seize the opportunity.
His face was ferocious. "Uchiha Ryōsuke, I will never let you go!"
Spitting out the threat, he charged again with his chakra blades.
Seeing this, Ryōsuke knew the man had lost all reason and was no longer aware of the gap between their strengths. 'Asuma beat me up once before. It's only right that I get my revenge.'
Ryōsuke activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, preparing to teach him a proper lesson and stop him from pestering his woman. 'If he's acting like this, he must have gone to see Kurenai.'
With his Sharingan active, he could see all of his opponent's movements clearly. When Asuma raised his twin blades and charged at him in a fury, Ryōsuke swayed left and right, easily dodging the attacks. Finding an opening, he landed another flying kick, sending Asuma flying once more.
He used a bit more force this time. Asuma landed flat on his back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His internal organs were likely damaged, and his weapons had clattered to the ground.
Looking down at him, Ryōsuke thought, 'He's too weak.' He hadn't even gotten serious, yet he had completely crushed him with taijutsu alone.
Asuma's anger began to cool. 'How did this trash I used to beat up get so strong? It hasn't even been that long!' He then became aware of the eyes of the people around them and their whispers.
"Why is Asuma attacking people the moment he gets back?"
"Look at him! He really looks like he wants to kill that guy. It's terrifying."
"Someone go get the Military Police Force!"
"Are you stupid? The person he's attacking is from the Military Police Force."
"Oh, right."
"We should get further away, just in case we get caught in the crossfire."
Sarutobi Asuma instantly calmed down. He was attacking a member of the Military Police in the middle of the street. This was a major crime. He had to leave. He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to pick up his weapons.
But how could Ryōsuke let him go? The man had just tried to kill him. All it would take was a single sentence to make him come right back.
"Asuma, running away already? It's a shame. Kurenai is incredible."
Asuma, who had been about to bolt, froze in his tracks. He turned to face Ryōsuke, his eyes burning with fury. Not only had this man stolen his prize, but he dared to flaunt it in his face! He had barely even held Kurenai's hand a few times! He had to kill him.
He no longer cared about his injuries. He kneaded his chakra, gathering it in his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a cloud of superheated ash toward Uchiha Ryōsuke. At the same time, he used a flint hidden in his teeth to create a spark.
Seeing the spark flash from Asuma's teeth, Ryōsuke knew this was bad. He immediately leaped out of the cloud's range. The black smoke instantly exploded.
BOOM!
The violent explosion rocked the street. Buildings on both sides were damaged, left in a state of ruin. Cries of pain and injured wails filled the air. Many people were hurt.
Even Ichiraku Ramen was damaged; half of the small ramen stand had been blasted apart. The owner of Ichiraku and his daughter crawled out from inside, covered in soot, their faces masks of terror.
"What in the world just happened?!"
Ryōsuke saw that the owner and his daughter were out and felt a sense of relief. Otherwise, he would never be able to eat such good ramen again. At the same time, his gaze turned cold as he looked at Asuma. He couldn't believe he would use such a destructive ninjutsu in a crowded area.
His body was strong now, but he couldn't completely withstand such a large-scale explosion; even he would have been injured. It was a pity. If only he could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, he could have activated the divine power, Susanoo, and tanked the attack, preventing so many innocent people from being hurt.
T/n:
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