At the forefront of the conflict was none other than the key stronghold personally
guarded by Uchiha Fugaku.
This area was a stretch of rugged highlands, with steep terrain and remnants of unmelted snow still clinging to the higher elevations.
However, the scene here wasn't one of spring's budding vitality. Instead, it was drenched in blood and cruelty.
Corpses, bearing gruesome injuries, lay scattered across the ground. Clotted blood stained clusters of green grass, adding a touch of tragic beauty to the landscape.
Boom!
An explosion from a paper bomb erupted into a dense cloud of smoke, mixed with fierce flames, instantly blasting apart the body of a Kumogakure ninja who had unwittingly stepped into a trap.
The sound of the explosion immediately roused the resting Konohagakure ninjas.
"Enemy attack!"
"Enemy attack!"
Sharp cries echoed through the mountain, quickly spreading to every corner of the area via various channels.
This was already the third assault launched by the Kumogakure forces. The geographical importance of this chain of mountains couldn't be overstated. Once these towering peaks were crossed, the path to Konohagakure would be an open plain.
If this location were breached or partially occupied, the Konohagakure ninjas would either find themselves with no natural defenses or face an entrenched enemy, resulting in a grueling stalemate.
Understanding the critical nature of this stronghold, Uchiha Fugaku had devised a strategy to hold the enemy at bay on this very slope at the forefront of the mountains.
"Water Release: Water Collision Wave!"
Several Kumogakure ninjas leapt high into the air, spewing a massive torrent of water from their mouths. The water surged downward like a galaxy pouring from the heavens, crashing toward the Konohagakure ninjas on the slope.
"Block the water flow quickly!"
"They're trying to use Water Release first, then conduct Lightning Release through the water and mist!"
A Konohagakure ninja, experienced in fighting Kumogakure forces, shouted out, analyzing the enemy's intentions.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Rumble!
A sturdy earth wall several meters high rose from the ground, effectively blocking the torrent's impact. Clearly, the ninja who performed this technique had a profound mastery of Earth Release.
However, unlike the previous two days, the Kumogakure ninjas didn't just engage in a long-range ninjutsu exchange this time.
Crackle!
Blue and white lightning crackled around their weapons as a dense wave of figures charged directly up the slope from all directions.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
A stern-faced, middle-aged man with short black hair leapt into the air, hurling over a dozen shuriken, each enveloped in flickering flames.
The man wore a deep blue robe with Konohagakure's iconic green flak jacket over it. On his shoulders, the Uchiha clan's fan emblem, symbolizing the Konoha Military Police Force, was prominently displayed.
After throwing the shuriken, his hands didn't stop moving. Forming hand seals with practiced ease, he softly uttered, "Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz...
In the blink of an eye, the flaming shuriken multiplied into a dense rain of fiery projectiles, shooting toward the Kumogakure ninjas.
Clang! Clang! Clang...
The intense barrage of fiery shuriken immediately stalled the Kumogakure forces' charge, forcing them to halt and defend themselves.
"Impressive as always, Clan Leader!"
"Elder Fugaku's strength is truly remarkable..."
Uchiha Fugaku's display of skill drew admiration from several Chūnin.
After all, combining these two techniques so seamlessly, and precisely targeting every enemy without a single miss, was a feat that only a handful within the Uchiha clan could achieve.
With this technique, Fugaku successfully eliminated several weaker enemies. Flaming shuriken pierced their bodies, burning their internal organs.
The remaining Kumogakure ninjas, seeing their comrades writhing in agony on the ground, glared at Fugaku with fury.
One of them, wearing a Kumogakure forehead protector, stepped forward. His hands rapidly formed seals as he shouted, "Lightning Release: Thunder Mouse Shockwave!"
Crackle!
Dozens of lightning-infused shuriken materialized and shot toward the Konohagakure ninjas.
The electrified shuriken, coursing with blue lightning, moved at incredible speed, reaching the Konohagakure forces in an instant.
Fugaku's Three Tomoe Sharingan spun as he narrowed his eyes. With a slight twist of his body and a mid-air rotation, he effortlessly dodged the incoming projectiles.
However, the screams of agony echoing in his ears told a harsh truth—not everyone possessed the dynamic vision or physical reflexes to evade such attacks.
The ninja who had previously performed the Earth-Style Wall barely registered a flash of blue light before his body instinctively attempted to form seals for another Earth Release technique.
But it was too late. Numbness spread through his body as multiple points on his chest began to feel strange.
"Ugh..."
"What's... happening to me..."
When the young man looked down at his chest, he finally saw the truth.
His torso had been pierced by several lightning shuriken, leaving gaping holes where his heart had once been. The wounds were scorched as if burned by intense heat, which explained why he hadn't felt pain immediately.
But soon, excruciating pain, accompanied by encroaching darkness, engulfed his consciousness...
The towering Kumogakure ninja who had cast the Lightning Release technique gripped a massive blade in both hands, swinging it fiercely toward Fugaku.
Clang!
Fugaku deftly parried the strike with a kunai.
Oddly enough, the Kumogakure ninja didn't focus on Fugaku's face but instead kept his gaze fixed on Fugaku's hands and feet.
"Hmph!"
"So, you have some knowledge of the Sharingan, I see!"
Fugaku smirked internally. Close combat with the Uchiha clan was an incredibly dangerous endeavor.
The Sharingan's exceptional dynamic vision rendered most swordsmanship and taijutsu ineffective. Of course, this advantage depended on the user's own taijutsu skills.
If one's physical abilities were lacking, even the ability to read an opponent's moves wouldn't prevent them from being overwhelmed.
Furthermore, anyone familiar with the Uchiha clan knew to beware of the Sharingan's genjutsu.
In the heat of close-quarters combat, even a brief moment of hesitation could lead to being caught in a genjutsu—and the next moment, death would follow.
However, this Kumogakure ninja was not only exceptionally agile but also wielded his massive blade with one hand as if it weighed nothing. His free hand occasionally released bursts of lightning toward Fugaku.
"Captain Nigai truly lives up to his reputation!"
"That Uchiha ninja is incredibly strong!"
Seeing their formidable opponent successfully held at bay by their captain, the Kumogakure ninjas' morale surged as they renewed their assault on the Konohagakure forces.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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