Ryo brandished shuriken and kunai, their black surfaces glinting in the sunlight. The Uchiha were renowned for their Sharingan and Fire Release, but their shurikenjutsu was unmatched.
Whoosh!
Ryo expertly threw three kunai and two shuriken, their arcs cunningly sealing Tatsumi's escape routes.
Not bad. He'd blocked Tatsumi's positions.
But without a Sharingan, Ryo's technique lacked precision and power.
Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, unfazed. His Level 2 shurikenjutsu was decent, and he'd studied Kagami's scrolls.
As the projectiles closed in, Tatsumi drew his own shuriken and threw them with swift precision.
Clang! Clang!
His shuriken knocked down most of Ryo's, though one kunai still flew toward him.
Ryo smirked, confident in his father's technique.
Tatsumi caught the kunai's ring with his own, redirecting it back at Ryo.
Poof!
A log appeared—Ryo's substitution jutsu, an E-rank technique he'd practiced extensively.
"Here!" Tatsumi shouted, spotting Ryo on a tree. He blurred forward, kicking Ryo in the stomach, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Ow…" Ryo groaned, clutching his head.
Rei and Ho rushed over. "Boss, you okay? Tatsumi, you sneak!"
"I wasn't sneaky," Ryo muttered, embarrassed.
Before the upgrade, Tatsumi wouldn't have won so easily. Now, his speed and strength overwhelmed Ryo.
"Let's go together!" Ryo urged.
Rei and Ho hesitated, intimidated by Tatsumi's speed, but rallied. Ho threw shuriken clumsily, which Tatsumi dodged effortlessly.
Rei charged like a tank, shouting, "Uchiha Long Fist, First Form!" He swung with all his might.
Tatsumi sidestepped and kicked him away.
Ryo, panicking, threw more shuriken, but Tatsumi dodged and closed in.
"I surrender!" Ryo dropped to the ground.
"Boss, no!" Ho cried. "We haven't lost!"
Tatsumi froze. Their passionate defiance made him feel like the villain. The air reeked of shonen spirit.
Shaking his head, he walked deeper into the forest, leaving the trio crying.
"Ho, am I useless? I couldn't protect you guys," Ryo sobbed.
"It's not your fault, boss. He's too strong."
"We're geniuses! We'll beat him next time!"
Tatsumi sighed. What a mess.