Under the Sharingan's gaze, Setsuna Uchiha saw with painful clarity how terrifying Shiro Gen's state was.
Fire-natured chakra had been driven to the extreme, compressed to a razor's edge.
That kind of Fire chakra was beyond ordinary shinobi.
Even elite jonin who specialized in Fire might not command chakra this fierce.
More shocking still,
Shiro Gen handled it with ease.
Unbelievable at any age,
and he was not yet seven.
Setsuna also sensed peculiar ripples of Fire chakra hidden within the Armor of Fire.
He could not name the effect, only that it was not simple.
"Elder Setsuna, I am coming."
Hearing Shiro Gen's voice, Setsuna felt both delight and strain.
Delight because Shiro Gen's power surpassed expectation.
Strain because if he did not fight in earnest, he might lose quickly.
In truth, if Shiro Gen truly went all out,
even Setsuna at full seriousness would not last long.
But since this was a demonstration, Shiro Gen would not kill.
Shiro Gen tightened his grip on the flame blade. Filaments of fire lifted and breathed.
Shiro Gen-ryu Sword Art:
Phantom-Blaze Radiant Blade.
Without a sound, firelight bloomed. The gleam of illusion poured through Setsuna's Sharingan.
Three tomoe resisted genjutsu well,
yet his mind flickered.
"Genjutsu?"
"So he wove illusion into the Uchiha sword style... this is a new school entirely."
"Without the Sharingan, the fight might already be over."
"Terrifying, exaggerated power."
Thoughts flashed, and in the next instant he caught the blur of a flaming arc.
A ten meter blade of light tore past faster than sound,
skimming by in a blink.
HOO!!!
Sonic pressure and scorching heat rolled over him. His pupils shrank with shock.
Too fast, too strong.
Even with the Sharingan, that could one-hit him.
So this was Shiro Gen's current level.
And still,
not his full strength.
Fugaku Uchiha was solid, but not far above Setsuna.
Which meant...
Shiro Gen could likely defeat Fugaku,
and force out the resources he deserved.
That was...
very good news.
"Shiro Gen, I admit I underestimated you."
"With what you have now, you can beat Fugaku and make him hand over your due."
"But I still want to know."
"How strong are you, exactly?"
"So..."
"My turn."
Knowing the boy's level, Setsuna would not toy with him. From the first step he went all in.
Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song.
An art Lord Madara had taught him.
Hands flashed, breath opened.
Flame spilled into four dragons that lunged from above, below, left, and right.
Shiro Gen met it with a glance.
"Good Fire Release."
His body became fire.
Four Flame swords streaked out,
cutting the four dragons in the space of a spark.
They then converged, and Shiro Gen stepped forth from their blaze.
"Close, but not enough for me."
Setsuna's smile brightened.
"Excellent. Incredible."
"At this age to devise Fire secrets of this class, you truly are our clan's hope."
"Even Lord Madara did not stand here at your age. Not even close."
"If Dragon Flame Song cannot scratch you,
then I know I cannot win."
"But I want to see everything you have."
"Shiro Gen, unleash it."
"Show me more... of the Uchiha's hope."
He rushed in.
Body Flicker, Body Flicker, Body Flicker.
He skimmed the ground at high speed, hand after hand hurling shuriken.
Not ordinary ones. Shiro Gen's Sharingan traced the chakra wire threading each star.
The clan's signature throwing method sent shuriken in wicked curves at vicious speed.
With wire attached, it meant Shiro Gen had to watch not only steel but strings.
For a normal shinobi, Setsuna's assault would be near impossible to escape unscathed.
For Shiro Gen,
he did not even need to dodge. The Armor of Fire would suffice.
Shuriken that struck him half-melted on contact.
Chakra wire lasted less than a second.
"I will satisfy you, Elder Setsuna."
"But this kind of attack is meaningless to me."
Shiro Gen stood like a tyrant, unmoved.
That disdain of all attacks filled Setsuna with shock and joy.
"Good, good, good."
"Such overwhelming defense."
"My heart rests easier by the moment."
"But the move is not that simple."
He thrust out both hands and sped through signs.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson.
The wires nearest Shiro Gen had melted,
but many still laced the air around him.
As Setsuna finished the seals, fire surged and raced along the wires,
lancing toward Shiro Gen from dozens of angles.
"Clever technique."
"Too weak in power, though."
Shiro Gen still did not guard.
The Armor of Fire defended best against Fire Release.
This level could not break it.
Flames scattered in a storm as Shiro Gen bathed in fire like a demon god.
Unbothered stance, utterly dominant.
A tyrant in flame, a lord in heat.
Within the blaze, Shiro Gen's form vanished and split into four Flame swords that whipped toward Setsuna.
At the instant they reached him, they fused and the boy reappeared.
He caught a single flame blade and cut.
BOOM!!!
One strike sent Setsuna hurtling back.