"The future is like leaves blown by the wind; no one knows where they will drift."
Orochimaru watched a leaf blown before him by the heat.
He reached out to catch it and spoke indifferently before his snake-like pupils swept across the battlefield.
Uchiha Gen looked at the ground, which was somewhat cracked from the oil fire, and released the two Rashōmon gates.
That tall, thin Iwagakure Ninja's strength was quite good.
He mastered several practical Earth Release Ninjutsu, had well-rounded abilities, and was as slippery as an eel.
Even for a Ninja stronger than him, it would be difficult to kill him even if they could win.
Uchiha Gen was ahead of him in strength and had more comprehensive abilities.
Most importantly, he took advantage of a sneak attack, catching the opponent off guard.
Only with the assistance of his Summoned Beast and properly arranged tactics was he able to defeat his opponent.
Even so, he had spent a considerable amount of Chakra, performing several Ninjutsu in succession.
The Great Flame Gale Technique, in particular, consumed far more Chakra than ordinary Ninjutsu.
Against this kind of enemy, one must be willing to consume Chakra and unleash the strongest output in a short time.
This is to keep them breathless and take them down as quickly as possible.
If the time dragged on for too long, he might find an opportunity to escape.
"Ketsuhan, thanks. Please go help Ruri; I'll go help Enju."
Uchiha Gen felt his own Chakra state and spoke to Ketsuhan.
He had about thirty to forty percent of his Chakra left.
As long as he didn't bombard the enemy with Ninjutsu like he just did, he could still maintain a fairly high level of combat performance in the upcoming fight.
The enemy Sarutobi Enjun was facing was a bit troublesome, so Uchiha Gen planned to step in personally.
"Fine."
Ketsuhan shook off a few broken scales from his body and charged toward the battlefield where Uzuki Ruri was.
Uchiha Gen turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Enjun.
The opponent Enju was facing was likely the strongest of the three Iwagakure Ninja.
His raw strength was even greater than the one Uchiha Gen had dealt with, making him an absolute elite among Chūnin.
That was why he was the one who stood out at the very beginning to block the trio's combination Ninjutsu.
Had he not been injured from blocking the combination Ninjutsu at the start, it would have been quite difficult for Sarutobi Enjun to handle him given Enjun's strength.
As for now, both sides were still pulling back and forth.
Sarutobi Enjun was in better condition, while the opponent was stronger and more experienced.
They were currently in a stalemate.
Enju's current combat power was actually quite good; he just lacked some practical experience.
Compared to Uchiha Gen, he seemed a bit lacking.
But don't forget, he was also a strong contender for the top graduate of the Ninja Academy.
His basic qualities were far beyond what a newly promoted Genin could compare to.
In the original timeline, several people from Team 7's class reached the later stages of the Chūnin Exams only three months after graduation.
For Sarutobi Enjun to have such a performance was actually within reason.
Uchiha Gen didn't immediately step in to help his teammate.
Instead, he first collected some blood on the battlefield.
He smeared it on himself to look injured and weak, and made some other preparations before rushing to support his teammate.
He hoped to deceive the enemy.
"Sharingan: Triple Windmill Blades!"
Several Shuriken tied with elastic steel wires flew from Uchiha Gen's hand, acting as a distraction for Sarutobi Enjun.
This was to tell the enemy that he had arrived.
"Gen?!"
Seeing Uchiha Gen in this state, Sarutobi Enjun was actually the first to be startled.
"Steady, you know my abilities. I'm fine, keep fighting."
Uchiha Gen had to speak up to remind him.
"Troublesome! It looks like I won't be able to get away now!"
The Iwagakure Ninja's face darkened instantly.
His teammate had already been taken out.
Looking at the situation, there were likely other high-level Ninja providing protection behind these young Ninja.
"In that case, I might as well take one down with me before I die!"
"These two brats have such strength at such a young age; they are definitely geniuses of Konoha's new generation."
"Since they're using us for training, they must be prepared to pay the price of a loss!"
A fierce light appeared in the Iwagakure Ninja's eyes, and his gaze shifted to Uchiha Gen.
The Sharingan—a genius new-generation Ninja of the Uchiha Clan, and he looked quite seriously injured.
That's right, the guy who was his teammate wasn't weak.
For this kid to take him out in such a short time, it's impossible not to have paid a price!
In other words, he's very weak right now and more likely to be killed!
"If I can take down an Uchiha genius who has awakened the Sharingan as a cushion..."
"Hmm?"
The battlefield within his sight was clearly reflected in the light of Uchiha Gen's Sharingan.
"Is he shifting his attention to me? He took the bait after all."
The corner of Uchiha Gen's mouth curled into a slight arc as he pulled back, continuing to throw Ninja Tools for long-range support.
Beneath his feet, strands of elastic steel wire were hidden underground, linked into a formation.
Because of this, his pace was slow and sluggish, looking as if his movements really were hampered by injuries.
But just as the Iwagakure Ninja finally managed to close in, Uchiha Gen's figure suddenly exploded with speed.
"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!"
The figure of the young boy wearing the traditional high-collared blue clothes of the Uchiha Clan burst forth like an arrow from a bow.
The Sengoku Ninja Sword in his hand was now wrapped in a layer of orange-red flames.
This Sword Leap Flame move was quite powerful.
It was the most practical technique in the first volume of Uchiha Style Swordsmanship.
It was a Nintaijutsu move that required a certain level of Fire Release control, combined with the insight and Chakra-observing abilities of the Sharingan, to unleash its full power.
Clang!
The sound of a breaking weapon rang out.
The chipped Ninja Sword in the Iwagakure Ninja's hand was snapped in two by the Sengoku Ninja Sword in Uchiha Gen's hand.
Cracks had already appeared on his blade due to the high-intensity combat.
Uchiha Gen had simply used the sharp gaze of the Sharingan to catch this point.
With the explosive power of the Sword Leap Flame and the superior quality of the Sengoku Ninja Sword, he severed the Ninja Sword.
With his Ninja Sword broken and the Uchiha before him—who was supposed to be injured and weak—suddenly becoming fierce with an intimidating aura, the Iwagakure Ninja realized he had been tricked.
He hurriedly retreated.
But Uchiha Gen was not the only one he had to deal with.
"An opening!"
Taking advantage of the moment the Iwagakure Ninja shifted targets, Sarutobi Enjun's eyes lit up.
His hands performed a series of hand seals with a slight awkwardness.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
A solid, thick pillar of fire flew out, instantly striking toward the Iwagakure Ninja.
"This kid really was hiding a newly learned Ninjutsu."
Uchiha Gen had never seen Sarutobi Enjun perform this technique before.
But as the Great Flame Technique was a secret Ninjutsu of the Sarutobi Clan, and the latter was the young master of the Sarutobi Clan, it was impossible for him not to learn it after officially becoming a Ninja.