Inside the deep crater, orange flames burned ceaselessly, radiating immense heat.
Fugaku smiled at Aozora and said, "Excellent! It seems you've already mastered the Yakton."
Aozora scratched his head and laughed, "Just lucky, just lucky!"
Fugaku lightly shook his head. The Uchiha never believed in luck—only talent and strength.
"Gekko said your body was fine. Are you ready for action?"
Aozora examined his internal channels and found himself mostly recovered.
"I can fight! Chief, what do you mean?"
Fugaku replied, "I'd like to see how powerful your Yakton really is."
Upon hearing this, Aozora hesitated in surprise. "Clan Leader, are you saying you wish to spar with me?"
Fugaku calmly answered, "Yakton is the ultimate secret art of Fire Release. As an Uchiha, I find it fascinating as well."
This was indeed true, but it wasn't his only motive.
Besides wanting to witness Yakton, Fugaku also wanted to test Aozora's true abilities.
Before yesterday, Fugaku had always regarded Aozora as a promising young talent. Though he occasionally assigned him important missions, he primarily treated him as a strategist.
But after hearing about Aozora's dream yesterday, he had been astonished.
The most powerful ninja in all of the Ninja Realm!
Such ambition and capacity—how long had it been since anyone from the Uchiha possessed such qualities?
It was only then that Fugaku began paying full attention to Aozora—just twelve years old, yet having slain multiple Jonin, awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and now even mastering Yakton.
Such talent surpassed even Kakashi, the genius praised by the village, and might even eclipse that of his own elder brother, Shisui.
Therefore, he felt the urge to fight.
Though puzzled, Aozora happily replied, "It would be my honor to spar with the Clan Leader."
Fugaku folded his arms and stepped out of the Training Chamber. "Then rest a while and restore your chakra."
...
At a corner of Training Ground 35,
Barren land stretched out silently, dotted with dead trees and wild grass.
Though Konoha's first snowfall of December hadn't arrived yet, the air was already filled with chill.
Thanks to their enhanced physical conditioning, ninjas could endure even the harshest winters in light clothing without shivering.
The real chill came not from the weather, but from the piercing stare of a formidable opponent.
That instinctive reaction rooted in life itself—impossible and unnecessary to erase.
Aozora and Fugaku stood facing each other from afar.
Fugaku sensed the coldness—an unfamiliar chill returned as Aozora's sharp eyes locked onto him.
The last time he'd felt such a chill was on the day Danzo defected from the village. Now, standing before Aozora, he once again felt threatened.
His expression remained unchanged, but in his heart, he began taking Aozora seriously, preparing to use sixty percent of his power.
Aozora's eyes sparkled with eagerness—he wanted to test the full extent of his newfound power.
Mastering Yakton and breaking through his cultivation boundary had boosted his strength further. He was desperate to discover just how far his strength had grown.
And since Fugaku's power was far beyond his, there was no need to hold back. Who else could serve as such a perfect sparring partner?
A gust of autumn wind kicked up dust across the desolate field.
Fugaku folded his arms and said, "Begin!"
Aozora grinned. "Then I won't hold back!"
"Having said that," he formed a symbolic hand seal, and fiery Katon chakra surged from Aozora's mouth.
[Katon: Great Fireball Technique!]
The orange chakra expanded rapidly with the wind, instantly transforming into a massive fireball rushing toward Fugaku.
Fugaku's eyes turned bloodshot, three tomoe swirling within his Sharingan.
In his Sharingan vision, the orange fireball slowed. He saw the ground torn apart by its passage turn to scorched earth, and the air around it ripple from searing heat.
Fugaku immediately countered with the same technique. His hands moved like shadows, completing six seals in an instant.
[Katon: Great Fireball Technique!]
A colossal crimson fireball erupted before Fugaku, then shot toward Aozora at even greater speed.
Boom!
The two fireballs collided in a violent explosion, sending up thick clouds of smoke and waves of scorching heat.
Before the smoke cleared, another orange fireball burst through.
Fugaku furrowed his brow slightly. He had expected Yakton to be troublesome, so he intentionally poured in extra chakra. Yet he was still surprised that Aozora had shattered his Great Fireball Technique so effortlessly.
The orange fireball shot forward with a blazing trail, aimed directly at Fugaku.
Naturally, Fugaku didn't retreat. Instead, his hands flashed through seals again.
[Katon: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!]
Three fire dragons erupted from around him, charging the orange fireball from left, center, and right.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After three explosive impacts, the orange fireball finally shattered, scattering burning embers that ignited the fallen leaves and twigs below.
Hot winds swept across Fugaku's face, blowing back the short strands of hair near his temples as he genuinely praised, "Yakton truly is the ultimate form of Katon. It's incredibly powerful!"
Just a C-ranked ninjutsu, yet when used with Yakton, it had reached the strength rivaling a B-ranked technique!
Aozora was genuinely taken aback too. Previously, his Katon had been only slightly stronger than others', giving him just enough of an edge during equivalent-level techniques. But now, after mastering Yakton, his Great Fireball had matched Fugaku's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet move for move.
No—he had launched another Great Fireball *after* clashing with Fugaku's first one!
Excitement gleamed in Fugaku's eyes. Ever since awakening his Mangekyou, he had rarely fought directly.
For the sake of his clan, he had hidden his true power.
But he was a ninja—a powerful ninja.
He loved battle every bit as much—and yearned for worthy rivals to challenge him.
"Aozora, come on! Unleash your full strength. Let me see your capacity. Let me see if you have the potential to become the strongest ninja in the world!"
Aozora naturally refused no challenge, laughing heartily before shouting, "Alright! Here I go!"
Shsh! Shsh! Shsh!
Three kunai zipped toward Fugaku from left, center, and right angles, followed closely by Aozora leaping forward.
Faced with such a cooperative training partner, Aozora certainly wouldn't waste the chance.
First, he tested Ninja Tool Throwing—in other words, kunai throwing powered by Yu Qi technique.
Aozora's kunai were incredibly fast—so fast that ordinary eyes couldn't track them.
However, Fugaku's Sharingan wasn't ordinary.
Though Fugaku had read reports about Aozora's achievements and knew of his skill in Ninja Tool Throwing, he hadn't expected it to be this impressive.
He could clearly see the path of the kunai's flight and how it sliced through the air, so he knew just how fast it was moving.
He also spotted the chakra clinging to that kunai!
Trying to control its direction with chakra?
In the next instant, just as he expected, the chakra vanished, and the kunai changed course!
Boom!
Crash!
Bang!
Fugaku dodged one strike and knocked away two others.
Shaking his wrist slightly, Fugaku dissipated the force.
Before he could even register the force behind Aozora's throw, Aozora was already right in his face.
Seeing Aozora charge like a mountain tiger descending, Fugaku felt fire surge through his veins.
So this was going to be a taijutsu showdown?
Fugaku didn't back down—he lunged forward, kunai raised, ready to strike.
In a flash, the two warriors collided in a furious exchange.
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