After a full night of rumors and speculation, the tension surrounding Qianye's challenge to Patriarch Uchiha Fugaku reached its peak.
By dawn, the Uchiha training grounds situated behind the clan's main estate near the Naka River were already crowded with spectators.
Elders, genin, and even children gathered in excitement and disbelief. The usually serene Uchiha compound buzzed with an intensity that hadn't been felt since the clan's internal duels of the previous generation.
The first to arrive was Fugaku himself.
Clad in the traditional high-collared Uchiha armor and bearing the calm, dignified presence of a seasoned warrior, he stood at the center of the field, arms folded, expression unreadable. His eyes were sharp calm but commanding as if every movement on the field had already been calculated.
He waited silently.
Not long after, another figure appeared at the edge of the field.
The moment the crowd recognized him, a wave of whispers and gasps rippled through the Uchiha spectators.
It was Uchiha Qianye.
"What is he thinking? Challenging the Patriarch isn't something just anyone can do!"
"Even if Patriarch Fugaku became leader by defeating the previous head, that was after decades of missions and war experience. Qianye's only a Chūnin!"
"I really don't know where he got the courage… maybe he's tired of living."
"..."
Fugaku, sensing Qianye's arrival, slowly turned. His dark eyes locked onto the young man standing before him.
"Are you certain you wish to challenge me, Qianye?" Fugaku's tone was even, carrying both authority and faint disappointment.
"Although it may offend you, Patriarch," Qianye said, bowing slightly, "I am ready to be enlightened."
"Very well," Fugaku replied simply.
Without another word, he stepped forward, his stance lowering. His chakra flared subtly calm, immense, and suffocating. Even without activating the Sharingan, his battle aura was enough to make the nearby genin swallow hard.
To Fugaku, every duel was serious. Even the weakest opponent could be deadly if underestimated. That was a lesson he had learned through blood on the frontlines of the Third Great Ninja War.
"The Patriarch… he's actually taking this seriously!" someone whispered.
"It must be to give Qianye a dignified defeat."
"Yeah, knowing the Patriarch, he'll make him lose gracefully… not too humiliating."
Laughter followed. None among them truly believed Qianye could win.
In the crowd, a small boy clenched his tiny fists Sasuke Uchiha, eyes wide with admiration and excitement. "Father! Show him your strength!" he shouted.
In the field, Qianye took a deep breath, his chakra flaring unsteadily. Then he made his move.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)
A massive fireball burst forth from his mouth, roaring across the field toward Fugaku.
It was the proud signature jutsu of the Uchiha clan, the very technique every Uchiha child had to master before being recognized as a full member.
Fugaku, however, remained unmoved.
He inhaled slowly, forming the same seals with flawless precision.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
His Great Fireball surged forth larger, hotter, and more refined.
The two fireballs collided midair with a thunderous boom!
A wave of heat blasted across the training ground, forcing onlookers to raise their arms and shield their faces.
As the smoke cleared Qianye was gone.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the field. His battlefield instincts tingled. Without hesitation, his gaze lifted upward.
High above, Qianye was midair, forming rapid hand seals before unleashing a storm of shuriken.
Dozens of glinting steel stars spun downward at blinding speed.
Fugaku's expression hardened. "So that's your plan…"
His Sharingan snapped open, the crimson glow and three tomoe reflecting the deadly rain of weapons.
With the heightened perception of the Sharingan, every trajectory was clear. He sidestepped, deflected, and parried with flawless movements every motion efficient and calculated.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
When one shuriken narrowly passed his shoulder, Fugaku barely blinked. But in that instant
A puff of white smoke erupted!
That shuriken transformed into Qianye himself!
"Body Replacement with projectile transformation?" Fugaku noted, eyes sharpening.
Qianye twisted in midair, body spinning as his right leg swung down like a falling axe toward Fugaku's neck.
The onlookers gasped—some even thought the Patriarch might be caught off guard.
But before the kick landed, Fugaku's hand shot up like lightning.
Without turning his head, he caught Qianye's ankle in midair.
"Under these eyes…" Fugaku's tone was cold and absolute, "such tricks are meaningless."
With a flick of his wrist, chakra surging through his arm, he slammed Qianye into the ground, sending dust and debris flying.
Qianye twisted his body midair, forcing himself to stabilize before hitting the ground. His sandals skimmed the surface of the narrow stream that ran beside the training field, sending out ripples that shimmered under the morning sun.
Balancing on the water's surface using chakra control, he exhaled sharply, shaking his numb hands. The impact from Fugaku's throw had left his arms tingling.
"What should I do next…" he muttered, eyes scanning his surroundings while his mind raced.
Before he could form another plan, a low thud of footsteps approached.
Fugaku Uchiha was already advancing calm, precise, and utterly unrelenting. His movements carried the weight of a man forged in the fires of the Third Great Ninja War.
"So he's taking the initiative now…" Qianye gritted his teeth. He had no choice but to brace himself and meet the attack head-on.
Their figures blurred, colliding midair, the sound of fists and kunai echoing across the training field.
Hidden in the shadows nearby, a pair of masked figures observed in silence. The black cloaks marked them unmistakably as ANBU the Hokage's personal intelligence division.
One of them activated a small Communication Jutsu, sending a chakra pulse directly to the Hokage's office.
...
In the Hokage Tower
"What?"
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood abruptly, nearly knocking over the stack of mission scrolls beside him.
"You're saying… Uchiha Qianye has formally challenged Uchiha Fugaku?"
The ANBU's voice echoed through the room, emotionless but clear. "Yes, Lord Third. The duel is already underway within the Uchiha compound."
Hiruzen's expression darkened as he slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe.
Of all times, this was the worst possible moment.
For years, he had maintained a delicate balance keeping the Uchiha isolated but contained. So long as Fugaku remained Patriarch, the clan stayed under quiet observation, neither rebellious nor compliant.
But now, someone had challenged Fugaku's authority.
If the challenger succeeded, it could ignite unpredictable change within the clan change that might unravel the fragile peace between the Uchiha and the village.
"Uchiha Qianye…" Hiruzen muttered, frowning deeply as he reached into his desk drawer.
From within, he pulled out a thick classified dossier bound with the Hokage's seal. Inside was a detailed registry of every Uchiha clan member ranked according to skill, mission record, and potential threat assessment.
Page after page flipped past under his fingers hundreds of names, many marked with annotations by the Intelligence Division.
Finally, near the bottom of the list Page 179 from the end he found it.
"Uchiha Qianye. Rank: Genin. Academy graduation three years ago. Field performance ordinary. No recorded missions above C-rank."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed even more.
Koharu Utatane, who had been standing at his side, leaned over with alarm. "Hiruzen, this must be stopped immediately! If this Qianye wins or even if the fight causes unrest the Uchiha might use it as an excuse to defy the village!"
Homura Mitokado adjusted his spectacles, nodding grimly. "Exactly. If this Uchiha Qianye is aligned with the radicals the so-called 'Hawk Faction' this could destabilize everything you've been working to contain."
"Don't be hasty," Hiruzen said, raising a hand to calm them. "Let's look at the full report first."
He took another puff from his pipe and handed the dossier to them.
Koharu scanned it quickly. "Graduated three years ago… still a Genin? Mediocre at the Academy… no notable talent in Fire Release or Sharingan development."
Homura frowned. "A shinobi this low-ranked dares challenge the Patriarch? Could he have been concealing his strength?"
Koharu shook her head. "Children love to show off when they're gifted. If he was talented, he wouldn't have hidden it back then. No this boy isn't hiding. He's reckless."
Homura exhaled through his nose. "Then it's likely nothing more than a publicity stunt. Another glory-seeker trying to prove himself within the clan."
Both turned toward Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage didn't immediately reply. His gaze was fixed on the smoldering pipe between his fingers, smoke curling in the still air.
At last, he spoke quietly. "Continue surveillance. Don't interfere. If the duel concludes, report the outcome to me at once."
"Yes, Lord Third," the ANBU replied, bowing before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
As the office fell silent again, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Uchiha Qianye…" he murmured. "Let's see what kind of spark you truly are and whether it burns out, or sets the clan aflame."
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