[Bond] Ch 16: Blazing Tempest!!

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Shimura Yami stared at Uchiha Itachi with a serious expression.

This battle wasn't just about winning. He had to win in just the right way—without revealing too much of his strength.

According to the experiences of countless predecessors, standing out too much would draw Danzo's attention.

And once that happened, the classic 'Danzo schemes, you regret, boom—you're dead' scenario would unfold.

Wait… he was already one of Danzo's people.

Well, in that case, no problem.

Yami's tense expression relaxed.

Turns out he was the schemer all along. He was a Shimura.

So what was there to worry about?

— — —

Itachi glanced at Yami, confused by his shifting expressions. But before he could dwell on it, the masked ANBU's voice rang out, making his face turn serious.

"Battle—begin!"

At the signal, both fighters moved instantly.

One advanced, the other retreated.

Yami gave chase, while Itachi maintained his distance.

All the while, Itachi's hands didn't stay idle. His fingers twitched, and in an instant, dozens of shuriken shot through the air, each attached to nearly invisible wires.

With precise pulls on the threads, he changed their rotations. Some shuriken continued to intercept Yami from the front, while others curved around from the sides, weaving a nearly inescapable net.

After training with Shisui, Itachi understood that the key to countering his Body Flicker Technique wasn't raw speed, but control of the battle—limiting movement options.

Many of the watching Ninjas' eyes lit up.

There it was.

The Uchiha Clan's famed Shuriken Jutsu!

Thanks to their Sharingan's ability to perceive fine details and enhanced chakra control from their strong mental energy, the Uchiha weren't just good at throwing shuriken.

They could manipulate them mid-air with wire tricks that were nearly impossible to defend against.

But they suddenly realized something… Itachi hasn't even awakened his Sharingan yet and has such an ability!

"Fugaku sure has an incredible son," one Jonin remarked in admiration.

"Yeah, another Shisui in the making. Who knows what heights he'll reach in the future?"

"No doubt about it. The Uchiha Clan is full of prodigies."

— — —

Hearing the praise from the other Jonin, Uchiha Fugaku had to use his chakra to suppress the upward curve of his lips.

But he failed to notice that, among the higher-ups, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other elders weren't smiling at all. Their faces remained emotionless as they observed the battle.

On the battlefield, Yami and Itachi continued to maintain their distance. At first glance, Itachi's strategy seemed to be working, but—

"What?" Itachi's expression shifted.

Yami suddenly sprinted forward. Itachi instinctively pulled his wires to adjust the shuriken's path—but the moment he did, all the kunai and shuriken tangled into a useless knot.

Flashes of Yami's uneven movements ran through Itachi's mind, and suddenly, he understood.

Seemingly random and chaotic, Yami had actually been circling around in a way that systematically tangled all the wires together.

"Itachi, I let you run around this long as a favor to Shisui. But that's enough."

Swoosh!

Yami activated Body Flicker, closing the gap in an instant. He threw a straight punch—Itachi raised his arms to block, but the impact sent a sharp pain through his bones and launched him into the air.

Itachi felt like he wasn't fighting a peer but a fully developed adult shinobi. The difference in raw strength was overwhelming.

Using the force of the hit, he flipped midair and landed at a distance, suppressing the pain while quickly forming hand seals. By the time he touched the ground, only two seals remained.

"Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, expanding to five meters in diameter as it roared toward Yami with scorching heat.

But Yami had been watching carefully. The moment Itachi began forming seals, he moved as well.

Boom! Smoke exploded around him.

A shadow clone appeared beside him, both of them forming different sets of seals simultaneously.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Wind Release: Gale Breakthrough!"

"Blazing Tempest!"

The combined jutsu, Blazing Tempest, instantly took shape. The wind fueled the fire, the fire fed the wind. Together, they formed a spiraling inferno that surged toward Itachi's fireball.

The Great Fireball detonated on impact, but the fire dragon, empowered by the wind, only grew fiercer. Its speed and size surged as it charged at Itachi.

His pupils shrank in shock.

He hadn't expected his technique to be so easily overpowered. Worse, he had no time to evade.

The next moment—

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A thick wall of earth rose from the ground, blocking the raging flames. When the fire finally subsided, the wall was in ruins, revealing a figure behind it.

Uchiha Fugaku. the Uchiha Clan leader looked serious as he stared at Yami from behind the crumbling wall.

"This match is over. Itachi has lost, Yami-kun."

"No, Father, I can still—"

"Silence!"

Fugaku turned sharply, only to freeze at what he saw.

Itachi's eyes… were blood-red.

A single tomoe hung in each pupil.

"You… You awakened your Sharingan?"

Fugaku's anger vanished in an instant, replaced by pure joy. Before he could say anything else, Itachi collapsed to the ground with a thud.

[Ding!]

[Host has reached Bond Level 2 with Uchiha Itachi—Reward: Enhanced Uchiha Bloodline.]

Fugaku swiftly lifted his unconscious son into his arms and turned toward the council table.

"Hokage-sama, I need to take Itachi for medical attention. I'll be leaving first."

"Go ahead, Fugaku. Take good care of him. When he wakes up, congratulate him on becoming a Genin for me."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was hidden beneath his hat, making it impossible to read his expression.

Danzo, on the other hand, kept his head lowered, his face obscured by shadows.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed slightly before vanishing with Body Flicker, heading straight for Konoha Hospital.

Watching them leave, Yami clicked his tongue.

"Looks like I won't get to do the Reconciliation Seal this time too."

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