Not far behind Uchiha Fugaku, a short sword that had fallen to the ground seemed to possess its own consciousness, swiftly stabbing toward Fugaku's back.
"Fugaku! Behind you!" Uchiha Mikoto, engaged in combat nearby, had been monitoring her husband's situation and quickly shouted upon noticing this bizarre occurrence.
Fugaku, already on high alert against the two adversaries wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan, sensed the threat from behind, even without Mikoto's warning.
He swiftly formed the seal for a shadow clone, bringing his hands up to defend his face. Simultaneously, a puff of smoke rose behind him as a shadow clone materialized, intercepting the dagger's attack with its body.
The newly formed shadow clone dissipated into white mist almost instantly, but it provided Fugaku with a brief window to evade. After parrying Uchiha Susumu's strike, Fugaku delivered a powerful side kick, sending his opponent reeling.
Choosing not to pursue, Fugaku quickly leaped back to create distance, noticing that the dagger which had attacked him remained active despite piercing his shadow clone.
The dagger's speed suddenly increased, producing a sharp whistling sound as it sliced through the air. Fugaku, not daring to be careless, activated his Sharingan fully to track the dagger's trajectory, his muscles tensing in preparation. Just as the dagger was about to reach him, it abruptly lost momentum and clattered to the ground.
"Huh? What's happening?" Fugaku wondered, surprised by the sudden turn of events. He quickly glanced toward Uchiha Susumu.
Susumu stood nearby, clutching his eye with one hand and crouching, his face contorted in pain.
"Damn it, what's going on?"
"Why do my eyes hurt so much?!"
Covering his right eye, Susumu's expression was twisted from the intense pain.
"Is that peculiar short sword a result of his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability?"
"It seems there's a backlash! This is my chance!"
Fugaku frowned but seized the opportunity. He grabbed the fallen dagger and charged toward Susumu.
"Brother!" Uchiha Kiyoshi quickly approached, concern evident as he watched Fugaku's advance. The windmill pattern in his eyes focused intently on Fugaku.
As Fugaku closed in, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him, causing his skin to prickle. Trusting his instincts, he halted his advance and began forming hand seals while sidestepping.
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"
Upon completing the seals, Fugaku swiftly sank into the ground, vanishing from Susumu and Kiyoshi's sight. Susumu, still reeling from the Mangekyō's side effects, remained incapacitated, while Kiyoshi vigilantly scanned the surrounding terrain.
While observing the ground, Kiyoshi's gaze occasionally flicked toward Mikoto, who was engaged in combat nearby.
He knew that Fugaku would never abandon Mikoto. As long as she remained, Fugaku wouldn't leave!
"Uchiha Fugaku, as a member of the Uchiha clan, you should know that such tricks are futile against the Sharingan!"
"Prepare to die!"
Kiyoshi drew a kunai, infusing it with wind-natured chakra. He then hurled it toward a spot on the ground nearby.
The wind-enhanced kunai penetrated deeply into the earth, leaving a dark hole in its wake.
"Hmph! Slippery fellow!"
Kiyoshi muttered under his breath, retrieving more kunai. Despite possessing the Sharingan, which allowed him to detect Fugaku's subterranean position, Fugaku was adept at evading attacks from below. He had easily dodged Kiyoshi's previous strike.
A muffled sound emanated from beneath Susumu's feet. Anticipating this, Kiyoshi grabbed Susumu by the collar and swiftly moved him aside. Just seconds later, the ground where they had stood collapsed into a large pit, yet Fugaku did not emerge.
It seemed Fugaku was determined to remain hidden underground.
"Trying to buy time?"
"Waiting for Uzumaki Raiden to arrive!"
"If you won't come out, I'll force you!"
A fierce glint flashed in Kiyoshi's eyes as he turned his attention to Mikoto, who was battling insurgents and attempting to break free. Holding a kunai, he dashed toward her, changing direction multiple times during his approach. Mikoto, preoccupied with her opponents, appeared unaware of the impending threat, placing her in grave danger.
Despite her combat awareness, Mikoto failed to notice the approaching enemy.
"This old man possesses such an ability?!" Fugaku, observing from his concealed position, was alarmed by Kiyoshi's actions. The Third Elder could maneuver within Mikoto's blind spots, a truly terrifying skill.
Considering that Mikoto, also an Uchiha with the Sharingan, had exceptional perception, and given her dynamic combat movements, Kiyoshi's ability to evade her sight was astonishing. Fugaku, witnessing this, felt a cold sweat.
Suddenly, Fugaku emerged from the ground beside Mikoto, exhaling a fireball not at the advancing Kiyoshi, but at Susumu, who was still clutching his eye in the distance.
This tactic was a classic diversion!
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
At Kiyoshi's command, water erupted from the dry ground, quickly forming a towering barrier around Susumu.
The fireball collided with the water wall, resulting in an explosion that blew off the roof. Steam from the high-temperature clash filled the area, obscuring vision.
However, the combatants, all elite Uchiha members, were undeterred by the steam. After a brief pause, they resumed their fierce engagements.
From an external perspective, silhouettes could be seen amidst the mist, with figures falling one after another.
Soon, two figures emerged from the haze. Fugaku held Mikoto's hand, staring intently into the mist. Without exchanging words, they communicated through their bond. Mikoto gave Fugaku an affectionate look before swiftly departing.
Watching his wife leave, Fugaku's expression softened briefly before hardening with renewed determination.
(End of this chapter)