This Uchiha is way too Cautious

Chapter 96: A Soft Whisper

If you asked who put on the most spectacular fights in the shinobi world, the answer from most would undoubtedly be: two Uchiha of equal strength.

An Uchiha battle was a rare sight—elegant and artistic, yet brimming with deadly lethality.

But for members of the Uchiha clan themselves, the most dreaded opponent was precisely another Uchiha of equal power.

Because when both sides wielded the Sharingan, able to predict each other's moves, the battle shifted from one of strength to a contest of wits.

Every second of the fight was a fierce battle of strategy, with each trying to outsmart the other, constantly calculating and exploiting any hidden advantage to turn the tables.

Sometimes, you wouldn't even get the chance to counterattack—your opponent could simply be more cunning, more ruthless, and far more decisive.

Such fights were exhausting. Unless one side could utterly crush the other in strength, battles between two equally matched Uchiha almost always ended with only one survivor.

Uchiha Kei's basic abilities weren't particularly outstanding—this was undeniable. His young age and mediocre innate talent meant he relied heavily on his Sharingan to climb to his current level.

Even though Kei had been working hard to strengthen his weaknesses, aiming to develop into a more well-rounded ninja rather than just a master of the Body Flicker Technique, progress took time.

After all, a long history of "lopsided" training wasn't so easily corrected.

However, there was one fundamental advantage Kei had that no amount of training could substitute—his eyes.

His control might still need work, but the foundation was that of a Mangekyō Sharingan!

Clang!

The clash of a ninja sword and a kunai echoed repeatedly through the forest as Uchiha Kei and the masked man fought fiercely. Yet despite the intensity, the battle remained eerily silent.

Since leaving the underground chamber, neither had been able to unleash any ninjutsu.

Kei avoided it deliberately, while the masked man's every attempt was brutally interrupted by Kei before he could complete the technique.

Kei's speed was simply too fast. With the assistance of his Sharingan, he could instantly detect any chakra fluctuations. Using the Body Flicker Technique combined with the explosive power of Raikiri, Kei would forcefully interrupt the masked man's jutsu attempts again and again.

The masked man wasn't slow either. Though constantly disrupted, Kei's reckless charges weren't without risk.

The masked man's counterattacks were swift and vicious. Every strike came from a bizarre, tricky angle, and if Kei didn't have the Sharingan to read his movements, he might have already been taken down.

Unknowingly, they had been fighting for nearly five minutes.

In that short time, Kei had basically confirmed one thing—this masked figure was definitely more powerful than Uchiha Yuu!

As for his exact identity, Kei truly had no idea. Frankly, aside from those characters frequently appearing in the manga and anime, he barely remembered anyone else from this era.

Take for example that "Gari" guy who died on the battlefield in the Land of Grass—Kei hadn't even recalled his existence during their fight. Only after seeing Gari unleash his Explosion Release technique did Kei finally remember.

"Wasn't he the guy later reanimated by Kabuto alongside Pakura with her Scorch Release?"

Only... this time, Gari probably wouldn't have that chance anymore—he'd been turned to ashes.

As for the masked man standing before him now, Kei didn't care how strong he was.

He had his trump cards—and it was about time he used them.

The kunai and the ninja sword clashed again, and both fighters instinctively pulled away from each other.

However, this time, Uchiha Kei was caught off guard—the masked man actually closed the distance himself.

Beneath the mask, the Sharingan spun slowly, the three tomoe swirling ominously as the masked figure quickly formed hand seals with one hand.

This move surprised Kei, but it also made him highly alert.

Every action a shinobi took had its purpose; no one acted without reason.

After all, not everyone was like Naruto Uzumaki—the king of unpredictable moves—who somehow defied common sense time and time again to defeat powerful enemies.

Watching his opponent weave hand signs, Kei certainly wasn't going to just let him finish.

His own three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, and in an instant, Kei understood: the masked man was preparing a Fire Release technique.

Whether it was a genuine attack or a distraction to draw others' attention, Kei had already formulated a response.

With a burst of his Body Flicker Technique, Kei disappeared—and reappeared right in front of the masked man, the ninja blade in his hand gleaming with the light of Raikiri.

Without hesitation, he slashed at the masked figure.

In a blink, the sword had already reached him.

But Kei's brows furrowed slightly—

The masked man had immediately activated a Substitution Technique.

It had been a trap to lure Kei in!

Kei remained unfazed.

He channeled Raikiri into his blade and viciously split the substitution—a wooden log—in half.

At the same time, Kei's body sprang into motion again.

The masked man had already silently appeared behind him, driving a kunai straight toward Kei's back.

In that critical moment, Kei spun around at lightning speed.

Both fighters pushed their speed to the absolute limit, but Kei managed to firmly grab the masked man's wrist with his left hand just as the kunai neared his skin.

This time, Kei wasn't going to give him another chance.

His crimson Sharingan erupted with a bizarre surge of chakra.

The masked man's body stiffened for a split second—the kick he had been preparing froze mid-motion.

Seizing the moment, Kei thrust his sword straight into the masked man's chest!

The power of Raikiri exploded once again, lightning chakra instantly spreading across the masked man's body.

Through his Sharingan, Kei could see the man's movements grow sluggish and clumsy.

The sharp tip of Kei's sword pierced clean through, and blood dripped steadily to the forest floor.

The fight was over.

"You're finished," Kei said quietly, sighing.

"I warned you you'd be left behind. You really shouldn't have followed me."

As he spoke, Kei slowly pulled his blade free, sending another splash of blood across the ground.

The masked man looked weak and pained but didn't utter a sound, despite the paralyzing effects of Raikiri and the agony he was surely enduring.

It was a testament to his terrifying willpower.

"...Why... why...?"

The masked man's voice came out broken and trembling, yet he still managed to form a complete sentence.

"Why?"

Kei sighed again, looking down at the man who was now half-kneeling in the dirt.

"If I said it was for the sake of the clan, it'd sound fake, wouldn't it?" he said quietly.

"I don't really care about the Uchiha. But I don't want to leave Konoha either. More importantly... I'm doing this for myself."

"Uchiha... for yourself...?"

The masked man clutched his bleeding chest and forced himself to keep speaking.

"You mean... the Uchiha will be wiped out?"

"Probably," Kei said, nodding slightly.

"If things continue like this, it's almost inevitable."

"I'm sorry. I'm busy... and I don't feel like explaining any more."

Kei turned his gaze away, voice turning cold.

"So... goodbye."

"But I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet."

A soft whisper brushed past Kei's ear—

And in that instant, a cold sweat broke out all over his body.