"There are Akatsuki ninjas ahead. Stay alert."
Ōnoki watched as Fugaku and his men skillfully avoided a few Akatsuki patrolling the border, then gave a quiet warning.
"Yes."
The Iwa-nin following behind him immediately softened their steps, using the trees to conceal their presence.
Once the Akatsuki ninjas moved on, they continued forward.
After just a few steps, one of the Iwa-nin suddenly felt the ground beneath him give way as his foot crushed a rotting tree branch.
Had he not reacted in time, he would have fallen straight down from the tree.
"What happened? Be more careful!"
Ōnoki frowned, clearly displeased.
This was happening to someone he had personally chosen—unacceptable.
"Apologies, I stepped on a rotten branch."
"I'll be more careful."
The Iwa-nin lowered his head in shame, quickly stabilizing his chakra beneath his feet.
"Hmph."
Ōnoki snorted but said nothing more. However, he didn't realize that this small mishap had already caught Fugaku's attention.
"Someone is following us."
Fugaku had keenly sensed the brief fluctuation in the Iwa-nin's chakra.
He didn't slow his pace or change course, simply informing the two trusted subordinates at his sides.
"Most likely Iwa-nin."
"Clan Head, should we change course?"
The two Uchiha shinobi didn't even glance back, acting as if nothing had happened.
"The Four-Tails Jinchūriki shouldn't be far now."
"Changing course would just waste time."
"We'll shake them off and create a time gap."
After a brief moment of thought, Fugaku made his decision. He was confident that dealing with Rōshi wouldn't take long.
Once Rōshi was eliminated, even if the Iwa-nin caught up, it would already be too late.
"Yes."
His subordinates nodded without hesitation, fully trusting his judgment.
The three of them maintained a steady pace, and as they passed an unusually thick tree, they suddenly vanished from the Iwa-nin's sight.
"My line of sight is blocked!"
Ōnoki's heart tensed, and he instinctively quickened his pace.
Losing them now, at such a critical moment, was a mistake he couldn't afford.
As they neared the large tree, Fugaku and his team reappeared in view.
"Good. It was just a visual obstruction."
Ōnoki exhaled in relief, slowing his pace once more.
"We're keeping a good distance. The chance of them detecting us is low."
One of the Iwa-nin muttered to himself, thinking Ōnoki was being overly cautious.
"Better safe than sorry."
"Stay quiet."
Ōnoki didn't bother explaining further.
Their group quickly followed Fugaku and his men past the thick tree.
As the Iwa-nin disappeared into the distance, three figures silently emerged from the very tree they had just passed.
It was Fugaku and his two most trusted subordinates.
"So, Ōnoki actually came in person."
Fugaku smirked as he watched the Iwa-nin disappear into the distance.
"Well, that's because you tricked him."
Though it sounded like flattery, Fugaku found the remark quite pleasing.
"You're getting better at talking."
"Let's move."
A distinct smirk tugged at the corners of Fugaku's lips. Without wasting another moment, he led his team in the opposite direction.
Ōnoki and his men had unknowingly been chasing nothing more than three of Fugaku's shadow clones.
Meanwhile, Ōnoki pressed forward, oblivious to the fact that he was getting farther and farther from Rōshi.
...
Minute by minute, time slipped away.
At last, Fugaku arrived at the location where the Hyūga clan shinobi had been monitoring Rōshi.
"Where is he?"
As Fugaku approached the Hyūga clan member, he took the initiative to ask.
"By the small waterfall ahead."
The Hyūga ninja looked pale from prolonged Byakugan use.
"Rest for a bit. I'll take over from here."
Fugaku patted the Hyūga ninja on the shoulder. Though he couldn't see for himself, he had absolute trust in the Byakugan's accuracy.
"Yes, Lord Fugaku."
Upon hearing this, the Hyūga ninja immediately deactivated his Byakugan, pulled out a ration pill from his pouch, and swallowed it.
Moments later, the two Uchiha shinobi and the Hyūga ninja dispersed, each focusing on their surroundings, alert for any movement.
Fugaku no longer bothered to conceal his presence and calmly walked toward the small waterfall.
As the distance closed, Rōshi finally sensed something was off.
"Who's there?!"
He shot up from the ground, his face filled with wariness as he stared in the direction Fugaku was approaching from.
"Someone here to kill you."
Fugaku's voice reached Rōshi's ears just as his figure appeared in his line of sight.
"It's you?!"
Rōshi's pupils constricted. How could he not recognize the man who had been trying to take his life?
"That's right."
"It's time we settled our grudge."
Fugaku didn't stop walking, and as he advanced, his black pupils transformed into three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Heh, then let's see if you've improved."
Rōshi knew that the hatred between them wasn't something that could be resolved with words.
A deep blood feud could only be repaid in blood.
He still remembered the black flames that had nearly killed him years ago. His words were tough, but deep down, he felt a heavy pressure.
His gaze grew more serious as he locked onto Fugaku.
"I should be the one saying that."
"If you haven't improved, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Oh wait—"
"Even if you have improved, you're still dying here today."
Fugaku's mocking tone completely ignited Rōshi's fury, and that infuriating smirk made it even worse.
This man wasn't taking him seriously at all!
"You're asking for death!"
With a furious roar, an immense surge of chakra erupted from his body, enveloping him in a cloak of Tailed Beast chakra.
In an instant, he entered his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
Despite his rage, he still retained some clarity of mind, making a conscious effort to avoid direct eye contact with Fugaku.
He had heard all about the terrifying power of the Sharingan's Genjutsu.
With a powerful burst of force, the ground beneath him shattered as Rōshi launched himself at Fugaku with incredible speed.
"You're still too slow."
Fugaku remained composed, shaking his head in mild disappointment.
Effortlessly, he evaded the flurry of attacks with minimal movement.
With the insight granted by his three-tomoe Sharingan, every strike from Rōshi was predicted in advance, making his attacks completely ineffective.
"So this is the power of the Sharingan… one of the Three Great Dōjutsu?"
Stopping his offensive, Rōshi locked eyes with Fugaku from a short distance away.
Yet, there wasn't a trace of discouragement in his expression.
"You've only seen the tip of the iceberg."
"My turn."
Calmly, Fugaku unsealed his wrist guards, gripping both his flame fan and scythe.
The legendary weapons passed down through the Uchiha clan were about to display their true might.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he charged straight at Rōshi.
"You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Rōshi didn't hesitate. Without flinching, he threw himself forward to meet Fugaku's assault head-on.
In Fugaku's eyes, his Sharingan spun wildly, the crimson glow flickering like dancing flames.