Chapter 46: The Final Battle (Part 5)
Uchiha Kei stood panting, eyes locked on the four Iwa-nin before him. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he'd met his match.
If it were one-on-one, defeating any of them would still be a challenge—but nothing that would leave him in such a battered state. The problem was their coordination. While not flawless, their teamwork was tight, efficient, and dangerously effective.
This was the infamous Ishimizu Hiiragi Squad, the same unit that had caused Konoha so much trouble in the Land of Grass. Their formation was clearly designed to counter his Sharingan. One would always engage him head-on, while the others attacked from his flanks and behind. No matter how he moved or tried to reposition himself, they maintained the same triangular assault formation.
The one confronting him directly never tried to land a killing blow. His sole purpose was to monopolize Uchiha Kei's attention and prevent him from observing the whole battlefield—a strategy that rendered his Sharingan's predictive ability far less effective.
"Tch, annoying bastards," Kei cursed inwardly, feeling the sting of their tactic. It was dirty, sure—but effective.
If not for the Akimichi clan's medicine restoring his chakra and the years of experience on the battlefield strengthening his stamina, he'd already be lying on the ground—defeated not by their blows, but sheer exhaustion.
But the medicine's effect had long worn off. Though Kei hadn't yet hit the wall, he could feel it creeping closer with every passing moment. Once the suppression faded or his chakra ran dry, he'd be done for.
The fight had dragged on for minutes, and Kei had accumulated his fair share of wounds. It was impossible to remain unscathed when fighting four elite shinobi. Though his reflexes and Sharingan helped him dodge their blades, he couldn't completely avoid the barrage of punches and kicks.
He was strong—capable of fighting even elite jōnin to a draw or better—but he was still young, and his physical endurance had its limits. His body ached all over, his muscles screamed in protest.
Even so, his injuries weren't serious. He could still fight—but not forever. Gritting his teeth, Kei's expression turned cold and dangerous.
He had planned to hold off using his Mangekyō Sharingan until absolutely necessary, hoping Namikaze Minato would arrive in time. But now, he knew that was a fantasy.
His opponents were beginning to adapt to his movements. The injuries on his body proved it. If they could land those hits, they could land fatal ones too.
What troubled him now was which eye's ability to use. Both could end this battle, but he didn't want to waste either recklessly. As for using the power of both eyes together—that was a last resort. The first time he did, the backlash was terrifying. And this still wasn't a life-or-death moment—yet.
As he parried another surprise attack with his kunai, Kei's expression suddenly darkened.
He hadn't noticed when—but one of the Iwa-nin had slipped past his awareness. As Kei dodged, the man burst forward and landed a powerful kick into his back.
BAM!
The impact crushed into his spine like a hammer. Kei felt as though his internal organs had been rearranged.
He was sent flying. But mid-air, he twisted and slammed a palm against the ground, using the momentum to spin out of the way of a flurry of kunai. He landed hard but steady, swallowing back the blood rising in his throat. His face flushed, then turned ghostly pale.
"You're strong," one of the Iwa-nin finally said, stepping forward. "To fight off the four of us at your age… impressive. Truly worthy of the Uchiha name. We'll make good use of your corpse. Kill him!"
"Yes!" the others responded in unison. The four of them fanned out and charged once more, sealing off every escape route.
"Hah..."
Kei let out a low chuckle.
Then, he slowly raised his head—eyes glowing with a deep, blood-red light. At the center of each pupil spun a dark, triangular pattern—his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You think you can beat me?"
The moment he reactivated his Mangekyō, Kei felt it—an overwhelming sense of control over his body. His speed hadn't increased, but every movement was smoother, more precise. Had he activated this earlier, he might've avoided half the hits he'd taken.
But the price was steep. His chakra was draining like a broken dam. The rate was ten—no, twenty times what the regular Sharingan demanded.
"Chrono Leap!"
There was no time to waste. He immediately activated his ocular ability.
Everything shifted. Time itself seemed to slow for him. When the closest Iwa-nin lashed out with his kunai, Kei moved—too fast for the eye to see.
In a flash, he grabbed the man's wrist, twisted it, and disarmed him.
The kunai spun in the air—Kei caught it mid-fall and in the same motion, drove it into the man's heart.
One down.
He turned just as the second enemy froze in place, his body seized by a genjutsu from the Mangekyō's illusory power. Without pause, Kei twisted the third ninja's arm, redirecting his kunai straight into the second enemy's chest.
And then, in one fluid motion, Kei drew another kunai and slashed the third man's throat.
Three down.
But Kei could feel his left eye pulsing painfully. The strain wasn't unbearable yet—but close.
Worse, his chakra was hemorrhaging, and he could sense a strange essence—likely tied to his ocular power—slowly depleting.
But there was no time to worry about that.
The final Iwa-nin was moving.
Kei hurled a kunai straight at him as a feint, then surged forward in a blur. The moment the kunai struck, Kei's hand clamped around the man's throat.
"Do you want to dance too?"
With a brutal twist and pull, the man's neck snapped, blood dribbling from his lips as the ground trembled from distant explosions.