Naruto: Becoming Stronger through Bonds

Chapter 16: Sharingan Awakening

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Ervin looked at Itachi with a solemn expression.

He not only needed to win this battle but also had to do so in just the right way, ensuring he didn't reveal too much of his strength.

Based on the experiences of countless predecessors, he knew that if he stood out too much, he would attract Danzo's covetous gaze. Inevitably, the orthodox group would regret their decision, and Danzo would resort to underhanded tactics against him.

No, he was Danzo's man.

That was enough.

Ervin's expression relaxed slightly.

"The culprit turned out to be me," he thought. "Well, what does he have to fear?"

...

Itachi observed Ervin's shifting expression with a hint of confusion. However, when he heard the voice of the cat-masked Anbu, his face became serious.

"The battle begins!"

The Anbu whistled, and both combatants moved simultaneously.

But while one advanced, the other retreated.

Ervin pursued, and Itachi fled.

While maintaining his distance, Itachi's hands moved with precision. Trembling as though in a fit, he launched dozens of shurikens in an instant. Each shuriken was attached to a near-invisible silk thread.

As the threads pulled and shifted, the shurikens' trajectories changed. Some continued to obstruct Ervin from the front, while others circled around from the sides, weaving a wide net intended to trap Ervin entirely.

The essence of the Body Flicker Technique was not teleportation but the activation of one's body through chakra, greatly enhancing speed. Having trained alongside Shisui, Itachi understood how to counter its use.

The observing ninjas' eyes lit up in admiration.

There it was—the Uchiha clan's renowned shuriken technique!

With the Sharingan's precise observational abilities and the chakra control gained from heightened mental acuity, the Uchiha clan didn't just excel at throwing shurikens; they manipulated them with finesse using silk threads. The result was a nearly impossible-to-counter display.

But... this Itachi was still young.

"Fugaku-sama really has a talented son," one Jōnin remarked with a sigh.

"Indeed. Another Shisui in the making. Who knows what reputation he'll earn in the future?"

"As expected of Konoha's foremost clan. Their geniuses are unending."

Hearing these praises, Fugaku subtly used his chakra to suppress the proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

However, he failed to notice the expressionless faces of the four elders led by Hiruzen, who watched in silence.

On the battlefield, Ervin and Itachi maintained a calculated distance. It seemed that Itachi's strategy was working, but then—

-What?

Itachi's face shifted slightly.

Ervin charged forward once more. When Itachi moved to pull the threads to intercept him, he realized that the kunai and shurikens had become tangled into a single cluster.

Replaying Ervin's seemingly erratic movements in his mind, inspiration struck, and he understood.

What had seemed like random, headless motions were, in fact, calculated. Ervin had moved deliberately, tangling all the threads together over time.

"Itachi," Ervin said with a smirk, "I let you play this long out of respect for Shisui, but this farce ends now."

_Swish!

The Body Flicker Technique erupted, and Ervin swiftly appeared in front of Itachi, throwing a straight punch. Itachi raised his hand to block it, but a piercing pain shot through him as the impact sent his entire body flying through the air.

At that moment, Itachi felt as though he wasn't facing a peer, but a fully developed adult ninja. The difference in their strength was completely on another level.

Using the force of the blow, he allowed himself to be propelled backward to create distance. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he quickly began forming hand seals. By the time his feet touched the ground, only two seals remained.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball burst from his mouth, rapidly expanding to a five-meter diameter as it barreled toward Ervin, radiating intense heat waves.

Ervin, having anticipated Itachi's movements, had already begun forming his own seals. Both completed their techniques almost simultaneously.

-Bang!

A plume of smoke erupted, and a Shadow Clone appeared beside Ervin. The hand seals of the original body and the clone differed.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Wind Style: Whirlwind Breakthrough!"

"Explosion Wind Dance!"

In an instant, the combined ninjutsu Explosion Wind Dance materialized. The wind enhanced the fire's intensity, while the fire boosted the wind's ferocity, creating a spiraling, roaring fire dragon that surged toward Itachi. The two attacks collided mid-air.

The Great Fireball exploded violently, and Itachi's pupils shrank in shock.

He hadn't expected his ninjutsu to be overpowered so decisively.

With the support of Wind Style, the fire dragon's speed increased rather than diminished, and its size grew as it advanced. The flames reflected in his wide eyes, and it was too late for him to evade.

At that critical moment...

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

A sturdy wall of earth rose from the ground, intercepting the fire dragon. When the flames dissipated, the wall was reduced to rubble, revealing the figure behind it— Fugaku.

The Uchiha clan leader stood solemnly, his gaze piercing through the wreckage to meet Ervin's.

"Itachi lost this battle, Ervin," Fugaku declared gravely.

"No, Father, I haven't—" Itachi began to protest.

"Silence!"

Fugaku's voice was sharp, cutting off his son mid-sentence. However, as he turned, he noticed Itachi's eyes glowing blood red. A single tomoe hung in each pupil.

"Itachi... you've awakened your Sharingan?" Fugaku's anger dissolved instantly, replaced by astonishment.

Before he could say more, Itachi collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

[The host and Itachi's rival bond has reached the second stage. Reward: Uchiha bloodline (rich).]

Fugaku carefully picked up his unconscious son and turned to the Hokage's table.

"Hokage-sama, I need to take Itachi for treatment. With your permission, I'll leave now," Fugaku said firmly.

"Go, Fugaku. Take good care of Itachi. When he wakes, congratulate him on becoming a Genin for me," Hiruzen replied calmly, his face obscured by the bamboo hat.

Danzo, seated silently, kept his head bowed, his expression hidden in the shadows.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed slightly, then activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing in the direction of Konoha Hospital.

Watching them leave, Ervin sighed softly.

- It seems there won't be an opportunity to offer reconciliation seal this time to.