Chapter 67: The Battle of the Mangekyo Sharingan

The explosion from the paper bomb filled the air with flames and thick smoke, causing the Uchiha clansmen on the cliff to frown. They weren't concerned about Fugaku's use of such an attack, nor did they doubt Hara's ability to evade it. What intrigued them was the special chakra enveloping Hara. Although invisible, it was real and tightly wrapped around him, leaving many wondering how he achieved this.

The more seasoned and knowledgeable elites, especially those who had witnessed Hara's actions that fateful night, had their own speculations. As the smoke dispersed in the gentle breeze, a figure suddenly emerged from the side. Hara's blade gleamed with blue light as he charged towards Fugaku's position.

"Clang!" The sharp clash of metal rang out as Fugaku's kunai blocked Hara's sword at the last moment. Observing Hara closely, Fugaku nodded slightly. The violent explosion from the paper bomb had left no mark on Hara, who was still surrounded by that undulating blue chakra.

"It seems your Susanoo has reached an astonishing level of mastery," Fugaku commented quietly while fending off Hara's attacks. "I noticed it last time, but now I can confirm. Such a pure and strong chakra defense can only be Susanoo. Your control over it is impressive. With such power, I'm more reassured, but be careful, Hara."

Hara, hearing Fugaku's words, felt conflicted. How had his 'Qi Shield' been mistaken for Susanoo? Despite their similarities, they were fundamentally different. The Qi Shield couldn't transform into the full form of Susanoo. However, Hara saw no need to correct Fugaku, especially since Fugaku seemed uninterested in further conversation.

Fugaku pressed forward with his kunai, exerting a force that made Hara feel a slight pressure. Fugaku then leaped back, flinging his kunai at Hara and forming rapid hand seals. In the next moment, a massive flame dragon erupted from his mouth.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

The flaming dragon surged towards Hara, creating a wave of steam from the river as it advanced. Hara, unfazed, quickly responded. The tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly, pinpointing the weak spot in the technique. His sword, infused with Wind Chakra, pierced the dragon's head, splitting it in two. Hara then leaped back and swiftly formed hand seals of his own.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Instead of a powerful fire jutsu, Hara chose one with a wide range. Countless fireballs scattered, enveloping Fugaku. Fugaku smiled faintly; fire techniques were his specialty. He had heard of Hara's proficiency with Fire Style and assumed Hara had learned more over the past month. Yet, Fugaku was confident that in terms of chakra reserves and ninjutsu mastery, he surpassed the young Hara, who was only sixteen or seventeen.

Nevertheless, Fugaku remained cautious. Hara's possession of the Mangekyo Sharingan meant he could not afford to underestimate him. The Mangekyo not only enhanced physical abilities but also provided formidable insight and jutsu.

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

Forming quick hand seals, Fugaku summoned a water wall from the river to counter Hara's fire jutsu, effectively neutralizing it. However, Hara showed no sign of backing down. He clasped his hands together, and a massive fire dragon burst from his mouth. The dragon's intense heat caused the river to steam, shrouding the area in mist as it roared towards Fugaku.

Fugaku watched calmly. While Hara's fire jutsu was impressive, Fugaku was confident in countering it with his own techniques. However, he decided the warm-up was sufficient. The purpose of this battle was to gauge Hara's abilities in taijutsu and ninjutsu, and Fugaku was particularly intrigued by Hara's use of Susanoo. Yet, Hara hadn't activated his Mangekyo Sharingan during this exchange.

Fugaku's three tomoe began to spin rapidly, the chilling and destructive aura of the Mangekyo Sharingan enveloping the area. With its enhanced perception and dynamic vision, Fugaku effortlessly evaded Hara's fire dragon, landing silently beside him. The eerie chakra of the Mangekyo flared up.

"Mangekyo?" Hara raised an eyebrow, surprised that Fugaku had activated it so quickly. But if Fugaku was using it, Hara saw no reason to hold back. He had only used his Mangekyo against Danzo's subordinates, and that experience had shown him the Sharingan's power. Those opponents, though formidable, had no secrets under the Mangekyo's insight, allowing Hara to easily defeat them.

Now, facing another Mangekyo user, Hara was eager to test the full extent of his eyes. He was curious about Fugaku's abilities and wanted to see just how far his own Mangekyo could take him.

"Their auras have changed..."

"What a terrifying aura. Have they resorted to using forbidden powers?"

The Uchiha clan members on the cliff felt the sudden shift in the atmosphere below. The chilling and destructive power emanating from the combatants made them uneasy. As elite members who had participated in the clan meeting, they immediately recognized the situation.

It seemed that both Hara and Fugaku had begun using their Mangekyo Sharingan powers.

"So, it has come to this," Uchiha So muttered, standing on the cliff, sighing slightly.

"Don't worry, their battle remains restrained," Uchiha Chiku also spoke, lowering his voice, "By the way, how has Itachi been recently? I heard he met with Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Shisui is watching him, and the sentries have been changed, as per Hara's orders," So replied, feeling a pang of regret at the mention of Itachi. "Let's focus on this battle that could decide our clan's future. There's no need to worry about Itachi."

"A battle to decide the clan's future?" Chiku laughed. "The Uchiha clan already belongs to Hara. What future are you concerned about?"

So remained silent, acknowledging the truth in Chiku's words. The Uchiha clan was indeed under Hara's leadership. However, Hara still lacked the official title of clan leader.

"Have we really moved to using the power of the Mangekyo so soon?"

Hara halted his attacks, his eyes now showing the Mangekyo pattern, calmly observing Fugaku. "The exchange with the three-tomoe Sharingan was sufficient. I've gauged your limits and abilities."

Fugaku remained composed, his chakra surging wildly. "It's time to take it further. The three-tomoe state restricts our full potential."

With those words, Fugaku moved like a phantom, his kunai thrusting towards Hara.

"Clang!" Hara reacted swiftly, blocking with his blade and pressing forward, closing the distance. With the Mangekyo Sharingan activated, both their speed, strength, and reactions became markedly more powerful. Hara felt the increased pressure but found the intensity of the battle invigorating.

For the observing clan members, the experience was even more profound. Despite having their Sharingan activated, they found themselves unable to keep up with the fluidity and intensity of the fight.

Amidst the fierce exchange, Hara silently invoked the power of 'Reversal.' He could sense that Fugaku's base strength surpassed his own, which was understandable given Fugaku's age, physical conditioning, and battle experience. Additionally, Fugaku had been using the Mangekyo longer than Hara. Realizing this, Hara knew he had to use his ocular power strategically to match Fugaku.

Their duel was a blur of rapid movements and precise strikes, each clash of metal echoing through the canyon. Suddenly, Fugaku pulled back, his Mangekyo spinning rapidly. Chakra surged as he completed a series of hand seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A vast sea of flames erupted from Fugaku, forcing Hara to retreat. Though Fugaku's Fire Style didn't match the legendary Madara's, it effectively limited Hara's movements within the canyon.

"Is he trying to force me to use Susanoo?" Hara wondered. Although large-scale Earth or Water Style techniques could counter this fire jutsu, his proficiency in Earth Style was lacking, and he didn't know Water Style. Fugaku likely knew this.

However, Hara's abilities extended beyond the Mangekyo Sharingan. "Using Susanoo would be a suitable response, but it's too soon for that," he thought, swirling blue chakra enveloping him as he prepared his next move. The flames surged towards him, but Hara's figure blurred and vanished, reappearing above the battlefield.

"Flying jutsu?" Fugaku murmured, rapidly forming hand seals as Hara launched his attack.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

Hara, hovering above, released a barrage of fireballs that expanded into a blazing sea upon impact. This fiery onslaught surpassed Fugaku's in both range and power, setting the canyon ablaze.

Fugaku smiled wryly, realizing Hara's fire jutsu had improved dramatically. "Is it a dōjutsu? Enhancing his techniques?" he wondered, knowing he couldn't rely solely on ninjutsu to counter Hara's assault.

Fugaku's Mangekyo spun rapidly, and yellow chakra enveloped him, forming a humanoid shape—Susanoo. He completed a series of hand seals, raising a massive water wall to block the approaching firestorm.

But Hara wasn't done. Descending swiftly from above, his blade shimmered with Wind Chakra. "Clan Leader Fugaku, I will claim the title of clan leader. I will be the Uchiha's blade!"

Secret Technique: Water Bird Dance!