Chapter 343: 343 – Uchiha vs Uchiha | Sasuke’s crisis

“Thank you… Kitazawa-sama.”

Raidō finally exhaled, sheathing his black-edged katana.

His gaze drifted toward Hinata—not in resentment, but in disbelief.

She shouldn’t have been able to anticipate every one of his attacks.

Her taijutsu wasn’t at a Jonin’s level.

But that bow… He clenched his jaw. Tools were part of a shinobi’s strength. He had no right to complain.

Deactivating the Curse Mark, Raidō quietly exited the arena.

“Congratulations—you won.”

Kitazawa’s hand landed gently on Hinata’s head. She brightened instantly, cheeks pink with quiet pride.

“Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei… But honestly, I only won because of Tsukino bow you gave me.”

“Tsukino, Moon Chasing, huh? That’s a good name,” Kitazawa chuckled. “Go take a break.”

Hinata nodded eagerly and hurried back to her classmates.

Kitazawa returned to his seat and nudged Tsunade’s thigh with the side of his leg.

“Tsunade-sensei,” he said with a teasing smile, “that makes it eleven wins and three losses.”

“I’m not backing out of the bet,” Tsunade grumbled, glaring while clearly fuming.

“Good.”

Hinata barely stepped into the lineup before everyone swarmed her.

“Hinata!”

Kiba blurted out first. “How were you dodging everything? before Raidō even swung? You didn’t react—you predicted!”

Hinata held her bow closer.

“There’s a Yin Release monster sealed inside… Satori. It can sense emotions.”

“So broken?!” Ino gasped. “Does that mean no one can hit you now?”

Hinata quickly shook her head.

“If I can’t move fast enough, I’ll still get hit.”

“With Byakugan on top of emotional sensing…” Shikamaru muttered, rubbing his chin. “That’s quite the combo.”

“I’m so jealous,” Ino sighed dramatically. “Kitazawa-sensei spoils you, Hyuga!”

Neji listened in silence, startled.

Only now did he realize his bow and Hinata’s moon-chasing bow were fundamentally different.

The Zero-Tails was sealed inside his.

Satori inside hers.

Very different creatures… very different abilities.

He hadn’t even begun researching the Zero-Tails.

Sasuke, meanwhile, looked like he was experiencing an existential breakdown.

What is happening right now?

He had shut himself away for months to master the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, convinced he’d return and ascend the Genius Class throne with absolute dominance.

Instead, Neji had a bow that could shred Jonin-level defenses.

Hinata had a bow that let her read emotional intent, practically giving her precognition.

Sasuke tasted humiliation.

Fortunately, Itachi had taught him the counter to emotion-sensing: a perfectly clear mind with no emotional fluctuations.

…Which, for an eight-year-old Uchiha prodigy with pride issues, was basically impossible.

Tayuya stared at the moon-chasing bow with a complicated expression.

If my flute had a Yin Release monster inside… my Genjutsu would be untouchable.

But fantasy was fantasy. Yin-type creatures like Satori were rarer than Tailed Beasts.

She shoved that dream aside—her rankings were slipping. She needed power, fast.

Kimimaro stood motionless, brows drawn tight.

Before, with Shikotsumyaku and the Curse Mark, he could occasionally pressure Neji and Hinata.

Now?

They would destroy him from afar.

He had no mid-range, no long-range, nothing except Ten Fingers Drilling Bullets.

The Byakugan paired with those bows erased every advantage he had.

For the first time, Kimimaro felt he was failing Orochimaru.

He was no longer the undefeatable prodigy of Otogakure.

Iruka’s voice rang out:

“Fifteenth match: Kimimaro Kaguya versus Akimichi Shidō!”

“Kaguya?” Tsume muttered, startled. “As in that Kaguya Clan from the Mist—the one that was wiped out?”

“That’s right,” Shibi confirmed. “Orochimaru-sama rescued him.”

He remembered the snake-hunt mission vividly.

Choza chuckled.

“Ice Release and Shikotsumyaku—never thought both would appear in Konoha.”

“And if fate continues this way,” Shikaku added, “the Mist may have lost both bloodlines… forever.”

“Shikotsumyaku is a nightmare for Taijutsu fighters,” Shibi noted. “I wonder if Shidō can handle it.”

Akimichi Shidō—Jonin of the Akimichi Clan.

A man who once stood against Pain’s Deva Path.

A man who later barred Naruto’s path during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

And now—He was standing across from Kimimaro.

“The Akimichi Clan isn’t made up of ordinary Taijutsu users.”

Shikaku said, shaking his head. “And Shidō is one of their top heavy-hitters.”

“That’s true,” Choza added with a grin, “but with how the Genius Class has been performing… if another one of them pulls out a bow, Shidō might as well give up now.”

Shikaku opened his mouth to refute—then remembered Kitazawa had already shown two monstrous bows today.

He quietly closed his mouth.

“Begin!”

Iruka stepped back as the air tightened with anticipation.

Kimimaro faced Shidō with the same blank, icy expression he held for every battle.

Neji and Hinata could wait—they were rivals for the future.

Right now, he needed this victory.

Or at least… as much of a victory as he could manage.

The moment the match started, Kimimaro’s Curse Mark flared.

Earth Scroll Cursed Seal: State Two.

The transformation was almost routine by now, and the crowd no longer gasped. They had seen enough cursed seals today to build an encyclopedia.

Shidō, expression hardening, pulled a long metal staff from behind his back.

Shikotsumyaku: Ten Fingers Bullets!

Bone bullets erupted from Kimimaro’s fingertips.

Shidō didn’t panic.

The staff spun in his hands, sweeping a wide semicircle that shattered every bone bullet mid-flight.

Kimimaro’s expression didn’t waver.

Dance of the Willow.

Needles of bone sprouted across his body, and he lunged, unleashing a storm of unpredictable thrusts and slashes—like a swordsman wielding a dozen blades.

For the first time, Shidō faltered.

Kimimaro’s frame was a hedge of death, every movement a slash waiting to happen.

“Shikotsumyaku really is terrifying…” Choza murmured.

“No surprise it once belonged to the proudest clan in the Mist,” Shikaku nodded.

“What a pity they vanished,” Hiashi added quietly.

Only then did the others recall the Hyuga and Kaguya Clans shared distant roots.

“At least a spark of that bloodline survives,” Fugaku said thoughtfully.

Though his mind was elsewhere—would Shikotsumyaku combined with Sharingan make an unstoppable heir?

The Hyuga sought to preserve their bloodline through strict endogamy.

The Uchiha did not.

If an Uchiha awakened the Sharingan, they could marry into the clan even if born outside it.

And Kimimaro… was strong, handsome, refined, loyal, and very available.

It wasn’t just Fugaku—every clan head watching had similar thoughts.

Kimimaro, Haku… both were elite seedlings whom any clan would welcome as sons-in-law.

CLANG!

Shidō caught Kimimaro with a heavy staff swing, forcing him back.

He immediately disengaged and pocketed the staff—close combat was out of the question.

Only the Akimichi Clan’s true strength would work here.

Multi-Size Technique!

Shidō swelled like rising thunderclouds, growing into a five-meter giant.

Had the training ground been larger, he could have doubled that size.

Kimimaro’s breath caught.

Dance of the Camellia.

He drew out a long bone blade from his arm and sprinted forward.

Super Palm Thrust!

Shidō brought his massive palms down, each strike heavy enough to crater earth.

Gales howled from the pressure alone.

Kimimaro stabbed upward repeatedly, bone blade carving deep gashes in Shidō’s palms—

yet compared to the giant’s size, they were mere scratches.

The weight pressing down was overwhelming.

Kimimaro’s knees dipped.

In the last instant, he twisted away just beyond the crushing range.

BOOM!

Shidō’s palms hit the earth.

The ground caved in violently.

Kakashi flashed forward, raising an earth barrier to stop the collapse from spreading toward Tsunade and the officials.

Hiruzen did the same on the students’ side.

Kimimaro’s eyes sharpened.

He darted up Shidō’s arm like a streak of white, bone blade poised for a decisive strike toward the head—

Human Bullet Tank!

Shidō withdrew his limbs instantly, curling into a massive sphere.

He spun—fast.

Too fast.

The rolling mass slammed into Kimimaro mid-leap.

Kimimaro crossed his arms, bones erupting to shield vital points, but—

BANG!

He was smashed away like a ragdoll.

Before he could land—

BANG!

Shidō redirected mid-spin, slamming him again.

Kimimaro was still airborne, powerless to brace.

The battlefield echoed with thunderous impacts.

Kimimaro was completely dazed, his senses scattering from the relentless impacts.

Shidō barreled toward him for yet another crushing blow—but before the attack landed, Kitazawa appeared like a shadow snapping into place.

With one smooth motion, he scooped Kimimaro out of harm’s way.

Shidō immediately halted, releasing the Multi-Size Technique. His huge frame shrank back to normal as he let out a long, relieved exhale.

To be honest, he and Choza had been worried about one thing throughout the match—

What if Kimimaro suddenly pulled out a bow?

Thankfully, the nightmare scenario never came.

“Winner, Akimichi Shidō!”

Iruka quickly announced the result.

“The Genius Class is on another level…”

Izumo muttered in amazement. “Fifteen matches, and they’ve only lost four!”

Kotetsu nodded vigorously.

“Seriously—a bunch of Academy kids fighting official shinobi and still coming out with eleven wins. If someone told me that without seeing it, I’d laugh.”

“But it’s not like our side is incompetent.”

Ebisu sighed. “Look at who their teachers are.”

Tekka, Hizashi, Yūgao, and the other defeated shinobi all fell silent.

Meanwhile, Asuma—still waiting for his turn—felt a pressure heavier than ever.

Ebisu’s words were true.

The Genius Class was monstrous.

But he was the son of the Third Hokage.

The crowd would naturally expect more of him.

And if he lost?

No—losing to Kakashi’s and Kitazawa’s students would sting ten times worse.

His mindset had shifted completely.

He no longer hoped for a glorious victory.

He just prayed he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.

“The sixteenth sparring match—Uchiha Sasuke versus Uchiha Inabi!”

Iruka’s announcement sent a ripple of excitement through the audience.

Finally.

Fugaku straightened in his seat.

The Hyuga Clan had just made an outrageous display—now it was the Uchiha’s turn.

An eight-year-old wielding the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was something even the great clans would whisper about for decades.

But Inabi was no pushover; he too bore the fully matured Sharingan.

This match would be skill against skill.

“Why does this feel familiar?”

Tsume muttered, recalling Neji’s earlier fight with Hizashi.

“Wait… does Sasuke also have a bow?”

Shibi wondered aloud.

Hiashi’s eyes shifted to Fugaku.

A bow combined with the Sharingan’s insight would be terrifying—even if the Sharingan lacked the Byakugan’s range and X-ray precision.

Fugaku quickly shook his head.

“No. He uses the Sword of the Thunder God.”

Most of the audience had seen that blade during the Konoha-Mist exchange, so they weren’t surprised.

But compared to the god-tier bows Hyuga Hinata and Neji used…it felt a little lacking.

“Sasuke-kun, do your best!”

Sakura cheered, fists raised.

“Sasuke, unleash your youth!”

Naruto shouted with a glowing thumbs-up.

“You may all witness my victory.”

Sasuke replied coolly, stepping forward.

“Winning won’t be easy.”

Shikamaru murmured. “Inabi’s a Jonin with a matured Sharingan.”

“Sasuke-kun will definitely win!” Sakura insisted.

Tenten chuckled.

“Sasuke doesn’t fight like a typical Uchiha. His ranking’s always high because of his Lightning Release and sword skills more than his Sharingan.”

Ino nodded.

“He’s well-rounded. Not a Genjutsu-type like most Uchihas.”

Even Neji silently agreed.

“Begin!”

Iruka’s voice cut through the air.

“In that case… Sasuke, you go first.”

Inabi said calmly, hand raised.

“I won’t hold back, Inabi-senpai.”

Sasuke replied, expression unreadable.

“You really are like your brother.”

Inabi laughed.

Sasuke gripped the Sword of the Thunder God—and vanished.

Inabi responded instantly.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

A roaring fireball, three meters tall, swallowed Sasuke whole.

Lightning burst from the thunder god blade—Sasuke slashed, cleaving the fireball cleanly in two.

Leaf Style: Willow.

Sasuke twisted his wrist, and the lightning sword blurred.

“Genjutsu…?”

Inabi felt his limbs lock.

Sword shadows filled his vision.

He immediately activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, shattering the illusion—just in time to raise a kunai and catch Sasuke’s thrust.

He exhaled sharply.

That had been close.

“As expected of Itachi’s brother.”

But before he could counter—

CRACKLE—!

Lightning coiled along the blade and lashed toward him.

Inabi dropped his kunai and jumped back.

The kunai sparked violently where it hit the ground.

Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!

Dozens of kunai scattered, cloaked in fire.

Sasuke’s Sharingan spun to full speed.

He deflected and weaved away with the Sword of the Thunder God, scattering sparks.

The two Uchihas reset their distance.

“What—!? Sasuke awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?”

Hiashi, Tsume, Choza, and nearly everyone else stared in disbelief.

An eight-year-old achieving full maturity of the Sharingan?

Such a thing…had never happened in Konoha’s recorded history.

Even Fugaku, who already knew, felt pride in his chest.

Today, the Uchiha Clan would shine just as brightly as the Hyuga.

——————

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