c16 Outstanding Military Contributions
Uchiha Gen leapt down from the tree, swiftly collecting the shuriken he had launched, slipping them back into his ninja pouch.
Kakashi and Nohara Rin exchanged glances, familiar with this habitual behavior. Despite having witnessed it multiple times, they couldn't help but silently reflect: Gen was incredibly frugal, a stark contrast to the typical image of a genius from a prestigious clan like the Uchiha.
Gen's explanation, repeated like a mantra, was that the advanced shuriken-throwing technique unique to the Uchiha clan was not to be wasted. Retrieving his shuriken was, in his words, "respecting the spirit of the weapon." Even though it might seem petty after all, these were low-grade tools—"a mosquito's leg is still meat."
"Let's move," Gen ordered.
The trio—Gen, Kakashi, and Rin fell into a familiar triangle formation, advancing swiftly through the forest.
Soon, two Kumogakure shinobi blocked their path. Unfazed by the sudden encounter, the Cloud ninja initiated their attack with practiced confidence.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Snake Hands!"
The Kumogakure ninja weaved seals, and their hands crackled with blue-white electricity. Four sinuous lightning serpents shot forth with lethal intent.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Gen responded instantly, forming hand seals at high speed. Golden-orange fireballs erupted from his mouth, colliding with the approaching lightning. The resulting explosions echoed through the trees, shockwaves scattering leaves and branches.
Kakashi and Rin seized the opportunity to leap into the air, launching kunai and shuriken from above.
However, the two Kumogakure shinobi were shrouded in the distinctive glow of Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Their physical abilities particularly speed amplified dramatically as they dodged the projectiles and resisted the shockwaves.
The Lightning Chakra Mode was not an esoteric or forbidden technique; though technically a B-rank jutsu, it required significant natural talent and chakra control. Many elite Kumogakure shinobi could utilize it to some extent, but mastery was rare. Only prodigies like the Third Raikage could wield it to the extreme, enabling him to face entire armies and even battle tailed beasts, wearing them down through sheer durability.
The Fourth Raikage, his son, was faster but lacked his father's sheer resilience and stamina. The comparison between the Lightning Chakra Mode and the Leaf's Eight Gates Technique was often made: the Eight Gates offered a higher burst potential, but in terms of sustained durability and defense, the Lightning Armor was unmatched.
After all, what mattered most to a shinobi in prolonged combat was endurance.
In his previous life, Gen Uchiha had often fantasized about possessing the physical prowess of the Third Raikage. With such a body, he believed he could have reached the apex of the shinobi world with minimal effort just coasting along.
As the two enemy shinobi charged at them with ferocity, Gen's expression remained calm. He backpedaled slightly and formed a rapid series of seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A thin stream of flame spewed from his mouth and expanded into a massive golden-orange conflagration under precise chakra control. The advancing flames consumed the surrounding foliage, igniting trees and distorting the air with their intense heat.
The Kumogakure shinobi skillfully avoided the central blaze, circling from the edges, relying on their lightning armor to mitigate the fire's intensity. Their formation aimed to flank and overwhelm the Konoha trio.
However, Kakashi and Rin, upon landing, found their field of vision obscured by the blazing wall of fire. Gen Uchiha's eyes narrowed.
At that moment, a sudden flash of chakra flared on his left forearm. Zhu Rong the small chakra construct resembling a tiny dragon emerged from his arm. Its mouth opened, releasing a concentrated line of fire that merged with Gen's ongoing jutsu.
In an instant, the ordinary orange flames transformed into a dazzling golden blaze, their temperature surging by a hundred degrees. The fire wave expanded laterally, eliminating the previously weaker flanks and turning the entire front into a deadly inferno.
"Aaaarghhh!"
The Lightning Armor's protective layer of the two Kumogakure shinobi proved insufficient. Their shrill screams pierced the air as the flames engulfed them, their armor charring and cracking under the heat. Within moments, their bodies were reduced to charred husks, falling lifelessly from the trees. The scorched scent of burnt flesh filled the forest.
Against such overwhelming elemental force, substitution techniques were useless. After all, the Body Replacement Technique wasn't space-time ninjutsu it relied on misdirection and sleight of hand, exploiting an attacker's perception. While substitution worked against lower-level adversaries, it was ineffective in mid- to high-level battles. Without ocular prowess or advanced sensory techniques, seasoned shinobi could see through the trick easily.
In more advanced combat scenarios, higher-level clone techniques such as the Shadow Clone Jutsu or the Wood Clone were far more practical.
Kakashi and Rin, watching the aftermath, couldn't help but draw subconscious comparisons to Obito's Fire Style techniques. Even though their bond with Obito was deeper and more personal, it was undeniable: Gen's fire techniques far surpassed Obito's in both scale and intensity.
The sheer force of this Fire Style couldn't be fully neutralized by a standard Water Wall Jutsu not unless the terrain or conditions were exceptionally favorable.
Surveying the smoldering battlefield, Uchiha Gen allowed himself a rare, satisfied smile.
A Kumo ninja with this kind of strength was at least a special jōnin. Killing two such opponents at once was no small feat.
If Kumogakure's conspiracy was thwarted, the war could shift from a large-scale conflict to localized skirmishes.
Before the end of the Third Shinobi World War, he would certainly be promoted to jōnin.
First, because promotion to jōnin was much harder during peacetime, and he didn't intend to squander valuable time waiting.
Second, he needed to solidify his standing within the Uchiha clan not merely as a genius, but as a dependable pillar, akin to jōnin like Shisui Uchiha in the future.
Only by achieving such influence would his voice carry weight with the Uchiha elders.
Up to this point, most of the battlefield glory had gone to Kakashi, with Gen playing a supporting role. Now was the time for a bold, high-profile showing in front of the Konoha shinobi.
"Kakashi, Rin, let's go," Uchiha Gen called out, maneuvering around the sea of flames. The trio advanced, targeting the remaining Kumo ninja to aid the embattled Konoha forces.
Clang!
Just as a Konoha shinobi was about to be impaled by a Kumo ninja's blade, Uchiha Gen arrived, deflecting the strike with his own sword.
His eyes locked onto the enemy's, and in an instant, the power of his Sharingan cast an illusion, sending the Kumo ninja into a daze. With a swift backhand thrust, Gen's blade pierced the enemy's chest.
"Thanks," the Konoha shinobi murmured in surprise, shaken but grateful.
"No need. We're comrades from the same village," Gen replied briefly, before dashing toward another embattled front.
"Clear the way!" a Konoha ninja shouted as they noticed reinforcements arriving.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A golden-orange dragon-shaped flame burst from Uchiha Gen's mouth, its intense heat warping the air and scorching the ground.
The Kumo shinobi tried to evade, but under the precise control of Uchiha Gen's chakra and guided by the predictive power of the Sharingan, the fire dragon adjusted its path. It seemed as if the enemy had deliberately run into the flames, though in reality, it was the genius-level Sharingan reading their movements.
"Aaahhh!"
The searing fire dragon engulfed the Kumo ninja, the surrounding soil erupting as flames devoured him, leaving behind nothing but charred remains.
"Incredible," murmured a nearby Konoha ninja, stunned by the sight of an opponent who had long been a threat falling to a single jutsu.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Gen pressed on.
Kakashi, watching his comrade's aggressive advance, hesitated to call him back. Rin, barely keeping pace, seemed about to speak but thought better of it.
Gen was a genius too—his light shouldn't be dimmed.
Let Gen go ahead. With his strength, he should be fine. Kakashi resolved to stay back and protect Rin while eliminating any pursuing enemies.
After downing another Kumo ninja, Uchiha Gen finally noticed his teammates weren't right behind him. He turned back, catching sight of Kakashi and Rin several dozen meters away. They nodded in silent acknowledgment.
Gen returned a bright smile before leaping back into the fray.
In the ongoing clashes, he relied primarily on genjutsu for efficiency, supplementing it with Fire Style techniques. After all, genjutsu expended less chakra while delivering swift, decisive kills.
As long as the enemy fell under the Sharingan's spell and lacked comrades nearby to break the illusion, they were as good as dead.
After all, genjutsu cast through ocular jutsu could usually only be disrupted by an ally disturbing the victim's chakra flow.
With the passage of time, Uchiha Gen's dominance on the battlefield became increasingly evident. His actions drew both awe and admiration from allies, making him the center of attention.
By the battle's end, Uchiha Gen had felled ten Kumo ninja: six chūnin, three special jōnin, and one full-fledged jōnin. His contributions were nothing short of spectacular.
Of the more than fifty Kumo ninja who had stormed the Konoha line, only a few managed to escape only to face pursuit by Konoha's forces further along the front.
Meanwhile, on another battlefield, Namikaze Minato faced the infamous "A-B combo"—the future Fourth Raikage and Killer B from the original story. Despite their overwhelming power, they were forced to retreat under Minato's swift and precise strikes.
With this turn of events, Kumogakure's ambitions were completely crushed.
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