Throne Of The Uchiha

The Easy One

The terrains of the Land of Grass (Kusa no Kuni) and the Land of Rain (Ame no Kuni) differ drastically—one is covered with steep cliffs and rocky terrain, the other shrouded in misty forests and towering, water-fed trees. For shinobi operations, the dense overgrowth and irregular rock formations of the Land of Grass provide superior concealment.

Five Konoha ninja darted through the underbrush and vaulted into the canopy of an enormous tree. Hidden within the thick foliage, they took a moment to recover, ever alert to the enemy's movements.

For two consecutive days, the squad had moved between the borderlands of Kusa and Ame, conducting reconnaissance and small-scale operations. Though no direct battles had taken place, trust and silent coordination had begun to form. These were not genin—they were Konoha's elite, experienced jonin-level shinobi trusted with deep operations.

As they traveled, the Byakugan proved invaluable for reconnaissance. Hyūga Ning maintained a near-constant sweep of their surroundings, his white eyes scanning far and near—above ground and below. Since falling into a Doton-based ambush days earlier, he had made it a point to pay special attention underground.

After all, Iwagakure shinobi are notorious for their mastery of Earth Release (Doton) techniques, and subterranean ambushes are one of their signature tactics.

> "Stop," Ning said abruptly, his expression tense. "There's an ambush up ahead—multiple chakra signatures underground and in the trees."

The five immediately halted atop the branch of a massive tree, silent and still as stone. Even with the Sharingan dormant, Uchiha Fugaku swept the forest ahead with trained eyes—but without his dōjutsu, he saw nothing amiss. Then, a figure stepped into view. Clad in the standard brown and green uniform of Iwagakure, he emerged confidently.

> "Tch. I didn't expect to be discovered," the Rock-nin muttered, eyes narrowing as they landed on Ning. "A Hyūga… no wonder."

The Hyūga clan's Byakugan had been feared since the Warring States Period—and it was no surprise the enemy had studied Konoha's kekkei genkai users.

From behind the Rock-nin, more figures emerged—crouched among roots, stepping from behind boulders, or dropping from trees. Twenty in total.

But Fugaku's eyes narrowed. His battlefield intuition—honed from years of skirmishes during the Third Great Ninja War—told him most of these ninja were mid-tier at best. Chūnin, some Genin, perhaps one or two Jōnin.

Not enough.

Konoha's squad was hand-picked. Each of them had mastered clan techniques or personal jutsu that marked them as a cut above the rest.

> "Kreee—!"

A shrill eagle's cry pierced the air as a ninja hawk swooped down and landed on the shoulder of the lead Iwa shinobi. It ruffled its feathers with practiced ease.

Fugaku clicked his tongue. So they had been spotted from above—ninja falcons were common tracking summons, especially in Iwagakure, where sensory types were in short supply compared to Konoha.

> "Be ready," Fugaku murmured. "We end this quickly and disappear before reinforcements arrive from the Land of Earth."

This was near the border. Speed was critical. Elite Konoha squads like theirs would often be outnumbered, and they had to hit like a flash of lightning—then vanish.

---

Shunshin

Fugaku vanished in a flicker—the classic Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu).

The others moved the moment he did, descending upon the enemy with surgical precision.

In Fugaku's hand was a black kunai, its matte coating eliminating any reflection. It was customized for stealth and assassination—standard for an Uchiha of his caliber.

The Iwa-nin raised his kunai to counter, smirking. The kid rushing him looked barely older than a Chūnin. He lunged—

And was caught in a genjutsu.

Fugaku's Sharingan flared to life—three spinning tomoe glimmering like blood moons. The illusion was subtle but deadly. In the genjutsu, the Iwa-nin thought he had pierced Fugaku's chest—only to find his own throat slit.

In reality, Fugaku's kunai sank into the man's heart. The light vanished from his eyes.

> "Killed a jōnin. Gained a moderate amount of pupil power."

Another Rock-nin roared in rage and charged. Fugaku sidestepped, countering fluidly.

A flash of black lightning—his kunai—pierced the ninja's throat mid-stride.

> "Killed a chūnin. Gained a small amount of pupil power."

He flickered again. His next appearance was among the core of the enemy formation. They barely had time to react.

His Sharingan predicted each movement a heartbeat ahead.

Slashes in the dark. Screams in the trees.

> "Killed a chūnin."

> "Killed a genin."

> "Killed a genin."

Seven kills in the span of seconds. Fugaku's mastery over genjutsu and assassination made him a living shadow—a true heir of the Uchiha name.

---

Dance of the Crescent Moon

Gekkō Qinghe moved like moonlight on water. His Kekkei Kenjutsu, a variation of the Three Moon Dance (Mikazuki no Mai), split him into three mirage-like afterimages. His blade struck from unnatural angles.

Clang. Slice. Step. Twist.

A Rock Jōnin managed to block several blows, but then a feint landed—a deep stab through the shoulder.

Fugaku appeared behind the injured man, Sharingan active.

Another genjutsu. Another throat slit.

But the next blow was blocked—metal sparked on metal.

A tall Iwa Jōnin emerged, scars crossing his cheeks, kunai in both hands.

> "Hmph. I thought the Hyūga and Uchiha were just overhyped. Guess not."

In another sector of the battle, Yamashiro Kiyokawa summoned a flurry of crows, obscuring the vision of the enemy. Amid the chaos, Hyūga Ning and Mitarashi Akimitsu wove through the smoke and wings, dispatching Iwa-nin with ruthless precision.

> "Retreat!" barked a surviving chūnin. "They're an elite Konoha team!"

Smoke bombs detonated, veiling the battlefield in thick white fog.

But Fugaku's Sharingan saw clearly.

Through the haze, through the panic—chakra signatures glowed like embers.

He flung three kunai.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Three silhouettes collapsed as the rest scattered.

End.

PS: SINCERELY SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN CHAPTERS