Chapter 176: Shifting Times

Words : 1103 Updated : Oct 4th, 2025

The wind rustled through the trees. Seimei and Koharu Shuji stood facing each other, separated by a dozen meters, a palpable killing intent hanging in the air. The insects that had resumed their chirping after the other ninja left fell silent once again due to this murderous aura. Suddenly, both of them moved. Koharu Shuji swiftly threw several kunai at Seimei. The three tomoe in Seimei's Sharingan spun rapidly, instantly discerning the kunai's trajectories. He swung his short sword, deflecting all the kunai with a series of clangs. In the next moment, Koharu Shuji appeared before Seimei, thrusting a kunai at his neck's artery from a tricky angle. It was too late for Seimei to block with his sword. He dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack. Koharu Shuji pressed his advantage, twisting his wrist and changing the thrust into a slash aimed at Seimei's collarbone. Seimei stepped back, evading the attack once more. Koharu Shuji stepped forward, keeping pace with Seimei, and swung his kunai again, aiming for Seimei's throat. Seimei tilted his head back slightly, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth. He could even feel the sharp air against his throat. Koharu Shuji continued his relentless assault, forcing Seimei to dodge repeatedly. At this moment, Seimei felt like he was back to their first encounter a few months ago. Koharu Shuji's use of the kunai was still simple, efficient, and sharp, embodying the essence of "danger" in short weapons. But unlike before, Seimei now had his own understanding of the "strength" of long weapons. With this realization, Seimei stopped solely dodging and started counterattacking with his short sword. Back then, even with all his might, he could only barely defend against Koharu Shuji's attacks. Now, after just a dozen exchanges, he had turned the tables, forcing Koharu Shuji to defend. The sounds of metal clashing filled the air as kunai and short sword met repeatedly. Koharu Shuji's expression was serious. Although he seemed calm, his heart was in turmoil. During their brief encounter two days ago, he had only witnessed Seimei's improvement in ninjutsu and shuriken throwing. He assumed it was a natural growth due to Seimei's Sharingan evolving to Three-Tomoe. But now, after this exchange, he truly felt Seimei's progress. He would never have believed that the clumsy kid from a few months ago could wield such swordsmanship if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. The difference was simply too great. However, after the shock came a strong killing intent. He had a deep hatred for the Uchiha clan and didn't want to see any new geniuses rise from it. So, today, no matter what, he had to kill Seimei here. It was a pity that Konoha had discovered their encirclement plan in advance, forcing Han and the others to leave. Otherwise, he would have had a better chance. Now, it all depended on how well Chika cooperated. With this thought, Koharu Shuji glanced at Chika, who had disappeared, and waited for its surprise attack. Seimei's Sharingan had reached the limit of Three-Tomoe, and his perception far surpassed ordinary people. He naturally noticed the disappearance of the strange creature. He had previously observed that it seemed to be able to conceal its presence, and now it seemed to be true. 'In that case, I need to be careful of its sneak attacks.' With this in mind, Seimei focused part of his attention on the subtle movements around him. At the same time, his attacks didn't stop. He was well aware that Iwa was surrounding the area. If this battlefield were discovered, he would be in big trouble. So, he had to end this quickly. ... *Clang, clang, clang* Another series of clashes between kunai and short sword rang out. But then, there was the sound of clothes being torn. *Rip* Koharu Shuji looked down at his torn clothes, his eyes filled with seriousness and lingering fear. Just now, Seimei had feinted, launching two consecutive sword strikes. If he hadn't reacted in time, his kidneys would have been pierced. The pressure on him was mounting. On the contrary, Seimei was fighting more and more effortlessly. The reason was simple. As time passed, he was gradually seeing through Koharu Shuji's movements. No matter how Koharu Shuji dodged, Seimei could find the best attack angle, making the fight easier for him. Seimei estimated that if Koharu Shuji didn't change his tactics soon, he could finish him off in a few minutes. It all depended on Koharu Shuji's choices now. Time ticked by. As the battle progressed, Koharu Shuji started to sustain injuries, while Seimei's attacks grew fiercer. Just as he found an opportunity to land a critical hit, he suddenly sensed subtle movements beneath his feet. If he hadn't been constantly alert to his surroundings, he might not have noticed it so easily. Without hesitation, Seimei jumped back. In the next moment, the scaled creature silently emerged from the ground, its mouth wide open as if to swallow Seimei whole. However, Seimei reacted faster, and the creature only swallowed an afterimage. But Koharu Shuji seemed to have anticipated this and had prepared a follow-up attack. He formed hand seals and spat out a large cluster of vacuum spheres, like bullets. The tomoe in Seimei's Sharingan spun rapidly. Even though these vacuum spheres were transparent, he could see them clearly. He flickered, dodging all the attacks. Not only that, but he also took the opportunity to throw three shuriken, aiming for Koharu Shuji's throat, heart, and abdomen. To Seimei's surprise, all three shuriken were blocked by the strange creature. It flicked its tail, deflecting the shuriken. It wasn't just the fact that it blocked the attacks for Koharu Shuji that caught Seimei's attention, but also the perfect timing of its actions. This indicated that it possessed a high level of intelligence. He couldn't afford to ignore it in the subsequent fight. These thoughts flashed through his mind. Seimei looked at Koharu Shuji and formed hand seals, as if preparing to cast genjutsu. Koharu Shuji didn't dare to face it head-on and quickly averted his gaze. At this moment, Seimei used the same trick he had used on Han against Koharu Shuji. He changed his hand seals, transforming the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique into Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Countless fireballs erupted from his mouth, splitting into two streams. One-third targeted the creature, and two-thirds targeted Koharu Shuji. (End of Chapter)

Chapter 176: Shifting Times

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