The flash of azure chakra-lit steel carved through the air—clean, fast. But instead of drawing blood, Kai Uchiha's blade met only wood.
Substitution Jutsu.
Kai landed silently, frowning as he stared at the splintered log before him. His crimson Sharingan spun once before he turned his gaze upward. Sure enough, Yuchi Uchiha stood on a thick tree branch, arms crossed, eyes cold and calculating.
Of course Kai had seen the switch—Yuchi's hand seals, the flicker of movement. His speed was impressive, but Kai hadn't pursued him immediately. He was more curious than anything else.
Why did he notice me? I was sure I was perfectly hidden.
"Kai Uchiha, huh?" Yuchi smirked, his voice sharp like a drawn blade. "Judging from that swordplay… were you hoping to subdue me? Wondering how I spotted you?"
Kai didn't bother denying it. "Yes."
He hadn't used the Transformation Jutsu to disguise himself—not in front of a fellow Uchiha. The Sharingan could pierce through illusions easily. If it wouldn't fool Yuchi, there was no point wasting chakra.
"It was the birds," Yuchi said with a casual shrug. "I come here to train every day. I know exactly where the nests are. When you arrived, the birds scattered—but none landed near you."
Kai tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. Birds?
He looked up and caught the faint flutter of wings. Damn it. He'd completely overlooked something so simple. Kai had to admit—Yuchi had sharp instincts. Who pays attention to where birds don't land?
Even on the battlefield, Kai rarely focused on such minute environmental cues… unless he was intentionally drawing someone out by startling wildlife. And when Yuchi arrived, the birds hadn't been disturbed. That should've tipped him off.
"You struck first," Yuchi said, cracking his neck as he took a step forward. "Now I won't hold back. I'm going to kill you."
Kai's hand tightened around the hilt of his chakra-forged blade. "Then let's see you try."
"You'll see soon enough!" Yuchi's hands blurred into seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The massive ball of flame roared forward, illuminating the trees in a blast of orange light.
"Hmph. Predictable," Kai muttered, leaping backward—only for his danger sense to scream a split-second later. He twisted midair, just barely evading a kunai that whistled past his shoulder and sliced through the back of his shirt.
So fast! Kai's eyes widened. Yuchi had used the fireball not to damage—but to obscure vision. A feint for a real attack.
If Kai's reaction time were even a hair slower, he'd be bleeding out right now.
But this wouldn't happen twice.
Landing smoothly, Kai activated his full Sharingan. The three tomoe whirled in perfect synchronicity as he pushed chakra into his legs. In a blur, he retreated into the shadows of the surrounding foliage.
From the dark, Kai's blade flared to life again with blue chakra. With a silent pivot, he spun into a counterattack.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as Yuchi blocked the strike with his kunai, Sharingan matching Kai's movement beat for beat.
Yuchi smirked, but inwardly, he was rattled. Kai's reaction speed was exceptional. Even with full Sharingan perception, Yuchi found himself just keeping up. No wonder this kid's cut down so many enemies on the front lines…
But Yuchi wasn't one to be underestimated either. He'd lost too many comrades to arrogance. This boy—this Uchiha Kai—was no ordinary Genin.
He was an enemy worth taking seriously.
Their taijutsu skirmish escalated in a blink—blades clashing, limbs colliding, movement flowing faster than most eyes could track. The trees echoed with the rapid-fire rhythm of metal-on-metal strikes.
Still, neither had drawn blood.
Yuchi was powerful, no doubt—but Kai's speed gave him the edge. His movements, trained and honed through brutal missions and countless spars with Kakashi, were relentless.
And unlike Yuchi, Kei's blade wasn't just ordinary steel.
Kakashi had given it to him—a chakra-conducting ninjatō, refined and deadly. With it, Kai's attacks carried an edge that chakra-less weapons couldn't withstand.
Eventually, the inevitable happened.
CRACK!
Yuchi's kunai snapped in half from the strain.
He didn't hesitate. In one motion, he flicked the broken weapon toward Kai's face to stall him, then backflipped into the canopy. A puff of smoke signaled a quick burst of Fire Release—another distraction.
But Kai had been waiting for this.
He had trained too long with Kakashi not to learn the value of deception—and had long since theorized ways to weaponize it.
Especially against a fellow Sharingan user.
While Yuchi tried to reposition, Kai vanished in a plume of smoke—Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Three identical figures emerged, chakra buzzing around them like a storm. With synchronized precision, they struck from three different angles.
It wasn't the Dance of the Crescent Moon—Kai didn't know that technique—but it was something of his own. A layered illusion mixed with real, solid strikes. One real. Two clones. All deadly.
Caught mid-seal, Yuchi's eyes widened as he realized the trap.
Too late.