Toroi was a character rarely mentioned in the original series. Perhaps his only moment of attention was when Kabuto summoned him during the war.
But Yuhara recognized him. Years ago, this man had come to Konoha—and that time, his target was Hinata.
Yuhara had even heard that during the Third Great Ninja War, Toroi had caused significant trouble for many Konoha shinobi on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water.
There was no denying it—this was a strong opponent, barely mentioned in the canon, but definitely powerful.
Now faced with him, Yuhara felt a serious headache coming on. Magnet Release was not an easy ability to deal with—it allowed Toroi to manipulate metal weapons.
Any iron-based weapon, be it kunai or ninja blades, was susceptible to his control.
And once he activated this ability, even your own weapons could suddenly turn against you. That kind of chaos in a fight could be fatal.
"So it's this guy… what a big catch," Yuhara muttered to himself, his gaze sharpening slightly.
Even though these newcomers had cost him his original target, perhaps they could make up for that loss.
"Stick to the original plan. A fish this big—we can't let him get away."
"Be careful. I'll come back to support you as soon as I can," Shisui said seriously. He clearly felt concerned for Yuhara's safety.
"Not sure who'll be supporting who," Yuhara chuckled quietly, locking his eyes onto Toroi. In the blink of an eye, his Sharingan activated—three tomoe spinning in his crimson pupils.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
Once everything was in place, Yuhara struck first.
He immediately chose the widest-range technique available. He wasn't sure how effective it would be, but after scouting earlier, they'd confirmed there were four enemies.
With so many targets, a wide-area attack had the best chance of hitting someone.
"Hm? Watch out! Enemy attack!"
The Cloud ninjas reacted quickly. Especially Toroi—he immediately sensed something was wrong.
Thanks to his warning, the other three responded rapidly, either weaving hand seals or dodging away on the spot.
"Go!"
As their formation was broken, Yuhara and Shisui burst from their hiding spot.
Their Sharingan eyes scanned the area, quickly locking onto the enemy positions.
Without needing to speak, Shisui used Body Flicker to rush toward the scattered Cloud nin.
Yuhara, meanwhile, targeted Toroi directly. With a swift leap, he closed the distance, and just as Toroi landed, Yuhara's fist came crashing down.
Toroi reacted fast—he crossed his arms over his chest just in time, blocking the blow with a loud thud.
"Uchiha?"
Toroi immediately noticed Yuhara's crimson eyes, and instinctively avoided direct eye contact.
His tone, however, was far from friendly—full of hostility and anger.
"What are you trying to do? Start a war?"
"War? You're overthinking. This isn't the Land of Fire, and it's certainly not the Land of Lightning either."
Yuhara wasn't buying his posturing. He withdrew quickly, then aimed a harsh kick at Toroi's lower body.
But just as he moved, he sensed something wrong. In a flash, he canceled the attack and used a Substitution Jutsu!
Whoosh—the sound of slicing wind. But all that remained was a pile of wood. Yuhara had already reappeared under a nearby tree.
Substitution Jutsu—the most basic of the three core techniques—was often the most life-saving.
"Your reaction speed is impressive," Toroi said, eyeing the scattered wood pieces before turning to where Yuhara stood. "Kid, you're good. And those eyes… they're impressive too.
At your age, to already have such eyes, you must be someone noteworthy. You're Uchiha Yuhara, right?"
"I am," Yuhara replied with a nod. He wasn't surprised to be recognized.
After all, he was considered a talented ninja of the Uchiha clan, and he'd completed many missions over the years. In the shinobi world, he wasn't exactly unknown.
Being identified wasn't a big deal. And right now, he had more important things to worry about.
As a proper ninja, the most crucial rule in battle was to clear your mind. Only with full focus could victory be secured.
"So it really is you. I have to say, your clan is quite something." Toroi stared at him coldly. "Once you Uchiha awaken your Sharingan, your strength changes dramatically. The heavens really do favor you."
"What a boring opinion," Yuhara replied flatly. While speaking, he began removing all the metal tools on his body. "Power isn't granted without cost. If that's how you think, then you're not far from death."
"Maybe so. But I'm curious to see Uchiha power for myself." Toroi narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile on his face. "And sure, tossing your metal tools might limit my ability… but—"
Without warning, a flurry of kunai appeared behind Yuhara. They slashed through the air, aiming for his chest.
At the same time, Toroi himself blinked in front of Yuhara and launched a heavy punch straight into his torso.
"Without your weapons—what can you do against me?!"
The punch landed with a loud crack.
But in an instant, Toroi realized something was off.
His fist had struck… nothing real.
The puff of smoke confirmed it: another Substitution Jutsu.
He didn't look flustered. After all, this was a Uchiha prodigy—already wielding the three-tomoe Sharingan at such a young age.
With that kind of perception, he'd likely seen the attack coming.
Without hesitation, Toroi pulled out a scroll and ripped it open.
Boom—a cloud of smoke exploded outward, revealing dozens of flat, square-shaped shuriken.
Under his magnetic control, they began to hover in midair, each one spinning gently.
Toroi's eyes scanned the battlefield carefully, searching for Yuhara's location.
Within seconds, he smiled.
"Found you!"
With a loud shout, the shuriken surged forward like a storm of blades, all hurtling toward Yuhara's hiding spot.
The building he was hiding in was instantly torn apart by the barrage.