Naruto: The Shadow of Uchiha

Uchiha Inaho, who had previously been full of arrogance, was now visibly stunned.

A member of the Uchiha clan possessing jōnin-level strength without awakening the Three Tomoe Sharingan was not uncommon. But once the Three Tomoe stage was reached, it was almost a given that the shinobi had reached jōnin-level combat ability. That's how powerful the full Sharingan was.

Even if a clan member's taijutsu wasn't top-tier, the full Three Tomoe Sharingan could compensate with its formidable predictive capabilities, chakra tracking, and genjutsu prowess.

And yet, Ryosuke had awakened his Three Tomoe Sharingan just like that—effortlessly and without a trace of sorrow on his face.

This completely broke the conventional understanding.

After all, the evolution of the Sharingan was always tied to emotional trauma or immense personal growth—especially painful experiences. And yet, Ryosuke looked not even remotely distressed; in fact, he seemed... excited?

Moreover, awakening the Three Tomoe Sharingan typically required elite talent and a deeply held shinobi conviction.

Everyone present—Inaho and the Uchiha spectators—had gone through tragic experiences to evolve their eyes. They were all considered talented and had pledged themselves to the goal of restoring the clan's former glory.

So how did Ryosuke achieve this without following the same path?

Inaho didn't get it. And that only made him angrier.

He scowled and shouted at Ryosuke:

"With Three Tomoe Sharingan, there are so many ways to become stronger. Why degrade yourself by training taijutsu with someone like Might Guy? You're bringing shame to the Uchiha name!"

Ryosuke glanced at him, completely unfazed.

"And you think Three Tomoe Sharingan is something amazing?"

If it were truly that amazing, then two traitorous Mangekyō users wouldn't have been able to wipe out the clan.

To Ryosuke, the jump in strength didn't feel all that dramatic—his perception had sharpened, and his visual prowess had increased. But there was no qualitative leap in combat ability, not until the Mangekyō Sharingan, which came with unique dojutsu in each eye.

"Enough with the nonsense. Come at me."

Ryosuke spread his arms, signaling readiness.

Inaho was now clearly angry. Ryosuke dared to mock the clan's pride—the Sharingan—as if it were no big deal.

He would have to teach Ryosuke a lesson, show him that the Three Tomoe Sharingan wasn't just some tool to aid taijutsu.

Even if Ryosuke had awakened his Sharingan, Inaho had much more experience with his. He'd been using it for a long time and had full mastery.

From what he observed, Ryosuke was merely using his Sharingan to enhance taijutsu—like an upgraded sensory tool. That was nothing short of wasting its potential.

Inaho's gaze turned sharp. His red Sharingan spun, all three tomoe clearly visible. He dropped into a stance and charged at Ryosuke, intending to beat him using pure Uchiha-style taijutsu.

Ryosuke, equally excited, rushed to meet him.

He did not activate the Eight Gates. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't rely on such a dangerous trump card. He also wanted to gauge his current base combat ability in a real fight.

The two clashed ferociously. For over ten minutes, they traded blows in a blur of movement and precision.

And to everyone's surprise—the match was a draw.

Inaho grew increasingly stunned. Ryosuke's taijutsu wasn't chūnin-level at all. He was clearly on par with a jōnin.

Inaho had been going all out, yet Ryosuke was holding his ground perfectly.

This was no fluke—Ryosuke had been hiding his true strength all along.

The Uchiha onlookers were equally shocked. None of them had expected such a fight. They had come to watch Ryosuke get schooled, not to witness a match between equals.

Even Inaho had to admit: while Ryosuke didn't use traditional Uchiha taijutsu, his style—clearly shaped by Might Guy's training—was brutally effective.

Realizing he couldn't win with taijutsu alone, Inaho shifted tactics.

He suddenly stepped back to create distance and began weaving hand seals.

"Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger."

Chakra surged through him as he took a deep breath, and then—

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball surged from his mouth, hurling toward Ryosuke with blistering heat.

The surrounding Uchiha were alarmed.

"Is he crazy?! That's too much!"

Even if this was a spar, the Great Fireball Technique at that size and power could seriously injure Ryosuke if it hit him directly.

How were they supposed to explain that to the clan elder?

Ryosuke noticed their shocked expressions and couldn't help but sigh internally.

"Why are you all acting like this is going to kill me? Great Fireball doesn't even land half the time."

Just as the fireball roared forward, Ryosuke propelled himself off the ground with a burst of speed, cleanly dodging the attack.

The enormous fireball scorched the air as it passed him, crashing into the dirt behind and exploding in a spectacular blast, scattering earth and flame everywhere—but it left Ryosuke completely unharmed.

Taking advantage of Inaho's brief cooldown after releasing the jutsu, Ryosuke counterattacked.

He shot forward like a bullet and landed a solid punch, sending Inaho flying backward.

"What the...?" Ryosuke was momentarily confused.

From their earlier exchanges, their taijutsu had been even. Why did that punch send Inaho flying so easily?

Then—POOF!

The airborne Inaho vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"A Shadow Clone?!"

Ryosuke's eyes widened in shock.

He immediately ramped up his awareness, and in that moment, he sensed movement behind him.

From his blind spot, Inaho's real body emerged, eyes gleaming with confidence.

He had used the fireball jutsu as a distraction to create a shadow clone, hiding his real self to sneak around for a decisive blow.

As Ryosuke focused on attacking the clone, Inaho had closed the distance from behind.

Now, he was poised to land a high-speed spinning kick directly on Ryosuke's back.

"If this lands, it's over. In a real fight, I'd be using a kunai right now."

There was no time for Ryosuke to turn around and block.

Inaho believed victory was his.