THE UCHIHA ASCENSION

The moment Uchiha Kiyo arrived on the battlefield, the situation shifted dramatically.

What was originally a six-on-one fight had now become a four-on-two battle. Additionally, Nawaki Senju remained hidden, poised for a sneak attack. If executed correctly, they could quickly eliminate an enemy and turn it into a three-on-three fight.

However, Sarutobi Shuo's prolonged battle had nearly drained his combat ability.

Despite the shift in numbers, Ryo wasted no time giving Uchiha Kiyo and the others a chance to catch their breath. He quickly formed a series of hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The relentless rainfall began to gather at an alarming rate. In the blink of an eye, a massive water dragon materialized and surged toward Uchiha Kiyo.

The effect of Water Release techniques was significantly enhanced in this downpour, making an already formidable jutsu even more dangerous.

A ten-meter-long water dragon with the thickness of a massive tree trunk roared toward Kiyo, forcing him to take the attack seriously.

"A Water Release specialist?" Kiyo muttered, eyes narrowing. "This might be trickier than I thought."

Choosing not to take the attack head-on, he swiftly formed his own set of hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Having studied and improved upon the Earth-Style Wall technique long ago, Kiyo had developed a stronger version that required the same number of seals but offered greater defense.

However, as always, Kiyo never used techniques in their standard form.

A vertical wedge-shaped earth barrier erupted from the ground in front of him. The wide end was positioned toward Kiyo, while the sharp end faced the enemy. Reinforced by his chakra, the hardened earth formation clashed directly with the water dragon bullet—splitting the attack in two and forcing the water to disperse harmlessly to the sides.

"Heh, that's physics for you. Smaller surface area, higher pressure." Kiyo smirked before immediately forming another set of hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"

Three massive earth spikes erupted from the ground beneath Ryo's feet.

Kiyo knew this move wouldn't be enough to take down a Jōnin. His goal was simply to create an opening so he could close the distance and engage in close combat.

After three years of rigorous training, Kiyo's taijutsu had become his most formidable asset. In a battle against stronger opponents, he had to maximize his strengths—and physical combat was one of them.

As he dashed forward, Kiyo pulled out two kunai and hurled them at Ryo from opposite angles.

Ryo had no choice but to abandon his position and step forward to intercept Kiyo.

"Hmph! Do you really think you can land a lucky hit on me? You underestimate a Jōnin's combat experience!" Ryo sneered.

He assumed Kiyo was simply gambling on an opportunity to land a decisive strike. But in reality, Kiyo was aiming for something entirely different.

If I can keep him locked in close combat, I can win this fight.

Kiyo raised a kunai in his right hand and slashed at full force.

Ryo responded immediately, drawing his own short blade and swinging downward to meet the attack.

"Clang!"

The impact sent vibrations through Kiyo's kunai, making it unstable in his grip.

Rather than struggling to hold onto it, he made a split-second decision—letting the kunai go and immediately reaching down to grab one of the earth spears protruding from the battlefield.

Ryo had also felt the shock of the impact and was forced back a few steps. Before he could process what had happened, Kiyo had already discarded his kunai and armed himself with the earth spear, thrusting it forward with lethal intent.

Ryo barely had time to react, raising his blade just in time to block the thrust.

But Kiyo had the upper hand. His raw strength was on a completely different level.

Even as a seasoned Jōnin, Ryo was struggling to match the sheer power behind Kiyo's attacks.

In a matter of seconds, Kiyo had transformed into a relentless warrior, wielding his earth spear with brutal efficiency. He swung, stabbed, slashed, and swept in a fluid barrage of attacks that left Ryo with no room to counter.

With each strike, Ryo was forced further back.

To make matters worse, the hardened earth spear—reinforced with Kiyo's chakra—showed little sign of breaking, despite the repeated clashes against steel. Minor cracks that formed were quickly repaired under Kiyo's control.

Ryo gritted his teeth.

"What the hell is with this kid's strength?! And who the hell fights like this? Since when do ninja use spears?"

He was completely trapped. He couldn't form hand seals. He couldn't use ninjutsu. All he could do was desperately defend against Kiyo's relentless assault.

This was Kiyo's latest strategy—if he gained the upper hand, he would use taijutsu to suppress his opponent, never giving them the chance to recover.

Unless an enemy could perform jutsu without hand seals or endure a direct hit, they would be completely controlled by Kiyo's aggressive fighting style.

Had Ryo anticipated this, he might have countered Kiyo's approach early on. But caught off guard, he had already fallen into Kiyo's rhythm.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Sarutobi Shuo was struggling against the three elite Chūnin.

His injuries had worsened, slowing his movements. In a three-on-one fight, he was barely holding on, forced into a purely defensive position.

The three Rain ninja noticed what was happening on Kiyo's side and grew increasingly anxious.

Their captain—a Jōnin—was being completely overpowered by a mere Chūnin.

Realizing they had to end their own fight quickly, they intensified their attacks.

But in doing so, they left themselves open.

A mistake.

A hidden threat lurked nearby—Nawaki Senju.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Arrow Technique!"

Nawaki seized the opportunity, rushing from the shadows and unleashing two Water Release jutsu at once.

In rainy conditions, even his Water Release techniques received a significant boost.

A massive torrent of water, resembling an actual waterfall, crashed down upon one of the Rain ninja, while dozens of razor-sharp water arrows tore through the air toward the remaining two.

The ambush was devastating.

The first Rain ninja, caught completely off guard, was crushed by the force of the waterfall before being impaled by the water arrows—dying instantly.

The other two were wounded, struggling to maintain their footing.

Sarutobi Shuo finally had a moment to breathe.

The battle had now shifted in their favor. It was three-on-three, but with Kiyo holding Ryo at bay, the Rain ninja were rapidly losing control of the fight.

Panic began to spread among them.

They needed reinforcements.

However, with Ryo locked in combat, the two remaining Chūnin had to take action themselves.

One of them engaged Nawaki directly, while the other attempted to send a distress signal.

Kiyo, noticing the shift in battle, cursed under his breath.

"Damn it, Nawaki! You let them alert the others?! We need to finish this—fast!"

If more Rain ninja arrived, escaping would become nearly impossible.

And Sarutobi Shuo—wounded as he was—would not survive another prolonged engagement.

The battle had reached its critical turning point.