When Torifū woke up, the sky was still bright, around three in the afternoon. This sleep had fully replenished his energy.
There was still time before his sparring session with Naori, so he decided to try developing a new jutsu.
Regarding Cloud Release, he had only just grasped the basics and was far from proficient. Besides, he hadn't even learned the Cloud Release techniques recorded by his clan yet, so there was no need to create new ones at this stage.
Crystal Release, on the other hand, had been granted to him by the system and was now an innate part of him. Using it felt as natural as breathing, making it the perfect candidate for further development.
The process, however, was undeniably tedious—repeating the same steps over and over might still lead to unsatisfactory results. But thanks to his innate genius, the difficulty was significantly reduced for him.
After training for some time, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. Torifū concluded his practice, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and prepared to leave.
Although there were no servants in his home, he would hire cleaners periodically—after all, how could a clan leader be expected to clean his own house?
Torifū and Naori had agreed to spar atop the Hokage Rock that evening. Doing so within the village would attract too much attention, and for a simple spar, there was no need to make such a spectacle.
It was around the time school let out, and Torifū encountered a few former classmates on his way. They all curiously asked why "Peace Bro" hadn't been attending classes lately.
Torifū dodged their questions without giving a direct answer.
Telling a group of kids who had only been in the academy for a month that he was now the Hokage-sama's disciple? That would crush their spirits.
He had hoped to run into Maruboshi Kosuke and the other two, but even after passing the school, he didn't see them. Shrugging it off, he continued toward the mountain.
"Sigh, traveling without the Flying Thunder God really is slow."
This mountain was quite high—Naori had experienced that firsthand this morning. Torifū, however, had hitched a ride with Tobirama, so he hadn't felt the struggle.
It took nearly twenty minutes of climbing before he reached the summit. The sky had darkened into a warm amber hue, and standing there, overlooking the entire village, filled him with an indescribable sensation.
Before long, he heard movement on the path below. Assuming it was Naori, but he still remained cautious.
Only after seeing her figure emerge did he relax.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Torifū," Naori said apologetically.
She had invited him to this spar, yet she was the one who arrived late.
"No problem. I only just got here myself."
"Shall we begin?" Torifū asked.
"No need to rush. By the way, do you have your own Will of Fire, Torifū?"
Naori had always admired Torifū's perspective. The Hokage had assigned them an essay on the Will of Fire, and while she had some personal insights, she wanted to hear his thoughts.
"I have a rough idea, but perfecting it will take a long time. It's not something that can be understood overnight, nor explained in just a few words."
Hearing this, Naori could only nod.
"Let's get started. I have a bad feeling about this place."
To be precise, this unease had surfaced after Naori arrived—a sensation of being watched.
"Then I'm coming!" she declared, her Sharingan spinning into the three-tomoe pattern.
Against Torifū, Naori didn't hesitate—she activated her Sharingan immediately, entering her strongest state.
She lunged at Torifū in a flash, kunai slashing toward his arm.
Torifū didn't panic. He sidestepped the attack and grabbed Naori's wrist.
Just as he was about to throw her, she twisted her body with explosive force, breaking free and leaping into the air, hurling three shuriken.
"Crystal Release: Crystal Mirror Technique."
A translucent, pale pink crystal mirror appeared between them, effortlessly blocking Naori's shuriken.
"Crystal Release: Mirror Image Technique."
Torifū's figure vanished instantly. Even with the Sharingan, Naori couldn't detect him.
"Damn! Where is he?!"
A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She had assumed her Sharingan would allow her to suppress Torifū, but she had underestimated him yet again.
"Found you!"
She spotted an anomaly in the mirror just as Torifū emerged—his upper body protruding from the reflective surface while his lower half remained inside, appearing as if he had been severed at the waist.
"Crystal Release: Hexagonal Shuriken Barrage!"
After completing the hand seals, Torifū launched a barrage of crystalline shuriken in a breathtaking display, leaving Naori with no room to dodge.
Realizing she had to respond with full force, she acted immediately.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball erupted from her mouth—the signature technique of the Uchiha clan! And true to her talent, Naori's fireball was at least twice the size of Kyo's.
The sky filled with fiery embers as the crystalline shuriken met the flames, both vanishing into nothingness.
Torifū remained partially concealed in the mirror, as if ready to retreat at any moment. Naori found herself at an impasse.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
She spat out five small fireballs, each resembling a blooming phoenix flower. But hidden within were shuriken, a classic Uchiha feint.
However, this trick didn't work against Torifū. Just before impact, he simply retreated into the mirror.
The fireballs struck the crystal mirror, leaving only faint cracks.
Sensing that the external attacks had ended, Torifū cautiously emerged from the mirror—only for a kunai to pierce straight through his forehead!
His body immediately went limp, suspended in midair, lifeless—a fatal blow.
"Torifū!"
Naori froze, her mind going blank.
She hadn't even detected where the kunai had come from, yet it had already killed him.
Terror gripped her. She turned toward the forest, but even with her Sharingan, she found no signs of the attacker.
Yet she couldn't chase after the enemy—not with Torifū still hanging in midair, possibly beyond saving.
But when she looked back at him, the bloodied corpse had turned into a crystal sculpture, with the kunai embedded in its head.
She collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, feeling as if she had just escaped death.
'Torifū is fine!'
That was her first thought—after all, she had witnessed this technique just yesterday.
Sure enough, the half-body crystal sculpture crumbled into shards.
From the mirror, Torifū emerged once more, smiling as he greeted her.
"Sorry for worrying you, Naori."