"Obito! Is this the unique eye power of the Mangekyō Sharingan... Susanoo?" White Zetsu, lurking nearby, tilted his head curiously. "You have the Mangekyō too—why haven't I seen you use this ability before?"
"Shut up!"
Obito snapped, his tone sharp. His focus remained fixed on the emerald-green giant dominating the battlefield, his expression grim beneath the mask.
"That bastard Danzo must have known Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so determined to kill him!"
It all made sense now. Danzo's insistence on eliminating Shisui had puzzled Obito at first.
For someone like Danzo to disregard the larger threat posed by Uchiha Toshiro and single-mindedly target Shisui—it wasn't just unexpected. It was calculated.
It was now clear—the other party had already known about Shisui's awakening of the Mangekyō.
"Obito, Shisui has activated his Mangekyō. Are we still planning to hand his eyes over to Danzo?"
As ever, White Zetsu remained indifferent to Obito's cold demeanor, posing the question without hesitation.
"Also, these Mist Ninjas might not be enough to stop him. Are you planning to step in yourself?"
"Check the area for any of Danzo's spies."
Obito ignored White Zetsu's questions, his focus unwavering. He knew that if Danzo was aware of Shisui's Mangekyō, he wouldn't rely solely on the Mist Ninjas. There had to be a contingency plan in place.
"Figures," White Zetsu muttered, feigning disappointment. "I was hoping to enjoy the spectacle of a battle between Mangekyōs!"
White Zetsu grumbled slightly at Obito's order. He had never encountered a Mangekyō Sharingan jutsu like Susanoo before, and opportunities to witness such power firsthand were rare.
Yet, instead of watching the battle, he was tasked with scouting the area.
Despite his complaints, White Zetsu carried out the instructions without hesitation. He sank into the ground, quietly searching for any signs of Danzo's operatives who might be lurking nearby.
Meanwhile, Obito's gaze remained fixed on the battlefield, where Susanoo clashed fiercely with Mangetsu's Tatedori. Each clash solidified his resolve to eliminate the Uchiha clan.
This clan was far too dangerous. There was no predicting when or who among them might suddenly be driven to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Such unpredictability was a significant threat to his plans.
—
Faced with Mangetsu's frenzied assault, Shisui found himself with no alternative but to confront it head-on. When large-scale ninjutsu clashed, the battle became a grueling test of skill, chakra reserves, and sheer willpower for both sides.
The green chakra blade intercepted the incoming strikes, the giant retracting its free arm only to swing it forward with tremendous force.
A torrent of emerald-green light poured forth, resembling a sudden downpour. The radiant deluge crashed against the surface of the opposing "thorn ball," scattering water splashes of varying depths and forcing Mangetsu to retreat.
Shisui wasted no time. He pointed the spiral sword in his hand directly at the massive water sphere, its tip aimed precisely at the core—Mangetsu within.
The chakra giant's right hand, gripping the sword tightly, drew back to gather power. In one fluid, seamless motion, it surged forward, driving the blade with explosive force. Every movement was deliberate, executed with impeccable precision and without a moment's hesitation.
As the power of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan surged, a beam of emerald-green energy accompanied his sword, cutting through the distance between them with unwavering precision.
"Don't underestimate the power of the Hozuki Clan!"
Though too late to intercept the charged attack entirely, Mangetsu anticipated its trajectory.
With a fierce roar, he summoned every ounce of his mental focus and chakra, manipulating the water construct to form a massive spike of solidified water. The water spike stood as a direct counter to Shisui's piercing assault.
Boom!
Splash!
The clash was deafening. Water erupted in all directions, scattering like a torrential downpour.
As the shockwave subsided, a blinding cascade of white splashes obscured the battlefield, leaving everyone momentarily blind to the outcome.
"Stay alert... the enemy is making a break for it!"
"The real body is heading in my direction!"
Ao, with the sharp vision of his Byakugan, was unaffected by the flying water splashes. His vision remained unobstructed, allowing him to observe everything with precision.
The emerald-green chakra giant wielded its spiral sword with devastating force, striking through Mangetsu's formidable ninjutsu. The blow carved a hole nearly three meters wide, cutting cleanly from front to back.
Then, as swiftly as it had appeared, the chakra dissipated, vanishing without a trace.
But Ao's Byakugan revealed what others couldn't see. Amidst the chaotic spray of water, a dark figure emerged, racing toward him with uncanny speed.
"Are you planning to take me down before your escape?"
As Shisui charged toward him, Ao understood the stakes. He knew that if Shisui wanted to make a successful escape, Ao himself was the primary obstacle. With the Byakugan tracking every move, slipping away unnoticed would be nearly impossible.
"Mangetsu, what are you doing?"
At the heart of the battlefield, Mangetsu's massive water construct remained intact despite Shisui's devastating piercing strike moments ago.
However, something was off—he stood eerily still, motionless in the water.
Mangetsu himself had abandoned the center of his own ninjutsu, seemingly ignoring the gaping wound caused by the attack.
"Has he fallen under the enemy's genjutsu?"
Hozuki Genko, a sixteen-year-old girl from the Hozuki clan, was known for her long blue-white hair, sweet features, slim figure, and the unassuming charm of the girl next door.
Of course, that was only true until she opened her mouth.
The moment she spoke, the sharp fangs visible within her grin erased any trace of her innocent demeanor.
But now, she had no choice but to speak. After the attack moments ago, all she saw was a flash of scarlet light—and then Mangetsu simply floated motionlessly in the water, ignoring Uchiha Shisui's retreat entirely.
"Release!" she demanded sharply.
Though the chakra reaction coming from him appeared completely normal, suggesting he hadn't fallen victim to an illusion, his lack of response raised too many questions.
However, Genko continued her efforts to disrupt Mangetsu's chakra, hoping it might bring him back to normal.
"Genko, I... don't think I'm under an illusion!"
Mangetsu frowned as he observed Genko's actions, a growing unease stirring within him.
Something's... changed.
Instinctively, he felt a strange shift within himself, as if he were no longer the same person he had been just moments ago.
"Good!" Genko sighed in relief, seeing Mangetsu finally regain his senses. "Since everything seems fine, go after Uchiha Shisui! If you don't, he'll slip away for sure."
Mangetsu glanced in the direction Shisui had fled but then turned back toward Genko. His expression softened, and with a sudden, almost dreamlike sincerity, he said, "Don't worry about that... Genko, I just realized... you're so beautiful today!"
"???"
Genko, bewildered by Mangetsu's sudden and unexpected words, blinked in confusion and instinctively asked, "What did you... just say?"
Could it be that Mangetsu wasn't the one under an illusion—was it me instead?
A wave of doubt surged through her mind, and as the thought lingered, she began to convince herself it was true.
Mangetsu is an idiot. His entire world revolves around training, ninja swords, and fighting. There's no way he'd ever say something like that.
Yes... I must be the one caught in an illusion. I'm clearly having auditory hallucinations.
"The one at one o'clock is the real one!"
"He's switched positions... Asakusa, the one in front of you is the real one!"
Ao's eyes darted nervously as he tracked Uchiha Shisui's movements, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
Shisui's speed was astonishing. A moment ago, he was directly in front of Ao, but now he was already by Asakusa. In the blink of an eye, he vanished again, leaving only confusion in his wake.
"Ao, fall back and keep tracking Shisui for me. I'll handle him!"
The magnetic and commanding voice of Mei Terumi broke through Ao's rising panic, just as his sweat had soaked through his inner armor.
With swift and confident strides, Mei Terumi arrived at Ao's side, her presence bringing a wave of reassurance.
Following closely behind her was a sizeable force of Mist Ninjas, ready for battle.
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