The deafening roar of the Susanoo instantly echoed throughout the Uchiha compound. A fleeing ANBU member was struck mid-air by Amaterasu, his chest torn open by the chakra arrow, which then pierced through him and crashed into the barrier at the edge of the Uchiha territory.
Boom!
Though the barrier had been jointly erected by over twenty people, it couldn't withstand the might of the Susanoo.
After several attacks with his Susanoo, Uchiha Fugaku had eliminated more than thirty ANBU operatives, but the toll on him was immense. His chakra and ocular power were nearly depleted, leaving him unable to sustain the third stage of Susanoo any longer.
"Hah… Hah…"
Fugaku gasped for breath, his eyes bloodshot and tears of blood streaming down his cheeks. He had slaughtered nearly all the ANBU in the vicinity, and the survivors had fled in terror. His Susanoo flickered, on the verge of collapse.
With the barrier shattered, the residents of Konoha heard the explosion. Fugaku's chakra arrow had demolished a building, though fortunately, no one was inside.
As soon as Fugaku unleashed his Susanoo, a Root operative reported the news to Danzo.
Danzo's eyes glinted coldly as he listened. "So the Uchiha clan head has been hiding his strength… Even Itachi didn't uncover his Mangekyo Sharingan. Susanoo, the third ability of the Mangekyo…"
He frowned at the description of Fugaku's divine-like power, wielding a pair of intact Mangekyo Sharingan. Though their specific abilities remained unknown…
"Where is Naruto Uzumaki?"
"He's been brought near the Uchiha compound. However, Kushina is proving troublesome—her curse mark grants her extreme regenerative abilities, and she's skilled in medical ninjutsu."
"Keep pressing the attack. Capture Kushina at all costs. The rest of you, follow me to the Uchiha compound. No one escapes."
Danzo's voice was icy. The shattered barrier meant the chaos in the Uchiha district could no longer be concealed. Though some clans might have already suspected, once the truth was laid bare, his plan for complete eradication would face resistance.
Under the Third Hokage's influence, Konoha's policy leaned toward mercy. Moreover, the Uchiha hadn't actually rebelled—they hadn't even gotten the chance.
Exterminating them wholesale would alienate other clans. Danzo could force the issue, but the consequences would fracture Konoha's leadership and strain relations with the clans.
ANBU recruitment would suffer, wartime mobilization would falter, and even frontline battles would be affected.
That was why Danzo had ordered Root to bring Naruto to the Nine-Tails' frontlines. From the start, he'd planned to pin the blame on the Uchiha. Six years ago, the Nine-Tails that ravaged Konoha bore the Sharingan's mark. This time, the fox's rampage was again linked to the Uchiha.
With two attempts to destroy Konoha via the Nine-Tails, no one would protest if Root wiped out the Uchiha.
---
"What's your plan? I advise against engaging him directly. Both of us are heavily injured—we should retreat."
Obito Uchiha spoke to Itachi. He had recruited Itachi for the Akatsuki, and losing him here against Hyuga Mirai would be disastrous.
Finally securing a core member, Itachi's inclusion meant the Akatsuki could officially begin their plans.
"There's still a chance…"
Itachi's voice was calm. He still had his trump cards—Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. Either could turn the tide if landed.
"Mangekyo techniques? Fine. I'll cover you, but that's it."
Obito had just used Izanagi against Fugaku. Though he'd replaced his eye, full integration would take minutes. Without Hashirama's cells, frequent eye swaps would require medical ninjutsu expertise.
Until his left eye was ready for Izanagi again, he couldn't afford mistakes.
Crack!
Itachi's Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyo pattern. A chakra giant materialized around him—bones, muscle, then armor.
Despite only recently awakening his Mangekyo, Itachi had already mastered the third stage of Susanoo.
"As expected of the Uchiha prodigy who became an ANBU captain at thirteen. To wield Susanoo at this level so soon…"
Obito's tone was flat, but inwardly, he considered reclaiming Kakashi's Sharingan. A single Mangekyo was a liability against elite shinobi—he'd nearly fallen to Fugaku, let alone Mirai.
But now wasn't the time. Destroying a section of his mask, Obito weaved hand signs, combining Kamui with his signature technique.
"Fire Release: Blazing Wild Dance!"
The fire serpent, amplified by Kamui's spatial distortion, surged toward Mirai at twice the speed of standard fire jutsu.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
A single palm thrust unleashed a massive chakra shockwave, scattering the flames into harmless embers. The undiminished force carved a ten-meter-wide trench, barreling toward Obito and Itachi.
"Yata Mirror!"
Itachi's Susanoo manifested the legendary shield, said to repel all physical attacks—a unique ability of his Susanoo.
Boom!
The Air Palm crashed against the shield, its force nullified. Itachi then formed another technique in the Susanoo's other hand.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
The chakra orbs hurtled toward Mirai, but the ensuing smoke didn't hinder the Byakugan. Mirai had already Shunshined away.
In Sage Mode, his speed eclipsed even the Mangekyo's tracking.
Boom!
The Magatama obliterated everything within a hundred meters, clearing the battlefield.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Obito's flames cleared the smoke, but Mirai was already gone.
"Above!" Obito shouted.
Too late.
Thud!
Mirai's descending punch hammered the Susanoo's neck. The impact rattled Itachi inside, his legs buckling with a sickening crack as he collapsed.
Crack!
The Susanoo fractured under the assault. Even the third stage couldn't endure such force.
Mirai's knuckles bled slightly—proof of the Susanoo's durability—but the wounds healed instantly.
"One more!"
Mirai felt no sympathy for Itachi, who'd attacked him first. He pummeled the downed Susanoo relentlessly.
Thud!
Crack!
The Susanoo shattered under his fists. The moment it dispersed, Itachi clutched his eyes, agony overwhelming him.
Compared to his broken legs, the Mangekyo's strain was the true torment.
"Damn it!"
Obito couldn't afford to lose Itachi—not his Mangekyo, not an Akatsuki asset. He lunged at Mirai, banking on Kamui's intangibility.
To save Itachi, he'd have to suck Mirai into Kamui's dimension. Even the Yellow Flash would've needed space-time ninjutsu to evade.
Yet Mirai didn't dodge. His faint smirk remained, infuriatingly calm.
Just before contact, Obito's instincts screamed danger.
"Gentle Fist: One Blow Body!"
Boom!
Chakra erupted from Mirai's tenketsu, the force surpassing explosive tags. Obito was blasted back, coughing blood mid-air before phasing out.
Itachi was hurled aside, crashing meters away.
"Seems rescuing Itachi is impossible today. Let's call it here."
Obito stood, keeping Kamui active as he retreated. Only at a safe distance would he risk vanishing fully.
"Now then—"
As Mirai turned toward Itachi, Uchiha Tekka arrived with the Konoha Military Police.
A dozen Uchiha surveyed the devastation.
"What… happened here?"
Tekka blinked at the ruins. They'd heard the explosions but prioritized evacuating civilians.
Spotting Mirai, Tekka stiffened.
"You—"
"Tekka-san? The situation's handled over there?" Mirai smiled. "That was my shadow clone. The commotion here was from my fight with Itachi and a masked Uchiha. Sadly, the Uchiha in this area were already killed. My apologies for arriving late."
Too similar…
Tekka barely processed the explanation, fixated on Mirai's demeanor. In every way, this Hyuga reminded him of Sanmoku—an inexplicable, instant rapport.
(Chapter end)