Muren Uchiha, for all his composure, carried a hatred so deep it burned—a hatred reserved for one man: Kazuyama Gekkō.
Their feud began in Konohagakure, where Muren had suffered humiliation after humiliation at Kazuyama's hands. And now? That bastard had gone and become the Jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails, turning into a target Muren was determined to destroy.
Every memory, every encounter had carved this hatred into his bones. Now, even hearing Kazuyama's name was enough to drive him into a fury.
Without hesitation, Muren opened his mouth, unleashing a sea of flames. Guided by his Dōjutsu, the inferno spread only forward, scorching everything in its path.
"Senko, be careful. The heat from that fire is intense."
"Ah-la-la, I know."
"Crystal Release: Crystal Wall! No flame can burn through crystal—block it."
The flames roared forward, but the crystallization was faster.
In the blink of an eye, a massive pink crystal wall rose in front of them, thick and solid. The fire struck it head-on but left not even a scorch mark.
"Scorch Release: Crimson Lotus!"
Defense fell to Senko, while offense remained Michihito's job.
As one of the deadliest Kekkei Genkai, Scorch Release was effectively a one-hit kill—its victims' bodily fluids evaporated in an instant, leaving only mummified remains.
With raw destructive power already perfected, Michihito had devoted himself to expanding its range. From that pursuit came his technique: Crimson Lotus.
Unlike traditional Scorch Release, which focused on concentrated fireballs, Crimson Lotus shattered those limits.
Red light radiated from Michihito, spreading outward in waves. But instead of dispersing, the light lingered in the air, humming faintly with chakra.
Everyone within its reach—including Muren Uchiha—was caught inside the glow.
Muren frowned. A subtle heat was building in his body, and something about it felt wrong.
"Burn, Crimson Lotus!"
The moment Michihito's chakra connected with Muren, he moved—his hands flying through seals. The faint red light engulfing Muren instantly deepened into a fierce, blazing crimson.
Scorch Release flames erupted violently, swallowing Muren in an instant.
"Hmph. Tricks like that won't work on me."
Muren's Mangekyō Sharingan flared. In a single pulse of power, he distorted the distance between himself and the flames, isolating his body from their reach. No matter how fiercely they burned, they couldn't touch him.
Michihito's brows furrowed as he watched.
"His Dōjutsu can defend too. That's annoying. Senko, any ideas?"
"Not really. But I do have one thing I can try."
"What thing?"
Her voice cut off suddenly, and Michihito's stomach dropped. He knew that tone all too well. Whatever she was about to do, it wasn't going to be good.
"Retreat!" he shouted back toward Karin, Gaara, and the others. "My Scorch Release will hold for a bit longer—use this time to get out of here!"
Karin reacted first, sprinting off without hesitation. Gaara and his siblings followed immediately.
Michihito launched another wave of fire, then turned to retreat himself.
He had barely taken two steps when his sister's voice rang out from above.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Come forth—Katsuyu! Crush him!"
Michihito froze mid-step. "I knew it!"
A thunderous crash shook the forest as Katsuyu's massive body slammed down, shattering the giant trees of the Forest of Death. The enormous, blue-white slug's arrival caused instant chaos—no surprise there. Every time one of these massive summons appeared, they made a scene.
"Boom!"
The sound of breaking trees echoed across the entire forest.
Every candidate turned their head toward the source.
"What was that? What's happening over there?"
"Holy crap, it sounds like a war! Are we really all just genin here?"
"This isn't normal—something's seriously wrong."
Everyone had their own suspicions. Even the stationed ninja nearby were alarmed.
Kazuyama Gekkō and Minato Namikaze moved at the exact same moment.
While others might not recognize the slug's chakra signature, the two of them certainly did.
When they arrived, Katsuyu was spewing out thick, corrosive acid that hissed as it ate through the ground.
The stench of chemicals filled the air, making both men frown.
"Katsuyu, stop the acid release."
"Where's Senko?"
At the sound of their voices, the slug immediately ceased her attack.
Then her back began to bulge, and moments later, Senko Gekkō emerged before them.
"Senko," Kazuyama said sharply, "why use the Summoning Technique—and have Katsuyu attack with acid right after appearing?"
"What happened?"
Kazuyama knew she would never summon Katsuyu without reason. With her mastery of Transparent Escape and Crystal Release, summoning offered little advantage unless it was to draw attention or signal distress.
"Father. Lord Hokage."
"An unknown enemy has infiltrated the Forest of Death."
"The target appears to be a Sunagakure shinobi. The enemy possesses a Mangekyō Sharingan. My brother and I couldn't defeat him."
Three sentences. That was all it took for Kazuyama's face to darken with fury.
"Damn it! They slipped in using Dōjutsu?"
"Minato, sound the alert."
"As for the Forest of Death—Sage Art: Five-Light Barrier!"
Kazuyama pressed his palms together. A crystal sphere formed and rose into the air, glowing as five beams of light shot outward in five directions. Wherever the light reached, a sensory barrier spread across the forest.
At the same time, Minato flung his right hand skyward, sending a flare streaking up before it exploded in the clouds.
The moment the signal lit the sky, ninjas across the area began converging at top speed.
"Senko, where's your brother?"
"Forget it. I'll go myself."
Kazuyama had marked both his daughters with Flying Thunder God seals. In the blink of an eye, he vanished before Minato's eyes.
Minato exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
"Senko, tell me exactly what happened. Only one intruder?"
Senko quickly relayed everything that had transpired.
Minato nodded grimly. Within moments, squads of ninja began arriving.
"Hokage-sama, what's going on?"
Kakashi was the first to appear—no surprise there, given his speed. The others, including several ANBU, arrived seconds later.
Once most of the units had assembled, Minato's calm but icy voice rang out:
"Konohagakure is now under martial law. Activate the village's sensory barrier. All ANBU squads will patrol nonstop—twenty-four hours a day."
"The Akatsuki organization has appeared."