Fugaku Uchiha had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Those Sharingan belonged to his clan. Even if the one who committed this atrocity was an Uchiha ancestor, he would never tolerate such a desecration of the clan's dignity.
"Obito, be careful when using your dōjutsu. You know the consequences."
Shisui walked beside Obito, his tone stern as he reminded his friend to stay within limits.
The Mangekyō Sharingan granted overwhelming power, but its side effects were severe—overuse could lead to blindness.
"Relax. I already consulted Kazuyama-sensei."
"And I got a bunch of high-grade eye drops from him, plus medicine to relieve fatigue. Here—want some?"
"I've got plenty. I protect my eyes carefully every day now."
"Besides, my dōjutsu Kamui, while it consumes tons of chakra, doesn't really hurt my eyesight much. As long as I don't use it more than three times a day, I'm fine."
Obito was no longer the brat he had once been. Now, he was a fully fledged powerhouse—an elite of the Uchiha clan. With his Mangekyō awakened, his strength was approaching Kage level.
For his own power, and to protect those he cared about, he took meticulous care of himself.
"Shisui, don't listen to him. I heard Rin-senpai was the one who set those rules for him."
"If he dares overuse his Sharingan, she said she won't be friends with him anymore."
Obito's steps instantly faltered, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Barely steadying himself, he shot a furious glare at Itachi beside Shisui.
"Itachi! Don't you dare tell Rin—or else!"
"Hm? What was that?"
"Hmph! Or else I'll tell sensei that a certain ANBU wants special training."
Itachi Uchiha: ...
Are you even human???
Unless he'd been kicked in the head or trapped in genjutsu, he would never willingly choose special training.
For ANBU, that training was pure hell.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique!"
The mere thought of that brutal training shut Itachi up instantly. He opened his mouth only to unleash fireballs of various sizes.
Facing the enemy came first. He pushed aside all other thoughts.
"Hmph! You wanna fight me?"
"Fire Release: Explosive Wind Dance!"
Seeing Itachi stop talking, Obito felt immensely satisfied. Forming hand seals, his eyes began to rotate.
Strengthened by his Mangekyō, the flames he released instantly eclipsed Itachi's.
The other Uchiha clansmen joined in as well.
Flames and wind merged, turning the entire area into a blazing inferno.
Even inside the village, they showed no restraint.
After all, the Hokage had ordered them beforehand—defeat the enemy as quickly as possible, even if it meant heavy damage to the village.
With such an order, destruction no longer mattered.
Uchiha Muren and Black Zetsu had brought ten soldiers.
Four were stopped by the Uchiha. The other six split into pairs and scattered through the village.
"Burn, my youth!"
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
Clad in green, Might Guy charged in with pure taijutsu, intercepting one of the soldiers without hesitation.
"Hey, Guy, be careful!"
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
Another shinobi wielding chakra short blades spewed a thick cloud of ash, engulfing a soldier. Then he bit down—igniting the cloud in a massive burst of flame.
It was Asuma, back in Konoha once more.
"Kurenai, your dōjutsu won't work on them. Fall back."
"Understood. I'll help evacuate civilians. I'll leave this to you."
Kurenai Yūhi was one of Konoha's rare genjutsu specialists, but these soldiers were monsters fused from Sharingan and Rinnegan.
Her techniques wouldn't land on them. Knowing this battlefield wasn't for her, she retreated immediately.
Crack!
Asuma had just escorted her away when a thick bolt of lightning tore through the flames.
Thankfully, he had grown stronger. He raised his chakra blades to block the strike—but the impact still sent him flying.
"Damn!"
The lightning's destructive force was too much. Even with Asuma's physique, he couldn't help spitting blood as he hit the ground.
Numbness spread through his entire body.
His attack had done nothing. The soldier stepped out of the flames, lightning coiling around him.
Boom!
A second thunderbolt fell. Asuma gritted his teeth, ready to endure it.
He knew that taking one more hit in this condition could leave him completely incapacitated—but he couldn't retreat.
The lightning had formed and was descending—
At that critical moment, a cold voice rang out.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
The shockwave arrived just in time, saving Asuma's life.
It not only dispersed the lightning but surged directly toward the soldier.
He casually waved a hand—lightning flared again, shattering the remaining shockwave.
"Whew… close one. Good timing."
"A smoke would really help right now."
"Thanks, Hizashi."
Still shaken, Asuma pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth—only to realize his lighter was gone.
"Alright, focus."
"Good thing I arrived. That last blow would've ruined you."
Hyūga Hizashi gave Asuma a disapproving glare. As Kazuyama's close friend, he had little fondness for the Sarutobi clan's wandering son.
He'd come only because he saw that terrifying lightning strike.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"But… are you the only one who came?"
Hizashi ignored the question, preparing for combat.
"One is enough."
"Gentle Fist!"
With the Byakugan active, chakra surged into his hands. Hizashi shot forward like an arrow.
"Seriously… guy's impossible to talk to."
"Forget it—let's go!"
Asuma understood perfectly well, but this wasn't the time for internal arguments.
He steadied himself and charged in as well.
The entire village had become a battlefield.
"Rasengan!"
Minato Namikaze used Flying Thunder God alongside Rasengan to send another soldier flying.
But despite their severe injuries, the soldiers continued fighting.