"Oh?"
Xu Ming smiled faintly as a golden-red light ignited within his dark pupils.
A cross-like pattern resembling Madara's Sharingan emerged in his eyes, with orange-red energy flowing through them, as if a blazing fire had awakened.
"Then I'll make this quick."
"Since obtaining these eyes, I haven't yet used them in battle."
Boom!
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed intensely, illuminating the dark forest around him.
The two Senju shinobi were momentarily speechless.
A terrifying heat emanated from Xu Ming's gaze, burning their eyes as if they were staring directly into the summer sun. The searing sensation made them instinctively narrow their vision.
"A bloodline limit in the category of ocular jutsu?"
"You were hiding such power all this time?!"
Beneath their masks, the two Senju shinobi were visibly shocked.
Meanwhile, within the Senju clan's territory…
"Where are they?"
Uzumaki Mito sat in the family's meeting hall, her expression ice-cold, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Where did they go?"
"Didn't I instruct you to keep an eye on them?"
"And now you're telling me they've suddenly disappeared?"
Before her, more than twenty Senju clansmen stood with their heads lowered, their faces grim.
No one spoke.
A suffocating silence filled the room.
They had just received promising news from Orochimaru regarding the progress of the Wood Style research. While this pleased them, they hadn't forgotten the opposition within their clan.
Though Uzumaki Mito disapproved of using her late husband's body for research, she had chosen to remain neutral, suppressing internal conflicts.
However, she had anticipated that the opposing faction might take drastic action following Orochimaru's breakthrough. To prevent this, she had warned her people to remain vigilant.
Yet now, she discovered that seven Jōnin from that faction—none of whom were assigned to missions—had vanished!
Seven highly skilled warriors had disappeared without a trace.
Uzumaki Mito's heart pounded. She could hardly imagine what might unfold tonight.
"What are you all waiting for? Send everyone out! Notify Hiruzen immediately and have him deploy the Anbu to track down those seven!" she commanded, her voice sharp with urgency.
The Senju shinobi before her did not dare to object. They swiftly responded in unison before hurrying off.
In no time, search parties were mobilized—some heading to the Third Hokage, others to Xu Ming's residence, and a few directly to the Wood Style research facility.
They speculated that these were the most likely locations where the missing seven might be found.
Uzumaki Mito slumped into her chair, her face full of worry.
"Xu Ming… Orochimaru… please, don't let anything happen to you," she murmured, clenching her fists.
She feared that the seven rogue Jōnin might act recklessly and harm the two young prodigies.
Seven elite shinobi.
If they harbored ill intent, how could Xu Ming and Orochimaru possibly escape?
"Especially you, Xu Ming."
Uzumaki Mito whispered to herself.
"Orochimaru is in the research facility and under heavy protection, so his chances of survival are high. But you… you live alone. What if they come after you?"
In the eastern forest outside the village…
Xu Ming's golden-red eyes radiated searing heat, as if he had summoned a miniature sun. The temperature within a sixty-meter radius soared by more than twenty degrees in an instant.
The air became thick and stifling.
Centered around Xu Ming, the area transformed into an inferno, with waves of scorching wind sweeping through, mercilessly roasting everything within.
The two Senju shinobi, standing forty meters away, broke into heavy sweat. Their clothes, drenched within moments, clung uncomfortably to their bodies.
Their breathing grew labored as the sweltering environment rapidly drained their stamina.
"No… we can't let this continue!"
"We need to seize the initiative!"
The two exchanged a glance, their thoughts aligned. With a subtle nod, they sprang into action.
Whoosh!
The first Senju shinobi, the one who had lost his right arm, stomped the ground forcefully, causing cracks to spread outward. His figure became a blur as he lunged toward Xu Ming like an arrow shot from a bow.
A kunai gripped tightly in his left hand, he cut through the air with frightening speed.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The second Senju shinobi simultaneously weaved hand seals and released a powerful gust from his mouth.
A refined Wind Style chakra burst forth, sweeping through the area.
Whoosh!
The oppressive heat was momentarily pushed back, lowering the temperature just enough to be tolerable.
"Die!"
The kunai-wielding Senju warrior closed in, his killing intent erupting like an unsheathed blade. His kunai sliced toward Xu Ming's throat in a deadly arc.
Even a fellow Jōnin would hesitate to take such a strike head-on.
The Senju shinobi watching from afar smirked.
But Xu Ming remained still.
He merely lifted his gaze toward his oncoming attacker, his cross-shaped pupils narrowing slightly. The glowing orange-red light within his eyes intensified.
Boom!
A force erupted from nowhere, triggering an explosion in the air!
A violent shockwave expanded outward, forming a translucent energy barrier.
The kunai-wielding Senju shinobi crashed into the unseen force and was instantly sent flying backward at a terrifying speed.
"Ryuto!!"
The remaining Senju shinobi's voice trembled with alarm.
But there was no response.
Ryuto was hurled over a hundred meters away, his body smashing into the ground like a ragdoll. His chest armor shattered, revealing blistered skin from the explosion's heat.
"Ugh…"
A thick stream of blood dripped from his lips.
He was barely breathing.
A lesser shinobi would have perished instantly. Only his Senju lineage allowed him to cling to life despite suffering an explosion equivalent to a detonating tag at point-blank range.
"Damn it!"
The remaining Senju warrior gritted his teeth. Under his mask, his expression was filled with hesitation.
Should he abandon the mission to save his comrade, or press on?
A heavy weight pressed upon his heart.
More concerning was the unknown force Xu Ming had just unleashed.
No hand seals. No grand gestures.
Xu Ming had simply looked at Ryuto—then an explosion materialized from thin air.
"Is it a pupil technique that manifests explosive Fire Style energy?"
He wasn't sure. He needed to confirm it.
His eyes hardened with resolve.
"I'm sorry, Ryuto… tonight, we die together."