In the other battlefield, the chaos in the Hyuga Clan's compound had not subsided.
Under the shocked gazes of Shikaku and the others, Kanon's Second Squad plunged into the fray like a sharp blade.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Kanon stood atop the roof, her red hair flying, several massive golden chains behind her writhing like living pythons as they swung down!
With irresistible force and sealing power, they precisely swept through the formations of the Hyuga guards and Konoha's Jonin.
Where the chains passed, Ninja attempting hand seals found their Chakra instantly stagnating… taijutsu specialists were directly sent flying by the tremendous force. The meticulously laid encirclement formation was thrown into disarray in an instant!
"Now! Break through!" Natsuhi shouted, forming hand seals. Vast purple Chakra surged from her back like a peacock spreading its tail, transforming into a giant Chakra Bird poised to take flight… Mysterious Peacock Method: Wing Strike!
The Chakra Wings flapped forward violently, smashing aside several Hyuga guards trying to reorganize the defensive line ahead, clearing a path.
"Blood Dragon Ascension!" Chino's eerie blood-red eyes seemed to summon the bloodstains left from the previous battle. They rapidly converged into a ferociously roaring crimson dragon, carrying a heavy smell of blood, which charged towards the Akimichi Clan's members attempting to flank from the side, forcing them to retreat and defend.
"Let's go!" Shunji and Hazuki, clad in their dark blue Chakra Armor, were like two blue whirlwinds, protecting the flanks left and right.
Shunji, with his greatly enhanced strength, sent a Hyuga Clan's member who tried to ambush him flying with a single punch, along with his Revolving Heaven.
Hazuki was astonishingly fast, her kunai precisely deflecting incoming shuriken, occasionally seizing openings for sharp counterattacks.
The four cooperated seamlessly, their combat power astonishing, instantly tearing a hole in the dense encirclement.
"Follow!" Kanon's voice came from the front.
Hizashi didn't hesitate, grabbing his son Neji and following closely with the other five rebel branch family's members, charging outwards along the bloody path opened by the Star Ninja.
"Stop them!" Hiashi, clutching his still-throbbing chest, roared hoarsely.
He forcefully raised his Chakra, leading loyal branch family elites like Hoheto and Hyuga Ko, attempting to block them again.
Shikaku also immediately directed the Konoha's Jonin to apply pressure from the flanks.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!" Shikaku formed hand seals, but his shadow had just begun to extend when it was violently smashed apart by a sweeping golden chain!
Kanon coldly glanced at him, the pressure in her gaze making Shikaku's heart skip a beat.
It was like seeing Kushina!
"Damn it!" Choza enlarged his body, his massive palm slamming down, but it was blocked head-on by a Chakra Dragon materialized by Natsuhi's Mysterious Peacock Method.
Inoichi attempted his Mind Body Switch Technique, but found it extremely difficult to invade due to the interference from the strange golden chains.
"So this is... the Uzumaki Clan..." Inoichi's expression was grave.
Shikaku, while directing the battle, quickly asked Hiashi: "Hiashi! What exactly is going on?! Why has the Caged Bird failed? What method did they use?"
Hiashi's face was iron-gray, blood still at the corner of his mouth. Panting, he was both furious and bewildered: "I don't know! The Caged Bird, passed down for centuries, actually-"
"But it's absolutely related to that Shura! He attacked the Hyuga Clan's compound twice, dug out the main family's elders' Byakugan, he must have planned this long ago!"
Hearing this, the chill in Shikaku's heart grew stronger, 'Shura's obsession and connection with the Hyuga Clan far exceeded our imagination.'
Simultaneously, the Star Ninja Squad's breakthrough ability was extremely strong… each member had Jonin-level strength, and the Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains were both offensive and defensive!
Kanon took the lead, her fiery red hair like a burning banner in the night wind.
The several thick golden chains behind her coiled and danced around her like living creatures, emitting a powerful sealing aura. Any ninjutsu or attack attempting to get close was mercilessly shattered or deflected, providing an impregnable barrier for the team.
Hizashi, Neji, and the other five branch family's Jonin followed closely, their eyes filled with a thirst for freedom and the resolve of a last stand, also feeling joy at the importance placed on them by the Land of Stars and that Shura.
On the left flank of the team, Shunji, equipped with Chakra Armor, moved swift as the wind. The specially made Chakra-enhanced short blade in his hand glinted coldly, accurately blocking incoming kunai and shuriken, occasionally thrusting in counterattacks that were cunning and fierce.
On the right flank, Hazuki's figure was agile. Her tool manipulation skills were sublime, coordinating with small Wind Release Ninjutsu, she could always interrupt the hand seals of pursuing Ninja in time, disrupting their rhythm.
Natsuhi formed hand seals, pale purple Chakra light swirling around her, a giant Chakra Dragon faintly visible behind her, responsible for the rear guard.
They fought while moving, like a chisel, brutally piercing through the encirclement of Konoha's Ninjas.
The forces led by Shikaku and Hiashi were momentarily unable to effectively intercept them.
And the direction of Kanon and the others' breakout was towards the Uchiha Clan's compound, where flames shot into the sky and explosions sounded one after another!
The closer they got, the stronger the smell of blood and the violent fluctuations of Chakra in the air became.
"Not good! Their target is the Uchiha Clan's compound!" Inoichi's mental perception also picked up the extremely chaotic battlefield aura ahead.
Just then, a sudden change occurred at the center of the Uchiha Clan's compound!
Boom!!!
An emerald green, suffocatingly massive energy pillar shot skyward!
Immediately after, under the horrified gazes of all, a sky-scraping green giant rose from the ground!
Clad in ancient Chakra Armor, it emitted a soul-trembling pressure, like an ancient war god resurrected from myth!
"This… what is this?!"
"What… what kind of monster is that?!"
All the pursuing Konoha's Jonin fell into immense shock and bewilderment at this moment.
"Su… Susanoo?!" As clan heads of their respective clans, Shikaku, Hiashi, Inoichi, and Choza were even more appalled.
That was the ultimate power of the Uchiha Clan's legend, only unlockable by the Mangekyo Sharingan!
The main battlefield in the Uchiha Clan's compound was in full swing.
Battle cries shook the sky, fires blazed everywhere.
Konoha's Anbu and Root's elite Ninja surged like a black tide, constantly impacting the line formed by the surviving Uchiha and Star Ninja.
Facing extermination, the surviving Uchiha Clan's members erupted with unprecedented combat power. Many even had their Sharingan evolve after witnessing their kin's deaths, their fighting styles becoming more frenzied.
The light of the Sharingan and various secret techniques flashed wildly. People fell every moment.
Kakashi led a squad composed of Tenzo and several elite Anbu's members, attempting to cut into the chaotic Uchiha Clan's compound battlefield from the side, aiming for the core.
However, they had just broken through the peripheral chaos when they were met with stubborn resistance!
Three figures stood before them like phantoms.
On the left, one had snow-white hair, pale skin, cold eyes, and emitted a dangerous aura, with pale bone spurs extending from his arms.
"Kaguya Clan, Kimimaro." His Byakugan was active, his 360-degree field of view taking in all of Kakashi's team's movements.
On the right, one had delicate features and a gentle temperament. As he formed hand seals, a piercing cold spread, moisture in the air instantly condensing into ice crystals.
"Yuki Clan, Haku."
There was also a brown-haired girl with small freckles on her face, her gaze now unusually sharp. She didn't speak much, merely began to turn her body into mist.
"Kekkei Genkai!" Tenzo immediately warned in a low voice, but his eyes behind the mask were fixed on the freckled girl.
"Kill!" Kakashi didn't waste words, a cold light flashing in his eyes as he instantly gave the attack order.
Several Anbu's members immediately threw shuriken while quickly forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Fire, aided by wind, transformed into a blazing net of fire covering Kimimaro's trio.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia!" Kimimaro advanced instead of retreating, the bone spurs on his arms instantly lengthening and transforming into two giant bone blades!
Like an elegant dancer, yet also a cold-hearted god of death, he brandished the bone blades, precisely slicing apart and destroying the incoming fireballs!
Sparks flew everywhere, but couldn't harm him in the slightest!
Sharp bone spikes instantly erupted from the ground at his feet, forcing two Anbu who charged ahead to retreat in disarray.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!" Haku's movements were faster. He pressed his hands to the ground, a thick, hard ice wall instantly rising, easily blocking the impact of the combined Wind-Fire Ninjutsu.
Yukimi's body swayed, instantly turning into an intangible mist, skillfully avoiding the Ninjutsu's residual waves, appearing beside another Anbu attempting to flank, her kunai stabbing straight for his throat!
Her movements were fierce and precise!
"Careful! Her Kekkei Genkai is mist transformation! Watch your breathing!" Kakashi immediately warned, simultaneously bursting into action, his kunai carrying lightning stabbing towards Yukimi, trying to rescue his comrade.
Clang!
Yukimi's kunai collided with Kakashi's, producing a crisp sound.
The close-quarters confrontation made Yukimi feel this person was somewhat familiar.
Just then, Tenzo, evading to support the comrades forced back by Kimimaro's bone spikes, had his Anbu Mask grazed by the edge of a sharp bone spur!
Crack!
The Anbu Mask shattered and fell to the ground, revealing Tenzo's young but somewhat wooden face.
Yukimi's movements halted abruptly!
She stared fixedly at that face, her pupils contracting sharply!
A long-buried name escaped her lips: "Te-Tenzo?! Is that you?!"
Tenzo's body stiffened, his gaze complex as he looked at Yukimi, "Yukimi... you… why did you join the Star Ninja? Why are you aiding the villain?"
"Aiding the villain?!" Yukimi's voice rose sharply, filled with anger and sorrow, "Look around! Look at this hellish massacre! We're aiding the villain? Then what about you?! Look at what the Anbu is doing! Not even sparing infants in swaddling clothes, not even letting go of the elderly who can barely walk!"
"Is this the Konoha you want to protect?!" She pointed at the corpse of an old woman lying in a pool of blood not far away, her voice trembling with emotion.
Kakashi remained silent, the exhaustion and confusion in his visible eye deepening.
His father's suicide, Obito's 'sacrifice', Rin's tragic death, Minato's sacrifice... tragedy after tragedy had long dragged him into an abyss. He was just numbly carrying out orders, using missions to fill the void inside.
His encounter with Yukimi, though brief, was one of the few lights in these past years, briefly warming his corpse-like body.
He just never expected to meet her again years later on the battlefield.
Facing Yukimi's questioning, Kakashi could only stiffly repeat: "The Uchiha colluded with the Land of Stars, launched a rebellion, threatening the village's safety-"
"Colluded?" Yukimi seemed to have heard a huge joke. She pointed at the Uchiha Ninja fiercely battling the Anbu and the Star Ninja desperately rescuing the elderly, weak, women, and children in the distance: "Open your eyes and see clearly! Now, who is it that's raising the butcher's knife to slaughter their own villagers? And who is it desperately protecting those innocent people!"
Tenzo still wanted to argue: "But-"
"Enough!" Kakashi interrupted Tenzo hoarsely. He slowly pulled down his forehead protector, seemingly wanting to cover the deeper pain and struggle in his eyes.
"Tenzo... Yukimi. Our positions are different. More words are useless. Now, we... can only meet on the battlefield." He tightened his grip on the kunai, lightning crackling in his palm.
"An old acquaintance?" Kimimaro asked softly, standing beside Yukimi.
"Yeah..." The last trace of warmth in Yukimi's eyes vanished.
The battle erupted again, more brutal than before!
Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku, augmented by the Byakugan's insight, was simply like a meat grinder on the battlefield. Bone blades, bone spikes, bone bullets attacked the Konoha's Anbu from all sorts of tricky angles.
The remaining Uchiha forces erupted with astonishing combat power. They were like mad tigers, completely disregarding their own casualties, frantically pouncing on the Konoha's Ninjas.
Their combat experience from the Third Great Ninja War against Kirigakure's Kaguya Clan made them unusually familiar with Kimimaro's fighting style, and they quickly began to coordinate.
Two Ninja Clans who had been at war on the battlefield just years ago were now fighting side by side.
Many Uchiha Ninja, while fighting, raised their kunai or shuriken and angrily scored deep marks across the Konoha's forehead protectors on their brows or arms.
The grating sound was like their final declaration of severance with this village!
"Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique!" Tenzo formed hand seals. Several thick wooden vines burst from the earth, coiling towards Kimimaro and a nearby Uchiha Ninja like giant pythons!
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Pine!" Kimimaro's body spun violently, countless sharp bone spikes instantly erupting from all over his body!
These bone spikes not only instantly tore apart the coiling vines but also shot towards the surroundings like a storm of steel needles!
Two Anbu's Ninjas who failed to dodge in time were instantly pierced!
"Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" Haku's figure shuttled rapidly between the instantly formed ice mirrors, the ice senbon in his hand like invitations from the god of death, constantly harvesting enemies trying to approach.
Facing immense pressure, Kakashi had to open his tightly shut left eye, the scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotating.
He didn't want Obito's eye to witness this scene of clansmen killing each other, but to complete the mission, to protect his comrades, he had no choice.
"Chidori!" Dazzling blue lightning gathered in his hand, emitting a sharp sound like a thousand birds chirping.
Amid the piercing thunder, Kakashi turned into a blue flash of lightning, stabbing straight towards Yukimi!
Yukimi turned into mist again, dodging the fatal blow.
On the other side, Tenzo also stopped holding back: "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The ground split open, giant trees surged out like living things, entangling towards Kimimaro and Haku, attempting to restrict their movements.
"Wood Release?!" The surviving Uchiha Ninja, seeing this, were all horrified, exclaiming in disbelief.
Those several thick trees, like demon claws reaching out from hell, burst from the earth and grew wildly.
Though they didn't catch Kimimaro and Haku, they entangled three Uchiha Ninjas attempting a surprise attack!
"Damn it! It's the First Hokage's Wood Release!"
"Isn't the Senju Clan already-"
"Argh!"
The vine-like branches, with powerful constricting force, instantly entangled the three Uchiha Ninjas. The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible, their screams cutting off abruptly!
This scene deeply stimulated Yukimi!
Yukimi, who had been carefully observing his hand seals and Chakra Flow, suddenly had a flash of understanding!
The power that had always lain dormant within her, originating from the Kekkei Genkai stabilizer developed from the First Hokage's cells and White Zetsu's cells integrated by Orochimaru, seemed to be stirred by a homologous force, becoming exceptionally clear and active!
A strange resonance violently agitated deep within her bloodline!
The vague power she had faintly felt in the Land of Stars in the past became incredibly clear at this moment!
The instant Yukimi's mist re-coalesced, she almost subconsciously imitated the hand seal sequence and Chakra Flow's method Tenzo had just used, her hands rapidly forming seals!
Her Chakra surged wildly in an unprecedented manner, merging with the earth!
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Rumble!
Under the horrified gazes of Kakashi, Tenzo, and all other combatants nearby, the ground in front of Yukimi cracked open!
Several tough trees burst from the earth, growing wildly at a speed no less than Tenzo's. With equally ferocious posture, they instantly tightly entangled three Konoha's Anbu who had charged too far forward and couldn't dodge in time!
Under the terrified and despairing gazes of those three Ninjas, the trees suddenly tightened and contracted!
"What?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Argh…"
Crack!
A teeth-grating sound of breaking bones rang out. The three Anbu were instantly crushed to death!
The entire flank battlefield seemed to have been put on pause at this moment! The air seemed to freeze!
Everyone who saw this scene, whether from Konoha or the Star Ninja and Uchiha side, showed expressions of extreme shock and disbelief!
Kakashi and Tenzo's eyes widened to their limits!
'Wood Release?!'
'This… how is this possible?!'
'This was the Kekkei Genkai unique to Senju Hashirama-sama throughout the Ninja World!'
'How many people died in Orochimaru's human experiments before they got a Wood Release's test subject like Tenzo?!'
'And Yukimi is clearly from the Iburi Clan!'
"Wo-Wood Release?!" Nearby fighting Uchiha Ninjas were also drawn by the sight, exclaiming in surprise.
Both Uchiha and Konoha's Ninjas looked at this freckle-faced Ninja, their eyes filled with shock and confusion: "Is-is she a clansman of the Senju?!"
Hiruzen, from afar, naturally noticed this shocking scene.
When he saw another Wood Release User appear, and one standing on the Land of Stars' side, an icy chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!
Hiruzen's first thought was of Orochimaru!
After all, Tenzo was a product of Orochimaru's experiments.
'Could this girl also be from Orochimaru... And now, within the Star Ninja's ranks, not only were there Uchiha, Uzumaki, Kaguya, Ice Release, and several other Kekkei Genkai...'
'Now even the lost Wood Release had appeared!'
'This Land of Stars!'
'This Shura!'
'Just how many Kekkei Genkai Clans had he gathered?!'
'What exactly did he want to do?!'
"Hokage-sama! Urgent report from the Hyuga Clan's compound!" Just as Hiruzen's mind was reeling, an Anbu, covered in the smoke of battle and full of urgency, flickered to his side.
The Anbu's voice carried a tremor as he reported rapidly: "The Hyuga Clan's branch family has rebelled! The Caged Bird has failed! Hyuga Hizashi colluded with Star Ninja, ambushed and killed three main family's elders! They are breaking through towards the Uchiha Clan's compound with Star Ninja support! Shikaku-sama and Hiashi-sama are in pursuit!"
"What?!" Hiruzen felt as if struck by lightning, his body swaying violently!
'The Uchiha Rebellion wasn't quelled, and now the Hyuga Clan's branch family has rebelled too?!'
'Uzumaki, Uchiha, suspected Senju bloodline with Wood Release...'
'Plus the Hyuga Clan's branch family...'
He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, his vision darkening.
The foundation of Konoha, on this night, seemed truly on the verge of complete collapse!