The moment the Third Mizukage saw Uchiha Hikaru, his heart sank as if a massive boulder had crushed his chest.
Though he had been controlled by Madara Uchiha yesterday, he still remembered the battle during that calamity.
After hearing what Uchiha Hikaru said, cold sweat involuntarily broke out on his face.
In truth, the Third Mizukage had struggled within.
He knew attacking the Land of Whirlpools was not a glorious matter, but he had no other choice.
He had only just barely become Mizukage when this happened.
If he didn't find a way to make amends, whether he could safely live out his days after returning to the Hidden Cloud Village was uncertain.
In the end, his inner desire overcame his fear of Uchiha Hikaru, and he resolutely decided to attack the Land of Whirlpools.
He even thought that perhaps Uchiha Hikaru was as honest as Hashirama Senju.
As long as they didn't go too far, just stealing the sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan and apologizing afterward would settle everything.
However, that illusion had now been shattered.
As the Third Mizukage froze, unsure of what to do, a brazen voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Hey, brat, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
The brave man spat arrogantly, pulling out the bones on his body and pointing them at Uchiha Hikaru.
"How about I give you release? Remember, the name's Kaguya...."
But before he could finish, Uchiha Hikaru impatiently waved his hand.
That wave seemed casual but contained terrifying power.
Suddenly, a fierce flame erupted from Uchiha Hikaru's palm, scorching hot as if it had ignited the very air.
Then, the flame rapidly condensed into a sharp slash, slicing through the air toward Kaguya with a rushing sound.
The speed of the strike was so fast it was impossible to react, as if time itself had stopped.
The grimace on the brave man's face hadn't faded before his body was split in two by the slash.
The aftershock spread, cutting everything behind him in half.
For a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent, leaving only the severed Kaguya and scorched marks from the slash.
The Third Mizukage gasped sharply at the scene.
Although mentally prepared, when faced with hostility, Uchiha Hikaru's strength still made him shudder.
The other Hidden Cloud ninja watched Uchiha Hikaru with grave expressions, hesitating to advance.
Seeing their faces, Uchiha Hikaru sneered, "Third Mizukage, you didn't tell them my intel, did you? Aren't you just sending these Hidden Cloud shinobi to their deaths?"
The Third Mizukage was struck in his soft spot by Uchiha Hikaru's words, his face pale as earth, panic rising like a tide inside.
He knew well that the success of this operation depended entirely on him hiding what had happened in Konoha yesterday.
If that were revealed, he would have long been taken back to the Hidden Cloud Village, stripped of all power, and lost the right to command the battle.
He took a deep breath and forced himself calm.
A flicker of resolve appeared in his eyes as he said in a low voice, "Uchiha Hikaru, do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Though his voice was firm, the tremor within could not be hidden.
Uchiha Hikaru looked at the Third Mizukage and smiled coldly.
He understood now — this Kage had indeed hidden the truth.
Then Uchiha Hikaru clasped his hands together, and chakra instantly surged forth, forming a powerful aura.
His Mangekyō Sharingan flickered with eerie light, as if seeing through all illusions.
"Since your Kage won't tell you about yesterday's events, then I'll let you witness them with your own eyes."
His voice was cold and deep, like the herald of a coming disaster.
"Susanoo. Armor Formation!!"
As his words fell, a piercing buzzing sound echoed.
The Hidden Cloud ninja looked up in shock, seeing before them a towering wooden giant hundreds of meters high.
The giant was covered in thick energy armor, faintly glowing.
Its face was fierce and terrifying, like a demon from hell that chilled the blood.
In its hand was a battle blade formed from pitch-black flames, with tiny black cracks dancing around the blade.
Upon closer inspection, the blade itself seemed to tear space apart simply by existing.
Before this figure, all enemies seemed so small and insignificant.
The Third Mizukage and the Hidden Cloud ninja's faces immediately drained of color.
Their eyes widened as if they had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.
"God... what is that?!"
A trembling Hidden Cloud ninja said, voice full of fear and despair.
"Impossible... what exactly is that thing?"
Another stammered, his face pale with terror, seemingly unable to think clearly.
Contrasting their pale faces, the Uzumaki clan's joy was unmistakable.
They looked at the giant before them, their eyes gleaming with fanatic fervor.
When the Konoha Anbu told them reinforcements were coming, they thought it would be Konoha's troops—but instead, a god of the shinobi world arrived.
Hikaru stood atop the wooden giant's head, overlooking the chaotic Hidden Cloud ninja below.
He controlled the giant to raise its battle blade, the tip pointing at the Hidden Cloud shinobi before it.
The Third Mizukage below watched this, his expression growing even grimmer.
He clearly knew things had reached their worst.
The appearance of this wooden giant was tantamount to facing a natural disaster head-on.
His heart was filled with regret and fear, but he knew the most important thing now was to get the Hidden Cloud ninja to retreat from this dangerous place as soon as possible.
"Retreat! Get out of here, I'll cover the rear."
The Third Mizukage shouted.
His voice echoed across the battlefield, snapping the Hidden Cloud ninja back to reality.
They stared wide-eyed at the wooden giant, their hearts filled with terror.
Then, one after another, they turned and fled, as if a single second's delay meant death.
However, Uchiha Hikaru had no intention of letting them go.
He sneered coldly and said,
"Think you can just come and go? Like I'm not here?"
His voice dripped with murderous intent.
These Hidden Cloud ninja had attacked the Land of Whirlpools, allies of Konoha, and killed Konoha's Anbu.
Now they wanted to easily escape his grasp? It was a joke of the highest order!
"Since you're here, none of you are leaving!"
Uchiha Hikaru said coldly again.
"Fire Style: Mahāvairocana!"
As he spoke, the air suddenly twisted, as if the whole space was controlled by an invisible force.
Then, pitch-black flames appeared out of nowhere, instantly forming a wall of fire hundreds of meters high, completely blocking all escape routes for the Hidden Cloud ninja.
The Hidden Cloud shinobi at the front fell to their knees in despair, staring at the fiery wall with faces full of endless fear and hopelessness.