Bang!
A pale-red signal flare slowly rose into the sky near Shakuka Town before exploding with a deafening boom, shattering the tranquility of the evening.
"Captain Yuu, it looks like something happened…"
"I already saw it."
Inside the Shakuka Town stronghold, Yuu stepped out of his tent and raised a hand to stop the Konoha ninja who was about to report.
Then, with a Substitution Technique, he instantly appeared atop a watchtower more than ten meters above the ground and stared toward the direction where the signal flare had been launched.
"The location is southeast, about three kilometers from here… Have Fugaku and the others returned? But why would they launch a signal flare from there?"
Yuu didn't dwell on it for long.
He quickly lowered his head and called out,
"Shisui! Take a squad over and check the situation. Stay hidden. If anything unusual happens, withdraw immediately!"
"Understood!"
Upon hearing Yuu's order, Shisui, who was standing in the open area between the tents, immediately called over Uchiha Inabi and Tekka and prepared to investigate.
Seeing this, Obito loudly insisted on joining them.
Shisui looked up toward Yuu.
Seeing that he showed no objection, Shisui nodded and allowed it before leading the squad out.
Afterward,
Yuu rested one hand on the railing and watched Shisui's group disappear into the distance.
He then narrowed his eyes and looked southeast again.
That direction was covered in rolling hills.
The sun was about to set, leaving the forests somewhat dark. Only a flock of startled birds circled overhead, seemingly disturbed by people moving below.
Before long,
Shisui's squad returned from the direction where the flare had been fired.
The four people who had gone out were now supporting five or six ninja as they staggered out from the edge of the forest.
Most of the injured were covered in blood and had numerous blade wounds across their bodies, looking extremely miserable.
Uchiha Fugaku was among them.
Only Gekkō Shigure appeared to be in slightly better condition, though he also looked as though he had just survived a brutal battle.
"What happened?"
Yuu jumped down from the watchtower.
Together with Kakashi, he hurried forward and helped support the wounded.
Then he looked toward Gekkō Shigure.
"Didn't I tell you to focus only on reconnaissance? Did you end up fighting Kirigakure?"
"…It was an ambush! We were ambushed!"
Gekkō Shigure answered between heavy breaths.
He then rapidly explained what had happened, and Yuu gradually understood the situation.
Originally, Fugaku's infiltration mission had gone very smoothly.
After all, the squad's average strength was quite high, and they had several pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan.
Ordinary Kiri ninja could be controlled with a single glance and wouldn't even get the chance to sound an alarm.
Furthermore, they really had obtained several important pieces of information about Kirigakure.
For example, Kirigakure had gathered a large force inside the miasma valley, numbering at least two to three hundred—possibly even more.
The commanders of this force were Yagura Karatachi and Jinin Akebino, both elite jōnin of Kirigakure.
Considering that three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had already fallen, and Jinin Akebino had appeared here, the remaining Ninja Swordsmen were most likely involved as well.
It was simply unclear whether they were inside the miasma valley or stationed somewhere else.
All of this information was indeed extremely important.
However…
some of it had not been deliberately discovered by Fugaku and the others.
They had learned it while being hunted.
That was right.
Hunted.
The main reason was Ao—
the Kiri ninja who possessed a Byakugan.
During Kirigakure's previous surprise attack, Yuu hadn't encountered Ao, so he had somewhat overlooked this relatively inconspicuous person.
But this time, it had been Ao who used the Byakugan from within the miasma valley to discover Fugaku and the others.
That led Yagura to organize a hunt for them.
Although Fugaku and Gekkō Shigure both sensed that something was wrong and decided to retreat, they were still surrounded by layers of Kiri ninja and nearly driven into a dead end.
Just as the two squads faced total annihilation,
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly exploded with power and displayed an ability no one had ever seen before—
"…At the time, Captain Fugaku's eyes suddenly started bleeding, and he released some kind of black flame!
"That flame burned anything it touched. Rolling on the ground didn't work, and even Water Release couldn't extinguish it!
"Any Kiri ninja who got even a little bit of it on them would collapse screaming and keep burning until they were nothing but charcoal…"
Gekkō Shigure swallowed.
"We used that opportunity to break through the encirclement and escape all the way back here.
"But Captain Fugaku collapsed halfway through the journey.
"He's not in good condition."
Shigure finished recounting everything in one breath, his face still carrying lingering fear.
Even for him, as Fugaku's teammate, the ability Fugaku had used had been somewhat horrifying.
The sight of an entire group of people being set aflame and continuing to burn until there was nothing left to consume…
It had been like a scene from hell.
Once you saw something like that, you would never forget it.
But…
Yuu merely nodded calmly.
He already understood what had happened.
"Black flames…"
Got it.
So Uchiha Fugaku's awakened dōjutsu was also Amaterasu.
Mm.
"Also."
In the original story, among all the people who had revealed their Mangekyō abilities, only two possessed Amaterasu—
Itachi and Sasuke.
And both of them happened to be Fugaku's sons.
So from a genetic perspective, Fugaku possessing Amaterasu was perfectly reasonable.
The only question was…
did Fugaku possess a dual-Amaterasu setup like Sasuke?
After all, Kagutsuchi could be considered a variation of Amaterasu in a certain sense.
Or did only one of his eyes possess Amaterasu, while the other had a completely different dōjutsu?
Yuu would probably have to ask Gekkō Shigure more questions later—
or simply wait until Fugaku woke up and ask him directly.
"Rin, how are they?"
Yuu looked toward Rin, who was currently using the Mystical Palm Technique.
The injured had already been laid flat on the ground.
Rin, Kurenai, and two other medical ninja were examining their wounds.
"…They're alright."
Rin lifted Fugaku's eyelid and examined him.
"The main cause of unconsciousness should be excessive chakra consumption combined with severe mental exhaustion.
"But his vital signs are relatively stable.
"If he rests properly for a while, he should recover."
"I see…"
Yuu nodded.
Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō during the previous Kirigakure surprise attack.
This was probably his first time actually using a Mangekyō ability.
It was completely normal for him to suffer side effects.
After all, nearly every Mangekyō user in the original story had experienced similar problems to some degree.
Except for a certain cheater who jumped directly from two tomoe to the Mangekyō…
Considering Fugaku's eyes were his own original pair and his physical condition had always been good, he probably wouldn't become as drained as Kakashi or Itachi.
Even so, he definitely couldn't participate in combat for a while.
Someone would also need to remain near these wounded men and protect them.
"Obito, Raidō, help Rin carry these injured men to the medical unit."
Yuu began issuing orders.
"Kakashi, arrange additional personnel to reinforce security around the stronghold.
"Mobilize every patrol squad. I want everyone watching every tree, every bush, every movement around us."
"And Shisui—
"Summon every ninja crow you can and send them into the sky.
"Focus surveillance on the direction of the miasma valley.
"If anything moves, report immediately!"
"Understood!"
"Got it!"
Kakashi and Shisui both nodded.
Kakashi went to organize the patrol units.
Shisui began summoning ninja crows and releasing them into the air.
Although crows normally flew at relatively low altitudes, their actual flight ability was not weak.
They could reach heights of around eight thousand meters.
And for ninja crows that had undergone special training, such a feat was even easier.
They were fully capable of serving as aerial scouts.
Yuu watched everyone move into action, then raised his head toward the direction of the miasma valley and fell into thought.
Because of the poor visibility inside the valley, Fugaku's group hadn't managed to determine the exact size of Kirigakure's forces.
But conservatively speaking,
there should be at least as many as during the previous surprise attack.
The problem was that Konoha had already suffered heavy casualties in that battle.
Across the entire southeastern front, fewer than three hundred combat-capable ninja remained.
Shakuka Town itself had only fifty or sixty.
If Kirigakure truly committed all of its remaining forces…
this battle would likely be extremely brutal.
…
At this moment.
Deep inside the miasma valley.
Yagura Karatachi stood before more than a dozen blackened corpses.
A layer of frost seemed to cover his youthful face.
Every corpse was frozen in a posture of agonized struggle.
Most had been burned into piles of black ash, leaving neither their original appearance nor even recognizable bones.
Even the surrounding rocky ground had been burned into pits of varying depths.
The sight was horrifying.
"Tsk, tsk…"
Not far away,
Ao, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, clicked his tongue with an equally grim expression.
"I thought the 'White Reaper' was already invincible beneath heaven.
"To think there's someone even fiercer than him?"
"What exactly is this ability?
"It looks similar to ordinary Fire Release, but the temperature is astonishing, and it cannot be extinguished.
"It only disappears after completely burning the human body away…"
Ao frowned deeply.
"How can such a terrifying ninjutsu exist?"
Nearby,
the brown-haired Mei Terumī looked surprised.
"Even you can't analyze how this technique works, Ao?"
"…I can't."
Ao shook his head.
Then he continued in a grave tone,
"However, according to what I observed, this ability should originate from the Sharingan of that Uchiha.
"When their leader used the technique, an enormous amount of Yin Release chakra erupted around his eyes.
"Immediately afterward, the flames appeared directly wherever he was looking.
"They ignored defenses and continued burning.
"Neither Water Release nor Earth Release could extinguish them.
"The only solution was to completely cut away the body part that had been contaminated…"
Strictly speaking, there was actually another way to deal with Amaterasu—
take off your clothes.
Unfortunately, people in the ninja world at this time were still unfamiliar with Amaterasu.
And unlike the samurai of the Land of Iron, most Kiri ninja didn't wear heavy armor covering their entire bodies.
Most wore relatively light protective gear.
So even if they thought of stripping off the affected clothing, it would probably already be too late.
At this moment,
Yagura slowly spoke.
"There's no need to keep guessing.
"This should be a special dōjutsu unique to the Uchiha clan."
"Dōjutsu?"
Several pairs of eyes turned toward him.
"Yes."
Yagura continued,
"I once saw records in books preserved by the Second Mizukage.
"They mentioned that during the Warring States Period several decades ago, certain powerful Uchiha awakened ocular abilities beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan."
"One of them was known as the 'Unquenchable Flame.'
"It possessed exactly this characteristic—
"once ignited, it could not be extinguished."
"However, the cost of using such power is enormous.
"Every activation severely consumes ocular power and can even lead to blindness."
Yagura glanced toward the corpses.
"Judging by how miserable those Konoha ninja looked while retreating…
"that Uchiha may already have lost the ability to fight."
"…Wow! As expected of Lord Yagura!"
Mei deliberately clapped in exaggerated admiration.
"You're so knowledgeable! You even know secret information like that!"
The corner of Yagura's mouth twitched.
He looked somewhat speechless.
How should one put it…
At this time, Mei Terumī was still only a teenage girl.
She had yet to experience the pressure of marriage and had no idea she would still be unmarried in her thirties.
As a result, her personality was still lively and energetic, far more cheerful than most Kiri ninja.
Furthermore, the Karatachi and Terumī families had been close for generations.
By seniority, Yagura was something like an uncle to Mei.
So he simply treated her behavior as a child being playful.
After brushing it aside with a faint smile, he hardened his expression again.
"We may have to activate Plan B."
"According to the intelligence transmitted by ANBU, Konoha's reinforcements have already departed the village.
"They'll arrive here in two days at the latest."
"Once they complete their troop concentration, our entire infiltration operation will become meaningless.
"We may even end up trapping ourselves in enemy territory."
"So…"
Yagura took a deep breath.
His voice became decisive.
"Pass down the order.
"Tell Kushimaru Kuriarare, Jinpachi Munashi, and Jinin Akebino to immediately assemble the troops under their command.
"Tonight, we launch a full-scale offensive against Konoha's southeastern defensive line!"
"Ao, when the battle begins, take an elite squad around to the northwest side of Shakuka Town.
"Use the Byakugan to monitor the movements of the 'White Reaper' and continuously report his position to the main force.
"Once the frontal battle begins, look for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the rear."
"Yes!"
Ao immediately accepted the order.
Mei quickly spoke up beside him.
"What about me? Where am I going?"
"Your Lava Release and Boil Release are suited for breaking fortified positions.
"When the main force advances, you'll be responsible for clearing traps and defensive structures along the route.
"Can you do it?"
Hearing Yagura's order, Mei's lips curved into a smile.
"I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Several minutes later,
one trained albatross after another soared out of the valley carrying the latest intelligence and coded orders toward Kirigakure's various hidden positions.
Messenger ninja moved through the forest like ghosts, delivering the attack order to every squad.
Soon,
the Kirigakure troops that had previously been scattered and concealed emerged from their hiding places and began gathering at several predetermined locations.
Dense masses of shadowy figures moved beneath the cover of night like dark currents, advancing toward their assigned targets.
And everything they did—
was captured by several ninja crows circling high above.
~~~
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