It was a trap.
Using his memory and assessing the situation, Sōgen concluded that Kuroshio Mountain was a trap. By the time he had saved Uchiha Akihiko and the others, the command center at Kuroshio Mountain had likely already been taken over by Uchiha Obito.
If they couldn't find a way to counter "Kamui," Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan technique, then in Sōgen's view, Uchiha Obito was almost invincible in one-on-one battles. At the very least, he was unbeatable.
With just the troops stationed at the Kuroshio Mountain command center, Sōgen doubted they could even scratch Uchiha Obito, no matter how hard they tried.
However...
"They still came, huh!"
Standing before the gates of Kuroshio Mountain Castle, Sōgen looked up at the ancient fortress, nearly a hundred years old. It was said to have been built during the Warring States period by a small country's daimyo, who poured the entire country's resources into its construction. But when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara swept through the ninja world, ending the Warring States chaos, the castle's original owners, along with three ninja clans serving that small country, were wiped out by Sarutobi Sasuke.
Seeing the name "Sarutobi Sasuke" in the historical documents fascinated Sōgen. The brilliance of Hashirama and Madara was so dazzling that other strong warriors of their era were almost entirely overshadowed.
Later, when the Land of Fire and Konoha Village were established, during the era of the Second Hokage, this abandoned castle was repurposed by Konoha as one of the bases for the Eastern Border Defense Force.
And now, it had fallen once again.
The corpses piled up at the entrance had pooled their blood into a small crimson stream, staining the ground before the gate and trickling down the gentle slope.
"Too late, as expected."
The gruesome sight was something Sōgen had prepared himself for when he saw the vultures circling the sky back at the foot of the mountain. Still, seeing it in person brought a touch of disappointment. The Eastern Border Defense's command center had been wiped out, and reorganizing the defense along the long coastal line would be a major headache.
"Troublemakers!" Sōgen thought with frustration, his gaze shifting to the figure of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, who had come into view.
This man was no stranger to Sōgen.
During the Third Ninja War, Yagura, though not yet the Fourth Mizukage, was already a high-ranking commander on the Kirigakure frontlines. Though he wasn't a Jinchūriki at the time, it didn't diminish his strength. His mastery of Water Release jutsu and the unique "Coral Palm" technique, developed from Kirigakure's research on the Three-Tails, had caused Konoha's forces great trouble.
Yagura had been one of the most feared enemies of Konoha at the time.
Not long after earning the title of "Flame Demon," Sōgen, along with the newly famous "Body Flicker" Shisui, had fought fiercely against Yagura. The outcome? They both retreated, which, in ninja terms, meant they lost.
Beneath Yagura's childlike, innocent appearance lay the heart of a true warrior.
"Long time no see, Yagura. Or should I call you Mizukage now?"
"Uchiha... Sōgen?"
Yagura's expression subtly shifted as he gazed at Sōgen in his crimson armor, seemingly recalling something.
This wasn't due to any hidden past between them but rather because the battle had already begun in silence.
Sōgen's eyes turned crimson, with the three black tomoe spinning as he activated a Genjutsu. His ocular power projected onto Yagura, only to be swallowed by an unfathomably deep black abyss—Yagura's "black box."
"Impressive!"
Sōgen genuinely admired the skill. Putting aside Yagura's character, he had to admit that Uchiha Obito was terrifyingly talented. Manipulating the Nine-Tails like a mere pet at such a young age and turning the Fourth Mizukage into a puppet—his mastery of Genjutsu was truly fearsome.
Before Sōgen could change tactics, he felt a faint tremor underfoot. Instinctively, he shifted, dodging a deadly strike aimed at his vital organs. A sharp blade, wrapped in wind chakra, skimmed his right side, but his scarlet armor easily deflected it without leaving a mark. The Kirigakure swordsman, hidden behind a mask, looked confused. His attack had once sliced through a Water Dragon jutsu and even split massive rocks, yet it couldn't penetrate Sōgen's armor, barely the thickness of a thumb.
He couldn't understand it, but he didn't dwell on it long—this was still a battle, after all!
With a practiced motion, he let a kunai slide into his left hand, wrapping it in wind chakra before hurling it toward Sōgen's face. The failure of his first attack made him realize that Sōgen's armor had formidable defense, so he targeted the more exposed head instead.
And he wasn't alone.
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spears."
The ground behind Sōgen rippled as if it were a soft carpet, and sharp stone spears shot up towards his feet. At the same time, attacks from both sides were launched—not wind or earth techniques this time, but Kirigakure's specialty: Water Release.
"Water Style: Water Whip."
Two Kirigakure ninjas lashed out with whips of water, capable of splitting even rock, aiming to strike Sōgen.
Facing an Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan, it was said that at least two similarly skilled opponents were needed to stand a chance—this was a rule followed by Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure alike. The battle-hardened members of Yagura's Shadow Guard remembered this well.
So, to ensure the capture of Uchiha Sōgen, they attacked with four people at once.
Their caution was justified, but in the end, it wouldn't change the outcome. The gap in power was simply too great to bridge.
Sōgen glanced at the kunai speeding towards him, made a single hand sign with his left hand, and gently exhaled.
**Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.**
At close range, the massive fireball not only deflected and incinerated the kunai but also scorched the blood-soaked ground and the enemies within its radius, leaving a deep, imperfectly round crater.
"One down."
Sōgen quietly counted under his breath.
After dealing with the Mist Ninja in front of him who still tried to cause trouble, he stomped the ground with both feet and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the rock pillars that erupted from behind in an earth-style attack. He glanced back mid-air at the Mist Ninja using the Earth Release technique.
Of course, his troubles weren't over yet.
Whip-like water streams lashed toward him from both sides with a sharp, slicing sound. Although Water Whip is only a C-rank ninjutsu, the rank of a jutsu doesn't always reflect its true power. Many factors come into play, making it complex to evaluate. But one thing was certain: the same jutsu could vary dramatically in strength depending on who wields it.
The Water Whip techniques from these two Mist Ninjas were a perfect example. Their power far exceeded the usual standard.
If he got hit by them, it would mean broken bones and torn muscles. Still, that wasn't likely to happen. The armor he wore had the defensive strength of a "D-rank treasure." Although it couldn't completely block the attacks, it would reduce the damage.
At most, he might be knocked back, ending up with some bruises.
"Uchiha Style: Flame Sword."
Faced with the water-style attack, Sōgen suddenly remembered fond memories of burning Mist Ninjas on the battlefield. Drawing his sword, he coated the blade with a blazing stream of fire. With a swift motion, he slashed through the water whips coming from both sides, creating a graceful arc in the air.
Attack met attack. Strength clashed with strength.
Back in the day, his favorite move was using Fire Release to overpower Mist Ninjas' Water Release techniques head-on!
Defeating an enemy in their strongest field was exactly the kind of behavior that earned Sōgen the nickname "Flame Demon." The "Flame" represented his mastery of Fire Release, and "Demon" described his ruthless tactics.
As his fiery sword collided with the water whips, the intense heat evaporated them instantly. Steam filled the air like mist, and from the Mist Ninjas' hurried retreat, it was clear their hands had been scalded by the superheated vapor.
Then—
Still in mid-air, Sōgen turned his gaze toward the distance.
"You're the second one."
The Mist Ninja who had attacked with Earth Release heard the voice from behind him and was instantly alarmed. In his vision, Uchiha Sōgen had just fended off his sword-wielding comrade and was retreating to create distance. He had been thinking of how best to coordinate with his teammate…
But how had Uchiha Sōgen suddenly appeared behind him?
Was it the Body Flicker Technique? Shadow Clone? Or something else entirely?
His thoughts raced, but in that brief moment, he couldn't figure out what technique Sōgen had used. Abandoning his thoughts, he immediately acted on instinct. He spun around and threw a powerful punch toward the sound, his fist strengthened by an Earth Release hardening technique. If it landed, even Sōgen would be in trouble.
Even if it cost him his life, he chose to attack rather than defend or flee. The ruthless, decisive nature of Mist Ninjas was on full display.
But his full-force punch hit nothing but air.
Behind him, there was only his own solitary shadow.
By the time the shuriken came flying, shattering his spine and embedding itself deep into his body, the searing pain snapped him out of the illusion. In his dying moments, he finally understood: it had been genjutsu all along.
As expected of an Uchiha.
But his brain, already dulled by the approaching death, couldn't figure out when he had fallen under the illusion.
With that final, unanswered question lingering in his mind, he coughed up blood mixed with fragments of his organs, then collapsed lifelessly, his body growing cold.
"What a hassle!"
Sōgen lowered the hand that had thrown the shuriken, frowning slightly. These Mist Ninjas were skilled—killing them was proving to be a lot of work. The two whose hands had been burned retreated behind the castle gate, where medical-nin from the Shadow Guard began treating their burns.
Of the four attackers, only half had been dealt with.
He had to admit, these Mist Ninjas were elite fighters, powerful and tough to handle.
And this was without Yagura, the leader, joining the fight. The remaining ten members of the Shadow Guard were still standing by. If Yagura decided to act, it wouldn't be easy for Sōgen to handle things with his current techniques.
Moreover, Yagura was a Jinchuriki now. If he unleashed the power of his Tailed Beast and fired off a couple of Tailed Beast Bombs, Sōgen would have two choices: run or use his Mangekyou Sharingan. Running wouldn't be easy either, with Yagura and his twelve subordinates there to keep Sōgen from escaping.
So,
Using the Mangekyou Sharingan seemed to be his only option.
"Are they trying to drain my eye power? Or are they hoping to discover my ocular jutsu?"
Sōgen's crimson eyes spun.
At this point,
He had a faint idea of why Uchiha Obito had set this trap. Maybe Obito's real target was him from the start—fearing Sōgen's unknown ocular abilities and trying to expose them? Or maybe it was a plan to wear down his eyes until he went blind?
Perhaps both.
He had never fully understood why Obito was involved in the Uchiha clan's massacre. Rin Nohara's death couldn't be blamed on the Uchiha, after all.
But then he remembered how Obito seemed to fear Itachi Uchiha, and a vague theory formed in his mind. Maybe the real reason was to prevent more Mangekyou Sharingan users from appearing in the clan? Other than collecting Sharingan to use Izanagi, was the goal to keep the clan from gaining more powerful eyes?
After all,
Obito knew better than anyone how terrifying the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan could be—his own "Kamui" jutsu was proof of that.
Today,
Given his current situation, Sōgen was starting to believe his theory was right!
Staring at the castle in front of him, Sōgen smiled. Even if it was a trap, he had to dive in—otherwise, he wouldn't know what Obito was planning. It was just too intriguing.
Now that he had figured out what Obito wanted,
He would give it to him.
End of chapter.