Right now, the night was as dark as ink, pitch black without a trace of light.
In front of the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters.
Space suddenly trembled, and a figure wearing a yellow tiger-patterned spiral mask abruptly appeared.
"Konoha Military Police Force?"
"What a joke!"
"This joke ends tonight."
Obito sneered, his figure flickering as he dashed straight into the brightly lit building.
But the next moment...
He realized, to his shock, that this brightly lit building was completely empty!
The dozens of elite Uchiha clan members who should have been stationed here were gone—every last one of them!
Impossible!
Had the Uchiha Clan already begun their uprising?
Had all these elite clan members already been deployed?
Impossible!
Such a move couldn't possibly escape Konoha's notice.
Then where had all these people gone?
As Obito stood there, puzzled and suspicious...
BOOM! BOOM!
Loud explosion and crashing sounds echoed from afar.
Instantly activating Kamui, Obito teleported himself to the rooftop of the building, turning toward the source of the battle noises.
The next moment, when he personally witnessed two towering Susanoo Demigods rising from within the Uchiha District, even he couldn't help but feel horrified!
"How is this possible?!!"
"That's… [Susanoo]?"
"Is it Itachi?"
"No, it's not his aura!"
"So there are actually two other Mangekyō-wielders hidden within the Uchiha Clan?"
"They've been hiding so deeply?"
"One of them must be Fugaku."
"Hmph! That useless clan head finally dares to show his strength?"
"Has an internal conflict broken out?"
"Is he suppressing resistance?"
"Hesitant and indecisive toward outsiders, yet ruthlessly decisive against those within?"
"Tch~~~"
Obito muttered disdainfully in his heart.
However, he didn't choose to approach recklessly.
After all, most of Konoha's elites had gathered over there.
If he got close carelessly and got exposed, things would turn bad for him.
Better observe from a distance for now.
...
At the same time,
Around the battlefield.
By Sarutobi's indication, the other Konoha ninja also refrained from joining the fight recklessly.
Instead, they orderly evacuated civilians while sealing off the surrounding areas.
Trying to limit the battlefield as much as possible.
In the center of the battlefield right now.
Shimoku fiercely engaged in battle with his Susanoo, while simultaneously keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.
Seeing that Sarutobi, Danzo, and others had all arrived,
The timing was finally ripe.
He no longer held back, unleashing his full power with full force!
His douli (ocular power) and chakra surged like a flood, fueling his Mangekyo Sharingan as he directly elevated [Susanoo] from its first form to the second.
In an instant,
Countless chakra-solidified meridians and flesh exploded outward, enveloping the skeletal Susanoo like a living coat.
In this state, the Susanoo's offensive and defensive capabilities received a tremendous boost.
Moreover, it could now wield personal weapons and execute signature ninjutsu techniques.
Its power far surpassed that of the basic and first forms of Susanoo.
This form demands a massive chakra surge—it's hard to maintain for long.
Fugaku's eyes went wide with shock as he blurted out in disbelief—
"Shimoku, you've actually mastered [Divine Force] to this degree!!"
Watching Shimoku don the feathered robe, his aura surging dramatically and making his Susanoo even more terrifyingly imposing, Fugaku couldn't help but react.
In just a few short minutes.
The impact of this once-overlooked relative on him—and all of Konoha—was simply overwhelming!
If it weren't for the fact that seven years ago, this kid was only two or three years old,
He might even suspect he was the one who controlled the Nine-Tails during its attack on Konoha!
But there was no time to marvel.
The next moment.
Shimoku's Susanoo bent its arm and gripped a massive chakra blade nearly twenty meters long.
Slicing through the air with terrifying force, each arc brimming with crushing power.
It slashed fiercely toward Fugaku's own Susanoo.
An extreme sense of danger exploded over Fugaku's scalp.
Instantly, he quickly activated his [Mangekyō Sharingan], desperately trying to shift into the second stage of Susanoo—even though he hadn't fully mastered it yet.
Unfortunately, Shimoku's strike…
Was too fast! Too fierce!
Before the chakra-flesh could fully form around Fugaku's Susanoo frame, the blade tore through muscle and bone alike.
Second strike…
Third strike…
Three strikes in a row—each blow struck with even greater fury than the last!
Each strike roared like thunder, tearing the skies apart with unstoppable fury!
"Ka——"
Under the onslaught of overwhelming blade force, Fugaku's Susanoo shattered instantly, crumbling completely.
And Fugaku himself flew backward violently, spitting blood.
Crashing through several buildings in succession,
Finally landing heavily within a pile of rubble dozens of meters away.
...
Defeating a solid Kage-level expert in just three moves!
Such a shocking scene caused countless nearby ninja to gasp in horror and awe, their faces filled with fear.
Such overwhelming strength—it sent chills down their spines!
Meanwhile, Danzō, concealed beside Sarutobi,
Glanced at the Susanoo wielding the massive sword, then looked down at the tiny kunai clenched tightly in his hand.
In the end, he silently slipped the kunai back, leaving no trace.
Apparently, this guy had no intention of ever foolishly attempting to stab a Susanoo with a kunai again.
...
After decisively defeating Fugaku in three moves,
Shimoku also felt quite strained; his chakra reserves were nearly drained. His [Mangekyō Sharingan], pushed beyond limits, burned painfully in his eyes.
Moreover, Shimoku could no longer maintain the second stage of [Susanoo].
Retreating to the [Initial Susanoo Form], he was left with only a skeletal defense, about three meters tall, for protection.
But Shimoku knew more than anyone else—his real objective had already been accomplished.
Before defecting, deliberately seeking out Clan Leader Fugaku for a fight wasn't just some idle whim.
Because after such an intense battle—
One, it would draw nearly all Konoha ninjas' attention—making it easier for others in the clan to escape.
Secondly, he could openly display his strength without hesitation, warning any future threats who might consider scheming against them to think twice.
After all, without demonstrating formidable power,
even if he had led half the clan members to successfully escape Konoha,
what followed would only be endless pursuit and assassination attempts from the Uchiha's former allies in Konoha.
In this brutal ninja world, only strength dictated survival. Only power could command true fear!
Judging by the current effect, things were going quite well.
His sudden surge of power had clearly shaken many people.
Meanwhile, the remaining half of the Uchiha Clan members who chose to leave Konoha likely succeeded in escaping as well.
Now, all that remained was for him to flee Konoha too.
Thinking this, Shimoku Uchiha didn't hesitate any longer—he bent his knees and sprang forward with force.
Instantly leaping dozens of meters ahead, he rapidly fled toward the outskirts of Konoha...
He wouldn't waste time like those reckless fools—yelling empty threats while running off, just begging for more enemies.
As if hoping others wouldn't kill them quickly enough.
Wouldn't that time be better spent putting a few hundred more meters between himself and danger?
...
As the great battle ended and Fugaku fell defeated,
and seeing Shimoku Uchiha showing signs of exhaustion, his chakra nearly depleted as he fled,
an impatient Danzo could no longer hold back.
He immediately roared at Sarutobi:
"Sarutobi! Act now!"
"This is our last chance! Do you really want to let such a huge threat escape the village?!!"
"You've seen his strength yourself—and he's still incredibly young! Given time, he might very well grow into another Madara."
"Do you think Konoha will still be able to withstand his retaliation then?!!!"
Hearing this,
a shadow of hesitation flickered across Sarutobi's eyes.
If it could be avoided, he truly did not wish to raise arms against the Uchiha Clan itself.
Yet Danzo's words held merit.
As Hokage, he had to consider the safety of the village.
He absolutely could not allow such a dangerous potential threat to escape Konoha!
After a moment's hesitation, Sarutobi swiftly made his decision.
"Anbu, listen up!"
"This is an S-rank priority mission: intercept the rogue Shimoku Uchiha and attempt to capture him alive!"
"If necessary, you have authorization to eliminate him!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Sarutobi's command,
the Anbu ninja received their orders and swiftly set out in pursuit of Shimoku Uchiha.
Even the heads of several powerful clans, including the Uchiha, exchanged knowing looks, silently aligning with the order.
After all, standing from both Konoha's perspective and their own, nobody wanted to see another 'Madara' rise within the Uchiha Clan again!
At the same time, upon receiving formal authorization to hunt him down,
Danzo gave a faint smile, lifting the corner of his mouth, then quickly departed with several Root ninjas,
vanishing into the night.
To him, such precious 'Mangekyo Sharingan' eyes—Shimoku Uchiha naturally needed to be claimed… one way or another.
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