Upon hearing his words, the Uchiha clansmen looked around at the fog-covered, desolate mountains and wilderness. Some wanted to say something, but in the end, they simply smiled and responded:
"Captain, it's your call!"
"We've got no objections!"
"This place really does seem like a great spot for our territory!"
Uchiha Yu turned to look at Izumi and Minami, his gaze carrying a silent question. Both nodded at once, indicating their support for his decision.
That made it unanimous—everyone approved.
But the familiar task completion prompt didn't appear.
Apparently, not even Yu himself truly accepted this godforsaken place as their territory, despite what everyone was saying aloud.
Yu's lips curved into a faint smile. Calmly, he said, "I was joking."
The Uchiha burst into laughter—some amused, others exasperated. One of the more eccentric members even let out a loud, awkward laugh and replied:
"That was hilarious."
The group fell silent.
Everyone turned in unison to stare at the speaker—surprised to realize it was one of Tamao's patrol teammates.
It was also him who had been fake-praising the area earlier.
Yu didn't mind these small antics.
The atmosphere had lightened a bit.
Before entering the Valley of Judgment, he still had a few things to take care of—namely, retrieving two specific people.
Yu pulled out the map Yeager had given them and memorized the marked key locations.
The rain had stopped completely.
After putting the map away, Yu's expression turned serious.
His eyes were giving off a strange sensation.
Though they looked like ordinary eyes, he could now feel a fluctuating "hunger" from them. It didn't directly affect him, but it was profoundly uncomfortable.
At a patch of ground near the valley entrance that hadn't collapsed, Yu had the group rest and replenish their lost chakra with soldier pills.
While the others rested against the cliffside, shrouded in thick fog, Yu discreetly retrieved a test tube from his storage space—the one containing Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
He placed the Mangekyō, which carried the powers of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, in his right palm.
Activating his own Mangekyō, Yu stared directly at Itachi's eyes and triggered the "Plunder" ability—his main quest reward.
Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan ignited with a blaze of orange-red Yin Release chakra. Then, drawn by the force of Plunder, the ocular powers and abilities transformed into a beam of light and surged into Yu's eyes.
His spiritual capacity rapidly expanded—nearly doubling—and his ocular power became significantly more refined.
Yu could feel his eyes being nourished by the appropriate power.
The hunger in his eyes gradually faded as the Mangekyō consumed and assimilated the powers of Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.
The metaphorical "thorn" stuck in his spirit was finally dislodged—at least for now.
The pattern within Yu's Mangekyō began to spin, transforming into the triangular shuriken shape representing Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.
The Mangekyō in his hand lost all color—its ocular power and jutsu vanished. Even the basic function of vision was destroyed.
Still, Yu chose to store these eyes back into the test tube and return them to his storage space.
He'd give them to Orochimaru to research later.
Speaking of Orochimaru—
A glint passed through Yu's eyes. He turned and instructed the others, "Wait here for a bit. I have something I need to take care of."
The Uchiha all nodded.
After settling the group, Yu vanished in a flicker, leaving only the sight of his back.
Yu analyzed his current situation. Having absorbed Itachi's Mangekyō, once his chakra fully recovered, he'd be able to activate Susanoo on his own—without borrowing anyone else's chakra.
However, with his own chakra reserves, he could only manifest Susanoo to its third stage: the armored tengu form.
His mangekyo eyes weren't awakened through typical emotional extremes like love or hatred. Their raw power couldn't compare to the original. Without chakra absorption abilities, he previously couldn't use Susanoo at all.
But now, things were different.
Yu reached out with his senses, locking onto two figures marked with his Yasakani seal—still fleeing since the end of the battle.
If he was to rebuild the Uchiha,
people were the most vital resource.
Yu moved at full speed, leaping from branch to branch like lightning, racing southeast—toward Konoha's direction—until he reached the blood-soaked forest of Mount Xu.
Suddenly, the rapid sound of high heels came to an abrupt halt in the forest.
Tsunade and Shizune stopped in their tracks and quickly scanned their surroundings—but saw no one.
"Since you've come… you're not leaving."
Uchiha Yu spoke calmly as he descended from the trees, landing steadily behind the two women before slowly turning around.
Since he had discovered Tsunade here, there was no way he would let her leave so easily—not for now.
Shizune's pupils trembled the moment she saw him. She instinctively backed up to stand beside Tsunade.
"After you leave here… is your next step to destroy Konoha?"
Tsunade didn't dare meet Yu's gaze directly. Her sharp eyes flicked downward, staring at his chest as she questioned him.
She was wary of Yu's ocular powers. Her voice was mature, with a touch of wildness, echoing through the forest.
Her brows furrowed, her expression grim, fists clenched tight. She was shocked that this man had noticed her presence—and furious that he had actively sought her out.
"…Yes," Yu replied, calmly studying her. He didn't bother to hide it—this was his true intention.
But Tsunade still underestimated him.
After awakening his full-body Susanoo, any area illuminated by the red glow of its chakra could be marked at will.
He had already gained power sufficient to destroy Konoha. The only complication was the hassle of marking disposable pawns. Once he captured a tailed beast, even that problem would be solved.
"Milady… let's run. We're not his match," Shizune said nervously, her face pale, clutching Ton-Ton in her arms.
Even though she had once admired Yu, the terrifying strength he now displayed made him feel like a stranger.
After the battle outside the Valley of Judgment, Shizune knew—between Jiraiya's death and Orochimaru being sealed—Tsunade had been pushed to the brink of emotional collapse.
They were no match for Uchiha Yu.
But Shizune also understood: in this moment, she couldn't sway her lady's decision. It was up to Tsunade whether they would fight—or flee.
"Whether we're a match… we'll only know if we fight!!"
Tsunade spoke with a deep voice, her delicate face filled with determination. Chakra surged wildly through her meridians as her aura peaked.
She knew full well that in her current state, she likely wasn't a match for Yu. But he was clearly showing signs of fatigue—if she couldn't take him down now…
Then who in all of Konoha…
Yu's expression remained relaxed. He was actually pleased to see the fighting spirit flare up in Tsunade's eyes.
He glanced briefly at Tsunade and Shizune—then stopped paying them any further mind. He focused instead on refining the remaining chakra within him and channeling it into his Mangekyō.
Tsunade felt the air become stiflingly hot. Her sharp eyes lit up with a deep blue glow.
Both she and Shizune were shocked to discover the blue glow originated from their own bodies. In the next moment, the blue light turned into beams that surged into Yu, who was now glowing with the same eerie light.
Then came a blaze of orange-red fire.
Before their very eyes, Yu activated the same orange-red Susanoo that Itachi had once used.
The skeletal frame of Susanoo formed, thin bones quickly wrapped in blazing chakra threads. Then appeared the Crow Tengu armor—a towering Susanoo, 20 to 30 meters tall, stood before Tsunade and Shizune.
Yu stood beneath its massive form, within its protective shell.
The orange-red Susanoo's right hand summoned the Totsuka Blade, engulfed in raging flames.
Tsunade tried to summon strength—but to her horror, her mind could no longer control her body.
Her eyes widened in terror. In the next moment, she recalled the earlier red haze that had covered the entire sky and earth—and realized: she and Shizune had already fallen under Yu's ocular genjutsu.
Her heart sank into the abyss.
Yu remained calm. The truth was, he had come to find Tsunade and Shizune not only to take them away,
but more importantly—to use their chakra to activate the orange-red Susanoo, so he could release Orochimaru and retrieve the Kamui Mangekyō.
And honestly—Tsunade's chakra reserves were no less than the dead Manda's.
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