"The Aburame Clan's insects, huh? Not bad! But simple tricks like that won't defeat the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan," Uchiha Obito muttered, narrowing his eyes as he watched the unfolding scene. He knew that a crucial moment was coming. Would they finally witness Uchiha Sōgen's eye techniques? The source of this content ɪs novel[f]ire.net
"Oh wow! What an incredible chakra surge!"
White Zetsu cried out in surprise.
Fortunately, no one else was around. The few Root ninjas lurking nearby had already been casually dealt with by Obito, so there was no need to worry about White Zetsu's exclamation drawing attention.
In fact, anyone with even a bit of sensory ability or sharp instincts would be captivated by the black swarm of insects swirling together. More precisely, they would be drawn to the powerful, overwhelming chakra suddenly erupting from within the swarm.
Hyūga Hiashi, who was locked in battle with an enemy, used his Byakugan to see through the surrounding chaos. What he saw shocked him. Sōgen, surrounded by insects, was now emitting a vast, dark, and chilling amount of chakra. It was a level of power Hiashi had only ever seen from a jinchūriki.
In an instant, memories of his clan's records on the Uchiha came flooding back.
"It seems I made the right choice!"
Hiashi muttered under his breath. His previously weakening chakra suddenly surged as he released a large amount of chakra from his tenketsu points. His body began to spin like a top, forming a dome of chakra that shielded him entirely.
The rapidly spinning chakra dome not only deflected all physical attacks but also, as Hiashi pushed even more chakra into it, expanded outward with tremendous force. The surrounding enemies were flung aside, their bones and muscles shattered, leaving them barely clinging to life.
Seeing this, even Uchiha Shisui was impressed.
"I didn't know the Hyūga's Rotation technique could be used offensively like that. Not bad!"
Shisui praised, though his small sword continued to cut down the nearby Root ninjas. Together with Hiashi and Hyūga Mayu, they wiped out the remaining enemies. They then stopped and turned their attention in the same direction, no longer attempting to break through to the southeast.
In the next moment, a massive, skeletal arm wrapped in deep crimson flames parted the thick canopy of the forest. It stood like a towering spire, announcing the arrival of a god's power once again to the shinobi world.
A glow deeper than any fiery blaze,
A color more intense than fresh blood.
The appearance of this skeletal arm was only the beginning. Soon, a second arm emerged, followed by a complete skeletal frame, forming out of the burning chakra. It stood tall, like an unmovable mountain on the battlefield.
And yet, this wasn't the end.
Veins and muscles began to grow wildly over the bones, while the flaming chakra enveloped the form like a garment. In a mere moment, a massive figure wielding a giant blade cast a colossal shadow over the forest below.
This was the third form of Susano'o!
"What... what kind of monster is this?"
The Root ninjas were stunned.
If they had been ordinary ninjas, fear would have already driven them to panic. But Root ninjas had no names, no emotions, and no fear of death. Their only purpose was the mission. Even so, they found themselves at a loss, unable to comprehend how to fight this behemoth.
They had no experience dealing with something .
During the Nine-Tails incident, they had been tasked with monitoring the Uchiha and hadn't engaged in combat. Over the years, many new members had joined, leaving the current force severely lacking in experience.
They were like a tiger trying to bite a porcupine, not knowing where to start.
To make matters worse, Uchiha Sōgen wasn't some porcupine that would just stay still. He was a dragon ready to strike back at the tiger.
Inside Susano'o, Sōgen's eyes were now crimson, the eerie pattern of his Mangekyō resembling a six-pointed windmill slowly spinning. He frowned slightly as flames suddenly erupted from his feet, burning away the insects burrowing into his flesh. The fire, however, also severely burned his bare feet.
"Tch! That really hurts!"
He clicked his tongue lightly.
The insects clustered around him had been pushed out by Susano'o from the start. But those that had burrowed into his flesh couldn't be removed by Susano'o, so he had no choice but to burn them out with fire.
Afterward, as the insects were incinerated, the power of his Yang Release slowly began to heal the burns on his feet.
At that moment, however, Sōgen's focus wasn't on his injuries. From the crystal embedded in Susano'o's brow, he looked down at the vast forest below. The Root ninjas were scurrying like insects, while Shisui and the Hyūgas had moved to a more open area.
That was a logical move.
Upon seeing Shisui and the others, Sōgen's thoughts shifted, and Susano'o immediately sprang into action. Its massive foot came down with a crushing force, obliterating the ground beneath it. The forest shook, sending dust clouds into the sky. The tremors spread toward the village center, and soon all of Konoha could feel the quake coming from the south.
Aburame Ryōma narrowly avoided being crushed by Susano'o.
At the last second, this skilled insect user escaped, though he was heavily injured. His arm had been broken by a stray rock, and nearly 80% of his insects had been wiped out. But he had survived, avoiding being turned into a bloody pulp.
"Susano'o... So this is Susano'o?"
As he fled, Ryōma repeated the name he had read in secret documents many times. He finally understood why Danzo-sama and the Third Hokage were so hostile toward the Uchiha. All that talk about the Uchiha being "inherently evil" now seemed like an excuse.
The truth was simple—
Fear. Envy. The Uchiha's overwhelming power was what really drove their oppression. The Uchiha were too strong—so strong that their existence inspired terror in others. Without someone as powerful as the First Hokage to keep them in check, Konoha had no way to control the Uchiha.
And that's why they were being suppressed!
But right now, Ryōma had more pressing concerns. What was he going to do next? Uchiha Sōgen had really mastered this legendary power, using it to break through his carefully laid traps with raw force. Ryōma felt a deep sense of despair, having been defeated by the Uchiha yet again without any hope of victory.
He didn't know how to win!
Especially when he noticed the massive sword of Susano'o descending toward him. In that moment, he realized his fate was sealed. Maybe this wasn't so bad. At least he wouldn't have to deal with the aftermath. Death seemed like a release—
The crimson blade carved into the earth, leaving a deep gouge. Ryōma was wiped from existence.
"This is only the beginning!"
As Ryōma's chakra faded from his vision, Sōgen shifted his gaze to the scattered Root ninjas below.
Since Susano'o had already been revealed, he figured he might as well take this chance to remind everyone why the Uchiha were so proud. He would make sure they remembered where the Uchiha's arrogance came from and why the Uchiha were Konoha's most powerful clan.