"Do not be afraid! No matter how strong he is, he's only one man!"
"As long as we hold him until the clan head arrives, we still have a chance at victory!"
Two Senju jonin, locked in disadvantage, tried to rally their clansmen with words.
In a large-scale battle like this, the Uchiha's Sharingan genjutsu was hard to use to full effect. What did stand out was their close-quarters combat and mid-range ninja tool attacks—both greatly enhanced by the Sharingan's insight—making them far more threatening than ordinary shinobi of the same rank. While the Senju held the advantage in terrain and numbers, thanks to striking first, the battle itself was evenly matched.
This fact alarmed the watching Senju jonin: it meant their clan's fighting strength was, in truth, inferior to the Uchiha's.
Across the field, Tajima Uchiha read the situation just as clearly—but he was far from satisfied. His gaze swept the battlefield.
"The Uchiha are the strongest clan in the shinobi world. No enemy can match us! Even if they hold every advantage in time and place—we will crush them!"
Hearing his words, every Uchiha's fighting spirit burned higher. Killing intent thickened the air.
With that domineering declaration, Tajima launched forward like an arrow from the bow, heading for the Senju's left flank—where their numbers and strongest fighters were concentrated.
Twenty-eight genin, thirteen chunin, and one jonin who had just arrived.
This was the most strength they could muster on short notice. With Earth Release and Water Release, they were holding off many Uchiha, forming a rock-solid line of defense.
Facing a lone intruder like Tajima, the leading Senju jonin dared not be careless. He had already seen the man's overwhelming chakra and mysterious techniques. He chose a conservative tactic.
"Earth Style: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!"
The ground split violently under Tajima's feet the instant he landed, sharp edges of earth erupting upward to slow his advance.
Nearby shinobi moved in sync. Genin scattered outward, drawing Uchiha away while hurling explosive tag-laced kunai. Chunin intercepted other Uchiha trying to rush in.
Among the chunin, four specially equipped Senju pulled scrolls from their pouches and began channeling chakra into them. Of the rest, fewer than ten still had enough chakra to unleash powerful jutsu—and only three could still perform strong techniques.
They launched every attack they could to delay Tajima.
Above, the Earth Release trap; around him, a barrage of ninjutsu; in the center, a barrier formation taking shape. All of it aimed at one man.
And that man met it with utter disdain.
Tajima's expression was one of contempt. Weaving through the upturned stone and earth, he avoided every strike without a scratch. Even a casual counter from him carried lethal threat to the Senju around him.
It was as though he were not fighting at all, but toying with them—drawing them into his pace, making them dance to his rhythm.
As time passed, four massive pillars of chakra rose from points around him, their energy converging into a massive, cubic purple barrier.
The Four Violet Flames Formation.
It sealed Tajima inside completely. Seeing it, the Senju warriors finally breathed easier. This Uchiha was terrifying—far beyond jonin level, a strength they could scarcely imagine.
"The Four Violet Flames Formation? From the Uzumaki clan?"
Inside, Tajima's Sharingan scanned briefly before locking onto the jonin leading this force.
"You think I'm trapped because of some crude little tactic of yours?"
As Tajima Uchiha's voice rang out again, an immense surge of chakra rose visibly from his body. A massive skeletal frame enveloped him, and the murderous intent bursting through the Four Violet Flames Formation made the surrounding Senju's hearts leap into their throats.
Could it be… even the Four Violet Flames Formation couldn't hold him?!
"Impossible. No one has ever escaped the Four Violet Flames Formation." The Senju jonin's voice was firm—both in confidence and to steady his comrades.
"Is that so? Then watch closely, and see why the Uchiha are called the strongest clan!"
Tajima spread his arms wide, no longer suppressing his chakra. A gigantic skeletal form rapidly took shape before their eyes, filling the entire barrier in moments.
For the first time in battle, Tajima Uchiha summoned the upper body of his Susanoo.
A single violent swing of its arms made the barrier's purple flames flare wildly against the Susanoo's form—but to little effect. The structure warped under the crushing force.
"This little formation dares try to bind me? Laughable."
Channeling more of his Mangekyō Sharingan's power, Tajima's Susanoo roared, muscles forming over its bony frame. With its newfound strength, it heaved mightily.
The Four Violet Flames Formation groaned and cracked like a straining shell, spiderweb fractures racing across its surface.
"Break!"
With Tajima's command, the barrier shattered. The collision of chakra forces exploded outward in a shockwave, hurling Senju and earth alike into the air. Gale-force winds ripped through the field, flinging stone and debris into trees and cliffs.
Even the roaring battlefield fell into brief silence.
Both Senju and Uchiha were shaken by the display.
"What was that? Genjutsu?"
Even some Uchiha who had never witnessed such a power doubted their Sharingan's clarity. The Senju, on the other hand, were gripped by cold dread—this was beyond imagination. Not only had he killed a jonin with ease, he had torn apart the supposedly unbreakable Four Violet Flames Formation from within.
This was not the later era where Kage-level fighters were common. In this chaotic age, jonin were the pinnacle of open battlefield power, and the Four Violet Flames Formation—though used here with only chunin-level strength—was still strong enough to confine even some weaker Kage of later generations.
And yet, it had been torn apart.
"No… that thing is real." Another Senju jonin spoke grimly, blood running from dozens of wounds. "This Uchiha… even our clan head might not be his match."
Even without hearing the words, every Senju genin and chunin present lost their will to fight. Against the wolfish, crimson-eyed Uchiha, their lines collapsed. The once-even battle turned into a rout, the Senju front quickly breaking toward Butsuma Senju's position where the Eight-Tails sealing was underway.
From afar, watching through her giant Tenseigan, Satsuki had already noted the scene.
"The Senju may lack true champions at this point in history, but to rout so quickly before the Mangekyō is… unexpected. The Four Violet Flames Formation should not have fallen so easily."
Her Tenseigan swept over the chunin flung aside, and she quickly deduced Tajima's method: "He placed one of them under genjutsu, disrupting their chakra control, then smashed through in one go. If that's pure battle instinct… his experience is truly fearsome."
To keep the battle balanced—and ongoing—Satsuki knew she had to intervene.
Her Tenseigan's vast chakra locked onto a dying Senju. Around the fallen man, Uchiha suddenly felt an immense pressure in the air. Looking up, they saw a torrent of chakra descending from the sky, punching through the clouds and pouring into the wounded Senju.
The man's body lifted into the air, bathed in blue chakra steam. His Senju bloodline rapidly healed his grievous wounds, dragging him back from death.
Though they didn't understand what was happening, the Uchiha knew this was a threat.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
"Lightning Style: Wave of Inspiration!"
…
Dozens of jutsu of varying power hurtled toward the glowing column. The Senju—though healed—remained semi-conscious, unable to dodge.
But he didn't need to.
Every ninjutsu that touched the column was absorbed, converted into more energy for the man within. The only effect was to rouse him fully.
And in that instant of clarity, something new bloomed in his mind.
"This is… the Eight Gates Release Technique?"