As Shinji's right hand slowly reached toward Hiruko's eyes, everyone held their breath, the entire scene seemingly frozen in time.
Shinji wouldn't act rashly without confidence.
Having witnessed Hiruko's "Dark Release," "Swift Release," "Steel Release," and "Storm Release," he had already decided to settle this with genjutsu.
His display of Uchiha arrogance and deliberate activation of his Sharingan while closing in were all to lure Hiruko into his rhythm, setting the stage for a genjutsu showdown.
There was a slight hiccup.
Hiruko's eyes weren't ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan but appeared to be Mangekyo Sharingan. Still, this didn't exceed Shinji's expectations.
Even if Hiruko's eyes were truly Mangekyo Sharingan, Shinji wasn't fazed.
His own Sharingan, evolved into the Eternal Mangekyo after Karin's pair transformed into Rinnegan, was almost certainly the most powerful in the shinobi world.
Moreover, with "Susanoo Tomoshibi," he wielded a pair of Rinnegan, a pair of Mangekyo, and a pair of Ketsuryugan.
In a full-on genjutsu battle, he feared no one.
As expected, when Shinji and Hiruko cast genjutsu simultaneously, Shinji broke free from Hiruko's in a second, while Hiruko remained trapped in Shinji's.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a lightning bolt from the sky interrupted Shinji's reach toward Hiruko.
Shinji flashed backward, dodging the strike, then looked up to see the Akatsuki member on the fusion beast's back, who had removed his conical hat and was wielding twin swords, eyeing him warily.
"Kurosuki Raiga, the Thunder Blades…"
Shinji's gaze shifted from the man's face to the swords in his hands, identifying him.
Though the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were elite, Raiga's generation wasn't particularly strong, their power ranging between jonin and elite jonin.
Raiga, having survived Might Dai's "Gate of Death" during the Third Great Ninja War, was likely among the stronger of his group, but he posed little threat to Shinji.
At that moment, Shinno shouted from the ground, "Get me up there! Forget that bastard Hiruko—taking the Five-Tails Jinchuriki back is what matters!"
Hearing Shinno's plea, the Leaf, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Cloud ninja stepped forward to stop the Akatsuki from escaping with the Jinchuriki.
But Raiga's presence in the air made them hesitate.
After these clashes, the Akatsuki's strength was deeply ingrained in their minds. The mere sight of their red-cloud cloaks triggered instinctive caution.
Shinji glanced over, hesitating.
Raiga's strength was clearly inferior to Hiruko's and a full-strength Shinno's. If Shinji took down Hiruko here, Shinno and Raiga might not escape.
A few Akatsuki deaths weren't the issue.
The real problem was that their deaths would delay the Akatsuki's Tailed Beast collection, and losing members would hinder their efficiency.
Weighing this, Shinji hesitated to act further.
But in a flash, his dilemma resolved itself—Hiruko broke free from his genjutsu.
Whoosh.
Freed, Hiruko didn't linger, retreating over ten meters to distance himself from Shinji.
Panting heavily, he stared at Shinji with deep apprehension.
He never imagined losing a genjutsu duel to an Uchiha brat with only a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Shinji was slightly surprised, thinking, My genjutsu is still lacking…
With his current eye power, if his genjutsu skills were as refined as Itachi's or Shisui's, he could have ended Hiruko with genjutsu alone.
But his genjutsu talent was average, and he hadn't focused on it, relying mostly on raw eye power.
Regaining his composure, Hiruko said with a grimace, "Damn it, tricked by a brat like you!"
Shinji replied calmly, "A useless fool like you, even if you lucked into a Sharingan, can't compare to a true Uchiha!"
"Damn you!"
Hiruko raised his hands to form seals, ready for a full-on fight.
At that moment, Raiga shouted from the fusion beast, "Hiruko, a ninja army's heading this way—no time to tangle with these brats!"
Shinno also yelled, "Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Hiruko glared at Shinji, as if memorizing his face, then flashed to Shinno's side, grabbing the injured Shinno and the unconscious Five-Tails Jinchuriki. With a leap, he landed on the fusion beast.
Kurotsuchi shouted, "Don't escape!"
Yakumo quickly activated "Wood Release," trying to ensnare the fusion beast with vines.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
As countless vines surged upward, the fusion beast flapped its wings, unleashing a barrage of explosive feathers that collided with the vines, triggering a series of blasts.
Under the cover of the explosions, the fusion beast rapidly ascended, carrying the Akatsuki members and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki into the distance.
On the ground.
As the smoke cleared, the group watched the fleeing fusion beast, sighing helplessly.
Flight was rare in the shinobi world. With three Akatsuki members aboard, unless the Third Tsuchikage was present, no one would dare pursue alone, even if they could catch up!
Like the others, Shinji watched the departing beast, his expression thoughtful.
Yakumo, thinking Shinji was upset about failing to reclaim Hiruko's Sharingan, said, "Shinji, don't worry—we'll find a way to help the Uchiha take back those Sharingan! They can't stay in the hands of someone like him!"
"Absolutely!"
Haku, Karin, and Neji nodded in agreement.
To them, it had been a prime chance to seize Hiruko's Sharingan, and Shinji had been so close.
Kurotsuchi, feeling guilty, said, "Sorry, we held you back, preventing you from reclaiming your clan's Bloodline Limit!"
Darui approached, adding, "Thanks to you earlier. Without you, we'd probably all be dead by the Akatsuki's hands!"