"Gale—"
After Uzuki Yugao fell to the ground, her heart skipped a beat, as if she had lost something important.
Before she could think further—
"Ah!!"
Tamao let out a thunderous roar as he leapt down from above again, relentless, wielding the massive Executioner's Blade with both hands, hacking downward with immense force.
In an instant—
Uzuki Yugao performed a Transformation Technique. Her real body twisted right, agile and nimble, narrowly dodging the strike.
Boom—
A boulder that swapped places with her was smashed into rubble by Tamao's blade.
Rising and leaping back, Uzuki Yugao crouched low, bent forward, then quickly formed hand seals:
"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"
In a flash—
Her eyes locked onto a single point as she leapt at Tamao, swift as the wind, splitting into two identical shadow clones mid-air.
The technique was designed to confuse opponents with shadow clones, launching attacks from multiple directions.
Whether it was her true self or the clones, each slash carried the full force of her swordsmanship.
Sword arcs pulled into perfect curves—
Like three newborn crescents.
Three Uzuki Yugao, masked with crimson patterns, violet hair flying, moved with airy swiftness, slashing at Tamao from the left, right, and above!
"Three of you? Not bad!"
Tamao's Sharingan swept across the three figures. He raised the Executioner's Blade repeatedly to block.
Clang! Clang!
Sharp metallic clashes rang out—two of her strikes were blocked.
To his shock, both slashes had landed on the exact same weak point at the blade's tip.
Clang!
On the final strike, the Executioner's Blade suddenly cracked at the tip, growing lighter in his hands.
"No way, it broke just like that?!"
Cracks spread upward along the blade until the weapon shattered into pieces, as fragile as paper.
Beneath the mask, Uzuki Yugao's face was cold. Her strength couldn't match Tamao's, and she lacked bloodline limits like the Sharingan.
But with swordsmanship sharp enough to shatter a weapon at its weak point—this was well within her ability.
When it came to swordplay, she was a professional.
Breaking through his guard, she spun gracefully, her ninja blade carving another moonlit arc, her violet hair fluttering like a butterfly in flight.
This strike was aimed straight for Tamao's neck.
But to her horror, the shattered Executioner's Blade regenerated before her eyes, growing back as if alive. The blood that stained its edge was absorbed like nourishment, fueling its restoration.
The Executioner's Blade—
Known as the blade that never breaks!
Clang!
Her slash was blocked again by the newly restored weapon.
Uzuki Yugao's face twisted in shock. She had heard of the Executioner's Blade's fearsome reputation, but never imagined it could regenerate so quickly!
"Heh, you're the first person to trigger its ability in front of me!" Tamao sneered. "You've had your fun. Now it's my turn!"
"…"
Uzuki Yugao's expression darkened. She prepared to retreat quickly.
But suddenly, scarlet light flickered in her pupils—her brain reeled as if struck, her spirit wracked with searing pain. Her body froze in place.
It was an illusion—a genjutsu of pure mental domination.
She had made a fatal mistake: she had glanced at his eyes. Just one glance—and she was dragged into an abyss.
The tomoe in Tamao's Sharingan spun, dazzling, as he successfully cast his genjutsu, disrupting the flow of chakra in her body and robbing her of control.
He grinned. "Heh, did you really think I was going to keep playing swordsmanship with you?"
What a joke. He was an Uchiha—if he didn't use his eyes, would that even make sense?
In her dazed state, Uzuki Yugao's pupils trembled as she noticed her surroundings.
She saw her comrades—who had easily defeated Sand ninja puppeteers earlier—falling one after another at the hands of scarlet-eyed Uchiha, who looked like demons.
The difference between the two sides was vast.
Not only did Tamao's ocular powers terrify her, but even Uchiha Izumi revealed strength that shocked her.
And through careful observation, she realized Nanpū's swordsmanship now rivaled Hayate's.
"Let me see what you really look like!"
Tamao slung the Executioner's Blade across his back and reached out to remove Uzuki Yugao's mask.
The crimson-patterned mask lifted, revealing her violet hair in disarray.
Beneath it was a face with dignified features and delicate beauty, thin red lips enhancing her striking appearance.
"…"
Uzuki Yugao's eyes were wide with confusion as Tamao brazenly sized up her body.
"Not bad. Looks passable enough. Guess it wasn't a waste for me to act!"
Tamao crouched down with a smile, hefting Uzuki Yugao onto his shoulder, and ran out of Konoha.
"You…"
Yugao couldn't understand his actions. She struggled to speak, trying to question him.
"Oh, I see you're gifted. Staying in Konoha is just a waste of your youth. Come with us and help rebuild the Uchiha. And if you could serve my big brother, that would be even better!"
Tamao said excitedly.
"Join the Uchiha… serve your big brother…"
The first half of his words left Yugao completely stunned.
She was a loyal Konoha ANBU, sworn to defend her village to the death. And he expected her to join the Uchiha?
What a joke.
But when she heard the latter part, her eyes widened in shock. She wanted to resist, but her body still wouldn't move.
"I… I already have someone in my heart. No matter what methods you use, I will never join the Uchiha—let alone serve your big brother. Just kill me!"
Yugao roared defiantly.
"Someone in your heart, huh? Are you married?"
Tamao pressed curiously, seizing on the key point.
"Yes!" Yugao replied coldly.
"That's even better!"
Tamao's steps grew lighter, his mood brightening. Compared to those small ninja villages, only in a great village like Konoha could one find such high-quality kunoichi!
"You!!"
Yugao's face froze in disbelief. She had just said she was married—so why wouldn't he grant her a swift end?
Of course, she had only planned to marry Hayate Gekkō, but they weren't wed yet.
Outside Konoha, on the eastern front—
"Young man, what exactly are you doing…"
Orochimaru, looked at Tamao carrying "Uzuki Yugao," struck by a strong sense of déjà vu.
How was this any different from when he had sent Kushina and Rin to Uchiha Yu?
Beside him, Tsunade and Shizune looked on in stunned silence.
This Tamao had been going on about capturing kunoichi for his elder brother ever since the Grass Country. Who would have thought that even after coming back to Konoha, he was still so… consistent with his ideals.
"Take care of her for me. She is the cornerstone of rebuilding the Uchiha!"
Tamao set Yugao down in front of Orochimaru.
"No problem."
Orochimaru replied cheerfully, his eyes openly filled with appreciation for Tamao.
Among the Uchiha, aside from Uchiha Yu himself, this young man was the one Orochimaru admired most.
"Has your big brother found Shinno yet?"
Tsunade suddenly asked.
"Not yet—we only just arrived in the village!" Tamao answered.
As he spoke, he cast several more layers of genjutsu over Yugao with his Sharingan before finally feeling at ease to leave.
Tsunade looked down silently at the raging battlefield on Konoha's front lines.
Orochimaru watched Tamao's retreating back and sighed.
"What a fine child… it's a pity I didn't discover him earlier."
"…Orochimaru… Lady Tsunade…"
Yugao's eyes shifted, trembling as she glanced at the two standing before her.
She never expected that the legendary Tsunade, whom the entire village was desperately searching for, would be here… standing alongside the Uchiha!
She wanted to pass this intelligence on immediately. But aside from her consciousness being clear, her body refused to obey.
…
Root Headquarters.
Conference Hall.
Because it was underground, with a design steeped in darkness and dim lighting, the place carried a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
"If you had truly managed Konoha well, there would never have been a need for such a power hidden in the shadows."
Hashirama looked around with a sigh.
He sat at the head seat. Other than the light shining over the round table, everything behind the chairs lay in pitch darkness.
As the 'God of Shinobi' who embodied Wood Release and life itself, he was naturally drawn toward sunlight—and despised such places.
"Ahhh—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head without speaking, then looked toward Shimura Danzō with a gloomy expression.
"Why are you looking at me? Without me all these years, what could you have possibly accomplished?"
Danzō shot him a disdainful look but only dared to complain in his heart.
Just earlier, because of the reanimation of the First and Second Hokage, the three great shinobi villages had halted their assault.
Taking advantage of this chance—
Led by the First Hokage, an emergency high-level Konoha meeting was convened.
Hiruzen once again explained in detail to Hashirama, Tobirama, and Danzō everything that had happened since the Uchiha Clan Massacre: Uchiha Yu's actions, and how Konoha eventually fell.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado supplemented the details.
At this moment, Tobirama held a scroll in his hand.
It recorded in detail Uchiha Yu's personality, strength, the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability to manipulate others' minds and absorb chakra, as well as the ninjutsu and kenjutsu he had mastered—nothing was omitted.
°°°
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