"Hiashi Hyuga, I'll remember your name—a worthy opponent."
The Third Raikage said this while looking at Hiashi's corpse, his tone carrying both recognition and regret.
He was actually a lovable old man who especially enjoyed mentoring the younger generation of ninja.
What a shame.
If Hiashi Hyuga had been the Raikage's ninja, he would certainly have become one of his trusted right-hand men, maybe even succeeding him as the next Raikage.
Shaking his head, the Third Raikage turned away and looked toward the distant battlefield where Heiyan was engaged in fierce combat against two tailed beasts. He frowned and prepared to join the fight immediately.
Just then—
Whoosh!
Behind him, Hiashi Hyuga, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly shot up into the air at an incredible speed before finally hovering midair.
"How is that possible?"
Now it was the Third Raikage's turn to be stunned. Looking at Hiashi suspended above, he saw that the large hole through his chest had completely healed, and even the armor showed no signs of damage—like everything moments ago had been just an illusion.
Hiashi didn't pay any more attention to the Third Raikage. He withdrew from the battlefield, using telekinesis to reach a safe altitude, and immediately cast a grateful glance toward Fugaku far away.
Of course he knew. It was Fugaku Uchiha who had used the Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu [River of Three Paths], returning his physical state to exactly how it was before the Raikage killed him.
This was the second time Fugaku had saved his life with that technique.
However, Hiashi soon noticed that Fugaku himself… was now in a very difficult situation.
"ROAR!"
Another earth-shaking roar erupted across the battlefield as the Third Mizukage finally unleashed his last resort, fully summoning the Three-Tails Isobu residing within his body.
[Full Tailed Beast Transformation] was an Ultimate Art achievable only by Perfect Jinchuriki. But to become a Perfect Jinchuriki, one needed total synchronization with their Tailed Beast and its complete trust—an extremely difficult and lengthy process.
Therefore, in the original timeline, there had only ever been a handful of Perfect Jinchuriki in the entire world of shinobi.
However, there existed one group of people who could take a shortcut:
Uchiha clan members with the Mangekyo Sharingan.
For them, the ocular powers of the Mangekyo allowed complete control over Tailed Beasts, allowing them to appear in their true forms—producing effects similar to full transformation.
In the original timeline, Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha did just that.
Swish!
The moment the Three-Tails' true form appeared, Fugaku activated Susanoo and leapt forward, gripping [his greatsword] with both hands and slashing downward in an attempt to strike first—aiming to sever the giant turtle's head in one blow.
However…
Under the control of the Third Mizukage, the Three-Tails Isobu was no longer the clumsy creature it once was. With a swift hiss, it pulled its head and limbs into its shell.
Dang!
The blade of the Susanoo warrior slammed onto the Three-Tails' shell but failed to break through. Instead, a violent counterforce erupted from the shell, sending the Susanoo staggering backward.
Then—
Whoosh!
The Three-Tails Isobu's turtle shell suddenly spun in place as three massive tails lined with barbed spikes swept forward. Seizing the moment of Susanoo's instability, it struck again, sending it flying backward.
This giant tortoise had evolved drastically compared to when it appeared at the Valley of the End a year ago. Now merged with the Third Mizukage, it no longer lacked combat intelligence. Empowered by the Ice Release, it became even stronger—its battle power effectively doubled.
Boom!
Fugaku Uchiha and his Susanoo crashed heavily onto the ground on their back, his greatsword clattering noisily away from his grip.
As he brought the Susanoo back to its feet, he hadn't even retrieved his sword before spotting a fierce blizzard barreling toward him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Isobu opened its enormous mouth, spewing continuous streams of freezing mist. Thick frost blanketed the battlefield, even crystallizing the very air.
Affected by this blizzard, nearly half the battlefield transformed into a white expanse of ice.
At the center of this frozen plain stood Susanoo—frozen completely in place like a thirty-meter-tall ice statue.
Next second.
BOOM.
Isobu arched its entire body, curling within its massive shell, and spun rapidly across the icy surface straight toward the frozen Susanoo statue.
Crash! Crack!
Upon impact came a dull thud mixed with countless shards of breaking ice, as Susanoo shattered midair, disintegrating entirely.
Just like how Hiashi Hyuga fell before the Third Raikage, Fugaku Uchiha had now lost his battle too.
Though both had rapidly advanced over the past year, attaining Kage-level strength,
before the Transcendent Kage might of the Third Raikage and Third Mizukage, they were still too inexperienced.
With Susanoo gone, Fugaku hit the ground hard. A sweet, metallic taste filled his mouth before he spat out a large mouthful of warm blood.
Whoosh!
Seeing Fugaku's dire situation, Hiashi Hyuga didn't hesitate—he rushed straight over at full speed, grabbed him, and carried him out of Isobu's attack range.
Boom!
Almost immediately after they left, a gigantic ice spike plummeted from the sky, impaling exactly where Fugaku had just lain.
Had they delayed by even half a second, Fugaku would have already been a dead man.
The battlefield shifted constantly—every small change could tip the scales dramatically.
With Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha falling one after another, both the Third Raikage and Third Mizukage turned their attention freely toward Heiyan.
"Oh no!"
Ashina Uzumaki witnessed this scene with shock. Hurriedly glancing at Genichiro Uzumaki—the Six-Tails Jinchuriki beside him—he urged urgently, "Quickly, go help Heiyan!"
"Yes."
Genichiro Uzumaki bowed his head slightly in response. His eyes flickered uncertainly as he formed a hand seal, and instantly, a giant tail resembling a Saiken emerged behind his back.
"Heiyan, I'm coming to back you up!"
Shouting loudly, Genichiro charged into battle, opening his mouth wide before spitting forth a massive amount of corrosive acidic liquid.
Yet these acids targeted neither Gyuki nor Matatabi—
but Heiyan himself!
Heiyan was locked in a fierce battle with two Tailed Beasts, his back dangerously exposed—completely unaware of Genichiro's ambush.
Seeing this, Genichiro—who was usually calm and calculating—could not help but let a flicker of joy show on his face. He thought he was about to succeed.
The corrosive liquid spewed from his mouth originated from inside the Six-Tails, possessing the terrifying ability to dissolve anything imaginable. Any living creature struck by this acid would perish screaming horribly, white smoke rising from their bodies as flesh and bones melted away, leaving nothing behind.
But Genichiro didn't stand a chance.
Because Heiyan had already uncovered his betrayal and seen the ambush coming.
Swoosh! Heiyan didn't even turn his head—he simply sidestepped, like he had eyes behind his head. The splash of acid missed completely, instead hitting a nearby boulder. Hissing sounds immediately rose along with thick steam, rapidly corroding and dissolving it.
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