"Lord Third!"
Several figures appeared at Hiruzen Sarutobi's side. They were the leaders of the great ninja clans, who had rushed to the scene. Leading the group was Shikaku Nara, flanked by Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka, as well as Shibi Aburame and Tsume Inuzuka. Their expressions were unprecedentedly grim, their brows furrowed.
"Lord Third," Shikaku said in a deep voice. "What is going on? The source of the attack is..."
"The Uchiha clan."
Hiruzen waved his hand, cutting off Shikaku's question. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a cold voice, "It has now been confirmed that Itachi Uchiha betrayed the Leaf and conspired with an outside enemy."
"A few days ago, he slaughtered his own clan members in the Uchiha compound, replacing them with a creature known as 'White Zetsu,' which has an extremely strong camouflage ability."
"Now that he's been discovered, he's resisting capture by the Anbu."
"Come with me now to the Uchiha clan's compound to suppress the rebellion."
Hearing this, the faces of the clan ninjas were filled with shock.
Itachi Uchiha, slaughtering his own clan and conspiring with an outside enemy?
Has that guy gone mad?
And could he have done this alone?
"Let's go!"
Hiruzen said no more. He tore off his Hokage robe, revealing the combat uniform underneath, and his body vanished from the spot.
The others exchanged glances before following closely behind him.
However, they hadn't even reached the outskirts of the Uchiha compound when the sight before them made everyone stop in their tracks, their expressions changing drastically with horror.
Hisses, shrieks, and twisted laughter, all unnatural and not of human origin, converged on their ears. They saw several black figures covered in ghastly pale masks walking towards them in a bizarre, contorted manner.
What was even more spine-chilling was that behind the masks of these monsters, the crimson eyes filled with hatred and the desire for destruction bore the pattern of the Sharingan!
And they were all three-tomoe Sharingan!
"W-what are those things?!"
"The Sharingan? Did the Uchiha clan create these things?!"
Before they could react, a colossal 'Hollow' opened its giant mouth, and a dark red energy gathered and compressed rapidly within it.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
A Nara jonin's expression changed, and he quickly made a hand seal without hesitation. A black shadow instantly wrapped around the 'Hollow's' body, but a second later, the Nara ninja's body trembled.
"Pfft!"
As if struck by some force, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face instantly turned pale.
His failure allowed the 'Hollow' to release a 'Cero.'
Vwoom!
A dark red beam of light shot out at an extreme speed, instantly vaporizing several ninjas who were too slow to dodge, along with everything behind them, leaving not a single trace of ash!
Seeing this terrifying sight, the others managed to dodge in time, but their expressions changed. They blurted out, "Those attacks! They're coming from these monsters!"
The Nara jonin who had just coughed up blood quickly said, "This thing has an incredibly strong spiritual energy. The Nara and Yamanaka clans, don't engage them and don't use genjutsu on them!"
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen's expression darkened. He quickly made a hand seal, took a deep breath, and spewed a stream of fire shaped like a dragon's head from his mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
BOOM!
Several 'Hollows' that were slowly approaching were engulfed in the flames. Hiruzen's power lifted everyone's spirits.
But soon, within the distorted air, and under everyone's terrified gazes, the black figures emerged from the flames completely unharmed.
"H-how is that possible?!"
"Lord Third's ninjutsu can't hurt them?!"
"What do we do?"
"Ah!!"
Just as everyone was filled with dread, several more Leaf ninjas had their souls sucked out by the 'Hollows,' letting out a series of horrifying screams.
Looking at the souls being pulled from their bodies, a Yamanaka ninja said in a hoarse voice, "They're devouring souls!"
Upon hearing this, the color drained from everyone's faces. They all instinctively thought of the Grass Village.
The Grass Village was a village in name only; it was said that their souls were all devoured by these so-called 'vengeful spirits.'
But, how could this be?
Wasn't that a secret jutsu of the Uzumaki clan?
What was going on with these Uchiha with Sharingan eyes?
Could the Leaf have done something to anger the heavens and now faces the same fate as the Grass Village?!
"Hold them back," Hiruzen said with a serious tone. "Don't let them enter the underground shelters or any densely populated areas!"
But how were they supposed to hold them back?
Ninjutsu was useless, and genjutsu was ineffective…
A fierce look flashed in Hiruzen's eyes. He instantly appeared behind a 'Hollow,' raised his hand to make a hand seal, and slammed it onto the black body. He roared, "Evil Sealing Method!"
Several seals made of complex runes surged from his palm, gradually covering the 'Hollow's' body and interrupting the process of it devouring the Leaf ninja's soul.
"Sealing jutsus work!" Hiruzen's fierce shout rang out across the chaotic battlefield. "Sealing Squad! And anyone with a sealing jutsu, everyone else provide support! Let's work together!"
However, the reality was exceptionally cruel. People who could master sealing jutsus were already rare, let alone in a sudden night raid that called for a rushed response. Aside from Hiruzen and a few Sealing Squad ninjas who knew sealing jutsus, most people were helpless against these terrifying 'Hollows'!
"Let me try!"
An Aburame clan jonin gritted his teeth and stepped forward. A large swarm of insects poured from his sleeves as he tried to use a binding insect jutsu.
But as soon as the swarm got close, it was corrupted by the chilling aura emanating from the 'Hollow,' causing many insects to die and fall to the ground.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Earth Prison Dome of Nothingness!"
Two Leaf ninjas skilled in Earth Style made hand seals, trying to use mud swamps and an earthen prison to trap the 'Hollows.'
But the earthen prison was shattered as soon as it formed by a 'Hollow's' 'Cero,' and several ninjas were vaporized into a blood mist. Only the mud swamp from the "Headhunter Jutsu" worked, but the 'Hollow' quickly broke free.
"Shadow secret techniques and genjutsu are useless! Physical attacks are useless! And ninjutsu is barely effective!"
Shikaku Nara's mind raced, and cold sweat soaked his back. "Can we only hold them off with sealing jutsus? But..."
The 'Hollow' that had been sealed with the "Evil Sealing Method" was now slowly shedding its complex runes. It once again opened its mouth and began gathering the red beam of light.
Even sealing jutsus don't last long?!
What in the world are these things?
Hiruzen was currently using the "Evil Sealing Method" to suppress a 'Hollow.' Large drops of sweat mixed with rain slowly rolled down his aged face. He could clearly feel a bone-chilling coldness eroding his arm. His arm muscles trembled slightly, and his fingers were becoming stiff and numb.
Seemingly sensing a threat, the other uncontained 'Hollows' turned and locked their crimson Sharingan eyes on Hiruzen, who was immobilized during his sealing jutsu.
CRACK! CRACK!
A few 'Hollows' opened their giant pale-masked mouths, and dark red energy gathered and compressed rapidly within them!
"Oh no!"
"Stop them!"
"Protect Lord Third!"
The expressions of the Leaf ninjas changed. They abandoned their current targets and rushed towards the 'Hollows' without hesitation, using their ninjutsu to deflect the trajectory of their 'Cero' shots.
But one remained.
It cunningly hid in a slightly more distant shadow and now opened its giant mouth. The dark red energy rapidly took shape within it! It had locked onto Hiruzen's unguarded back.
Hiruzen felt the deadly threat behind him and subconsciously wanted to stop the sealing jutsu.
But just then.
VWOOM!
An ear-piercing sound, like tearing cloth, suddenly came from the rainy night sky above everyone's heads!
Immediately after, a figure descended with a sharp momentum, both hands tightly gripping a sword hilt, its tip pointing down!
Schlick!
The muffled sound of a blade piercing through a tough object rang out. It went straight through the 'Hollow's' upper jaw and deep into its mouth until the hilt was completely buried!
The immense force slammed the 'Hollow's' head and body to the ground!
"Lord Kawa!"
Seeing the figure descend from the sky, the surrounding Leaf ninjas' spirits lifted, but their expressions quickly changed as they yelled, "Watch out! Physical attacks don't work on it..."
Hyuga Kawa ignored the shouts. His pure Byakugan eyes were fixed on the thing under his feet. The energy in the 'Hollow's' mouth instantly dissipated from the piercing blow. It struggled frantically, trying to shake the figure off.
But Hyuga Kawa's hands suddenly put more force into the sword, and his wrist twisted instantly! The Wind Style chakra wrapped around the blade burst forth like a myriad of incredibly sharp, tiny blades!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The bony mask covering the 'Hollow's' face was instantly filled with a web of cracks from the force that came from within!
BAM!
With a dull thud, the incredibly hard bone mask shattered into pale pieces that scattered in all directions!
Immediately after, the black, faceless body swelled and twisted violently like a balloon, and then...
BOOM!
A cold gust of air exploded, causing his large robes to flap loudly.
The warnings in everyone's mouths were completely silenced, and they stood there, dumbfounded, like chickens with their necks wrung, looking at Hyuga Kawa with utter shock.
Hyuga Kawa actually killed one of those monsters?!