The entire process, from the monster's appearance to its death, happened in an instant.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a chill down his spine as the fatal sense of threat disappeared. He quickly turned around and saw Hyūga Kawa.
"Third Hokage," Hyūga Kawa said, sheathing his sword. He looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice deep. "The weakness of these monsters is their masks. They can only be completely killed by a sword or blade!"
"It has to be a sword or blade; other weapons won't work!"
As he spoke, the Anbu ninjas following Hyūga Kawa also gathered. Although they had suffered heavy casualties, they joined the battle without hesitation.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted. He gave the order without hesitation: "Attack the masks of these monsters with swords! Those without swords, provide cover!"
With the order given, and the shocking scene of Hyūga Kawa killing a 'Hollow,' the Konoha ninjas, who had been helpless as the 'Hollows' slaughtered their comrades, finally found a leader.
The fear in their eyes lessened, replaced by a calm determination.
Ninjas without bladed weapons gritted their teeth, using kunai and ninjutsu to block and distract the 'Hollows,' providing desperate cover to give an opening to those with swords.
Among these Konoha ninjas, the Anbu members were particularly eye-catching.
Even in their fear, a light gleamed in their eyes.
And the fiercest among them was a female ninja with long purple hair.
Facing a 'Hollow' that lunged at her, the look in her eyes beneath her mask was full of anticipation. She raised her blade without hesitation.
"Konoha-Style Sword Art: Crescent Moon Dance!"
With a sharp cry, her figure instantly blurred!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two shadow clones, identical to her, separated from her sides like reflections in water. The three figures, in a "pin" formation, surrounded the 'Hollow'!
There were no fancy hand signs, no dazzling lights.
Only the three figures holding their gleaming ninja blades, which traced three cold, crescent-moon-like arcs in the rainy night. They were beautiful but held a deadly sharpness as they slashed forward!
Slice! Slice! Slice!
The three bladed arcs, fast as lightning, struck the pale, bony mask on the 'Hollow's' face from three angles at the same time. The blades cut through the air with a shriek, and the rain curtain was sliced open by the sharp edges.
The 'Hollow' felt the threat. It opened its giant mouth and fired a 'Cero,' which swept past two of the figures.
But the purple-haired Anbu ninja's original body and her clones worked together with perfect synergy. The only remaining original body, with the cooperation of her clones, landed a heavy blow on the mask!
Crack, crack! Bang!!
A dense, teeth-grinding sound of shattering echoed. A web of cracks spread across the mask.
With a muffled thud, the white mask completely shattered. The 'Hollow's' black body twisted and swelled, finally exploding into a puff of black smoke and dissipating!
A nearly formless mental energy surged into the blade that had shattered the mask, making the eyes beneath her own mask clearer.
Seeing this scene, Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned. He had recognized the figure.
Yūgao Uzuki?
What's going on? Why does her aura feel so much sharper?
But now was not the time for such questions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly appeared in front of Hyūga Kawa. Seeing the disheveled state of Hyūga Kawa, he couldn't help but gasp and quickly asked, "Kawa, what happened? What's going on?"
"Weren't you and Danzō sealing off the Uchiha clan and taking Uchiha Itachi away? Where did these black monsters with Sharingan come from?"
"Third Hokage," Hyūga Kawa's voice was filled with an unprecedented weariness and seriousness.
"When we entered the perimeter of the Uchiha compound, we were blocked by White Zetsu. After killing them all, Lord Danzō ignored my advice and insisted on taking his Foundation members into the heart of the Uchiha clan..."
"And I could only continue the sealing mission and found Uchiha Itachi, and I saw him kill his family and try to lay a hand on his younger brother..."
"After I heavily injured Uchiha Itachi, I wanted to capture him alive, but these black monsters suddenly appeared. Itachi was also taken away by the man who called himself Uchiha Madara..."
After hearing Hyūga Kawa's full account, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face grew uglier.
Shimūra Danzō!
That bastard, not listening to orders again and acting on his own!
And Uchiha Itachi and that so-called Uchiha Madara... did they release these black monsters?
"Third Hokage, I suspect that Uchiha Itachi's side isn't the only one who's invaded Konoha," Hyūga Kawa suddenly said. "My eyes can see that the real threat is in the heart of the compound..."
He hadn't finished speaking when a cry of agony rang out.
"Hiruzen!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several disheveled figures suddenly rushed out from the heart of the Uchiha compound like stray dogs.
The one at the forefront was none other than Shimūra Danzō.
However, the Danzō of this moment had lost his usual depth and composure.
His clothes were torn in several places, and his face was covered in mud and blood. His cane was nowhere to be seen, and his eyes were filled with shock, fury, and fear.
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hyūga Kawa, a look of joyful surprise suddenly appeared on Danzō's face. He almost stumbled to a stop in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"What's going on?" Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Danzō and the few people behind him, his brows furrowed as he questioned him sharply. "Where are the people you brought with you?"
Shimūra Danzō's face twitched. He felt his heart convulsing.
Where else would they be? Of course, they're dead!
Those were my people!
They were mine!!
"Hiruzen, don't worry about that now!"
Danzō's voice was hoarse and urgent. He pointed to the crimson light in the depths of the compound, his voice trembling with shock and anger. "Uchiha Shisui has activated his Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"He's in a death match with a white monster. That monster is the deceased Uchiha Fugaku, and he has also activated his Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"These soul-eating monsters..." Danzō looked at the 'Hollows' around him who were fighting the Konoha ninjas. "They were released by Uchiha Fugaku!"
"It was him! He turned the souls of the Uchiha clan members, who were killed by Uchiha Itachi, into these monsters!!"
Danzō spat out everything he had heard from Shisui.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed multiple times—from confusion to anger, to seriousness, to shock...
Every word from Danzō was like a heavy hammer, shattering his existing understanding!
Uchiha Shisui activating his Mangekyō Sharingan was something he could understand.
But what did he mean by, "Shisui is fighting the deceased Uchiha Fugaku"?
What did he mean by, "The deceased Uchiha Fugaku also activated his Mangekyō Sharingan"?
What did he mean by, "These soul-eating monsters are the transformed deceased members of the Uchiha clan"?
If what Danzō is saying is true...
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, forcing down the shock and horror in his heart. He tightly gripped the Adamantine Staff in his hand.
Boom!
Just then, a deafening explosion went off!
Then, a figure wrapped in a green skeletal frame, accompanied by a mournful shriek and flying skeletal fragments, was sent flying toward the outer perimeter where Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were!
Thud!
The figure slammed heavily into the ground in the distance. The immense impact created a deep crater, sending gravel and dirt flying into the air as a cloud of dust filled the area.
"Here it comes!"
Shimūra Danzō's expression changed instantly. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was distracted, he quietly took a step back and hid behind them, letting Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others stand in front.
After learning from Hyūga Kawa that Shisui's chakra was extremely powerful in the depths of the Uchiha compound, Danzō originally wanted to get there first with his men to find Shisui and then seize his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Who would have thought that the person who activated the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't just Uchiha Shisui but an even more terrifying and bizarre monster? It had caused heavy casualties among his Foundation members.
Now, as the dust cleared slightly, everyone finally saw it.
In the distance was a giant humanoid upper body, a skeleton made of a dense, dark green chakra.
But at this moment, the giant's form was utterly pathetic. Several of its huge ribs were shattered, one arm was incomplete, and its head was covered in cracks. The flames in its eye sockets were dim.
And in the center of the giant's broken chest, Uchiha Shisui was covered in blood. His aura was extremely weak, and he was kneeling on the ground.
"It really is the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Seeing the strange yet familiar Susanoo, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted.
Could the other information Danzō gave me also be true?!
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
Uchiha Shisui coughed up blood and struggled to raise his head. His clothes were already tattered and covered in mud and blood. His pale face was also covered in bloodstains.
His vision was blurry from the excessive use of his pupil power. Everything in front of him was shrouded in a bloody haze and double vision, but he could still make out the few familiar figures in the distance.
And also, Konoha in the distance, which was engulfed in a raging fire that had turned the night sky crimson.
Groans and cries of pain and fear came intermittently from Konoha in the distance!
He saw severed limbs!
He also saw half-burnt corpses, carbonized by the high temperatures!
And he saw mutilated flesh and blood, torn apart by the shockwaves and scattered everywhere!
Blood flowed from the cracks in the ruins, pooling in the low-lying areas, forming a disgusting pool of dark red.
"..."
Looking at the scenes, Uchiha Shisui opened his mouth. A meaningless, rattling sound came from his throat. His body was trembling like a sieve.
He and Itachi had created the monster that was born from Fugaku's body, and they had also created the strange spirits of the Uchiha clan.
His desire to protect the village had not only failed but had also brought more disaster to the village.
He had made the wrong choice again.
Regret, remorse, anger, fear, grief...
Just as he was lost in his thoughts about everything he had created with his own hands...
Buzz!!
A cold, terrifying aura surged from the depths of the Uchiha compound, from the direction he had been sent flying!
In an instant, a pale figure appeared soundlessly from the lingering dust!
It was the very being formed from Uchiha Fugaku's soul as a base, with the grudges of the other Uchiha clan members aggregated within it.
In the eyes behind the mask, the crimson Mangekyō Sharingan flickered with hatred, locking onto Shisui inside the Susanoo. A strong, palpable killing intent spread throughout the area!
"What is that thing?!"
Feeling the terrifying, cold aura, the Konoha ninjas' bodies trembled.
"Work with Shisui!" Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately made his decision and roared.
But it was too late.
Or rather, the moment it appeared, it was already too late.
The Mangekyō Sharingan in the white figure's eyes swirled as it activated a different pupil technique from Yomotsutsu.
—"Nakime-no-mikoto"!