Rumble!!
Earth-shaking rumbles and explosive clashes echoed in the skies above the Uchiha compound.
While other Konoha ninja were tasked with intercepting and dealing with the 'Hollows,' the jōnin were all focused on fighting the monstrous creature!
The crimson behemoth, resembling a demon, was a half-body, yet it was several times larger than Shisui's Susanoo.
This was the third stage of Susanoo! Although it was still only a half-body, it had an armored form built upon its humanoid base and was several times larger than the second stage.
Faced with a power so immense it could not be fought alone, the elite ninja brought by Hiruzen Sarutobi did not rush in. Instead, they formed a well-structured tactical formation with clear roles.
"Hah!"
Despite the blood weeping from his eyes, Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan spun frantically.
He controlled his battle-scarred, emerald-green Susanoo to face the crimson demon. Its giant spiral blade spun continuously, stabbing forcefully toward the head and body of the crimson giant!
The crimson giant raised two of its arms.
Shisui's Susanoo's spiral blade, which was as sharp and fast as a drill, struck the pale exoskeleton of the giant's arm, causing a deafening boom and a visible shockwave!
Boom!
The force of the impact sent the Susanoo sliding back several meters, carving deep trenches into the fractured ground.
A trickle of blood escaped Shisui's lips, and his body swayed inside the Susanoo. But he gritted his teeth, forcibly stabilized himself, and swung his blade again!
He had to hold back this demon to create an opportunity for the others, even if every clash burned away his life and dojutsu power!
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
"Expansion Jutsu: Human Bullet Tank!"
Several Akimichi clan jōnin roared, their bodies expanding like inflated balloons.
One directly smashed his giant fist into the crimson giant's body, while two others retracted their heads and limbs, curling into massive human balls.
"Shadow Grasp Jutsu!"
Two Nara clan jōnin formed hand seals, and several dark shadows, like agile tentacles, wrapped around the giant Akimichi bodies.
This wasn't an immobilization technique, but precise guidance and control.
"Human Yo-yo!"
The two Nara ninja exerted a sudden force, and their shadows whipped out like ropes.
Under the Nara's precise guidance, the Akimichi clan members shot forward like cannonballs of different sizes, their forms whistling through the air with terrifying force, smashing directly into the body of the distant crimson giant!
Thud!!
With a deafening crash, the crimson giant was battered and its massive body swayed, slightly losing its balance.
The two Nara jōnin did not release their shadows. The moment the impact was complete, they pulled back, their two massive human bullet tanks returning.
Then, the shadows adjusted their angles and force again. Like a giant swinging a wrecking ball, they launched the human bullet tanks back at the giant!
Thud! Thud!!
Controlled by the shadows of the two Nara ninja, the two Akimichi jōnin, now human bullet tanks, were like two giant wrecking balls, repeatedly striking the giant with astonishing speed and force.
Each impact was accompanied by a terrifying thud and shockwave. The immense power shattered the crimson giant's body.
But all of this was only possible because of Shisui Uchiha's Susanoo, which held the monster's attention until the crimson giant was thoroughly enraged, letting out a thunderous roar.
"ROAR!!"
The head of the crimson demon giant turned, its mask of hatred and anger looking left and right. Its muscular arms slammed down, overpowering the Susanoo in front of it.
Facing the two human bullet tanks hurtling toward it, one from each side, the giant raised its other two arms and spread its sharp claws.
Splat!
Its outstretched claws grabbed hold of the two spinning human bullet tanks, and scarlet flesh flew from the surface of the two Akimichi jōnin's bodies. They were a bloody mess!
"Argh!!"
The two Akimichi jōnin let out a series of agonizing screams. The two Nara jōnin's expressions changed, and they tried to pull them back, but the giant's two clawed arms held on tightly.
But in the next moment, two Aburame clan jōnin appeared behind the crimson giant.
A pained look flashed across both of their faces, but they still raised their palms and pressed them against the crimson giant's body.
Two tiny insects crawled into the giant's body through the cracks left by the human bullet tanks. These seemingly harmless insects opened their sharp mouthparts and bit into the crimson giant's body.
"Gigantic Parasitic Insect: Devour Jutsu!"
Accompanied by two shouts, the sound of bone-grinding echoed from the joints of the crimson giant's two clawed arms!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The insects, which had been as small as ants, devoured frantically inside the joints, growing larger at a visible rate. From the inside out, they ruptured the joints of the two arms.
The two gigantic parasitic insects chewed and expanded within the joints! The powerful enzymes they secreted instantly corroded the chakra connections and bone structure at the joints!
The claws that were gripping the two Akimichi jōnin loosened, allowing the two Nara jōnin to seize the opportunity and pull their comrades back.
However, in the next moment, before the two Aburame jōnin and the others could show their joy, a sound echoed.
Pop! Pop!!
The two gigantic parasitic insects that had burst out of the crimson giant's arm joints exploded, to the astonishment of the two Aburame jōnin.
"How is that possible?!"
"My Kikaichu couldn't handle this monster's chakra... but not even my most powerful parasitic insects can?!"
The gigantic parasitic insects were a close-range attack-type bug. They would burrow into an enemy's body and use their Devour Jutsu to feed on flesh and chakra, growing rapidly and quickly corrupting and destroying the enemy's body.
It was one of the strongest jutsu of the Aburame clan, but they had only been able to raise a few of these special insects in the entire clan. Using two had been a painful choice.
In the original story, Shino Aburame used these insects to fight a Ten-Tails clone with an enormous amount of chakra. Normally, these insects could devour any kind of chakra and use it as nourishment.
But now, they had exploded after consuming only a small amount of it?!
Thud! Thud!
At the same time, the two Akimichi jōnin who had been curled up into balls unfurled and fell to the ground. Several scarlet gashes on their backs exposed their pale bones.
"Agh!"
One of the Akimichi jōnin had already lost consciousness. The other's face was twisted in pain, and he let out a miserable, uncontrollable scream.
Several medical ninja rushed over to treat him, but their faces changed when they saw his wounds.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
A series of gut-wrenching corrosive sounds filled the air.
The deep wounds were covered in a dense, scarlet chakra that gnawed at the flesh like maggots, preventing healing and causing a terrifying, excruciating pain.
"ROAR!!"
At this moment, the crimson giant, seemingly enraged by the pain in its joints, let out a roar. It abruptly raised its two clawed arms and smashed them down, aiming directly at the two Aburame jōnin behind it.
It wanted to crush these annoying insects to a pulp!
But just then, as if given an order, Shisui Uchiha, who had been pinned down, made his spiral blade vanish.
Like a moth to a flame, the Susanoo rushed toward the crimson giant, extending its two arms and clamping them down on the monster's.
Now!
"Shadow Neck Binding Technique!"
The Nara clan members, as if receiving a command, formed hand seals in unison without hesitation. Several dark shadows shot out from under their feet like swift vipers.
These shadows wrapped tightly around one of the crimson giant's raised clawed arms!
"Sealing Binding Chains!"
Several ninja from the Sealing Squad, who had been standing by, formed seals at lightning speed and roared in unison. Several chains made of golden runes slithered out, following the shadows to wrap around the other clawed arm!
All four of the crimson giant's arms were now held. The Sealing Squad's golden chains and the Nara clan's shadows pulled on the two clawed arms like a noose, holding them in place!
"DIE!!"
The crimson giant actually let out a clear, enraged roar. The muscles on its arms bulged as it tried to break free of the dual bindings!
Buzz!
A cold, viscous aura filled with venomous malice surged back through the Nara's shadows!
"Kill! Kill! Kill them all!"
"Hate! Hate! Traitors of the Uchiha!"
"Die! Die! Just die already!"
The Nara's minds were flooded with crazed roars and a thirst for carnage. The incredibly violent emotions crashed against their reason like a tsunami!
Their bodies trembled violently as if struck by lightning, their faces instantly turning ashen, and fine trails of blood seeped from their ears, noses, and mouths. Their shadows looked like they were about to collapse!
The Sealing Squad's golden chains also trembled violently, making a nerve-grinding creaking sound. The ninja were like madmen trying to hold onto a raging dragon and could be torn to shreds at any moment!
But it was enough!
"Byakugan! Activate!"
Hinata Yun-chuan appeared like a ghost in the air behind the crimson giant. The Byakugan's veins bulged as he saw through the layers of chakra, locking onto the most vulnerable joint of the giant's right arm.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade Duet!"
The two wings behind him were instantly enveloped in highly compressed, rapidly spinning wind chakra. He flapped his wings downward, releasing two wind blades that screeched through the air, leaving only a blur!
Crack! Crack!
With a series of bone-grinding cutting sounds, the two wind blades, laced with sharp wind chakra, cut through the crimson giant's hard exoskeleton and flesh!
And behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed with a cold light. A Shadow Clone appeared beside him, and both of them formed hand seals at a speed so fast it was just a blur!
"Lightning Style: Roaring Thunder!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Both of the Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, puffing out their chests. A giant dragon made of high-pressure, violent water shot out, and a sharp lightning spear was spat out, adhering to the surface of the water dragon.
Combined Jutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!!
In an instant, the water dragon, wrapped in dazzling lightning, carried immense power and slammed into the incredibly weak right arm joint of the crimson giant!
And Hyuga Kawa in the air turned into a white blur that tore through the air. The chakra-infused blade in his hand was like a scalpel, aiming for a fatal point on the other, left arm.
He slashed!
Boom!!
Slice!!
Two completely different but equally shocking sounds erupted at the same time!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's Lightning Water Dragon Bullet smashed into the crimson giant's right arm joint like a lightning spear. The violent water and dazzling lightning tore apart the chakra connections!
Hyuga Kawa's blade, on the other hand, was unstoppable. It sliced into the crimson giant's left arm joint, and the kinetic energy from its speed instantly severed the chakra connections at the joint!
Crack! Crack!
Under the excited and horrified gazes of the Konoha ninja, the two clawed arms of the crimson giant, which had been held tightly by the shadows and sealing chains and had been precisely targeted by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hyuga Kawa...
...were severed at the joints!
Thud! Thud!
The two giant arms, covered in a pale exoskeleton and bulging muscles, crashed to the ground, creating two deep craters.
"ROAR!!"
The crimson giant let out a roar filled with a mixture of pain and fury. Blood-like scarlet chakra gushed out of its severed arms like a waterfall.
They succeeded!
They finally dealt a severe blow to this monster!!
Seeing this, the Konoha ninja's spirits lifted. A look of excitement appeared on all of their faces.
"Well done, everyone! Keep coordinating, don't stop!"
A Yamanaka jōnin stood at the back, forming hand seals. The veins on his forehead bulged as he closed his eyes. His voice echoed in everyone's minds.
Mind Body Transmission Jutsu!
He didn't try to directly attack the chaotic and violent mind of the white figure. The Nara jōnin had already tried that, and it was no different from suicide.
Instead, he turned his powerful mental abilities into an invisible network, connecting all the Konoha ninja within its range.
The Yamanaka jōnin's voice became a series of clear commands that instantly echoed in everyone's minds.
Akimichi and Nara clans, prepare for Formation E...
Shisui, only you can hold back this monster. Hang on...
The wounds from that monster's claws can't be healed. We must first chop off those two claws...
Sealing Squad, use the 'Sealing Array' to assist Shisui...
Jōnin Yun-chuan, Lord Third, it's your turn to strike...
He was the "brain" of this battle, transmitting information, coordinating actions, and anticipating the enemy's attacks in real time, which greatly improved the Konoha ninja's teamwork and reaction speed.
This was the reason they were able to seize the opportunity and perfectly coordinate against the crimson demon giant.
Participating in Konoha's coordinated battle for the first time, Hyuga Kawa's eyes flickered.
He had no intention of destroying Konoha right now. Even if he did, now wasn't the time. He had a grand performance planned for Konoha in the near future.
Besides, after Hashirama Senju's death, Konoha had survived multiple sieges. The reason it still held the most fertile land in the ninja world was no longer because of the power of a single individual.
It was because of Konoha's diverse range of jutsu and secret techniques, which gave them a powerful foundation that allowed them to defeat any enemy with perfect and flexible teamwork.
Using such precise and well-practiced tactics, the Konoha ninja could maintain a balanced fight and even find opportunities to suppress and severely injure the 'Fugaku Uchiha' that was now fighting purely on instinct.
Of course, the price Konoha paid for this was heavy.
At this moment, the Nara clan members' faces were pale and their minds were damaged, so they couldn't use their Shadow Secret Jutsu for a while.
The Yamanaka clan member was maintaining a vast mental network, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat as his mind was under extreme pressure.
The ninja of the Sealing Squad still had some energy left, but they couldn't control the crimson giant on their own.
The two strongest jōnin of the Akimichi clan were one dead and one severely injured, and the other jōnin's use of the Expansion Jutsu had drained them completely.
The Aburame clan, who had lost their Gigantic Parasitic Insects, were no longer of much use. They would eventually be killed if they stayed here, so they could only deal with the 'Hollows' with the ninja of the Inuzuka clan and other clans.
And the ninja who had tried to hold back and distract the crimson giant to ease the pressure on others had suffered heavy casualties. Countless corpses were already piled up around them.
In this battle, aside from the ninja with powerful abilities or special secret jutsu, everyone else was just cannon fodder.
"Hah... hah..."
Shisui Uchiha's breathing was as faint as a candle in the wind. The bloody tears never stopped flowing from his eyes, and every move he made brought him one step closer to blindness.
What made him even more despairing was that the aura of the monster in front of him was still bottomless!
Even the two arms that had been severed had already begun to grow back.
"How is that possible?"
Shisui Uchiha's vision was blurred. He stared at the crimson giant, his voice hoarse as he asked in astonishment, "Is this thing's dojutsu power endless?"
It was impossible. Only the legendary Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan could achieve such a feat.
But if the monster born from Fugaku Uchiha's body truly possessed the mythical Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, they would have been killed long ago!
After all, that was the power of Madara Uchiha's eyes, a power that could only be matched by the First Hokage.
Shisui could feel that the opponent's dojutsu power limit was stronger than his, but it was nowhere near the level of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Rather than being a power on a completely different level, like the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui felt that the dojutsu power of the monster in front of him was constantly regenerating.
But...
Thud!
After blocking another one of the crimson giant's attacks, Shisui coughed up a mouthful of blood and roared, "Damn it! How does it regenerate dojutsu power?!"
A Mangekyo Sharingan's power was a one-way street, but how could this monster in front of him regenerate its dojutsu power?
At this moment, looking at Shisui Uchiha's weakening aura, looking at the exhausted and battered ninja, and looking at the crimson giant that seemed to be fighting tirelessly...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grim, and his heart had sunk to rock bottom.
Others might not know, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had some knowledge of the Mangekyo Sharingan, knew that Shisui couldn't hold on much longer.
Furthermore, this abomination seemed to be learning to master its own power. Its methods of defense and attack were becoming more precise and efficient. It was controlling its two massive arms, putting everyone in constant peril!
Their tactics were effective, but they couldn't afford a war of attrition!
Every jōnin had been trained with a massive amount of resources. The loss of a single jōnin was a blow that Konoha couldn't withstand right now.
If this continued, most of them would die here before reinforcements arrived.
With this in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the rampaging crimson demon and the two other Susanoo in the distance, whose loyalties were still unknown. A cold, determined look flashed in his murky eyes.
But just as he was about to make a decision, the Yamanaka jōnin's voice rang out in everyone's minds.
"Everyone, don't give up. Support from the clan heads is on its way, and I've also found some good news."
"I've discovered that when one of the black monsters released by Fugaku Uchiha is killed, Fugaku Uchiha's aura weakens to a certain extent."
Upon hearing this, a light of understanding flashed in Shisui Uchiha's bloodshot eyes. He finally realized how this thing was regenerating its dojutsu power.
No wonder... no wonder this thing could instantly use the second stage of Susanoo, but couldn't immediately heal its arms after they were severed.
Because the dojutsu power was not being regenerated out of thin air...
"It's those black monsters!" he shouted without hesitation. "They and the main body have a symbiotic relationship! Those black monsters can feed the main body by devouring souls!"
"Similarly, killing those black monsters can weaken the main body's power!"
This news was like a glimmer of light in the darkness. Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, the look of determination in his eyes fading. He said in a deep voice, "Everyone else, prioritize killing the black monsters on the outskirts!"
"For Konoha! For our fallen comrades! We..."
However, just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to give a rousing speech to boost everyone's morale, a sound erupted.
CRACK!!
A soul-shivering roar tore through the sky without warning!
It wasn't the sound of thunder or the collision of jutsu.
What followed was an aura.
Everyone, including the enraged crimson giant, involuntarily looked up!
They saw that the dreary night sky above, shrouded in smoke and rain, had been torn open like fragile cloth by two hands, creating a giant rift.
The dead, twisted, and profound darkness within the rift seemed to devour every prying gaze.
As viscous, ink-like darkness flowed from it, an indescribable aura descended, tangible in its presence!
And the moment this aura arrived, the Yamanaka jōnin who had been maintaining his sensory abilities froze. His wide-open pupils dilated in fear until there was almost no white left in his eyes.
In the next moment, his body went limp as if his bones had been removed, and he fell to his knees. The fear, both mental and physical, made his stomach violently cramp and churn.
"This aura... bleh!"
He opened his mouth with a trembling voice, and an uncontrollable wave of nausea surged into his throat, making him retch violently. His body on the ground convulsed uncontrollably.
Stomach acid mixed with bile and blood spewed from his mouth. He thrashed and convulsed like a fish thrown onto the shore.
It was a pure spiritual and physiological fear, as if every cell in his body was screaming to escape.
Just then, a foot, covered in shadows, slowly stepped out from the dark rift.
Behind this figure, the rift was torn open again by an unseen hand, becoming larger and deeper. Three other figures stepped out behind it.
The powerful auras emanating from the three figures and the viscous darkness swept down.
They stood in the night sky, looking down at the Konoha ninja below like ants.
"What... are those things?!"
The Konoha ninja looked up at the four figures in the night sky, feeling the terrifying and cold auras. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably from the chill.
They didn't know what they were.
But their bodies' fear told them everything they needed to know.
They were a far more terrifying presence than the crimson giant in front of them!