Hundreds of puppets surged toward the Uchiha below at blinding speed.
Caught off guard by the sheer number of puppets, the Uchiha forces were momentarily overwhelmed. Soon, many fell, incapacitated by poison.
From above, Sasori of the Red Sand smirked with pride.
"Despair," he said coldly. "This is the power of a puppeteer."
But just then, a voice filled with suppressed fury cut through the chaos.
"Do you really take the Uchiha so lightly?"
It was Uchiha Fugaku.
As his words fell, black skeletal structures erupted around him, forming the framework of a half-body Susanoo. The ethereal armor solidified quickly, the warrior spirit taking shape with a massive machete in hand.
With a swing of his blade, the black Susanoo sliced through the advancing puppets. Under its overwhelming power, they shattered like brittle glass, offering no resistance.
Sasori's expression twisted in disbelief.
"My... my Hundred Puppet Performance... how can it be destroyed so easily?"
Before he could recover, the towering Susanoo raised its sword again and slashed toward him with lightning speed. The swing, though it appeared slow, carried immense force and velocity—too fast to dodge.
Sasori instinctively crossed his arms to block, but the clash of metal rang out like thunder. The impact sent him flying, crashing into the ground and leaving a deep crater in his wake.
The Uchiha clansmen roared with excitement.
"As expected of the clan leader! He's amazing!"
"Our clan head is invincible!"
Fugaku was about to release his Susanoo when he sensed movement in the distance. Several powerful chakra signatures were approaching fast.
His eyes narrowed.
"These rats just keep coming," he muttered coldly.
In the blink of an eye, three figures landed before him—Konan, Kakuzu, and Biwa Jūzō.
"Hey, Sasori, are you still alive?" Jūzō called toward the crater.
He had seen Sasori take the brunt of the Susanoo's attack and feared for his comrade's life.
A voice rose weakly from the pit.
"I'm... not dead…"
All eyes turned toward the crater as Sasori slowly climbed out. Though visibly fatigued, he was miraculously unharmed.
Fugaku's eyes widened in shock.
Impossible… That strike should have split a mountain. Yet this man walked away without a scratch?
His gaze sharpened.
"You dare attack the Uchiha clan? You'll pay a heavy price."
He quickly formed hand seals, and the Susanoo launched another devastating assault.
"Be careful! He's strong!" Sasori warned.
Heeding the alert, the other Akatsuki members tensed and prepared for battle. The clash began, fierce and chaotic.
Despite their combined efforts, the Akatsuki members found themselves at a disadvantage. Fugaku's Susanoo was not only devastatingly powerful but also nearly impenetrable.
Their attacks struck the giant warrior, but the black armor withstood everything.
Meanwhile, they were forced to dodge Fugaku's counterattacks. One wrong move would result in serious injury—or worse.
Realizing brute force wouldn't win this fight, they shifted tactics. Instead of charging recklessly, they began analyzing Fugaku's movements, hoping to spot an opening. They also took advantage of the terrain, using the environment as cover to reduce their exposure to his attacks.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed from nearby.
"Are we late?"
Everyone turned toward the source.
Orochimaru stood there, grinning with amusement, and beside him—Tendo Pain.
"Chief! Orochimaru! You're finally here!" Jūzō shouted in relief.
Fugaku's pupils contracted.
"You…!"
Orochimaru licked his lips, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Fugaku-kun, we meet again. And this time… I'm taking your eyes."
Fugaku scowled as realization hit him. These weren't just any enemies—they were Akatsuki. Earlier, he hadn't recognized Konan and the others due to their lack of uniforms. But with Pain and Orochimaru present, there was no mistaking it.
So it was them... the ones who raided the Uchiha's gold mine!
"Capture him," Pain ordered coldly.
Fugaku's expression darkened, and his chakra flared.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
He had once feared Pain—after seeing a future vision of Konoha's destruction. But now, they weren't in Konoha. Here, he could fight without restraint.
"I'll show you the full might of the Uchiha!"
Blood flowed from Fugaku's eyes as he activated the next stage. Susanoo began to grow, expanding from a half-body to full-body form. It soared to fifty meters, a black titan cloaked in violent energy.
The pressure it released was suffocating.
Everyone froze, stunned by the sheer magnitude of his power.
"Is this… really human?" Orochimaru muttered, his voice shaking with fear.
Tendo Pain's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible… I have the Rinnegan… and even I'm afraid…"
Fugaku threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing across the battlefield.
"Hahahaha! You ants—your deaths are at hand!"
His laughter rang out like a death knell.
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