Chapter 28: Mangekyo, Awakened
Just as Fugaku managed to snatch Chiko back, a triumphant, sinister smile spread across the face of the previously panicked Sand ninja.
Schlick!
A tearing sound echoed through the air.
A sharp blade suddenly shot out from Chiko's chest, piercing through both of them in one fell swoop.
It turned out that when Chiko was captured by the enemy, they had tampered with her. A tiny, micro-puppet, originally designed for personal protection, had been placed on her.
The cunning enemy had put it on her in reverse, hoping to catch Fugaku off guard.
Without a doubt, the Sand ninja had succeeded. But he would ultimately pay the price for his actions.
"Chiko, don't talk! Quick, you know medical ninjutsu, right? Stop the bleeding!!!" Fugaku cried out in panic, tears streaming down his face.
As an elite Jounin, he knew that with such an injury, unless Tsunade herself was here, it was... hopeless.
Similarly, Chiko, who had some knowledge of medical ninjutsu, also knew her own condition.
Her liver was ruptured in multiple places, she was struggling to breathe, and even more fatally, the Sand ninja had already planted a deadly poison within her.
She didn't... have much time left.
Her consciousness already fading, Chiko heard Fugaku's trembling voice. She struggled to lift her head, looking at him with a gentle gaze, and said in a broken voice:
"Don't... be sad. I... I can't stay with you anymore, but... I..."
"Will always... love you..."
At that moment, the poison the Sand ninja had planted in her body finally erupted.
In an instant, Chiko felt as if all the blood in her body was boiling.
Pain, fear, helplessness, regret—these negative emotions completely flooded her mind. The agony of her impending death had completely clouded her consciousness.
Chiko stared blankly at Fugaku for a moment, then suddenly threw her head back, spraying a mouthful of blood onto his face. Then, she fell silent.
Fugaku held her, staring blankly for a long moment. He then leaned down and gave his beloved woman one last, deep kiss.
Then, he gently laid Chiko's body down, turned, and stood up.
The Sand ninja had been watching him with a smug look, but then he felt a terrifying, overwhelming killing intent radiate from Fugaku.
This killing intent was so strong that it made him feel as if he was seeing his own death.
A few minutes later, he finally snapped out of the illusion.
Was that a genjutsu? No, that doesn't feel right. My chakra isn't in disarray, he thought, his forehead covered in sweat as he stared at the man before him.
He saw that the three-tomoe pattern in Fugaku's eyes had, at some point, completely changed.
In its place was a pattern resembling a pinwheel, with three black dots around it.
Although this Sand ninja had never seen it in person, he had heard the legends about these eyes.
The source of the legend was the man who once dominated the shinobi world, a powerhouse who stood above all others: Uchiha Madara.
And these eyes had a very unique and beautiful name.
"Mangekyo."
At this time, several kilometers away from Fugaku's battlefield, a group of ninja wearing black cloaks and strange masks were rushing toward them.
"Remember, the lives of the others don't matter, but Lord Danzō specifically ordered that Uchiha Kyosuke must be brought back alive," the lead Anbu emphasized in a low voice.
"Yes, sir," the other Anbu replied in hushed tones.
Uchiha Kyosuke, what kind of charm do you possess to be so highly valued by Lord Danzō? the lead Anbu wondered to himself.
Their Root organization had never lacked "genius" ninja, and he had never seen Danzō give special treatment to any single one. That's why he was so curious.
"I'll be seeing you soon. I'm looking forward to it."
Don't be afraid. Even if he's awakened those legendary eyes, with his injuries, he's no match for me, the Sand ninja thought, trying to bolster his courage.
But despite his thoughts, the fear that lingered in his heart did not subside. In fact, it grew stronger.
Just as his spirit was about to break, his teammate finally managed to free himself from the mud.
Phew... The Sand ninja breathed a sigh of relief and was about to join forces with his comrade, but what happened next made him stare in bewilderment.
The Sand ninja who had just freed himself had barely returned to the battlefield when Fugaku, who had been motionless, suddenly turned and looked at him.
And then... the Sand ninja died.
He died extremely suddenly, and without a sound.
Although he could tell from Fugaku's state that he had likely used some kind of genjutsu, which had led to his comrade's death...
But... that was a Jounin! He... just died like that?!!
The Sand ninja was now completely overwhelmed by fear.
He didn't care about the mission, about reporting back to the village. He just wanted to run. Run as far away as possible.
And he did just that. Although he was terrified, his well-trained body still obeyed his will.
With a burst of chakra from his feet, the Sand ninja leaped into a tree and, using the terrain to his advantage, disappeared in a flash.
This full-speed sprint lasted for a full five minutes.
It wasn't until he felt a stinging pain in his body that he finally slowed down.
His mood had gradually calmed, and he even had the mind to mock Fugaku. "Hmph, some Mangekyo. I still got away."
Not content with just mocking Fugaku, he decided to mock Uchiha Madara as well. "I don't see what's so great about these eyes. That Uchiha Madara was probably just all hype."
He snorted smugly and began to think about how he would explain himself when he got back.
But a figure suddenly appearing behind him jolted him from his daydream.
The figure was Fugaku, who had somehow appeared behind him!!!
"Aaaah!!!" the Sand ninja screamed. He endured the pain and once again burst forward at full speed, fleeing into the distance.
After running for a few more minutes, he couldn't help but look back.
What met his eyes was still Fugaku's gaze, filled with killing intent.
Terrified, he had no choice but to accelerate again, trying to shake his pursuer.
But no matter how hard he tried, Fugaku was like a nightmare, constantly appearing before him.
He tried everything: hiding, concealing, transforming, camouflaging. But he still couldn't escape Fugaku's pursuit.
Every time he looked back, he would inevitably see Fugaku's eyes, the eyes that filled him with deep, bone-chilling fear.
"Aaaah!!!" The Sand ninja finally collapsed, exhausted. Overcome with fear, tears and snot streamed down his face, even running into his mouth.
But he seemed completely unaware, only staring at the demon before him, screaming in terror.
Just as his spirit was about to break, a turning point unexpectedly appeared.
A Sand ninja team of about five people suddenly appeared before him.
And all of them were Jounin. After a fierce exchange, they successfully repelled the demon.
Seeing this, the Sand ninja finally regained some of his senses. Just as he was about to thank them, he was horrified to find...
That his comrades' eyes suddenly had the same pattern as Fugaku's.
And the muscles on their faces began to twist and change, until... they all transformed into the face of that demon.
The Sand ninja stared blankly for a moment. Finally, with a blood-curdling scream that pierced the eardrums, he collapsed, motionless.
He had been literally scared to death by Fugaku!!
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 100 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!