The Uchiha's triple-element combination jutsu pressed against the earth wall for about five seconds before it overwhelmed, shattered, and utterly destroyed it. Although the wall had absorbed most of the force, the resulting blast of air was still like a tornado, stinging the skin of Yoichi and his men.
"Don't look into their eyes! Fight a long-range battle!" Yoichi wasn't strong, but he was a keen analyst. Besides, the power of the Uchiha's Sharingan was known throughout the Warring States.
At his command, about two hundred allied ninja who had finished their hand seals charged out from the flanks, preparing to unleash their own jutsu. It was clear they had planned this beforehand: earth-style ninja in the center for defense, and once the defense held and an opening was found, flanking troops would bombard the enemy with ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique!"
"Water Release: Converging Water Blade!"
The five clans each had their own specialties, and the variety of jutsu they unleashed made the sky above the battlefield look like it was filled with colorful fireworks. It was beautiful for a moment, but a second glance revealed the threat of death.
*BOOM!*
The sky rained ninjutsu, and the earth itself trembled. Thick smoke billowed across the plain, obscuring the view even for Yoichi and his men.
"Next unit, keep up the pressure! Don't let the Uchiha get close!" Yoichi commanded. He wasn't foolish enough to give the Uchiha a moment's respite. Even at one-third of their numbers, the Uchiha could not be underestimated.
*Whoosh!*
From within the smoke, countless Uchiha ninja charged out. The allied forces' second wave of ninjutsu was already prepared.
"Adva—"
*BOOM!*
Just as Yoichi was about to wave his hand again, a tremor shook the ground behind him. Something had fallen from the sky.
Startled, Yoichi turned to see Izuna, who had somehow appeared behind him, descending from above.
Even Hagoromo Masanari and the others watching from the rear were stunned. From their vantage point, they could see that Izuna had used an Uchiha summoning hawk to flank from the side, leaping from the sky to land behind Yoichi. But hadn't Uchiha Izuna been at the front of the Uchiha army just a moment ago? How had he suddenly appeared in the air on a hawk?
"Amaterasu!"
Blood and tears streamed from Izuna's right eye as the black flames of destruction consumed everything in his sight—including Kikawa Yoichi, one of the five clan heads!
"Aaaargh!"
"Help! We need help! Rescue him!"
"Use water-style jutsu! Quick!"
"Help him with water-style!"
As the allied forces descended into chaos, Izuna gave a cold smile. He closed his right eye and spread his hands. The moment he formed a Wind Release: Rasengan in each, he opened his right eye again. The flames of Amaterasu coated the spiraling spheres of chakra.
"It's not perfect, but it's more than enough for you."
Izuna, with an Amaterasu Rasengan in each hand, struck the enemy ninja on both sides.
"Scorch Release: Amaterasu Rasengan!"
*BOOM!*
The undeniable power of an S-rank ninjutsu tore a bloody path through the center of the six-hundred-man army.
A Shadow Clone to lull the enemy, a summoning beast for a surprise attack, and finally, a devastating combination of Amaterasu and Rasengan to break their lines. This was Izuna's strategy.
***
Using such a technique against an elite Jonin-level clan head felt to Izuna like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
But right now, he had to stun the five-clan allied forces. This was a sledgehammer he was determined to use.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Release: Searing Ash Burn!"
The next moment, the Uchiha army plunged into the center of the allied forces.
Fueled by the Uchiha's signature Fire Release, the entire battlefield became a sea of flames in less than half a minute.
"Follow the Vice-Clan Head! Charge!"
After witnessing the absolute power Izuna had displayed, the Uchiha's morale soared. They charged forward, fearless of death, their eyes fixed only on the enemy heads they meant to claim.
To be honest, Izuna desperately wanted to cover his right eye and have a medical-nin treat it.
The pain was excruciating.
*No wonder Sasuke nearly went blind during his assault on the Five Kage Summit after just one day.*
But he couldn't do that. He absolutely could not reveal the Mangekyo's weakness now.
On the contrary, he had to act as if the Mangekyo had no side effects, as if he could use this technique over and over again.
He forced his right eye open and retracted the Amaterasu flames that were burning Kikawa Yoichi's corpse.
Izuna bent down and used a kunai to sever Kikawa Yoichi's head, its flesh more than eighty percent scorched by the black flames.
"The five-clan alliance is nothing special! The head of the Kikawa clan is mine!"
Izuna held the charred head high, sending a tremor of fear through the allied forces at the rear.
Uchiha Kong seized the opportunity, raising his hand and shouting, "Vice-Clan Head, continue the charge! We swear to follow you to the death!"
"Ooh! Ooh!"
The entire Uchiha clan raised their arms and roared.
Cold sweat trickled down Hagoromo Masanari's face at the back. The Fuma clan head beside him narrowed his eyes. "Clan Head Hagoromo, the Uchiha's morale is sky-high right now. There's no need to add to our casualties for nothing."
Hagoromo Masanari hadn't expected to be so thoroughly routed by Izuna in the very first battle.
Looking at the young face in the distance, tears of blood streaming from its eyes, Hagoromo Masanari felt a pressure even heavier than when he had faced Uchiha Tajima years ago.
"Retreat!"
Forcing out the single word through gritted teeth, the five-clan allied forces turned and fled without hesitation.
"Advance! Kill as many as you can!" Izuna roared like a madman.
Although he ordered a pursuit after the enemy's retreat, Izuna had issued a secret order before the battle even began.
His cry to "advance" was merely a bluff, an act to project an aura of absolute fearlessness. In reality, they began to withdraw shortly after giving chase.
That's right—it was all a deception aimed at Hagoromo Masanari's group, to make them misjudge the Uchiha's combat strength.
"Bastard!"
Only after confirming there was no one around did Izuna press a hand to his right eye, unable to stop a curse from escaping his lips.
"Vice-Clan Head!"
Uchiha Kong was alarmed. "Someone! Medical-nin, get a medical-nin!"
One of the few Uchiha medical-nin rushed over and placed a hand over Izuna's right eye, channeling medical chakra to treat it.
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