Sizzle—!!
Flames and corpse miasma collided violently.
The air warped.
Twisted.
Burned.
"Qiu Sheng—ink line!"
"Got it!"
The ink line snapped outward—
Soaked in black dog's blood and cinnabar—
Binding two green zombies instantly.
Sizzle—!!
The line burned like molten iron—
Sinking deep into their flesh.
Shrieks tore through the air.
They froze.
Locked in place.
———
Uchiha Hideki's Sharingan spun slowly.
Watching.
Analyzing.
This world's power system—
External tools.
Ritual mediums.
Energy through form.
Complex.
But effective.
At the same time—
He moved.
Effortless.
A white zombie lunged—
He sidestepped.
A flash of steel—
A leg severed.
The corpse collapsed.
Neutralized.
Against white zombies—
No techniques were needed.
Taijutsu—
Was enough.
But—
The real threat—
Was the green zombies.
———
"Lin Jiu."
"I'll handle the green zombies."
"You support."
Before the words settled—
Uchiha Mo had already moved.
Lightning crackled along his kunai—
Driving straight into a joint.
"Qiu Sheng—support!"
Talismans flew.
Peachwood sword flashed.
Coordination tightened.
Meanwhile—
Hideki moved like flowing water.
Weaving.
Eliminating.
Perfect efficiency.
———
Zombies fell.
One after another.
But—
The pace…
Was wrong.
Too controlled.
Too smooth.
Hideki split his focus.
One part—
Studying Lin Jiu.
Talismans.
Energy flow.
Techniques.
The other—
Watching Mo.
———
The real battlefield—
Was there.
Mo vs the hairy zombie.
Flames roared.
Explosions echoed.
Fireballs crashed—
Again.
And again.
Forcing it back.
But never—
Finishing it.
Mo moved within the fire—
Fast.
Precise.
Yet—
Always just short.
———
Uncle Jiu noticed.
That monster—
Was terrifying.
If it were him alone—
He would die.
And now—
In his eyes—
Mo was losing.
Claws fell like rain.
Each strike—
Barely avoided.
The foul wind alone—
Withered plants.
Fire Style—
Was strong.
But insufficient.
"I have to finish this!"
Uncle Jiu gritted his teeth.
His attacks grew sharper.
Faster.
But—
Something felt wrong.
Every time he pushed forward—
The flow broke.
A zombie blocked him.
Hideki needed help.
Qiu Sheng interfered.
Again.
And again.
"…Strange."
———
Then—
It happened.
"ROAR—!!"
The hairy zombie exploded forward.
Breaking through the flames.
At the same time—
Mo faltered.
Just slightly.
But enough.
A claw—
Struck.
Blood burst out.
"Not good!"
"Five Thunder Talisman!"
Uncle Jiu's heart tightened.
But—
A green zombie—
Forced him back.
His focus broke.
———
The hairy zombie attacked relentlessly.
Claws raining down.
Mo retreated—
Step by step.
Blood soaked his clothes.
Then—
The wound darkened.
Purple-black.
Spreading.
Visible.
"Corpse energy has entered his body!"
Uncle Jiu's voice turned urgent.
"If it reaches the heart—"
"He's finished!"
———
Hideki watched.
Carefully.
The wound.
The energy.
The symptoms.
All correct.
But—
Too slow.
Far too slow.
A hairy zombie's poison—
Should spread faster.
Much faster.
Mo's breathing—
Heavy.
Sweat visible.
Everything looked real.
Yet—
Something was off.
———
"A taijutsu-focused jōnin…"
"At most."
Hideki's eyes narrowed.
"Even without genjutsu…"
"He should win."
"So—"
"Is this… a test?"
Risking death—
Just to probe him?
Why?
His brows furrowed.
"…Enough."
"If I can't understand—"
"Then I'll stop guessing."
His gaze shifted.
Mo.
Uncle Jiu.
Qiu Sheng.
Then—
He decided.
———
Same clan.
Same origin.
Same world.
Yet—
From the beginning—
Only suspicion.
Mo tested him.
Hideki hid.
Was it necessary?
If Mo wanted to see—
Then fine.
He would show him.
Someone—
Had to take the first step.
———
The moment the hairy zombie lunged again—
Uchiha Hideki moved.
This time—
No restraint.
His figure blurred.
Afterimages—
Trailing like ghosts.
Hands formed seals—
Faster.
Sharper.
Decisive.
Lightning erupted.
Across the ground.
"Lightning Style—Ground Walk!"