The Kaguya froze, horrified by the unquenchable black flames, none daring to advance. Such ranged physical attacks countered their taijutsu perfectly.
Kaguya Soisuke, frowning, studied the flames, then turned to the boy across the fiery barrier. "Your eyes… Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Only now did he notice Gin's eyes weren't mere three-tomoe Sharingan but eerie, patterned crimson orbs.
As a storied clan, the Kaguya knew of the Uchiha's legendary eyes. Soisuke, a high-ranking elder, had done his homework.
"I'd rather not use these eyes. They're not exactly cool," Uchiha Gin said, shaking his head. The flood of pupil power drained him, leaving him weak.
Unlike the ornate Mangekyo of clan lore, resplendent like kaleidoscope patterns, Gin's were plain. The three outer tomoe vanished, leaving a single dot in the crimson pupil. He dubbed it the "Tomoe-less Sharingan."
Compared to someone like Itachi's flashy design, he was almost embarrassed to claim Mangekyo status.
At the institute, first-time viewers assumed his lack of tomoe meant a defective awakening.
"Tricky brat. Close in—his Fire Release won't work up close!" Knowing Fire Release's indiscriminate nature, Soisuke barked tactics. The fearless Kaguya didn't flinch.
"Trouble," Gin muttered. His Mangekyo's only group attack was Amaterasu. Tsukuyomi, his other ability, was a single-target genjutsu, useless against multiple foes.
Fire Release: Kagutsuchi! A familiar voice rang out. The black flames around Gin came alive, swiftly extending and ensnaring the Kaguya.
Those touched by the flames were engulfed before they could react, reduced to ash in moments, leaving no trace.
"Light! Why're you here?" Gin spun, recognizing the sentient flames as Light's Mangekyo ability, Kagutsuchi.
"If I didn't show, you'd be done for," Light said, eyeing the bloodthirsty enemies nervously.
Her first real fight, her pale hands clenched, sweat seeping through her fingers. Her ornate Mangekyo—three shuriken-like shapes linked in a stunning pattern—fixed on Gin, awaiting his lead.
Unlike Gin's plain "Tomoe-less Sharingan," her Mangekyo was dazzling, sparking his envy.
"Don't stress. It's like institute training," Gin said, hiding his own first-battle nerves to steady her. He took command. "Use Amaterasu to box them in."
At his order, Light focused, corralling Soisuke and his men with black flames.
"Now the other one!" No need for names—their long synergy kicked in. Trapped in the flames, the Kaguya noticed the white moonlight at their feet turn faint crimson.
Looking up, they saw the moon morph into a red orb, bearing a pattern identical to Light's Mangekyo.
Sealed Tsukuyomi.
A sharp pain stabbed their heads, and red seals matching the moon's pattern appeared on their bodies. As the seals set, the frenzied Kaguya grew eerily calm, their eyes glowing purple-red.
"Phew." Gin exhaled, relieved. He'd seen Light's Yachihoko in action—those marked were her puppets.
Now they just needed Tajima's return. The commotion was unmissable.
Approaching Light, Gin asked, "Holding up okay?"
Knowing her first time controlling so many could strain her, he was ready to cull some enemies to ease her burden.
"Nope, I feel amazing," she said, shaking her flushed face. Yachihoko not only controlled but endlessly siphoned chakra from the marked.
Overindulging in her first mass control, she was buzzing with energy.
Reassured, Gin shifted topics, eyeing the residence. "Auntie and the others okay?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you both," Tajima's wife said, emerging with three children before Light could reply.
Spotting their unique Mangekyo patterns, she, the former clan leader's daughter, recognized the legendary eyes. "So young, yet so strong. The Uchiha's future rests with you lovebirds."
"Auntie, come on!" Gin scratched his head, embarrassed. Light's brain short-circuited.
"Lovebirds…" she mumbled, her face blazing red, steam practically rising, nearly fainting.
"Don't tease her, Auntie. How long till Uncle's back?" Gin, thick-skinned but tactful, changed the subject.
"Soon, I'd guess," she said, nodding at distant lights.
---
On the clan's main road, Tajima, sensing the enemy's ploy, urged Yan, "Faster! We'll head back first."
Rushing with a small team, he caught the stench of blood at the gates, panic rising.
They tore through the streets, finding dead Uchiha and unfamiliar corpses.
Encountering a Kaguya squad, Tajima's team crushed them, pressing on, wiping out more groups. Interrogating a captive with genjutsu, they learned Soisuke targeted his home.
Frantic, Tajima couldn't wait for the team to handle prisoners. Grabbing Yan, he raced home.
Above the chaotic grounds, cold eyes watched.
Seeing the Kaguya subdued by Gin and Light, and Tajima's approach, Uchiha Yao's icy gaze hardened. Glancing at the jarred eyes, his aged face twisted into an eerie smile. "The show begins."
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