Within the protection of his purple Susanoo, Uchiha Fugaku's expression tightened sharply!
Through the feedback of Susanoo, he could distinctly feel a searing, violent power rushing along the naginata toward him!
In shock, he saw his Susanoo being overpowered under the terrifying strength of Keizumi's Susanoo!
"How… how could this be?!"
Fugaku's heart trembled violently.
Before his eyes, the massive purple arms of his Susanoo were being forced steadily backward, the skeletal fingers gripping the naginata creaking under unbearable strain.
The enormous dark-purple naginata itself was trembling violently, as though letting out a cry of agony!
What shocked him even more was that, at the point where the two massive blades clashed and ground against one another, the edge of his naginata—condensed from his ultimate Yin Release ocular power—was showing signs of melting!
"This is… the power of Lava Release!"
Uchiha Fugaku instantly understood and murmured, "He's perfectly fused the power of the Lava Release kekkei genkai into his Susanoo!"
The fusion of two different kekkei genkai—throughout the long history of the Uchiha Clan—had never once been recorded.
Because before Uchiha Keizumi, there had never been an Uchiha who possessed both the Sharingan and another kekkei genkai at the same time!
That also meant…
Between two Susanoo of equal form, Uchiha Keizumi's Susanoo, having merged with the properties of Lava Release, possessed an overwhelming advantage in destructive power.
"So that's… how it is. Back then, Itachi awakened Susanoo and still lost so swiftly—it must have been because, before this Susanoo infused with Lava Release, he was instantly crushed, wasn't he?"
Fugaku's expression darkened with shadow.
…
At the same time.
The Hokage Building.
Because there had been far too many voices of dissent within the Sarutobi Clan toward him as Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not returned to the clan compound tonight, choosing instead to rest in the office chamber of the Hokage's building.
However, just as he was starting to doze off—
[Boom!!!]
A deep, thunderous roar erupted from afar, and the entire Hokage Building gave a slight tremor.
The teacup on the desk shook.
Tea spilled over the rim.
"What's going on? An enemy attack?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen woke instantly.
All drowsiness vanished!
He snatched up his Hokage robe from beside him, threw it on, and in a flash appeared before the office's great window, his sharp yet clouded eyes gazing toward the direction of the explosion.
The next instant, his pupils constricted sharply.
Under the night sky above the Uchiha compound, two "giants" were clashing fiercely!
Their massive size, their terrifying chakra waves, their unmistakable forms…
"Susanoo! Two of them! Right in the Uchiha compound!"
His gaze locked tightly upon the crimson Susanoo.
"That red one… it's Keizumi's Susanoo! No mistake—this was the same power he used when he killed Itachi."
Then what about the other one? That dark-purple Susanoo—whose was it?!
The thought had barely surfaced when a nearly forgotten possibility struck his mind like lightning.
The answer surfaced instantly!
"Fugaku!!!"
...
"This is… that guy Keizumi's eye technique, isn't it?"
Tsunade frowned as she gazed into the distance, muttering, "To cause such a disturbance within the village—did he encounter a powerful enemy?"
"Shizune!"
Tsunade's expression immediately grew stern, and she said to Shizune beside her, "Keep an eye on those people from the Hyūga Clan. Tell them not to wander around so late at night."
Shizune was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Tsunade-sama, do you mean to—?"
Tsunade replied bluntly, "That guy Keizumi is making too much noise, and he's the kind who doesn't care about consequences once he starts fighting. I'm going to take a look—if he ends up destroying nearby facilities, the village will have to spend extra money on repairs again."
Shizune: "???"
Wait a second…
Since when did Tsunade-sama care so much about the village? And besides, isn't that supposed to be something only the Hokage should worry about? Hasn't Tsunade-sama long since stopped involving herself in shinobi affairs?
Hmm…
"She probably just wants to help Uchiha Keizumi, and came up with a clumsy excuse for it, right? Tsunade-sama can have such thick skin when gambling or borrowing money without paying it back—but in moments like this, she suddenly becomes strangely self-conscious about appearances…"
Shizune saw right through her. Hugging Tonton, she muttered quietly to herself.
"Um…"
At that moment, a voice filled with curiosity yet laced with timidity spoke up: "E-excuse me, what exactly is happening over there in the village?"
Shizune turned around to find that it was Hinata.
And the other members of the Hyūga Main Family were all standing behind her.
Shizune could only give a brief explanation.
"Uchiha Keizumi?" Among them, the only Special Jōnin in the Main Family drew in a sharp breath as he gazed toward the distant red and dark purple Susanoo towering in the distance.
He couldn't help but swallow hard.
Perhaps…
Uchiha Keizumi had actually shown mercy toward the Hyūga Main Family.
After all, if he were to wreak havoc within the Hyūga compound using such power, there probably wouldn't be many survivors left among the Main Family.
…
"Elder Fukasaku, Elder Shima—that's Susanoo, isn't it?"
Standing atop a tall building, Jiraiya stared solemnly toward the Uchiha Clan compound in the distance.
Fukasaku nodded. "Yes. That Susanoo exuding the aura of magma must be Uchiha Keizumi's. What terrifying pressure! Even from over two kilometers away, you can still feel that hellish, demonic aura."
Shima said, "For someone wielding such power not to be the Child of Prophecy destined to save the world—it's truly a pity. If his ideology weren't so extreme, perhaps he would have been the real savior."
…
"Keizumi-sensei…"
"Father…"
Escorted away by the Police Force shinobi and taken to a distant area, Sasuke looked dazedly at the two Susanoo locked in combat.
He had never expected things to escalate to such a state—his father had become a villain in the eyes of Absolute Justice.
And yet, far from repenting for his supposed crimes, his father had instead taken the initiative to attack the Police Force shinobi!
'At the very beginning, Keizumi-sensei had not ordered the Police Force shinobi to arrest Father—that alone showed he had already given Father a chance.'
'As long as Father was willing to turn himself in, perhaps he would only need to reflect for a few months in the Konohagakure Prison—at most two or three years, and he would be released.'
However…
'Father chose to stand against Absolute Justice. His actions, his thoughts—'
'They were exactly the same as Brother's.'
"Mother…" Sasuke could not help but turn his gaze toward Uchiha Mikoto beside him, only to find her staring blankly into the distance.
Just by looking at her profile, Sasuke could tell that his mother had suffered a certain degree of emotional shock.
Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity his father now displayed—
Catching her completely off guard.
And Sasuke's voice brought Uchiha Mikoto back from her daze.
A look of complexity and pain flashed across her graceful features.
"Ah…"
At last, it all turned into a sigh. With bitterness, she said, "Sasuke, your father… has never been able to reconcile himself with the situation beyond his control. He has always believed that you and I were the ones who failed to see the true state of the village. But in reality, the one who has been blind all along… is him. And he has never shown the slightest self-reflection."
"He made the exact same choice as Itachi—and his outcome, his fate, may very well be the same as Itachi's…"
Hearing this, Sasuke keenly noticed that his mother's voice was already trembling, choked with suppressed sobs.
He opened his mouth, yet did not know what to say.
He knew that Mother was deeply conflicted—on one hand, for his sake; on another, because Father was her husband; and on yet another, because of Absolute Justice, which could make the Uchiha better.
And the one who had brought Absolute Justice into their household—was also Mother.
"Mother…" Sasuke clenched his teeth and said earnestly, "You have done nothing wrong. If Father hadn't clung to his extreme ideas, if he hadn't crossed the line of Justice, Keizumi-sensei would never have struck him down."
"The root of all fault—"
"Lies with Father!"
…
[Crack—]
A faint yet piercing sound, like the shattering of ice, reached Uchiha Fugaku's ears with excruciating clarity.
He looked in disbelief at his Susanoo's arms!
The arms that had been surging with deep, blazing chakra flames were now covered with fine, distinct cracks!
Those cracks spread rapidly like a web.
What chilled him even more was that—the massive dark-purple glaive held in Susanoo's hands, at the edge locked tightly against the crimson molten blade—was also erupting with countless fissures!
The entire weapon wailed under unbearable strain, its long handle bending into an exaggerated crescent curve, showing clear signs that it would completely snap in the next instant.
"How… how is this possible!?"
Uchiha Fugaku's heart roared like a storm; his face was filled with disbelief and shock he could not accept.
"They're both Mangekyō Susanoo! Just by merging the properties of Lava Release… could the difference truly be this vast?!"
He could not comprehend it—
This had already surpassed everything he knew about the power of Susanoo.