Chapter 283: The Perfect Susanoo Reappears
"Wood Style Secret Jutsu: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Compared to the towering forest that was now erupting around him, Kyosuke was a mere speck of dust. But he remained unfazed.
"A magnificent sight," he mused, a sense of awe washing over him. "I wonder if Hashirama Senju's would have been even more terrifying."
But his awe was quickly replaced by a mocking smile.
"But you are not Hashirama Senju. And this level of Wood Release is not enough to defeat me."
He had no intention of teleporting away. The attack covered a thousand-meter radius. There was nowhere to run.
With a single thought, he poured his dōjutsu power into his Susanoo. The violet-red light flared.
"Fourth Stage, activate!"
The Susanoo's mobility and destructive power increased exponentially. It swung its twin energy blades, carving a path of destruction through the encroaching forest. The occasional branch that managed to slip past its defenses was not strong enough to damage the colossal giant.
The fierce battle had devolved into a stalemate.
Kyosuke was actually enjoying himself. It had been a long time since he had been able to fight at his full strength. He knew the Anbu were watching, and he was more than happy to put on a show for them, a demonstration of his power, a warning to the village's leadership.
With that thought, his attacks became even more ferocious. He broke through the sea of trees and stood before his opponent once more.
"Is that all you have?" he taunted, his voice echoing from within the Susanoo.
Dark Owl, panting heavily, her chakra depleted, could only glare at him with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred.
As I thought. I can't defeat him alone. But... I am not unprepared.
"You can come out now."
A spiral-patterned White Zetsu emerged from the ground at her feet. It was Tobi.
"Uh... I just got here. You looked like you were having so much fun, I didn't want to interrupt," he said with a cheerful wave.
"Enough nonsense. Get over here," she commanded, her arms outstretched. Tobi attached himself to her body.
Kyosuke's Sharingan saw it all. The moment they merged, her chakra had nearly doubled, and it was still climbing. In the original story, Tobi had been able to use a technique similar to the "True Several Thousand Hands" with the far weaker Yamato as a medium. With the more powerful Dark Owl, the possibilities were terrifying.
But Kyosuke was not afraid. He was excited.
"This is how it should be," he whispered to himself.
His Mangekyo began to spin wildly, and his chakra, which had already surpassed the Kage level, began to boil.
"Stabilize!"
With his max-level "Chakra Control," he brought the raging energy under his complete control and poured it into his Susanoo.
"Rise!"
The already massive Susanoo grew even larger, until it was the size of a mountain.
"Fifth Stage, activate!"
The Perfect Susanoo had once again appeared on the outskirts of Konoha.
The sight of it sent a wave of terror not only through Dark Owl, but through the entire village.
"My god, what is that...?" a drunkard stammered, his intoxication vanishing in an instant. The giant, which towered over the village walls, was a terrifying, awe-inspiring sight. He let out a panicked scream, and soon, the entire street was in an uproar.
The chaos spread like wildfire. If not for the people's deep-seated faith in Konoha's strength, a full-blown panic would have ensued.
The Anbu and other off-duty shinobi, who had been put on high alert by Minato, began to evacuate the civilians, and the unrest was finally quelled.
The civilians were simply frightened by the sudden appearance of the giant. But the various clans, and the more experienced shinobi, knew what it meant.
In the Hyuga compound, Saori, who was being treated for her injuries, struggled to her feet and went to the window, her eyes fixed on the colossal figure in the distance.
"Clan Leader... is that... the legendary..." one of her subordinates stammered, his voice filled with a trembling awe.
"Yes. A Susanoo of this level... this is the first time I have seen it as well," she whispered. She then barked an order. "All clan members, prepare for battle."
"But... who is the enemy?"
"The real enemy will be here soon," she said, her voice grim.
The Ino-Shika-Cho, the Sarutobi, the Hatake... all the great clans had a similar reaction. But they quickly guessed the identity of the Susanoo's wielder.
"...Has the situation become this dire? For even Kyosuke to be forced to use such power... the enemy must be even more terrifying than the reports have said," Shikaku Nara mused, his mind racing. "I have to go to the Hokage's office."
"Lord Third, we've confirmed it. The one fighting outside the village is Uchiha Kyosuke."
"And the enemy?"
"The intelligence division is still working on it, but..."
"Go. And report back the moment you have anything."
"Yes, sir!"
"Sigh. The peace didn't last long, did it?" Hiruzen said, turning to his two advisors. But before he could say another word, the door to his office was thrown open.
There was only one person in Konoha who would dare to enter the Hokage's office without knocking.
"That's Uchiha Kyosuke," Danzo said, his voice a low growl.
The three of them nodded.
"If not for this, we would have been kept in the dark forever. Do you have any idea what this means, Hiruzen?" he said, his voice laced with a dark, triumphant tone.
Hiruzen ignored his taunt. "Never mind that. An enemy who can push Kyosuke to this extent... do you have any intel?"
"No. My men can't get close," Danzo replied. "Where is Minato Namikaze?"
"He's dealing with the space-time user. The fight won't be over quickly," Koharu said.
A flicker of anger crossed Danzo's face, but he quickly suppressed it.
Fight. Fight and kill each other, he thought, a cruel smile on his lips. Uchiha Kyosuke, Minato Namikaze... you are both obstacles in my path. If you both die today, the Hokage's seat will be mine.
Hiruzen saw the look on his old rival's face and sighed. He was suddenly reminded of his other, rogue student. A wave of weariness washed over him. But his love for the village gave him strength.
He threw off his Hokage robes, revealing the battle armor beneath. He shot a cold, hard look at Danzo, then turned to his two advisors. "The Nine-Tails may attack soon. I leave the village's security to you. As for you, Danzo..."
He took a step forward, his aura flaring. "In this time of crisis, I will not allow any unauthorized movements from Root. Do you understand me?"
"...I understand."
"Good."
With that, Hiruzen and his Anbu guards left, leaving the three of them alone with their own dark, conflicting thoughts.
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 100 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ 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!