Uchiha Hikaru could feel Sword's eagerness to fight through his grip, and in that moment, his own blood surged with excitement.
It had been so long—nearly half a year since the battle with Obito—and he hadn't fought seriously since. Now, the fire in his veins was roaring back to life.
The three-tomoe Sharingan spun into existence in his eyes. As the puppets swarmed toward him, Hikaru stepped forward and tore into them with his claws, destroying them one by one.
Before the puppets could fully converge and before the enslaved workers could even react, Hikaru darted around the furnace, severing the chakra-forged chains that bound their bodies.
"I was sent by the Queen to free you."
"You're free now. Go—escape through the passage ahead."
"I can return to my family..."
With that, he charged straight into the horde of puppets gathering before him.
The workers were stunned for a moment—then comprehension and joy dawned on their faces, and tears welled in their eyes.
"I knew it! Her Majesty the Queen would never give such an order!"
"This was all the scheme of that bastard minister—Mukade!"
Clang!
"Enough shouting—run! We'll talk later. My wife and kid are waiting for me at home!"
The group of exhausted laborers scrambled toward the escape tunnel that led to the surface.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru was fully immersed in the thrill of combat, slicing through puppet after puppet with gleeful abandon.
Damn, this is great~ No wonder Madara-sama danced through battlefields with nothing but taijutsu. Fighting like this really feels incredible—like stomping through a fishpond full of brittle shells.
With a fragile puppet in each hand, it was no wonder the Uchiha Clan was addicted to battle. Anyone would feel exhilarated like this—completely unburdened.
Elbows, knees, spinning kicks, jabs, roundhouse strikes, sharp cleaves—
In a matter of moments, Hikaru had torn through all of them using nothing but raw physical prowess and the blade in his hand—Sword.
He exhaled a hot breath, rolled his neck, and felt the blood in his body surging like wildfire.
"As expected... there's no better way to awaken the blood than battle."
Then, his gaze shifted to the platform overhead.
"Mukade... how long do you plan to hide?"
"These disposable toys aren't even worth a warm-up."
Suddenly—whirr~—dozens of glowing purple chakra threads erupted from the pipes above, snaking toward the puppet fragments scattered across the floor and linking to the assembly line puppets nearby.
A bloated silhouette emerged from the shadows atop the platform.
"Sir Hikaru," he sneered. "Do you truly fancy yourself the Princess's protector?"
"That identity was fabricated for you—just a convenient disguise. Are you really so naïve as to believe in such child's play?"
"Or have you decided to betray our alliance?"
Hikaru dropped onto a pile of rubble nearby, casually spreading his clawed hands and shaking his head with a contemptuous smirk.
"That's not what you said before, Mukade."
"Oh no—should I call you Puppetmaster Mukade instead?"
"The deal was between me and the loyal minister of Rōran—Mukade. What does that have to do with a traitorous centipede like you?"
"I'm simply honoring my agreement—cleansing Rōran of this farce and protecting its people."
Mukade scowled. He felt mocked by the man before him, and though some fear lingered in his heart, his grip on the Dragon Vein's power made him confident. He believed himself superior.
After all, this Uchiha was just another vessel who had absorbed the Dragon Vein. He, however, was a puppetry genius—one who had fused his art with the Dragon Vein and turned scraps into armies. He believed he could conquer nations alone.
And—he remembered—the Uchiha had only absorbed half the Dragon Vein's energy. The other half had been consumed by that strange, weaponized entity in his hands.
Mukade's greedy eyes locked onto Sword. It had to be a custom puppet—a masterpiece of craftsmanship, capable of both human transformation and deadly combat.
A perfect fusion of artistry and utility. His mind returned to the first time he saw her transform—
Flawless. The pinnacle of puppetcraft. The ultimate war construct.
I must possess her.
His expression twisted with desire. His eyes burned red with obsession.
"Uchiha Hikaru. Hand over the weapon—the puppet."
"Do that, and I'll spare your life. You can walk away."
"Refuse, and I won't show mercy."
Hikaru's expression went ice-cold. Sword trembled in his hand—enraged.
Man and weapon were united in one furious thought:
Kill this arrogant bastard.
The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun wildly—blurring, twisting—before snapping into the form of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With a roar, skeletal structures and sinewy muscle began erupting from his body, forming a colossal humanoid frame that encased him entirely.
"Sword. Kill him."
Hikaru's voice was low, final—like a god delivering judgment. Sword shifted in response, transforming into a sleek, curved in Susanoo's hand.
This form was made for one purpose: to reap lives. And Mukade had just volunteered.
In an instant, the third stage of Susanoo emerged—half-armored, its massive frame cloaked in jet-black plates.
He didn't invoke the complete form. The battlefield was too small. The refugees hadn't all escaped yet.
If he went full-power here, everything would be reduced to rubble—and no one would survive.
But from Mukade's perspective, this was all Hikaru had.
Mukade let out a maniacal laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"With this strength and chakra—fine! I acknowledge you!"
"In the past, maybe I couldn't defeat you..."
Then he yanked on the purple chakra threads.
Puppets and puppet fragments fused into his flesh, warping and shifting until his body transformed into a monstrous centipede-shaped puppet.
It stood as tall as Hikaru's half-body Susanoo—but its long, coiled mass extended far beyond.
"Behold! My latest masterpiece!"
"Did you think I've been idle these years? No—I've evolved!"
"I spent six long years crafting this perfect puppet form. Witness it and despair!"
"I am now... the strongest being in the ninja world!"
Back near the chamber's rear, Sarah and Naruto stared at the two monstrous figures—Susanoo and the puppet centipede—with wide, stunned eyes.
They both had the same thought:
We need to seal the Dragon Vein. Fast.
"What… is that…?" Sarah whispered.
Inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails opened its eyes behind the seal, its deep voice filled with rare confusion.
"This chakra…"
"Old man...? No… Ashura? Indra?"
"Why does this feel so familiar…"
"…Yet so different?"
…
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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