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"What an incredible fellow."
Recalling the scene where Sawara Kiri subdued Yagura Karatachi with a single glance, Black Zetsu couldn't help but sigh with heartfelt admiration.
In a thousand years, this was the first time he had seen someone like this man.
Just as Yagura Karatachi said, information is a Ninja's life.
For most of the past thousand years, this had been an undeniable truth. Even powerful individuals like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama could be significantly restricted if a lot of information about them was known.
The reason other Ninja didn't use this ironclad rule to eliminate them was simply that the power gap was so vast that even if they were weakened, others still couldn't threaten their lives.
But Sawara Kiri was an exception.
During these three days, Black Zetsu, primarily ambushing Konoha, had fully monitored Yagura Karatachi's every move through his avatars and Mayfly Jutsu, witnessing the entire process from his planning and strategizing to setting traps within this forest.
Even from his perspective, the trap Yagura Karatachi had meticulously set for Sawara Kiri was absolutely flawless.
It was almost entirely targeted, aiming at every possible vulnerability Sawara Kiri might have.
However, it met with an unprecedented Waterloo.
Black Zetsu watched with his own eyes as Yagura Karatachi led Sawara Kiri here.
But as soon as the two spoke, their gazes accidentally met.
The next moment, Yagura Karatachi completely went silent, sitting there like a puppet, allowing Sawara Kiri to freely use a large, fluffy brush to apply an unknown number of Sealing Techniques all over his body.
Finally, he leisurely made Yagura Karatachi put his clothes back on and dismantle the complex traps in the forest, so as not to harm any Ninja children who might come to play there.
Throughout this entire process, Sawara Kiri watched everything quietly, as if it were a game.
As for what the two said in the Genjutsu World, Black Zetsu had no idea.
This young Sawara Kiri had an incredibly high level of vigilance, he never muttered strange, chuunibyou-like phrases to himself like other teenagers his age, making it difficult for Black Zetsu to extract information from him.
Black Zetsu had no idea that Sawara Kiri had long suspected the existence of this old Conspirer in Konoha Village, and thus had always been fighting wits with the air, trying his best not to show any flaws.
If there was any weakness to speak of, it was probably Yuki, who was protected year-round within the Senju Residence's barrier.
However, from Black Zetsu's perspective as an outsider, this was a sign of consistently adhering to the 'undercover principle.'
Although he seemed to have betrayed Hidden Mist now, he still firmly adhered to this principle of maintaining concealment in his actions.
Finally, Yagura Karatachi stood up from the ground as if waking from a dream.
Whether he was completely hypnotized by the Genjutsu or had reached some agreement within the Genjutsu World, after only a few simple exchanges, Yagura Karatachi bowed slightly to Sawara Kiri and quickly disappeared into the jungle.
Afterward, Sawara Kiri went home for dinner as if nothing had happened.
"Not just Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, but such mastery in Genjutsu as well?"
"Sawara... Kaguya?"
Black Zetsu, while maintaining his Mayfly Jutsu and moving quickly underground, rapidly searched through his thousand years of memories for Kekkei Genkais related to the Kaguya surname that involved ocular Ninjutsu.
He couldn't even find a similar Kekkei Genkai that combined spatial and Genjutsu abilities.
It couldn't be that there were no signs for a thousand years, but it just happened to awaken in his generation, could it?
"This is troublesome."
But thankfully.
Black Zetsu's body rose from underground with a 'whoosh,' shaking off the dirt and debris clinging to him like a dog coming ashore, and slowly walked into a deep underground cave.
Right now, he was certainly not the one most eager to resolve this trouble.
A triumphant smile slowly appeared on Black Zetsu's face, but just before entering the stone chamber, it suddenly turned into a look of panic, and he shouted loudly:
"Lord Madara, Lord Madara! This is bad!"
"That brat Sawara Kiri, he..."
The aged Uchiha Madara still sat on the heavy stone platform, his back connected to the Outer Path Demonic Statue deep within by a tube. His eyes were quietly closed, like a lifelike stone statue.
Only after Black Zetsu finished recounting the entire process from beginning to end did he slowly open his eyes.
His body was still decrepit, and even his brain was no longer as agile as when he was young, causing his thoughts to be much slower.
"Sawara Kiri."
"If this old man remembers correctly, he was the one who defeated Hikari before, wasn't he?"
Black Zetsu lowered his voice and whispered a reminder, "Lord Madara, you were the one who asked me to monitor him before."
Actually, he hadn't.
However, Uchiha Madara's body was so decayed that he could barely sustain his life by relying on the Outer Path Demonic Statue, remaining in a state of slumber for almost two-thirds of the day. It was already unlikely for him to suddenly recall something he had said days or even decades ago.
Hearing this, he merely remained silent for a moment, then ignored the previous question and continued:
"To possess such combat power at this age."
"And besides Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, he also has ocular Ninjutsu comparable to the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"Even I and Hashirama back then probably couldn't compare to him."
"A remarkable young man has appeared in Konoha in this era."
His voice was slow and hoarse, each word uttered deliberately, as if he was thinking as he spoke.
Uchiha Madara actually knew how absurdly monstrous Uchiha Hikari was.
Just a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan that had not undergone any evolution, yet it could continuously absorb various ocular powers, thereby exhibiting formidable strength almost on par with the Eternal Mangekyo.
If she were to absorb more Chakra, Uchiha Madara even suspected that Hikari might be able to construct a complete Susanoo in one go.
In the last battle, he even had to activate the last portion of Rinnegan power sealed within his body to barely suppress her and set a seal.
But that child named Sawara Kiri was actually able to defeat such a monster head-on?
"Sawara Kiri..."
Uchiha Madara pondered.
If a genius of this caliber was not restricted, an obstacle surpassing the Five Kage might emerge.
Although Uchiha Madara had absolute confidence in himself at his peak, this did not mean he was arrogant to the point of looking down on everything.
Just like his battle with Hashirama in the Valley of the End back then.
Long before the battle began, he had anticipated his defeat, which was why he had set up Izanagi in advance, using it to extract a piece of flesh from Hashirama and transplant it onto himself, thereby completing the evolution of his Rinnegan at the end of his life.
When he knew he was the weaker party, he displayed a shrewdness that ordinary people could not match.
"Zetsu."
Uchiha Madara suddenly called out.
Black Zetsu immediately stepped forward and responded, "I'm here, Lord Madara."
"In your observations, between the Mangekyo-level Sharingan and his special ocular power, which one is stronger?" Uchiha Madara turned his head to look at him.
Black Zetsu seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still revealed all the details he had observed: "Lord Madara, according to my observations, that brat Sawara Kiri's ocular Ninjutsu seems to be a Genjutsu suppression based on Chakra volume comparison. In essence, it's a contest between Chakra and Chakra capacity."
In his entity eyes, which were entirely composed of Chakra, the seemingly intangible Chakra phenomena in the eyes of ordinary people were essentially equivalent to physical objects that humans could see; there were no secrets to speak of.
Naturally, the entire process of Sawara Kiri completely engulfing Yagura Karatachi's will with Kyōka Suigetsu was, of course, clearly visible to him.
However, seeing did not mean it could be broken.
For this very reason, he handed the choice of action over to Uchiha Madara.
"A contest between Chakra, huh?"
"Heh."
"So that's how it is."
Uchiha Madara let out a contemptuous laugh upon hearing this.
So it's like his Sharingan, taking the path of overwhelming others with raw power, completely incomparable to the subtlety of the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyo ocular Ninjutsu.
You know, back then, even if that old man Hashirama fell under Izuna's Mangekyo, he would be controlled for a while!
How could this ability of the weak overcoming the strong be comparable to what this young Sawara Kiri possesses?
As for his own Genjutsu level, Uchiha Madara didn't mention much.
Izuna was his younger brother; his deeds were equivalent to his own deeds!
"It seems I need to find a time to meet this child."
After understanding Sawara Kiri's 'weakness,' Uchiha Madara immediately felt confident.
At most, it would just consume a little more of his remaining Rinnegan power.
As long as he implants the ocular Ninjutsu into that young man's body in the form of a Transcription Seal during this period, he will naturally have a way to resolve the opponent once he is resurrected.
As Uchiha Madara thought of this, a sneering smile slowly appeared on his face.
"As expected of me!"
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Black Zetsu, asking, "What about that child, Hikari? Is she still obedient recently?"
Upon hearing Uchiha Hikari's name, Black Zetsu's face immediately showed a strange smile: "Of course."
"But, she keeps saying things like, 'One person alone can't conquer the world; you have to first establish a foundation,' and then she just goes out to stretch her legs on her own."
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Madara's voice paused. He recalled the little one's strength—it seemed no one in the entire Ninja World had the ability to harm her.
"Then let her be. Just don't let her run away."
"I understand, Madara-sama."
Meanwhile, Takigakure.
Mountains had toppled, waterfalls dried up, countless houses had collapsed into ruins, and the small Village hidden within the waterfalls was now completely engulfed in blood and fire.
The rampaging Tailed Beast roared, firing one Biju Bomb after another. The thunderous explosions seemed to tear open the sky itself, and the clouds gradually dispersed.
However, the 'figure' standing before the Tailed Beast—no, to be precise, the phantom figure like a god or demon—remained unmoving, standing quietly in place.
Only the vast expanse of soil beneath her feet, under the intense shockwaves, had turned into waves of dust flying away on either side of her.
The entire ground had been peeled away by a thick layer, making the phantom figure in the middle seem to stand on an isolated island in the center of a raging tsunami.
Yet, despite facing such a perilous situation, the young girl beneath the god-like phantom yawned as if bored, looking at the Seven-Tails, Chomei, in the distance, which floated in mid-air, its six wings constantly flapping and beating the air, soaring like a giant insect.
"Ugh, no matter how many times I see it, it's still ugly as hell."
"Is this thing really a Tailed Beast, or just a giant praying mantis that flew in from somewhere?"
White Zetsu, who was beside the girl, seemed to be defending the Tailed Beast, half of his body floating on the ground as he loudly said, "What's ugly about it? It's super cool, a super-sized rhinoceros beetle!"
"Yes, yes~"
Uchiha Hikari responded in a very indifferent tone, her overly obvious perfunctory attitude making White Zetsu a bit agitated.
However, just as he was about to say more, Uchiha Hikari's aura suddenly changed.
The originally lazy-looking girl's Mangekyo Sharingan in the depths of her eye sockets began to spin at windmill speed, and the total amount of Chakra surging from her body became increasingly vast, supporting the originally only Second Stage Susanoo like fireworks, raising it another level.
During this time, although her raw power hadn't increased much, that old man named Uchiha Madara, after seemingly placing a Sealing Technique in her heart, inexplicably trusted her much more, as if he had completely forgotten that the Uchiha Clan also had a reality-altering ultimate technique like Izanagi, allowing her to learn a lot of previously unknown knowledge in the cave.
From writing to Ninjutsu and Sealing Technique, and even control techniques for Susanoo summarized over generations.
—This old man, it's as if he emptied the Uchiha Clan's secret vault in one go; he practically had everything she could ask for.
In this environment, Uchiha Hikari, who previously had no opportunity to learn such information, was extremely enthusiastic about everything she read. It could be said that her cultural level had significantly improved during this period.
At least, she had progressed from second grade to fifth grade!
Naturally, her control over Susanoo also reached a considerable level.
Just like this moment.
"Buzz—!"
Chomei, the Seven-Tails, flapped its wings rapidly, its massive body moving and spinning with remarkable agility in mid-air.
Its body first ascended rapidly, then sharply pivoted at its highest point, like a dive bomber from World War II, using the high speed generated by inertia to launch a desperate charge towards Susanoo.
However, the phantom of the god-demon, which had already formed Susanoo's Third Stage, changed the weapon in its hand.
The long sword, like a towering pagoda, suddenly transformed into a giant Japanese bow the moment Chomei initiated its charge, with a spear-like Chakra weapon nocked upon it.
The bow was drawn to a full moon.
The arrow was like a shooting star.
"Whoosh—!!!"
It was unclear what immense power could support such a colossal spear flying out with such inertial momentum. In short, the moment this arrow was fired, a vacuum tunnel spanning several kilometers had been pierced in front of Susanoo.
Wind and smoke, blood and fire.
Everything visible in everyone's eyes seemed to be awestruck by this absolute violence.
Several small Tailed Beast Balls continuously spat out from Chomei's mouth were easily punctured like balloons by this single arrow, exploding in mid-air into clusters of bubbles mixed with fireworks, distorting the surrounding air.
"Pfft!"
The spear plunged directly into the center of Chomei's chest.
An indescribable force, carrying the Tailed Beast's incredibly massive body, sent it flying backward for an unknown number of meters in mid-air. The Tailed Beast even spewed purple blood, like a human, and fell from the sky with a wail.
"Rumble—!"
Upon falling to the ground, a series of continuous explosions followed.
Vigorous fireworks constantly bloomed.
All the Ninja in Takigakure stared blankly at this scene, their shock and fear almost engulfing their reason. Many even thought it was a dream, covering their foreheads in disbelief.
"Seven-Tails-sama… was killed?!"
"How could this be! What kind of monster is that?"
"Is that perhaps a Tailed Beast from another country?!"
"Tailed Beasts aren't humanoid!"
"But…"
All sorts of chaotic voices mingled in the ruined Village. No Takigakure Ninja had expected that their Village, which had remained unaffected even through almost the entire Second Shinobi World War, would be breached by an unknown enemy in a single night.
Even the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, the guardian deity of the entire Village, was shot down with a single arrow.
Without any ability to resist.
The current leader of Takigakure was a tall man.
However, at this moment, he too was staring blankly at the scene.
Their small Village, hidden among countless waterfalls and living in peace, was able to maintain its unique status today, not being used as a battlefield or having its soldiers conscripted by any great nation, precisely because of this Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, personally sealed in their country by the First Hokage-sama.
But now, the guarantee of that uniqueness had been shattered.
Even if the Village could be preserved from today's disaster, the leader could imagine what kind of calamity Takigakure would suffer in the chaotic Second Shinobi World War to come.
"Leader-sama!"
However, the shouts of the people around him suddenly awoke him from this shock of peaceful disillusionment.
That's right.
All future matters could only be considered after surviving.
If they couldn't survive now, everything else would just be an illusory fantasy.
The Takigakure leader immediately commanded:
"Shibuki! Go get me the Hero's Water!"
"You go cover the retreat of the remaining villagers and children. I will hold off that guy!"
Shibuki was startled by these words and looked at the leader in front of him in astonishment:
"But, Leader…"
The Hero's Water, like the Earth Grudge Fear that Kakuzu had already stolen, was a secret treasure sealed within Takigakure.
It was a treasure that, once drunk, could grant dozens of times one's strength.
However, using that power came at the cost of one's life.
The leader looked at him steadily and said calmly:
"Shibuki, after I die, you will be the leader of Takigakure."
"Hurry!"
"…"
"Yes!"
Shibuki's face was covered in soot marks from the smoke and fire, interspersed with thin lines of tears.
However, before he could leave, a seemingly young figure suddenly landed on the ground.
In the girl's arms, she was dragging a middle-aged woman whose chest had been pierced.
"Chomei-sama?!"
Almost instantly, all the Takigakure Ninja present recognized the identity of that middle-aged woman.
However, just before they could take a step, they suddenly stopped.
They all stared blankly at the young girl in front of them.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, with neatly cut black long hair and loose robes. Only her scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan were incredibly dazzling.
Uchiha Hikari looked coldly at the Takigakure Ninja in front of her, her tone flat:
"Where are you going?"
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