When he opened his eyes, the blurred scenery gradually came into focus. Looking at the familiar wooden ceiling, Uchiha Sou realized he was in his own room.
He shifted slightly. The soreness was still intense, but the pain in his left shoulder had eased.
He was certain his injuries had almost completely healed. His mind was a little weary, but otherwise, he was fine.
His eyes felt swollen and uncomfortable, but fortunately, he knew that was normal.
Judging by his condition and how well he had recovered, he estimated that he'd been lying there for a day or two.
"Sou-senpai, you're awake?" A voice reached his ears.
Uchiha Sou looked up and saw Shisui standing beside his bed.
Shisui looked both relieved and guilty. He also seemed exhausted.
Judging by his appearance, he'd probably been keeping watch for as long as Uchiha Sou had been unconscious.
"Mm, I'm awake." Uchiha Sou nodded slightly, then forced himself to sit up despite the soreness.
"Senpai, I'm sorry." Uchiha Shisui spoke with remorse. "I shouldn't have left you behind. I—"
"Who could have seen that coming? Besides, you made the right choice." Uchiha Sou interrupted him and shook his head. "And we have more important things to investigate."
Uchiha Sou didn't intend to dwell on the matter. He knew there was no point in agonizing over it.
The town had been attacked, and there were so many ordinary people there. Even Uchiha Sou would have chosen to protect them.
Their motives might have been different—in Uchiha Sou's view, protecting ordinary people would prove that they were capable, and attract more people to join their cause.
But the outcome was the same. So why dwell on it? Besides, although Uchiha Sou had taken a beating, he'd also gained a great deal this time!
"Captain, we've already investigated the matter."
Shisui knew what Uchiha Sou meant and immediately answered, though his expression turned strange as he spoke.
"According to our investigation, Might Duy, a Konoha Genin, received a mission to enter Kirigakure-controlled territory. After making contact with people from another resistance group, he obtained some information and came here.
"But..."
"But he wasn't very good at counter-surveillance, so he didn't notice he was being followed?"
Uchiha Sou's expression grew just as odd. He shook his head and continued.
"What about the Mist Ninja? Why did members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist show up?"
"From the survivor we captured and interrogated, we learned that Kirigakure launched this operation against us."
Shisui sighed faintly and continued.
"Our operation was going well, so they decided to carry out a decapitation strike. They divided the area into zones and searched them. As a result..."
Uchiha Shisui trailed off, unable to continue. Uchiha Sou was speechless, too.
Half a year ago, when he first entered enemy territory, he'd wondered when Might Duy would arrive.
Although he'd taken Ebisu's place and completely thrown the missions in the enemy-controlled area into disarray, he'd still been waiting cautiously. Just as he'd expected, what was supposed to happen had happened.
It wasn't the most dangerous outcome—the seven of them hadn't come together—but this was undoubtedly the most brutal ordeal Uchiha Sou had faced in all his years in the Land of Whirlpools!
He'd even prepared himself to take one of them down at the cost of his own life. But fortunately...
"Sou-senpai, may I ask you something personal?" Shisui suddenly lowered his voice and spoke softly.
"I know what you want to ask." Uchiha Sou smiled faintly and slowly closed his eyes. "You want to ask about my eyes, don't you?"
"Especially my eyes!"
As he spoke, Uchiha Sou slowly opened his eyes.
***
After the three figures crossed paths and scattered, Uchiha Sou crouched beside a pile of rubble in the distance, head bowed as he gasped for breath.
A slash marked his chest, and another cut across his back. Blood poured from his wounds.
His insides felt as though they were churning. The searing pain and blood loss had left him somewhat dazed.
At that moment, he truly felt how close he was to death!
Although his body trembled, his expression was strange.
Just then, he'd noticed information appear before his eyes.
But at a moment like that, how could he have checked it? A single lapse in concentration during a fight to the death could cost him his life.
Yet, as he watched the kunai and ninja swords fall toward him, a strange power suddenly burst from his eyes.
It was a power from behind the "wall"—and it had saved his life!
That scene immediately brought someone to mind: Uchiha Obito.
When the boulders began crashing down on Uchiha Obito, he'd also accidentally awakened the power of his Mangekyo. It had kept him from dying on the spot, giving Uchiha Madara a chance to save him.
He noticed the astonished looks on Raiga Kurosuki and Juzo Biwa nearby, but he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them.
He'd been given a rare moment to catch his breath. Keeping a wary eye on the two men, he quickly opened his status panel.
``` [Eye Technique: Sharingan experience +30]
[Taijutsu: Uchiha Style experience +100]
[Eye Technique: Sharingan (A): Level 10 (MAX) (Upgradeable)]
[Taijutsu: Uchiha Style (B) Level 9 (400/900)]
At the sight of it, Uchiha Sou could barely contain his excitement. He'd waited so long for this moment!
War was so cruel. He preferred training quietly—it was the safest approach—but he couldn't deny that honing his skills on the battlefield was the fastest way to improve.
After three years of hard work, and especially half a year of fighting desperately, he'd finally reached the moment when his efforts bore fruit!
"Kid, you really are strange." Juzo Biwa's voice came through the thick fog once more. "You moved so fast that it felt like we only imagined hitting you. That's a rare trick."
"But this is as far as you go!" Raiga Kurosuki's voice rang out from the mist. "You've done well—you've pushed us this far. But can you keep it up?"
Juzo Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki had both been wounded in the fight, but they were adults, and there were two of them against one.
It might have been shameful, but a ninja would do anything to win!
Even so, they remained cautious. Uchiha Sou had left an incredibly deep impression on them.
But however they looked at it, Uchiha Sou was now at his absolute limit!
"We'll give you a proper burial, kid."
"Geniuses like you are rare, but today this will come to an end!"
Their voices echoed back and forth through the fog. Uchiha Sou kept his head down, his body trembling slightly, as if he'd given up.
But after what had happened before, the two men didn't dare underestimate the kid in front of them. They moved through the mist, waiting for an opening.
Then, in an instant, they felt the kid's presence change dramatically.
A cold, destructive chakra spread from him, so chilling that it seemed to drain the air from their lungs.
At that moment, Uchiha Sou, who had kept his head lowered, slowly raised it. His tightly shut eyes gradually opened.
"You think you can beat me?"
In each blood-red eye, a triangular mark shaped like a maple leaf slowly spun.
***
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