The Power of the Mangekyo (Part One)

Uchiha Sou's kunai flashed through the air at astonishing speed. With the Mangekyo's aid, his perception had become even more terrifying.

Everything seemed so clear and fluid. It was as if he could see straight through his opponents and read every move they made.

This was far beyond what the Three-Tomoe Sharingan could ever hope to achieve!

In his eyes, the Mangekyo and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan could hardly even be called the same kind of eyes.

The gulf in their power was almost unimaginable. He couldn't help wondering just how badly Uchiha Itachi had held back during his final battle with Sasuke!

"Still, the eye technique consumes a ridiculous amount of chakra."

Uchiha Sou pondered silently. He had used it once before, but that time he had pushed himself almost to his limit.

Besides, after awakening the eye, all he had gained was information and data. He hadn't been able to get a precise grasp of how his technique actually worked.

But now he understood, and he knew his technique was even more useful than he'd imagined.

The moment he used Yomotsu-Hirasaka, he could clearly sense everything in the space around him, within a one-meter radius.

Most importantly, he could alter the rules of space itself!

So he'd used the simplest, least strenuous method: twisting the space around the landing point of the incoming ninja sword, thereby evading the attack.

He even felt that if he pushed harder and cared less about the strain on his eyes, he could completely replicate Kakashi's Kamui!

"The only downside is the short range."

Looking at Suikazan Fuguki, Jinin Akebino, and Munashi Jinpachi, Uchiha Sou slowly lowered his kunai.

The three weren't fools. Though they were stunned by Uchiha Sou's display, they had no hesitation in using the Body Flicker Technique to retreat when they sensed the danger.

Sou could have pursued them. The moment they used the Body Flicker Technique, he had already seen where all three would land.

But he held back for now and glanced behind him.

Genma, Might Guy, and Might Duy were fighting the wielder of Twin Blades: Hiramekarei, while Shisui was facing off against Kushimaru Kuriarare.

The two enemies were attacking fiercely, but Shisui seemed to be handling his opponent with ease, while Might Duy had already opened the Eight Gates.

Sou didn't know how many gates Might Duy had opened, but one thing was clear: this time, he wouldn't have to die.

Their fight was moving farther away, though. It seemed everyone had tacitly agreed to create enough space between them.

"How are you feeling now?"

After checking on his teammates, Sou turned to the three Mist shinobi with a hint of amusement.

"Still so confident?"

Suikazan Fuguki and the others didn't answer, but their faces had grown grim.

That bizarre method of defense had taken them completely by surprise. And Sou's eyes seemed to remind them of something.

Kirigakure had records on the Uchiha Clan, especially since most of its clans had refused to cooperate with Senju Hashirama in founding Konoha and had eventually been driven out to sea by Uchiha Madara.

They had contributed many secrets about the Uchiha, but those records weren't available to just anyone. Even if these three had seen them, they couldn't possibly remember everything.

Watching the three men fall silent, wary and on guard, Sou leaned forward slightly and assumed a standard stance for launching an attack.

But in the next instant, his left eye spun rapidly, and a strange power began to manifest around him.

"Watch out!"

Jinin Akebino sensed something was wrong first and shouted a warning. But the next moment, Sou had appeared in front of him without a sound!

His kunai, cloaked in a layer of azure chakra, plunged viciously toward Jinin's chest.

"How can he move that fast?!"

Jinin was a powerful shinobi with years of experience, but he had never faced speed like this.

It was as if Sou had bypassed the constraints of space itself to attack them!

That's right—it's Space-Time Ninjutsu! This guy specializes in it!

Jinin roared inwardly. He wasn't a defensive fighter; his greatest strength lay in using overwhelming attacks to hack his enemies to pieces.

With his life on the line, he didn't try to dodge. Instead, he swung Kabutowari with all his might, sending its giant hammer and axe crashing down together.

He knew it might not work. Sou had already used Space-Time Ninjutsu to evade their pincer attack.

But it was all he could do. He could only bet that Sou couldn't use the technique repeatedly!

"This guy..."

Sou raised his brows slightly. Jinin had reacted fast—and kept his cool.

But so what if he was fast?

Sou was using Space-Time Ninjutsu. Jinin was merely counterattacking with his body!

Still, to avoid being hurt by the force of his own momentum, Sou's eyes turned slightly of their own accord.

"Bzz!"

In an instant, Jinin's breath caught, and his body froze!

A gigantic eye, marked with the bizarre pattern of Sou's Mangekyo, appeared in his mind.

The next moment, countless chains surged out and bound him tightly, leaving him unable to move!

It all happened in the blink of an eye, before the other two could even react.

Sou's kunai quivered slightly, then thrust toward Jinin's heart.

"Splurt!"

The kunai pierced straight through Jinin's body, and blood began to run along its blade.

Jinin's eyes widened. The intense pain snapped him out of the genjutsu, but by then he already understood what awaited him!

He had never dreamed that he would lose after only one exchange—and be killed outright.

"Damn it!"

Only then did Munashi Jinpachi and Suikazan Fuguki realize what had happened. They rushed Sou with their ninja swords.

But Jinin was already dead. Their attack was futile!

Sou didn't use his eye technique against them. Instead, he used the Body Flicker Technique to leave his spot.

When he appeared again, he was back where he had been before the fight began, as if he had never moved at all!

"The power of space?" Suikazan Fuguki said through gritted teeth. "You seem a lot like that Namikaze Minato."

"Oh? You know about Namikaze Minato?"

Sou looked relaxed, and his tone was casual. He leisurely took out another kunai and smiled.

"You've done a decent job gathering intelligence."

"I have to admit, Space-Time Ninjutsu is exceptionally troublesome."

Munashi Jinpachi's expression turned grim, but he now wore a cold smile.

"But if you think you've already got us beaten, you're being naive!"

"Oh?"

Sou shook his head, looking somewhat bemused. He held his kunai calmly.

"I'm curious. What else have you got?"

"Well, for starters..."

Munashi Jinpachi held his sword horizontally. In an instant, he drew from it a long scroll covered in strange Cursed Seals!

"A way to kill you!"