The Thousand-Hand and Sarutobi's Open Scheme

"Understood."

Without a shred of hesitation, the eyes of Uchiha Hikari—which had just flickered with a hint of warmth due to Zhi's gentleness—instantly sank back into the stillness of dead water.

Like a marionette that had heard its master's command, she expertly re-froze the sliver of "human" warmth she had just felt, dragged her heavy short blade, and turned mechanically to walk toward the messenger.

Yue Uchiha sneered, naturally reaching out to shove the empty food container back into Zhi's hands.

Following that, he too walked toward the outside.

Only Uchiha Zhi remained where she stood, watching the two backs—one large and one small—as she let out a helpless, weary sigh.

Inside the high-level command tent of the Uchiha Clan, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it could drip water.

"The Senju Clan and the Sarutobi Clan have joined forces."

The Great Elder slammed a blood-stained intelligence scroll onto the table, his face ashen. "They have laid down an incredibly massive barrier in Falling Cherry Valley to the south, completely cutting off our frontline supply lines! Kai Senju and Yu Senju are currently being held down by the Clan Head on the main battlefield, but at Falling Cherry Valley, they have the elite of the Sarutobi Clan and the sealing squad of the Senju Clan holding the line."

"It is a naked, overt scheme."

The Second Elder gritted his teeth. "They are cutting off our supplies with such fanfare because they have calculated that we cannot spare troops from the main battlefield and must send elites to break the deadlock. Those bastards have no idea how many people they have lying in ambush at Falling Cherry Valley, just waiting for us to jump in!"

In the clan wars of the Warring States period, there were no absolute secrets.

The reason the Senju and Sarutobi dared to be so blatant was that they were certain the Uchiha would have to wade into this muddy water.

If they didn't go, the frontline would run out of food, and the entire line would collapse.

If they did go, it would mean throwing human lives into that bottomless meat grinder.

"Since it is a meat grinder, then we shall send the sharpest blades to grind them to pieces."

The Great Elder suddenly raised his head, his turbid eyes staring fixedly at Yue and Hikari, who stood silent in the center of the tent.

"Tool Hikari, Tool Yue! You have already absorbed enough of the Spring of Returning Light yesterday. This mission is to completely destroy the barrier at Falling Cherry Valley and slaughter every Senju and Sarutobi inside! Even if you die, you will tear open that supply line for me before you do!"

"As you command." Hikari's voice was cold, devoid of any inflection.

Uchiha Yue, meanwhile, cooperated perfectly by sticking out his tongue to lick his cracked lips, a bloodthirsty red glow erupting in his right eye.

"The Senju Clan... hehehe, wonderful! My blade is already starving! Great Elder, as long as I can kill Senju, I will tear apart whoever you tell me to!"

Watching Yue's mad-dog demeanor, completely consumed by hatred, the elders nodded in satisfaction.

Tools should have the awareness of tools.

Two hours later, Falling Cherry Valley.

This should have been a scenic canyon, but at this moment, it was shrouded in an incredibly dense, murderous aura.

The surrounding mountain walls were plastered densely with explosive tags and sealing runes specially crafted by the Sarutobi Clan, while dozens of elite Senju ninja hid in the shadows, forming a massive and highly complex interlocking formation.

This was the kill-trap set in the original trajectory of history, specifically designed to counter the "ultimate weapon" of the Uchiha Clan.

The Senju Clan knew well that Uchiha Hikari's Mangekyo ocular technique, known as Yachihoko, was invincible in group combat.

Therefore, they had no intention of engaging in a head-on collision. Instead, they joined forces with the Sarutobi Clan—who were highly skilled in the Five Elements Ninjutsu and sealing arts—to set up the Four Violet Flames Sealing Array, specifically designed to suppress spiritual chakra and ocular power!

As long as Hikari stepped into the canyon and the formation was activated, countless sealing chains would instantly pierce through her limbs and body, completely sealing away her ocular power and ultimately suppressing her into endless darkness.

As for Uchiha Yue, who had recently risen to fame, he was merely an afterthought.

Although strong, his influence on the grand battlefield was far less threatening than Hikari's.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two black shadows landed at the entrance of the canyon like ghosts.

"Enemy attack!! It's the Twin Demons of the Uchiha Clan!!"

The Senju ninja hidden in the shadows immediately let out sharp whistles.

"Come on... all of you, come and die for me!"

Uchiha Yue drew his straight blade, let out a deliberate, maniacal laugh, and charged into the outer perimeter of the canyon first.

Behind him, in the hollow black eyes of Uchiha Hikari, her scarlet Mangekyo instantly bloomed, locking directly onto the few Sarutobi ninja at the very front.

"Yachihoko..."

Just as Hikari prepared to activate her ocular technique to forcibly control the enemy.

"Now! Activate the formation!!"

Following the roar of a Senju jonin deep within the canyon, the very earth of the valley began to tremble violently!

Rumble--!

Four pillars of purple light shot into the sky from the four corners of the canyon, instantly weaving together in mid-air to form a massive, inverted barrier, trapping Yue and Hikari firmly inside!

At the same time, the soil on the ground exploded, and countless chakra chains inscribed with dense black runes surged out like vipers leaving their den, swarming toward Hikari and covering the sky!

"Ugh!"

The Mangekyo in Hikari's eyes had only just ignited before it was forcibly suppressed by the immense sealing power radiating from the chains.

The chains caught her wrists, ankles, and slender neck at incredibly devious angles, dragging her entire body high into the air like a helpless, broken ragdoll!

"Sealing chains? A technique specifically designed to target ocular power..."

Hikari hung suspended in mid-air, the sealing runes eroding her meridians like white-hot branding irons, sending waves of tearing agony through her brain.

It seemed the mission could not be completed.

She did not resist.

Because in her understanding, for a weapon to be broken, captured, or discarded by the enemy was the most natural of fates. Her clan would not come to save her, and her comrades would retreat immediately to preserve their strength.

This was the ending written for her since the moment of her birth.

So... am I to break here, then... Hikari slowly closed her eyes, preparing to welcome the eternal darkness.

"Yagokoro Omoikane!"

"The success rate for the Four Violet Flames Sealing Array to coordinate perfectly is 0%."

Yue's left eye, which had only just healed, snapped open; the Star Array within it meshed together like frantic gears, and blood instantly burst from his eye socket!

"Hikari, in my squad, you are not allowed to break. You are to stay alive and in one piece for me!"

Following the activation of the Yagokoro Omoikane ability in his left eye, the Four Violet Flames Sealing Array flickered with a moment of instability, though the ninjas of the Sarutobi clan reacted quickly.

But Yue Uchiha's reaction was faster.

"Amenominakanushi!"

"BOOM—!!!"

Following that sliver of instability, a mountain-toppling force of repulsion instantly destroyed the barrier hubs at the four corners of the canyon. The moment those indestructible sealing chains lost their supply of chakra, they were twisted by gravity into a sky full of iron filings!