Moonlight Shines Bright

Six months of time flew by amidst the quiet of the shrine and the harshness of training.

Under the guidance of Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Sakuya—having completely discarded his "Hatake" disguise—adapted to and mastered the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the "Eighty Gods Mirror," with astonishing speed. His strength surged forward, reaching a brand-new, terrifying realm. Yet, his thirst for power remained insatiable. He knew that Konoha housed the Book of Sealing, which recorded countless forbidden techniques and mysteries; within it, there must be what he needed, whether it was greater power or deeper knowledge regarding the essence of this world.

It was a dark, wind-swept night.

A figure slipped into the barrier of Konoha like a ghost, silent and unseen. He wore an inconspicuous dark combat suit covered by a wide black cloak, and on his face was the very same white, swirl-patterned mask that Obito had once used, revealing only the right eye. His shoulder-length black hair fluttered slightly in the night breeze, adding to his mysterious and chilling aura. He was none other than Uchiha Sakuya.

Relying on the intelligence provided by Obito and the extreme insight the Eighty Gods Mirror granted him into the flow of chakra within the barrier, he moved like a shadow blending into the night. He precisely avoided all patrol squads and guard posts, heading straight for the forbidden area behind the village—the secret chamber where the Book of Sealing was kept.

The process was not smooth sailing. The defenses surrounding the forbidden area far exceeded his expectations; complex sealing formations, physical traps, and Anbu elites who could appear at any moment all posed massive challenges.

A silent battle of infiltration and decryption unfolded in the darkness.

Sakuya's Eighty Gods Mirror played a crucial role at this moment. His eyes glowed faintly beneath the mask, the complex patterns rotating slowly. No matter how exquisite a sealing formation was, it was rapidly analyzed in his eyes, its weaknesses exposed, and it was bypassed or broken in the most effortless and concealed manner. The trigger mechanisms and blind spots of those lethal physical traps were also laid bare.

He even encountered two intersecting Anbu patrol squads. Just as he was about to be discovered, the pattern in his eyes shifted slightly—a technique he had analyzed and copied from a powerful genjutsu user via the Eighty Gods Mirror. An incredibly potent and precisely targeted genjutsu silently enveloped them. The eyes of the Anbu members instantly glazed over, and they continued their patrol like sleepwalkers, completely unaware of the intruder passing right by them.

Finally, he broke through the layers of obstacles and entered the heavily guarded secret chamber. The massive scroll—the Book of Sealing—lay quietly on the altar in the center.

Without hesitation, Sakuya stepped forward, his hands forming seals as he began to break the final protective seal on the Book of Sealing. This required time and extremely delicate control of his chakra.

Time ticked away, second by second. Outside the secret chamber, the Anbu affected by his genjutsu were on the verge of waking.

Finally! "Release!" The last sealing formation was shattered! Sakuya snatched up the massive scroll, sealed it into a specially made scroll case, and turned to retreat without a moment's hesitation!

However, just as he rushed out of the chamber and merged into the mountain forest, thinking success was at hand—

"Stop! Intruder!" A cold, sharp shout came from the left! "You there, stop immediately and submit to inspection!" Another boy's voice, filled with shock and anger, rang out from the right!

It was Nadeshiko Haku and Hatake Lian, who were patrolling the area!

It just so happened that their group was responsible for the night patrol of the back mountain area tonight! The subtle chakra fluctuations from when Sakuya broke the final seal had caught their attention after all!

Two figures instantly blocked Sakuya's path. Haku's hands were already filled with senbon, and Lian's Three-Tomoe Sharingan was already active, locking firmly onto the mysterious intruder wearing the eerie mask and black cloak.

Sakuya's footsteps faltered, and his brows furrowed beneath the mask. The situation he least wanted to encounter had occurred.

"Who are you? What is your purpose in sneaking into the forbidden area!" Haku's ice-blue eyes were filled with vigilance; the cold and powerful aura radiating from the opponent made her feel extreme danger. Lian's Sharingan pulsed violently; he felt that this figure... had an eerie sense of familiarity, especially the hairstyle and physique partially hidden under the cloak...

Sakuya did not answer. He knew that if he spoke, his identity would likely be exposed. He only wanted to escape as quickly as possible.

His figure moved, attempting to force his way through the gap between the two at top speed!

"Don't even think about it!" Haku shouted sharply, and senbon poured out like a rainstorm, sealing off all his forward paths! At the same time, she lunged forward, her Nadeshiko Style Gentle Fist aiming straight for Sakuya's vitals, her palm strikes fierce!

On the other side, Lian's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, predicting Sakuya's movements, as his kunai whistled sharply toward Sakuya's ribs! The tacit understanding between the brothers transformed into a fierce offensive!

Sakuya sighed inwardly. He had no choice but to fight!

His figure flickered like a ghost, weaving through the rain of senbon and precisely dodging every single one. The Eighty Gods Mirror operated quietly; Haku's Nadeshiko Style taijutsu and senbon techniques were rapidly analyzed and understood in his eyes.

He didn't even use any ninjutsu, relying solely on taijutsu and the Sharingan's predictions to parry Haku's Gentle Fist with minimal movement, using a clever force to push her back several steps!

At the same time, he countered with an elbow strike, precisely hitting the side of the kunai Lian had thrust at him. The immense force made Lian's arm go numb, and the kunai nearly slipped from his grasp!

So strong! Haku and Lian were both horrified! This intruder's strength was unfathomable, his movements so concise and efficient that it was terrifying, as if he had completely seen through all their attack patterns!

"We can't let him get away!" Haku gritted her teeth and formed seals, "Water Style: Water Dragon Technique!" A water dragon roared toward Sakuya! Almost simultaneously, Lian finished his seals: "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" The fireball and the water dragon intertwined, forming a more powerful composite attack that slammed toward Sakuya!

Facing this coordinated strike, Sakuya finally moved.

He stood in place, not even forming a single seal. The Eighty Gods Mirror beneath his mask glowed faintly.

The next moment, something that left Haku and Lian dumbfounded occurred!

Sakuya raised one hand— "Water Style: Water Dragon Technique!" A water dragon of the exact same scale, form, and detail appeared out of thin air, rushing to meet Haku's water dragon! At the same time, he waved his other hand casually— "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" An equally scorching fireball flew out, colliding with Lian's fireball!

BOOM!!! A violent explosion occurred in the air, and water vapor filled the surroundings!

"How is this possible?! Using two different elemental ninjutsu at the same time? And perfectly copying our techniques?!" Lian exclaimed in disbelief, his Sharingan filled with shock!

Haku was also shocked beyond measure! This kind of ability was unheard of!

Just as the two hesitated for a split second due to their shock, Sakuya seized the opportunity! He didn't want to get entangled any further!

His figure lunged forward, targeting the slightly weaker Lian! He intended to create a gap to break through!

"Don't you dare hurt Lian!" Haku, thinking he was going for the kill, panicked and poured all her chakra into her senbon, unleashing a Nadeshiko Style secret technique: Senbon Rain: Scattering Flowers! Countless senbon wrapped in high-intensity chakra bloomed like ice lotuses, covering all of Sakuya's escape routes!

This strike contained all of Haku's resolve and worry, and its power was immense!

Sakuya's eyes narrowed. He didn't want to take the hit head-on, nor did he want to hurt Haku.

In a flash, he made his choice. He turned slightly to minimize his exposed area as much as possible, while channeling chakra to protect his vitals, preparing to tank the hit and force his way through!

However, the moment he turned, a senbon at an extremely tricky angle—perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps due to Haku's extraordinary performance under extreme emotion—bypassed most of his defenses and struck precisely at the left edge of his mask!

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out!

About a quarter of the white swirl mask, specifically the left eye portion, shattered upon impact and fell away in fragments!

Beneath the mask, an eye was exposed.

That eye... was a deep, dark black. But at this moment, deep within that black pupil, a complex, eerie Mangekyo Sharingan pattern, radiating a cold red glow, was slowly rotating!

And the contour of that eye... that corner of the eye...

Time seemed to stand still in this very moment.

Haku and Lian's movements froze instantly! Their gazes were locked firmly onto that exposed eye, which contained the Mangekyo Sharingan!

Even though it was only one eye, even though the hairstyle had changed and the aura had become cold and unfamiliar... the familiar contours of the eye socket and the traces deep within those pupils that could never be fully erased—traces that belonged to "him"...

A name they had assumed had long since defected, and perhaps even... exploded in their minds like a thunderclap!

"Shuoyue...?" Haku's voice trembled, barely forming a coherent tone, his ice-blue eyes filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and disbelief. "Bro... brother?!!" Lian was struck as if by lightning, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan trembling violently, nearly collapsing! A part of the face he had longed for day and night, yet had been told had turned against them, had appeared before his eyes in such a cruel fashion!

It was this very moment of shock and rigidity!

Shuoyue's heart sank! He had been exposed!

Without a moment's hesitation, and without even looking at the shattered, shocked expressions on their faces, he spun around abruptly!

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Submersion Technique!"

His body instantly sank into the ground, vanishing without a trace! All that remained were the swirling dust, the fragments of his broken mask, and two people standing there petrified, their hearts churning with tidal waves of emotion—the very people he had once cherished above all else.

The night wind blew past, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

The senbon in Haku's hand slipped powerlessly to the ground. Lian remained in his attack stance, yet his body trembled violently; the three tomoe in his eyes slowly faded, leaving behind only a vast emptiness and unbearable pain.

They had found the intruder. But they had also... lost him once again.

In a manner far more cruel, and far more heartbreaking.

Not far away, Shuoyue watched the Anbu rushing toward the scene. With a swirl of his right eye, he vanished into the Kamui Dimension and departed.