Dōjutsu: "Kotoamatsukami"

In the cold, gloomy underground base, streams of intelligence flickered across a giant screen. An encrypted communication came through from an informant codenamed Moth—an orphan skilled in disguise and infiltration, whom Root had rescued from black-market information brokers.

"Lord Mirror," Moth's processed voice crackled with a hint of static. "The targets' whereabouts are confirmed. The One-Tail Jinchūriki, Yubuchi Sunako, has appeared in Camel Thorn, an oasis town near the Land of Wind's border, on a B-rank escort mission for Sunagakure. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito, has appeared at Cloud Mist Gorge, a hot-spring resort on the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Lightning. She appears to be on vacation."

The screen brought up profiles and blurry images of the two women. Yubuchi Sunako had blonde hair and sharp eyes, with dust faintly swirling around her. Yugito had blue hair and a relatively languid air, though her brows held the alertness of a cat.

Uchiha Sakuya's cold gaze swept across the screen, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Jinchūriki?" he scoffed, his voice echoing through the empty intelligence room. "They're nothing but vessels. Those so-called 'ninja who've formed bonds with the Tailed Beasts'? Laughable self-deception. Tailed Beasts are power, weapons, and the embodiment of disaster. Trying to bond with a weapon only dulls it and gives its vessel needless delusions."

His words showed no mercy, utterly rejecting the path of "mutual understanding" that Naruto and the others had worked so hard to build.

Behind him, the usually indifferent eyes of Fusha Shiro, who stood tall and graceful, flickered with sorrow.

"Jinchūriki is the only fitting name. Vessels that bear the 'power' of the Tailed Beasts. Only by shedding emotion and recognizing their true nature can they fulfill their real purpose." He looked at Obito and Haku beside him. "Prepare to move. The targets are the vessels of the One-Tail and Two-Tails. Recover them."

Camel Thorn Oasis, on the border of the Land of Wind.

Yellow sand swept across the sky, and the heat distorted the air. The little oasis was like a jewel in the desert, yet an unusual tension hung over it.

Sakuya, Obito, and Haku appeared atop a dune like specters. Sakuya wore his signature white mask, marked with three tomoe and a spiral that left only his eyes exposed. Obito wore a more weathered orange spiral mask, while Haku's mask was pure white, with a pattern of ripples resembling fish scales along its edges. It covered the upper half of his face, leaving his jaw and pale lips visible.

"Let's make this quick." Sakuya's voice came through his mask, utterly devoid of emotion.

The next moment, all three vanished.

Inside the oasis town, Yubuchi Sunako vigilantly surveyed her surroundings. Shukaku seemed restless inside her. Suddenly!

The sand beneath her feet caved in! Countless black chains marked with the Uchiha Gunbai pattern burst from the sand and coiled around her limbs—a restraint from Obito.

At the same time, icy senbon shot in from the side like a downpour, precisely targeting every chakra point and chakra node she might use to form Hand Seals—Haku's Nadeshiko Style technique.

Sago reacted with lightning speed, and a sand shield sprang up to defend her automatically. But her opponents' attacks were too tricky and perfectly coordinated!

The real killing blow came from above!

Sakuya's figure dropped like a meteor. The Eighty Gods Mirror had already seen through the flaw in the flow of her sand shield! He didn't even use a ninjutsu. He simply brought down a hand strike, wrapped in highly concentrated chakra, precisely hitting the shield's weakest point!

Bam! The sand shield shattered instantly! Sakuya's strike continued without slowing and hit Sago in the back of the neck!

His tremendous strength and control robbed her of consciousness in an instant. The entire process took less than five seconds, so clean and swift it was breathtaking.

"One-Tail vessel captured," Sakuya announced coldly. He tossed the unconscious Sago to Obito, who sucked her into the Kamui Dimension.

Cloud Mist Gorge, in the Land of Hot Water.

Steam rose from the hot springs, mingling with the mountain mist to create a scene like a heavenly realm.

The Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito, was soaking in an outdoor hot spring, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. She was more relaxed than Sago, but also more alert. Matatabi's vigilance made her open her eyes the instant Sakuya and the others approached the edge of the hot-spring area!

"Who's there?!" She sprang from the water, instantly cloaked in blue Matatabi Chakra, with two chakra tails whipping through the air!

"Not bad, vessel." Sakuya's figure emerged from the mist. Obito and Haku slowly appeared from the other two directions, forming a triangular encirclement.

"Who are you?!" Yugito demanded, her gaze turning razor-sharp.

Her answer was an attack!

Haku formed Hand Seals. "Ice Style: Swallow Snowstorm!" The technique combined the characteristics of Nadeshiko Style and Water Release. Snowflakes mixed with sharp shards of ice swept toward Yugito, instantly lowering the temperature around them and even freezing part of the hot spring's surface!

Obito charged in from the side, a massive Uchiha Gunbai appearing in his hand, ready to block Matatabi's claws and Tailed Beast Bomb.

Yugito roared and darted through the hail at incredible speed, her catlike claws tearing through the air as she swiped at Haku!

But Haku's Taijutsu was equally skillful, and he deftly held his ground with Scale Powder Concealment Technique combined with Ice Release.

Sakuya didn't join the attack right away. His Eighty Gods Mirror kept Yugito firmly in its sights, analyzing her fighting style, chakra flow, and... the traits of the Two-Tails, Matatabi.

"Matatabi specializes in genjutsu and fire, does he...?" he murmured.

Just as Yugito's fierce pounce missed and she hadn't yet recovered her strength—

Sakuya moved!

The Eighty Gods Mirror in his right eye blazed with light!

Yugito's vision suddenly changed! The hot spring and her enemies disappeared. She was back in Kumogakure, watching the people dearest to her caught in a sea of flames, screaming in agony—Advanced Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

"No!" Yugito's mind reeled, and her movements froze!

Although the Tailed Beast's chakra and her own will let her break free of the genjutsu almost instantly, that tenth of a second was all Sakuya needed!

Sakuya appeared before her as if he had teleported. His fingers flashed out, precisely striking several key chakra points around the seal on her abdomen! He had learned this technique from the Book of Sealing and Orochimaru, and it was designed specifically to counter unstable seals!

"Seal!"

Yugito felt Matatabi's chakra inside her instantly grow chaotic and impossible to control! Her blue Chakra Cloak flickered, then vanished completely!

The backlash from her chakra and the disabled points made her groan and crumple to the ground.

Sakuya reached out and caught her unconscious body.

"Two-Tails vessel captured," he declared, still coldly.

But just as he was about to hand Yugito over to Obito—

"Let her go!!!"

An enraged, anguished roar came from the forest!

Several figures rushed toward them at high speed! At their head was Hatake Lian! His face was hidden behind a Konoha animal mask, but his Sharingan, opened to three tomoe, burned with overwhelming fury and resolve! A full squad of elite Konoha Ninja followed behind him!

They had evidently tracked the abnormal chakra signature of the Two-Tails and come to investigate!

Lian's eyes locked onto Sakuya, then onto the hand supporting Yugito. He also saw the unconscious One-Tail Jinchūriki, Sago, who had just appeared beside Obito and had yet to be fully sucked into the Kamui Dimension!

"Brother! You really... you really are still doing this!" Lian's voice trembled with rage. "Put them down! Now!"

Sakuya slowly turned around, his gaze beneath the mask coldly fixed on his younger brother. This time, he didn't waver at all.

"Lian, leave. This isn't something you should get involved in." His voice came through the mask, ice-cold and utterly emotionless.

"No way!" Lian roared, his three tomoe spinning wildly. "I won't let you keep making mistakes! Give them back!"

The Konoha Ninja behind him also took up fighting stances.

"Obstinate fool," Sakuya said flatly, as if he had finally run out of patience.

He tossed Yugito to Haku, then slowly raised his hand.

The battle erupted in an instant!

The Konoha squad worked in perfect coordination, unleashing a torrent of ninjutsu and attacks!

But this time, Sakuya held nothing back!

The Eighty Gods Mirror's light shifted! "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" A massive water dragon roared forward, scattering the enemy's Fire Release! "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" A wall rose at just the right moment to block the Wind Release attack! He even controlled copied techniques to defend and counterattack at the same time, dividing his attention like a conductor leading an orchestra!

Obito and Haku attacked as well. The distortion of Kamui and Haku's Ice Release senbon instantly suppressed the other members of the Konoha squad!

Lian charged Sakuya, eyes bloodshot, heedless of everything, the short blade in his hand crackling with lightning! "Lightning Release: Chidori!"

Sakuya didn't even dodge. He simply raised his black-gloved hand.

The Eighty Gods Mirror saw everything! Just as Chidori was about to strike, Sakuya's fingers jabbed out at an unbelievable angle and speed, precisely hitting the chakra point on Lian's wrist!

Lian's arm went numb. Chidori collapsed instantly, and his short blade flew from his hand!

The next moment, Sakuya's hand clamped around his throat like an iron vise! Powerful chakra surged into him, sealing the flow of chakra throughout his body!

"Gah..." Lian struggled in agony, his eyes filled with disbelief and utter despair. His brother... had really turned on him...

The other Konoha Ninja tried to come to his rescue, but Obito and Haku held them back, leaving them unable to get close.

"Clean up," Sakuya ordered Obito and Haku coldly. Then he seized Lian, who had lost all ability to resist, and vanished on the spot using Space-Time Ninjutsu.

Base, interrogation room.

A cold metal chair restrained Lian. His mask had been removed, and his face was etched with anger, pain, and deep hatred.

Sakuya stood before him and removed his spiral mask, revealing his cold face. He tried to speak as he had before, but the hatred in Lian's eyes was like a tangible thorn. Lian looked at him as if he were his mortal enemy.

"Why... why would you do this, brother?!" Lian demanded, almost screaming. "You captured Jinchūriki, hurt innocent people, and betrayed the village... Was everything you ever told me a lie?! You told me power was for protection, but what about you now?!"

"You don't understand the darkness of Konoha or the hypocrisy of its leadership!" Sakuya's voice carried a trace of irritation he could barely conceal.

"I don't understand?! I only know you've become a complete monster! A heartless demon!" Lian struggled violently, his chains clattering. "I wish you'd never been my brother!"

Those words landed on Sakuya's heart like a final verdict.

As he looked at his younger brother, consumed by hatred for him, the last of his patience and hope vanished completely. He knew no explanation, no truth, could pierce the "Will of Fire" Konoha had instilled in Lian over the years, or the hatred filling him now.

Silence.

Deathly silence spread through the interrogation room.

After a long while, Sakuya slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the Eighty Gods Mirror pattern had vanished from his deep-purple eyes. In its place was a far more profound and uncanny design, one that seemed capable of rewriting every rule in the world. It was the ultimate genjutsu he had hidden most deeply, born of the Uchiha Clan's bloodline limit, unique in the world—and his strongest trump card...

"Dōjutsu: Kotoamatsukami"!

Without a sound, without light or color.

An irresistible, imperceptible, incomprehensible power invaded Lian's mind in an instant, rewriting his deepest beliefs and memories.

The anger and hatred on Lian's face froze, then rapidly faded like the receding tide. His gaze turned vacant and bewildered, as though he had just awoken from a long nightmare.

He blinked and looked at Sakuya. There was no hatred in his eyes now, only a hint of trust and familiarity... and confusion.

"Bro... brother?" he asked softly, his voice a little hoarse. "Where... where am I? Weren't we... training?"

As Sakuya looked at the long-missed, untainted gaze his brother had before Konoha "corrupted" him, a jumble of feelings welled up within him. There was the cold satisfaction of success, a trace of twisted fulfillment, and... a faint twinge of guilt he was unwilling even to admit to himself.

He had succeeded. With his most powerful genjutsu, he had "restored" Lian to the way he believed was "right."

"It's all right now, Lian." Sakuya's voice remained cold, but softened considerably. "It was just... a special training session. You're tired. Get some rest."

He released Lian from his restraints.

Lian nodded obediently, seemingly having forgotten everything that had happened. He trusted Sakuya completely.

Sakuya watched his brother leave the interrogation room, standing alone where he was, his face expressionless beneath the mask.

Kotoamatsukami had changed Lian. But Sakuya would never forget the feelings this dōjutsu brought with it, apart from the change. Still, he understood. Victory required the resolve to stop at nothing...