Dōjutsu: "Kotoamatsukami"

In the cold, subterranean base, streams of intelligence data flickered across a massive screen. An encrypted communication came in from an operative codenamed "Moth"—an orphan skilled in disguise and infiltration, rescued from black-market intelligence brokers by Sasuga.

"Lord Mirror," Moth's voice came through processed, laced with static, "Target locations confirmed. The One-Tail Jinchuriki, Yubuchi Sunako, has appeared at the oasis town of 'Camel Thorn' on the border of the Land of Wind, executing a B-rank escort mission for Sunagakure. The Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito, has appeared at 'Cloud Mist Gorge,' a hot spring resort at the junction of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Lightning, suspected to be on leave."

The profiles and blurry images of the two women were pulled up on the screen. Yubuchi Sunako: blonde, sharp-eyed, with sand and dust faintly swirling around her. Yugito: blue-haired, her demeanor relatively languid, yet her brow carried the vigilance of a cat.

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

"Jinchuriki?" He let out a cold snort, his voice echoing through the empty intelligence room. "They are nothing more than vessels. So-called 'ninjas who have built bonds with Tailed Beasts'? It is laughable, self-deceptive nonsense. Tailed Beasts are power, weapons, and collections of disaster. To speak of bonds with a weapon only makes the weapon dull and gives the vessel unnecessary illusions."

His words were merciless, completely negating the path of "mutual understanding" that Naruto and the others had worked so hard to establish.

Behind him, the graceful Fusha Shiro's typically indifferent eyes flashed with a hint of sorrow.

"Only the term 'Jinchuriki' is truly appropriate. A vessel of 'power' that carries a Tailed Beast. Only by stripping away emotions and recognizing the essence can one realize their true value." He looked toward Obito and Haku at his side. "Prepare for action. Objective: Retrieve the One-Tail and Two-Tails vessels."

Border of the Land of Wind, Camel Thorn oasis.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and heat waves distorted the air. The small oasis was like a gem in the desert, yet it was permeated with an unusual, tense atmosphere.

The figures of Sakuya, Obito, and Haku appeared like ghosts atop a sand dune. Sakuya wore his signature white mask with the three-tomoe spiral pattern that revealed only his eyes; Obito wore an older, orange, swirl-patterned mask; Haku's mask was pure white, with wave-like patterns resembling fish scales along the edges, covering the upper half of his face while exposing his jaw and pale lips.

"Make it quick," Sakuya's voice came through the mask, devoid of emotional fluctuation.

The next moment, the three of them vanished simultaneously.

Inside the oasis town, Yubuchi Sunako was patrolling the surroundings vigilantly; the Shukaku within her seemed somewhat restless. Suddenly!

The sand beneath her feet collapsed violently! Countless pitch-black chains, marked with the Uchiha Gunbai crest, burst from the sand and coiled around her limbs—a blockade from Obito.

Simultaneously, cold senbon rained down from the side like a storm, precisely targeting every acupoint and chakra node where she might weave signs—Haku's Nadeshiko Style technique.

Sunako reacted with extreme speed, her sand shield automatically defending her, but the opponents' attacks were too cunning and well-coordinated!

And the true killing blow came from above!

Sakuya's figure descended like a meteor; his "Eighty Gods Mirror" had already seen through the flow and flaws of her sand shield! He didn't even use ninjutsu, merely delivering a simple hand-blade strike, wrapped in highly condensed chakra, which struck the weakest point of the sand shield with precision!

Bang! The sand shield collapsed instantly! Sakuya's hand-blade did not lose momentum, striking directly at the back of Sunako's neck!

The immense power and control instantly stripped away her consciousness. The entire process took less than five seconds, clean and efficient to the point of suffocation.

"One-Tail vessel, captured," Sakuya announced coldly, tossing the unconscious Sunako to Obito, who absorbed her into the Kamui Dimension.

Land of Hot Water, Cloud Mist Gorge.

The steam from the hot springs rose and swirled, interweaving with the mountain mist like a fairyland.

The Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito, was soaking in the open-air hot spring, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. She was more relaxed than Sunako, but also sharper. The vigilance of Matatabi caused her to open her eyes the instant Sakuya and his two companions approached the edge of the hot spring area!

"Who's there?!" She leaped from the water, her body instantly covered in a layer of blue Matatabi chakra cloak, two chakra tails lashing in the air!

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

"Who are you people?!" Yugito demanded sharply, her eyes becoming incredibly keen.

The answer she received was an attack!

Haku wove hand signs: "Ice Style: Swallow Snowstorm!" (A technique combining Nadeshiko Style with Water Style properties). Cold snowflakes mixed with sharp ice shards swept toward Yugito, instantly lowering the surrounding temperature and even freezing parts of the hot spring surface!

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

Yugito roared, moving with extreme speed through the hail, her cat claws tearing through the air as she swiped at Haku!

But Haku's taijutsu was equally exquisite; his Scale Powder Concealment technique combined with Ice Style to maneuver skillfully.

Sakuya did not immediately join the melee; his "Eighty Gods Mirror" remained locked onto Yugito, analyzing her combat patterns, chakra flow, and... the characteristics of the Two-Tails Matatabi.

"Matatabi, skilled in genjutsu and fire, is it..." he muttered to himself.

Just as Yugito missed a fierce pounce, her old momentum spent and new strength yet to gather—

Sakuya moved!

The light in his right eye, the "Eighty Gods Mirror," flared brilliantly!

Yugito felt the scene before her eyes shift violently! She was no longer in the hot springs facing enemies, but back in Kumogakure, seeing her most important people trapped in a sea of fire, emitting shrill screams!—High-level Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

"No!" Yugito's mind shook violently, her movements instantly stiffening!

Although she broke free of the genjutsu in an instant, relying on the Tailed Beast's chakra and willpower, that tenth-of-a-second delay was enough!

Sakuya appeared before her as if teleporting, his fingers moving like lightning to strike several key chakra acupoints around the seal on her abdomen!—This was a technique he had learned from the Book of Sealing and Orochimaru, specifically designed to target unstable seals!

"Seal!"

Yugito felt the Matatabi chakra within her instantly become chaotic and difficult to mobilize! The blue chakra cloak flickered, then dissipated completely!

She herself, due to the backlash of her chakra and the suppression of her acupoints, let out a muffled groan and slumped downward, soft and limp.

Sakuya reached out to catch her unconscious body.

"Two-Tails vessel, captured." The declaration remained cold.

However, just as he prepared to hand Yugito over to Obito—

"Let her go!!!"

A roar filled with rage and agony echoed from the mountain forest!

Several figures charged over at high speed! Leading them was none other than Hatake Lian! He wore a Konoha animal mask, but within those Sharingan eyes, now spinning with three tomoe, burned a towering rage and absolute resolve! Behind him followed a full elite squad from Konoha!

They had clearly tracked the abnormal chakra fluctuations of the Two-Tails to arrive here!

Lian's gaze locked firmly onto Shuoyue, locked onto the hand supporting Yugito, and even caught sight of the unconscious One-Tails jinchuriki, Sago, who had just manifested beside Obito and had not yet been fully sent into the Kamui Dimension!

"Brother! You really... you really are still doing things like this!" Lian's voice trembled with fury. "Let them go! Right now!"

Shuoyue turned slowly, his gaze beneath the mask cold as he looked at his younger brother. This time, he did not feel the slightest stir of emotion.

"Lian, leave. This is not a matter for you to interfere in." His voice, filtered through the mask, was icy and devoid of any sentiment.

"Impossible!" Lian roared, his three tomoe spinning frantically. "I will never let you continue down this path! Give them back!"

The Konoha ninja behind him also shifted into combat stances.

"Stubborn and foolish." Shuoyue said flatly, seemingly having lost his final shred of patience.

He tossed Yugito to Haku and slowly raised his hand.

The battle erupted in an instant!

The Konoha squad coordinated with seamless synergy, unleashing a torrent of ninjutsu and attacks!

But this time, Shuoyue held nothing back!

The Eighty Gods Mirror shimmered with light! "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!" (Copied and optimized) A massive water dragon roared, shattering the enemy's Fire Style! "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" A precisely raised wall blocked a Wind Style attack! He even controlled copied techniques to defend and counterattack simultaneously, multitasking like a conductor of art!

Obito and Haku struck at the same time; the distortion of Kamui and Haku's Ice Style Senbon instantly suppressed the other members of the Konoha squad!

Lian, eyes bloodshot, charged recklessly toward Shuoyue, his short blade wreathed in lightning! "Lightning Style: Chidori!"

Shuoyue did not even dodge, merely raising his black-gloved hand.

The Eighty Gods Mirror perceived everything! The moment the Chidori was about to strike his body, his fingers jabbed out at an impossible angle and speed, precisely hitting the chakra point on Lian's wrist!

Lian felt his arm go numb, and the Chidori dissipated instantly! The short blade flew from his hand!

The next moment, Shuoyue's hand had clamped onto his throat like an iron vice! A surge of powerful chakra poured in, instantly sealing the flow of chakra throughout his entire body!

"Urgh..." Lian struggled in agony, his eyes filled with disbelief and utter despair. Brother... had really struck him down without mercy...

The rest of the Konoha squad saw this and tried to rescue him, but they were blocked firmly by Obito and Haku, unable to get anywhere near.

"Clean this up." Shuoyue said coldly to Obito and Haku, then, gripping the completely incapacitated Lian, he activated a space-time ninjutsu and vanished from the spot.

Base, interrogation room.

Cold metal chairs bound Lian. His mask had been removed, and his face was etched with anger, pain, and deep-seated hatred.

Shuoyue stood before him and removed his own Uzumaki mask, revealing that icy face. He tried to speak as he had before, but the hatred in Lian's eyes was like tangible spikes, as if he were looking at a mortal enemy.

"Why... why would you do this?! Brother!" Lian questioned, almost screaming. "Capturing jinchuriki, hurting the innocent, betraying the village... Everything you told me, was it all a lie?! You told me power was for protection, but what about you now?!"

"The darkness of Konoha, the hypocrisy of the higher-ups—you don't understand anything!" A trace of uncharacteristic irritation crept into Shuoyue's voice.

"I don't understand?! I only know that you have become a complete monster! A cold-blooded demon!" Lian struggled violently, the chains clattering loudly. "I would rather I never had a brother like you!"

These words hit Shuoyue like a final verdict, striking him hard in the heart.

He looked at the younger brother before him, filled with such extreme hatred, and his last shred of patience and wishful thinking vanished entirely. He knew that no explanation, no truth, could pierce through the "Will of Fire" that Konoha had instilled in Lian over the years, nor the hatred he felt at this moment.

Silence.

A deathly silence spread through the interrogation room.

After a long while, Shuoyue slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the Eighty Gods Mirror pattern had faded from his deep purple irises, replaced by a more profound, more eerie pattern that seemed capable of rewriting the very rules of the world—it was his deepest hidden secret, a bloodline limit originating from the Uchiha clan, the ultimate genjutsu unique in the world today, and his strongest trump card...

"Dojutsu: Kotoamatsukami!"

Silent and soundless, without light or color.

A force that could not be resisted, perceived, or understood instantly invaded Lian's mental world, rewriting his deepest perceptions and memories.

The anger and hatred on Lian's face froze, then dissipated rapidly like a receding tide. His eyes became hollow and dazed, as if he had just awakened from a long nightmare.

He blinked, looking at Shuoyue before him; there was no longer hatred in his eyes, but a trace of reliance and a familiar... confusion?

"Br... Brother?" he asked softly, his voice somewhat hoarse. "I... where am I? Aren't we... in the middle of training?"

Shuoyue looked at the pure gaze in his brother's eyes—the long-lost look from before he had been "polluted" by Konoha—and a complex, indescribable emotion surged in his heart. There was the coldness of success, a trace of twisted satisfaction, and also... a faint, lingering guilt he himself refused to acknowledge.

He had succeeded. Using his strongest genjutsu, he had "restored" Lian to the state he believed was "correct."

"It's alright, Lian." Shuoyue's voice remained cold, but it had softened significantly. "It was just... a special training session. You're tired, get some rest."

He released Lian's restraints.

Lian nodded obediently, seemingly having forgotten everything that had happened before, filled with total trust in Shuoyue.

Shuoyue watched his back as he left the interrogation room, standing alone in place, his face beneath the mask devoid of any expression.

Kotoamatsukami had changed Lian. Yet, Shuoyue could never forget the emotions that this dojutsu brought, beyond the change itself. But he understood. To achieve victory, one needed the resolve to stop at nothing...