Night Raid (2)

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Mizukumo Metsuen tore away his disguise, revealing his true appearance. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun slightly as he spat flames to ignite the surrounding trees.

Hiugo frowned. The disparity in chakra cohesion was glaringly obvious after their brief exchange; his opponent was clearly several tiers stronger than him. While the Wood Style wouldn't be incinerated instantly, it had lost its original potency and was no longer as resilient.

Uchiha Niji widened the distance, circling the burning trees slowly:

"I'll be 'kind' enough to share some news with you."

"Senju Meima and those two Dark Ninjas have already been pinned down. They aren't coming to save you."

Shadows converged around Uchiha Niji, outnumbering the Senju forces. In an instant, fire and water clashed once more.

Senju Xiangyang gripped his Kunai and stood before Hiugo, intending to carve out a gap so those behind him could retreat first.

"Xiangyang, do what you must; don't worry about me."

Hiugo spoke up. His physique was vastly different from Senju Xiangyang's, making effective coordination impossible. Besides, a ninja with an obvious weakness was easily targeted.

Having protection was fine, but in an ambush, being too clustered was a disadvantage.

Senju Xiangyang glanced at Hiugo's determined expression, then stopped hesitating and engaged the nearest enemy.

Hiugo drew the Kunai gifted to him by Tobirama. As he channeled his chakra through the Chakra Metal, a layer of flowing water instantly formed a blade around the weapon.

"Kid, you're better than the cowards of those inferior clans, but this is as far as you go."

Seeing the elite Jonin leave the boy's side, Uchiha Yun immediately used Body Flicker to strike, his longsword descending with flames.

Fire Style: Flame Slash

Hiugo's gaze shifted, and he turned his water-bladed Kunai to block the strike.

Uchiha Yun was slightly surprised; the boy's reflexes and strength were truly impressive.

Water Style: Water Severing Wave

Using one-handed seals while parrying with the Kunai, Hiugo completed the technique and spat out a blade of water.

The two-tomoe in Yun's eyes spun rapidly, his powerful willpower forcing his body to react.

The water blade flashed past, and a bloodied arm fell to the ground.

Yun broke into a cold sweat. He was a step away from becoming an elite Jonin, yet he had nearly died at the hands of a mere boy.

"You were careless, Yun. No wonder you can't break through to elite Jonin; those two-tomoe are still too weak."

Uchiha Niji arrived at Yun's side. As a boy who was an anomaly on the battlefield, he had given him more than a little attention:

"This kid has awakened the Bloodline Limit of the Senju Clan, and he can even perform one-handed seals."

"One-handed seals? This brat actually knows that technique..."

"Enough, Yun. Fall back, he's mine. By the way, I suggest you use Fire Style to cauterize that wound, or you might just bleed to death."

Uchiha Niji ignored his clansman and looked at Hiugo:

"Don't worry, you won't die until you tell me everything you know..."

Hiugo subconsciously lowered his head, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his face. This man felt different from the other Uchiha; just standing there, his presence was as unremarkable as an ordinary person's, yet he felt incredibly dangerous.

The scenery in his vision shifted. It was no longer night, but morning. The flames had vanished, replaced by an open field.

Dense crowds of figures appeared before him: Senju Xiangyang, Senju Meima, the Dark Ninjas, Tobirama, Hashirama... and Genma.

Each familiar face walked toward him, holding Kunai with cold, murderous glints in their eyes.

"Tobirama" spat a water blade that severed Hiugo's arm, his eyes full of venom: The naturally evil Uchiha clansmen actually disguised themselves as Senju. We were never brothers.

Hiugo retreated repeatedly, staring at his wound in silence, only to have his feet ensnared by vines that grew rapidly and crushed his limbs.

"Hashirama" said with a strange expression: Don't blame me. Once you're dead, I'll be the heir.

Hiugo tried to stand, but his head felt heavy, and his face was pressed against the ground.

"Genma" used Body Flicker to appear beside Hiugo, stepping on his head and saying coldly: I don't have a child like you. Rather than letting you live in this world, I'd rather do it myself...

A white blade shimmering with cold light aimed for his neck; if it landed, he would surely be decapitated.

Hiugo stared fixedly at their faces, anger flashing in his eyes as his two-tomoe spun incessantly:

"You inferior illusions, how dare you mimic real people! How could their emotions and identities be reduced to mere skins!"

In the outside world, Hiugo stood motionless with his head bowed, as if he had lost consciousness.

"Thinking that avoiding eye contact makes you immune to my Genjutsu—how foolish."

Uchiha Niji smiled faintly. To him, the satisfaction of instantly killing an opponent with a minor Genjutsu was incomparable to Fire Style.

"Now, tell me everything you know, including your identity..."

Hiugo remained dazed, as if he hadn't heard the command.

Uchiha Niji frowned slightly. Was the kid hard of hearing?

How naive. Thinking that damaging your ears would stop you from hearing my commands? As long as we make eye contact, I control your mind. What else can you do?

Uchiha Niji stepped closer and grabbed Hiugo's hair to pull his head up, only to be met by a pair of sharp, black pupils.

Their kunai slashed past each other; one turned into a log, while the other used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.

"How did you break my genjutsu?"

Uchiha Niji's eyes were filled with doubt. Although he hadn't used his strongest genjutsu to deal with a Special Jonin, based on his experience, this level of illusion should have controlled an opponent of this rank without any pressure.

Unless he also possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

As soon as this thought emerged, it vanished; how could a member of the Senju clan possibly possess the Sharingan?

Hiugo looked up, his pupils responding to this rage with the "Black Curtain," which transformed back into the illusory Nine-Pointed Star Array pattern, overlaying his newly awakened Three-Tomoe.

The illusory pattern began to turn real, as the undigested bloodline power from the previous battlefield surged into his eyes to serve as fuel, as if squeezing out his very potential.

"Your eyes..."

Uchiha Niji's expression changed; the pitch-black Nine-Pointed Star Array held an infinite allure in his eyes, a charm that even surpassed his obsession with his own eyes.

So beautiful...

This pair of eyes did not belong to this era; they were merely a manifestation after his ocular power was replenished. He could not know the name of the dojutsu, nor could he fully control it, forced to rely on instinct to drive it.

A drop of blood-red tear flowed from Hiugo's right eye, his vision blurred, and the dojutsu of unknown effect was activated...

A bizarre sensation enveloped Uchiha Niji, and the next second, his body began to change.

His shoulders turned into flames that burned incessantly, and his feet transformed into dust.

Uchiha Niji felt his entire body go limp, his Chakra rushing frantically toward the wounds, but instead of suppressing the effect, it only accelerated the transformation.

Without hesitation, the eerie phenomenon stripped him of any desire to fight. He used the Body Flicker Technique incessantly to distance himself, yet the reaction only grew stronger with each use of the ninjutsu.

Only when he had completely escaped Hiugo's line of sight did the changes on Uchiha Niji's body cease. However, his shoulders had been burned away, causing his arms to fall off, and his feet had crumbled into dust, leaving him prostrate on the ground.

Becoming a cripple was something he could not allow; there was only one way to change his fate.

"Izanagi."

One Three-Tomoe lost its luster, and his severed arms reappeared, though his shoulders remained aflame.

Uchiha Niji immediately swung his kunai to slice at his shoulders, letting two chunks of flesh fall to the ground and leaving behind bloody wounds. Nourished by his Chakra, his dust-like feet ceased their decomposition.

"What on earth is going on with those eyes..."