Truly Terrifying Eyes

"Are you all right?"

Shisui landed beside Hayato, warily watching the sea of flames before them as he asked.

"I'm fine."

Hayato stood frozen in place. It took him a while to speak.

The move looked like nothing more than a combination of two C-rank jutsu, but its power had been enough to rival some B-rank jutsu.

But the next instant, Hayato's pupils contracted. He grabbed Shisui and leaped backward.

Boom—

A gale swept the sea of flames away without warning. A figure stood there, staring at Hayato with a sinister gaze.

"Heh, not bad. For a Chunin to pull off something like that is certainly impressive."

Feeling the burning sting across his skin, Orochimaru spoke calmly.

He hadn't been able to escape just now because the brat in front of him had cast another genjutsu.

"The Sharingan. Truly a gift beyond compare."

At the thought, greed gradually surfaced in Orochimaru's gaze. At that moment, Hayato's Sharingan was even more tempting to him than Shisui's.

"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

In the next instant, Orochimaru vanished from where he stood. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared before Hayato and Shisui, several long snakes shooting out with their vicious fangs bared. It was a chilling sight.

Hayato and Shisui swung their Ninja Blades at the same time, cutting down the snakes lunging toward them.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Orochimaru's cheeks puffed up, and he unleashed a gale that threatened to sweep everything before him away.

The fierce wind threw Hayato and Shisui off balance. That was exactly what Orochimaru wanted.

Orochimaru's upper body swayed, then he lunged at them like a snake.

The Sharingan!

He had to get it!

His hands transformed into venomous snakes, their open mouths revealing fangs.

The Sharingan's enhanced vision let Hayato see every movement Orochimaru made clearly—even the greed in his eyes.

Hayato took a deep breath and channeled the chakra throughout his body. He raised his Ninja Blade and slashed at Orochimaru.

Then he used the force of the strike to leap back and evade.

Orochimaru wasn't surprised in the least. Kusanagi Sword already in hand, he swung it at Hayato.

Clang! Clang!

The two exchanged a flurry of blows at incredible speed, while Hayato's Sharingan spun furiously.

So this was the strength of a Kage Level ninja?

No, a Kage Level ninja had to be far stronger than this. Orochimaru had probably been injured by the Anbu just now, and he also wanted to take the Sharingan without damaging it.

If he'd unleashed his full Kage Level strength from the start, even the two of them with Three-Tomoe Sharingan might not have been able to hold him off.

"As expected of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. It's quite convenient." Orochimaru swung again, forcing Shisui back, and spoke coldly.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

Seizing the opening, Hayato kicked hard at Orochimaru.

Smack!

Orochimaru raised his arm to block. His eyes peered out from behind it, and the corners of his mouth lifted.

This is bad!

With a thud, Orochimaru's fist slammed into Hayato's face. The force made Hayato's head ring, and sent him flying.

What incredible Taijutsu!

Hayato soared high through the air, his pupils shaking uncontrollably.

"Evil Snake Wrist Explosion!"

Orochimaru had already formed Hand Seals at lightning speed. A cloud of smoke burst open, and several giant snakes appeared, lunging at Shisui and Hayato.

Unable to gain any leverage in midair, Hayato could only watch as the giant snakes opened their jaws and rushed at him.

"Explode!"

Orochimaru held his right index and middle fingers together. A cruel smile spread across his face as he detonated the giant snakes.

"Hayato!"

Watching this, Shisui couldn't help shouting.

Boom!

A massive explosion and flames swallowed Hayato's body, and Shisui stared in disbelief.

Hayato's words from before they came here surfaced in his mind. If only—if only he'd listened to Hayato, this wouldn't have happened!

It was my fault. I got him killed!

An overwhelming wave of regret stirred the chakra in Shisui's mind.

His Sharingan spun wildly. As he watched the giant snake charging toward him, a powerful surge of chakra suddenly erupted.

Orochimaru's face changed as he looked toward Shisui, the bloodthirsty smile vanishing.

Whoosh!

Shisui lifted his hand and used his broken katana to cut the giant snake in half. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun furiously, gradually forming a connected pattern.

A surge of ocular power made Orochimaru's heart skip a beat.

"Orochimaru! I'll capture you with my own hands!"

Shisui lifted his head, his face contorted with anger.

"What kind of eyes are those?!"

Orochimaru looked astonished. He had never seen eyes like that on an Uchiha before, but his greed only grew until it consumed his thoughts.

So there really was a form of Sharingan beyond the Three-Tomoe!

Now Shisui's eyes were even more captivating to Orochimaru than Hayato's.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

Poof!

A vast cloud of smoke burst open, and a huge figure lifted Orochimaru up.

"Orochimaru, you summoned me—"

Manda glanced at Orochimaru and was about to demand his sacrifice when Orochimaru stamped his foot. "Not now. Deal with that guy first and get me his eyes. I'll prepare a hundred sacrifices for you."

At that, Manda's beastly eyes turned toward the figure beneath him.

Then he froze.

"Uchiha."

In an instant, nothing remained in Manda's mind but a sea of blood.

Huh?

Orochimaru was baffled. Manda was a summon from Ryūchi Cave. There was no way he could be affected by genjutsu so easily.

A whistle of rushing air sounded behind Orochimaru. Shisui had already disappeared from where he stood, and the broken katana in his hand stabbed down.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"

Wind Release chakra gathered in Orochimaru's mouth, then shot toward Shisui like bullets.

Shisui ignored the Vacuum Spheres as they sped toward him at tremendous force. They passed straight through his body.

Huh?

Orochimaru stared in disbelief. The Vacuum Spheres hadn't hit him. What he was seeing was an afterimage!

Squish!

A broken katana pierced straight through Orochimaru's chest, while Shisui stood behind him.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to look directly into an Uchiha's Sharingan?"

Shisui had only just awakened the Mangekyo and still hadn't figured out most of its abilities. But he knew one thing: its genjutsu was far more powerful.

"Truly terrifying eyes."

Orochimaru parted his lips and spoke.

As the words fell, Shisui sensed something was wrong. Orochimaru's mouth stretched wide open, and a hand emerged from inside it, shooting rapidly toward the ground.

The genjutsu-controlled Manda vanished, and a towering cloud of white smoke obscured Shisui's vision.