Chapter 37

This transaction was very important to Konoha, so Tsunade naturally could not afford to be careless about Koyuki's safety.

She directly assigned Uchiha Yi to escort Koyuki back.

This suited Uchiha Yi perfectly. With Koyuki accompanying him along the way, he had been having quite a pleasant time.

But just as they were nearing the Land of Snow, trouble came knocking.

There were four people on the other side, and one look was enough to tell they had not come to talk things out peacefully.

Once he got a clear look at the short man leading them, Uchiha Yi froze for a moment.

Hiruko?

Wrapped in bandages like a mummy, with a red dot on his forehead—Uchiha Yi could only think of one person with that appearance.

Another guy who had wandered out of a movie to make a guest appearance?

Uchiha Yi frowned and immediately shielded Koyuki behind him.

To avoid giving Konoha's people something to gossip about, and to have more chances to talk with Koyuki, he had taken this escort mission alone.

Tsunade had complete faith in his strength and had not said much else. "Are you Hiruko?"

"Hehe, just as expected. Uchiha Yi, you know quite a lot, just like Orochimaru said. But..."

Hiruko's gaze shifted, locking tightly onto Uchiha Yi's eyes, his expression overflowing with greed. "What I like most are those Sharingan of yours. If I can devour them, my Chimera Technique will definitely become even stronger."

Uchiha Yi had a headache.

Wasn't this guy supposed to be after Kakashi's eye? Why had he come for him instead?

But Hiruko had mentioned Orochimaru, so Uchiha Yi roughly understood what had happened.

Orochimaru had most likely helped Hiruko out and allowed him to complete the Chimera Technique ahead of time.

Yeah, that was probably it. There was no way he was wrong.

Otherwise, according to the original timeline, Hiruko would not have appeared for another two or three years.

Was this Orochimaru getting back at him?

That was entirely possible.

With Orochimaru's methods, it would have been easy for him to help Hiruko perfect the Chimera Technique, then casually mention how useful Uchiha Yi's Sharingan were.

There was no need to think about what Hiruko would do after that.

In an instant, Uchiha Yi had pieced together most of the situation.

Bang!

White smoke burst forth, and a Shadow Clone appeared beside Uchiha Yi.

The clone possessed eighty percent of his combat strength. That would be enough. "Take them and go."

Koyuki did not waste any words. She nodded and disappeared into the forest with the clone.

The three subordinates beside Hiruko were about to give chase when he raised a hand to stop them. "Ignore those small fry. I only want Uchiha Yi."

"Oh?" Uchiha Yi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Orochimaru tell you that when he sees me, he doesn't even have the guts to fight back?"

Hiruko smiled as though his face were being ripped apart. "He did. He said you were strong, and that you had those Mangekyo Sharingan."

"Isn't that perfect?"

He licked his lips, madness filling his eyes. "If I defeat you, then I'll be stronger than Orochimaru. And once I devour your Mangekyo Sharingan, my Chimera Technique can become the most perfect technique, and I can become the most perfect being!"

This guy was insane.

Uchiha Yi sighed inwardly.

But he understood. Hiruko had spent his entire life obsessed with the title of the Three Sannin, and he had developed the Chimera Technique for that very reason. "One, Two, Three, attack."

Hiruko raised a hand. "Let me see whether this Uchiha Yi is worthy of making me act personally."

"Yes!"

The three ninja charged forward in unison.

One, Two, Three?

Just hearing those names told him they were here to die.

Whoosh—

A monstrous bird swept overhead, its wings spreading wide enough to block half the sky.

A feverish passion burned in Hiruko's eyes. "He said the same thing. You really are strong, and you have the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan."

"But that only makes you more worthwhile to me. As long as I crush you beneath my feet, I can prove that I'm stronger than that bastard Orochimaru."

"Besides, I'm definitely taking your eyes. With the enhancement of the Mangekyo Sharingan, my Chimera Technique will surely break through its limits. Then I will become the most perfect being!"

There was no saving him. This man had completely lost his mind.

Uchiha Yi sighed inwardly, though he was not particularly surprised. After all, Hiruko had only ever had one goal in his life—to trample the Three Sannin beneath his feet. That was why he had gone through all the trouble of creating the Chimera Technique. "One, Two, Three, attack!" Hiruko waved a hand. "I want to see whether this Uchiha Yi is qualified to make me act personally."

"Yes!"

Three figures immediately darted out.

One, Two, Three?

Just hearing those names, they were obviously cannon fodder.

Whoosh—

A monstrous bird suddenly took flight, its feathers shooting down like a torrential rain.

Boring.

Uchiha Yi's gaze sharpened, and the patterns of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan spun within his pupils.

Boom!

Black flames erupted out of nowhere. Before the feathers could even touch him, they were burned away completely. "So this is the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyo? Truly formidable!"

The greed in Hiruko's eyes burned even hotter from afar. "Summoning Technique: Two-Headed Snakes!"

One of the ninja raised his hand and summoned a swarm of two-headed snakes. Their bodies writhed as they opened their jaws and lunged at Uchiha Yi.

Trying to use these snakes' immortality to withstand my Amaterasu?

Ridiculous.

Boom!

Black flames exploded violently, reducing every two-headed snake to ash in the blink of an eye. Even the ninja who had summoned them failed to escape, with half his body immediately catching fire.

Had his companion not reacted quickly enough to cut off his arm with one slash, not even bone fragments would have remained of him. "Summoning Technique!"

"Chimera Technique!"

The female ninja shouted as she summoned a massive dog. Then, her lower body merged directly into the dog's body, transforming her into a half-human, half-beast monster. "Uchiha Yi, do you see that?" Hiruko shouted triumphantly. "Two has fused with her summoned beast. Now she possesses all of its chakra, and all its strength is hers!"

Before he could finish—

"Lightning Release: Kirin!"

Rumble!

Lightning flashed explosively as blinding blue-white lightning descended from the sky.

Before the female ninja could take a single step, she was blasted into a charred lump of blackened carbon.

The only ninja left unharmed barely managed to flee on his monstrous bird.

Unfortunately, he did not get far.

The residual lightning from Kirin caught up to him, roasting both man and bird into charred corpses. "What was that you just said? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you say it again?"

Uchiha Yi turned to Hiruko, his expression utterly sincere.

Hiruko: "..."

Taking a deep breath, Hiruko finally lost some of his arrogance. "You really do have some skill. I thought Orochimaru was exaggerating, but it seems you're even more formidable than he said."

"Still, that isn't enough to make me admit defeat."

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

A stitched-together monster landed on the ground. It had a dog's head, bird wings, and the body of a two-headed snake. The three creatures had been forcibly sewn together, making it look disgusting and bizarre. "Uchiha Yi, open your eyes and behold the true power of my self-created Chimera Technique!"

"Roar!"

The monster leaped into the air and pounced toward Uchiha Yi.

The next second, it flew back.

Several times faster than it had come.

"Almighty Push."

At some point, Uchiha Yi's eyes had transformed into Rinnegan, concentric ripples spreading across his pupils. "Boring. Hiruko, you really are full of yourself."

"Kamui."

Buzz—

Space twisted slightly, and the monster stitched from three summoned beasts was sucked into an invisible vortex and instantly shredded to pieces.

A mist of blood burst outward, splattering across the ground with a wet plop.

Hiruko paid no attention to the death of his summoned beast. His eyes remained fixed on Uchiha Yi's pupils. "Those eyes of yours..."

He licked his lips, his voice changing pitch. "The Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan? The legendary Sage Eyes?"

Uchiha Yi curled his lips into a calm smile. "You know your stuff."

"S-Sage Eyes?!"

Hiruko froze for a moment before becoming wildly excited, his entire body trembling. "Hahahaha! Uchiha Yi, you're a treasure! You were actually hiding something this incredible!

"If I use my Chimera Technique to devour those Sage Eyes, wouldn't I become the new Sage of Six Paths?"

Uchiha Yi did not even raise his eyelids.

This idiot still had no idea of his own limits. "Swift Release!"

Whoosh—

In the blink of an eye, Hiruko appeared directly before Uchiha Yi, his expression nearly crazed. "Your eyes, your life—they're all mine now!"

"Get fucked."

Uchiha Yi's gaze turned cold. "Almighty Push."

Boom!

An utterly irresistible force slammed into Hiruko head-on. He was sent flying like he had been struck by a cannonball, smashing through several trees before finally stopping.

Yet when he climbed back to his feet, he was still laughing. "Useless! My Chimera Technique has fused with Steel Release. Once I've hardened myself, your little tricks can't hurt me at all!"

"Is that so?"

Uchiha Yi's gaze darkened. "Almighty Push."

This time, it was not a push. It was a pull.

Hiruko's body suddenly grew light, and he completely lost control as he was dragged back.

His expression changed.

Something was wrong.

His ninjutsu—Dark Release—could not absorb this?

"Storm Release: Gale Burst!"

The instant the lightning emerged, Uchiha Yi barely even raised his hand before Almighty Push crushed forward, violently shattering the ninjutsu.

Hiruko was held suspended in midair, his limbs dangling helplessly as he was unable to move.

Uchiha Yi raised his left hand.

Lightning flickered as a spear of lightning slowly formed in his palm.

Hiruko grinned smugly. "The Chimera Technique has already given me Steel Release. With the defense of Steel Release: Steel Hardening, you can't break through my defenses at all."

Uchiha Yi's gaze darkened. "Is that so?"

He raised his hand and shouted coldly, "Almighty Push!"

This time, it was not a repelling force, but one pulling toward him.

Hiruko had no time to react before his entire body was yanked over, and his expression changed on the spot.

He suddenly realized that his Dark Release could not devour Uchiha Yi's technique at all. "Storm Release: Gale Burst!"

Hiruko gritted his teeth and unleashed his ninjutsu, but the moment it took shape, Almighty Push forcibly tore it apart.

That was not neutralizing it. It was utterly crushing it.

Hiruko was suspended in midair, completely unable to move.

Uchiha Yi raised his left hand. Lightning exploded as a spear of lightning formed instantly.

Pfft!

The spear pierced through Hiruko's body, sending him flying and pinning him firmly to a tree trunk.

Steel Release?

Could that thing feed you?

"How is this possible... My Steel Release..."

"Impossible?" Uchiha Yi curled his lip, his eyes full of disdain. "You've never even seen what real power looks like."

Those words were like a thorn stabbed viciously into Hiruko's heart. "Shut up! What do you know? Do you know how much effort I put into researching the Chimera Technique? How dare you call me ignorant? Die!"