Two Hearts Laid Bare

His body trembled slightly, not from his injuries or exhaustion, but from the lingering fear of surviving the ordeal and the terror of almost losing his beloved.

Thanks to the immense spiritual power overflowing from Rin's Awakening Mangekyo Sharingan, his own Three-Tomoe Sharingan had been stuck at a bottleneck, became more and more stable, and his mental state far exceeded his usual state. However, the clearer he was, the more vivid and chilling the tragic scenes in the illusion became.

The sudden, tight embrace froze Rin, who was still immersed in the illusion and tormented by the intense pain of her pupil power.

The cold battlefield, the raging smoke, the restless Chakra, the lingering blood and tears in his eyes—all the cold and cruel realities were shattered by the warm and genuine touch in his arms.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, memories from the past few years flooded into her mind like a tidal wave.

She and Chunwu were among the first students after the Uchiha Clan rebuilt their Clan Academy, and they walked side by side from the very beginning of their studies.

The two are equally talented and equally skilled, consistently ranking among the top in their grade in every assessment. They are the most dazzling pair of new generation stars in the Clan Academy.

They sparred, discussed Ninjutsu, and analyzed battle tactics on a regular basis. They were evenly matched and neither would give way to the other, yet they also supported and bound each other in an invisible way.

After graduation, the two took the initiative to form New Generation Expedition Team and traveled at sea together for a whole year.

Throughout their long journey, they traversed perilous situations together, analyzed battle scenarios together, reorganized their teams together, and endured countless treacherous days and nights together. As the two leaders of the training group, their tacit understanding had long been ingrained in their bones.

All of their peers, and even many of their elders, had long seen through the ambiguous feelings between the two.

However, the Uchiha Clan's inherent pride and stubbornness kept them tacitly maintaining a delicate distance. Neither of them was willing to be the first to back down or break through that thin veil of secrecy, allowing their feelings to remain hidden in the tacit understanding of fighting side by side and the companionship of spending every day together.

But the despair and emptiness of completely losing each other in the illusion just now shattered all their restraint and stubbornness.

Rin's tense body slowly relaxed, her slightly trembling arms gently rising to carefully encircle Chunwu's back, quietly responding to this belated embrace.

On the brutal battlefield filled with the smoke of gunpowder, hearts tempered by life and death finally broke down completely, with no more barriers.

Not far away, Uchiha Tetsuka, who had been guarding the entire way and shielding everyone from all the secondary impacts, took in this heartwarming scene. He was immediately filled with helplessness, rolled his Byakugan, and mentally complained.

You think you can take advantage of my wife being away?! You heartless bastards!

He was a powerful elite member of the Uchiha clan, a core member of their fighting force. He should have been peacefully living with his wife, Yuki.

As a result, in order to protect and train these new generation trainees, they went to this chaotic sea area, enduring wind and sun, guarding the battlefield day and night, without even having the chance to see their loved ones.

Ironically, these little guys are running towards each other on this life-or-death battlefield with tender affection, which is both enviable and frustrating.

"A bunch of brats and brats, they don't know how to be considerate of their elders at all!" Tekka muttered under his breath, his face full of resentment. He then raised his hand to cover his mouth and deliberately let out two clear and loud dry coughs.

"Cough cough!!"

A crisp sound suddenly shattered the surrounding silence, instantly interrupting the two's tender embrace.

The surrounding Uchiha new generation members instantly turned their heads. The group, who had been on guard and keeping a close eye on the enemy, completely relaxed their tense postures and stared with curious eyes, openly "eating melons" and watching, their eyes full of amusement and curiosity.

With dozens of eyes fixed on her, Rin's originally pale cheeks instantly flushed a faint Feihong, her ear tips turned slightly red, and a surge of excitement and shyness swept over her.

She quickly and gently pushed Chunwu away from her arms, suppressing all her tender emotions and forcing a calm and composed demeanor. She spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. "Be steady. On the battlefield, you mustn't lose your composure."

Chunwu immediately snapped out of his daze and suddenly became clear-headed.

This is not a peaceful tribal land, nor a tranquil training journey, but a battlefield where life and death hang in the balance.

He quickly suppressed the tenderness and excitement in his eyes, his ears burning, and silently took a half step back, raising his hand to grip the sword at his waist. His aura returned to its sharp and steady state.

The two tacitly composed themselves, shedding their tender sentiments and returning to their warrior stance.

Having experienced life and death in the illusion, their bond has become completely solidified, and their minds have also transformed and matured. They are no longer the ignorant and arrogant new generation students they once were.

Seeing that the two had completely calmed down and composed themselves, Tekka's playful expression slowly faded, replaced by a solemn and serious battlefield look.

He slowly straightened up, and the Chakra dormant around him suddenly surged, his crimson Mangekyō Sharingan rapidly spinning in his eyes, its sharp pupil power quietly spreading out.

He turned to look at Rin and Chunwu, his tone calm and solemn, carrying the admonition of an elder and the resolve of a battlefield. "Both of you have undergone a transformation in your mindset, and Rin has even successfully Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, now possessing top-tier combat power. From now on, you are responsible for holding the formation, protecting your teammates, and stabilizing the rear defense."

After a pause, Tekka turned his gaze to the fierce battlefield high in the sky, his eyes revealing a sharp edge and his fighting spirit rising completely. "You have all grown up and it's time for you to stand on your own."

"Protecting you all has made me feel constrained. Now, it's time for me to stretch my muscles and wrap up this battle."

The moment the words left his mouth, Tekka's figure flashed, transforming into a crimson afterimage, and sped straight towards the sky above the deserted island.

High in the sky, Yashiro and two Night Owl Guard were still tightly surrounding and holding back Blackbeard.

With the power of two Devil Fruit, Blackbeard is incredibly fierce. Relying on the Titan Giant's powerful physique and the strange power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, he fights desperately against the three-way encirclement. His wounds are repeatedly torn open and healed, and his body is covered with hideous bloodstains, yet he remains ferocious and unstoppable.

In the distance, the all-out battle between the navy and Red-Hair sea intensified, with towering flames obscuring the sky and sea, and continuous booming sounds completely silencing any fluctuations in energy above the deserted island.

Everyone was engrossed in the fierce battle, unaware that another powerful Uchiha Mangekyo Sharingan user had entered the fray, fixing his gaze firmly on the desperate Blackbeard.

On the ground, Rin slowly retracted the pale purple Susanoo surrounding her. Although the dizziness and stinging pain from the overexertion of her eye power still lingered throughout her body, her gaze was now incredibly resolute.