Susanoo

Boom—

A massive surge of chakra shot into the sky, and the resulting energy storm spread outward, instantly blasting away the surrounding Taketori Clan members!

Yan Hong's black hair stood straight on end, veins of blood surfacing in his eyes, yet his face was full of pride. "Before absolute power, everything else is meaningless. And this! Is the true power of the Uchiha Clan!"

"Roar!"

Amid the earth-shaking roar, black flames blazed fiercely. Black bones began to form around Yan Hong, followed by flesh covering them. In the blink of an eye, a towering giant descended upon the land!

Susanoo!

Crash—

As chakra gathered, a black spear appeared in the giant's hand. With a sweeping strike, the shockwave it raised swept across the entire plain like a storm!

Whoosh—

Already injured, Chikuma was forced hard to the ground by that overwhelming presence. Looking up at the black giant before him, his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. "Th-this... is the power of a god?"

Boom—

Beneath the night sky, muffled thunder suddenly rolled!

The enormous Susanoo giant swung its black spear, drawing an arc beneath the moonlight before smashing it down from behind onto the boundless plain!

Boom—

In an instant, the earth ahead caved in and split apart, kicking up a towering cloud of dust. Swept up by the gale, it became a yellow dragon that poured forward with overwhelming force, reaching the crowd in a flash!

Boom—

"Aah!"

"Help!"

The violent impact instantly sent more than ten people in front tumbling head over heels. Even Chikuma, trapped in the crater, was hurled into the air. He spat out a mouthful of blood midair, rolled several times across the ground, and frantic screams echoed through the mountains for a long while!

Crash—

The yellow dragon swept past, leaving behind a deep, hundred-zhang ravine and Taketori Clan members wailing all over the ground!

Boom—

After that single strike, the Susanoo began to collapse. Immediately afterward, a pain that seemed to pierce his very bones spread throughout his body!

Yan Hong let out a muffled groan and bit his lip so hard that blood seeped out. Yet he still appeared calm as he walked step by step toward Chikuma. "Still want to continue?"

Chikuma did not answer. Like a man possessed, he lowered his head and muttered to himself, "That's right... power. This is the kind of power. This is the power we should pursue! The power of a god!"

"Yeah, this power is too wonderful!"

"This is what fighting is all about!"

The clan members below also began cheering loudly, like devout believers who had found the true god of their faith.

This was the Taketori Clan—a clan that regarded strength and battle as the meaning of life. The best way to make them submit was to display absolute power that would make them completely surrender to it!

So, when Chikuma looked at Yan Hong again, his eyes were filled with fervor. "Boss, from now on, we'll follow you!"

"That's right, Boss! Lead us into battle!"

"Kill all the Water Country ninja, and let us rule!"

"That's right! Kill them all!"

"Ahem."

Yan Hong cleared his throat, and the clamor below instantly fell silent. Everyone stared brightly at their boss, waiting earnestly for the instructions of their "god."

"Since that is the case, from now on, you are my subordinates. And my subordinates should not set their sights on a mere Water Country. You should look upon the entire world!"

"The world!"

For a moment, it was as though the gates to a new world had opened before them. Before, they had only thought of proving their strength in the Water Country. They had never considered leaving this island.

"Tomorrow evening, everyone gather at the southern docks. I will lead you out of the Water Country and onto a real battlefield. I will personally let you experience the most passionate battles, so that the entire world will be awed by the glory of your Taketori Clan!"

"Alright! Battle!"

"Long live the Boss!"

After that round of indoctrination, Yan Hong said to Chikuma, "For now, Chikuma, take your people somewhere to recover. Try not to let the other clans discover your whereabouts. Meet me at the docks tomorrow evening."

"Understood, Boss!"

"Then disperse!"

After the Taketori Clan members left, Yan Hong finally could not hold back any longer. He covered his eyes in pain, and it took him a long time to recover.

"Phew... phew... That really hurts. Time to settle another matter." With that, he vanished from where he stood.

Elsewhere, Funato Haiichi trembled as he hid behind a large tree, his eyes full of terror!

"There's no mistake. Those eyes... they definitely belong to the Uchiha Clan of the Land of Fire. The Uchiha Clan is actually meddling in the Water Country's civil war. Could it be..."

"Yo, what are you hiding here for?"

"Gasp!" Funato Haiichi shuddered violently and spoke at breakneck speed. "Don't kill me to silence me! I didn't see anything, and I didn't hear anything!"

Yan Hong looked at him playfully. "What? You figured out my identity?"

"I... sigh..." Funato Haiichi understood by now that the man before him had deliberately allowed him to learn his identity. He could only say helplessly, "My lord, please stop playing with me. Why exactly did you leave me behind?"

Yan Hong shrugged. "Nothing much. I just want you to take me to see your leader."

"Huh?" Funato Haiichi froze for a moment. "You want to see our leader? Why?"

"Heh, you could say it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I suddenly realized that your clan and ours might be able to cooperate for mutual benefit in certain areas."

As Yan Hong spoke, he took a chakra-sealed letter from his clothes. After opening it, he coated his finger in chakra and wrote several lines on it. He then sealed it again and handed it to Funato Haiichi.

"Since you already know my identity, deliver this secret letter to your leader. If he is interested, give me an answer at the southern docks tomorrow evening. If he is not interested, pretend this letter never existed."

Funato Haiichi accepted the letter, his expression complicated. "Understood. I'll deliver it to our leader."

After watching Funato Haiichi leave, Yan Hong stretched lazily. "I can finally head back. Hmm... I remember the Water Country's hot springs being pretty good. Perfect time to try them out."

Nothing happened that night, and time quickly came to the following evening.

At the docks where they had landed yesterday, Sister Hualian had indeed prepared a large cargo ship as promised. However, Sister Hualian was not aboard this time, which truly relieved Yan Hong.

After showing the crew the ring Sister Hualian had given him, Yan Hong boarded the ship without issue. Before long, he spotted Chikuma leading the Taketori Clan toward the docks from afar.

"Boss, we're here!"

"Mm. Get aboard."

After settling his clansmen, Chikuma finally could not resist asking, "Boss, where exactly are we going to fight?"

"A place most suited for you."

"Oh." Chikuma scratched his head, somewhat confused. But having been completely won over by Yan Hong's strength, he did not say anything else and turned back to find his clansmen.

Yan Hong waited a while longer, but the Funato Clan never appeared. He sighed regretfully and said to the crew, "Set sail."

Hoo—

The cargo ship departed from the docks and headed toward the mainland. But before it had gone ten li, a warship of considerable size appeared ahead and blocked their path. At its bow stood a tall man, with the familiar Funato Haiichi beside him.

Yan Hong revealed a faint smile. "So they came after all."

From the warship, the tall man called out in a booming voice, "Guest from afar, would you care to come aboard for a chat?"

Smack—

Signaling Chikuma to remain on standby, Yan Hong leaped into the air and landed steadily on the warship...