—Illusion: Bringer of Darkness Technique!
A forbidden genjutsu developed and used by the First Hokage. It caused visual hallucinations and stole away all light, specifically countering the Uchiha clan! (It was used by the Second Hokage in the anime; manga canon takes precedence.)
"Whoosh!"
Fugaku and Shisui were both plunged into darkness!
"This is...!!"
From the hump facing Shisui, Konan waved her sleeves. Paper shuriken whirled at high speed as they came shrieking toward him!
"Clang, clang, clang!"
Shisui drew his ninja blade in the darkness and swung it rapidly before him, deflecting every paper shuriken!
Fugaku turned in surprise. "Shisui... can you see!?"
"I can't!" Shisui said solemnly, his eyes closed. "Our clan relies too heavily on our eyes in battle. To overcome that, I underwent specialized training and learned the Blind Sword Style, which uses only sound to determine position. But..."
"Not bad~" From the hump at the side, the Asura Path: Third Kazekage puppet praised him. It formed hand seals, and the Iron Sand scattered all around began to move!
"That sound..." Shisui's ears caught the faint rustling of the flowing Iron Sand, and his expression changed drastically.
"Not good!!" He sheathed his ninja blade and rapidly formed hand seals!
A Summoning Technique formula appeared beneath his feet. Crows surged out from it, circling him and Fugaku at high speed. At the same time, he spewed flames from his mouth, igniting the flock and creating a magnificent firestorm...!!!
—Fire Release: Crow Hunt Crimson Lotus!
"Rumble, rumble, rumble!!"
The Iron Sand Drizzle assault was blocked and cut off by the firestorm!
Though Fugaku could not see, he felt the searing heat circling him and sighed inwardly. Shisui has already grown this strong. Then I can't keep getting in his way here!
He closed his eyes, refined powerful spiritual energy, and gathered it toward his optic nerves...
As the flock of crows sacrificed itself entirely, the Crow Hunt Crimson Lotus storm began to fade!
Looking at the figure reappearing amid the firelight, Deva Path Pain raised his palm.
—Banshō Ten'in!
"Whoosh!"
Caught completely off guard, Shisui was pulled through the darkness by the sudden gravitational force!!
"What... is this!?"
Even the Uchiha clan's greatest prodigy was genuinely startled!
But his exceptional battle instincts allowed him to make an astonishing response on instinct alone!
I'm being pulled over by some enemy technique, but... if I use that pulling force against them!!
His hands formed a seal, and fire gathered at his chest!
—Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Technique!!
"Boom!!!!"
A blazing fire dragon erupted from his mouth. Pulled along by the gravitational force, it charged toward the Deva Path...!!
"This absurd ability to withstand pressure... I like you more and more, Shisui!"
"Whoosh!" The Preta Path beside the Deva Path flashed forward. He bent his knees slightly and spread his rough hands before him, deploying a Sealing Jutsu Barrier!
—Preta Path: Sealing Technique Absorption!
"Whoosh!!"
Before the fire dragon could even ignite, it vanished into nothingness...
"What exactly... is this!!"
Even Shisui's face showed despair at this point!
A Black Rod slid from his sleeve into his palm, and the Deva Path thrust it straight at him!!
"Even you... are helpless now, aren't you!"
"Hmm!?" Suddenly, the Deva Path sharply withdrew his arm and leaped backward!!!
"Boom!!!!"
A dark crimson skeletal fist swept over them. The Preta Path, unable to dodge in time, was caught in its grasp!!
"Crack!" The other skeletal hand gently caught Shisui!
"Release!"
As Fugaku raised his hand and released the seal, light returned to Shisui's vision!
"Uncle Fugaku, your eyes!!!"
Fugaku's eyes had transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the power he had activated was none other than Susanoo!
"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan. During the battle at Kikyo Mountain, I witnessed the death of a dear friend and awakened these eyes."
"Thanks to this power, I was able to break that darkness genjutsu and save you."
"I had intended to keep this power as a trump card to protect the clan. I never expected it to be exposed so soon."
Killing intent suddenly appeared in Fugaku's eyes!
"Crack!!"
Susanoo's skeletal fist abruptly clenched. The "Pain: Preta Path" made from Root member Dingmao was crushed directly into a bloody slurry that ran through the gaps between its bones!
"So powerful...!"
Fugaku lowered Shisui to his side and said, "Shisui, take this chance to catch your breath. I can't maintain this power for long!"
"Yeah." Shisui did not dare delay. He took out a soldier pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes in concentration to recover his chakra and strength.
Standing within Susanoo, Fugaku swept his gaze across the area, his expression grave to the extreme.
"Not one of them is a face I recognize. Danzo's Root should not show their true faces. Just who are they?"
"Whoosh!"
The Deva Path leaped onto Konan's hump.
"That is..."
"Uchiha Fugaku's ocular power. According to Orochimaru, that thing is called Susanoo."
"Susanoo...?" Sweat trickled down Konan's cheek. She thought, The Uchiha clan's eyes truly are troublesome. Can Madara use that too?
"Don't worry, Konan. He cannot use it for long."
The Deva Path had noticed that in merely a dozen seconds, cold sweat had appeared on Fugaku's face, and his body was trembling slightly.
His reaction was about the same as Sasuke's back then... It seemed Fugaku had only just tried activating this power.
"Put some pressure on him."
Ever since the Third Kazekage puppet had been turned into Pain's Asura Path... that move had yet to be used.
"Whoosh!"
Pain's Asura Path: Third Kazekage formed a cruel sequence of hand seals...!
—Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!
"Boom!"
The entire area began to shake.
Endless Iron Sand burst apart in the air. After scattering, it reassembled into a terrifying barrier!
Long Iron Sand spikes violently thrust into Susanoo's skeleton from every direction!!
"Slash!" "Slash!!" "Slash!!!"
Fugaku truly felt the pressure. His expression became incomparably grave as he squeezed out every bit of his ocular power. A longsword condensed in Susanoo's hand, sweeping and slashing as it forcibly met the incoming Iron Sand spikes...!!!
"Boom!" "Boom!!" "Boom!!!"
In the forest beneath Kikyo Mountain, Nagato watched the battle through Pain's eyes, his gaze flickering.
"The Iron Sand World Method is only this much. Its power is exaggerated because ninjas are mostly glass cannons with high offense and low defense. They are extremely wary of techniques like Iron Sand World Method, which cover a vast area and inflict devastating damage on the body."
"Susanoo, however, can make up for the weakness of a ninja's physical body, raising their margin for error to an unimaginable degree."
"Well... if that weren't the case, I wouldn't be so obsessed with Uchiha ocular power."
"That form of Susanoo has a weakness beneath its feet. The Iron Sand World Method is merely a smokescreen. The real killing move should make its appearance now."
On the battlefield, the Deva Path said, "Konan, get ready to collect a blood sample."
—Asura Path: Drilling Projectile!
"Boom!!!"
Seeing the projectile emerging beneath Susanoo's feet, Uchiha Fugaku's pupils suddenly contracted...!!
Before you continue