The battlefield descended into unprecedented chaos.
The "Cloud Ninja" encirclement tightened silently from every direction like a soundless noose.
Though Uchiha Kanon's squad fought fiercely, every move became agonizingly difficult against an enemy with such overwhelming numbers and meticulous coordination.
"Aaaah-!" The first to fall was the Wind Release ninja Uchiha Qiujing. A "Cloud Ninja" pierced his body from behind, and his blood stained the ground, rapidly spreading.
Next, Uchiha Linji, who specialized in genjutsu, fell into a trap the "Cloud Ninja" had laid long before as he tried to counterattack.
In an instant, he was torn apart. Flesh and blood scattered, reducing him to a mangled heap that vanished into the wind along with his final anguished cry.
Only she and her last remaining companion, Uchiha Shazhen, were left.
"Kanon, go!! I'll hold them off!!" Shazhen shouted in a low voice, his eyes filled with resolve.
"No-!" Agony stabbed through Kanon's heart. She lunged back without hesitation, but it was already too late.
Before her eyes, dozens of "Cloud Ninja" tore Shazhen apart, instantly reducing him to a mangled pile of flesh and blood.
Blood splashed across her face, stinging her eyes.
At that moment, Kanon's mind seemed to go blank.
Her companions had died before her, one after another. The strength she had been so proud of proved utterly powerless against it all.
"Why... can't I do anything..." Her voice was filled with helplessness and despair.
Kanon sank to one knee, her chest heaving. The pain weighed on her so heavily that she could barely breathe.
Her entire world had collapsed.
The last dozen or so "Cloud Ninja" closed in, their sharp claws gleaming coldly as they loomed over her like a sentence pronounced from hell.
"I have to... protect them... I have to... become stronger!!!" Her voice