Internal Strife

Because his Chakra nature could control the Five Senses, the Phantom Lotus Kill he cast through touch activated almost instantly.

Uchiha Yuan's plan was clear.

In his Soul Body, he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage against a Sealing Master.

So he might as well let the frenzied Isobu throw the situation into chaos. Ordinary ninjutsu could not harm his Soul Body anyway.

Yet unexpectedly, his ever-reliable genjutsu Chakra was blocked by a net formed from twisted runes.

A Sealing Technique!

Harusame, Hidden Mist's Sealing Master, seemed eccentric, but his abilities were absolutely nothing to scoff at.

After returning, he instantly used a Sealing Technique to bind Isobu.

At its core, a Sealing Technique was merely Chakra in a special form. By completely halting the sealed target's Chakra activity, it achieved a unique restraining effect.

As a result, Uchiha Yuan's genjutsu Chakra could not reach the Three-Tails at all.

Moreover, as Harusame formed Hand Seals, tadpole-like twisted runes spread from Isobu's head toward Uchiha Yuan's arm.

This only Sealing Ninja of the Hidden Mist was far more accomplished than Uchiha Yuan had imagined!

But Uchiha Yuan was no easy opponent either. Since he knew the Hidden Mist had deployed a Sealing Ninja, how could he possibly have failed to prepare?

The genjutsu originally aimed at Isobu transformed into sound, taste, scent, illusions, and touch as it struck at Harusame.

Seizing that opening, Uchiha Yuan did not hesitate to cast the Contract Seal on his own soul.

A tremendous pull from his body drew him back across the distance. Even Harusame could not stop him without touching both Uchiha Yuan's body and soul.

After toying with a veteran Hidden Mist Sealing Master, the nimble young Konoha ninja departed in style.

Harusame was left scrambling by the genjutsu when a small girl crawled out of the bamboo basket on his back and helped dispel it.

"Harusame! You got beaten! You can't beat that Konoha ninja!"

"Hong Yu, stop talking nonsense. Your Red Eye has already caught that man's Chakra, hasn't it? Tell me where he is!"

"Hmph! So what if I tell you, old man? That's Konoha's Main Camp. Our people can't fight their way in at all!"

Harusame sighed repeatedly at those words.

Sealing a Tailed Beast was an extremely perilous task. There could not be the slightest interference during the process.

Yet Konoha had a ninja capable of using the Spiritualisation Technique.

That cunning young man neither ambushed him nor sabotaged the sealing formula. He only kept disturbing Isobu's mind.

He was as slippery as a loach. It made Harusame want to skin him and tear him apart.

But Harusame could not devote his full attention to keeping that ninja pinned down. That made the situation rather awkward.

"Hong Yu, I'll have the ninjas from your Kekkai Genkai Clan assist us. From now on, even you will follow my orders."

"You've already marked that Konoha ninja's Chakra, right? Keep a close watch on him. If he comes again, I'll kill him myself!"

"Hmph! Got it! I'll warn you, old man."

At Konoha's Main Camp, Uchiha Yuan opened his eyes and stared in horror as tadpole-like runes writhed up toward his shoulder.

After his soul returned to his body, the sealing formula showed no sign of stopping its spread.

Once the formula was complete, being unable to use ninjutsu would be the least of Uchiha Yuan's problems. He might lose his life.

In that critical moment, Mitarashi Anko summoned Scale Pill and tried to notify her teacher, Orochimaru.

Hyuga Ryo and Kurama Shion looked pleadingly at Danzo. This Konoha elder was also highly skilled in Sealing Techniques.

Only Uchiha Yuan's thoughts raced as the Demonic Statue Fragment began to stir.

Even a Sealing Technique was merely a special form of Chakra.

The Demonic Statue Fragment, which loved devouring Chakra, would refuse nothing that came its way.

But with everyone watching, the sealing formula suddenly vanished.

Danzo was not blind. From now on, this Konoha higher-up would surely keep an even closer eye on him, an Uchiha.

But if he allowed the sealing formula to spread, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Uchiha ninja, relax. That old fool Harusame has only grasped the barest scraps of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Techniques."

Danzo took one look, then turned and instructed the Root ninjas beside him to use an unsealing technique opposite to the formula on Uchiha Yuan.

With three Root ninjas working at full force, it took only the time needed to drink a cup of tea for the sealing formula on his arm to disappear completely.

With memories from two lifetimes, Uchiha Yuan quickly regained his composure in the face of mortal danger.

"Thank you!"

The Root ninjas exchanged looks. They had no idea what those two words meant, much less how to respond to the grateful looks from the three women of the Orochimaru Squad.

"Uchiha ninja, I know you still have Chakra to spare. Now I need you to act again."

Danzo's cold voice rang out from the corner.

The Hidden Mist gathered with astonishing speed. Led by the young Six-Tails Jinchuriki, nearly a hundred Kekkai Genkai ninjas raced toward Isobu.

After the ordinary ninjas had completed the initial attrition of Isobu, the Kekkai Genkai Clans and the Six-Tails Jinchuriki transformed into the main force of this operation.

In truth, Kekkai Genkai ninjas often possessed fusions of two or three Chakra nature transformations. Their secret techniques were far stranger than those of ordinary ninjas, making them exceptionally troublesome opponents.

That was why Kekkai Genkai Clans in ninja villages often amassed troops and acted independently.

In the isolated Hidden Mist, the problem was particularly severe.

The stronger Kekkai Genkai ninjas had clearly cowered in the rear, waiting until the ordinary ninjas had nearly finished the work before stepping forward to claim the credit.

Yet it could not be denied that the moment the Hidden Mist's trump cards entered the fray, they immediately suppressed Isobu.

As the Kekkai Genkai ninjas wielding the secret art of Ice Release completed their Hand Seals, the towering waves instantly froze.

Black rain brimming with sealing power fell soundlessly from above the lake, and ice began forming across Isobu's body.

This foolish turtle had long since lost the will to resist. Kekkai Genkai ninjas possessing the Shikotsumyaku roared past its side in wild mockery before plunging into Konoha's massed ninjas.

Bones crisscrossed the battlefield, and sprays of blood burst into bloom.

Watching from up close, Uchiha Yuan did his utmost to calm his soul.

The swift loss of life resonated with the living. Appearing beneath Isobu's neck, he found the sight utterly horrifying.

Before long, the Hidden Mist's Kekkai Genkai Clans had seized control of the situation.

Harusame, directing the sealing process, glared furiously toward Isobu's neck.

"Damn Konoha ninja, I'll butcher you first this time, then seal Isobu."

"We have already taken control of the entire situation. Let's see who dares interfere with me now!"

As Harusame formed Hand Seals, the black rain filling the sky froze in place.

The top-heavy raindrops shifted direction, aiming at the area beneath Isobu's neck.

Dense sealing power formed a vast net that covered the heavens.

Harusame could let this Konoha ninja enter, but he would never let him leave alive.

When the Hand Seals were completed, the black rain shot toward the area beneath the Three-Tails' neck like a waterfall.

There could be no interference whatsoever while sealing a Tailed Beast!

At that moment, Uchiha Yuan was somewhat puzzled.

He did not understand why Danzo had given such an order.

There were too many Hidden Mist ninjas. Even if he cast genjutsu over a wide area, he might not be able to affect every one of them.

That was why Uchiha Yuan's previous actions had focused on shaking Isobu with genjutsu.

After all, this massive creature was the Hidden Mist's core target. If it fell under genjutsu, forget sealing it—the Hidden Mist might even lose half its forces.

At that point, they would be too busy fleeing for their lives to think about attacking Konoha ninjas, much less killing Uchiha Yuan.

Danzo certainly understood the battlefield situation. With the Sealing Technique blocking him off, genjutsu Chakra could no longer affect Isobu.

In other words, Uchiha Yuan, who wielded the Spiritualisation Technique, had lost his strategic value at this moment.

But why had Danzo ordered him to use genjutsu at full force against the Hidden Mist's Kekkai Genkai Clans?

Uchiha Yuan knew that this would achieve very little. It would even consume a huge amount of his Chakra and could endanger his life.

Danzo's order was clearly sending him to his death.

But he had no choice. If he defied the order on the spot, this Uchiha would suffer a fate worse than death.

Besides, the members of the Orochimaru Squad were still here.

So Uchiha Yuan simply released the Phantom Lotus Kill genjutsu into the surrounding area at full power.

Danzo's demand was simple: he did not need to control them, only disrupt the Hidden Mist ninjas' senses for five seconds.

Therefore, Uchiha Yuan did not designate any specific targets, allowing the genjutsu that controlled the Five Senses to spread outward.

Then he sensed a familiar, cold Chakra.

Orochimaru, charging into the battlefield, instantly severed the head of an Ice Release Kekkai Genkai ninja who had frozen in a daze. He flashed behind the Sealing Master Harusame.

Behind Orochimaru stood dozens of agile elite ninjas dressed in Hidden Mist Anbu uniforms.

Taking advantage of the Hidden Mist Kekkai Genkai ninjas' momentary lapse, these Hidden Mist Anbu used ninjutsu to attack the Hidden Mist's Kekkai Genkai ninjas.

The scene had become bizarre. An internal conflict within the Hidden Mist? But why was Orochimaru here? Was this Danzo's arrangement? Or some dirty deal between the Hidden Mist and Konoha?

Uchiha Yuan had no time to think further.

The black raindrops brimming with sealing power had gaps between them, so they could not completely block the genjutsu Chakra.

But the genjutsu Chakra likewise could not stop every black raindrop.

Uchiha Yuan resorted to the same trick again.

But before he could finish casting the Contract Seal on himself, Isobu above him stretched its neck forward and swallowed Uchiha Yuan's soul in one gulp.

The author will add one more word here: ninjutsu can break Sealing Techniques. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Gaara's Sealing Technique was forcibly broken by the Second Mizukage and the Third Raikage using ninjutsu~

By that reasoning, ninjutsu and Sealing Techniques can contend with or break through each other. After all, at their core, they are still contests of Chakra between different ninjas~

PS: The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Techniques are ridiculously overpowered, so that is another matter entirely.