Chapter 306: The Battlefield Within the Tsukuyomi Space
"I didn't expect the Land of Snow to have advanced their AI research this far—enough to integrate it into their chakra armors. That thing is completely immune to genjutsu."
"I can see that!"
Under the relentless bombardment, Yakumaru and Shisui dashed into the forest, dodging attacks from above.
As he ran, Yakumaru glanced back at the armors in the sky, gritting his teeth. "Who designed this AI's base code? Why is it so cautious?"
The moment the AI identified him and Shisui, it immediately increased its altitude, denying them any chance of close-range combat.
Unlike humans, AI doesn't succumb to greed or recklessness. It would continue its aerial bombardment, either until its targets were obliterated or they left the battlefield entirely.
Considering the current situation, Yakumaru frowned as he ran and asked, "If we get close to the Snow ninja, will it still keep attacking?"
Shisui cast a speechless glance at his senior.
Threatening an AI with hostages? Was he serious?
You can't expect an AI to have empathy.
"…Forget it."
Yakumaru quickly abandoned the idea, knowing it wasn't feasible.
Even if it were possible, the range and power of the armor's attacks were too great. He didn't want to risk harming their "daydreaming" allies still trapped in the genjutsu.
"We'll have to avoid direct confrontation for now," Shisui said with a hint of resignation.
While both had transplanted Hashirama cells, unlike Obito, they had not yet mastered a full-body Susanoo. They couldn't fly, which left them at a disadvantage.
All they could do was endure the bombardment, occasionally attempting a long-range counterattack. But the armors' speed and altitude made it almost impossible to land a hit.
Leaping onto a tree, Shisui dodged a beam that grazed past his ear. Calm and analytical, he stated, "The armor-wearing ninjas have lost consciousness, so they can't supply chakra. The armors are probably running on chakra batteries, which have limited energy. Once they're drained, we can strike back."
"Understood."
Yakumaru sighed and nodded. There wasn't much else they could do.
At this point, only the two of them remained active on Konoha's side, while the Land of Snow still had sixty chakra armors in the air—a clear advantage.
Two shinobi on the ground, chased by an aerial swarm.
The cat-and-mouse game lasted for over ten minutes, and the intensity of the bombardment began to weaken. The armors' energy was clearly running low.
Seeing this, Yakumaru's face lit up with hope.
But just then, a voice from above dashed his optimism.
"Chakra battery energy depleted. Activating backup battery."
Yakumaru and Shisui: "…"
They had backups?
Shisui forced a smile, attempting to stay positive. "The Land of Snow certainly spares no expense, but this has to be the last one."
Another ten minutes passed.
"Energy depleted. Activating emergency battery."
"…"
Yakumaru shot a death glare at Shisui, who winced and stammered, "It's definitely the last one this time."
Another ten minutes later.
"Energy running low. Supply drop inbound. Distributing replacements."
From the clouds, a supply drone uncloaked, revealing itself. It carried a scroll that unfurled, dispensing numerous chakra batteries to the armors below.
This drone, designed using Light-Release and Dust-Free Concealment techniques, was built for stealth rather than combat. It specialized in delivering supplies undetected by most shinobi.
While individual batteries couldn't match Kage-level chakra reserves, the Land of Snow's strategy was clear: when one wasn't enough, bring many.
Yakumaru and Shisui stood dumbfounded, swallowing hard as they watched.
Were they going to die from exhaustion before this ended?
Seconds later, the roar of explosions resumed. Yakumaru was about to dodge a beam when a ninja blade suddenly slashed toward him from the side, forcing him to shift position. He barely avoided getting hit by the armor's attack.
Reappearing beneath a tree, Yakumaru turned toward the attacker, his brows furrowing.
It was a ninja from the Land of Snow.
"What's going on?"
Around Shisui, more Snow ninjas began converging, joining their comrades.
In the distance, the sounds of battle erupted again. The previously paused fighting resumed with intensity.
Above, the blood-red Sharingan on the moon began to fade, and everything seemed to return to its original state.
But as Yakumaru and Shisui looked into the Snow ninjas' eyes, they saw hatred and a strange golden mark on their bodies.
Something had clearly changed.
That earlier genjutsu wasn't just an illusion. It also contained some kind of mind-controlling ability!
"What exactly… is going on?" Yakumaru muttered, frowning deeply.
…
When the Limited Infinite Tsukuyomi was activated, the scenes across the nations were strikingly similar.
The sky displayed a Mangekyō Sharingan, and everyone was pulled into another world.
This illusionary world closely mirrored their reality. Some, confused, thought they had simply zoned out and resumed their tasks.
But soon, they noticed something unusual.
Here, anything they imagined became reality.
"Everyone, this is the ideal world, our ultimate dream."
Obito appeared in the sky, arms outstretched, addressing the bewildered crowd below. "I am your savior, Uchiha Obito!"
…
In another mental space, Tamako watched the scene unfold on a monitor. Listening to Obito's grandiose speech, she sighed in exasperation. "Why did you give him control? He was already insufferably arrogant, and now he's calling himself the ninja world's savior. Does the ninja world need him to save it?"
Not far from her, Hikari stood watching another monitor. "I made a deal with him. He'll help me eliminate the Uchiha who couldn't be pulled into the genjutsu."
"Oh?" Tamako paused, giving Hikari an appraising look before nodding thoughtfully. "I see. Is this what they call a rebellious phase?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow, her voice cold. "This space was built using my ocular powers. What I do here, and who I work with, is none of your business."
"Is that so?" Tamako pointed at another screen showing a different scene. "Should I then lift the concealment and expose this area to the leader sitting by the Ten-Tails?"
On the screen, a group of ninjas from various nations—Snow, Lightning, Fire, and Water—were locked in battle.
Yachihoko' ability to manipulate chakra and minds had its limits. While it only required a mark to control chakra, controlling minds necessitated weakening their mental state first.
Hikari's strategy was to send the ninjas' memories into the Tsukuyomi space for destruction. Once their minds were shattered, she could control them.
But with real-world battles raging on, mental exhaustion wasn't necessary. Simply dragging them into spiritual combat within this space would suffice to weaken their minds and subjugate them.
In this space, anyone who died became Yachihoko's thrall in reality, entirely under her command.
The area Tamako referred to was a designated zone where ninjas were sent to fight.
(Chapter ends.)