"Ugh!"
Under the crushing grip of the colossal hand formed by Susanoo, more than half of Kakuzu's bones shattered.
Even as a battle-hardened shinobi with Kage-level strength and immense pain tolerance, Kakuzu couldn't help but let out a grunt of agony.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan… You've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
His face contorted in pain, Kakuzu stared in shock at Uchiha Fugaku within the Susanoo, his eyes locked on the strange, ominous patterns swirling in Fugaku's gaze.
Having lived through the era of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, Kakuzu naturally knew that among the Uchiha clan, beyond the ordinary Sharingan existed an advanced form the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.
With those eyes, Madara once wielded strength nearly on par with Hashirama himself, making him one of the most feared shinobi of his time.
Had Kakuzu known that Uchiha Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would never have chosen him as a target.
Having survived that era, Kakuzu understood better than most just how terrifying those eyes could be.
But now… it was too late for regret.
"Impressive knowledge but no reward. No forbidden jutsu, no kekkei genkai… you're not even worth leaving a complete corpse."
Fugaku's tone was cold and emotionless.
As he spoke, Susanoo's massive hand clenched with a final surge of force, and Kakuzu's body was completely crushed into a mass of flesh and shattered bone.
Two of his hearts burst simultaneously, eliminating any chance of regeneration.
Had Kakuzu possessed a kekkei genkai or some truly rare secret technique, his corpse might have been preserved for later study or use.
But he did not.
As for Kakuzu's forbidden technique, Earth Grudge Fear, Fugaku had no interest. He had no desire to turn his own body into a grotesque patchwork monstrosity like Kakuzu had.
"He's dead?"
Several hundred meters away, Yamanaka Kaze watched the scene unfold, his face filled with shock.
Kakuzu an S-rank rogue ninja whose name struck fear throughout the shinobi worldbwas actually dead. And at the hands of someone he never would've suspected.
"But Kakuzu was a Kage-level shinobi… if Fugaku was able to kill him, then doesn't that mean…?"
The thought alone left Kaze deeply shaken.
The rumors had long claimed Kakuzu possessed Kage-tier strength. But as a member of Root with access to extensive intelligence, Kaze knew those weren't mere rumors they were fact. Kakuzu was a Kage-level threat.
And yet, he had been defeated no, crushedbby Uchiha Fugaku.
That could only mean one thing: not only was Fugaku himself a Kage-level shinobi, he had surpassed the standard definition of it.
"That massive spectral skeleton… could it be… no, it can't… but…"
A terrifying possibility struck him.
Since Madara's time, the Uchiha clan had steadily declined. No one of true strength had emerged in generations.
And the reason? No one had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan again.
But now, seeing Fugaku's overwhelming power and that ominous skeletal warrior—Susanoo Kaze couldn't help but wonder: had Uchiha Fugaku… just like Madara once did… also awakened the Mangekyō?
"This information must reach Lord Danzō immediately!"
Acting swiftly, he pulled out a small slip of paper and scrawled down everything he had seen and suspected.
Then, taking a carrier pigeon from his pouch, he tied the note to its leg and released it into the sky, sending it flying toward Konoha.
But—
Thunk!
A kunai whistled through the air, embedding itself deep in the bird's body.
The pigeon fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Who…?"
Kaze's eyes darted toward the source of the attack and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
Standing there was Uchiha Fugaku, now bathed in the eerie red glow of his Mangekyō Sharingan, faint traces of blood tears at the corners of his eyes.
Though slightly disheveled, the aura radiating from him was chilling to the core.
"So there really was a little rat tailing me."
Fugaku's voice was frigid as he stared Kaze down.
Ever since leaving Konoha, he had sensed someone trailing and observing him.
Though not a sensory-type ninja, and unable to pinpoint the exact location of someone using animals to monitor him, he had been on alert.
During his battle with Kakuzu, when Susanoo had been revealed, the observer's shock had caused a brief slip—a momentary leak of chakra.
That was all he needed to lock onto the spy's location.
"That mask… are you from the ANBU, or from Root?"
Fugaku's gaze landed on Kaze's mask.
Both the ANBU and Root wore similar gear. The main difference: ANBU used only animal-themed masks, while Root's collection included not just animals, but also monsters and spirits.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that it was Fugaku himself, Kaze panicked.
Pushing off the thick tree branch beneath him, he launched himself into the forest like a nimble monkey, dashing through the canopy in a desperate bid to escape.
The mission was a failure. His only hope now was to survive and report back.
"A futile effort."
Fugaku smirked coldly.
If even Kakuzu couldn't escape his grasp, what chance did this little rat have?
Whoosh—
In a blur, Fugaku appeared directly in front of Kaze and launched a fierce kick.
Boom!
Kaze barely raised his arms in time to block the blow, absorbing the impact before flipping backward to neutralize the force, eyes warily fixed on Fugaku.
"Who sent you to spy on me?" Fugaku demanded, making no move to strike again—yet.
Instead of answering, Kaze's hands blurred through a series of seals.
"Mind Clone Jutsu!"
Knowing what he had just witnessed, Kaze was certain Fugaku would never let him leave alive.
His only option was to gamble on Fugaku's unfamiliarity with his clan's techniques—to take control of his body, even if only for a moment.
Whoosh—
A surge of spiritual energy shot from Kaze toward Fugaku, aiming to wrest control of his body away.
But—
"Hmph."
With a low snort, Fugaku's immense spiritual strength amplified by his Mangekyō Sharingan crashed into Kaze's invading chakra.
The spiritual intrusion was instantly repelled and expelled from Fugaku's body.
"Aaargh!"
Kaze screamed in agony. Blood gushed from his eyes, ears, and nose as he staggered violently.
The technique had backfired, and the damage was severe.
"Mind Clone Jutsu… You're from the Yamanaka Clan."
Fugaku eyed him with sudden interest.
The Yamanaka clan part of the famous Ino-Shika-Chō trio was well-known in Konoha for its secret techniques.
They possessed unique physiology and formidable sensory abilities.
Fugaku was intrigued.
Compared to Kakuzu, this Yamanaka might actually be a more suitable candidate for corpse refinement.Welcome to Gboard clipboard, any text you copy will be saved here.