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"Buzz—"
A deep air-raid siren covered the entire Konoha, reverberating through the empty streets.
Even before receiving the front-line warning, the Anbu and the Konoha Police Force had already moved all civilians into underground air-raid shelters; at this moment, only a few individuals remained outside, awaiting news.
The moment the Crimson Moon ascended, everyone in these small teams paused, their bodies stiffening in place, a clear horned windmill pattern appearing on the backs of their hands.
The situation inside the underground air-raid shelters was even more chaotic.
The understaffed Konoha Police Force struggled to maintain order, but the clamor never ceased.
Even though Konoha had temporarily requisitioned half of its underground space, and even the former Root headquarters, as Placement sites for the villagers, the influx of tens of thousands of civilians at once still filled this vast underground area with turbid air, a messy scene everywhere one looked, with a few individuals occasionally attempting to cause trouble amidst the chaos.
Some of them were merely driven by greed or lust, while others were spies from other Villages, planted in Konoha in advance.
However, in times of chaos, severe measures are necessary, and in such an emergency, the Konoha Police Force naturally would not be soft-hearted.
Nara Shikaku, serving as the temporary Village commander, stood anxiously at the entrance, a long-wave radio occasionally transmitting short messages, reporting on the front-line situation.
However, since a moment ago, the radio had stopped receiving any messages.
Not only the front line, but even the few outposts they had set up outside the Village had gone silent.
Even though they had sufficient confidence in Sawara's power, seeing this unprecedented situation, a sense of anxiety inevitably arose in their hearts.
He tightly clutched a white piece of paper, on which only a single short message was written.
[Do not go outside]
'What does this mean?'
'What's happening outside?'
Although Nara Shikaku thought this, he couldn't help but feel worried.
In this situation, he could only stare blankly at the iron door that separated them from the outside world, waiting anxiously.
Waiting for the outcome.
The hidden moves laid by Sawara Kiri and others were absolutely correct.
In other Villages outside of Konoha, the scene had completely transformed at this moment.
Inside the Sunagakure, which had just seen most of its Konoha garrison personnel withdrawn, the last few Konoha Ninja responsible for maintaining basic order now lay in pools of blood in the middle of the street.
A former Hidden Sand Jonin, who had initiated this special operation, hadn't even had time to show an ecstatic expression when, in the center of the originally dim night sky, a Crimson Moon already hung.
In an instant, a deep horned windmill pattern appeared on the back of everyone's hand present.
Everyone instantly lost consciousness, standing blankly in place.
If one were to look at them with the Six Eyes, they would see faint streams of Chakra gathering from their bodies, flowing into the boundless sky, concentrating directly towards the distance.
Whether civilian or Ninja.
This was true everywhere the Moonlight touched the earth.
Even the Kara, deeply buried underground and long unseen, detected the anomaly in the sky.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki even personally appeared under the Moonlight, silently observing this scene.
Under the protection of the Six Paths Rinnegan, Kakuzu and others behind him could still remain conscious, but upon seeing this scene, most of them wore bewildered expressions.
"Isshiki-sama, what exactly is this?"
Kakuzu subconsciously asked.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, however, answered irrelevantly, sighing quietly: "Insignificant humans, throughout their lives, they attempt to meddle with power that belongs solely to the gods."
"Perhaps that fellow never imagined that he was merely a chess piece in the hands of a god."
"What a pity..."
"Hmph."
He stood with his hands behind his back in front of everyone, a mocking smile on his face.
Kakuzu still didn't understand, but he dared not ask further, merely standing quietly to the side, and after a long while, he cautiously asked:
"Then, Isshiki-sama."
"Should we launch an attack now?"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki paused at the question, then immediately cast an annoyed glance at him, but forced himself to control it, saying bitterly:
"Attack what?!"
"My power hasn't fully recovered yet!"
Kakuzu froze, his tone even more cautious than before:
"Then we—"
"Continue with the original concealment plan!" Ōtsutsuki Isshiki declared, then strode back to his shell.
So, they're still hiding?
Kakuzu muttered to himself, but he also understood.
No matter how the outside world changed, their lord couldn't afford to provoke anyone right now.
Better to lie low for now.
Similar scenes were occurring simultaneously in various places.
Iwagakure, Kumogakure, the now-destroyed Hidden Mist, various small Ninja Villages...
All people possessing Chakra.
Innumerable quantitative changes, ultimately converging into a qualitative change.
Ultimate sublimation.
The result of all this was reflected on Uchiha Hikari before everyone, making her entire body seem enveloped in a pure radiance, presenting this power, which surpassed all human imagination, in a visible form to everyone.
The enormous giant tree behind the girl was like a massive transmitting tower, continuously receiving power from various humans and creatures from all directions.
Until all great power was gathered into those crimson eyes.
Uchiha Hikari merely stood there quietly, yet she inexplicably instilled a sense of fear in others.
This was not a subjective sensory perception, but rather a deeper, cellular-level instinct, the innate trembling of lower organisms when facing a higher one.
Uchiha Megumi couldn't help but grit her teeth and look forward, her shadowy Susanoo already activated to its third stage, struggling to protect everyone around her.
But even with a Mangekyo Sharingan of the same caliber as the woman opposite her, she could clearly feel that her activated Susanoo was being continuously eroded by some invisible ocular power under the dark red Moonlight, inch by inch, fraction by fraction, like a scale pressed down by a weight, irresistibly tilting to the other side.
Even when facing several Ōtsutsuki, she had only felt such intense pressure in front of Shibai alone.
No matter how unwilling she was to admit it, Uchiha Megumi clearly realized it.
She was not an opponent for the woman in front of her.
Only Sawara Kiri could stand safely before her.
With the Limitless activated by instinct, selectively blocking all ocular power that could interfere with light, Sawara Kiri remained calm, even when he personally witnessed countless Chakra surging into Uchiha Hikari's body through his Six Eyes, his expression did not change in the slightest.
It was Uchiha Hikari who was somewhat surprised.
Having already controlled several large and small Ninja Villages, the total amount of Chakra she now possessed was far beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
In fact, even the strongest Nine-Tails could not compare.
However, after Engraved Tsukuyomi was activated, she clearly felt that the total amount of Chakra she controlled had suddenly increased by several times, far exceeding her previous estimates.
This immense and uncontrollable power even caused her eyes to glow with a brilliant, faint light, and a terrifying aura, like a hurricane-force blast, continuously spread in all directions, forming a pillar of Chakra composed entirely of Chakra, surging straight towards the sky.
The girl's lips trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but smile.
She extended her hand towards Sawara Kiri:
"Kiri."
"Did you see it?"
"The world is peaceful now."
"Wherever the Moonlight touches, there will be no more war or conflict."
"As long as I gather all power within myself, the remaining people will live the peaceful lives they have always dreamed of, just as they have always desired."
"We no longer need to fight."
"As long as this Jutsu can continue, we can forever be..."
"Is that all?"
Just as Uchiha Hikari was speaking excitedly, Sawara Kiri suddenly interrupted her, sighing softly.
The girl paused noticeably at his words, looking at him in confusion.
"What fragile peace."
Sawara Kiri, under everyone's gaze, walked towards her step by step, his words showing no sign of stopping.
"Peace? Forever?"
"How much resolve do you have to say such words?"
"It's merely a control-type ocular Jutsu, completely unrestrained once control is lost—and even now, right before you, there are still tens of thousands of Konoha Ninja hidden deep underground on our front lines, completely beyond the reach of your gaze, still acting freely."
"With you like this, do you truly have the confidence to bear the lives of everyone in the entire Ninja World?"
Listening to Sawara Kiri's words, Uchiha Hikari's expression clearly froze for a moment, and even a cruel crack seemed to appear in the false wish that 'peace had been achieved'.
She subconsciously wanted to deny it:
"That's just, that's just..."
Unfortunately, Sawara Kiri did not give her a chance to retort, but continued:
"Just what? Loose ends?"
"What about me?"
"I'm standing right in front of you."
Sawara Kiri stopped, calmly meeting Uchiha Hikari's gaze from inches away, his tone flat:
"Don't speak of what you cannot do."
"Forever, or world peace."
"Those are such heavy words."
"Hikari."
"You, you only think about yourself, don't you?"
His words were utterly plain, yet they suddenly broke the girl in front of him.
She subconsciously widened her beautiful eyes, looking at the man before her with an unprecedented coldness.
Sharing the same ideals, walking the same path, yearning for world peace...
None of this was a reason for him to hinder her progress on the path she had chosen.
At this moment, Uchiha Hikari seemed to suddenly understand.
Just as she would absolutely not allow anyone else to question the path she was currently on.
Kiri was the same.
"So that's how it is."
The girl couldn't help but sigh softly, lowering her head.
Just as it had always been on this land.
Among Ninja, ultimately, it was always through blades and swords, blood and fire that they spoke.
Trying to make the other party acknowledge oneself through talk was, after all, a fleeting dream like an illusion.
"Kiri."
Uchiha Hikari slowly raised her head as she spoke.
However, what appeared once again in those crimson eyes was no longer the thick, heavy love like honey, but firm resolve, without any hesitation.
"I will make you acknowledge me."
Sawara Kiri, hearing this, suddenly smiled: "That's how it should be."
The next moment.
"Boom—!"
The clash of red and blue resounded across the land.
The immense power contained deep within their bodies, like two vast oceans suddenly surging into a sunken valley, intertwined in different colors.
But in the eyes of others, only light, submerging their entire vision, remained.
Even the gloomy sky was illuminated by this boundless radiance.
After an instant of tremor.
Both simultaneously stepped forward.
"Thud!"
Heavy footsteps landed in succession, leaving a deep imprint on the fragile ground.
Kunai and short sword clashed, their synchronized Chakra and space-infused blades colliding, with even a thin membrane separating them.
Though they didn't actually touch, they forcefully scattered a spreading cloud in the surrounding air, turning into extreme stickiness.
Sawara Kiri's movements did not stop for a moment; he held the Kunai inverted, drawing it horizontally along the blade, while his other hand raised in a palm shape, pointing towards the opponent's jaw.
Before his arm could fully extend, the short sword in the girl's hand had already parried the Kunai's tip, thrusting forward fiercely.
However, before she could fully exert her strength, a tremendous force suddenly struck her chest and abdomen.
Sawara Kiri pivoted on his front foot, his shielding push-palm instantly retracting, suddenly delivering a stepping front kick.
His advantage in height and leg length was fully displayed in the extremely close-quarters taijutsu range; even though the sword tip was clearly longer than his arm, it could only linger an inch from his chest for a moment, followed immediately by the girl's entire body being sent flying by the impact.
Uchiha Hikari gritted her teeth and stabilized herself in mid-air, rolling and pressing her palms against the ground multiple times to halt the immense backward force, her crimson eyes constantly contracting, trying to capture Kiri's figure, as she quickly formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The sudden burst of flames from her mouth, magnified by a terrifying amount of Chakra surpassing most Tailed Beasts, unleashed a Great Fire far beyond normal scale.
The surging dark red was like a giant wall that obscured the entire horizon, pushing horizontally towards Sawara Kiri's direction; whether the ground beneath them or the dense trees around, all were irresistibly crushed into a deep charred black, like grass under a tsunami, spreading kilometers deep in the longitudinal direction.
However, once the flames dissipated, Uchiha Hikari's vision suddenly lost sight of Sawara Kiri.
'Where is he?'
The crimson Mangekyo spun like a windmill, but the flat, open ground was empty.
As if suddenly thinking of something, the girl sharply turned around.
In an instant, a shadowy blade surged into her vision.
"Clang!!"
A piercing metallic screech resounded between the two, just inches apart.
A deep, dark shield blocked both sides.
At this moment, Uchiha Hikari dared not hesitate in the slightest; with all her might, the dark red Susanoo suddenly expanded at an unprecedented speed, directly condensing into its fourth stage.
At the same time, a never-before-seen sword and shield appeared in her Susanoo's hands.
Looking at the weapons in her Susanoo's hands, Sawara Kiri seemed to recall something, his interest piqued:
"Totsuka-no-Tsurugi and Yata no Kagami, then?"
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