"That's—Mangekyō?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank violently.
He had never expected Wen Lan to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan as well—let alone neutralize Kotoamatsukami, the strongest genjutsu!
But "neutralize" wasn't quite accurate.
It was simply Wen Lan being cautious.
Long ago, he had used Transcription Seal to engrave a fail-safe into his right eye—if he were ever caught in a genjutsu, the seal would automatically activate and release it.
The instant the illusion took hold, the seal broke.
His vision cleared.
He drew his blade.
Even so, Hiruzen had narrowly managed to dodge.
Beside them, Uchiha Fugaku clutched his forehead, then suddenly shouted:
"Wen Lan, be careful! Shisui's eyes were taken!"
Silence.
A breeze stirred fallen leaves across the ground.
The atmosphere became… awkward.
Wen Lan glanced at Fugaku speechlessly.
"Clan Head, the fact that you're clear-headed right now—could it possibly be because my Mangekyō just broke Kotoamatsukami?"
Fugaku: "..."
He suddenly understood why things felt so awkward.
He coughed twice, looking away.
"I was just… saying."
But then his expression changed sharply.
"Wait—The Uchiha compound was attacked! They must have been after Nagato!"
"Relax," Wen Lan said lazily, tapping his shoulder with the back of his blade.
"That old dog is standing right here without the Rinnegan. Which means he failed."
"And I already ordered Kisame to protect Nagato in secret."
"Even if this old dog had gone himself—he wouldn't have beaten Samehada."
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Kisame's chakra reserves rivaled the Uzumaki clan. In terms of Water Release alone, he was no weaker than Tobirama Senju.
Wen Lan's gaze turned cold.
"Old dog, don't worry. I won't let you die easily."
"Danzō would love to have you keep him company."
He lowered his stance slightly, lightning flickering in his eyes.
"Thunder Breathing—First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
In an instant, golden lightning exploded along his blade, crackling violently as it wrapped around the steel.
His figure vanished.
A streak of gold tore through the battlefield.
Several of Hiruzen's men only saw a blur—
—and the next moment, heads shot into the air.
A golden arc of lightning carved across the sky before slowly fading.
"Your turn," Wen Lan said calmly as lightning flared again and he charged.
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Mud surged up before him, forming a dragon head that spat torrents of stone and sludge.
Wen Lan leapt high, evading effortlessly—his speed never slowing as he closed in again.
Hiruzen bit his finger and slammed his palm to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke billowed.
The Monkey King Enma appeared—
—but before he could even react, a flash of gold cut through the smoke.
His head separated from his body.
Blood sprayed.
Hiruzen felt his arms severed in the same instant, lightning cleaving through flesh and bone.
The corpse of Enma crashed to the ground.
Hiruzen staggered backward, blood pouring from his shoulders.
His face turned deathly pale.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
He stared at Wen Lan's cold eyes as if staring into an abyss.
He regretted it.
Why had he ever chosen to oppose this monster?
He opened his mouth—
—but no words came.
Wen Lan's speed was so overwhelming that even forming hand seals had been impossible.
Wen Lan approached slowly, blade dragging across the ground, lightning hissing along its edge.
"You once stood at the peak of Konoha," he said calmly. "Now you're nothing more than a dying man beneath my blade."
Fugaku and Zhi Yan showed no shock.
They had already seen Wen Lan cut through a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Without overwhelming power, that was impossible.
In their minds, only Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha in their prime could stand against him.
"Zhi Yan. Seal his chakra. We're taking him back."
"Yes, Third Elder."
Zhi Yan quickly sealed Hiruzen's chakra pathways.
Wen Lan even tied a rope around Hiruzen's neck—
—and dragged him like a dog toward Konoha.
Humiliated beyond endurance, Hiruzen roared:
"A scholar may be killed but not humiliated!"
He suddenly bit down—
His tongue snapped in half.
Blood sprayed out.
Zhi Yan and Fugaku were startled by the sudden act.
They hadn't expected Hiruzen to be so decisive.
Wen Lan remained expressionless.
He drew his blade, heated it instantly with Flame Breathing, turning it red-hot—
Then forced Hiruzen's mouth open and pressed the blade against the wound.
Steam hissed.
Hiruzen screamed.
The bleeding stopped instantly.
Wen Lan slapped him hard across the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Just an illiterate."
"You think biting your tongue kills you?"
"There are only three ways that works."
"One—swallow the severed piece and choke."
"Two—let it block your airway and suffocate."
"Three—bleed out or drown in your own blood."
"And all three require excellent luck."
"Otherwise? It won't work."
He looked down at Hiruzen disdainfully.
"No idea how you got called 'The Professor.'"
"Can't even grasp basic common sense."
Then he noticed the expressions on Zhi Yan and Fugaku's faces—
Full of sudden realization.
Hiruzen's face was ashen.
Wen Lan froze for a second.
"…You didn't know either?"
He glanced at them in disgust.
"A bunch of illiterates."
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