"How… how could they suddenly vanish? "
"Could it be… some kind of space-time ninjutsu? "
…
Panic rippled through the Iwagakure shinobi. The captives, bound and stripped of their chakra, had disappeared in an instant.
The eerie scene defied reason. If their prisoners could be spirited away so silently, what was to stop this mysterious power from slicing their throats just as easily?
Shhh!
Before their fear could settle, Uchiha Fugaku moved.
With the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared beside one Iwa-nin in a blur, his kunai slashing across the man's throat.
A spray of blood. A horrified gasp. The ninja staggered and fell.
Fugaku vanished again. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind another enemy, driving his blade toward the man's heart.
"Stop!"
The Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails, Han, roared in fury. Steam hissed violently from the vents in his crimson armor.
That armor—specially crafted—used steam pressure to amplify both strength and speed.
Han surged forward like a launched cannon, aiming to intercept Fugaku and save his comrade.
But even with steam-enhanced speed, he was still slower than Fugaku's Body Flicker.
By the time Han arrived, Fugaku's kunai had already pierced the man's chest. The victim collapsed in a bloody heap as Fugaku blurred away again, targeting the next shinobi.
Han's furious pursuit was always one step too late.
"Move, now! "
The remaining Iwa-nin scattered in terror, scrambling to avoid him as if fleeing from a deadly viper.
But there was no escape.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Each flicker of Fugaku's form ended in another life extinguished.
They couldn't resist. His speed was overwhelming—far beyond their ability to counter.
Only the elite jōnin managed to offer even a shred of defense.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall! "
One elite quickly erected a barrier of stone walls around himself for protection.
"Hmph…" Fugaku sneered.
"Susanoo."
A massive black skeletal hand materialized, smashing down onto the stone walls.
The barriers shattered like fragile glass.
"Ahhh!"
The colossal hand crushed the elite jōnin beneath it, hurling his broken body aside like a rag doll.
Even an elite jōnin could not withstand a single strike from Fugaku.
Within moments, all thirteen Iwagakure shinobi—except for Han—were dead. Three elite jōnin are included.
"The small fry are finished," Fugaku said coldly, eyes locking on Han. "Now it's your turn."
But just then—something unexpected happened.
Buzz…
The entire illusionary space shuddered and collapsed.
Han hadn't been struck down—he had broken free of the genjutsu.
"I fell into an illusion… without even realizing it?! "
Outside the genjutsu, sweat ran down Han's brow. For a shinobi of Kage-level strength to be trapped without noticing—that was proof of how terrifying Fugaku's eye techniques truly were.
If not for being a perfect jinchūriki, he would have been doomed.
His gaze swept over the battlefield—and his pupils shrank.
All of his comrades who had been slain inside the illusion… were lying dead here as well. Their wounds matched exactly what had happened within the genjutsu.
Killed in the illusion, and the body dies in reality.
"What… what a terrifying technique…"
Han drew in a sharp breath. A genjutsu that not only deceived the senses but also killed within its false space.
"Perfect jinchūriki, huh? "Fugaku muttered, eyeing Han with mild surprise.
The dōjutsu of the Sharingan was nearly impossible to break—unless one had the same ocular powers or outside assistance.
But there was one exception: a perfect jinchūriki.
When host and beast were united in mutual trust, the tailed beast could intervene from within, snapping its partner free of illusion.
That was how Han had survived.
"Good thing I wiped out the others first," Fugaku thought. "Otherwise, their hostages would have complicated matters."
Though the genjutsu lasted only an instant in the real world, within its altered flow of time, Fugaku had gained enough opportunity to slaughter the Iwa shinobi.
Had he waited, they would have used the captives against him.
"Those eyes… the Mangekyō Sharingan… monstrous."
Han's voice carried both awe and fear as his gaze locked on Fugaku, who now stood calmly behind him.
Fugaku's lips curved into a cold smile.
"No… you still haven't witnessed their true horror."
Shhh!
He blurred again, reappearing at Han's side. Susanoo's black skeletal hand materialized and struck downward with crushing force.
Han had no time to hesitate.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength! "
Steam erupted from his body, his crimson armor roaring to life. With power magnified to monstrous levels, he thrust his fist upward to meet the descending hand.
Boom!
The impact hurled Han back like a missile.
He smashed through trees, finally crashing to the ground over a hundred meters away.
The armor on his right arm cracked and fell away; blood ran down his skin.
If not for the armor absorbing most of the force, his arm would have been ruined completely.
"Get them to safety! "
Fugaku's command rang out. He flickered away once more, chasing after Han.
From the ground, a spore clone emerged—the same one that had first reported the Uchiha captives.
Disguised as an ordinary Konoha shinobi, it cut through the ropes binding the seven prisoners, released the sealing tags suppressing their chakra, and led them away from the battlefield.
Against a jinchūriki, the coming clash would be devastating. If the captives stayed too close, they would be caught in the storm.