"Brat, I don't know what ability you're using, but if your body turns into light—then it must have something to do with the sunlight above, right?"
"In that case…"
"What will you do if the sunlight is taken away?"
The moment the words fell, Senju Tobirama began forming hand seals at incredible speed.
Buzz… buzz…
Soon, an eerie chill began to spread through the air.
A forbidden technique.
Forbidden Technique — Bringer of Darkness!
As the final seal was completed, an invisible wave burst outward from Tobirama's body.
Black.
A pure, ink-like black.
Like a rising tide, it swallowed the surrounding vision.
In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the entire Hokage Tower.
Then it continued spreading wildly toward the streets.
"Black? Why did the sky suddenly go dark?"
"Ah! My eyes! I think I'm blind!"
"Where are you guys?! Why is everything suddenly pitch black?! I can't see anything!"
The moment that dense, ink-like darkness descended—
Cries of alarm erupted everywhere.
The Konoha shinobi closest to the tower found that all their sensory abilities had completely failed.
Kakashi's three-tomoe Sharingan spun faster and faster.
The whites of his eyes filled with veins.
Drip.
Drip.
A drop of blood slid down from the corner of his eye.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
But he froze.
"I—I—I can't see!"
"I still can't see!"
Even after pushing his Sharingan beyond its limits—
He could still see nothing.
Just as he hesitated and prepared to activate the Mangekyō Sharingan, realization suddenly struck him.
"This is…"
"A technique created specifically to counter the Uchiha's Sharingan!"
"Absolute darkness—an S-rank genjutsu!"
"Bringer of Darkness!"
"Eight Gates — Gate of Pain, open!"
"Eight Gates — Gate of View… open!"
BOOM!
A thick green aura instantly erupted from Might Guy's body.
His face flushed red.
Even his breathing grew heavier.
He raised his head and looked forward—
Yet still saw nothing.
Not even sound.
Not even temperature.
The darkness before him wasn't merely visual.
It stripped away all five senses.
"Haah… haah…"
At that moment, the only things Guy could hear were his own breathing and heartbeat.
Nothing else existed.
Maybe… open another gate?
The thought briefly crossed his mind.
But he dismissed it immediately.
Opening another gate just to watch a fight—
And then lying in bed with muscle damage for two months?
Not worth it.
"As expected of the Second Hokage!"
"A technique like this… used so casually!"
Guy felt his blood burning with excitement.
"But… if that's the case…"
"That Uchiha boy…"
When he thought of Kai, worry briefly appeared on his face.
He wouldn't forget the mercy Kai had shown him.
"Big brother, be careful!"
"Second brother… be careful!"
"I can't see anything! I'm really blind now!"
On the streets of Konoha, Naruto, Sasuke, and the other children shouted anxiously.
Losing their vision so suddenly—
For them, it felt like the sky had collapsed.
Instinctively, they began to worry.
"Is… this really the legendary Second Hokage?"
"If the Second Hokage is already this strong… how powerful must the First Hokage be?"
"If that's the case… how could the Sand Village possibly stand equal with Konoha as one of the Five Great Villages?"
Temari swallowed hard.
She couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
With just this one technique—
The entire Sand Village would be wiped out if they faced it.
Unless someone could break it.
"But… how could anyone break it?"
She smiled bitterly.
The disdain she once felt toward Konoha vanished instantly.
This village had always been far stronger than it appeared.
Of course…
A small part of her felt relieved.
"Fortunately… Konoha always ends up destroying its own geniuses."
"Uchiha…"
"Without the Sharingan, what can you do?"
"In my darkness… eyes are nothing but decoration."
Tobirama's voice echoed softly.
Yet in the darkness it sounded ghostlike.
It came from every direction.
Each word made people's hearts tremble.
He would bury this Uchiha brat—
The one who dared kill his students—
In eternal darkness.
But just as he prepared to strike—
A light chuckle suddenly echoed within the darkness.
"Heh… so this is the Bringer of Darkness."
"It's actually quite impressive."
Kai's voice carried amusement.
Almost admiration.
Then he tilted his head slightly—
As if he could see straight through the thick darkness—
And looked directly toward Tobirama.
"But Lord Tobirama…"
"You seem a bit too pleased with yourself."
As he spoke—
Kai activated the black trait he had just created.
His eyes suddenly shone with a pure black light.
Not the crimson of the Sharingan.
Not the pale clarity of the Byakugan.
His pupils remained black—
But the whites of his eyes had turned black as well.
It was as though his entire gaze had merged with the darkness.
The next moment—
A deep, abyss-like black light flashed within his eyes.
Yin Release — Torturer (Black) activated.
Buzz.
As Yin Release chakra spread outward, Kai could clearly sense Tobirama's chakra lingering within the surrounding darkness.
Cold.
Gloomy.
Bone-chilling.
Yet compared to Kai's Yin Release—
It was inferior.
Kai's black chakra slowly seeped through the darkness.
It drifted silently.
Following the trail of chakra—
Toward the caster.
Drip.
Drip.
Time passed quietly.
The Yin Release chakra traveled through the darkness like threads.
And soon—
It found Tobirama.
"Ugh… AAAAH!!!"
A miserable scream suddenly echoed through the sky.
It was pain from the depths of the soul.
The torment of consciousness being violently pierced.
Even if someone drove a rod through Hashirama's skull—
He might not even frown.
But this—
This sensation was like countless red-hot needles.
Twisting.
Turning.
Drilling through the flesh.
Piercing all forty-eight thousand cells of the body.
Piercing the brain.
Piercing the soul itself.
Each needle was clear.
Each needle was slow.
It felt like an instant—
Yet also like an eternity.
Tobirama's technique collapsed instantly.
The Bringer of Darkness could no longer be sustained.
WHOOSH—
The thick darkness covering Konoha's center receded like a tide.
The shinobi of Konoha and the Sand Village reappeared like rocks revealed by retreating water.
"Finally… it's back…"
"Yeah… I almost opened the Seventh Gate!"
"Same here!"
Kakashi and the others sighed in relief.
As he prepared to pull his mask back up—
His eyes suddenly caught sight of something on a nearby rooftop.
There—
A man wearing blue-and-white armor was kneeling on one knee at the edge.
His hands clutched his head tightly.
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