Because he was wary of the side effects brought by Mangekyō Sharingan techniques, ever since awakening it, Uchiha Ren had almost never used its abilities.
Aside from briefly testing the effects of his two ocular powers—and the Susanoo he displayed during the Uchiha clan assembly—he had refrained from relying on his Mangekyō.
The Mangekyō technique residing in Ren 's left eye was called Ama-no-Iwato.
It was a technique that acted upon himself.
In Japanese mythology, Ama-no-Iwato was the cave where Amaterasu, the sun goddess, once hid herself—symbolizing a darkness that devours all existence.
Its ability was deceptively simple:
To conceal Uchiha Ren 's very existence.
Once Ren activated Ama-no-Iwato, his existence would be shifted into a different dimensional state.
Everyone in the real world would:
Fail to see himFail to hear himEven forget any memories related to him
This state would persist until Ren used chakra, launched an attack, or voluntarily cancelled the technique.
The Mangekyō technique residing in Ren 's right eye was called Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto.
Unlike Ama-no-Iwato, this ability targeted others.
In mythology, Ame-no-Uzume was the goddess of dance and celebration—the one who lured Amaterasu out of the cave by performing a joyful dance.
Accordingly, the ability of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto was the exact opposite of Ama-no-Iwato.
Instead of erasing Ren 's presence—
It forced the target to ignore everything else and focus solely on Ren 's existence.
It could be interpreted as drawing attention… or provoking an irresistible taunt.
Both of these ocular abilities were support-type Mangekyō techniques.
In the wrong hands, they might seem useless.
But when used properly, they could decide the outcome of an entire battle.
"Ama-no-Iwato!"
A line of blood-tears streamed from Ren 's left eye as he activated the Mangekyō ability within it.
Immediately, the surrounding Kumogakure shinobi—including A—froze in confusion.
Their hands lowered.
Their eyes filled with bewilderment.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What was I doing?
Looking at the empty space before them and their own combat stances, every Kumogakure ninja felt the same question arise in their minds.
What had they been doing just now?
Meanwhile—
Ren calmly walked past one Kumogakure shinobi after another, completely ignored, until he arrived directly in front of A.
He took a deep breath.
Then he swung his blade.
One-Sword Style: Torch Flame!
The instant Zanka no Tachi swung—
A and the surrounding Kumogakure ninja suddenly trembled as all memories related to Ren returned.
But it was already too late.
A massive pillar of fire erupted into a raging tornado, engulfing A's towering body.
The flames roared.
A let out a painful scream.
Even though Lightning Release Chakra Mode, known as the Raikage's strongest armor, granted tremendous defense—
Under the scorching heat of thousands—甚至 tens of thousands—of degrees, that defense began to collapse piece by piece.
After several seconds, the flames finally dissipated.
A's body was charred black.
His eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Ren inwardly felt a hint of regret.
If powerful chakra fluctuations didn't force him out of Ama-no-Iwato, that strike could have burned A into ashes instantly instead of merely severely injuring him.
But it didn't matter.
Without A holding him back, the remaining Kumogakure shinobi posed no real threat.
"Now it's your turn."
Ren turned to face the surrounding Kumogakure ninja.
The flaming blade of Zanka no Tachi traced a downward arc, leaving a burning trail that cast his body in shadow.
Only the crimson glow of his Sharingan shone clearly.
A terrifying aura erupted from Ren 's body.
The surrounding Kumogakure shinobi showed expressions of pure fear, their bodies trembling involuntarily.
Sharingan — Conqueror's Aura!
Thud… thud…
Under the overwhelming pressure of Ren 's presence, many Kumogakure ninja with weaker wills lost all desire to fight, collapsing to the ground.
However, some shinobi managed to endure the pressure.
A few even ignited with stronger determination.
"Kill him! Fight him with everything we've got!"
"Take revenge for Lord Raikage!"
"Even if we die, we'll take a piece of him with us!"
The remaining Kumogakure shinobi charged toward Ren .
His aura was too terrifying.
If they hesitated any longer, they feared they might lose the will to fight entirely.
Ren 's expression remained unchanged.
With a casual slash, he released a massive flame blade that instantly incinerated the frontmost attackers.
Then his figure blurred as he vanished from sight, dodging several incoming ninjutsu before plunging directly into the enemy ranks.
"Next… I'll finish you all in one move."
Landing among the Kumogakure shinobi, Ren swept his cold gaze across the hundred or so enemies still standing.
He pushed the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit to its absolute limit.
"Watch out! Don't give him time to complete his technique!"
One Kumogakure ninja sensed danger and quickly launched an attack.
"Spread out! Don't let him trap us!"
Another correctly guessed Ren was preparing a large-scale destructive technique, ordering everyone to retreat.
But Ren ignored the incoming attacks.
"Great Flame Commandment…"
Lowering his body, he stabbed Zanka no Tachi into the ground.
Spiraling rings of fire erupted outward from Ren 's position, expanding rapidly in all directions.
Many Kumogakure ninja who failed to escape in time were instantly caught within the flames.
At the same time, the incoming ninjutsu were blasted away.
Within moments, the battlefield for hundreds of meters was engulfed in blazing fire.
Ren rose slowly and pointed Zanka no Tachi toward the sky.
The Great Flame Commandment had merely been preparation.
Now came the true killing blow.
Ren swung his blade, drawing the surrounding flames into a massive vortex of fire.
A powerful suction force erupted, dragging many Kumogakure shinobi into the swirling inferno.
Even those who managed to maintain their footing found their movements restricted.
Standing at the center of the fiery vortex, Ren waited until the flames had completely condensed.
Then he swung his blade downward with full force.
Fire Release Secret Art — Fire Dance Whirlwind: Heaven and Earth Same Longevity!
The enormous fire tornado froze for a brief instant—
Then it violently expanded outward.
With unstoppable force, the blazing storm swept across the battlefield.
Everything it touched turned to ashes.
After a single attack—
The area within one thousand meters became a scorched wasteland.
In the entire devastated battlefield, only Uchiha Ren remained standing.
Ren breathed slightly heavier as he tightened his grip on Zanka no Tachi.
Then he turned his gaze toward the distant Kikyō Mountain Fortress, partially hidden behind the Flame Wall.
From that direction—
The sound of battle still thundered across the battlefield.
The war was far from over.
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