The Demon Slayer Corps, the Konoha Security Team, and the ninja patrols stood tense, surrounding their target from all directions. It was a stalemate of power. Sasuke Uchiha glanced around, taking in the scene. It was clear—whether in the sky or on the earth, escape was impossible.
But that didn't matter to him. He had no intention of running. Sasuke was in control of the demon's body, and the original host's memories had been wiped clean when Sasuke took over. Even if they captured him, there was no threat of him revealing anything important. His secrets remained safely hidden within his mind.
He spread his legs, lowered his body slightly, and tapped his fists together in a subtle signal of readiness.
"Bring it on," he muttered with confidence.
Hiss—
A dozen sharp breaths echoed in unison as his enemies braced themselves. In the next instant, Sasuke was engulfed in a storm of attacks. Blades gleamed in the air, shadows flickered, and the Demon Slayers' Breathing Styles clashed with the ninja's jutsu. But Sasuke moved like a blur, too fast and too skilled to be caught by mere flashes of light.
---
Far away, in the cold and harsh Land of Iron, a shadow shifted beneath the frozen ground. Zetsu emerged, rising from the earth like a creeping specter. His eyes fixed on Obito Uchiha, who stood staring at a wall deep within his hidden base.
This wall was no ordinary structure. Tiny compartments filled with nutrient solution lined it, and suspended within those solutions were Sharingan—the stolen eyes of fallen Uchiha. These were the spoils of Obito's cruelty, taken from the night of the Uchiha Clan's massacre.
Zetsu's gaze flickered with unease as he observed Obito. Since Sasuke's climactic battle with Itachi, Obito had barely left this place. The fight between the two brothers had clearly left a mark on him. Though outwardly calm, Zetsu knew that Obito was obsessively thinking of ways to counter Sasuke's ever-growing power.
"Obito…" Zetsu muttered, his voice low, "since that battle, you've been holed up here. Do you think you stand a chance against him?"
Obito remained silent for a moment, his gaze locked on the rows of Sharingan. He knew the truth. Sasuke's power, especially now that he had surpassed his brother, Itachi, posed a direct threat to him. Sasuke's mastery of the Mangekyō Sharingan—his control over Amaterasu—was a dangerous weapon in itself. Combined with his rapidly growing eye power, Sasuke had become a foe even Obito couldn't underestimate.
"Kakashi and his Kamui technique may be strong," Zetsu continued, "but Sasuke's eye power is even more troublesome. He's already awakened the ability to control Amaterasu. If he figures out Kamui's weaknesses, you could lose."
Obito's expression hardened beneath his mask. "I know," he replied grimly. "Kamui is powerful, but it's not invincible. If Sasuke understands its limitations, it could mean my defeat."
He clenched his fist, turning away from the wall of eyes. "But I've made a decision."
Zetsu's eyes widened in curiosity. "A decision?"
"I'm going to reclaim my other Mangekyō Sharingan," Obito said with a voice filled with dark determination. "Only then will the power of the gods be complete."
Zetsu blinked in surprise. "Wait… you mean Kakashi's eye? If you take it back, Kakashi might figure out you're still alive! He'll alert Konoha, and they'll hunt you down."
A brief pause hung in the air, but Obito's answer was swift and cold. "Not if they think Sasuke did it. Konoha already views him as a threat. If Kakashi is attacked, the village will assume Sasuke is behind it. Let them turn on him. It'll buy us time to advance the plan."
Zetsu pondered the plan. It was clever. Sasuke's defection and growing power made him an easy scapegoat. Should Konoha suspect him, they'd be forced into a fight with their own former ally, distracting them from Obito's true motives.
And with the world still unaware of Itachi's death at Sasuke's hands, Konoha would have no idea of the shifts in power within the Uchiha remnants.
Back in Konoha, the battle raged on.
Sasuke's control over the demon's body was frightening. He was relentless, weaving through attacks from the Demon Slayers and the Konoha Security Team. Though they fought bravely, using all their skills and Breathing Styles, they were no match for Sasuke's terrifying power. Without the Nichirin Blades, the Demon Slayers' main advantage was gone. The beheading technique they relied on to slay demons was useless here.
But even more impressive was the sheer control Sasuke exhibited over the demon's abilities. Under his command, the body reached heights of power that the original host could never have achieved. His knowledge as a shinobi—his experience in battle—allowed him to draw out every ounce of strength from the demon's cells.
The result was chaos.
More than a dozen highly trained warriors surrounded him—Demon Slayers, security team members, and ninja alike—yet Sasuke remained unfazed. His blood demon arts, now enhanced with his Sharingan, were more destructive than anything they had faced. With a flick of his hand, he sent bursts of Amaterasu—black flames that burned everything in their path—toward his attackers. The battlefield erupted in a series of explosions, forcing the combatants to retreat in desperation.
Despite their best efforts, the Demon Slayers and Konoha forces were helpless. Sasuke's power was simply overwhelming. He didn't just hold his ground; he kept pushing, expanding the scope of the fight.
Block after block of the village was reduced to rubble. Buildings collapsed under the pressure of the fight, but thankfully, the residents had evacuated before the battle reached its peak. From a safe distance, the villagers watched in terror as their homes crumbled before their eyes, grateful that at least their families were unharmed. The Demon Slayer Corps had managed to delay the demon long enough for the evacuation, but it was clear that the destruction was far from over.
The number of ninjas gathering around increased rapidly. Many had come out of curiosity, eager to witness the power of the Demon Slayer Corps for themselves. But as they watched, their astonishment grew.
"They're... just as strong as we are," one of the ninjas muttered in disbelief. The Demon Slayers' physical strength was on par with the ninja, and though their attacks lacked the variety of jutsu, they wielded their swords with devastating efficiency.
"Yeah," another ninja added, his eyes wide. "But their techniques are too straightforward. They don't have the versatility of our jutsu."
Sasuke, hearing the whispers, smiled darkly. He could feel the awe, the fear, the disbelief. But it wouldn't matter. None of them stood a chance against him.
Amid the chaos, Sasuke's thoughts were clear: He would not be defeated. He would not allow anyone to stand in his way, not the Demon Slayers, not the Konoha forces, and certainly not Obito.
The war for ultimate power had only just begun.
(End of the chapter).