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The Sharingan is an eye that reflects the soul.
The techniques produced by the Mangekyō Sharingan are also influenced by this reflection.
After avenging his deep grudge, Uchiha Zankai, filled with satisfaction, focused his concerns on his family, clan, and village.
He needed power to protect them.
Thus, his Mangekyō Sharingan techniques included the fortified Susanoo to shield his village and the weaponized Futsunomitama for defensive combat.
When Uchiha Izumi saw Uchiha Itachi fall completely, she felt no particular joy.
She was simply puzzled.
Puzzled as to why Itachi had become like this; puzzled by the demise of the long-standing Uchiha clan; puzzled as to why her innocent family and clan members had met such a tragic end.
If it were possible, she wished it was all an illusion, that she could go back and change everything.
Hence, one of Izumi's Mangekyō abilities was Time Rewind, allowing her to alter reality and return to the past.
As for her other unused eye technique, it was Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu that created an illusionary world, much like Itachi's.
Fortified Susanoo and Futsunomitama.
Tsukuyomi and Time Rewind.
These were the Mangekyō Sharingan abilities of Zankai and Izumi.
Compared to Zankai's bold and powerful use of his eye techniques, Izumi's subtlety allowed her to resolve the battle with only a single technique.
Of course, part of this was due to the information leak on Hidan and the disparity in strength between him and Kakuzu.
At this moment, though Hidan was decapitated, he was still alive and well.
"Hey, hey, hey! You wicked woman! It's bad enough you played dirty, but you had to chop off my head! Don't you know chopping someone's head hurts? And you tossed me on this filthy ground with no regard! There's even a bug crawling on my face!"
"Quick! Kill it for me!"
Hidan's eyes glared at Izumi as he continued his endless complaints.
Izumi was astounded.
"Although the intelligence mentioned this, it's still unbelievable to see it in person."
At present, Hidan's head was as lively as ever, and his headless body had stood up and was wandering aimlessly.
Hidan's head directed his body:
"Over here! Over here! You idiot! You're facing the wrong way!"
"Huh? I think I just insulted myself."
"No, I can't help it. I have to say it!"
"A little to the left… walk forward… ah! How are you this dumb? I can't teach you anything!"
Watching this scene, Izumi couldn't help but mutter to herself:
"Is this even human?"
Hidan heard her and looked irritated, saying, "How can you insult me? Of course, I'm human! It's a blessing from the Great God that I'm like this.
"How about it? Are you tempted? Join the faith, and you might receive the same gift!" Hidan tried to persuade her.
Izumi shook her head.
Every forbidden technique comes at a price.
She wasn't foolish enough to listen to Hidan's nonsense.
Izumi walked up, tossed a rope around Hidan's wandering headless body to restrain it, then lifted his head and tied it to her waist.
"Wait! This is humiliating! At least attach my head back to my body."
"If you can't do that, could you at least hold my head a bit higher? It's so disrespectful to talk down to someone!"
"Mmff...mmff…"
This was Izumi's first encounter with such a noisy opponent, and the sight of a talking head was just too bizarre.
Unable to endure it, she took an empty scroll and stuffed it into Hidan's mouth.
Finally, there was silence.
Izumi let out a sigh of relief.
Afterward, she gazed in the direction she had come from.
"Is the battle not over yet?" Izumi murmured, frowning slightly, before heading toward Zankai, dragging Hidan's bound body and carrying his head with her.
Meanwhile, on Zankai and Kakuzu's battlefield...
The massive Susanoo had dispersed, and Zankai appeared somewhat fatigued.
Even so, facing Kakuzu, who was now left with only a Fire mask creature, he still held a significant advantage.
However, at that moment, Kakuzu was holding the vulnerable Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails, making Zankai hesitant to act.
After obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan, Zankai was already within the inner circle of Hagoromo Gensou and somewhat familiar with his plans.
Opposition wasn't an option.
Without Lord Hagoromo, he wouldn't be who he was now.
Moreover, the Shinobi World, led by the Five Great Shinobi Villages, was hostile toward unexpected disruptors like them.
With Uchiha's pride, there was no thought of retreat.
On the contrary, to oppose the world was a source of pride for the Uchiha.
Just as they believed that Lord Gensou would lead them to avenge their past grievances...
Now, they similarly believed that he would guide them to ultimate victory.
Thus...
Zankai looked toward the unconscious Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
If the Jinchūriki were killed, the Five-Tails would vanish and take years to resurrect.
Frowning, he held back from attacking recklessly.
Seeing this, Kakuzu didn't make any sudden moves either.
His initial plan for the Jinchūriki was twofold.
First, to extract the heart to regain his second life; second, to provoke the Tailed Beast inside and use the distraction to escape.
However, before he could decide, he noticed Zankai hesitating, evidently uncertain about attacking.
The experienced Kakuzu immediately guessed the reason, and thus the two entered a stalemate.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Hidan to return.
While Hidan didn't seem remarkable on the surface, his Cursed Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood could kill anyone.
In a shinobi battle, injuries and blood loss were common, and no one paid much attention to bleeding.
Even with the powerful Mangekyō Sharingan, if one were injured, the outcome was inevitable.
Having partnered with Hidan, Kakuzu had witnessed many formidable opponents fall to his technique, and he was confident in turning the tables with Hidan's help.
Soon, footsteps echoed in the distance.
Zankai and Kakuzu looked over.
The former smiled.
Kakuzu, without a Sharingan, reacted a bit slower.
A few moments later, upon seeing Uchiha Izumi and the head of Hidan dangling from her waist, which was making faces at him, Kakuzu's expression darkened as he muttered:
"Useless fool."
"Pffft!"
After several attempts, Hidan finally spat out the scroll in his mouth and turned to Kakuzu with equal disappointment:
"Kakuzu, I trusted you! I was counting on you to reattach my head. How could you be so useless? You look like you're about to die!"
Kakuzu ignored the now useless Hidan.
Faced with two Uchiha, he abandoned the idea of seizing a heart and instead resolved to trigger the Tailed Beast's rampage.
Just as he prepared to act and Zankai and Izumi stepped forward to intervene...
A sudden holographic projection emerged from the Akatsuki rings on Kakuzu and Hidan's headless body.
"Leader?"
"Boss?"
Kakuzu and Hidan were instantly taken aback.
(End of Chapter)
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