Just as everyone was still in shock, the knight's spear held by Susano'o swept across.
With the sound of several screams and the cracking of bones, a few members of the Kaguya clan were sent flying.
"Kill!!"
This brought the Uchiha members back to their senses—now was no time for spectatorship, this was war.
They rushed at the enemy with loud battle cries.
A new round of fighting began.
The difference now was that Uchiha's morale was soaring, while Kaguya's had plummeted—the once ferocious clan could no longer maintain their ferocity.
In the face of overwhelming strength, all their efforts were in vain.
After a simple cleanup of the battlefield, Takuya deactivated Susano'o and didn't continue attacking, leaving the remaining enemies to the Uchiha to deal with.
Kaguya Hōmei was half-dead, and with a few of the jounin specifically taken out by Takuya, the remaining Kaguya ninjas stood no chance against the Uchiha.
A one-sided battle ensued.
The Uchiha only needed to do one simple thing—chase down their terrified enemies.
"Why do I feel like your eyes are a little different?"
Uchiha Fugaku did not join the pursuit; instead, he stayed behind, looking at Takuya suspiciously.
He also had the Mangekyo Sharingan, but somehow he felt that his Mangekyo and Takuya's were not on the same level. Was it just his imagination?
And using Susano'o like this—was Takuya not worried about the strain on his vision?
Uchiha Fugaku himself had yet to master Susano'o.
Beyond wanting to keep it hidden and avoid letting others know he had awakened the Mangekyo, the cost of using Susano'o was quite high, with significant strain on one's vision.
Of course, mine is the Eternal Mangekyo, while yours is just a regular Mangekyo. How could they be the same?
"The Sharingan reflects the heart. Its shape and abilities change based on the inner thoughts of its wielder. Even Susano'o's color, appearance, and weapons vary because of this. You, as the Uchiha clan leader, shouldn't need me to explain this, right?"
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Fugaku's face reddened slightly, and he quickly changed the topic:
"Then, what about the strain on your vision...?"
Fugaku really wanted to ask, "Aren't you afraid of going blind?"
He decided to change his wording to something less blunt.
He wanted to learn everything about the Mangekyo Sharingan; his understanding of it was still limited.
"It's alright. The strain is far less than the one you experience when using your eye to see future events. As long as it's controlled within certain limits, it's not too severe. Overuse without restraint, however, will lead to excessive exhaustion."
Strain on the eyes?
That strain can be recovered gradually; I'm Yagami Takuya, not you, Uchiha Fugaku.
You're the one who should be careful!
Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't even see your son grow up before you go blind.
Takuya had to admit, he was impressed by Fugaku's decision to use his Mangekyo to see the future.
Such a power was undoubtedly impressive, but it also meant a significant cost.
The Mangekyo is not the Eternal Mangekyo, and replenishing the lost vision is incredibly difficult.
And yet, Fugaku had rushed to use it.
It seemed Sasuke's inclination towards reckless behavior might not have been entirely his fault—the genes did come from Uchiha Fugaku, after all.
This burden couldn't be blamed solely on Indra.
"Is that so?"
Fugaku pondered for a moment before asking:
"Then, about your eyes..."
Aren't your questions becoming a bit intrusive?
Takuya looked up at him.
Seeing Takuya's warning gaze, Fugaku finally quieted down.
With the battle drawing to a close, the Uchiha had lost six members, and thirteen others were injured, but they had emerged victorious.
Such casualties were inevitable.
When facing a group of people willing to fight to the death, even Uchiha's ninjas were liable to lose their composure.
If it weren't for Takuya eliminating many enemies, the number of casualties would have been higher.
As per usual, the bodies of the fallen were collected and sealed in scrolls for burial once they returned to the village.
The injured received treatment, while others either rested or stood watch.
"This battle's casualties are quite significant."
Uchiha Mikoto had a heavy heart. Though this was a victory, the deaths of her clan members saddened her.
Takuya held Mikoto close and comforted her softly:
"This is already a good outcome. There's no such thing as a bloodless war."
"I know, I just feel uncomfortable."
Mikoto explained.
Despite her gentle demeanor, Mikoto was a formidable fighter on the battlefield, with a high body count.
"I understand."
People are social creatures, and these were her clansmen after all. With her personality, it was only natural for Mikoto to feel grief when they fell in battle.
Takuya nodded, then reminded her:
"Once everything is sorted out, release the messenger hawk and send the report back to the camp. Let's see what orders come next. If we are to hold this position, reinforcements will be necessary."
Most of the survivors were injured.
If no reinforcements arrived, Takuya would have no qualms about questioning Orochimaru's judgment.
You can push me hard, but don't treat me like an old workhorse.
That's my limit.
Hearing this, Mikoto seemed a bit hesitant:
"But for the report..."
"Just write it truthfully."
After saying that, Takuya closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
Once, he had to hide his Mangekyo as a trump card.
Now, there was no need.
Even if the higher-ups were still a threat, Takuya wouldn't take them seriously.
The time for caution had passed; now, he was no longer afraid of their scheming.
"Alright."
Since Takuya didn't mind revealing the Mangekyo, Mikoto stopped dwelling on it. She stood up to write the report and prepare it for the camp to see how Orochimaru would respond.
Soon, the messenger hawk took off, carrying the scroll towards the shoreline camp.
The shoreline camp was still as busy as ever, with ninjas coming and going on various missions.
Patrol and reconnaissance teams frequently left, and wounded were brought in for treatment, while others returned with the bodies of their fallen comrades.
The command center was the busiest part of the camp.
As the commander, Orochimaru personally handled all the affairs of the camp.
Jiraiya, that scoundrel!!
He said he'd stay in the Land of Whirlpools and didn't take a single step outside.
The thought of Jiraiya made Orochimaru want to curse. That fool couldn't even be bothered to help out a little.
The sheer volume of daily affairs was overwhelming, and even a glory-seeker like Orochimaru found himself struggling to keep up over time.
"Sir, a scroll from the direction of the Land of Bears."
Orochimaru immediately put down the documents he was reading, deciphered the code on the scroll, and quickly read through it.
"Yagura dares to play this game, huh?"
Reading the beginning, and realizing that Yagura had sent the Kaguya clan to stir up trouble for Takuya in the Land of Bears, Orochimaru knew that Yagura was about to shoot himself in the foot.
With Takuya and several dozen Uchiha members there, even if they were few in number, they were not something the Kaguya clan could challenge.
It seemed the news was good.
Seeing Orochimaru's slight smile, and hearing his chuckle, Nara Shikaku, who sported dark circles under his eyes, finally relaxed.
He had been worried that there might be bad news from the Land of Bears, which would spell major trouble.
———
I will give you four hours to reach 1000 power stones, work if you want those five juicy chapters.