With a loud explosion, the smoke slowly dissipated, revealing two massive palms in front of the assembled ninjas. These were the result of Choza Akimichi's Partial Expansion Jutsu.
As his hand returned to its normal size, Choza's face twisted in pain, and his arm appeared misshapen—his bones were broken. And this was just from blocking the force of Shin's punch's shockwave. Had the full force of Shin's punch landed, Choza would have been left with shattered bones and mangled flesh.
At this moment, two Anbu agents launched an attack simultaneously. One of them activated his Sharingan, the three-tomoe pattern spinning as multiple shadowy figures surged forward, each striking at Shin from different angles.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The Third Hokage, his face solemn, instantly created multiple shadow clones, preparing to unleash a powerful jutsu.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Wood Release: Tree Bind Flourishing Burial!"
The rest of the ninjas attacked without hesitation. Each was at least at an elite Jonin level, and their coordinated assault was enough to make even a Kage-level opponent scramble.
Watching the oncoming barrage of jutsu, Shin smirked. "This seems like the perfect chance to test that jutsu."
His eyes shifted to a vivid red as the Mangekyō pattern spun within them.
"Susanoo!"
From the ground rose a towering, pitch-black giant. Though Shin's eyes appeared to hold only the Mangekyō Sharingan, its power was equivalent to that of the Rinnegan, enabling him to summon an almost-complete Susanoo with ease.
Not only that, Shin's Susanoo was layered with his Armament Haki. Given his mastery of haki, cloaking a full-sized Susanoo might normally be an exhausting feat, yet the Susanoo's nature as an extension of his will minimized the toll.
The mass of ninjutsu slammed into Susanoo's massive body, the spells appearing to be nothing more than fleeting sparks. It was as if the ninjas merely gave the giant a superficial polish.
"This... this is impossible!"
The Anbu, who had used Great Fire Annihilation, and two other Uchiha ninjas gasped in shock.
"Susanoo? That's really Susanoo, but how?"
"Even among the Uchiha, those who awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan struggle to summon a full-body Susanoo, yet this one..."
For most Uchiha, a half-body Susanoo was roughly seven or eight meters tall, and a full-body Susanoo maxed out at around seventeen or eighteen meters. The strain from using such a technique often meant their eyesight would deteriorate quickly. Generally, an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan could barely fight for a few minutes with a full-body Susanoo before suffering severe repercussions, including blindness.
Yet Shin seemed unaffected, and his Susanoo was nearly twice the height of a typical full-body version. Knowing the limits of a standard Mangekyō Sharingan, the Uchiha ninjas were baffled.
"I see! You must also be an Uchiha! Who are you?" one Uchiha ninja exclaimed, a wild fervor in his eyes. "The Sharingan of the Uchiha truly is the most powerful force in the world!"
The other Konoha ninjas cast odd looks at him, and the Third Hokage's expression hardened in frustration. Given his behavior, Shin could probably tempt him, and this Uchiha ninja might surrender right there.
Not only that, but another Uchiha ninja nearby looked equally convinced. "Indeed, this is the only explanation! He must be one of us!"
"What are these Uchiha ninjas even thinking?" Guy muttered, dumbfounded.
Even the usually straightforward Guy was taken aback by the peculiar behavior of the Uchiha clan.
"I have no idea. Obito once told me that many in his clan had... issues," Kakashi said with an exasperated look. "I always thought he was exaggerating—after all, Obito has his quirks. But now, it seems he might have had a point."
"What are you two talking about? This is our enemy!"
The youngest Uchiha Anbu finally intervened, his voice sounding relatively young, likely only thirteen or fourteen years old.
Observing the Uchiha ninjas' absurd behavior, Shin turned his attention to the young Uchiha Anbu.
"That technique just now, combined with such a refined Body Flicker Jutsu…" Shin mused, shifting his gaze. "So, this must be Uchiha Shisui, 'Shisui of the Body Flicker,' known for his loyalty to Konoha."
Shin believes that once members of the Uchiha clan awaken the Sharingan, they often become more paranoid or obsessive.
This tendency was particularly strong in those who attained the Mangekyō Sharingan. Figures like Obito, Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke, and Madara each displayed a distinct intensity or single-mindedness, though they channeled it in different directions.
Then, Shin turned his gaze to the Third Hokage, standing below with a look of resignation.
"So, were you planning to use the Reaper Death Seal against me, Third Hokage?" he remarked. "But it seems the seal has a range limit, and since I'm here atop Susanoo, you wouldn't be able to reach me."
'Well then, let's test the true power of this Susanoo. For now, I'll use it with Armament Haki. I can also try adding the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit later.'
With a mere thought, Shin's Susanoo extended its massive hand, materializing a long samurai blade using chakra.
The weapon wasn't something Shin preferred, and his swordsmanship skills were rudimentary. However, in terms of raw power, it would more than suffice.
It's like Whitebeard and Big Mom; despite their lack of finesse with swords, few could withstand the sheer force of their strikes.
Raising Susanoo's colossal blade effortlessly, Shin made a swift, seemingly casual slash. Though the action felt light, the impact was like the earth had been cleaved in two.
With a resounding crash, Shin's attack carved a deep ravine that extended several kilometers, as far as the eye could see, seeming to reach the very horizon.