The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 368 An Unexpected Enemy, Hiruko!

The fully formed Susanoo, over two hundred meters tall, rapidly dissipated into specks of fluorescent light in the air.

Uchiha Sasuke staggered back two steps, the blade of the Kusanagi sword deeply embedded in the soil, supporting his swaying body.

Cold sweat slid down his pale cheeks, and every breath was accompanied by a tearing pain.

He had just awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan when he forcibly activated the Complete Susanoo, and his whole body was burning with pain, as if countless fine needles were repeatedly piercing him.

The crimson Mangekyou Sharingan still gleamed with an eerie light, yet it brought excruciating pain.

He bit his lower lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in his mouth, barely managing to suppress a groan of pain.

For him, who had just awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Complete Susanoo was already a technique far beyond his capacity. Every second he maintained it, his eyeballs felt like they were about to burst from the sheer amount of chakra.

Fortunately, the Yin Nine-Tails was sealed within him, and its chakra was flowing slowly through his meridians, like a cool stream nourishing parched land, quickly repairing his overdrawn body.

Of course, the small portion of Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines he inherited from his father, Uchiha Mitsunaga, prevented him from experiencing the common predicament of declining eyesight that ordinary Uchiha suffer after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Even so, the excruciating pain in my eyes persisted.

"call……"

Sasuke breathed heavily, wiping away tears and sweat from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, his Mangekyou Sharingan still straining to scan his surroundings.

The weakness from excessive chakra depletion made him tremble all over, but he dared not relax for a moment.

The battlefield is not yet calm, and no one knows if there are still hidden enemies.

Just then, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the dense forest at the edge of the resettlement site!

It was a man wearing a black trench coat, the hood covering most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline and a pair of eyes that gleamed with greed.

His figure was incredibly fast, almost turning into a blurry, inky afterimage as he moved, as if even light was being torn apart by his speed.

Ever since witnessing the earth-shattering battle between Pain and the three Uchiha clans on the border of the Land of Fire, and seeing the terrifying power unleashed by the Mangekyou Sharingan, Hiruko has developed an almost obsessive fascination with those eyes.

He spent his entire life pursuing a powerful bloodline limit, and the allure of the Mangekyou Sharingan made him willing to risk his life to infiltrate various battlefields, all in order to find a suitable "vessel".

When he sensed the intense chakra fluctuations coming from the border, he happened to see Sasuke's complete Susanoo. The blue chakra body and the scarlet Mangekyou Sharingan instantly ignited the desire in his heart.

"It's you, you Uchiha brat! Heh heh!"

Hiruko's voice carried a hint of manic excitement as he activated Swift Escape to its limit, leaving several overlapping afterimages in the air, making it almost impossible to track his true trajectory.

His goal was clear: to capture Sasuke alive and seize his newly awakened Mangekyou Sharingan, which still retained some of its power!

Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan suddenly contracted, but even with the intense pain in his eyes and blurred vision, the Sharingan's perception remained sharp.

The instant Hiruko moved, he caught sight of the ridiculously fast black shadow, and his heart sank: "Such speed..."

Almost instinctively, Sasuke's hands rapidly formed hand seals, the Yin Nine-Tails' chakra frantically intertwining with his remaining chakra. Even with the burning pain in his meridians and the swelling in his eyes, he paid no heed: "Lightning Release: Cell Activation!"

An electric current instantly enveloped his entire body, tiny electric snakes coursing along his skin, stimulating every cell on the verge of exhaustion.

Lightning Release chakra not only enhances attack power, but also activates all the body's cells in a short period of time, greatly improving reaction speed and movement speed.

Sasuke's figure suddenly blurred as he rushed out to meet Hiruko's sudden attack, his speed several times faster than before, barely keeping up with the swift afterimage.

"Oh? You can actually keep up with my speed?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Hiruko's eyes, quickly turning into an even stronger greed: "As expected of an Uchiha who has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, eyes like these are worthy of me!"

Two figures clashed and fought on the ground at such a speed that onlookers could not see their movements clearly; they could only see two afterimages, one black and one white, constantly colliding and separating.

Sasuke barely managed to evade Hiruko's several surprise attacks thanks to the predictive abilities of his Mangekyou Sharingan.

The opponent's attacks were cunning and ruthless, each strike aimed directly at his eyes, with a faint trace of chakra at their fingertips, clearly indicating their intention to capture him alive and steal his Sharingan.

"Clang!"

The Kusanagi sword clashed violently with the short sword in Hiruko's hand, sparking dazzling sparks. The enormous impact made Sasuke's arm go numb, and the backlash from his unstable chakra made him feel a sweet taste in his throat, almost spitting out blood.

Even worse, the vibration from the impact traveled down the arm to the eyes, making the already painful eyes feel like they had been hit by a heavy hammer, and the vision went black instantly.

He used the momentum to retreat several meters, creating distance between himself and Hiruko. His lightning-encased body trembled slightly, his breathing became increasingly rapid, and the light of his Mangekyou Sharingan dimmed a bit.

"Kid, your chakra is almost depleted, isn't it?"

Hiruko saw through Sasuke's predicament and smiled mockingly: "Uchiha Sasuke, your eyes... must hurt a lot, right? Using such a massive Susanoo must be quite uncomfortable, isn't it?"

Sasuke didn't speak, but gritted his teeth, his crimson Mangekyou Sharingan locked onto his opponent.

He could feel his chakra rapidly draining away, the effects of cell activation gradually weakening, and the pain in his eyes becoming increasingly intense.

He subconsciously looked towards Naruto's direction. Sakura had already been carried to a safe area by medical ninjas, and Naruto was rushing towards him, golden chakra flowing around him. He had obviously noticed the changes happening here, but he was still too far away to provide support in time.

In this desperate situation, Sasuke's eyes grew increasingly cold and resolute.

He gripped the Kusanagi sword tightly, and the chakra of the Nine-Tails surged once more, flowing along his meridians to his eyes, temporarily suppressing some of the excruciating pain.

Pale blue chakra and purple lightning intertwined on the sword, forming a sharp halo. Even with little chakra left, he would never surrender easily.

"If you want to catch me, you'll have to get past my Kusanagi Sword first!"

Hiruko sneered, his figure blurring into afterimages once more. He unleashed his Swift Release to its fullest extent, leaving only a black trail in the air as he charged straight towards Sasuke: "Stubborn fool! Then don't blame me for being impolite!"

Sasuke took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the intense pain in his eyes, and activated his Mangekyou Sharingan at full power, predicting Hiruko's movement trajectory.

"clang......!"

In the distance, Naruto's figure drew closer, his shouts echoing in their direction: "Sasuke... hang in there... I'm coming to help!"