Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

Hiruko felt the overwhelming power of the incoming gaze in that instant.

The abundant power of the genjutsu almost pulled him into an illusion.

Noticing that his genjutsu hadn't worked, Shisui was also a bit surprised.

Up until now, after activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, only a very few individuals were able to resist his genjutsu and succeed in a direct confrontation.

For example, someone like Kagetsu, with his abundant Yin Release power and incredibly strong soul, could directly face his Mangekyō Sharingan without being affected by the genjutsu.

As Kagetsu once said, it's not that genjutsu doesn't work on him, but that the Mangekyō Sharingan is not strong enough to break through the mental protection he has set for himself.

Before the genjutsu took effect, it was like a fly caught in a spider's web—it would immediately alert Kagetsu, allowing him to take precautions.

Thus, it was very difficult to catch him off guard with genjutsu during a battle.

This meant that the former rogue ninja from Konoha standing before him also had considerable skill in genjutsu and was familiar with the Sharingan, knowing how to guard against the Uchiha's illusions.

"It's a good day today. First, I got the Explosive Release's prey, and now, another Uchiha walks right into my trap."

The clouds of rain had yet to dissipate, and Hiruko closed his eyes, reaching out to grab a bolt of golden lightning, turning it into a spear of thunder.

"The Fourth Hokage wants to see you."

Shisui's voice traveled through the rain, reaching Hiruko's ears from afar.

Just as Hiruko was about to attack, his figure paused, and the lightning in his hand was not thrown.

"The Fourth Hokage? Orochimaru? Hmph! What does he want?"

Having been a rogue ninja for many years, Hiruko still kept close track of Konoha's intelligence. After all, he was well aware of Konoha's power!

It wasn't until the start of the Third Great Ninja War, when Konoha had no time to care about him as a rogue ninja, that he had space to breathe under pursuit.

During this time, he quietly raised a few subordinates, perfected his forbidden techniques, and even hunted two Kekkei Genkai ninjas compatible with his forbidden jutsu.

He knew that the Third Hokage, who had ordered his assassination, had already stepped down, and even that man, Danzo from the Root, hadn't sent any ninjas to hunt him down for the past year.

As a former comrade who once desperately tried to catch up with them, wanting to avoid being left behind while researching and creating forbidden jutsu, Hiruko couldn't understand why Orochimaru would come after him.

Could it be because of old ties, wanting to forgive his defection and restore his identity as a Konoha ninja?

"The task given by the Hokage is for me to bring you to him, preferably alive," Shisui answered seriously.

"Boasting! Orochimaru and the others couldn't capture me back then. You're just a Uchiha!" Hiruko scoffed and attacked first.

Lightning Style: Thundercloud Wave!

Dark clouds partially covered Hiruko's body, and as he swung his arm, the lightning spear in his right hand suddenly appeared in front of Shisui, seemingly crossing space.

Although he had managed to escape from the Sannins before because they had intentionally held back, if his strength hadn't been enough, even if they did hold back, they could have easily captured him.

Ordinary Jonin wouldn't last even a few rounds against those three monsters, even if the three were intentionally going easy.

An Uchiha, even with some fame in the ninja world, how could he possibly compare to the Legendary Sannin?

The spear tip extended forward, but it didn't feel like it touched anything.

This strike felt like it was aimed at empty space.

Hiruko furrowed his brow slightly, his perception telling him that the Uchiha, who had been in this position, had disappeared from where he was.

The next moment, he sensed the Uchiha's presence again.

What made Hiruko frown even more was that the Uchiha's presence felt strange in his perception, as if it was everywhere in a certain area ahead, or rapidly flickering and moving.

Is it a Shadow Clone?

No, is it the Body Flicker Technique?

It doesn't seem like it!

The intense heat coming from the front was instantly detected by his senses. It felt like someone had suddenly thrown a sun in front of him, causing Hiruko's senses to wildly alert him.

It's Fire Style ninjutsu!

With his eyes closed, Hiruko immediately recognized what the intense heat in front of him was. From the heat and the threat in his senses, it was at least a B-rank Fire Style jutsu.

But the Uchiha are known for their expertise in Fire Style and Genjutsu.

Hiruko's empty left hand stretched forward, and two diamond-shaped marks appeared on his palm.

The intense flames quickly faded as they were devoured by the diamond marks on his palm.

But the next moment, a stronger sense of danger, along with a slight whistling sound from cutting air, reached Hiruko's ears.

His expression changed, and electric sparks like branches suddenly erupted from his body, extending outward from his center.

Sizzle!

The dense electric sparks formed a net, protecting Hiruko's body. Several spinning shurikens were caught by the electric net. For a moment, they were blocked, but Hiruko quickly dodged them.

Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Claw Red!

Shurikens and kunai wrapped in flames were thrown to cause double damage to the enemy.

If Hiruko hadn't reacted quickly enough, even after absorbing the flames, he would have been caught off guard by the shurikens hidden in the fire.

"A technique that can absorb ninjutsu?"

Shisui also saw Hiruko absorb the flames on the shurikens and had a guess in his mind.

To confirm this and test the limit of the technique, he quickly made hand signs with both hands and released a powerful jutsu focused on damage along with his shadow clone.

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Though it's also B-rank like Phoenix Fire Claw Red, Great Dragon Fire focuses more on attack power and accuracy.

Shisui's precise chakra control and high proficiency with this jutsu would burn the enemy to ashes if it hit.

"Ninjutsu is meaningless to me!"

Hiruko raised his hand and devoured over a dozen flame dragons, then, in an instant, aimed his palm towards Shisui's direction.

"Here, it's for you!"

With his words, a catastrophic burst of flames shot out, covering the area where Shisui was and continuously bombing it.

The rising hot air from the flames caused the rainclouds in the sky to grow thicker and spread wider, which in turn boosted Hiruko's Wind Release technique.

After the flame dragons were unleashed, Hiruko didn't stop. He immediately threw his Thunder Spear toward the position of Shisui, which he sensed.

Boom!

Debris flew everywhere.

Even the Legendary Sannin would be heavily injured or killed if they were unable to dodge such a powerful attack.

But Hiruko felt that Shisui's presence didn't weaken at all.

In fact, it grew even stronger.

Through his senses, he could feel Shisui's power rising at a speed he couldn't understand, reaching a level that made him feel a chill of fear.

A shadow suddenly covered his heart, and an uneasy feeling of something bad to come crept up on him.

****

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