Chapter 304: The Sharingan Reflected on the Moon
Hikari didn't voice her suspicions, merely mentioning Tamako in passing before shifting the conversation.
"If you want access to the Tsukuyomi Space, you'll need to master the techniques for creating an illusionary space. That's something I can't help you with. Your ocular powers are already set, and transferring Tsukuyomi requires the ability to engrave ocular techniques—a skill I don't have."
Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were Mangekyō techniques forcibly engraved upon her by her clan. Hikari lacked the knowledge to perform such engravings herself.
After all, she had never desired this kind of power, nor did she wish to endure the pain of engraving ocular abilities.
The Mangekyō's abilities were deeply tied to the individual's spirit and will. Engraving someone else's ocular powers would mean experiencing the agony they endured to awaken the Mangekyō—a despair so overwhelming it could shatter one's mind.
"That's not your concern," Obito said flatly. "I have my own way. Your former superior has the necessary technology. If I want Tsukuyomi, having you as a sample will suffice to get him to perform the engraving."
He continued, his tone calm. "Besides, to create an illusionary space, Tsukuyomi isn't strictly necessary. Madara has already passed down such techniques."
Back when he had his final conversation with the elder Madara before his death, it had been in an illusionary space. Creating a space he could control wasn't particularly difficult.
If Obito wanted, he could even develop an ocular power equivalent to Limited Tsukuyomi.
Hikari: "…"
Recalling Orochimaru's genius, Hikari didn't doubt Obito's claim.
If it was Orochimaru, it wouldn't be surprising for him to study her body and uncover the secrets of ocular technique engraving.
As for Madara's illusionary techniques… someone capable of evolving the Sharingan into the Rinnegan was bound to have mastered genjutsu beyond her imagination.
"I can give you a chance," Hikari said, her eyes flashing with killing intent. "I'll grant you partial control over the illusionary space, but you must do something for me."
"Say it." Obito caught the murderous glint in her eyes and responded coldly, "Who do you want dead?"
"Help me annihilate the Uchiha. How about that?"
Hikari's Sharingan activated, her crimson eyes glowing eerily as she gazed at Obito. "Join me in slaughtering our clan. Can you do it?"
"I killed Rin. Why not them?"
Obito sneered and turned toward the door. "Once the plan begins, some of the Mangekyō users might survive. If they enter this space, leave them to me. As for those already caught in the illusionary world, they're yours to deal with."
As Obito opened the door and left, Hikari looked out the window toward the sky.
Everything was ready—only the final push remained.
In two days, under the full moon, it would all begin.
…
Night fell, and beneath the blood-red moon, chaos reigned.
Screams, clashes, and roars merged into a cacophony of despair and bloodshed.
Blades shattered in explosions, scattering fragments in all directions.
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere—not from one or two people, nor even a dozen, but from hundreds of shinobi who had been caught up in a merciless massacre by chance.
The deadly combination of ninjutsu and advanced scientific ninja tools tore through lives like the scythe of death itself.
On another nearby battlefield, hundreds of armored shinobi unleashed miniature bombs, each as powerful as explosive tags.
Under the relentless barrage, the ninjas couldn't even remember how to fight. Their bodies were ripped apart, arms and legs disintegrating in the explosions, while severed limbs flew through the air.
Even those who had managed to stay further back couldn't escape the shockwaves. The invisible force slammed them to the ground, shattering their ribs and leaving them writhing in pain, unable to retreat.
The fire consumed everything, as bombs more destructive than explosive tags rained from the sky, erupting into searing flames.
The precision of the strikes left the enemy no room to hide. Whether concentrated blasts or scattered attacks, the bombardment annihilated everything in its path.
Watching the snow-nation shinobi darting around beneath the raining explosives, Uchiha Yakumaru sliced through an enemy and couldn't help but curse.
"I've been saying this all along—there's something off about Snow Nation's armor. Why can't the Tech Development Bureau take it seriously and figure it out? Letting them dominate the skies is costing us so much—are they going to pay for the damages?"
Nearby, Shisui, surrounded by his clones clearing the battlefield, shook his head at Yakumaru's words. "Yakumaru-senpai, you're asking too much of the Tech Development Bureau. They have too many projects to handle. They can't just change their plans for your suggestion."
"Plus, Snow Nation's reverse-engineering defenses on their armor are top-notch. We can't extract the technology from the armor we capture on the battlefield. To study it, they'd have to start from scratch, and there's no time for that."
"Really?" Yakumaru muttered under his breath. "Are you sure they're not just incompetent?"
The old Tech Development Bureau would've figured it out. Back then, it was staffed with top talents—experts Hyuga Fuji had personally recruited from across the ninja world, including figures who were now long dead.
But now, those same people were working for the other side, and Yakumaru felt the sting of that irony.
"Yakumaru-senpai!" Shisui smiled wryly. "Even with help from the future, we've only had two years. Reaching this level is already more than we could hope for."
Yakumaru fell silent.
But as he looked at the armored figures soaring through the sky, he clenched his teeth. "I get it, but it still pisses me off!"
While most shinobi understood the importance of air superiority, few grasped its true impact until faced with its devastating power.
After all, the last group to try dominating the skies—the Sky Ninja Village—had been crushed by Konoha. Since then, no one had dared to pursue such a strategy, focusing instead on their traditional strengths.
Yet now, not only had the Land of Water perfected naval warfare by creating artificial islands, but the Land of Snow had taken to the skies, completely rewriting the rules of combat.
It felt like only their side was sticking to tradition.
Everyone else was driving, while they were still walking—it was infuriating.
As he watched the armored figures streaking through the sky, Yakumaru could almost hear Hyuga Fuji mocking him. His mood soured further.
Even the usually composed Shisui found the situation troubling.
Their side had held the advantage early on, but since Snow Nation's aerial unit had joined the battle, everything had changed.
The Land of Fire did have flying ninja tools, but they paled in comparison to Snow Nation's new chakra armors. Their own tools couldn't even keep up, let alone counterattack. All they could do was watch helplessly as Snow Nation launched aerial assaults on their ground forces.
"We'll just have to seize the moment when they descend and rely on brute strength to take them out," Shisui sighed. "Trying to chase them down with our flying tools would be pointless—we're too slow."
Yakumaru, brooding, glanced up at the sky. Suddenly, he froze.
In the blood-red moonlight, something seemed to take shape on the moon's surface.
It was… the Sharingan!
Yakumaru's eyes widened in shock.
(Chapter ends.)