Hanzo of the Salamander was stunned for a moment. Immediately afterward, a chill shot up his spine straight to the top of his head.
His scalp went numb.
If any other shinobi had said those words, Hanzo might have dismissed them with contempt. But the weight carried by the name "Uchiha" forced him to take Uchiha Ren's words seriously.
"Release!"
Hanzo did not dare hesitate. He immediately circulated his chakra and broke free from Ren's genjutsu.
The world spun violently.
In the next instant, Hanzo's perspective flipped—what had once been him looking down at Uchiha Ren had become him looking up at him.
Hanzo discovered that his own body was bound by chains.
Uchiha Ren stood atop Ibuse, Hanzo's giant salamander summon, looking down at him from above.
Flames burned around Ren's body, radiating dazzling light that made it impossible for Hanzo to clearly see his expression.
Yet those crimson eyes, still shining brightly within the blazing flames, sent a deep chill through Hanzo's heart.
Meanwhile, the salamander Ibuse beneath Ren's feet lay motionless like a lifeless toy—clearly having long since fallen into the illusion and unable to escape.
"…When exactly did this happen?" Hanzo muttered in disbelief.
"From the moment we entered the residence, I was on guard. I never made eye contact with you!"
Uchiha Ren spoke calmly, his voice low and steady.
"When a person focuses all their attention on one thing, they often overlook many other things."
"It's true that the Sharingan genjutsu of the Uchiha Clan stands unparalleled in the shinobi world. People fear it so much that the Sharingan has even gained the nickname 'Hypnotic Eyes.'"
"So whenever someone faces an Uchiha shinobi, the first thing they guard against is our Sharingan."
"You all remember not to look into our eyes when fighting an Uchiha… but genjutsu is not exclusive to the Sharingan."
"Sometimes an inconspicuous movement or a careless sentence can drag someone into an illusion."
"Especially when your entire focus is fixed on the Sharingan."
Because of the Flame-Flame Fruit and the Sharingan, Uchiha Ren did not need to devote excessive time to mastering ninjutsu.
This gave him the freedom to study other disciplines to compensate for his weaknesses.
The path he chose was genjutsu.
Not just Sharingan genjutsu—but all kinds of genjutsu.
Years ago, when Ren watched the scene in the anime where Neji Hyūga fought Kidōmaru of the Sound Four, he had always felt puzzled by something.
Due to the Caged Bird Seal, Neji's Byakugan lost its full 360-degree vision, leaving behind a single blind spot.
Kidōmaru exploited that flaw repeatedly, attacking through that blind spot and severely injuring Neji.
But for ordinary people, the range of clear vision is only about 120 degrees. Even including peripheral vision, it extends to roughly 180 degrees.
So was Neji's single blind spot truly such a fatal weakness?
If that were the case, how would any shinobi without the Byakugan survive?
Moreover, if Neji could see the enemy everywhere else and knew the attack was aimed at that blind spot, he could simply defend against attacks coming from that direction.
In the end, the real issue was Neji's overreliance on the Byakugan.
He was accustomed to defending against attacks he could see clearly.
But when it came to "sneak attacks" outside his vision, he was far less adept at responding.
And Uchiha Ren had taken advantage of that very inertia of thought.
You all guard against the Sharingan's genjutsu, don't you?
Then go ahead and guard against it.
But Uchiha can learn other genjutsu as well.
With such unexpected methods, one can often achieve astonishing results.
Even the once-renowned "Demigod of the Shinobi World," Hanzo of the Salamander, had unknowingly fallen into the illusion.
"Truly… the new waves of the Yangtze push aside the old."
Hanzo gazed at the towering figure of Uchiha Ren above him with a hint of resignation.
"If you had wanted to kill me, I would have died countless times already."
"I've lost this battle."
However, Hanzo of the Salamander might lose—but the leader of Amegakure could not simply surrender like this.
With a roar, Hanzo violently tore free from the chains binding him and prepared to charge at Ren.
"Bloom… Higanbana."
Uchiha Ren formed a one-handed seal and gave a soft command, activating the hidden measure he had left behind.
Ren was not foolish enough to reveal that his opponent had fallen into genjutsu before completely securing the situation.
Celebrating victory halfway through the battle was not his style.
The moment Hanzo had fallen into the illusion, Ren had already taken the opportunity to leave behind a trap.
Hanzo suddenly halted.
He could feel his body temperature rising rapidly.
Pulling open his collar, he looked down.
On the position over his heart was a fist-sized black mark.
From it, branch-like black lines spread across his body, extending outward and forming node-like points along the way.
"Senior Hanzo, I suggest you don't make any sudden moves."
"While you were trapped in the illusion, I sealed a mass of thermal energy inside your heart with a curse seal."
"Once I release the seal, that heat will flow through your chakra pathways into every part of your body… and explode from within."
"In other words, Senior Hanzo—your life is now in my hands."
Ren's tone remained calm.
Yet his words stirred a storm in Hanzo's heart.
Hanzo stared directly into Ren's eyes and clenched his teeth.
"…What do you want?"
At this moment, with his life already in someone else's hands, Hanzo had nothing left to hold back. He openly observed Ren's scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan.
Ren lowered his hand and smiled faintly.
"I said from the beginning that I bear no ill will toward you or Amegakure, Senior Hanzo."
"But while I'm carrying out my plans, I hope you won't interfere."
Hanzo frowned, almost unable to believe it.
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Ren nodded.
"Of course, if Senior Hanzo is willing to help me deal with Shimura Danzō, that would be even better."
Hanzo's expression darkened instantly.
"…It seems I have no other choice."
Never in his life had Hanzo imagined he would one day fall into such a position.
He was already over sixty years old.
Long past his prime, he had begun to decline.
The era that belonged to him… had already passed.
"…That may be true."
Uchiha Ren suddenly spoke again.
Then—
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Taking advantage of the moment Hanzo lowered his guard, Ren activated another illusion.
The genjutsu he had used earlier during their battle had not been particularly profound—it had merely followed the flow of the situation, allowing Hanzo to break free relatively easily.
But if he wanted to completely control Hanzo, only Sharingan genjutsu would suffice.
Only now…
did this battle truly come to an end.
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