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Kurotsuchi's eyes went wide as she stared at Hogo, who was now kneeling on the ground.
The reason he had been forced to his knees was that Midorima had used the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique.
This was a high-level earth-style ninjutsu capable of increasing the weight of the user's own body to amplify offensive power, or increasing the weight of an enemy to drastically slow their movements.
Clearly, Midorima had opted for the latter in this situation. What's more, this wasn't even the full, complete version of the Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique. He had only applied the technique to Hogo's legs, where dense, heavy earth wrapped around his limbs and locked them in place, rendering him completely immobile.
"Asachi Midorima..." Kurotsuchi quickly turned her head and looked off into the distance. The colossal Susanoo was nowhere to be seen. "Your opponent..."
"Already dealt with," Midorima said.
"Already... dealt with?" Kurotsuchi swallowed hard, her face a mask of shock.
The reputation of the Mangekyo Sharingan was known to nearly everyone who had ever set foot on a battlefield. After all, the Great Ninja Wars had occurred more than once, and the Uchiha clan had distinguished themselves in those conflicts time and time again. One could even say that in almost every major war, an Uchiha rose to prominence as a dazzling new star on the battlefield.
As for Susanoo, dealing with that was even more troublesome. Even the Tsuchikage would not find it easy to face a shinobi capable of wielding Susanoo alone. And yet, Midorima had resolved the situation with such apparent ease.
Midorima saw the astonishment in Kurotsuchi's eyes but couldn't be bothered to explain.
Itachi was, without question, an exceedingly difficult opponent to handle—in some ways, even harder to deal with than Obito. However, a fight to the death between him and Itachi was never an absolute necessity.
In particular, he held the "Instant" technique in his arsenal, which allowed him to stall and maneuver around Itachi indefinitely. Beyond that, he also held a trump card: Sasuke.
It wasn't something he necessarily wanted to use, but if the timing was right, he would absolutely bring it out to "negotiate terms" with Itachi. It was under the influence of multiple factors that Itachi had, with extreme reluctance, finally nodded in agreement.
Of course, the finer details couldn't be discussed openly. Otherwise, someone would surely paint him as a villain—after all, what kind of sane person used a child as a bargaining chip?
Hogo's expression shifted slightly, his gaze moving to Midorima's face. He was well aware of how formidable Itachi was. After all, as a newcomer joining a new organization, there were two essential things one had to do. First, keep one's head down and avoid making enemies. Second, understand the strength of every member, knowing who could not be offended and who could be.
Obviously, Itachi fell firmly into the former category, while Mui belonged to the latter. Now that even Itachi had been defeated by the shinobi standing before him, Hogo knew he had to be extremely cautious.
Still, a sly thought crept into Hogo's mind. If this young shinobi had defeated Itachi, it meant his strength surpassed his own. But Itachi was no pushover either. So how could someone defeat Itachi and walk away completely unscathed? That was nearly impossible.
There was a good chance that Midorima was already gravely injured and merely hiding it. Perhaps he was even on his very last legs. On top of that, this young shinobi was also the Six-Tails jinchuriki, which made him all the more "valuable." No matter what, Hogo resolved that he had to capture the Six-Tails jinchuriki.
With that thought, Hogo steeled his resolve. He had to find an opening and kill Midorima.
More and more Lava Release chakra coated the surface of his body, and the earth burying his legs began to emit plumes of smoke.
"I admit you're impressive, but you've forgotten one thing," Hogo said, his voice dark with menace. "My specialty is Lava Release. Earth cannot extinguish magma—it can only be consumed by it."
Midorima's eyebrows lifted slightly. His eyes fixed on Hogo's legs, and sure enough, he saw the earth beginning to crack and break apart. Through the fissures, the soil was glowing red-hot, and as time passed, it gradually transformed into a viscous, molten liquid.
"Be careful—he uses Lava Release. And right now, he's in Lava Release Chakra Mode," Kurotsuchi warned hastily, afraid that Midorima might be caught off guard.
"I understand." Midorima kept his eyes locked on Hogo and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Due to the Cell Laboratory, when Midorima activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, his pupils did not reveal the distinctive Mangekyo pattern. This was one of his most lethal hidden advantages. Even up to this very moment, no one knew exactly when he would employ the "Instant" technique. And right now, his purpose in using the Sharingan was singular: genjutsu.
While he was not particularly specialized in genjutsu, after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, casting illusions had become considerably easier for him. He simply hadn't used it often in the past because whenever the Mangekyo Sharingan was called for, it almost always meant he was facing a truly formidable adversary. Against such opponents, even if genjutsu worked, the duration of its effect would be limited.
But the opponent in front of him was different. From what Midorima had observed, this man certainly had strength, but his mind wasn't the sharpest. Using genjutsu on him might yield unexpectedly effective results.
Moreover, unlike other Uchiha clansmen, even when Midorima used genjutsu, others couldn't guard against it by watching for changes in the pattern of his pupils. In other words, he could launch a surprise attack.
When Hogo saw Kurotsuchi warning Midorima, he immediately "understood" that his earlier assessment had been correct. Asachi Midorima truly was at the end of his rope. This perceived confirmation emboldened Hogo, filling him with sudden confidence. He violently broke free of the Added-Weight Rock Technique and surged forward, appearing right in front of Midorima. Clenching his right fist, he prepared to deliver a killing blow.
But all of a sudden, countless black tentacles burst from the ground beneath him, reaching up to drag him down into the earth.
"Let me go! What is this?! Midorima, if you've got any real skill, let me go!" Hogo struggled with all his might, desperate to break free of the black tendrils. But the more he fought, the deeper his body sank. Before long, only his head remained above ground.
His breathing turned rapid and shallow, as if the air itself was being forcibly pulled from his lungs. At any moment, he felt he might suffocate.
Kurotsuchi's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Moments ago, Hogo had been brimming with ferocious bravado. Now, he wore an expression of pure agony, as though facing something so terrifying it filled him with unspeakable dread. Yet, there was absolutely nothing visible in front of him.
"He's..."
"It's genjutsu. I know a little bit of it," Midorima said, glancing back at Kurotsuchi. "However, what you're about to see next—that will all be real."
Midorima walked over to where Hogo knelt. Reaching through the shroud of Lava Release chakra, he traced a circle around Hogo's neck. In the next instant, Hogo's head detached and fell to the ground.
Midorima snapped his fingers. Blood suddenly erupted from Hogo's severed neck in a violent geyser, and then his body collapsed to the earth.
"This..." Kurotsuchi instinctively touched her own neck. It was still very much attached to her body. But how had Midorima done it? How had Hogo's head been separated from his body so abruptly?
"Just a minor technique," Midorima explained. "It just has rather demanding conditions for its use."
This was another mode of the "Instant" technique.