Chapter 365 – The Clash of Eternal Eyes (Part Two)
Boom—!
With a deafening explosion, the three fireballs slammed into Uchiha Kei, erupting into a terrifying blast.
Kei stood at the center of it all—utterly unmoved, as though he didn't even exist.
Pitch-black chakra had already enveloped his body, forming massive rib-like structures that locked together and shielded him completely.
Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku felt a flicker of surprise.
Only a flicker.
He knew Susanoo well.
"Perfect," Fugaku thought, hands already moving.
"Let me see just how strong your Susanoo's defense really is!"
Kei's Susanoo was still only a prototype—the earliest stage. Fugaku understood that much.
And Kei hadn't even activated his Mangekyō yet.
Even though this battle had long surpassed the realm of ordinary shinobi combat, Fugaku himself was no ordinary shinobi either.
He decided to escalate.
---
Elemental Barrage
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!
Wind Release: Vacuum Continuous Waves!"
In barely three seconds, Fugaku unleashed three high-level techniques in perfect succession.
A massive fire dragon, suffocating earth bullets, and a relentless barrage of compressed wind blades poured down toward Kei like a natural disaster.
Kei remained where he stood.
But in that instant, his Susanoo transformed.
Flesh and sinew formed over the black skeleton, shaping a towering humanoid giant.
The colossal Susanoo swung its blade—
The fire dragon was cleaved cleanly in two.
At the same time, black flames erupted from the Susanoo's sword, surging forward toward Fugaku.
The pitch-black inferno swallowed the remaining earth and wind techniques and continued advancing unabated.
Wherever it passed, trees ignited instantly.
Even the river itself began to burn.
The entire valley became a living hell.
---
Observers
"Terrifying…" Ayaka murmured, her Byakugan still active.
She didn't need it to see the destruction—but she was also monitoring the surroundings.
"Yeah," Kenta nodded. "But this is probably just the beginning for him. I still can't forget what he did back then."
"Let's just hope they don't go too far," Ayaka sighed. "The sensory division would notice something like this."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I wonder… if I'll ever reach that level."
"That's something only you can answer," Kenta replied, tilting his head.
"No Hyūga has ever walked the path you're walking. But you are an 'eye-bearer.' Who knows what you'll become."
Ayaka didn't respond.
Her gaze never left the battlefield.
---
Fugaku evaded the advancing black flames and landed atop a tree, his expression complicated.
He recognized those flames instantly.
Amaterasu.
Kei had never revealed his Mangekyō abilities—but now Fugaku had confirmation.
And fate was amusing.
This was one ability Fugaku feared least.
He possessed Amaterasu himself.
And more importantly—
He could control it.
The eyes he bore were not originally his, but after more than a year of adaptation, he had fully mastered their power.
"That flame won't harm me, Kei."
Fugaku smiled as the tomoe in his eyes spun violently, merging into a bizarre, double-layered Mangekyō pattern.
The Mangekyō rotated—
And the black flames responded.
They surged with terrifying force, reversing direction and flooding toward Kei as if Fugaku himself had cast them.
"Did you forget the power of these eyes, Kei?"
Fugaku folded his arms, wary yet confident.
Something felt off.
Kei was not the type to make careless mistakes.
But whatever his intention, Fugaku knew better than to lower his guard.
Kei was unlike any opponent he had ever faced.
Even if this was merely a spar—
He refused to lose.
---
"I know these eyes very well," Kei replied calmly, lifting his gaze.
"I used them myself."
The Amaterasu flames avoided Fugaku entirely.
"Consider it… adding a bit of spice. After all, I can use this fire too."
"Spice?" Fugaku frowned. "That hardly benefits you."
"That's not guaranteed," Kei smiled faintly.
"My warm-up is about done."
"…Same here," Fugaku chuckled. "I haven't enjoyed a battle like this in a long time. I suppose it's time I got serious."
From afar, Uchiha Itachi heard every word.
His mind reeled.
The taijutsu exchanges alone were lethal.
The ninjutsu clashes had nearly evaporated a river.
And this was warm-up?
If I fought at even this level… I could defeat most shinobi instantly…
Was this—
The true power of the Uchiha?
"Once," Fugaku said, golden chakra beginning to rise from his body,
"I envied your Susanoo—the power that could suppress the Nine-Tails head-on."
He raised his hands slowly.
"So I decided to explore that power myself. This year of adaptation… led to some interesting discoveries."
Kei watched the pale golden chakra carefully.
"Susanoo," he said quietly. "Looks like you've done impressive work."
So it comes to this…
Kei exhaled inwardly.
As expected—once freed from suppression, Uchiha Fugaku was no longer a shadow.
With the Mangekyō exposed, his mindset had changed.
And with it—
His power had evolved.
Golden chakra condensed rapidly.
A skeletal giant formed around Fugaku's body.
Kei did not move.
He wanted to see just how far Fugaku had taken it.
Veins appeared.
Muscle followed.
And flesh began to form.
The clash of Eternal Eyes was only just beginning.
The most striking detail was this—
The giant was enormous.
And it had four arms.
"Hah—!"
Uchiha Fugaku clasped his hands together and let out a thunderous roar. In the next instant, his chakra surged explosively.
The pale-golden giant expanded once more, its frame growing even larger as layers of armor formed over its body. The plates locked together tightly, and the golden eyes blazing within the helm erupted with dazzling brilliance.
Third-stage Susanoo.
Uchiha Kei nodded faintly.
Impressive.
This was the strongest form he himself had used back in Kirigakure.
"How is it, Kei?" Fugaku was breathing a little heavily now, but the smile on his face was unmistakable.
"Is this stage of Susanoo… satisfactory?"
"Impressive indeed," Kei replied, nodding. "You've clearly put a great deal of effort into it."
Then he tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"But why doesn't your Susanoo have a weapon?"
Normally, by the second stage, a Susanoo already possessed armaments.
Yet Fugaku's had none.
What was more, its structure bore a faint resemblance to Madara's.
That realization gave Kei a rough idea—but nothing definitive.
"It's probably related to my combat style," Fugaku said with a shrug and a smile.
"I don't necessarily need weapons. And if I ever do… I imagine Susanoo will manifest what I require."
"That makes sense," Kei agreed. "Still—this is truly remarkable."
Fugaku clenched his fists, his eyes burning.
"I'm ready now, Kei. My blood is boiling. Let's begin—a full-power battle."
"Boiling blood?" Kei's lips curled into an oddly chilling smile.
"Yes… that's a good thing."
Then his expression sharpened.
"But I think it would be better if you cooled down—just a little."
---
Third-stage Susanoo was terrifying.
Very few shinobi in the world could break through it directly, let alone kill the caster inside.
And Fugaku's Susanoo was even more imposing than most—perhaps due to the Eternal Mangekyō, perhaps due to its inherent traits.
Despite being only the third stage, it was already nearly thirty meters tall.
Kei's own third-stage Susanoo had never reached such size.
Fugaku clearly knew this as well—the faint trace of pride in his expression didn't escape Kei's notice.
But Kei was no longer at the third stage.
His Susanoo had evolved beyond a mere fortress.
Since awakening it, he had never found an opponent worthy of testing it in real combat.
Until now.
A third-stage Susanoo with armor—its defense rivaled even the fourth stage.
A perfect opponent.
"Cool down?" Fugaku chuckled. "Then allow me to witness your strength, Kei."
"You will," Kei replied calmly.
His eyes changed.
The three tomoe fused—
Mangekyō Sharingan emerged.
In an instant, pitch-black chakra erupted with overwhelming force.
Ayaka crossed her arms, watching intently.
She hadn't forgotten how terrifying Kei's fourth-stage Susanoo had been before—how it had felt like the end of the world itself.
And Kei was even stronger now.
"Do you think Kei can handle his clan head?" Kenta asked quietly.
"That Susanoo is way bigger than Kei's was back then."
"You haven't seen everything Kei can do," Ayaka shook her head.
"If he went to Kirigakure now…"
She smiled faintly.
"Just watch. Remember how the First Hokage dealt with that ancestor of Kei's."
"…Wood Release?" Kenta paused. "…Wait. You mean—"
"Yes," Ayaka nodded.
"So there's nothing to worry about. Let him cool his clan head down."
Kenta grew serious.
He'd been too busy lately—work, training, responsibility.
He realized now how little he truly understood about Kei's current level.
But one thing he knew—
In Konoha, he could afford to ignore anyone else.
Except Uchiha Kei.
Kei's chakra continued to rise, black as ink, condensing into an overwhelming mass.
His Susanoo began to take shape.
At first, Fugaku could still endure it.
Kei had more experience, more battles—but this was expected.
Then things changed.
Kei's Susanoo completed the second stage—
But no armor appeared.
Instead, chakra surged downward.
The Susanoo's lower body formed.
Its size exploded.
The valley itself began to tremble.
And then—
A hundred-meter-tall Susanoo stood before Fugaku.
Fugaku stared, stunned.
This… is a true giant.
Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sō were completely speechless.
They had believed Fugaku's Susanoo to be the pinnacle of Uchiha power.
But Kei's existence shattered that belief entirely.
With a complete body and terrifying mobility, this was no fortress—
It was a walking god of destruction.
"This… is your full power?" Fugaku wiped sweat from his brow.
"How terrifying…"
"More or less," Kei replied.
"This is my Susanoo's strongest form—for now."
The Susanoo drew its blade.
Black flames ignited instantly.
"For now…" Fugaku repeated—and then laughed, exhilaration flooding his face.
"I see. Thank you, Kei. But I'm afraid my blood hasn't cooled at all."
"In fact—I'm more excited than ever."
"Then," Kei said calmly,
"let's begin."
---
The giant blade swung.
The earth split apart.
Destruction surged forward, wrapped in Amaterasu flames.
It was like divine punishment—
A god's wrath descending upon the world.
Fugaku inhaled deeply.
This power defied reason.
Yet he was smiling.
For the first time in his life—
He was exhilarated.
As the blade approached, Fugaku and his four-armed Susanoo began forming hand seals simultaneously.
The chakra pressure cracked the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Return!"
A simple C-rank technique—
Yet a mountain-sized wall erupted into existence.
The blade struck.
BOOM—!
The explosion shook the land.
Even Konoha felt it.
The sensory division descended into chaos.
And before anyone could report—
Minato had already sensed it.
---
"Truly worthy of you, Kei!"
Fugaku didn't stop.
Blood trickled from his eyes.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A sea of flames erupted, engulfing the valley.
The fire fed the lingering Amaterasu—
Turning the world into hell.
And at that moment—
Ayaka's expression changed.
Someone had entered the area.Chapter 362 – Your Ancestors Were Once Glorious Too