A White Zetsu burst from the tree trunk beneath Yako's feet and seized his ankles.
With a violent shove, it dragged Copper Fox down from the branch.
He hit the ground hard, landing in a crouch.
The White Zetsu climbed fully out of the tree, staring at its own hands—then at the Fox below.
It had discovered a weakness.
"He's been chasing nonstop for this long! Even Copper Fox is exhausted! He's at his limit!"
More White Zetsu emerged from trunks, bushes, and canopy.
Hundreds.
Eager.
If the Fox was weakened—
Now was the moment to kill him.
One leapt forward and punched him flying.
"Six hours? I think I can stall him for a whole day!"
Six hours.
Yako understood immediately.
So that's how long the transplant requires.
A quick scan—
At least a thousand.
No need to waste energy here.
Save it for Tōka after the transplant.
Wooden vines burst from Yako's right hand, forming a spear.
From his left, five ironwire vines dangled.
Right hand thrust—
A Zetsu skewered, wooden thorns blooming from its back like a crimson flower.
Left hand snapped—
The ironwire vines hardened into wooden spikes, shooting outward, piercing several more.
Spear in the right.
Whip in the left.
He moved like a shadow among them.
At first, he played along.
Feigned fatigue.
But the numbers kept increasing.
Madara had dispatched an absurd quantity of Zetsu.
And more were surely traveling beneath the earth from the Land of Rain.
He began true mobile combat—retreating while fighting.
Hours passed.
The forest floor became a carpet of white corpses.
Then—
In the distance—
Uchiha Tōka stood calmly.
Too calmly.
Yako's chest tightened.
That stance—
It radiated terrifying strength.
Not arrogance.
Composure.
He had grown stronger.
Yako prepared himself.
He needed to identify both Mangekyō abilities.
Tōka could not be allowed to live.
Tōka stared at the exhausted Fox.
"I'll send you to join my brother. With his eyes, I will witness your death!"
Guruguru remained silent.
Both brothers had grown inflated upon gaining power.
But Copper Fox—
Had once exchanged blows with Madara himself.
Even with the Eternal Mangekyō—
Victory was not guaranteed.
Tōka moved first.
Yako formed seals and slammed his palms to the earth.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Massive maple trunks erupted from the ground and surrounding trees, groaning as they surged toward Tōka.
Tōka remembered Uchiha Dōma's death.
He must not be trapped.
He shut his eyes—
Then opened them.
"Mangekyō: Island of Miasmic Collapse!(Onogoro Island)"
Good.
Same as his brother.
Intelligence confirmed.
Near the roots of a rapidly growing tree—
A fingertip-sized black dot appeared.
It expanded—
Five meters across—
A swirling black disc.
Anything touched collapsed instantly into thin sheets.
Devastating.
But—
There was startup time.
A brief window.
Just like Dust Release.
One mistake meant death.
Yako stepped atop an arcing tree trunk for better visibility.
If you like collapsing things—
Collapse as much as you want.
He released the Ten Seal.
Chakra flooded the forest.
More maple trunks burst forth, relentless.
Tōka collapsed them again and again.
But more kept coming.
Hidden among crimson leaves—
Red blossoms.
Toxic pollen drifted downward from the canopy.
Madara's old method.
The trees were misdirection.
The poison was the kill.
Who said the strong must fight honorably?
One minute later—
Tōka coughed.
Then violently.
He looked up.
Saw the flowers hidden beneath the leaves.
Yako watched calmly.
Come on.
Show me your other eye.
Tōka staggered.
Collapsed.
His body convulsed in agony.
Inside the mask, Guruguru panicked.
"How do we cure the toxin from Flower World Emergence?!"
A Zetsu rose from a corpse.
"The toxins differ per caster! Hashirama's overwhelmed through volume. Madara's attacked the nervous system. This red maple variant seems to cause extreme pain!"
"Cure it!" Guruguru shouted.
"I—I think I'm poisoned too!"
Yako appeared in a flicker.
Ironwire vines bound Tōka and Guruguru.
Chakra drained rapidly.
A wooden spear formed.
He drove it into Tōka's abdomen.
Thorns exploded from his back, shredding organs.
Enough hiding.
I deserve to see both eyes.
Blood spilled from Tōka's mouth.
Within the mask—
His left Mangekyō rotated halfway.
"Mangekyō: Pillar Leech!"
Yako tensed.
Here it comes.
The next instant—
He vomited blood.
His abdomen—
Pierced clean through.
His back—
Riddled with holes.
Organs shredded.
He staggered.
Poisoned.
His own toxin.
Why?
Why had Tōka's wounds transferred to him?
Tōka rose unharmed.
Guruguru's voice echoed.
"Oh? So that's your second Eternal ability?"
Yako's mind raced.
Pillar.
Heavenly Pillar.
The brothers' core myth.
Leech.
The malformed child of Izanagi and Izanami.
Reversal.
Transfer.
Pillar Leech—
It reversed reality.
Transferred damage to the enemy.
Even as his organs were pierced, Yako fired a silent Water Iron Cannon.
It punched through Tōka's shoulder.
Left eye rotated.
Yako's shoulder tore open.
Tōka shouted through blood,
"I'd die in my brother's place if I could! Why won't you leave us alone?!"
Yako understood.
When Tōka awakened—
He had watched his brother die.
Powerless.
His reflection—
To bear the wounds instead.
Right eye collapsed.
Left eye reversed.
Tōka's Mangekyō were perfectly paired.
He activated again.
"Island of Miasmic Collapse!"
A black dot formed beneath Yako's foot.
It expanded.
Touched him.
And he—
Collapsed.
—
Full moon.
Two days earlier.
Yako gasped.
His body felt fragile.
Bones brittle.
The sensation of collapsing into paste—
Horrible.
[Arc of the Waning Moon activated.
Host revives at the previous full moon.
Monthly limit: once.
Reward selection:
1 — Uchiha Bloodline (Refined, stackable)
2 — Eternal Mangekyō: Pillar Leech
3 — Eternal Mangekyō: Island of Miasmic Collapse.]
Yako exhaled slowly.
All three were absurdly powerful.
Option 1—
Long-term growth.
Awaken his own Mangekyō naturally.
Option 2—
Pillar Leech.
Reverse damage.
Ultimate survivability.
But right now—
He didn't need to survive.
He needed to kill.
If both had Pillar Leech—
It would become an endless loop.
Island of Miasmic Collapse—
Rule-level lethality.
On par with Dust Release.
He chose.
Eternal Mangekyō: Island of Miasmic Collapse.
No matter what—
It felt like losing something.
But this—
Was what he needed.
With this—
He could even impersonate Tōka.
And continue his traitor legend.