Yōkō stood on a tree branch, watching Uchiha Kirika's back disappear into the distance.
He can't be allowed to escape. He must be eliminated.
White Ram and his squad hadn't caught up yet.
The speed of the Ephemeral Technique was too fast for an elite jōnin like White Ram to match.
Yōkō submerged into the tree trunk, his figure vanishing.
Tobi, carrying Uchiha Kirika, emerged from the Ephemeral Technique. Uchiha Kirika would now change direction to avoid being detected by Copper Fox's Wood Release sensing.
Uchiha Kirika had been walking for over ten minutes when he suddenly felt a tightness in his heart.
He looked up. Standing on a high branch was an ANBU – the ANBU Copper Fox who had killed his brother!
Tobi inwardly cursed. Copper Fox's gaze was icy, his killing intent reaching its peak.
It was the kind of killing intent that sought to decide life or death in a single move.
Yōkō was desperate to kill Uchiha Kirika, but he found the situation troublesome.
Ordinary physical attacks and ninjutsu attacks were hard to make fatal in a single blow, especially with Tobi transforming into Wood Release armor.
Even if he injured Uchiha Kirika, as long as it wasn't instantly fatal, Uchiha Kirika could use his dōjutsu to reflect the damage.
I must restrain Uchiha Kirika, then crush his head, killing him instantly.
Yōkō formed hand signs with both hands and slammed them onto the tree branch.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Countless red maple Wood Release structures broke through the earth, turning the surrounding area into a domain of Wood Release.
Tobi wanted to use the Ephemeral Technique, but after a brief sensing, he found the ground beneath was filled with the root systems created by Copper Fox's Wood Release. He didn't dare enter.
Who knew what Copper Fox might have hidden within those Wood Release roots?
Rows of wooden vines drooped from all the red maple tree trunks.
The vines swayed in the air as if they had a life of their own.
In an instant, all the wooden vines came alive, charging towards Uchiha Kirika.
If I don't inflict injuries, just bind Uchiha Kirika, he shouldn't be able to use Mangekyō: Pillar Leech, right?
Mangekyō: Pillar Leech, like Yōkō's golden finger Mochizuki's Arc, was vulnerable to restraining-type ninjutsu.
The air was filled with the sound of whipping.
Just as Uchiha Kirika was about to jump, wooden vines that had appeared unnoticed at his feet tightly entangled his ankles.
Delayed by this, countless vines rushed over, instantly wrapping Uchiha Kirika up tightly.
Even an Indian electrician couldn't untangle this many Iron Vines.
The Iron Vines encased him like a cocoon, leaving only Uchiha Kirika's brow exposed.
Yōkō formed a single hand sign. Water Release: Water Cutting Wave shot forth, aimed directly at the space between Uchiha Kirika's brows.
Uchiha Kirika wanted to resist, but his chakra was being absorbed by the Iron Vines, and he couldn't move.
Tobi shouted from within the mask, "Kirika! Use all your strength!"
The next moment, the dozens-of-layers-thick Iron Vines burst apart.
A light brown Susano'o appeared, not only blocking the Water Cutting Wave but also pushing away all the Iron Vines.
Yōkō frowned, looking at the ground around him.
There must be many White Zetsu nearby. It's not suitable to use Mangekyō: Yono Shima.
I can't let Uchiha Madara know I can obtain other people's abilities. That's my biggest secret.
Looking at the light brown Susano'o, Yōkō crouched and slapped the tree branch beneath his feet.
A Wood Dragon roared out, growing from the ground at extreme speed.
The Wood Dragon charged straight at the Susano'o, instantly coiling around its left shoulder.
The Susano'o's aura weakened noticeably as its chakra was absorbed by the Wood Dragon. The Wood Dragon's body grew thicker and more resilient.
Yōkō suddenly looked down, seeing a black dot appear at his feet.
He immediately jumped, leaping away from the ground.
The black dot rapidly expanded into a Yono Shima black disc.
Yōkō also mastered this technique, so he could detect it immediately.
Inside the Susano'o, Uchiha Kirika was extremely shocked, not understanding how Copper Fox could evade his sneak attack.
He hadn't even bothered with the Wood Dragon Technique, focusing solely on the ambush.
The Susano'o changed again, muscles forming over its skeleton as more dōjutsu chakra surged forth.
A weapon appeared in the light brown Susano'o's hand – an ox-horned fork.
It seemed Uchiha Kirika held deep resentment over his brother's death, even his weapon resembling the wooden spikes of the Wood Spikes technique.
The ox-horned fork swung, skewering the Wood Dragon and pinning it firmly to the ground.
The Wood Dragon struggled but couldn't break free from the Susano'o's fork.
Seeing this, Yōkō gathered chakra again, creating a new Wood Dragon.
Another Wood Dragon charged towards the Susano'o's right shoulder, biting down on its neck.
Uchiha Kirika's chakra flowed down the Wood Dragon's throat into its body.
Uchiha Kirika first looked at the Wood Dragon pinned to the ground. A Yono Shima black disc appeared beneath it, causing it to instantly collapse into a thin sheet of paper.
Freeing his hand, the Susano'o's ox-horned fork stabbed towards the newly appeared Wood Dragon.
Another Yono Shima ocular technique, and the second Wood Dragon also collapsed into paper.
Yōkō panted heavily.
The days of pursuit, combined with the continuous use of Wood Release, had taken a significant toll.
In this life, Uchiha Kirika did not yet have the Eternal Mangekyō.
Although Tobi and the White Zetsu provided him with chakra, the continuous use of Susano'o and Yono Shima made his eyelids twitch, clearly uncomfortable.
Tobi said from within the mask, "If only you could transplant and fuse your brother's eyes. The Eternal Mangekyō only consumes chakra and no longer damages the eyeballs.
But Konoha's Copper Fox has been in close pursuit... there's just been no opportunity."
A group of White Zetsu appeared beside the Susano'o. These Zetsu submerged into the ground, beginning to clear the root systems of Copper Fox's Wood Release underground, creating conditions for Tobi to use the Ephemeral Technique.
Tobi said, "Hold on! It's almost ready! Just hold on a little longer and we can escape! The White Zetsu have already gone to report to Lord Madara!"
Uchiha Kirika manipulated the Susano'o to move forward.
He hated Copper Fox so much!
The Susano'o pushed aside the maple wood constructs, the ox-horned fork stabbing violently towards Copper Fox.
Yōkō jumped up, throwing out Iron Vines from his hands, grabbing onto other large trees, and swinging away to another location.
Seeing Copper Fox's position, Uchiha Kirika used his right eye's Yono Shima again.
A Yono Shima black disc suddenly appeared beneath the large tree where the Iron Vines were anchored.
The entire large tree abruptly collapsed.
Yōkō hurriedly released the Iron Vines.
The Iron Vines, along with the large tree, collapsed into paper.
If he hadn't let go, he would have been dragged into the Yono Shima black disc and compressed into pulp.
Having released the Iron Vines, Yōkō fell from mid-air.
Uchiha Kirika seized the opportunity, creating a Yono Shima black disc at Copper Fox's landing point.
As long as Yōkō landed, he would be compressed into pulp.
Yōkō formed hand signs. A Wood Dragon suddenly shot out from a nearby tree trunk, catching Yōkō in mid-air.
This was Yōkō's home field; he was extremely agile here.
He was already very close to the Susano'o, the distance only a dozen meters or so.
The Wood Dragon burrowed into the Susano'o from its side and coiled out from its shoulder.
The Wood Dragon absorbed chakra with all its might. The Susano'o rapidly shrank, leaving only the rib cage and one arm.
Uchiha Kirika quickly used Yono Shima again. A Yono Shima black disc appeared beneath the Wood Dragon, and the entire dragon collapsed into paper.
Yōkō jumped up and saw bloody tears streaming from Uchiha Kirika's right eye.
Such high-intensity use of the Mangekyō... has Uchiha Kirika finally reached his limit?
The Susano'o was now just ribs and one arm. One more Wood Dragon would completely destroy it.
Just as Yōkō was gathering chakra, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his right eye.
Blood vessels in his eyeball ruptured; bloody tears streamed from Yōkō's right eye!
Yōkō covered his right eye and looked over, finding that Uchiha Kirika had used his left eye's technique, Pillar Leech.
Tobi shouted excitedly, "Excellent! Kirika, worthy of being chosen by Lord Madara!"
At that moment, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground, shouting to Tobi, "The underground passage is ready! Tobi!"
Tobi, carrying Uchiha Kirika, used the Ephemeral Technique.
Yōkō, afraid it was a trick by Uchiha Kirika, didn't dare land, instead using a wooden vine to suspend himself from a tree branch.
Underground, the White Zetsu had torn open the root systems of the maple Wood Release, paving a passage of organic matter with their bodies.
Tobi carried Uchiha Kirika away through the ground.
Yōkō gasped for breath, slowly landing on the ground.
After a brief rest, he gave chase.
At the border of the Land of Fire, Yōkō intercepted Uchiha Kirika once more.
Uchiha Kirika and Tobi were thoroughly frustrated by Yōkō's attacks.
The Susano'o would be weakened by the Wood Dragons, unable to maintain its form.
Yono Shima was always predicted by Copper Fox, only able to collapse large trees and Wood Dragons.
The only thing they could rely on was Mangekyō: Pillar Leech, transferring the injuries from overusing the Mangekyō to Copper Fox.
But after Copper Fox's eye bled, he seemed unaffected and quickly recovered.
In the ensuing battle, after consecutively losing four Wood Dragons, Yōkō finally drained Uchiha Kirika's Susano'o completely.
Uchiha Kirika no longer had the protection of the Susano'o.
Both had awakened the Mangekyō, but Uchiha Kirika was far stronger than Uchiha Mahiru.
Yōkō formed a hand sign and used Water Release: Water Cutting Wave.
The Water Cutting Wave shot straight towards the space between Uchiha Kirika's brows.
This time, Uchiha Kirika no longer had the strength to resist with Susano'o.
Tobi controlled Uchiha Kirika's neck, forcing it to jerk to one side.
"I can only enhance your physique, chakra reserves, and taijutsu! The counterattack still relies on you, Kirika!"
Uchiha Kirika's right eye was blurry. He stubbornly used his final ocular technique.
"Mangekyō: Yono Shima!"
A fingertip-sized black dot appeared at Copper Fox's feet, rapidly expanding into a Yono Shima black disc.
The corner of Uchiha Kirika's mouth twitched upwards.
Direct hit!
Yono Shima had touched Copper Fox's foot. Copper Fox was doomed.
Konoha's Copper Fox was also at the end of his rope; he would inevitably be compressed into pulp.
In the final moment of Uchiha Kirika's mental relaxation, a figure Body Flickered in front of him.
A wooden spear viciously stabbed into the space between Uchiha Kirika's brows, bursting into thorns at the back of his head.
Uchiha Kirika's brain was destroyed! He could no longer use his dōjutsu!
Tobi's spiral mask cracked open, startled.
He still didn't understand. In that split second, how had Copper Fox closed the distance?
Why?
Why!
Why didn't the Yono Shima black disc stop Copper Fox?
Yōkō had long anticipated Uchiha Kirika's sneak attack at his feet, so he had preemptively released a Yono Shima at his own landing spot.
Who could have imagined that Yōkō also possessed this technique?
Two identical Yono Shima techniques canceled each other out.
Yōkō reached out, about to gouge out Uchiha Kirika's eyes.
These eyes were quite good; Yōkō could use them to create a powerful subordinate.
If I don't take them now, the pupils will dilate and they won't be fresh anymore.
Just then, a long-handled scythe came flying at high speed!
***
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(End of Chapter)