Sizzle—!!
Flames and corpse miasma collided violently, twisting the air as heat and death clashed head-on. The space warped, burned, and distorted under the pressure of opposing forces.
"Qiu Sheng—ink line!"
"Got it!"
The ink line snapped outward, soaked in black dog's blood and cinnabar. It wrapped around two green zombies instantly.
Sizzle—!!
The line burned like molten iron, sinking deep into their flesh. Shrill, inhuman screams tore through the air as the two corpses froze in place, completely restrained.
Uchiha Hideki's Sharingan spun slowly.
Watching.
Analyzing.
This world's power system relied on external tools—ritual mediums that channeled energy through form. Complex…
But undeniably effective.
At the same time, he moved.
Effortless.
A white zombie lunged at him—
He sidestepped with ease.
A flash of steel—
A leg was severed.
The corpse collapsed instantly.
Neutralized.
Against white zombies, no techniques were needed.
Taijutsu alone was enough.
But—
The real threat—
Was the green zombies.
"Lin Jiu, I'll handle the green zombies. You support."
Before the words even settled, Uchiha Mo had already moved.
Lightning crackled along his kunai as he drove it into a zombie's joint, disrupting its movement.
"Qiu Sheng—support!"
Talismans flew through the air as the peachwood sword flashed. Their coordination tightened instantly, forming a temporary but effective formation.
Meanwhile—
Hideki moved like flowing water.
Weaving.
Striking.
Eliminating.
Every motion precise, every action efficient.
Zombies fell one after another.
But—
The pace…
Was wrong.
Too controlled.
Too smooth.
Hideki split his focus.
One part studied Lin Jiu—his talismans, his energy flow, his techniques.
The other—
Watched Mo.
Because the real battlefield…
Was there.
Mo faced the hairy zombie alone.
Flames roared as explosions echoed through the forest. Fireballs crashed again and again, forcing the creature backward—but never finishing it.
Mo moved within the flames, fast and precise—
Yet always just short of victory.
Uncle Jiu noticed immediately.
That monster was terrifying.
If he had faced it alone—
He would have died.
And now—
In his eyes—
Mo was losing.
Claws fell like rain, each strike barely avoided. Even the foul wind carried by the creature caused nearby plants to wither instantly.
Fire Style was powerful—
But not enough.
"I have to finish this!"
Uncle Jiu gritted his teeth as his attacks grew sharper, faster.
But—
Something felt wrong.
Every time he tried to push forward, the flow broke. A zombie would block him. Hideki would require support. Qiu Sheng would interfere.
Again.
And again.
"…Strange."
Then—
It happened.
"ROAR—!!"
The hairy zombie exploded forward, tearing through the flames.
At the same time—
Mo faltered.
Just slightly.
But enough.
A claw struck.
Blood burst out.
"Not good!"
"Five Thunder Talisman!"
Uncle Jiu's heart tightened.
But a green zombie forced him back, breaking his focus entirely.
The hairy zombie attacked relentlessly, its claws raining down in a storm of death. Mo retreated step by step, his clothes quickly soaked in blood.
Then—
The wound darkened.
Purple-black.
Spreading.
Visible.
"Corpse energy has entered his body!"
Uncle Jiu's voice turned urgent.
"If it reaches the heart—he's finished!"
Hideki watched.
Carefully.
The wound.
The energy.
The symptoms.
Everything was correct.
But—
Too slow.
Far too slow.
A hairy zombie's poison should spread faster.
Much faster.
Mo's breathing was heavy, sweat visible on his skin.
Everything looked real.
Yet—
Something was off.
"A taijutsu-focused jōnin… at most," Hideki thought, his eyes narrowing.
"Even without genjutsu… he should win."
"So…"
"Is this… a test?"
Risking death—
Just to probe him?
Why?
His brows furrowed slightly.
"…Enough."
"If I can't understand—then I'll stop guessing."
His gaze shifted between Mo, Lin Jiu, and Qiu Sheng.
Then—
He made his decision.
Same clan.
Same origin.
Same world.
And yet, from the very beginning—
Only suspicion.
Mo tested him.
Hideki concealed himself.
Was it necessary?
If Mo wanted to see—
Then fine.
He would show him.
Someone had to take the first step.
The moment the hairy zombie lunged again—
Uchiha Hideki moved.
This time—
Without restraint.
His figure blurred as afterimages trailed behind him like ghosts. His hands formed seals at a speed far beyond before—sharper, faster, decisive.
Lightning erupted across the ground.
"Lightning Style—Ground Walk!"