As someone who had witnessed the Eight Gates Released Formation and even traded blows with its users, Uchiha Madara understood this forbidden jutsu well enough. The boost it provided was indeed significant, but it still wouldn't make the user his match.
Having not yet been kicked by Might Guy, Uchiha Madara expressed deep skepticism regarding Guy's true strength.
[ The battle between the two Honkai Beasts fell into a stalemate, as did the clash between the First and Second Herrscher. In fact, the latter was even more fraught.
By relying on the high raw stats gained from merging with Star Eater's Meta-Morph Activator (ICHOR) and combining them with the high-level mechanics of the Herrscher of Reason, Uchiha Hoshi held her ground. Even though her mechanics were technically "weakened," the remote support from her original body made her powers indistinguishable from the genuine article—at most, her reactions were a fraction of a beat slower.
This delay mainly manifested in her analysis speed. She couldn't be like the main body, constructing things with a single glance and instantly forming a blueprint within the Core; as for the principles, the main body understood them the moment the object was created.
Now, the mechanic had shifted: she had to understand it first before she could construct it. One could say she had regressed from a "First Generation" Herrscher of Reason to a "Second Generation."
However, in her current state, this didn't cause much of an issue during her fight with Kazahana Koyuki. One thing she had confirmed, though: unless the Herrscher Core was placed right in front of her, analyzing another's Authority wouldn't be easy even if the original body were here. Even after all this time, her analysis of Koyuki's Authority hadn't increased by even one percent.
"Stuck exactly at thirty percent... is it my lack of ability, or is a Herrscher's Authority more special than I thought?"
"What are you muttering about over there?"
Koyuki viewed Hoshi's murmuring as a blatant provocation. You dare to be distracted while fighting me?
"Oh my~ what an impatient little girl. You're so easily rattled; you really need more training," Hoshi chuckled.
"Laughable! As if you have so much combat experience yourself!"
Even if Koyuki lacked experience, did the First Herrscher have any more? Hoshi's way of swinging her weapon had zero aesthetic value; she looked like a child flailing a toy around with no rhythm or technique. ]
Senju Hashirama: "It really does seem that way. If you look closely, the fighting on both sides is completely disorganized. It's like children who have come into great power and have no idea how to wield it."
Orochimaru: "What a waste of god-tier talent."
Orochimaru's eyes were practically bulging out of his head. He didn't know much about the specific abilities of the First or Second Herrscher, as the Sky Screen hadn't provided a detailed manual.
However, it was clear that the Second Herrscher could manipulate space at will, even condensing it into weapons. The First Herrscher was even more impressive; her power seemed tied to scientific research. She had used her ability to create multiple clones of herself and merged them with Honkai Beast genes to grant them monstrous strength.
This made Orochimaru burn with envy. If he had such an ability, he would surely uncover the secrets of every ninjutsu and the mysteries of the entire world! Yet, these powers had fallen into the hands of children who understood nothing. The heavens were truly unfair!
Onoki: "Hahaha~ I have to ask Konoha, are you regretting it now?"
Onoki's single sentence made everyone think of the recent destruction of Konoha.
A: "The emergence of this First Herrscher was triggered by the extermination of her clan, while the Second Herrscher returned to the Land of Snow and was similarly pushed over the edge. It seems becoming a Herrscher—or a 'Host' as Uchiha Hoshi puts it—is inseparable from extreme mental trauma. If the Uchiha hadn't been wiped out, the First Herrscher might truly never have been born."
This was a killing blow to the heart. A single sentence made the survivors of Konoha begin to wonder: If the Uchiha were still here, would the First Herrscher have stayed dormant? Would Konoha still be standing? Would our families still be alive?
But unfortunately, there are no "ifs."
Seeing the words of Onoki and A, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes nearly split with rage. They were trying to make the survivors of Konoha turn on him! Once this was said, the survivors would inevitably blame his inaction. Even if he tried to push the blame onto Danzo as he had in the past, it wouldn't work anymore. Ninjas were not as easily deceived or incited as the common rabble. Especially since most surviving ninjas belonged to the established Ninja Clans; they knew exactly what the truth behind the Uchiha Clan's fate was.
Shimura Danzo: "A joke. Even without the Night of the Clan Extermination, that brat would still have become the First Herrscher. You don't honestly think a white-haired girl without Uchiha blood fared well within the clan, do you? Her isolated residence proves it!"
Uchiha Ghost: "Go to #￥... SDVF#ER! Our Uchiha Clan never mistreated that child! We arranged for ordinary clansmen to take care of her and provided a monthly allowance. As for the remote location, you'll have to ask her parents!"
Uchiha Suzuri: "That was because we were afraid Hoshi's hair and eye color would lead to discrimination from the other children, so we specifically chose a secluded spot to live."
Uchiha Tsukika: "Exactly! Our Hoshi was very popular with the other kids. Although she had no Chakra and couldn't be a ninja, we lived in the civilian area of the clan. Everyone there was an ordinary person; no one looked down on anyone else."
Uchiha Suzuri: "In fact, because of Hoshi's striking looks, plenty of little brats did childish things just to get her attention."
Perhaps in a "normal" world, a white-haired girl might be seen as a freak by young children, but as they grow older, she would evolve into the "coolest kid in class." In a world where multiple hair colors exist, white hair is perfectly normal. If Hoshi had Uchiha blood, she might have been discriminated against for having "impure" blood, but since she was adopted, there was no such thing. The Uchiha didn't hold her to the clan's genetic standards.
Of course, Uchiha Suzuri and his wife had put in a great deal of effort to convince the clan to allow the adoption. Uchiha Hoshi didn't know about that. She only knew that since she could remember, the people around her had been very kind—though, as her father said, there were far too many annoying brats doing stupid things to get her attention.