I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 205 Obito's Plans

along the way.

Kakashi and the others looked quite tense.

Konoha received a request for assistance from the Land of Demons several days ago. After some discussion and review of relevant information, the mission was finally designated as "Super S-rank".

This means that there is a high probability that multiple enemies of Kage level or higher will appear during the mission.

One is a demon.

Judging from the scattered fragments of information on the scroll, this demon's strength was no less than that of a tailed beast. If Miroku hadn't assured them in the letter that he was capable of sealing the demon and only needed the assistance of the ninja village, Konoha might have had to think twice about accepting the mission.

The other one is the leader of the Yellow Springs Cult.

According to intelligence, this ninja is quite powerful. If the information that "Mouryou can share his power with others" is true, then his strength may be close to that of the Five Kage.

It cannot be ruled out that other enemies may appear during the mission.

Therefore, this mission was life-threatening for Kakashi and the others.

But Uchiha Hikaru and Erii looked very relaxed, as if they were on a spring outing. They would occasionally run over to take pictures of the scenic spots they saw.

—This photo was taken with Erii's phone.

The girl is gradually losing her initial naivety and ignorance, and is becoming more and more like an ordinary girl. She's not only acquiring the various common sense skills she lacked in daily life, but she's also slowly becoming proficient in using various electronic devices.

As for Kikyo, she had already begun communicating with Miroku at this point.

Although they live in different worlds, they are considered to be in the same profession. Moreover, the demon and Naraku have some similar characteristics. Kikyo seems very curious about the formation process of this thing.

When the group stopped for a short rest at noon, Uchiha Hikaru looked up and gazed towards the west.

"Let's calculate the time..."

"Xiao Ai should have seen Wang Liang by now, right?"

……

the other side.

Hikaru Uchiha's shadow clone stood on the suspended ice with Esdeath, flying low towards the western part of the Land of Demons, followed by a vast army of ice knights, like a great army setting out for war.

along the way.

They saw several scattered "ghost legions" wreaking havoc in the villages and fields. Some lightly armored soldiers, along with villagers wielding pitchforks, were struggling to fight them and cover the retreat of their comrades behind them.

"That guy..."

Was it a deliberate act to scatter these mercenaries and create chaos everywhere?

Uchiha Hikaru frowned slightly, about to turn around and say something to Esdeath, when he saw her raise her hand and wave it. Immediately, several ice knights broke away from the ranks and charged towards the mercenaries in the village. From mid-air, it looked like a white arrow piercing through black mud, instantly scattering the mercenaries.

"Um?"

Noticing Uchiha Hikaru's gaze, Esdeath raised an eyebrow: "Is there a problem?"

"No, I just thought you wouldn't care about the lives of the weak."

"...They're just ordinary people."

Esdeath remained unmoved: "Although they are all weak, they deserve some value in their deaths. It would be too pathetic to be killed by these puppets who don't even have their own will."

"Yeah?"

Uchiha Hikaru remained noncommittal.

that's it.

The two split up and continued their advance.

In terms of numbers, Esdeath's Ice Knights are far fewer than the "Ghost Legion." After all, the former were created by her using the power of "Demon Essence," while the latter were created by the Wraith using the corpses of those he killed, making them virtually inexhaustible.

However, since the Ice Knight's individual combat strength is slightly higher than that of the Mercenary, and it can fight three at once, plus the fact that both sides have the characteristic of being immortal, even if they are smashed to pieces, they can get up and continue to hurt each other. Therefore, it is entirely possible to block the Ghost Legion's advance and allow the civilians of the Demon Kingdom to escape at will.

A few hours after leaving the capital.

Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath finally arrived at the location prophesied by Miroku.

Inashiki Castle.

According to the map, this used to be a city with a population of nearly 10,000, but now it has become a dead city.

Numerous buildings were shattered, and the roads were stained dark red with dried blood. Corpses of soldiers walked among the ruins, their heads flickering with flames like will-o'-the-wisps. As Uchiha Hikaru and his companion arrived, they swarmed from all directions like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.

Unlike the small-scale skirmishes we'd seen along the way, the number of soldiers and mercenaries here was astonishing. As far as the eye could see, there was a vast, swarming mass of them, which was quite alarming.

"...Water Release·Water Wave!!"

Uchiha Hikaru formed hand seals and opened his mouth to exhale.

In an instant, chakra transformed into a surging torrent of water, shooting skyward from the gates of Inashiki Castle before crashing back in, creating waves several meters high that slammed into the mercenary soldiers. Though these creatures were fearless, they still had to follow the laws of physics, and were swept off their feet by the current.

then……

Esdeath flashed and leaped from the ice in mid-air, landing on the rippling water.

Almost at the same moment she fell, the water beneath her feet froze into ice.

Then, Esdeath bent her knees and squatted down, pressing her hands down.

"...Frozen Purgatory!!"

At that moment, the "Demon's Essence" emblem on Esdeath's chest flashed. Then, boundless chill surged into the sky!

Temperature plummeted!

One second ago, the city gate was a scene of towering waves, resembling a swamp.

The next second, a white frost swept outwards from Esdeath, engulfing a huge fan-shaped area in front of her! Wherever it passed, flowing water was quickly frozen, and even the soldiers and mercenaries who were trapped in the water were frozen in the ice cave!

Ice blocks of all sizes sprang up like mushrooms after a spring rain.

From icicles to icicles, and then to icebergs nearly a hundred meters high... in the blink of an eye, a silvery-white world of ice and snow spread throughout Inashiki Castle! Enveloping several blocks around the castle gate, and still expanding into the distance!

"..."

Esdeath suddenly looked up and glanced in a certain direction within the city: "There are still people."

"Um?"

"There are still living people in this town. They might be the masters of these ghost legions."

"?"

Uchiha Hikaru, who was in mid-air, raised an eyebrow.

Are the demons here too?

"That direction... I can definitely sense a chakra aura. Let's go check it out!"

The words fell.

Then I heard...

Bang! ! !

A few miles away from the city gate, above another block of streets, a ball of crimson fire suddenly rose up, followed by a deafening roar!

Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath exchanged a glance, then one flew and the other landed, quickly approaching the direction from which the sound came. During this process, a remarkably powerful aura of chakra and an incredibly strong stench of blood collided head-on with them.

Is it really there?

Just as Esdeath, through the expansion of the ice surface, became aware of the remaining living people in the city.

The people over there also noticed their presence.

As Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath rushed over, they heard several whooshing sounds. Several ninja-like figures appeared on a nearby rooftop, shouting, "Halt! Who are you?"

"Lord Wangliang is eating. Anyone who dares to disturb him will be killed without mercy!"

"...Master Sprite?"

Uchiha Hikaru stopped in mid-air, narrowed his eyes slightly, and scanned the group opposite him, especially glancing at their foreheads where they weren't wearing headbands.

"People from the Yellow Springs Cult?"

"So you're a ninja here to subdue me. I don't know which ninja village you're from, but since you're here, you can stay!"

As they were talking.

One of the Yomi Cult ninjas charged forward, and as he moved at high speed, a thick, rock-like armor began to appear on his body. This armor seemed quite heavy, as each step he took left a huge footprint on the rooftop. Finally, he leaped from the rooftop and threw a punch at Uchiha Hikaru in mid-air!

"Not bad."

Uchiha Hikaru slowly drew his sword from behind: "But... he's too weak."

With these words, the dragon bone knife, which had expanded to more than four meters in length, was swung out with force!

"Crescent Moon Anecho!!!"

At that moment, a blade of energy nearly forty meters high appeared in the sky, slashing towards the Yellow Springs Cult ninja. The latter opened his eyes wide in terror, hastily raising his arms to block in front of him, before being engulfed by the fierce blade of energy and sent hurtling straight backward!

boom--!!

A milky-white shockwave was accompanied by a sonic boom.

In just a few seconds, the Yellow Springs Cult ninja was propelled hundreds of meters backward by the blade energy, his figure disappearing halfway. The blade energy continued its momentum, sweeping over the rooftops of dozens of houses, and finally crashed into a tower like a meteor. Along with large chunks of rock falling, all the buildings in its path were reduced to ruins!

Even after the tower was destroyed.

The momentum of "Crescent Moon Sky Surge" had not stopped, and it flew several hundred meters further before gradually disappearing into the air.

"?!"

The other Yellow Springs Cult ninjas stood frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.

Is this... swordsmanship or ninjutsu? How can it have such power?!

"Sorry, it seems I went a bit too far with the cut."

"For you, you should use the standard dragon bone knife."

Uchiha Hikaru withdrew his spiritual power, restoring the Dragon Bone Blade to its original state. Then, he gestured with his chin towards Esdeath below: "The rest is up to you, Esdeath. The demons should be just ahead. Clear them out and then go check them out."

talking.

Uchiha Hikaru activated his Flying Technique, flying higher and narrowing his eyes as he looked at the distant mountains. Due to the dense trees, the view from the mountains was somewhat obscured.

"I have a feeling... someone's watching this area. Who could it be?"

……

"How...could it be her?!"

Outside Inashiki Castle.

On hillsides several kilometers apart.

Obito, dressed in a black robe with red clouds, stared wide-eyed at the tiny figure at the end of his vision, a look of astonishment on his masked face.

"Who?"

Another person in a black robe with red cloud patterns next to him raised his binoculars and followed Obito's gaze into the town: "Huh, why is there a girl flying in the air over there... Is that the Light-Weight Rock Technique from Iwagakure? Is she a disciple of the Third Tsuchikage? And there's another one, who looks like a ninja with an Ice Release Kekkei Genkai?"

"..."

Obito was silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice: "She is the Uchiha I told you about."

"...That great-grandmother of the Uchiha clan?"

Another Akatsuki member, Hiruko, who had been recently recruited by Obito, was slightly startled, then her eyes flashed: "I remember, she has the same Mangekyou Sharingan as you, right? If I..."

"If you want to die, I won't stop you."

Obito snorted coldly: "Your 'Oni-Garra Technique' is indeed impressive, but it's too early to fight her with just the bloodline limits you've absorbed before."

One of her kaleidoscope abilities is "Tsukuyomi," one of the most powerful genjutsu-type eye techniques. A single glance is enough to pull you into an illusionary space. Even I wasn't confident I could withstand that attack; you've only absorbed a pair of three-tomoe gems, so it's even less likely."

"Yeah?"

Beiliuhu remained noncommittal, but his eyes revealed a hint of eagerness.

As a former Konoha ninja and a comrade of the Legendary Sannin, he was quite familiar with the Uchiha clan and his covetousness for the Sharingan was no less than Orochimaru's. Only if he could obtain a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan could his "Oni-Garuru Technique" be considered complete.

the other side.

Obito was also feeling unsettled.

"Isn't Black Zetsu saying she's been active in the Land of Fields lately? How did she end up here? When did she arrive? Why didn't we receive any prior warning?"

"And who is that woman with her? Such powerful ice-type ninjutsu is something even the strongest member of the Mizuki clan before their extermination couldn't achieve. Where did Uchiha Hikaru find her from? The Land of Snow?"

A multitude of conflicting thoughts swirled in Obito's mind.

but……

He quickly realized something else—

Now that Uchiha Hikaru has appeared here, it's unlikely that the demon will be able to escape. However, given its strength, it shouldn't be defeated quickly. If I can seize this opportunity to rush to the capital area and kill Miroku, whose defenses are weak, then this situation will be reversed.

—It seems that Miroku's entourage consists of small teams of Konoha and Kumogakure ninjas. By taking this opportunity to kill them all, he can weaken Konoha's strength and pave the way for his subsequent plans.

"Let's go, Hiruko. There's no point in staying here any longer. Let's do something we need to do."

Obito suddenly spoke.

"...You mean?"

"Of course, we'll kill that witch named Miroku and bring her body over."

"According to the information provided by Zetsu, the priestess's power and the demon's power are from the same source. Once she devours Miroku, the demon's power will more than double. Once that's done, no one will be able to stop it."

(End of this chapter)