The chaotic battle under the night sky raged on.
Because of this clash, Hidden Leaf Village was gripped by immense panic. Droves of villagers, families in tow, evacuated the village, clogging the streets with dense crowds of people and vehicles.
Students from the shinobi academy took to the streets, voluntarily taking on the task of maintaining order.
But as they gazed at the earth-shaking battle in the distance under the night sky, listening to the relentless booms, they were no less terrified than the ordinary villagers, their hearts filled with fear and unease!
In the forest.
Perched on a large tree, Uchiha Shinji observed the distant clash while scribbling notes in a notebook.
"Easily wields the complete form of 'Susanoo'…"
"Pupil power cohesion and release are smooth, with no sluggishness from the transplant."
"'Susanoo's' strength is exceptional."
He recorded and evaluated.
Whether it was the fluidity of dojutsu activation or the potency of 'Susanoo,' Karin's performance met his expectations perfectly—exceeding them, even.
Similarly, Yakumo's performance caught him off guard.
"It seems she wasn't using her full strength in our previous encounters!"
At this thought, Shinji chuckled and shook his head.
Then, glancing at the Hidden Leaf shinobi around him, all wearing expressions of grim determination, and the village descending into chaos in the distance, a sense of pride welled up in him.
No one would likely imagine.
The two combatants currently locked in this battle, threatening the entire Hidden Leaf, were mere eight- or nine-year-old academy students.
Even less would they suspect that Karin and Yakumo, these two 'monsters' nearly bringing Hidden Leaf to its knees, were both products of his creation!
But he quickly reined in his pride.
Even for him, dealing with Karin or Yakumo now wouldn't be easy.
While Karin's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was slightly inferior to his, her formidable Sage Body and Wood Release, which wasn't far behind Yakumo's, surpassed Shinji's own capabilities.
In a one-on-one fight, Shinji wasn't certain he could defeat Karin.
Yakumo was the same.
With Wood Release for both offense and defense, and Ido's spiritual form assisting from the sidelines, a single misstep could lead to Shinji's defeat.
Fortunately, neither Karin nor Yakumo showed any signs of rebelling against him, so he didn't have to worry too much about the 'monsters' he'd nurtured turning on him.
"That's enough."
Shinji closed his notebook, murmuring to himself.
His goal was only to test Karin's compatibility with her newly fused Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, not to destroy Hidden Leaf. At this point, the test could conclude.
On the battlefield.
Boom!
Another ordinary swing, and countless encroaching trees were sliced apart by the massive spear wielded by Karin's 'Susanoo'!
Watching the wood chips scatter through the sky, Yakumo's heart sank: "My Wood Release can't stop them anymore…"
It was obvious!
Even if Yakumo could continuously unleash Wood Release, as long as her opponent could easily break free from its bindings, the battle of attrition was inherently unfair.
Compared to her opponent swinging their spear with 'Susanoo,' her constant channeling of Wood Release was clearly more taxing.
Moreover, she noticed something strange: her Wood Release was inexplicably ineffective at absorbing her opponent's chakra.
It wasn't that it couldn't absorb any, but the process was painfully slow, only managing to siphon a trickle when the vines tightly bound their target.
It was as if her opponent had some kind of resistance to Wood Release!
Clearly.
Though Yakumo didn't know Karin also wielded Wood Release, after their exchange, she sensed something was off.
Ido, within the 'Inner World,' shouted incessantly: "Yakumo, what are you hesitating for?! Let me take over! If you don't, we—and the entire village—are done for!"
Yakumo replied, "Let me think a bit more!"
Ido screamed hysterically, "Damn it, what's there to think about?! You're no match for them alone! If you keep dragging this out until your chakra's depleted, even if I step in, we'll have no chance of winning!"
Through Yakumo's senses, Ido had already gauged their opponent's strength.
She knew the only way to win was for Yakumo to use Wood Release to engage head-on while she, in spiritual form, launched a sneak attack from the side.
If Yakumo's chakra ran dry before Ido acted, their chances would be slim.
Yakumo glanced around, then shook her head: "No, you can't act now! Lady Tsunade and the others are here. You've already exposed yourself before and been marked as Akatsuki's 'D' by the village. If you appear, our identities will be completely exposed."
Ido roared, "Then what? Just wait to die?"
Yakumo looked at Karin within 'Susanoo' and said, "Let me try one last time with genjutsu!"
Ido fell silent, as this was one of the few remaining options.
With her mind made up, Yakumo channeled Wood Release, using the trees to bring Tsunade, Kakashi, and a few other elite jonin closer to her. She shouted, "Lady Tsunade, I want to try using genjutsu!"
Before Tsunade could respond, Kakashi said, "Yakumo, they're a Mangekyo Uchiha. Ordinary genjutsu is unlikely to work!"
Tsunade hesitated, not immediately agreeing.
Yakumo pressed, "My Wood Release… it's starting to falter against them! Teacher, this is our only chance!"
Tsunade asked, "How confident are you?"
Yakumo paused briefly: "The Kurama clan's genjutsu is no less than the Uchiha's, and with my Koryugan, casting it is even easier! Even if they have the Mangekyo Sharingan, I believe I have about a fifty percent chance of success!"
Tsunade said, "Then give it a shot! Don't worry, we'll cover you!"
Kakashi and Gai nodded in agreement.
A fifty percent chance was no small thing!
The Kurama clan's genjutsu was indeed something to anticipate!
Yakumo didn't hesitate further. She channeled Wood Release, letting the trees carry her closer to the massive 'Susanoo' nearby.
Seeing Yakumo herself charging forward, Karin was somewhat surprised.
At that moment, Yakumo's hands rapidly formed seals. Then, harnessing the ocular power of her Koryugan, she launched a genjutsu directly at Karin, positioned in the diamond-shaped space at 'Susanoo's' forehead!
Thump, thump.
In that instant, Karin felt her heart pound as if it might burst.
But in that brief moment of distraction, her surroundings transformed. The night sky, the forest, and the Hidden Leaf shinobi attacking her vanished, replaced by a blood-red expanse of sky and sea.
"Genjutsu?"
She closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, the eerie glow of her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan flashed, and everything around her returned to normal.