Chapter 143: It Was Done by “Hundred Faces” and the Masked Man—Implanting Double-Eyed Kotoamatsukami

Although Yagyu and his group were fighting a sky-shattering battle in the illusion world, Konoha itself didn't show the slightest change in reality.

Yet when Yagyu converted the deaths of Konoha F4's clans and all Root members—including Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane—into reality and then lifted the illusion…

An unbelievable sight appeared throughout Konoha.

In everyone else's eyes, the clansmen of Konoha F4 had simply gone blank-faced for a moment. Then, suddenly, their bodies began crumbling to ash at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It was just like that moment in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos snapped his fingers—those who lost consciousness abruptly dissolved into ash, vanishing completely from the world.

Everyone was left dumbfounded.

In particular, ninja who had followed the F4 clansmen to the Hokage Building—intending to await Tsunade's arrival, discuss the recent change in the moon, and figure out what to do about the marks on the backs of their hands—were all horrified by the abrupt ashen demise of the F4 members. Some, unable to handle the shock, collapsed to the floor.

After all, it was truly a terrifying sight.

Someone you were just speaking with would abruptly grow vacant in expression, and then their entire body would crumble to ash right before your eyes—who wouldn't be afraid?

Indeed, who could be sure they wouldn't be next?

Before long, the entire village was in an uproar over the sudden deaths of four major ninja clans led by the Sarutobi clan, the demise of the three Konoha elders (Danzo, Homura, Koharu), and the total annihilation of Root's members—and all their remains turning mysteriously to ash.

Every person in Konoha—be they members of notable clans, ordinary ninja, or common villagers—soon heard the news. Losing two thousand people in one instant, with half of them ninja, was even more shocking than the Uchiha clan's sudden extermination.

At least in the Uchiha massacre, everyone knew the perpetrator was Uchiha Itachi.

But in this case, the elders and their clans perished by simply turning to ash out of nowhere.

Not only did many ninja witness the event; it was also seen by many civilians throughout the village.

Recalling the earlier transformation of the moon and the fleeting markings that had appeared on everyone's hands, some of the more informed residents quickly guessed who was responsible. But none of them dared say it aloud, fully aware that spreading such news would plunge the entire village into chaos.

After all, everyone in Konoha had been illuminated by that red moonlight, their hands briefly branded with a mysterious mark. If these elders and the four major clans were killed by some unknown Uchiha with the power to trigger it at will, then they themselves could also be killed at any moment. Sharing such information would only incite universal panic; the village order would surely collapse.

And those who spread the news might end up killed themselves.

By remaining silent, at least they held onto a sliver of hope. After all, if that mysterious Uchiha truly relied on such "mark-based" killings, and had decided not to eradicate the rest of the village, that likely meant the rest of them weren't targeted.

Hence, the prudent survivors chose to keep their mouths shut.

...

"Before long, I'll be reverse-summoned. You two can hang around here for a day; tomorrow, I'll come get you and bring you back to Konoha."

Once Yagyu lifted the illusion, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport with Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hikari to Tanzaku Town. After setting them down, he said as much.

He then took out a stack of bills and placed them in Hikari's arms, leading the two of them toward an inn.

Poof—!

Before they even reached the inn, Yagyu dispersed in a puff of white smoke.

"What's reverse-summoning?" Hikari asked Sasuke.

"It's a jutsu where a Summoning Beast uses the Summoning Technique on the contractor—essentially summoning them to the summons' realm," Sasuke explained. "But very few animals can perform it. Regular contract beasts might not even have full intelligence. Usually only the Three Great Sage Regions have such beasts that can manage it."

"I see." Hikari nodded in realization, then asked, "Will Onii-chan come back?"

"He will. When he leaves the summoning realm, he'll return right here."

"Then we'll just wait here for Onii-chan."

Relieved to hear that Yagyu would return, Hikari refused to budge. Standing guard on the spot, arms folded, she activated her three-tomoe Sharingan, scanning the area warily in case anyone dared ambush Yagyu.

It was a lingering effect of the Warring States Era—trust no one besides family and clan.

Having suffered from inhumane treatment as a child, Hikari trusted no one except Yagyu. Even Sasuke, currently her only other Uchiha companion, was still under her watchful gaze. Should he try anything suspicious, she would respond mercilessly.

Sasuke, of course, had no idea. He just assumed this "clan elder" figure was in the habit of being hypervigilant.

Poof!

Before long, another cloud of white smoke materialized out of nowhere, and Yagyu reappeared in the very spot he'd vanished.

"What are you doing just standing around here? Go get some rest at the inn, buy yourselves a bite to eat," Yagyu said when he spotted Sasuke and Hikari waiting for him. He paused in mild surprise, then reached out and ruffled Hikari's hair. "Especially you, Hikari—your body is in rough shape. You're clearly malnourished, so be sure to eat well. Don't bother saving money for me; Onii-chan is loaded."

"Mhm. Got it, Onii-chan."

Hikari beamed under Yagyu's affectionate head pats, her beautiful eyes curving into sweet little crescent moons. Her mood now was the complete opposite of how it had been moments before.

Sasuke simply inclined his head, expression blank. With his vengeance achieved, he now viewed himself as one of Yagyu's subordinates. To repay Yagyu, he'd follow any order, no matter the danger. The hatred in Sasuke's heart had been eased, and he was on the path to becoming the Sasuke of the Boruto era.

"Sasuke, please watch out for Hikari. Her background isn't the same as ours."

Leaving Sasuke with that instruction, Yagyu vanished again via teleportation.

Moments later, Yagyu appeared in the Hokage's office, where Tsunade—who had hurried over for extra work—and a crowd of green-vested jōnin had gathered.

"Lord Yagyu!"

The assembled jōnin greeted him respectfully the moment they saw him.

"Yagyu, you're just in time. Something major happened in the village a short while ago."

Frowning, Tsunade quickly recounted the events: how the moon had turned crimson with a peculiar pattern, how scarlet moonlight had bathed the village, and finally how the Elders, the four major clans, and Root had all died under mysterious circumstances—turning to ash in the process.

"A special pattern?" Yagyu frowned. Extending a hand, he placed it on Tsunade's shoulder, releasing a bit of blue chakra. After a few seconds, he formed a one-handed seal, causing vines to sprout from the floor. Snake-like, they crept up the bodies of the jōnin, ensnaring them.

Once the vines had latched on, they glowed blue, apparently drawing chakra from the jōnin. Then they loosened and withdrew before draining them dry.

Under the puzzled gazes of everyone present, Yagyu said slowly, "None of you possess any abnormal chakra. I'm quite certain that the Elders and the Sarutobi clan were not killed by that 'mark' or whatever it was. They died by some unknown means."

The jōnin breathed a collective sigh of relief, easing the tension in their hearts. They trusted Yagyu fully—after all, Mokuton was regarded as an existence above even the Mangekyō Sharingan, and not even Uchiha Madara had been a match for the First Hokage.

Moreover, they had just experienced having their chakra siphoned away by Yagyu, so his analysis about "no other chakra" lurking inside them was reassuring—it implied the mark wasn't permanent.

Tsunade exhaled as well, but her brows soon creased again. "If that's the case, then what are those marks? And how did that mysterious figure manage to kill the Elders and those clans from a distance?"

"Are we certain that only the Elders, the four major clans, and Root died?" Yagyu asked once more. "Did anyone else perish—anyone not connected to those clans or Root?"

"No one," Tsunade replied firmly. "Aside from those members of the four clans who happened to be out of the village, everyone in Konoha who belonged to those clans and Root—be they civilians with no chakra or an elite jōnin like Asuma—turned to ash in an instant, leaving behind no corpses."

Yagyu's frown deepened; he pondered a moment before saying, "If that's the case, then those marks are likely some visual-based sensing technique. They probably use chakra, or a kekkei genkai, or even one's bloodline to pinpoint and 'mark' their target—then employ some unknown jutsu to curse-kill from extreme distance."

Before anyone could respond, Yagyu added, "The Akatsuki once had a member: Hidan, an S-rank rogue ninja of Yugakure from the Land of Rivers. He was a devout follower of a certain evil cult, possessed an immortal body immune to all physical attacks, and used a ritual-based curse to kill: by obtaining someone's blood, he could inflict any harm he took onto them as well."

"The same Hidan you personally took down years ago?" Tsunade asked.

"Indeed." Yagyu nodded, voicing his conjecture. "Most likely, the annihilation of the four major clans and Root involves a specialized curse technique even more advanced than Hidan's. I can't see another way to explain how they all died so suddenly."

He glanced at the pale-faced jōnin and spoke in a reassuring tone: "No need to be so anxious. I'm absolutely certain none of you have any strange chakra inside you."

"Plus, a curse of that magnitude definitely can't be without any limitations. If the culprit had the power to obliterate all of Konoha, they would've done so already. Clearly, they can't."

"That they only targeted the Elders, the four clans, and Root suggests they held some deep grudge against those families—or, more precisely, against the Elders—and have been plotting revenge for a long time, only now choosing to act."

Hearing all this, the jōnin finally relaxed, though it was also a wake-up call. Henceforth, whenever they took missions, they would be sure to handle any spilled blood carefully. They would never have guessed the shinobi world could harbor jutsu that cursed people to death. Even more frightening, it was capable of wiping out entire clans.

On second thought, it must have its own constraints, they realized. After all, only those who were physically in the village died; the members who had been dispatched outside survived and had already reported in. That pointed away from any purely "bloodline-based" curse. It matched Yagyu's assessment that those marks and the crimson moonlight functioned as a type of advanced "sensor lock."

...

"You're all dismissed for now," Tsunade said abruptly, as though she had just noticed something. She instructed the jōnin, "Tell the other ninja to report to the Hokage's office tomorrow for inspection. Remember not to discuss or spread rumors about this event, or I'll show no mercy."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

With respectful nods, the jōnin filed out of the Hokage's office.

Once they were gone, Tsunade turned to Yagyu with a stern look. "Yagyu, you know something more—what is it?"

"Ah… just a guess."

Yagyu nodded, his expression grave. "If my hunch is right, this was the work of 'Hundred Faces' and the Masked Man."

"Hundred Faces? You mean Hiruko?" Tsunade's face changed. As though recalling something, she spoke in a low voice. "If it's Hiruko, that does make sense. Back then, it was Lord Hiruzen who ordered us to hunt him down."

"And now that Lord Hiruzen is dead, he's taking revenge on the Sarutobi clan… That bastard—could he really have obtained the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

At this possibility, Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface. She nearly shattered it outright.

Yagyu raised a brow at her reaction but continued soberly, "I don't know if Hiruko actually has the Mangekyō. But that masked man from before certainly did."

Tsunade's gaze grew grim. "So that means the Akatsuki might now have three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"No. If Hiruko does have the Mangekyō, that would make only two pairs total."

Yagyū suddenly added, "Uchiha Itachi is dead. He was killed by Uchiha Sasuke."

"Itachi is dead? Are you sure?" Tsunade's eyes widened in shock at Yagyu.

"Positive—I was one of the witnesses," Yagyu said with a smile. "It was nearly a mutual kill; Sasuke almost died alongside Itachi. I saved him at the last second. The masked man tried to take them both, but he couldn't beat me. It was during that fight I confirmed that beneath his mask, he has a three-tomoe Sharingan."

Tsunade seemed to recall something and promptly asked, "Is Sasuke awake yet? There's a saying that when the Uchiha shed their own clan's blood, the chance of awakening the Mangekyō soars. Did Sasuke awaken it?"

"You suspect Sasuke did all of this?" Yagyu asked with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry—it wasn't him. He did indeed awaken the Mangekyō, but it's a six-pointed star design, not that lunar pattern you mentioned. Plus, he's been with me these past couple days. If he did it, I would certainly know."

Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief, laughing softly. "That's good. Otherwise, if Sasuke returned, he'd definitely face 'special treatment.' We'd risk pushing away someone who wields the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Not that we're certain he'll come back, but…" Yagyu wore a confident grin. "I have a way to bring him back."

"You plan on telling him the truth?" Tsunade asked, brows knitting together. "Better not. Otherwise, if he learns that it wasn't Itachi who wiped out the Uchiha clan but rather the Konoha higher-ups, he might turn that hatred on us."

"Relax. I'm not going to tell him outright."

"Itachi already foresaw the day Sasuke would learn the truth. To keep Sasuke from venting his hatred on Konoha, he left behind a contingency with Naruto. If I find Naruto and make contact, I can bring back a Sasuke whose loyalty to Konoha is absolute." Yagyu spoke half in jest, half in truth.

Of course, he wouldn't actually cast Kotoamatsukami on Sasuke. But this gave him a chance to retrieve the Kotoamatsukami Itachi had left with Naruto.

At that point, he would have both eyes capable of Kotoamatsukami.

Then, so long as he found a way—by reviewing Hikari's memories—of implanting Mangekyō jutsu into his own eyes, even if he didn't "unlock" Kotoamatsukami himself, he could implant both eyes' powers.

In other words, Yagyu's skill in illusions would truly become unstoppable.

"I'll leave it in your hands."

Seeing how confident Yagyu was, Tsunade didn't object.

"Got it. I'll bring him back in a couple of days."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Yagyu vanished once again in a flash.