Chapter 24 Uchiha Flame Formation

"We did it!"

The tomoe of the Sharingan reflected in the serpent's eyes, and Uchiha Shinsuke let out a breath of relief.

Using genjutsu mid-air was a risky move. If they failed to control the serpent, there'd be no chance to dodge its retaliation.

"That's what happens when you underestimate the Uchiha."

Shinsuke scoffed. Even if Orochimaru had gone easy on them, no other clan could have subdued a creature like this so quickly. Only the Sharingan made it possible.

He couldn't help but think back to the night of the Nine-Tails. The Third Hokage had been wrong. They should have deployed the Uchiha Guards that night.

Hiss...

A sudden sibilant sound broke through his thoughts. Shinsuke's eyes snapped forward, only to see the Sharingan vanish from the serpent's eyes. The massive jaws of the beast opened wide—unnaturally wide—and snapped toward him like lightning.

"How did it break free so fast?!"

"Did someone mess up the genjutsu?"

The reeking wind from the snake's breath rushed toward him. With no time to think, Shinsuke unsheathed a short blade from his back and struck the serpent's teeth with all his strength.

Clang!

The blade didn't break the fang—but the impact threw Shinsuke backward, just out of reach. At that moment, several kunai tied to wires shot toward him. He didn't resist as the threads wrapped around his waist, pulling him safely back to the ground.

His feet barely touched down before he realized he was drenched in cold sweat.

Others weren't so lucky. Some of the other squad leaders who had attempted the genjutsu were either caught outright in the serpent's first strike or were simply too slow. One by one, they were swallowed whole before anyone could react.

A chilling silence fell over the battlefield. The only sound that remained was the slow, wet swallowing of the giant snake.

"...Did it really eat them?"

Even the stoic Uchiha couldn't suppress a shiver at the thought.

Plop.

Plop.

One by one, the serpent spat out the unconscious shinobi. In the same moment, a figure blurred through the air—Shisui—dividing into eight afterimages and catching each of them mid-air, landing at the edge of the battlefield.

After a quick check, he exhaled. They were all alive, just unconscious—soaked in saliva but otherwise unharmed.

Then, the central head of the Yamata no Orochi split open, and Orochimaru emerged from within, upper body rising like a snake uncoiling, a sinister smirk curling his lips.

"Consider this a lesson."

"A tailed beast-like jinchūriki isn't the same as a normal tailed beast. If you want to trap one in a genjutsu, your eye power must overpower both the jinchūriki and the beast inside."

He tilted his head mockingly.

"Heh... None of you are even close."

Whether or not the Uchiha shinobi truly heard his warning, they all realized one thing:

Genjutsu alone wasn't going to defeat this monster.

The eight heads of the serpent were merely a façade—the true body was Orochimaru, hidden deep within the Yamata no Orochi.

To defeat him, they would have to bring down the beast first.

Earlier, they'd risked everything because they knew they couldn't overpower the Yamata no Orochi head-on. So they had gambled on genjutsu, hoping the Sharingan could control it.

But now, the Uchiha elites at the scene understood—the battle objective had to change. They couldn't aim for victory anymore. Their new priority was to stabilize the situation and outlast Orochimaru, who was running low on chakra.

It wasn't in their nature. The Uchiha weren't the kind to stall. They preferred swift, clean, decisive battles—ones that showed off their superiority with flair and precision. Only lesser shinobi needed drawn-out tactics.

But none of them objected. Not now.

Because more than anything... they hated losing.

Orochimaru, a seasoned fighter, quickly read their shift in strategy.

"Hiss... Trying to drag this out until I'm drained?" he chuckled darkly. "Not a bad plan..."

"But did you forget something?" His voice took on a mocking edge. "I haven't attacked yet."

The serpent's expression twisted into something almost human—smug, cruel.

"If you want to buy time, you'll have to survive me first!"

With a roar, the Yamata no Orochi dropped its defense, charging straight at the Uchiha formation. It ignored the flames licking at its scales and plowed forward like an avalanche.

The ground quaked violently. Trees shattered like twigs. Earth walls crumbled. The elite Uchiha forces were forced into retreat, unable to mount any resistance.

The battlefield was thrown into chaos under the crushing weight of the serpent's massive body. The Uchiha Guard's formation collapsed yet again.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Uchiha Shinsuke formed hand seals, unleashing his strongest jutsu. But the Yamata no Orochi merely swatted the dragon of fire aside with its tail like it was nothing.

Shinsuke leapt clear of the exploding sparks and flying debris, landing on the thick branch of a tree. His Sharingan locked onto the beast below, breathing hard.

The jutsu had worked to a degree. The relentless attacks had begun to slow the Orochi, weakening its power and speed.

But the damage to their own forces was even greater.

Despite holding back, Orochimaru's attack had been enough to shatter their ranks. Injuries were mounting. If it weren't for Shisui rescuing the wounded, they would've already suffered serious losses.

"What now? If this keeps up, we'll be humiliated..."

Shinsuke clenched his fists, but his mind drew blanks. If genjutsu failed, then Yamata no Orochi's sheer size made it a nightmare for any ninja to fight.

Just then, a figure leapt from the forest, seizing a brief gap in the Orochi's movements and landing near the beast.

Shinsuke's eyes widened. "The clan head...? What is he doing here?"

With the formation shattered, command structures had crumbled. Shinsuke assumed the patriarch had already withdrawn.

"Does he have a plan...?"

As that thought crossed his mind, he saw Uchiha Fugaku quickly forming hand seals. The clan head slammed his palm to the ground.

"Uchiha Flame Formation!"

Flames ignited between his fingers. Crimson symbols spread across the earth, and in an instant, a translucent wall of fire rose up—surrounding Yamata no Orochi in a blazing enclosure.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The serpent's tails slammed against the barrier in rage, but it held strong—burning the monster in return.

Shinsuke stared in disbelief. "It worked? The patriarch mastered a barrier technique like that?"

Barrier and sealing techniques were notoriously hard to learn. The Uchiha Flame Formation was one of the most complex.

It wasn't just a fire-style barrier—it drew from the earth itself, combining chakra natures to create a reinforced defense. It was almost like a Kekkei Genkai, merging fire and earth into a powerful hybrid.

"Whatever it is... it worked." Shinsuke finally exhaled, relief washing over him.

If their elite guard had been completely overwhelmed, the clan's reputation would've been in shambles.

But just as that relief took hold—

Crack.

The sharp, unmistakable sound of shattering glass echoed through the battlefield.

_________

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