**Chapter 71: First Encounter with the Masked Man**

The thick fog that had been blown apart slowly began to close in again.

Uchiha Hikari didn't recklessly charge in. Instead, she used *Bukujutsu* to float toward a large tree at the edge of the mist, planning to observe a bit longer.

But the two Kaguya clansmen who had attacked her earlier quickly gave chase.

Thanks to the protective power of their *Shikotsumyaku*, plus the fact that Hikari's earlier *Fūton* was just a casual release, they weren't injured. As they charged, their skin peeled back, revealing dense, jagged bone spikes that protruded one after another. Then, with a leap, they launched themselves toward the treetop!

*Whoosh!*

The sound of rushing wind followed!

Hikari tilted her head, dodging the incoming bone blade with an elegant sidestep.

The next second—

*Crack!* With a loud snap, the massive tree trunk was broken clean in half by the two Kaguya clansmen's stomping feet!

The moment her footing gave way, Hikari activated *Bukujutsu* again, drifting toward another tree about seven or eight meters away. But a third figure had already silently crept to that spot. Gripping a long blade with both hands, he leaped forward the moment she came within a few meters, slashing with ferocious intensity!

*Swish!*

Amid the whistling wind, Hikari glanced back. Her *Sangen Sharingan* spun faintly, and the attacker froze mid-motion, his blade missing her by mere inches as it sailed past her face.

In that fleeting moment as they passed each other, Hikari casually swung a hand chop, knocking the airborne assassin toward the ground. She then floated a few more meters forward, landing lightly on another tree branch before turning to look back.

"…Hōzuki clan, huh?"

Hikari glanced at her right hand.

When her hand chop had connected, it felt oddly wet—almost sticky. Definitely not like striking normal flesh.

As expected…

Her gaze shifted, and she saw the third assassin dissolve into a puddle of water as he hit the forest floor, completely negating the impact of his fall.

Then, together with the two Kaguya clansmen, he closed in from three directions, launching a relentless, storm-like assault on Hikari!

"Kill!"

Let's just say, there's a reason the *Blood Mist Village* exists.

Setting aside Madara and Obito's schemes, a good chunk of the ninja from Kirigakure's clans are straight-up bloodthirsty lunatics. Compared to them, Konoha's Uchiha clan might as well be cuddly little lambs.

Long blades swung wildly, and bone projectiles flew everywhere.

Trees were sliced clean through, kicking up clouds of dust.

Facing this dense web of killing intent, Hikari didn't even raise a hand. She dodged every attack with nimble footwork, her body weaving like a delicate spirit cat. Only when the onslaught became airtight did she casually toss out a capsule. Then, with a flat stretch of her right hand, a black longsword appeared in her grip.

—*Goshintō: Onikiri!*

Ever since she got her hands on this blade, Hikari hadn't tested it in combat.

Now…

These guys would make the perfect test!

The moment she gripped the hilt, Hikari's aura shifted dramatically. No longer dodging, she matched the three assassins' ferocity—surpassing it even—and swung her blade in a fierce counterattack!

"*Breath of Flame, First Form… Shiranui!*"

"*Third Form… Blazing Universe!*"

"*Breath of Thunder, First Form… Thunderclap and Flash!*"

Though her concept of the *Jūtenhō* was still in the experimental phase, Hikari's swordsmanship had grown significantly through her sparring with the Demon Slayer Corps' Pillars.

Now, as she channeled a modified version of *Chakra*, her presence visibly surged. Her sword, wreathed in flames and wind, enveloped her entirely. Not only did she block every attack coming from all directions, but she quickly turned the tables, overwhelming the three Kirigakure ninja.

In just a few dozen seconds…

The bone blades wielded by the two Kaguya clansmen had been shattered multiple times. One of them even lost half an arm to a single slash.

As for the Hōzuki clansman, lacking the same physical prowess as *Shikotsumyaku*, he'd already dodged fatal blows twice by turning into water, leaving him slightly winded.

"…As expected, even a *Mangekyō Sharingan* can't copy a secret technique tied to *Yinyangton*."

Hikari's gaze lingered on the Hōzuki clansman for a moment, a touch disappointed.

Oh well…

"*Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes!*"

With a single glance, all three Kirigakure ninja froze in place.

Just as Hikari prepared to ignore them and head into the fog to investigate, a faint ripple of chakra suddenly emanated from the two Kaguya clansmen.

"What's this…?"

"Explode!"

The next second—

*BOOM!* A massive explosion roared!

Countless explosive tags, hidden within the clothes of the two assassins, detonated all at once. In an instant, searing flames erupted outward, engulfing everything within dozens of meters—including Hikari and the Hōzuki clansman—in a blazing inferno. Thick smoke billowed into the sky!

Amid the lingering haze…

The Hōzuki clansman, having mitigated most of the blast's impact with his *Suika no Jutsu* but still gravely injured, staggered as he fled.

Behind him, a dark red *Susanoo* burst forth, swinging an unstoppable sword!

"*Breath of Wind… Hundred-Eight Segments: Heavy Cannon Slash!!*"

In that moment, the dark red greatsword, wrapped in layers of chakra and aura, unleashed a massive, crescent-shaped sword wave straight ahead! Amplified by *Breath of Wind*, the sword wave tore forward for dozens of meters, its overwhelming force cleaving every tree in its path clean in two!

Even the thick fog blanketing the forest was parted, leaving a vacuum several meters wide and nearly a hundred meters long!

The Hōzuki clansman was sent flying, his body severed in half midair.

Through the slowly parting fog and gaps between trees, Hikari's eyes locked onto a figure in a black robe standing at the edge of her vision, deep within the mist!

"As I thought…"

It was Uchiha Obito!

In an instant, Hikari pushed her speed to the limit, driving her *Susanoo* nearly a hundred meters forward. Before the fog could close, she swung a flame-wreathed *Akaen Zan*, aiming for the figure! A massive crescent of fire, even larger than her earlier *Heavy Cannon Slash*, unfurled through the air!!

Due to the trees blocking their line of sight, their eyes didn't meet immediately.

Then, the figure—Uchiha Obito, wearing an orange spiral mask—used *Kamui* to phase through the *Akaen Zan*. He quickly closed his eyes, and the White Zetsu coating sealed the mask's right-eye opening. Spinning, he vanished into *Kamui*'s dimension.

In the final second…

Hikari's right eye spun, the pinwheel of her *Mangekyō* whirling.

*Amaterasu!*

Fueled by her ocular power, a torrent of black flames erupted from nowhere, engulfing Obito's body as it was pulled into *Kamui*'s dimension. Only a few stray embers remained, scattering onto the surrounding grass and quickly igniting into a pitch-black sea of fire.

"…He got away fast."