Chapter 25 : Cross-Shaped Ice Blossom!
Hyōrinmaru — one of the most powerful Zanpakutō in the Soul Society — hailed as the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō!
Compared to Ryūjin Jakka, which controls fire, or Kyōka Suigetsu, which manipulates perception,
Hyōrinmaru possesses the most domineering and overwhelming base ability.
Heavenly Ice Reign!
Everything in the sky — falls under its command!
Thus, even though Mizunotsuki Yoru had only activated the Shikai of this ultimate ice-type Zanpakutō, it still gave him the ability to dominate the battlefield.
Layer upon layer of glacial ice completely froze the massive form of Susanoo. Stepping on a pillar of ice, Yoru instantly appeared in front of Uchiha Fugaku.
"Vacuum Ice Blade!"
The shimmering tip of the blade pierced toward Fugaku, who was inside Susanoo. The vacuum-forged ice blade slammed into the rib-cage structure, its enormous impact carving deep cracks across the surface.
"Crack… crack…"
Fractures spread. Fugaku's pupils contracted, and his Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly in both eyes.
"Susanoo is the power of a god — and you think this level of ice shards can bring it down?!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
A massive surge of ocular power erupted. Blood-tears trickled from Fugaku's eyes as the ice-bound Susanoo began to struggle. The frost coating its surface shattered with explosive force.
Yet Yoru's expression remained absolutely unchanged.
In his hands, Hyōrinmaru continued to slash, every swing conjuring freezing winds, turning entire swaths of the battlefield into ice-covered terrain.
"BOOM!!"
Susanoo broke free of the frost — but a heartbeat later, new waves of ice surged forth, overlapping and reinforcing.
Only now did Fugaku realize that at some unknown point, six unique ice nodes had appeared around him.
These six frost nodes resonated with each other, releasing an intense cold that froze Susanoo once again!
"Sixfold Ice Purification Array!"
Yoru reappeared before Fugaku, his Hyōrinmaru slashing down.
Suddenly, countless ice spikes burst from beneath Fugaku's feet. A massive ice dragon roared out of thin air — Fugaku, eyes wide with horror, was forced to abandon Susanoo's protection and retreat from its range.
"Impossible…"
"Haven't you noticed? Your Susanoo may be able to defend and attack, but the space beneath your feet — that isn't covered by it."
Yoru gripped Hyōrinmaru and leapt into the sky, his long blade cleaving down through the air.
"Ice Dragon's Tail Whirl!"
A pale, frost-forged dragon burst from the blade's edge, spiraling in midair before diving downward. Its overwhelming cold instantly sent the temperature plummeting.
In the original canon, even Susanoo was vulnerable to Gaara's sand techniques. Now, Yoru borrowed from that strategy.
"Katon: Gōka Ryū no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!)
Fugaku formed hand seals and expelled a massive fire dragon. It collided with the descending ice dragon.
But to Fugaku's disbelief — the frost began spreading over the fire!
It was attempting to freeze the flames themselves!
The roaring fire dragon was quickly overwhelmed and extinguished. Above, storm clouds thickened, and the rain turned to hail, hammering down with deadly force.
Heavenly Ice Reign!
"Damn it — this can't be happening!"
The pressure that Yoru exerted was suffocating. Fugaku had battled users of the Yuki Clan's Ice Release before, but none of them came even close to this level.
This man's ice release not only froze Susanoo, but it also changed the weather itself.
Such power — only one person came to Fugaku's mind.
Senju Hashirama.
In the Uchiha clan's sealed records, the First Hokage's Wood Release was said to summon forests in an instant and alter entire terrains at will. His overwhelming power was something even the Susanoo of their ancestors could not overcome.
And the scene now before him… was eerily similar.
Fugaku stared at the massive frozen remains. With no chakra to maintain it, Susanoo had dissipated, yet the ice structure remained — solidifying further into a colossal cross-shaped ice blossom.
The frost spread in all directions, nearly filling the entire Uchiha Flame Formation.
With no options left, Fugaku personally deactivated the very barrier meant to imprison Mizunotsuki Yoru.
"BOOM!!"
Another howling ice dragon erupted, its chilling frost pouring forward like a tidal wave.
Fugaku was forced to teleport away, his Mangekyō spinning as he cast a Fireball Jutsu to intercept the dragon — but even within the flames, an ominous power began to surge.
At the same time, Shisui's three-tomoe Sharingan spun within Yoru's eyes, tracking Fugaku's every move.
The moment he sensed the fusion of ocular energy and Yin-nature chakra within Fugaku, Yoru subtly crouched.
But he seemed to detect something else.
His brows furrowed tightly.
Without any hesitation, he raised Hyōrinmaru and slashed downward at Fugaku with full force.
"Crystal Wall Ice Array!"
The blade's arc shimmered — everything it touched was instantly frozen.
In a mere blink, a tsunami of frost exploded forward, erecting layer upon layer of ice walls between Yoru and Fugaku.
"Goodbye, Fugaku. I'll keep the secret of your eyes safe."
Yoru's figure vanished into the glacier-like frost, leaving only a whisper that echoed in Fugaku's ears.
"As payment for our transaction — this Sharingan of Uchiha Shisui… now belongs to me."
"You bastard!"
Fugaku slammed his fist into the ice wall, sending shards flying. But at that very moment, he too sensed something. His Mangekyō deactivated, reverting back to a regular three-tomoe Sharingan.
He casually wiped away the blood at the corner of his eye.
The sound of rushing wind followed — and Jiraiya appeared at his side.
"Fugaku!"
"Lord Jiraiya."
Fugaku spoke with a steady voice, his usual stoic face back in place — but his trembling hand betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
"Forgive me, Lord Jiraiya. I failed to capture him. And… Shisui's eye was taken."
Jiraiya examined the still-surging chakra around Fugaku, then looked at the battlefield — a world nearly entirely frozen.
The sky above remained choked with dark clouds, and the dim light that broke through only added to the desolation. Most striking of all was the massive cross-shaped ice blossom standing tall in the earth — a monument of frost and finality.
Even Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, fell silent.
"What… exactly happened here?"
he asked softly, though in his heart, he already knew the answer.
Mizunotsuki Yoru, and the frozen world left in his wake.
"So this… is the true might of his Kekkei Genkai."