Chapter 925

"Roar!"

"Boom!"

The ground shook and mountains trembled, more violently than ever before; Uchiha Sasuke shielded Sarada's head with one hand and dashed from the room, kunai in hand.

The next moment, the scene in the village burned into his memory forever.

A colossal fox, crimson red—not the color of fire, but of hell's karmic flames.

Its nine tails writhed like demonic dances, blotting out sky and sun; all around it lay burning, despair, and destruction.

Such an emergency had erupted in the village, yet Uchiha Sasuke hesitated at his first step toward the shelter, turning back to gaze at the Uchiha clan grounds.

"Because your aunt Uchiha Fujiang has gone missing, many clan members have been sent out by the elders. If you can't find her, you must recover her eyes. Sasuke, I tell you this because I know you're a child with an unusually mature mind—so while your mother and I stand in for your aunt leading the village's border defense, you must protect your sister like a brave man, understood?"

Protecting his sister was right—he would do it, even without his parents' orders; Uchiha Sasuke would not let Uchiha Sarada suffer a single scratch!

This was a promise made by him alone!

"Sasuke! It's too dangerous outside—take your sister to the Uchiha shrine for shelter!" Though most of the Uchiha clan's elite were absent from the grounds—or even the village—many non-combatants or those on leave still remained.

Now that such a disaster had struck the village, those clan members capable of wielding weapons and worthy of the title ninja had taken their posts along the walls.

Yet the elderly, the weak, and women and children had not gone to the village's built shelters—they had gone instead to the shrine.

Though young, Uchiha Sasuke viewed things as an adult would; simply from this, he could see the clan had never truly integrated into the village—or rather, they were actively isolating themselves.

"I'm taking my sister to the Hokage Rock shelter."

"Are you mad? You know how far it is from here to the shelter! And there's a combat zone in between. Not to mention your sister is so small—it's far too dangerous!" A female clan member frowned upon hearing Sasuke's words.

"I will protect her," Uchiha Sasuke replied, his tone firm and unyielding—in this, he resembled his aunt more than anyone.

To make his words more convincing, he turned back, his eyes now swirling slowly into the three-tomoe Sharingan. "Uchiha Sasuke, I swear by my life to protect Uchiha Sarada from harm."

Amidst the pitying, regretful glances of clan members rushing past him, he walked toward the Hokage Rock, his resolve unshaken.

"No matter what happens, brother will protect you, Sarada."

In Konoha, if there was one place from which to overlook the entire village, it was only one: the summit of the Hokage Rock.

This was no secret worth hiding; many loved coming here, so the Third Hokage once proposed building a scenic park atop it.

"Sometimes I even doubt my own judgment—have you truly been only influenced by your ancestors? Do you really harbor such hatred toward the Uchiha clan?"

Orochimaru gazed over the entire village; she could sense the villagers' movements below through the vibrations in the wind—peaceful, even carefree for now—but Orochimaru felt no ease in their state, especially not from the small figure beside her; having boarded this person's vessel, her sense of urgency and awareness of danger had grown ever stronger in her mind.

Sitting on the edge of the nearly vertical cliff of the Hokage Rock, her legs dangling and swaying in midair, Kaguya was relaxed—though only if one ignored her eyes.

In these past few days, she had become the first Hyuga in a hundred years to fully awaken the "Byakugan," achieving a wider observation range and clearer perception of chakra flow than any other.

And there was an even greater breakthrough: the ability to pierce through appearances and see the essence of things.

To dispel genjutsu.

In everyone's understanding, the ranking of the three dōjutsu had always been a matter of rhythm—the top spot belonged to the never-seen "Rinnegan." Of course, since it was said only the long-dead Six Paths Sage possessed such a (fine) eye, no one felt envy, hence the top rank remained unquestioned.

But the rivalry between second and third place carried heavy tension, even a hint of bloodshed; before Konoha's founding, the Hyuga clan, with the Byakugan, and the Uchiha clan, with the Sharingan, were enemies—the Hyuga had even allied with the Uchiha's archenemies, the Senju, from very early on.

Thus, whenever these two strongest clans clashed, the Hyuga always proved the Senju's most active ally.