"This… this is the Mangekyo Sharingan?!"
Young A struggled to stand, clutching his chest as he looked up at Uchiha Haru, who stood within her blazing red Susanoo.
The blood tears streaming from her eyes made it impossible not to recall what she had told him before—about the power and cost of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"You can still stand?" Haru's voice carried a note of surprise. She raised her hand and once again controlled her Susanoo, slamming its massive arm down toward him.
BOOM!
"Big bro!" Killer Bee shouted from the side, his eyes burning with anger as he glared at the red giant. "You damn woman!"
"Lariat!"
As A's younger brother and partner, Bee naturally knew this move well. In the future, this very technique would evolve into their joint ultimate move—the Double Lariat.
B charged straight at Haru.
Seeing him rushing toward her, Haru arched an eyebrow. "You want to dance too?"
But before she could act, A—against all odds—stood up again.
To have survived two direct blows from Susanoo… that alone spoke volumes of the Lightning Armor's resilience.
"B!"
"Get back!"
"I'm fine," A rasped, his tone filled with both gratitude and frustration.
He was touched that his younger brother would risk his life to avenge him, but angry because he had explicitly told him not to interfere.
If he fought alone, it was just a spar. There'd be no real danger. But if Bee joined in, their opponents wouldn't hold back anymore.
He might not like using his head, but that didn't mean he didn't have one.
At his shout, Killer Bee froze mid-charge, then quickly retreated, worry written all over his face as he looked at his battered brother.
"Damn it, big bro!"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…" A coughed violently, another mouthful of blood splattering on the ground. His Lightning Armor flickered, then vanished completely.
Looking at Haru, and then at Seisui, A smiled bitterly. "Ever since losing to you last time, I've trained like a madman."
"I've been waiting for a rematch all these years."
"But it seems… the gap between us has only grown wider."
He coughed again, blood staining his lips, and Bee hurriedly moved to support him.
He would never forget that three years ago, during the chunin Exams, Seisui's two companions hadn't even joined the fight.
And now, that same Uchiha girl who stood beside him… had defeated him outright.
The realization hit hard. The difference between us is only getting bigger.
Seeing A's condition, Haru finally released her Susanoo.
Seisui stepped forward as well. Noticing the blood tears on her cheeks, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her gently. "You okay?"
Haru shook her head, signaling she was fine. The blood tears weren't from injury—just a sign of her vision fading.
She accepted the tissue silently and began wiping the blood from her face.
Minato, meanwhile, stared at the massive crater left by Susanoo's blow, eyes sparkling with awe.
"I really want a giant like that," he muttered. "What was that jutsu called again?"
Haru froze mid-motion, three black lines of exasperation practically forming above her head.
"It's called Susanoo," she replied flatly. "It's the divine power of the Uchiha clan."
"Divine power?" Minato gasped, eyes widening. "I want one too!"
"I'll definitely create a similar jutsu someday!" he declared, clenching his fists in determination.
Seisui couldn't help but chuckle before turning back to A. "Losing to me isn't shameful. Losing to us isn't shameful either. One day, you'll tell your grandchildren about this battle—and the one from the chunin Exams."
"This will be your bragging right."
"Damn it!" A's face flushed red with anger, but he couldn't find a single word to refute it.
He'd lost to them twice.
Of the three, the only one he hadn't fought yet was the spiky-haired blond.
But judging from this Uchiha girl's strength… he probably wouldn't win that fight either.
Seisui gave him one last look, then turned to Haru and Minato. "Our mission's done."
"Let's go home."
"Yeah." Both nodded, following him as the three of them walked away.
A watched their retreating backs—then his strength gave out, and he collapsed face-first to the ground.
"Big bro! Damn it, big bro!"
"What's wrong?!"
Bee panicked, shaking his brother's body frantically.
After checking his breathing and finding it steady, he exhaled in relief.
Then, glancing once more at Seisui's fading figure, Bee hoisted A onto his back and began the long trek home.
A was heavy, and Bee's small frame nearly disappeared under his brother's bulk—but he didn't stop.
Fortunately, the Kumogakure wasn't far. After some struggle, he managed to bring A back safely.
The moment they arrived, chaos erupted.
Seeing the injured heir to the Raikage, the entire village was thrown into an uproar.
Third Raikage A stormed into the infirmary, his expression dark.
Looking down at his unconscious son, then turning to Killer Bee, he demanded sternly, "You were only supposed to collect intel. How did it end up like this?"
He knew his son's strength well. While not yet his equal, A was strong enough to defeat elite jonin—and even escape from most Kage-level opponents.
There was no way he should've been injured this badly.
B explained everything exactly as it happened—no exaggeration, no downplaying, no lies.
"That red giant was so strong!"
"Just two hits—and my dumb big bro was down!"
"Baka yarō, kono yarō!"
The Third Raikage fell silent, deep in thought.
He knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"So… another Mangekyo Sharingan has appeared," he muttered under his breath.
Then, turning to his aide, he ordered, "Pass the word—no conflicts with Konoha for the time being."
He'd never witnessed the Mangekyo's power firsthand, but the elders of the previous generation had warned him well. They'd told him tales of Uchiha Madara's terrifying might.
He might not have seen it, but he understood it was not something to provoke.
Gazing once more at his wounded son, the Raikage sighed. He'd have to explain all this once A recovered.
He was warned about the Mangekyo—and still rushed in headfirst. That's suicide!
Thankfully, the Uchiha hadn't killed him.
"When he wakes up, send him to me immediately," the Raikage said.
"Yes, sir—no problem, yo!" Bee replied with a nod.