Chapter 222 : Uzumaki Karin's Byakugan
Uchiha Madara sneered. His crimson Mangekyo Sharingan swept over Uzumaki Karin, devoid of any emotion, like two cold blades.
"Kids these days have lost all sense of fear."
His voice was not loud, but every word carried a heavy weight.
"Then let me take a good look at exactly what kind of confidence a brat like you has."
As he spoke, he reached out, his five fingers spread wide, grasping toward Uzumaki Karin.
Seeing this, the three people accompanying Uzumaki Karin immediately stepped forward.
"Stand back."
Uzumaki Karin's voice was quiet, but firm.
She flipped her body, evading Uchiha Madara's grasp. With a tap of her foot, she retreated a few steps, widening the distance between them.
"This is my fight. Stay away."
The three halted. Although they knew Uzumaki Karin might be in danger facing Uchiha Madara, they obeyed her command and did not advance since she had spoken.
Uzumaki Karin took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and let out a soft shout.
"Hah!"
In an instant, a chakra aura ignited around her body.
The aura was pale red, rising from the surface of her skin like a thin layer of flames.
Her long, fiery red hair moved without any wind, her red ponytail floating behind her head. A few stray strands danced along her cheeks, and her clothes fluttered wildly from the aura, giving her an imposing presence.
The next moment, she pushed off the ground and charged at Uchiha Madara. She clenched her right fist, pulled her arm back, and threw a fierce punch.
Bang!
Her fist, wrapped in the pale red chakra aura, moved so fast that the air in front of it compressed into a white sphere.
The force of the punch surged forward like roaring thunder.
The air itself seemed to explode, letting out a muffled boom.
The wind from the strike transformed into a visible shockwave, churning like an ocean wave as it crashed toward Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Madara stood there, completely motionless. He did not even blink, allowing the oppressive shockwave to wash over him and the force to press against his body.
Then, he simply walked out from the blast.
The shockwave passed right through his body as if passing through air or a shadow. It had absolutely no effect on him; he did not step back, he did not sway, and even his clothes remained undisturbed.
He then took a step forward, walking toward Uzumaki Karin.
Uzumaki Karin frowned slightly.
"I see. It's a space-time ability. You can make your body intangible."
She looked at Uchiha Madara, the corners of her mouth curling up.
"But I imagine there must be a limit."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"How long can you stay intangible?"
After saying this, Uzumaki Karin actively retreated, putting more distance between herself and Uchiha Madara.
The next moment, she raised her hands and brought them together in front of her.
She closed her eyes, then opened them again.
Her eyes had changed.
Her originally pale red irises had transformed into a pair of flawless, pure white eyes without a single trace of impurity, resembling two pieces of polished white jade.
Veins bulged slightly on both sides of her eye sockets, extending from the corners of her eyes to her temples. She stared at Uchiha Madara with a sharp, piercing gaze.
Seeing this, Hyuga Neji's face filled with disbelief. His eyes went wide, and his white pupils shrank drastically.
Clearly, this sight had delivered a massive shock to him.
"That's impossible!"
His voice was so loud that it cracked.
Nearby, the four Hyuga shinobi had a similar reaction.
The leader stared fixedly at Uzumaki Karin's eyes, his mouth hanging open as if his jaw were about to drop. The other three also stared wide-eyed, completely forgetting their current predicament.
They were members of the Hyuga Branch House and had far more experience than Hyuga Neji.
At this moment, they felt an oppressive presence from Uzumaki Karin's eyes—a sensation they usually only felt from the Main House.
No, this feeling was even more direct and pure. It was as if Uzumaki Karin's eyes were a higher existence compared to their own.
Seeing Uzumaki Karin's eyes, Uchiha Madara paused his steps slightly before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle.
"Heh heh heh."
His laughter was quiet but deep, rumbling from his throat.
"So that's how it is."
He looked at Karin, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"Has that brat grown to such an extent that he could grant you eyes like these?"
As he spoke, he carefully examined Uzumaki Karin's eyes, as if admiring a pair of treasures.
"Truly incredible."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Karin couldn't help but puff out her chest slightly. She raised her chin and grinned, revealing a smug smile.
"Of course."
Her voice was laced with obvious pride.
"My teacher's strength is beyond your imagination."
Standing to the side, Uchiha Sasuke cast a casual glance at Hyuga Neji. Looking at Neji's shocked face, he could somewhat understand how the boy felt at this moment.
This was the Byakugan, but if it had been the Sharingan instead, Sasuke figured he would have reacted the exact same way.
At that moment, Uchiha Madara spoke, also shifting his gaze toward Hyuga Neji.
"Brat, this is where that man's true strength lies."
He paused.
"His power isn't just in raw strength; his intellect is on a level I have rarely seen in my entire life."
Hyuga Neji did not reply.
His mouth was still open, his eyes still wide, and his hand still pointing in Karin's direction. His mind was completely blank, unable to form a single word.
Just then, Uchiha Madara seemed to sense something. His brow twitched slightly, and he turned his head to look in a certain direction.
It was toward the west side of the forest.
Uzumaki Karin turned her head at the exact same time to look in that direction. Her eyes narrowed, and the smile faded from her lips.
From the direction they were looking, a figure shot out from the woods.
The person was moving incredibly fast, as if sprinting at full speed. The figure darted between the trees, so fast that only a blur could be seen.
He burst out of the forest, reaching the outskirts of the battlefield before coming to a halt.
The newcomer crouched slightly to steady himself.
He wore a black ninja outfit with a dark flak jacket over it. His long hair was tied back into a low ponytail.
His features were refined, and his brow carried an air of calm composure. His skin was pale, and his lips were light in color.
Seeing the newcomer, Uchiha Sasuke was first startled, then overjoyed.
His eyes widened sharply, the three tomoe spinning rapidly within them, and he opened his mouth to shout a name.
"Brother!"
The newcomer was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes lit up slightly as they swept across the battlefield. He saw the Konoha shinobi lying on the ground, Uzumaki Karin and her three subordinates, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji, and finally, Uchiha Madara.
He let out a faint sigh of relief.
Uchiha Madara looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile.
"You've arrived. It seems my stalling was not in vain."
He stood there with his arms crossed, looking at Uchiha Itachi, then at Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji. His eyes shone like two lanterns, growing increasingly crimson.
Uchiha Itachi straightened up, swept his gaze over the battlefield once more, and then walked toward Uchiha Sasuke, stopping right in front of him.
He stood before Sasuke, looking him up and down.
His gaze moved from Sasuke's face to his body. Seeing that Sasuke was uninjured, he finally relaxed a little.
His shoulders dropped slightly, and his slightly hurried breathing gradually steadied before he spoke.
"You shouldn't be so reckless, Sasuke."
His voice was quiet but clear. There was no blame or anger in his tone, only a helpless sense of care.
Uchiha Sasuke had initially been filled with joy upon seeing his brother. His eyes had lit up, and his entire body had relaxed somewhat from its tense, guarded state.
But upon hearing those words, his expression immediately darkened.
"I came looking for you."
His voice was low but hard, every word sounding as if it were squeezed through gritted teeth.
He looked at Itachi, the meaning in his eyes perfectly clear.
Uchiha Itachi opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Looking into Sasuke's stubborn eyes and thinking about his own actions, he found himself at a loss for words.
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Itachi finally spoke.
"Anyway, from now on, be careful of Uchiha Madara."
He shifted his gaze away from Sasuke, landing on the man in dark armor standing not far away.
"He might have other plans."
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