Seeing Uchiha Ran surge into the enemy ranks, the Sand ninja refused to be intimidated. So many of them—how could a single Uchiha possibly scare them?
"Ahhh!!!"
A Sand ninja shouted, rallying his courage, clutching a kunai tightly as he prepared to join the others in intercepting Ran.
Before anyone could react fully, Ran had already plunged into the heart of the battlefield. Five shinobi immediately swarmed him, each wielding both kunai and short swords.
Ran's eyes narrowed, but his movements did not falter. If anything, they grew faster, sharper, more precise.
With the three-tomoe Sharingan blazing, he analyzed every swing, every stance of his attackers. A series of deft dashes and spins allowed him to evade all five strikes effortlessly.
But he didn't stop there. Using the subtle power of his Sharingan, Ran seized control over one of them.
"What… what's happening? I can't… control myself!"
The Sand ninja's eyes widened in terror. Is this… the Sharingan?
"This… this is incredible!"
Even the four seasoned shinobi who surrounded him weren't completely paralyzed by the genjutsu. Instead, they began coordinating, attacking with new precision. Yet Ran's skill was unmatched. Even under a combined assault, he found openings and evaded with fluid, lethal grace.
Opportunity struck. One of the Sand ninja, seeing their ally about to be subdued, unleashed Earth Release: Mind-Cutting Technique!
Ran's brow rose slightly—he had anticipated this. As the attack unfolded, he pressed lightly on the ground with his right foot, launching himself upward to evade the strike. Then, with a spinning back kick, he sent several of his assailants flying, and as he landed, he struck the one who used the Mind-Cutting Technique back into the soil.
His movements were effortless, flowing like water, yet every strike followed a deliberate battle rhythm, honed to perfection.
"What… how is he this strong?!"
The outer Sand forces watched in astonishment. But quickly, they recalculated. Strength alone wouldn't overcome their numbers.
"Arrogant little brat!"
One Sand ninja charged, summoning wind chakra into a short blade aimed at Ran.
Ran merely drew his zanpakutō and cleaved the blade-hand in half. His left hand shot out, gripping the ninja's neck, lifting him easily. His voice was calm—but icy.
"Do you want to dance too?"
Every word, every tone, sent shivers down the spines of the surrounding Sand shinobi.
The ninja trembled. "U-uh… uh…"
"Wind Release: Kamaitachi!"
A fierce female voice rang out, and the slicing wind struck Ran, sending him hurtling through the air. He flew nearly a hundred meters before chakra anchored his feet. Dusting himself off, he remarked lightly:
"So, the Sand village isn't completely worthless after all."
Ran's words immediately provoked a reaction from the curly-haired female ninja in front of him.
"For the honor of our master Garura, for the pride of Sunagakure… I, Liz, will cut down this blasphemer here and now!"
Her teeth clenched as she glared at Ran.
"Oh? Garura's disciple?" Ran tilted his head, curiosity sparking. He knew of Garura—the mother of Gaara. Chronologically, Gaara hadn't been born yet, but the connection was clear.
"Hmph! You're an Uchiha, aren't you? Today, you die!"
Liz's words were sharp and cold. She relied on their numerical advantage, planning to crush Ran through sheer numbers.
"Is that so?" Ran tilted his head, smiling faintly.
"Alright then… although I hate using this power, it seems the vanguard might be in danger if we don't act," he muttered to himself.
Konoha was already outnumbered—a disadvantage. And Sunagakure's high-level shinobi were still waiting in reserve, with elders like Yekura and Bunpuku yet to intervene.
Ran needed the chakra of Shukaku, and to secure it, he would have to reveal the full power of Fusheng Ruomeng, his hypnotic genjutsu. But as a masterful Uchiha, he could easily attribute any inexplicable effects to the Sharingan itself. The rest? The Uchiha clan could explain it. After all, this was war, and awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan for Konoha's benefit was hardly controversial.
With a swift motion, Ran drew his zanpakutō and released Shikai.
Instantly, he sensed the minds of all those ensnared by his blade's hypnotic power.
"Now… the performance begins!" he whispered.
Under his control, the Sand ninja began attacking their own allies.
"W-what is happening?!" one whispered, trembling.
"What are you doing?!" Liz shouted, eyes blazing with disbelief. Are these really Sunagakure's finest?
"Damn it!"
"Controlling so many at once… is this the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
The remaining Sand shinobi hesitated, fear flooding them. The Mangekyō Sharingan—the ultimate secret of the Uchiha, a legendary kekkei genkai—was before them.
Two words alone struck terror: Mangekyō Sharingan.
No one dared assume they could resist. Any misstep could be fatal. And then it happened—their comrades, now puppets, turned on each other.
This was the horror of Fusheng Ruomeng. On a battlefield, there's no time for one-on-one detection; sensory ninjas who might usually notice disturbances were powerless. Here, in the chaos, they were nothing but ants, manipulated by Ran. Even if they realized something was wrong, their own teammates might strike them down first.
Ran had no intention of controlling every single ninja. If he did, and his allies' chakra couldn't disrupt the genjutsu, the Sand forces might never commit Bunpuku. That would be strategically disadvantageous.
Instead, he allowed controlled ninjas to remain in play—but if any were interfered with by their own allies' chakra, Ran would immediately lift the hypnotic effect, maintaining absolute control over the battlefield.