Late at night, in the Cloud Village where the smoke of battle had just cleared.
Kamihane leaped down from the Eight-Tails' head, smiling as he greeted Hikari, "Long time no see, I've missed you, Hikari."
"Hmph, even if you hadn't come, I could have handled it alone." Hikari's cheeks flushed slightly as she deliberately avoided his gaze.
"Yeah, yeah…" Kamihane walked up to Hikari, his body still emitting faint green vapor, having yet to release the "Third Life Gate" state.
"How about on your end? The First Raikage, he…" He cast an inquiring glance and made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Don't worry, it was done... very cleanly." Hikari raised her small face, her fair and slender neck resembling that of a proud little swan, "And you?"
"Of course I'm fine. This battle with Hashirama Senju has redefined my understanding of my own strength and avenged my parents' deep-seated blood feud. Apart from Tobirama's life, the Senju clan owes me nothing more."
Kamihane's eyes revealed a trace of emotion as he glanced at the chaotic surroundings, "Seems like there was an unexpected turn of events."
"Hmm, the Eight-Tails suddenly went berserk." Hikari nodded slightly.
"Did you do that?" Kamihane blinked, looking somewhat surprised.
"Of course not." Hikari rolled her eyes gracefully, her expression slightly disdainful. "It really was just an accident."
Kamihane pondered for a moment, and a sudden thought arose in his heart.
If the First Raikage hadn't died at this point in time, then in the original timeline, he most likely perished in this very battle—exhausting all his strength to protect the village and ultimately dying after sealing the Eight-Tails.
"Were there any civilian casualties?" Kamihane suddenly asked.
Golden Horn immediately responded from the side, "Rest assured, Lord Kamihane, Elda reacted promptly and evacuated the civilians right away. You are as kind-hearted as ever..."
"I just don't want to burden my conscience..." Kamihane murmured quietly, then leaned forward to look behind Golden Horn, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. "And one more thing, don't call him Elda anymore. Address him as the Second Raikage."
The group turned their heads in unison toward the collapsed barrier, where a dust-covered figure came rushing toward them.
"What... is going on here?" Elda looked utterly bewildered, noticing the sudden appearance of this unfamiliar youth before him.
However, when his chakra sensing provided feedback, he immediately became as tense as if facing a formidable enemy, his eyes filled with gravity.
"You... who are you? Did you take down the Eight-Tails?"
"My name is Uchiha Kamihane. Suppressing the Eight-Tails was merely a trivial task—just playing the role of a hero on a whim." Kamihane tilted his head slightly. "But none of that matters now."
With a faint smile, Kamihane raised his hand and vanished on the spot, his afterimage coalescing into a blade-like strike that instantly slashed toward the nape of Elda's neck.
"What?! That speed… is impossible—" Elda felt as if struck by a crushing blow. His Lightning Armor shattered in an instant, as fragile as paper, while the figure of that young boy before him dissipated like mist.
His eyes rolled back uncontrollably as he collapsed forward onto his knees, on the verge of passing out.
A slender hand gripped the back of his neck, lifting him effortlessly as a faint fragrance wafted over—Uchiha Hikari had flashed before him in an instant.
In his nearly closed eyes reflected a pair of crimson, mesmerizing pupils, their dark patterns swirling like swallows in flight.
Plop.
Kamihane released his grip, letting Elda's unsupported body collapse to the ground, completely unconscious.
On the back of Elda's hand, a Mangekyō Sharingan mark slowly emerged like a fleeting illusion.
In just one second, they instantly took down a Kage-level powerhouse while marking them with the 'Yachiyo no Mai' seal.
Kamihane turned and instructed, "The Eight-Tails are now under control. You two go divert the attention of the other Cloud ninja and help calm the civilians while you're at it."
The Gold and Silver Brothers nodded immediately, their figures flashing as they vanished from the spot.
Kamihane deactivated the Eight Gates Formation and approached Hikari, asking softly, "Are you alright? Have you been using 'Amaterasu' or 'Tsukuyomi' again recently?"
Hikari immediately lowered her small hand that was rubbing her eyes. Despite the dryness of her eyelids and the glistening tears streaming down, she forced herself to say, "I'm fine. This little exhaustion is nothing..."
Kamihane let out a soft sigh and used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears clinging to her delicate face. "Promise me, after this time, don't use your pupil technique anymore."
"I'm not as fragile as you imagine."
"Your eyesight..." Kamihane sighed helplessly, "Right now, I don't need too much help from you, at least not in terms of pupil techniques, but in the future..."
"What about the future?" Hikari lifted her delicate face to ask.
Kamihane took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to the boundless starry sky. "There may be an unavoidable battle to the death waiting for me in the future. Promise me this, Hikari—save all your strength for that moment."
"How much longer… until that battle you mentioned?" Hikari finally raised her hand to cover her left eye, where a nearly rigid pain throbbed.
"I'm not sure either… But that's not the issue we need to focus on right now. You don't need to control this Elda. I'll figure it out myself."
Hikari let out a light snort. "The 'Yachigatana' is my innate ocular technique. The consumption of pupil power isn't that exaggerated. Besides, I've already marked it—there's no reason not to control it."
"Alright. How long will it take to completely control his mind?"
Hikari rubbed her dry eyelids, "It'll probably take about two weeks..."
"That timing would be just right. You've worked hard."
He turned and walked into the darkness, leaving behind only ruins and the Eight-Tails standing dumbfounded in place.
After the Eight-Tails' rampage was suppressed, under the orderly command of the Gold and Silver Brothers and other high-ranking officials, the Hidden Cloud Village gradually returned to its former tranquility.
Gold Horn publicly announced that Elda, due to severe injuries, is currently recuperating at the Kumogakure Hospital. During this period, all village affairs will be temporarily handled by the brothers until the First Raikage returns or Elda fully recovers.
Meanwhile, Hikari silently searched through the fragments of memory in his mental world, initiating the 'brainwashing' process.
And so, time slipped away day by day as the people of Kumogakure eagerly awaited the return of their Raikage.
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