Rustle.
Uchiha Shinji unfurled the two scrolls, his gaze settling on their contents.
Undoubtedly.
'Adamantine Sealing Chains' and 'Four Symbols Seal' were sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan, among the top-tier sealing arts in the current shinobi world.
The destruction of the Hidden Whirlpool Village was, to so extent, due to these formidable sealing techniques.
After a cursory glance, Shinji inwardly marveled, "To think up thods like these—truly befitting the unkillable cockroaches of the Uzumaki clan!"
His admiration stemd from the sheer dominance of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
The 'Four Symbols Seal' was relatively milder, using the caster's body as a sealing vessel but at least supplented by sealing formulas.
'Adamantine Sealing Chains,' however, was pure life-or-death stakes.
Only the Uzumaki clan, with their tenacious vitality and vast chakra reserves, could develop such a sealing technique. Other clans likely wouldn't even dare to dream of it.
Because 'Adamantine Sealing Chains' essentially turned the caster's body into a sealing weapon.
If most sealing techniques were defensive, 'Adamantine Sealing Chains' was a quintessential offensive sealing art.
Once unleashed, it could forcibly suppress even massive tailed beasts!
This was precisely why.
The 'Four Symbols Seal' had no bloodline requirents; anyone with sealing technique aptitude could train in it. But 'Adamantine Sealing Chains' required Uzumaki bloodline to practice.
Even less talented Uzumaki clansn lacked the qualifications to train in 'Adamantine Sealing Chains'!
Confirming the scrolls' authenticity, Shinji stowed them and asked, "Did you do everything as I instructed?"
Karin hurriedly replied, "Yes, I followed your orders and destroyed the archive vault. It'll be difficult for Hidden Leaf to determine which scrolls were lost."
Though 'Adamantine Sealing Chains' and 'Four Symbols Seal' were top-tier sealing techniques.
Due to their high training thresholds and difficulty, backups were kept in the archives for certain elite jonin to borrow and study.
Karin's raid targeted the secure vault housing these backups.
This vault contained not only backups of Uzumaki sealing techniques but also various ninjutsu collected by Hidden Leaf. Now, all were destroyed, making it nearly impossible for the village to quickly identify the missing scrolls.
This was one of Shinji's objectives in ordering the archive attack.
The village would inevitably investigate the archives to uncover the reason for the assault.
And while the village poured effort into scrutinizing the archives, they'd never suspect the true primary motive: testing Karin's mastery of her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!
Noticing Shinji seed lost in thought, Karin grew nervous and explained softly, "My lord, I didn't use 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' earlier. If I had, my 'Susanoo' could've been even stronger!"
Shinji smiled, "I know."
Karin looked hopeful, "My lord, then... did I pass? I didn't disrupt your plans, did I?"
While she craved praise from others, what she truly cared about was earning her leader's approval!
Shinji slowly turned.
Seeing this, Karin's heart sank, her face filled with disappointnt and fear!
After a few steps, Shinji paused, raising his right hand: "You perford well. I... am proud of you!"
Swish!
With that, Shinji didn't linger, his form vanishing in a flash.
Staring in the direction Shinji departed, tears stread down Karin's face: "Finally, soone is proud of !"
At Hidden Leaf Hospital.
Yakumo, fresh from a dical checkup, crossed paths in the corridor with Sasuke, who had just finished bandaging his wounds in the dical room.
Indeed, Sasuke was one of the seven injured.
And his injuries were self-inflicted. During the clash between Karin's 'Susanoo' and Yakumo's Wood Release, instead of taking cover, he braved the shockwaves and storm to observe the battle up close. As a result, he was thrown by a blast and pierced by flying wood splinters, sustaining multiple injuries.
Seeing Yakumo, Sasuke froze.
He knew he'd likely be dead if not for Yakumo, but his ingrained pride made thanking soone unfamiliar, leaving him montarily stiff.
Yakumo, however, asked, "Sasuke, do you know 'B'?"
Sasuke shook his head, "I thought it might be Uchiha Itachi, but now it's clear it's not him!"
Yakumo pressed, "Could it be soone you know?"
Sasuke frowned, "Why ask that?"
Yakumo said bluntly, "On the battlefield, they had multiple chances to kill you but didn't. It felt like they knew you!"
Sasuke's face darkened.
The earlier encounter was a deep source of sha for him, and Yakumo bringing it up now made it hard for him to keep his composure.
But since Yakumo had saved him, he thought seriously and said, "Among the people I know, no one fits. I don't know if they recognized , but I'm sure I don't know them."
"Don't know them..."
Yakumo mused inwardly.
Since returning, she'd been speculating about 'B's' identity and their purpose for attacking the archives, hoping Sasuke might know sothing. Yet, he was clueless.
Ido, in the Inner World, scoffed, "Tch, he knows nothing! So why did this idiot charge in like that? Wasn't he afraid 'B' would just take him out?"
Yakumo carefully recalled the battle, then her brows furrowed: "I've got it!"
Sasuke asked, "Got what?"
Yakumo said, "They might not have spared you because they knew you!"
Sasuke grew intrigued. He was desperate to figure out who these Mangekyo Uchihas in the Akatsuki were, so he asked, "Then why?"
Yakumo looked at Sasuke earnestly, "They ignored you! Sasuke, rember? When you attacked with Chidori, they didn't even glance at you!"
Sasuke opened his mouth but couldn't find words.
Yakumo continued, "Right, they didn't care about you at all. That's why we—Teacher and I—were misled. They might not know you; they just didn't care about you, so they let you go!"
Hearing this, Sasuke's expression grew even more strained.
Yakumo snapped back to herself, "Thank you, Sasuke. I need to tell Lady Tsunade about this discovery right away!"
After thanking him, Yakumo hurried off.
Sasuke, standing alone, clenched his fists, his face flushed red!
Compared to losing in battle, being ignored like this was sothing his proud self could least tolerate. Yakumo's words plunged him back into the humiliation he felt on the battlefield.
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