THE EVIL OF UCHIHA BYAKUYA

Surrender and submission are two completely different things.

Surrender means acknowledging temporary defeat—maybe paying reparations or ceding ground—but the village's autonomy remains. Sand Village would still be Sand Village. At worst, they would need time to rebuild, restore their forces, and prepare for the next war.

Submission, however, is something far graver. It means relinquishing all authority—becoming an extension of the enemy's will. The entire village would belong to another.

This was something Chiyo, Rasa, and Pakura could never accept.

So when they heard Uchiha Byakuya's commanding declaration, their fury was overwhelming. Their eyes blazed with defiance.

"Damn you, Uchiha Byakuya! You think we'll submit to you?! Never!"

"Don't underestimate Sunagakure!"

"We, the Sand Village, will never bow!"

"All units—attack! Let him taste our power!"

The Sand Ninja surged forward with fierce resolve. They were one of the Five Great Nations, like Konoha. No matter how powerful Byakuya was—no matter that he had shattered their barrier with a single blow—they would not surrender.

Byakuya's cold gaze swept across them.

"So this is your answer...?"

"Then die."

With that, the Susanoo Titan lifted its immense blade and brought it down in a sweeping slash aimed straight at Sunagakure.

"Everyone, defensive formation!"

"Earth Release—Earth-Style Wall!"

Dozens of Earth-Style users formed a layered wall of stone. Enormous slabs erupted from the sand, attempting to block Susanoo's devastating sword.

"Boom!... Boom!..."

The Susanoo blade clashed with the defensive rock walls, tearing through them. Stone shattered and exploded across the battlefield.

"Reinforce it! Don't let it fall!"

"Pour in more chakra!"

"Hold the line!"

Driven by Chiyo's voice, the Sand Ninjas kept erecting new layers of stone. Sweat poured down their faces. Their chakra was nearly spent. But miraculously—they held.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"...You blocked it?"

Even he was taken aback. While it wasn't Susanoo's strongest attack, the sheer pressure behind it was not something ordinary shinobi could stop.

"We did it!"

"Sunagakure stands strong!"

"This is the will of the Sand!"

The defenders cheered. For the first time since the battle began, morale surged.

"Don't let up—attack!"

"Wind Release—Wind Rope Technique!"

A barrage of tightly compressed wind cords shot out, binding the limbs of the Susanoo, slowing its movement.

"Now! Sandstorm Unit—go!"

"Wind Release—Wind and Sand Technique!"

Yellow sand surged upward in a storm of chakra and wind, swirling into a vortex that buried the Susanoo's legs, anchoring it to the ground.

"Ninja Tools Team—fire!"

A rain of massive kunai, shuriken, and chakra-infused bolts from enormous launchers followed. Explosions echoed across the battlefield as the projectiles struck Susanoo's frame.

However, relying on the powerful defensive ability of Susanoo, Byakuya successfully blocked the rain of shuriken and kunai.

Yet, the wires attached to the weapons coiled tightly around Susanoo, restricting its movements and further binding its limbs.

"I can't move now...!"

"I'll leave it to you Pakura!"

Having successfully restrained Byakuya's Susanoo, Chiyo shouted to Pakura, who was already prepared to act.

Pakura, a wielder of the Scorch Release—a Kekkei Genkai combining fire and wind chakra—possessed jutsu capable of evaporating flesh and dehydrating her opponents in an instant.

"Understood!"

Responding crisply, Pakura surged forward, her chakra flaring as multiple fiery orbs formed around her. These orbs quickly merged into a single, superheated sphere of searing heat.

"Scorch Release: Scorching Heat Dome!"

She hurled the blazing mass directly at Susanoo's head, targeting the area where Byakuya was situated.

BOOM—

The fireball detonated with a deafening explosion. The immense impact cracked the top of Susanoo's skull-like armor, revealing Byakuya's real body within.

"Rasa!"

At Chiyo's call, the Fourth Kazekage responded swiftly. He manipulated his Gold Dust—a magnetic-based technique rivaling Gaara's sand—and surged it toward Byakuya, enveloping him entirely.

Simultaneously, sealing tags emerged from within the Gold Dust, wrapping around Byakuya and forming a layered containment seal.

Rasa knew very well that pure containment wouldn't be enough for someone of Byakuya's caliber, so the tags were imbued with high-level fuinjutsu to suppress chakra flow.

Soon, Byakuya's entire body—save for his head—was encased in gold dust and sealing paper, immobile and chakra-locked.

"Hahaha, we did it!"

"This is the true power of Sunagakure!"

"Uchiha Byakuya—so arrogant just moments ago—and now look at him, a captured rat!"

The Sand Shinobi cheered in triumph. After the relentless devastation Byakuya had brought upon them, seeing him subdued sparked a wave of relief and euphoria.

Even Chiyo and Rasa's eyes glinted with ambition.

Had they just turned the tide? Could this be the moment to launch a counteroffensive and reclaim the initiative?

But amid the celebration, the one they had sealed showed no fear.

Instead, Byakuya's exposed face wore a faint smirk.

"To think Sunagakure had such coordinated strength… impressive."

"I didn't expect to be forced into this situation."

His eyes narrowed, Sharingan spinning ominously.

"If that's the case, then let me show you what it truly means… when I fight seriously."

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