Hakuto entered a dense forest. After activating the Rinnegan, he clearly detected a strange fluctuation that had once occurred here, but something seemed to have covered it up, making it unclear.
"What exactly happened? And what is the source of this unease?"
Hakuto formed hand seals and completely released the Moon in the Well Seal. At the same time, he activated the Spirit Transformation Technique. Finally, a low humming sound became perceptible.
Hakuto's face darkened. He used Shunshin to reach a tree trunk, staring at the Blade of Indifference resting there and murmuring, "Dad, where are you?"
The battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju had intensified. The fierce clash between Completed Form Susanoo and the Wood Release Daibutsu caused the heavens and earth to tremble violently, making it impossible for anyone else to intervene. Tobirama stood nearby, watching helplessly.
Through his sensory ability, Tobirama's face gradually turned grim. "Why? Madara is growing stronger as the fight continues—he's regaining his former power. At this rate, my older brother will lose."
"Brother, quickly unleash your full strength! If you don't seal him now while he's weakened, once this opportunity passes, no one will ever be able to oppose him again. This world will be doomed." Tobirama's words clearly reached Hashirama's ears.
Currently locked in combat, Hashirama naturally had the strongest perception of Madara's body. At this point, he couldn't continue fighting like this any longer—otherwise, with the regeneration ability of the Edo Tensei body, they could battle nonstop for ten days and nights without reaching a conclusion.
[Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique]
Hashirama finally activated Sage Art, which greatly amplified the power of his Wood Release techniques. Sage Chakra was transmitted to the seed of a tree. Accompanied by a roar, a colossal wooden dragon emerged from nowhere, possessing a long, hooked nose and covered in thorns.
"Again with this jutsu," Madara muttered, his eyes flashing dangerously, as he raised both great swords of Susanoo and slashed toward it.
[Wood Release: Myriad Phenomena]
Countless trees twisted up from the ground, quickly entangling Susanoo's sword-wielding arms. The wood dragon surged forward, coiling tightly around Madara. The binding force created by the enormous tree formed from the wood dragon was extremely powerful, even causing the trapped Susanoo to emit a soundless scream. The Blocking Technique Absorption Seal within Madara's Rinnegan proved completely ineffective against this technique.
"Now you can't move anymore," Hashirama said, clapping his hands together to perform the Sage Art again: [Sage Technique: Torii Seal].
A red column structure formed from one horizontal and two vertical pillars fell from the sky, firmly suppressing Madara's body and trapping him inside.
Madara, now captured, actually smiled. "Hmph. No wonder you're the one, Hashirama. Even though we're both Edo Tensei bodies, I still can't match you."
As Hashirama was about to speak, Tobirama instantly appeared beside him, wearing a wary expression. "Brother, don't waste words on him. Allow me to seal him and end this Great Ninja World War."
"Hahahaha!" Madara scornfully looked at Tobirama and said, "You sneaky schemer. All you do is hide behind others and use dirty tricks. Why do you believe this war will end?"
The moment his words fell, a violent tremor erupted from the distant ground, as if a colossal being had appeared, sending a wave of dread through people's hearts.
Obito, facing numerous powerful enemies before him, finally ceased holding back and unveiled his ultimate move.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path absorbed the two gourds into its body, letting out roars repeatedly.
"What did it just absorb?"
"They're Kinkaku and Ginkaku," Tenten answered promptly after arriving from the coastal battlefield. "Those two individuals sealed within the gourds possess Nine-Tails' chakra."
In that case, this Demonic Statue only needed Eight-Tails' chakra to complete its collection.
Obito said grimly, "Even if they're only fragments, its power won't be affected at all."
Everyone turned their gaze toward Killer Bee, who responded as the Eight-Tails spoke through him, "Just one of my tentacles contained chakra—what a miscalculation."
Obito continued, "Originally, I had intended for it to revive in its complete form. But since things have come to this, watch carefully—and feel it firsthand."
Centered on Obito, all the surrounding rubble floated into the air. Tremendous tremors shook the earth, accompanied by the Demonic Statue's roaring. With his hands forming hand seals, Obito shouted fiercely, "[The Ten-Tails' Birth], and furthermore—the beginning of the world's end!"
"Obito, you..." Rin still wanted to say something.
Kakashi grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Rin, there's no need to plead with him anymore. He's not the Obito you used to know. As former close friends, the only choice we have now is to kill him."
Tears welled up in Rin's eyes as she gripped Kakashi's arm tightly. "No! No matter what, don't kill him! I can feel that deep inside, he isn't like this. At least—we should wait for Master to arrive, okay?"
Kakashi gave a bitter smile inwardly. Knowing Sensei Minato's personality, he probably also would hesitate to strike the killing blow—but right now, Obito was trying to kill them!
Feeling the surging malevolent energy from across the battlefield, Kakashi pondered countermeasures: What exactly is happening? According to the declaration made during the Five Kage Summit, shouldn't this be the war triggered by obtaining the Nine-Tails' chakra necessary for reviving the Ten-Tails? Yet both the Eight-Tails' and Nine-Tails' recoveries haven't been completed—could this actually be deception? Getting closer is too dangerous right now.
Naruto's Nine-Tails, already sensing the imminent birth of the Ten-Tails, panicked. It switched places with Naruto's body and explained to everyone present, "What the Demonic Statue just swallowed was an artifact owned by the Sage of the Six Paths. Those tools contain immensely powerful sealing techniques capable of imprisoning anything. If those two individuals the girl referred to are indeed correct, then yes—they truly possessed my chakra. Long ago, those brothers challenged me. I devoured them, but afterward, they gnawed at my flesh from inside my belly and absorbed my chakra. Now… I just wonder in what form the Ten-Tails will awaken, having obtained merely partial chakra."
Kakashi replied solemnly, "We need to figure something out before it fully revives."
"Hmph, Kakashi," Obito, his voice cold and filled with contempt, addressed his former comrade, "A life full of regret suits you well. Back then, if not for you, we wouldn't have ended up like this." His eyes showed no hesitation anymore as he prepared to launch his final assault.
Hakuto felt the Blade of Indifference — this weapon was unlike any she had ever held before. Within it, she could clearly feel a certain rhythm, a faint whispering hum trying to tell her something. Unfortunately, Hakuto had never studied swordsmanship, so she couldn't make sense of it at all.
That's right, return to the clan. If *she* were there, she would surely know where Father had gone. Thinking quickly, Hakuto felt a surge of hope. Using her Rinnegan, she immediately jumped into the Black Portal.
Arriving at the clan headquarters, Hakuto immediately sought out Mikoto to explain the situation.
Mikoto's expression turned serious at once. Anya was the linchpin of the clan — everyone else could fall into trouble, but not him. Otherwise, all the hard-earned unity of the clan would instantly crumble.
Without hesitation, Mikoto activated her Mangekyō Sharingan and used the Celestial Eye technique.
However, this time the usually reliable Celestial Eye ran into a problem. No matter how much chakra she poured in, the vision offered nothing but darkness. She could barely pinpoint a rough direction.
"Good, at least he's still alive. But he's being held captive by some unknown force. Hakuto, do you know what's really going on?" Mikoto sighed in relief but also urgently asked for answers.
Hakuto shook her head. "I don't know either. I just had a vague feeling that something was wrong. When I arrived, only Dad's sword was left behind."
"By the way, this sword is amazing — it feels almost alive. Unfortunately, since I don't know swordsmanship, I can't understand it. Perhaps a sword expert could communicate with the blade and obtain some intelligence."
This was the only solution Hakuto could think of at the moment.
Mikoto thought for a moment before saying, "I've got it — we can find Yugao. She was personally trained by your father and is extremely skilled in sword techniques. Maybe she can help."
Hakuto's eyes lit up. "Right, how could I forget about her?"
"Don't panic. I'll find her."
Mikoto activated the Celestial Eye once again. This time, unlike the absolute darkness when searching for Anya, there was simply nothing. This was only the second time the Celestial Eye had come up empty — two possibilities existed: either Yugao was already dead, or she was simply not in this world anymore. Mikoto's face was filled with confusion.
Even more anxious upon hearing the news, Hakuto quickly asked, "Can you think of any other sword experts?"
"There is one. If it's him, he must have a way." Mikoto recalled someone else, suddenly confident.
"Who is it?"
"The Master who taught your father swordsmanship — the legendary ninja of Konoha, known as the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake."
This time, the Celestial Eye finally located the target. Mikoto quickly pointed in the direction. "He's in a small village at the northernmost point of the Hot Springs Country."
"Alright."
Without a word, Hakuto immediately jumped into the Black Portal and rushed straight there.
Sakumo, having just taken his leave from the Fire Daimyo, keenly sensed a disturbance in the space around him. A shuriken was already in his hand when he saw who came out. For a moment, he was stunned by how much she resembled someone.
Hakuto politely introduced herself. "Are you the White Fang of Konoha? My name is Hakuto, daughter of Anya."
"I never expected that the little kid back then would now have someone like you," White Fang couldn't help but smile warmly.
"There's something very important this time," after completing the introductions, Hakuto quickly took out the Blade of Indifference and handed it over, saying, "Dad seems to have encountered a problem. He never parts with this sword. Would you examine it and see if you can obtain some intelligence from it?"
White Fang's expression changed immediately. No one understood better than him how important a sword connected with its master's spirit could be—it was practically a second life. Through it, he could clearly sense the condition of its owner.
After taking the sword, White Fang felt some relief. The blade was intact, vibrating with a powerful hum and steady rhythm, indicating its owner had not been injured and had not been forced to abandon it after defeat.
After thinking for a moment, White Fang comforted Hakuto, whose face was full of anxiety. "Don't worry, your father's fine. Take me to the place where you found this sword."
Hakuto nodded eagerly. "Okay."
Arriving once again at the forest where she had found the Blade of Indifference, Hakuto immediately activated her Rinnegan, but still found nothing.
Meanwhile, White Fang stood firm, holding the sword while gathering his strength. Suddenly, he gripped the hilt tightly.
"Zheng..."
A deep hum from the blade suddenly roared to life.
The Blade of Indifference drew a graceful arc through the air. With White Fang's eyes snapping open, the sword light seemed to absorb the essence of heaven and earth itself. Even the brilliant sun in the sky dimmed before this strike, which slashed into the void with unstoppable force.
The thick layers of clouds in the sky began to peel away, revealing a small black dot appearing before the two.
"What is that?" Hakuto asked in surprise.
White Fang gazed at the black dot in the sky and answered, "This slash was guided by the Blade of Indifference itself. It seems your father must be there."
Hakuto couldn't wait any longer and was about to fly upward. "I'll go save him."
"Wait," White Fang stopped her, explaining under her puzzled gaze. "That last slash was me imitating your father's Sword Art: Draw Technique. Your father's swordsmanship has long surpassed the ordinary. This blade, filled with spiritual power and connected to its master's will, can produce such an incredible effect only because its owner remains unharmed and still maintains a connection. He likely abandoned the sword intentionally, possibly as a precaution, allowing the Blade of Indifference to work in tandem from outside and dismantle the seal's defenses."
Hakuto paused, still puzzled. "Then why hasn't he taken action yet?"
"Hmph, old habits die hard," White Fang couldn't help but snort. As a master, he knew this student of his all too well.
"He must be fascinated by the ninja technique strong enough to seal him. That's just like him. I'd wager he wasn't even helpless to escape at first—he allowed himself to be sealed on purpose, seeking to fully decipher this sealing technique."
White Fang's guess proved to be correct.
Deep within the black sphere, Anya's eyes turned pitch black. Her dual pupils continuously shifted and transformed. Her Sage Mode had successfully activated as well, and she began analyzing the sealing technique with frenzy.
The power within this Rinnegan wasn't abundant, but its quality was horrifyingly high. To put it simply, ordinary chakra was as thin and fleeting as air, dispersing with a single breeze. In contrast, this was like flowing water—or even magma—capable of forming tangible existence.
Take Sage Chakra, for instance—it's a more advanced form of chakra that lets you change your own chakra nature and produce all sorts of effects. The [Ryuchi Cave Sage Art] demonstrates this perfectly.
Through analysis, he realized that the primary source of this sealing technique came from Yin-Yang Release—an ability he had never fully understood before. The Yang Release gives life to the *You*, while the Yin Release creates form from *Mu*. Combined, they could create all things. Perhaps even the nine tailed beasts were formed by breaking down the Ten-Tails using Yin-Yang Release. Back then, when reconstructing his own body, Hashirama once mentioned how the Sage of Six Paths used Yin-Yang Release to create the entire Ninja World. Once he could unlock and fully harness this power...
Future battles would already be guaranteed victories. That's why Anya chose to let himself be sealed away.
Just wait—it's almost time. When he emerged again, everything would change. A new era was already at the doorstep.
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