"And the tailed beasts inside you… are nothing to fear!"
With a snap of his fingers, every torch in the cavern went out. When they flared back to life, the entire artificial hollow—walls, ceiling, and even the sealed mountain entrance above—was wrapped in a massive sealing array. Crimson script glowed along the stone, enclosing everyone inside.
"Ah…" Fū suddenly cried out in pain, then fell silent.
"Fū?" Shigeo dashed across the chamber, leaping straight to the wooden cage set against the cavern wall. With a single chop he shattered the bars, catching the girl as she collapsed. Her hazy eyes fluttered open just enough to see him, and her lips curved into a faint smile.
Before he could say more, the red-clad woman rushed him. Shigeo swept his hand through a seal. Mokuton: Spear Thrust! Branches pierced through her body in an instant. She screamed, blood running from eyes, ears, and mouth before collapsing in a heap.
On the other side, the young boy Shibuki nearly fainted at the sight. He spun away, clutching his head, terrified that the same fate might await him. Deep inside, he prayed desperately that Shigeo wasn't the type to hold grudges. He'd insulted him so many times—if even a stranger was slain so easily, what chance did he have?
Fū sagged in Shigeo's arms, struggling to breathe. After several painful gulps of air, she managed to whisper, "Go… fight without worry. I'll be fine."
Shigeo frowned. Her weakness came from the suppressive sealing robe—its binding aura not only kept her beast in check, but also pressed down on the five tailed beasts sealed within him. Even they whimpered in pain, curled up small and silent inside.
"I've heard your unsealing techniques are exceptional," Iburi (Hiruko) taunted, pride flashing across his face. "Let's see if you can break this seal."
He spared only a moment's glance at the corpse of his fallen comrade, then back at Shigeo with cold arrogance.
"Fū, hang on. I'll deal with this quickly."
Shigeo tore away the cursed sealing robe, casting it aside, and gently laid Fū down. Then he stepped back into the center of the cavern. "Enough nonsense. Fight me."
"You're not even curious why I lured you here?" Iburi sneered.
"It's obvious. You want my bloodline powers. Orochimaru wants my body. Together you think you can trap me. But you've already lost." With that, Shigeo launched himself forward.
At the same time, iron cages burst open all around. Dozens of failed cursed-seal experiments stumbled out, shrieking mindlessly.
They were monsters without thought, nothing left but rage and bloodlust.
High above in a shadowed chamber, Orochimaru watched, frowning. "Hmph. As expected—failures are useless. Mindless brute force will never touch him."
Shigeo clapped his hands. Fūton: Thousand Blades of Wind!
Hundreds of razor-sharp chakra currents sliced through the cavern, shrieking like knives.
The berserk test subjects didn't even slow down. Wounds opened, blood spurted, but they kept charging, claws extended like beasts. Cursed-seal amplification drove their bodies far beyond normal limits—if even one reached him, the damage would be severe.
But Shigeo stood perfectly still, eyes half-closed, calm as stone.
"Shigeo!" Fū's weak voice cried from the cliffside.
Shibuki covered his eyes, trembling. "It's over, it's over…" He couldn't even look.
Orochimaru leaned forward. Could it be? Is he really about to die so easily?
Iburi laughed openly. "See? Aside from that terrifying beast chakra, he's ordinary. Even with so many bloodline limits, he can't use them properly. If they were mine, I'd have crushed every opponent in Wucheng without hesitation!"
But then—
Splatter!
The rampaging test subjects suddenly burst apart, fountains of blood exploding from within.
When Shigeo's blades had entered their bodies, they had lodged silently inside. Their mindless frenzy had only worsened their wounds. As they lunged and thrashed, the wind blades tore them apart from the inside.
The cavern echoed with screams until all fell silent.
A pulse of chakra swept outward from Shigeo, dispersing the rain of blood before a drop could stain him. He stood immaculate at the center of the slaughter, radiant and untouchable.
"…Summoning Jutsu!" Iburi snarled, slamming his palm to the ground.
Seven or eight beasts appeared—wolf-like monsters with wings and cannon-like organs strapped to their backs.
"Awooo!"
The lead beast howled, and a barrage of chakra shells rained toward Shigeo.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions thundered through the cavern, shaking the mountain itself.
Jiton: Magnetic Release!
Black magnetic sand surged around him, forming a shifting barrier. Shells detonated against it, leaving deep craters, but the sand flowed instantly to repair the damage, stronger than before.
Through it all, Shigeo hadn't moved a single step.
Iburi froze. His earlier sneers vanished as reality struck.
"You won't seriously just stand there to the end, will you? Surrender, hand over your bloodline powers, gouge out your eyes for Orochimaru—and I might even leave you a corpse! Refuse, and I'll tear you into pieces until nothing remains!"
"Your chatter never ends. If you're capable, come take me. If not—shut your mouth."
Shigeo opened his eyes. A pair of crimson Mangekyō Sharingan spun in their sockets.
The sight left Orochimaru's jaw hanging. What…? Wasn't it supposed to be the hidden Rinnegan? Why does he now wield Mangekyō Sharingan?
(End of Chapter)
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