Chapter 81: Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion
The four orange-red tails swaying in mid-air were a piercing sight.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his breath catch in his throat.
It wasn't that the Nine-Tails' power itself made him uneasy. The power of four tails was a threat, to be sure, but it was just a threat. What Hiruzen couldn't comprehend was how this mysterious masked man could draw upon the Nine-Tails' power.
That was something not even Konoha's own shinobi could do.
Their village's Tailed Beast, being used so skillfully by an outsider—it was both absurd and deeply ironic.
It wasn't just Hiruzen; the other Konoha ninja were even more baffled.
Might Guy stared at the chakra-cloaked Neji and yelled, "Kakashi! Isn't the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki one of ours? Why can this outsider use its power?!"
Kakashi's throat bobbed. "I... I have no idea," he admitted in a low voice.
Fwoosh!
Neji's feet slowly lifted off the ground, and under the terrified gazes of all present, he floated into mid-air. The Nine-Tails chakra cloaked him, billowing like a robe in the wind.
In the next instant, a single Chakra Receiver Rosary emerged from between his eyebrows, followed by two, then four... until eight beads hovered in a circle before him.
"What are those?" Hiruzen's brow furrowed. Even with his vast experience, he couldn't identify their origin. He didn't know what they were or what Neji was planning, but a primal sense of unease crept over him.
"Attack!"
The atmosphere grew unbearably tense. It was unclear who shouted it first, but under the pressure of Neji's presence, a group of Konoha shinobi unleashed their signature techniques by pure instinct.
The air instantly boiled. Neji's downcast eyes reflected a sky full of fire. Flames erupted from below, rushing toward him like a tidal wave.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Flame Jutsu!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
The ninja poured out scorching streams of fire and roaring gales of wind. Fire borrowed the wind's power, and wind amplified the fire's might.
A terrifying heat wave distorted the air, making Hiruzen and the others instinctively hold their breath. Their eyes were locked on the sky, as if to burn the scene into their minds. The light from the inferno split the world into two.
"Is it over?" Nara Shikaku muttered, his eyes fixed on the sky.
But when the inferno subsided, his eyes widened in horror.
The eight rosary beads had vanished, replaced by a black, hemispherical shield that completely protected Neji. The combination ninjutsu, unleashed by several Jōnin and over a dozen Chūnin, was powerful enough that even a Kage wouldn't dare face it head-on.
Yet, the seemingly plain black shield had blocked it completely. The massive attack, as loud and bright as fireworks, had failed to cause a single scratch.
"As I expected," Neji thought, his eyes narrowing in delight. "With enough chakra, I can even freely change the form of the Rosary."
Down below, Hiruzen's shock was visible. "How can this be?"
He had sensed the black orbs were dangerous, but he never expected them to be completely unharmed. Such defensive power was greater than even the Rashōmon gates.
"This man's ability... is it a bloodline limit that has never been seen before?" Hiruzen's face darkened, realizing the situation was more severe than ever. He formed a one-handed seal, creating four shadow clones that spread out.
In the sky, Neji slowly raised his hand. The eight rosary beads began to circle, faster and faster, until they blurred into a perfect, silver ring.
Hiruzen and his clones were ready. "Five-Element Combo: Great Barrage Jutsu!" he roared.
In an instant, the real Hiruzen and his four clones unleashed a massive, overwhelming attack of wind, lightning, fire, earth, and water, all surging toward Neji. The power of this one combined jutsu was even greater than the attack from the dozens of ninja moments before.
Facing the oncoming elemental apocalypse, Neji simply uttered two words:
"Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion."
As the cold voice fell, a silver tornado erupted from the ring, pouring down and instantly swallowing Hiruzen's five-element barrage. The Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was the ultimate expression of the Tenseigan's power over gravity; any tangible object caught in the silver storm would be pulverized into dust.
To use it, one needed three things: Tenseigan Chakra Mode, the Chakra Receiver Rosary, and mastery of gravitational force. Although Neji couldn't enter the true Tenseigan Chakra Mode, the massive amount of chakra provided by the Nine-Tails was enough to meet the casting requirements. It seemed the technique was not an exclusive dōjutsu, but rather a combination move built from the Tenseigan's fundamental abilities.
RUMBLE!
A deafening roar shook the earth as a terrifying shockwave of dust and debris blasted outward in all directions.
"Aaaaaargh!!"
Any shinobi caught in the silver storm's radius let out blood-curdling screams before being silenced.
Hiruzen's face was ashen. The silver storm had not only consumed his jutsu but had continued, undeterred, into the crowd. At least thirty shinobi were dead. This terrifying technique surpassed an ordinary S-rank forbidden jutsu.
Nearby, Nara Shikaku, Kurama Murakumo, and the other clan heads who had barely escaped the storm's edge stared wide-eyed, their faces masks of pure shock. Hiruzen was hailed as the "Strongest Hokage in History." People might question his judgment, but his strength was undisputed. Yet now, he was being completely overwhelmed. For the Konoha shinobi watching, it felt as if their very faith was crumbling.
"Haaa..."
After unleashing the attack, Neji let out a long breath. He was about to test the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion when he suddenly found the chakra supply from the Nine-Tails had stopped.
'Is Minato warning me not to go on a killing spree?' Neji mused. He realized that since it was his first time using the Silver Wheel, he had been inefficient and used too much chakra; only about sixty percent of the Tailed Beast chakra remained. He wasn't sure if he had enough for the even stronger Golden Wheel, and he needed to reserve enough to escape.
Suddenly, Neji thought of something and looked to the northwest. The sounds of battle from the Uchiha district had stopped.
'It's over? I'm afraid Fugaku-san is gone.'
Neji sighed. He had been using his Tenseigan to watch for Obito, half-dreading his appearance and half-hoping for it. If Obito were here, he couldn't be at the Uchiha district, which might have given Fugaku a chance to escape. But it seemed his hopes were misplaced. Compared to the Nine-Tails, Obito was undoubtedly more concerned with the Uchiha. Neji knew that the hundred Uchiha who stayed behind had been prepared to die, especially Fugaku. As the clan head who had overseen their fall, Fugaku's decision to stay behind was, in part, an act of atonement.
After a moment, Neji flicked his fingers, sending two Chakra Receiver Rosary beads shooting toward the cage trapping Yugito.
Enma, recognizing the danger of the orbs, didn't dare block. He instantly reverted to his monkey form and dodged, leaping back to Hiruzen's side, baring his fangs at Neji.
The moment the cage was broken, Yugito felt an invisible force pull her, and she flew uncontrollably toward Neji. She deactivated her Tailed Beast form mid-air, her long hair whipping in the wind.
Neji wrapped one arm around her slender waist and, while still carrying Naruto, looked down at Hiruzen and the others.
"Lord Hokage," he warned, his voice cold, "I am taking the Jinchuriki. If you're not satisfied, you are free to pursue me. But if it comes to that, I guarantee the outcome will be very different."
With that, Neji, holding Yugito and Naruto, flew away from the village at maximum speed.
Shikaku, Murakumo, and the other veteran clan heads stood frozen, staring at the direction Neji had fled. They felt anger and pain, but more than anything, they felt fear.
Hiruzen looked at the ruins of his village and the dozens of mangled bodies on the ground. He seemed to age ten years in that instant. An enemy had stolen the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and slaughtered his shinobi right under his nose, and he could only watch them leave. For the first time, Hiruzen truly felt that he was old.
Just then, Hyūga Genkai flickered to his side, his voice low. "Lord Hokage, that masked man... it's the defector, Hyūga Neji. Please, give the order to pursue."
"What did you say?!" Hiruzen choked out.
"The mask he wears has a sealing jutsu on it to block the Byakugan," Genkai said coldly. "But it cannot hide his chakra. His chakra signature is a near-perfect match for Hyūga Hizashi's. I am certain it was Neji."
Hiruzen's mind raced. Genkai was a veteran Jōnin; he wouldn't make such a claim without certainty. Neji... he was just a six-year-old boy, though he looked 14 or 15. The power he just used must have an enormous cost.
To pursue, or not to pursue?
Hiruzen's old, crippling habit of indecision resurfaced. After a long pause, he shook his head. "It's not that simple. We must be cautious, not rash. What if we are walking into another trap—"
Genkai sighed internally, tuning out the rest. The Hokage had his reasons. Whether it was Neji or not, the power they had witnessed was real. With the Two-Tails Jinchuriki at his side, a pursuit would mean another vicious battle. Konoha had already suffered grave losses; it couldn't afford more.
"Let's go to the Uchiha district," Hiruzen finally said, his voice heavy. "I can only hope Danzō has had better news."
The Uchiha district was a field of ruins. At the entrance to their underground tunnel, black flames—Amaterasu—still burned fiercely, blocking any pursuit.
In the center of the compound, Fugaku Uchiha lay face down in a 10-meter-wide crater, his body impaled by savage wooden spikes.
"I was close... so close to being killed by you," Danzō panted, looking at Fugaku's body with lingering fear. Fugaku, fighting with the will to die, had been a true demon. Danzō was certain that if Obito hadn't been there, Fugaku would have cut him down, even if he had to burn through all ten of his spare Sharingan.
Space warped, and Obito stepped out, walking slowly to Fugaku's body. Danzō's eyes flashed with killing intent.
Obito bent down and turned the body over, only to frown. Fugaku's two fingers were plunged deep into his own eye sockets, having gouged out his own eyes.
"He destroyed his Mangekyō before he died?" Obito let out a cold laugh. Fugaku's eyes were strong, but to Obito, who possessed Kamui, they were no different from any other Sharingan: disposable fuel for Izanagi.
Swish!
A barrage of wind blades shot from Danzō, passing harmlessly through Obito's intangible body.
Obito turned, a mocking smile under his mask. "You should have guessed my ability by now. That level of attack will never harm me. Besides... aren't we allies? You held his attention from the front, I ambushed him from behind. We worked so well together."
Danzō's face was dark, his eyes filled with dread. This man could use Kamui's space-time jutsu and Wood Style. This was an Uchiha far more terrifying than Fugaku.
Just then, Obito sensed a large group of chakra signatures approaching. Hiruzen.
"It's been a pleasure," Obito's voice rasped. "We'll meet again."
He swirled into his vortex and vanished.