Chapter 416: Uzumaki Yuji
The boy on Simba's back was named Uzumaki Yuji, and he possessed a pair of Rinnegan inherited from his father, though they seemed to have undergone a unique mutation.
That was their greatest reliance for being able to move in a place like the Pure Land and even escape from the hands of the Six Paths Sage.
Hearing Simba's question, Yuji pondered for a moment.
"My Ocular Power has mostly recovered, but my Chakra is still lacking quite a bit."
"To escape the Six Paths Sage earlier, I used a Space Dōjutsu that I hadn't fully mastered yet, consuming a massive amount of Chakra. I overexerted myself too much."
He made an estimate: "If I could get a large amount of pure Natural Energy or Chakra to replenish me now, I would probably need to concentrate and prepare for half an hour before I can safely use the Rinnegan for a Space-Time Jump again."
"Without external replenishment, relying only on my own slow recovery... it will take about two and a half days."
"Two and a half days?"
Simba's voice rose an octave, filled with deep helplessness and lingering fear.
"My little ancestor, don't experiment on yourself with those unstable and dangerous Dōjutsu involving time or space next time."
"Even if you must experiment, you should have your father accompany you. Although I, Simba, have learned Senjutsu and theoretically have a much longer lifespan than ordinary dogs, I'm already over twenty years old. My heart and nerves can't take this kind of tossing around!"
As it complained, it suddenly lowered its head and used its incredibly hard skull to smash a thick "Earth-Style Wall" that had suddenly risen from the ground ahead into pieces. Rocks flew everywhere, but its pace didn't falter in the slightest.
Hearing Simba's words, Yuji scratched his head in embarrassment.
"I know, Uncle Huang. Definitely next time."
His assurance sounded a bit insincere.
"Don't call me Uncle Huang, it makes me sound old."
"Got it, Uncle Huang."
Just then, Simba seemed to sense something. Its huge ears perked up, and its nostrils flared.
"Yuji, hold on tight!"
Simba's voice became serious. "I feel something might be wrong ahead. Relying on my current size and speed to rush through might be risky. I'm going to transform to boost my strength and defense. Jump up for a moment so I can adjust my posture!"
"Okay!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Yuji kicked off Simba's back before the words even faded. His body leaped up as light as if weightless, performing a nimble backflip in the air.
The hood was blown back by the airflow from this violent movement, revealing the face he had been hiding in the shadows.
It was a slightly boyish face with fair skin. His features vaguely resembled his father, Uzumaki Naruto, but were more delicate and soft.
However, the most eye-catching feature was his red hair.
It was a vibrant crimson, like dancing flames, standing out remarkably against the dim background of the Pure Land.
At the same time, Simba below let out a low roar.
The golden fur all over its body suddenly erupted with an even more dazzling light, and its massive body expanded and transformed further as it ran.
Muscles bulged, bones made slight popping sounds, and its size increased nearly tenfold in an instant. Its shoulder height reached a terrifying thirty meters, like a moving hill!
The Chakra fluctuations emanating from it also surged, carrying a dense aura of Natural Energy.
The giant dog, having completed its transformation, didn't pause for a moment; instead, its speed increased.
It lowered its head slightly and used its broad, platform-like crown to precisely catch Yuji as he fell from the air.
Yuji landed steadily on Simba's house-sized head and pulled his hood back up, covering his brilliant red hair.
He leaned down and grabbed a few strands of particularly long, stiff mane on top of Simba's head.
"Let's go, Uncle Huang! Shake them off!"
"Sit tight!"
The giant dog let out a deafening roar, its four paws pushing off and shattering the ground as it turned into an even swifter golden Wind, charging forward.
On the grayish-white horizon of the Pure Land, only a trail of dust and the gradually fading, thunder-like sound of running remained.
, , , , , , , , , ,
"Hashirama, you've become weak!"
Madara used the blue gunbai to parry the wooden greatsword in Hashirama's hand.
Since they lacked weapons, the two of them condensed their own weapons using Chakra during their battle.
These were moves they hadn't used while alive, but they could easily perform them after death.
In the battle between the two, Madara also held the upper hand.
The boost from the Rinnegan in the Pure Land was too great; Madara could even casually grab a Soul from the roadside and use the Rinnegan's Preta Path ability to absorb most of the other party's Soul power into his own body.
But Hashirama could not.
Each of Madara's Soul's improvements was small but steady, while Hashirama remained stagnant. In just a few days, Madara had already firmly gained the upper hand.
Since the end of the first round of battle, both had stopped using Susanoo and Wood Golem.
They enjoyed this hearty close-quarters combat on a Soul level, as if returning to the purest duels of the Sengoku era.
Because both knew they could not, and had no intention to, truly "kill" each other, this battle could last a long time, becoming a special way of "communication" for them in this eternally lonely place.
Just then, a dull thundering vibration rapidly approached from the distance, accompanied by an aura mixed with vigorous vitality.
Madara keenly sensed this unusual movement. His Rinnegan shifted slightly, glancing in the direction of the vibration.
On the horizon, a figure like a small mountain was rushing over at an incredible speed, leaving clouds of dust in its wake.
"Oh? Is a thin-furred beast coming from over there?"
The corner of Madara's mouth curled into an interested arc. He temporarily withdrew the pressure on Hashirama, his tone carrying a hint of contempt and curiosity. "The aura is quite special, and it even has the scent of a living thing... Hashirama, I'll go deal with this little interloper first, then come back to continue with you!"
"Wait, Madara, that dog looks very familiar..."
Before the words were finished, Madara ignored Hashirama. His figure suddenly shot up from the ground like a cannonball, heading toward the charging golden giant beast with a sharp whistling sound.
While in the air, his right hand formed a claw aimed at the charging Simba below, and the ripples in his Rinnegan suddenly accelerated their rotation.
"Preta Path!"
An incredibly powerful suction force erupted instantly. Madara intended to drain and devour the giant beast's Soul energy, just as he did with those weak deceased Souls!
Uzumaki Yuji leaped up abruptly. His hood still covered his face, but his outstretched right hand was steady and powerful.
Facing Uchiha Madara's sudden and terrifying Soul-striking suction, Yuji didn't panic at all.
He opened the five fingers of his right hand toward the incoming Madara and clearly and calmly uttered a few words:
"Shinra Tensei!"
Buzz!
A powerful, invisible, and irresistible repulsive force erupted with Yuji as the center.
The Preta Path suction released by Madara was abruptly cut off as if it had hit an invisible steel wall.
Madara's diving figure came to a sudden halt, a look of clear astonishment appearing on his face.
His Rinnegan stared intently at the hooded figure suspended in mid-air.
"This is... the Rinnegan? Who are you!"
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