Cloud Thunder Gorge.
It was a place with a unique landscape in the Land of Lightning.
It was also where the Eight-Tails had once lived, so it was only natural that the Eight-Tails would be resurrected there.
The devastated Kumogakure had already closed its borders and withdrawn from the war. Naturally, they were not the ones who had leaked the news of the Eight-Tails' resurrection to Konoha.
It had been discovered by accident.
As a defeated shinobi village, Kumogakure was still being monitored by Konoha shinobi along its borders, even after closing itself off.
Whenever there was any unusual activity, the information would be sent back to Konoha.
Coincidentally, the Konoha shinobi responsible for surveillance had been stationed at Cloud Thunder Gorge.
The terrain there was quite favorable. Although it was surrounded by mountains, there were also lakes and trees, making it suitable for establishing a camp.
Because of this, the Eight-Tails' resurrection had been discovered immediately, and the news was sent back to Konoha.
'Swish!'
Seiryū and his group arrived.
Despite crossing more than half of the shinobi world from Konoha, the journey had only taken a few minutes.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was truly useful.
As soon as he appeared, Seiryū spread out his perception and detected the Eight-Tails' chakra fluctuations.
He looked ahead.
"Has it not fully resurrected yet?"
At the bottom of the lake, the Eight-Tails remained motionless in the depths, its eight tails curled around its body. Although chakra fluctuations were leaking from it, it had not yet awakened.
Its body had recovered, but its consciousness had not awakened. It was still in a deep sleep.
"But it has indeed been discovered. To think there are so many White Zetsu hiding here."
Seiryū's perception also detected the White Zetsu hiding underground while disguised as Konoha shinobi.
Clearly, Madara also knew about the situation there.
It was even possible that Madara had deliberately sent the news of the Eight-Tails' resurrection to Konoha.
"You can't hide beneath my nose."
Seiryū calmly spoke. Although his body was hunched, his movements were extremely fast.
His figure flashed as he rushed toward the Konoha shinobi stationed there. Lightning danced in his palm before extending into a sharp blade.
Chidori Sharp Spear!
'Chirp, chirp, chirp.'
His figure flashed repeatedly, killing the White Zetsu disguised as Konoha shinobi. Their bodies fell to the ground and transformed into trees.
Seeing this, Tsunade's expression changed slightly.
"Is it really a diversion? Then Konoha."
The Konoha shinobi stationed there had been replaced by these unusual White Zetsu.
That meant the information about the Eight-Tails' resurrection might truly have been deliberately leaked to Konoha by Madara.
His purpose was to draw Konoha's strongest shinobi away and leave the village's defenses weakened.
"Don't worry. I've already made preparations. I left Ryūhaō in Konoha. If anything happens, it will notify me immediately."
Seiryū remained calm, fully displaying the composure of an elderly master.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could return to Konoha from there with a single thought.
He was not worried that anything would happen to the village.
Moreover, with Ryūhaō, the Nine-Tails, and the other powerful shinobi remaining there, Konoha would not be easily breached.
'Hum.'
At that moment, powerful chakra fluctuations erupted from four different locations.
A special crimson barrier then appeared and sealed the entire area.
It was the Four Red Yang Formation.
"You finally came. I was getting tired of waiting."
A frivolous and mocking voice rang out as ripples suddenly appeared in space.
Immediately afterward, a handsome young man with pale skin stepped out. He wore a black robe and appeared to be in his teens.
Within his eye sockets was a pair of scarlet eyes with complex patterns.
Inside the opposing triangles were black cross-shaped patterns, forming an extremely intricate design.
It was the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The newcomer was none other than Ryota.
Upon seeing Ryota appear, the expressions of Konoha's shinobi became solemn.
"So it really is a trap?"
"Ryota."
"How did his chakra become so much stronger?"
Those who had fought Ryota before now wore extremely grave expressions.
His chakra fluctuations were far stronger than before and even exerted considerable pressure on them.
"Only this many people? Still, none of you are weak."
Ryota looked arrogant as his gaze swept across Konoha's experts.
Naturally, he was familiar with them.
Not only did he know them, but he had also fought against them.
Finally, Ryota's gaze fell upon Seiryū, and his tone became calm and indifferent.
"I've never seen you before, but your chakra isn't weak, and you were able to see through the White Zetsu's disguises. Who are you?"
He had no impression of this slightly hunched old man.
However, the other party did not appear weak and had been able to see through the White Zetsu's disguises.
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan? The younger generation truly is remarkable."
Seiryū looked at the familiar face, then paused as his gaze fell upon the pair of intricately patterned Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
His aged voice was filled with emotion.
"To have awakened those eyes at such a young age. You are far stronger than the Uchiha of my generation."
As Seiryū had expected, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had been born.
As for why it was now in Ryota's eye sockets, Seiryū suspected that it had something to do with their close blood relation.
After all, Setsuna was Ryota's grandfather.
An Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan created from the Mangekyō Sharingan of two close relatives would naturally be most compatible with Ryota.
Seiryū also sensed Madara's chakra within those eyes, along with the chakra of the Senju Clan inside Ryota's body.
In the original world, both Uchiha who awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and the Rinnegan had been reincarnations of Indra. Perhaps there was some truth behind that connection.
If certain conditions were required to awaken the Rinnegan, then Ryota's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had already fulfilled them.
The only thing missing might be an opportunity or the right moment.
Fugaku's pupils contracted slightly after hearing Seiryū's words.
"The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
The eyes in Ryota's eye sockets were actually the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was recorded in the Uchiha Clan's history as the highest form of their visual power.
No wonder Ryota's chakra had become so powerful.
"My generation?"
Ryota narrowed his eyes slightly and said indifferently, "Are you some old man who has lived for an unknown number of years?"
"Forget it. I'm not interested in your identity."
He looked at the others and revealed a sinister smile.
"Since all of you are here, you can die here. This trap was prepared especially for you."
'Hum!'
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryota's left eye spun rapidly, and a Dōjutsu was cast upon the Four Red Yang Formation.
Amid an eerie humming sound, the light of the Four Red Yang Formation deepened.
"Hmm? Some kind of Space-Time Dōjutsu?"
Seiryū immediately noticed that something was wrong.
His perception of the Flying Thunder God seals outside the barrier became blurred, making it impossible to determine their exact coordinates.
They had been disrupted.
Judging from Ryota's actions and the loss of the Flying Thunder God coordinates, Seiryū concluded that one of the Dōjutsu possessed by the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was a Space-Time Dōjutsu.
Minato also noticed the abnormality and frowned.
"It restricted the Flying Thunder God Technique? So this really is a trap."
If he could not use the Flying Thunder God Technique, his strength would be greatly reduced.
"I won't let any of you leave so easily. It's a pity that damned bastard isn't here. Otherwise, I could finally take revenge on him."
Ryota's eyes were cold, and the killing intent he felt toward a certain person was completely undisguised.
He stared at the people close to Seiryū and sneered.
"But it makes no difference. If that bastard is still alive, he should suffer after learning that everyone he cares about died."
Uzumaki Seiryū.
The person he wanted to kill most.
Had Seiryū been there, Ryota could have finally taken revenge.
He would crush and defeat Seiryū with overwhelming power, then force him to watch as everyone he cared about died.
Unfortunately, Seiryū had disappeared more than two years ago, and Ryota had no idea what had happened to him.
Ryota found it regrettable that he could not kill Seiryū's loved ones right in front of him.
Seiryū fell silent.
Did Ryota really hate him that much?
How petty.
As expected, the Uchiha Clan was full of madmen.
Ryosuke and Setsuna had died at Seiryū's hands, but that was only because they had attacked him first.
"As expected of the accursed Uchiha Clan. Ryota, I have heard of everything you have done since my awakening."
Although Seiryū's body was hunched, his aged voice was filled with righteousness, like that of an honorable old man unable to tolerate evil.
"To think you could commit such heartless acts."
"You have no respect for life and no regard for morality. How are you any different from a madman?"
"Since I have returned to the shinobi world, I will personally subdue you, seal your chakra, and imprison you for several decades. Only then can you begin to atone for your crimes."
Seiryū spoke solemnly, his expression filled with righteous indignation.
"Remember my name. I am Uzumaki Seiryū, the sixty-sixth head of the Uzumaki Clan. During my era, I was known as Sage Seiryū."
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
After introducing himself, Seiryū immediately attacked.
He formed hand seals, and golden chains emerged from his body with a clattering sound before shooting toward Ryota like arrows.
This was not Letzt Stil, but the Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Hmph, an Uzumaki? Then you should die too."
Seeing the incoming Adamantine Sealing Chains, Ryota merely snorted coldly as killing intent filled his eyes.
He did not know where this Uzumaki had come from or why he claimed to be a former head of the clan.
However, the Uzumaki name reminded him of a certain damned person.
'Boom!'
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in Ryota's eye sockets projected a pair of deep-blue skeletal arms.
Susanoo opened its arms and grabbed the incoming Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Then, with a sharp tearing sound, Susanoo ripped the chains apart with ease.
"Too weak."
Ryota looked at Seiryū as though he were already dead, his tone indifferent and cold.
"Don't come out and make a fool of yourself at your age."
"Roar!"
Amid a thunderous roar, the upper body of Susanoo emerged, releasing powerful chakra fluctuations.
Black, snake-like patterns twisted across the surface of the deep-blue Susanoo, while a strange, dark chakra spread outward.
'Hum, hum.'
Susanoo raised its hands, and chakra gathered in its palms, forming a magatama resembling several serpents intertwined together.
It was the Yasaka Magatama infused with the dark chakra of the Zero-Tails.
"How dare you look down on me? Such insolence."
Light shone within Seiryū's aged eyes, and his elderly voice carried unquestionable authority.
"It seems I have remained silent for too long. Has the shinobi world forgotten my name?"
"Even that old man, the Sage of Six Paths, had to show me some respect."
"Enough nonsense. Die."
Ryota completely ignored his words and interrupted him coldly.
Even the Sage of Six Paths had supposedly shown this man respect?
Where had this mad old man come from?
Ryota could not be bothered to continue listening. He controlled Susanoo and threw the Yasaka Magatama.
It tore through the air with a piercing whistle.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains: Iron Chain Dankū!"
Seiryū continued speaking nonsense.
Golden chains once again emerged from his body. Each one pierced into the ground ahead, forming an impenetrable wall of chains.
Behind them, he cast Bakudō #81 Dankū.
Although Seiryū could use the Adamantine Sealing Chains, his skill with them was far inferior to his mastery of Letzt Stil.
They could not block Ryota's attack.
However, Dankū certainly could.
'Boom!'
The moment the Yasaka Magatama struck, it exploded.
A tremendous shockwave erupted and swept across the area, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
"Brat, the head of the Uchiha Clan during my generation also possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, yet even he had to lower his head before me."
"My title as a sage was not given to me through empty praise. I earned it through countless battles."
Seiryū casually swept away the smoke and dust, and his hunched body seemed to straighten slightly.
He looked at Ryota, his tone calm but filled with confidence.
"Let me show you why I was known as Sage Seiryū."
"Everyone says the Uzumaki Clan excels only at Fūinjutsu, but I am also proficient in offensive Ninjutsu."
Seiryū's aged voice spread throughout the area as he raised his right hand toward the sky.
'Boom!'
The immense chakra of the Uzumaki Clan surged from his body and spread outward. It also drew in the surrounding natural energy, forming Senjutsu chakra.
Under Seiryū's control, the chakra materialized, changed shape, and solidified before finally condensing into a sword of pure chakra.
As Seiryū poured his enormous chakra into it, the chakra sword changed shape, expanded, and extended toward the sky.
In an instant, an enormous blade of light hundreds of meters long and several meters wide hovered above everyone's heads, held within Seiryū's hand.
"This is the technique I created to break through the defenses of the Complete Body Susanoo. It is called Excalibur."
"I used this technique to earn the title of Sage Seiryū. During my era, everyone who heard my name trembled in fear."
Holding the enormous sword of light, Seiryū truly resembled a sage descending upon the world.
At the very least, the immense chakra fluctuations and terrifying power of the Ninjutsu left everyone present stunned and speechless.
"Now, try to withstand this strike of mine, a blow capable of destroying the world and bringing all creation to ruin. No, just a powerful strike."
Gripping Excalibur, Seiryū's aged face was filled with authority as he shouted.
He swung the enormous sword of light down heavily toward Ryota's position.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)