Chapter 7: The Progenitor of Chakra is My Mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya
The man in the black robes seemed to find some logic in her words, standing perfectly still without making another move.
At that moment, the clone was already preparing to disengage, but the system suddenly blared an alert in Stelle's mind: Black Zetsu had entered the vicinity. Good heavens, Black Zetsu of all people? He was the ultimate mastermind behind the entire original saga, the one who backstabbed Uchiha Madara, who in turn backstabbed Obito. This was the being who had played the entire ninja world like a fiddle.
She absolutely had to farm some points from him. An encounter like this was a rare and precious opportunity.
This guy was definitely a high-roller.
A sudden, evident wave of irritation rolled off the black-robed figure.
"What a truly loathsome world," the clone's voice rasped. "Why must so many insignificant gnats flicker before my eyes?"
He seemed to have lost his patience entirely. With a single, blurring Body Flicker, he appeared directly in front of Uchiha Izuna and lashed out with a vicious kick. If that foot connected with its full force, Izuna would be crippled at best, dead at worst.
Stelle immediately flew through a series of hand seals. In an instant, countless tree branches, bristling with murderous intent, erupted from the ground, clawing at the air.
But the black-robed man was too fast. He sidestepped the Wood Release assault with uncanny precision and materialized in front of Stelle herself. His hand shot out, seizing her right wrist. He squeezed, and a sickening crack echoed through the clearing as the bones in her hand were crushed.
Stelle's mind reeled. 'Isn't this a bit too brutal?'
In the blink of an eye, the dynamic had shifted. The lively chase had devolved into a grim tableau of three heavily injured shinobi.
Hidden behind a massive tree, Black Zetsu quietly observed the masked man. In this stagnant, unchanging world of shinobi, a truly special individual had suddenly appeared. His curiosity was piqued. He even began to wonder if this powerful man in black could be recruited to help save his mother.
Then he heard the man speak, his voice dripping with conviction. "As the Progenitor of Chakra, Lord Sōjin bestowed this power upon humanity. Yet, humanity has defied Lord Sōjin's will. Such a world deserves to be destroyed, just as I am destroying you."
Black Zetsu's consciousness froze.
'What in the world?'he thought, the swirling patterns of his body momentarily stilling.'Where did this thing come from? It is plain fact that Mother was the Progenitor of Chakra! Chakra was brought to this world by her!'
This… Sōjin? Was he even worthy? Would he dare to stand up and claim such a title?
If this Sōjin ever dared to show his face, Lord Black Zetsu would personally ensure he died without a grave. To actually steal his mother's identity—how utterly preposterous!
[Ding! Mood points from high-roller Black Zetsu +20,000]
A violent cough wracked Stelle's body. My goodness, was Black Zetsu really this generous?
So cool! Had her top-tier benefactor finally appeared? She was so moved she could almost cry. A single, tiny provocation, and he'd coughed up twenty thousand mood points.
Slowly, the man in black spoke again, his voice echoing with zealous fervor. "Although Lord Sōjin was sealed, it is only a matter of time. Sooner or later, Lord Sōjin will descend upon this world again. On that day, the only thing that will greet this world is destruction."
Black Zetsu's thought processes short-circuited once more.
'That Sōjin was also sealed? Could he… could he actually be talking about Mother? But which damned fool has been spreading these rumors and changed my mother Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's name to something as strange and ugly as Sōjin?'
, this person seemed to worship the Progenitor of Chakra with fanatical devotion. Wouldn't that make him one of their own? He absolutely had to make contact. The man's strength was considerable; he would be a main force in the effort to save his mother.
[Ding! Mood points from high-roller Black Zetsu +20,000]
Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna exchanged a bewildered glance, utterly unsure how to respond to the madman's ramblings.
Suddenly, Stelle formed a one-handed seal with her uninjured left hand. This time, the Wood Release she unleashed was on a scale far grander than any of her previous techniques. An overwhelming tsunami of branches and vines exploded from the earth, twisting into a dense, impenetrable wall.
She wasn't trying to attack the enemy, but to obscure his vision.
As the forest of wood burst forth, she yelled, "Go!"
The three of them instantly turned and sprinted into the distance.
By the time the black-robed man tore through the dense thicket of branches, they had already vanished into the forest.
He let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Then let us play an interesting game of hide-and-seek."
Soon, the battle site was deserted, leaving only Black Zetsu foolishly plastered to the tree trunk, his mind still racing. He was still trying to puzzle out where this Sōjin had come from, how such a person had appeared.
And where on earth had those rumors started?
The trio sprinted through the dense forest. After some time, Senju Tobirama, who was in the best condition, extended his senses. His brow furrowed. The man was still behind them, a persistent shadow that they couldn't shake.
Stelle gasped, "How about we run separately? He can only chase one of us."
Tobirama and Izuna both glanced at her current state. Her shoulder was pierced by a kunai, a wound that had only been haphazardly bandaged in their rush and was still bleeding freely. Her right wrist was fractured and completely useless.
If they split up, she would be the first one caught. She was offering to be a decoy, to cover their retreat.
"No," Tobirama said, his voice firm. "Given his speed, he could have caught us easily by now, yet he continues to follow from a distance. He's toying with us. The moment we separate, he can pick us off one by one at his leisure."
Uchiha Izuna suddenly spoke up. "Turn right. There's a cliff ahead with a tributary of the Naka River below. I've been here before; we can use the current to escape."
"That's our only option," Tobirama agreed.
The three quickly reached the cliff's edge. Izuna's fractured ankle hadn't recovered in the slightest; in fact, the recent battle had only worsened the injury. He was limping badly now, but upon seeing the cliff, he was the first to leap.
Senju Tobirama supported Stelle as they jumped into the churning water together.
At this time of year, the river was bone-chillingly cold. Stelle channeled what little chakra she could, using Wood Release to create several crude pieces of driftwood. The three clung to them, submerging themselves and letting the current carry them for several minutes before they finally struggled to the opposite bank.
They thought they had finally shaken him, but as soon as their feet touched the shore, they saw him. The man in black was standing calmly on the riverbed, water swirling around his ankles.
He stood there, indifferent and motionless. Upon seeing them emerge, he let out a light, mocking sneer.
"So slow. You'd better run a little faster, or I might just end the game early."
The sheer arrogance of it was infuriating.
Senju Tobirama gritted his teeth and charged forward, sword in hand. "This bastard is toying with us."
"HRAAAGH!" Uchiha Izuna gave an angry shout and charged as well.
If they couldn't win by force, they would have to win with cunning. Stelle remained on the periphery, coordinating the battle with hand signals and shouts.
It had to be said: the one who knows you best is always your enemy. The moment Uchiha Izuna and Senju Tobirama began to coordinate, their chemistry was remarkable. Through a series of brutal, synchronized attacks, the two actually managed to wound the black-robed man, even knocking the mask from his face. He was a very ordinary-looking man, but his eyes were pools of pure malice.
The victory came at a cost, however. Both of their injuries became even more severe.
Stelle had been busy preparing traps on the side. After the two lured the man into her snare, the trio continued their great escape.
The black-robed man seemed to have taken a liking to this game. Every time he caught up, they would clash for a short, violent burst, but he never went for the kill.
When they finally shook him off once more, the three watched with their own eyes as he walked directly into a massive Explosive Tag Formation they had laid. They all felt a surge of relief, certain that he would be heavily injured, if not blown to bits.
The three heavily injured shinobi found refuge under a natural grotto carved into the rock.
This time, their wounds were exceptional. Uchiha Izuna's leg injury had worsened to the point where he could no longer move. If Stelle hadn't been supporting him, he would have been forced to crawl.
Senju Tobirama was in even worse shape. To lure the man into the explosive tags, he had taken a savage beating, collapsing and spitting blood. Stelle had been forced to carry him on her back. Now, with his internal organs severely damaged, he could only lie there, waiting for rescue.
Tobirama's expression was dazed, his gaze falling on Uchiha Izuna with a look of deep disbelief.
Just now, he had been moments from being killed by the black-robed man. It was this Uchiha—this black-haired brat—who had shoved him out of the way, saving his life.
He felt he must be so grievously injured that he was hallucinating. Otherwise, why would he be dreaming that his life was just saved by an Uchiha?
This was somehow even more shocking to him than the fact that his elder brother and Stelle were openly associating with two of them.
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