XaiJu
belamy20
belamy20

patreon


466-470

Chapter 466: Mangekyō Sharingan - Susanoo’s Divine Might! 

Staring up in shock at the sky, he saw that the single outstretched hand alone was nearly one-eighth the size of the Planetary Devastation core. The extended arm was a towering colossus, nearly half the size of the entire celestial sphere. 

In other words, the blazing giant arm gripping the throat of the Gedo Statue was over a hundred meters tall! 

And just how big was the Gedo Statue? 

Its upper body alone was nearly 70 meters tall. Standing on both feet, its full height was only slightly taller than the Susanoo Shinji had displayed back in Cloud鸣城, reaching approximately 130 to 140 meters.  

But now—Shinji’s Susanoo was far beyond normal!  

Just one of its arms was over 100 meters, and using a rough proportion of 3:8 for arm-to-body size, this complete Susanoo had to be at least 260 meters tall—nearly 300 meters—towering over most television towers!  

Before it, the Gedo Statue looked like nothing more than a tiny, stumpy dwarf.  

As the saying goes: 

Bigger is better. Bigger is beauty.  

Just witnessing this sight sent chills down Nagato’s spine. His entire body trembled with disbelief.  

"W-what the hell is this!?"  

However, the only response he received—  

Was a single, casual swing of that gigantic palm, a swing that made the heavens and earth quake, the winds howl, and the very ground shudder!  

Gripping the Gedo Statue by its throat, Susanoo’s massive arm lifted it effortlessly into the air before slamming its head into the ground! Even the charged-up Outer Path: Chakra Dragon was forcefully interrupted by this brutal impact!  

And then—  

The entire Planetary Devastation core began radiating an intense, fiery glow!  

"—BOOM!!!"  

The celestial sphere shattered, and a pair of immense, flame-forged crimson wings erupted into the sky!  

And standing before these blazing wings—  

Was a towering warrior, clad in black tengu armor wreathed in flames. His left hand grasped a dazzling silver blade, so bright it seemed to steal the light from the heavens. His right hand, still clutching the Gedo Statue’s head, bore a crimson, flame-wreathed gourd strapped to its back. A jade-like breastplate covered his chest, and his face was concealed behind a black tengu mask.  

His eyes blazed like twin miniature suns, his long crimson hair billowing wildly like a demon god incarnate!  

Each step he took was like a mountain moving. His stance was pure, unshakable dominance—the embodiment of a martial god!  

There was no doubt—this was Shinji’s Complete-Body Susanoo!  

At that moment, standing at the heart of Susanoo’s massive form, inside the sacred Eight-Foot Mirror, Shinji suddenly opened his right eye—  

Revealing a gold-and-black, eight-petaled Mangekyō Sharingan, spinning wildly in a chaotic frenzy!  

Even with his usually calm temperament, Shinji was now burning with fury.  

Nagato’s relentless, unyielding chain of attacks had pushed him to the edge.  

And at the final moment—when the Outer Path: Chakra Dragon was about to be unleashed—he had truly felt the threat to his very life!  

All the emotions he had suppressed for so long—fear, anxiety, uncertainty— 

The overwhelming pressure from the original series’ final boss, Madara Uchiha— 

The absolute power of the Rinnegan’s Six Paths Techniques, so unreachable that even the smallest difference meant total defeat— 

The despairing gap between super-Kage level and Six Paths level—  

That crushing hopelessness.  

Like no matter how hard you fought, unless you had the right conditions, you could not win.  

Like unless some old man handed you power, this world was doomed to destruction.  

All of it. All of it. All of it!  

At this moment, his fury erupted like a raging beast, his battle instinct burning like an unquenchable inferno!  

Screw the Rinnegan! 

I don’t need it!  

I’ll crush you, Uzumaki Nagato, with my own fists! 

I’ll crush the Gedo Statue! 

I’ll crush Madara Uchiha! 

I’ll crush Limbo: Border Jail! 

I’ll crush all of you damn Otsutsuki aliens!!!  

The very purpose of the Steel Will of the Heart— 

Was to defy all limits! 

To create miracles! 

To turn the impossible into reality!  

And now—  

"I’M GOING TO SMASH YOUR DAMN RINNEGAN AND THIS TEN-TAILS CORPSE INTO A PILE OF MEAT!!!"  

"SCREW YOUR MOON’S EYE PLAN! SCREW YOUR KEY TO UNSEALING KAGUYA OTSUTSUKI! SCREW ALL OF IT!!!"  

"WITHOUT THIS DAMN THING, LET’S SEE HOW YOU ALL CONTINUE YOUR INSANE PLANS!!!"  

"WHY CAN’T YOU JUST DIE PEACEFULLY?!"  

"WHY CAN’T YOU JUST HAND OVER THE RINNEGAN TO ME?!"  

"WITH MY INTELLIGENCE, WHY THE HELL SHOULD I CARE ABOUT SAVING THIS WORLD?! WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT YOUR DAMN FEELINGS?!"  

"ENOUGH—!!!"  

Inside Susanoo, Shinji’s expression twisted into a savage, maniacal grin. His eyes locked onto Nagato and the Gedo Statue with pure bloodlust.  

Through gritted teeth, he spat out each word like a curse:  

"I. AM. GOING. TO. DESTROY. YOU. NOW!!!"  

In that instant—  

The true power of his Mangekyō Sharingan exploded forth!  

Mangekyō Sharingan Technique - Susanoo’s Divine Might!  

A power rooted in the ancient Storm God Susanoo himself— 

Not merely summoning Susanoo’s legendary weapons, but fully inheriting and surpassing his divine might!  

I… AM… THE MARTIAL GOD!  

By invoking the strength of the mythical Susanoo-no-Mikoto, this Mangekyō power pushed Susanoo beyond its conventional limits—unleashing a force beyond even its so-called “strongest form.”  

A single slash of his blade could cleave mountains and asteroids. 

A single step could shake the heavens. 

A single strike could shatter the boundaries of the mortal realm.  

The 300-meter-tall Susanoo warrior stood at full height, towering over mountains.  

With a single hand, it lifted the struggling, disfigured Gedo Statue like a ragdoll— 

And slammed it into the earth!  

"BOOM!!!"  

The Gedo Statue writhed in agony, arms snapping, fangs flying!  

Again!  

"BOOM!!!"  

Its wooden flesh cracked, its hollow eyes bulged!  

Like a scene from "Whack-A-Mole," Susanoo’s arm swung back and threw it again!  

"BOOM!!!"  

The entire battlefield was consumed in a dense, impenetrable storm of dust!  

Then, Susanoo hurled the Gedo Statue into the air—  

And punched it straight in the face!  

The sheer force sent its head spinning a full 180 degrees!  

Leaping skyward, Susanoo landed atop the Gedo Statue in a devastating ground-pound, sending another shockwave through the battlefield!  

Both fists unleashed a flurry of strikes!  

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"  

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"  

Fist after fist, pummeling the Gedo Statue’s skull until it collapsed, shattered, and crumbled into a heap of wreckage!  

Finally, Susanoo stomped the corpse into the air, drew forth its flaming gourd, and ignited its contents—  

Summoning a 250-meter-long divine blade: the Ten Fists Sword!  

With one final thrust—  

"BOOM!!!"  

And yet—at the last moment—  

A sudden explosion of white smoke!  

The Gedo Statue vanished!  

And within the thick, swirling dust—  

"W-wait… who are you?!"  

Nagato’s terrified voice rang out—  

Followed by a screaming wail!  

"AAARRRGHHHH!!!"  

Shinji’s expression darkened.  

His gaze snapped downward.  

Chapter 467: Black Zetsu Takes Action – Turning False into Reality!  

As Shinji was forced to reveal his trump card by Nagato, bringing forth the Susanoo Martial God and furiously pummeling the Gedo Statue, an eerie presence lurked nearby.  

Atop the broken canopy of a massive tree flattened by Shinra Tensei near the Tenchi Bridge, a pale, green-haired humanoid figure gazed upward in shock. His eyes were locked onto the towering Susanoo Martial God, which had just shattered Chibaku Tensei and now loomed over the world, overlooking mountains and rivers.  

"This level of Susanoo… it's even stronger than Lord Madara’s Complete-Body Susanoo!"  

"So this is that brat’s trump card?!"  

"Even Nagato, possessing Lord Madara's Rinnegan, has been forced into such a dire situation!"  

This figure was none other than a Spore Clone of White Zetsu.  

Ever since Uchiha Madara implanted the Rinnegan into Nagato, he had stationed White Zetsu clones capable of using the "Mayfly Technique" to monitor Nagato 24/7. In fact, much of Nagato’s life—his encounter with Yahiko and Konan, among other key events—had been orchestrated by Madara himself.  

However, Shinji’s arrival had been far too swift. In less than half an hour, he had crossed three nations and launched into battle with Nagato before White Zetsu even had time to react.  

The battle itself was so fast-paced that it was nearly impossible to follow.  

Even now, with the Susanoo Martial God fully manifested, White Zetsu still believed that Nagato, with the power of the Gedo Statue, could continue holding his ground against Shinji. As a result, he hesitated, uncertain whether to immediately report the situation to Madara.  

But—  

Not far from the stunned White Zetsu, behind the rocky pillars of an Earth Release prison set up by Nagato to imprison the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi—  

A dark, liquid-like mass lurked in the shadows.  

The moment its gaze fell upon the Susanoo Martial God, its expression changed drastically!  

This black mass was none other than the true mastermind behind the ninja world—the one who deceived Madara, manipulated history from the shadows, and ultimately orchestrated the resurrection of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.  

It was Black Zetsu.  

For a millennium, Black Zetsu’s purpose had been to stir up conflict, ensuring that Indra and Asura’s reincarnations continued their eternal struggle. This cycle of war was meant to eventually produce the key to unsealing Kaguya—the Rinnegan.  

Thus, aside from monitoring Madara through White Zetsu’s shared consciousness, Black Zetsu had always remained close to the Rinnegan, carefully guiding its wielder down the predetermined path to Kaguya’s resurrection.  

And now—  

Black Zetsu stared in shock at the colossal Susanoo Martial God standing like a mountain, its overwhelming presence shaking him to his core.  

"Is this a Dojutsu akin to Hagoromo’s?"  

"A true 'third power'—a fully manifested form rivaling the Ten-Tails, capable of catching a Tailed Beast Ball barehanded and engaging Mother in direct combat even amidst a world-altering battle!"  

"It's still immature, but that’s only because Shinji lacks the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Without it, he cannot achieve a complete-body Susanoo… but there's no mistake!"  

Sweat dripped from Black Zetsu’s forehead as he came to a chilling realization:  

"The Gedo Statue is absolutely no match for Shinji!"  

"The Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails’ husk—if this continues, everything will be destroyed here!"  

Such an outcome was utterly unacceptable to Black Zetsu.  

At that moment, his gaze snapped toward White Zetsu. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes.  

Without hesitation, Black Zetsu slithered from behind the rocky pillar, emerging as a pitch-black humanoid figure. He extended his hand—  

A sharp wooden spike materialized in his palm!  

At that same instant, the Susanoo Martial God slammed down onto the Gedo Statue, hammering its skull with unrelenting force, sending shockwaves and dust clouds into the air.  

Hidden within the chaos, Black Zetsu silently fired the wooden spike. It pierced through White Zetsu’s head in an instant.  

A dark, tar-like liquid spread across White Zetsu’s body, enveloping him completely. Under the effects of Yin-Yang Release: Possession, White Zetsu was instantly killed—his consciousness sealed away before he could send any warning to the main body.  

Then, Black Zetsu’s pitch-black form began to shift. Through his mimicry technique, he turned from black to white, seamlessly transforming into White Zetsu’s appearance.  

With his new disguise in place, he turned his gaze toward a nearby rocky prison—  

Where Nagato, impaled by countless black rods and drained of his chakra and life force by the Gedo Statue, lay in a state of extreme weakness.  

"If you’re useless now… then the Rinnegan can no longer remain in your possession!"  

As Nagato’s agonized screams filled the air and the Gedo Statue was summoned away—  

Shinji immediately sensed something was wrong.  

His eyes darkened as he locked onto the ground below. His crimson left eye flashed, and his pupil instantly transformed into a vertical slit.  

Through the infrared vision of his snake-like gaze, he saw it—  

Four humanoid figures, radiating heat, had appeared beside Nagato.  

One of them reached into Nagato’s eye socket—  

And extracted an eyeball!  

Shinji’s expression turned cold.  

Then, rage erupted in his eyes!  

"You dare steal from me?!"  

"I don’t care who you are—DIE!"  

His teeth clenched, his eyes widened in fury.  

The Mangekyō pattern in his right eye spun wildly!  

The Susanoo Martial God reached for its left side and drew forth a dazzling silver blade. With a powerful twist, it swung the sword down in a devastating arc!  

SHING!  

A brilliant silver light streaked across the battlefield, cutting through everything in its path for over a thousand meters!  

The sheer force of the slash sent compressed sword energy rippling outward, slicing through the landscape. Two distant mountain peaks—ten kilometers away—were instantly cleaved in half!  

The explosion of wind and force made the heavens tremble!  

Apart from the violently flung Nagato, the four humanoid figures were obliterated—cut in two and reduced to dust in the explosion of light!  

Shinji had held nothing back. This strike was meant to annihilate both the Rinnegan and its thieves in one fell swoop!  

However—  

Suddenly, thick, tree-like vines burst forth from Nagato’s body, anchoring him into the ground!  

Within the vines, a heat signature moved rapidly downward—  

In mere seconds, it tunneled through the earth’s veins, vanishing beyond Shinji’s infrared vision.  

By the time Shinji shot forward like an arrow and landed beside Nagato—  

He saw—  

Nagato’s face twisted in agony, his eye sockets now nothing but two dark, bleeding voids.  

The eye that Shinji had destroyed…  

Turned out to be a Byakugan—something Nagato had somehow acquired from Orochimaru.  

As for the real Rinnegan—  

It was gone.  

Chapter 468: The Raven Delivers a Message, Madara’s Suspicion!  

"Huff..."  

Shinji took a deep breath, trying to calm his furious and rapid breathing. He gazed down at Nagato, who lay on the ground—his eyes gouged out, his face twisted in pain, and his body emaciated. Suppressing his anger, he asked in a cold voice,  

"Did you see who did this?"  

Although this question was directed at Nagato, Shinji was also forcing himself to calm down, to carefully recall everything that had just happened—the details of every event leading up to this moment.  

The Outer Path: Chakra Dragon possessed the ability to strip away life, chakra, and even the soul. In the original timeline, during the ambush of the Akatsuki by Hanzō’s forces, this technique instantly wiped out most of the Ame-nin present. However, it had a flaw: its attack speed wasn’t particularly fast. Even Hanzō, the leader of Amegakure, managed to escape at the last moment using the Body Flicker Technique.  

For Nagato, this wasn’t a sudden encounter but a carefully planned ambush.  

He was well aware of the Outer Path: Chakra Dragon’s weakness and knew that under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to land a hit on Shinji, whose speed rivaled the Third Raikage, A.  

Thus, to compensate for this shortcoming, he orchestrated a powerful combo by combining different jutsu—using the Planetary Devastation technique in conjunction with the Ten Tails’ Lightning and Binding Chains of the Outer Path Golem. This created an inescapable trap, even for Shinji, ultimately aiming to finish him off.  

At the last moment, however, when backed into a corner, Shinji finally realized the severity of the situation and no longer held back. He unleashed the trump card he had originally saved for Uchiha Madara—Mangekyō Sharingan: Susanoo’s Divine Authority!  

And it was precisely because he played this hidden card that a chain of unexpected events unfolded!  

At this moment—  

Nagato, lying on the ground and barely clinging to life, trembled slightly. He seemed unsure of how to face Shinji, who stood before him.  

It was only after losing his eyes that Nagato finally understood—he had been plotting to kill Shinji, but in reality, the one who saved him from an unknown enemy was none other than Shinji himself!  

He now realized that he wasn’t the only one being targeted for his Rinnegan. It wasn’t just Shinji and Orochimaru who had their eyes on them. Shinji’s sudden declaration of taking his eyes was actually an act of protection!  

Otherwise, how else could he explain why Shinji, who already possessed power surpassing the Rinnegan, would suddenly attack his so-called "ally"? Even if these legendary Sage eyes were extraordinary, to Shinji, they were probably nothing more than a nice addition rather than a necessity.  

He must have known something... but was unable to say it outright.  

After a long silence, Nagato finally answered with a hint of shame,  

"The one who attacked me... had pale white skin, green hair, and could use Wood Release."  

"Wood Release?" Shinji frowned slightly.  

At this point in time, only a few people could use Wood Release—Zetsu, Uchiha Madara, the artificially created clones by Orochimaru (Yamato and Guren), and Danzo, who forcibly implanted Sharingan and Hashirama’s cells into himself.  

However, based on Nagato’s description—pale white skin and green hair—  

It was highly likely that the attacker was a special variant of White Zetsu, specifically the Spiral White Zetsu, known to wield Wood Release.  

But...  

During his trip to Turtle Island, Shinji had marked the Third Mizukage when they were ambushed. At this moment, he was certain that the Spiral White Zetsu was still possessing the Third Mizukage.  

That meant—  

The one who attacked Nagato had to be the mastermind still lurking in the shadows, the one who claimed to act on Uchiha Madara’s will but had yet to fully reveal himself—  

Black Zetsu!  

Realizing this, Shinji’s eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered in silence.  

Finally, after all this time, the hidden puppet master controlling the fate of the entire ninja world had shown a crack in his deception.  

And the reason he was exposed—was because Shinji had revealed his Susanoo’s Divine Authority.  

A Mangekyō ability of this caliber, one that only the Sage of the Six Paths had ever awakened, should have been impossible for an ordinary Uchiha to possess. However, due to a series of unlikely events, Shinji’s eyes had evolved to the level of Bloodline Selection, bringing his body much closer to that of the Sage of Six Paths. This ultimately allowed him to awaken this otherworldly space-time dojutsu.  

Just then—  

A sudden flapping of wings echoed from the sky, accompanied by a sharp caw, caw.  

Shinji looked up and saw a raven flying in from the direction of Konohagakure.  

"A clan messenger raven?"  

The bird flapped its wings as it landed on Shinji’s shoulder, then pecked at the sealed document pouch tied to its leg.  

Realizing what it meant, Shinji immediately removed the pouch and found two sealed letters inside.  

One was signed by Uchiha Fugaku

The other—by Hidan.  

He first opened Fugaku’s letter, and his expression immediately changed. Without hesitation, he then tore open Hidan’s letter.  

The moment he read its contents, his face darkened!  

—  

At the same time, in the northern region of the Land of Iron, inside a dimly lit mountain tomb—  

Leaning against a vast expanse of darkness, an old man with long, withered white hair, dressed in deep blue robes, sat with a reaper’s scythe beside him. He suddenly turned his head, as if sensing something.  

The next moment—  

A white pitcher plant-like growth emerged from the ground and opened up, revealing a horrified-looking White Zetsu inside.  

"Madara-sama! This is bad—Shinji and Nagato had a battle!"  

"The Outer Path Golem... is about to be destroyed by that brat!"  

"What... did you just say!?"  

In the darkness, a single scarlet Sharingan snapped open, staring coldly at White Zetsu.  

This was a grave matter. Without delay, Uchiha Madara raised both hands and performed the summoning seals.  

"Summoning Jutsu: Outer Path Golem!"  

"Boom!"  

A cloud of smoke billowed through the chamber.  

In the darkness, the Outer Path Golem returned to the underground hideout designed to house it.  

However—  

Unlike before, the statue was in shambles—deep cracks covered its entire body, as if it had been struck repeatedly by a giant hammer. Even its head was missing, and a thick, yellow-brown sap oozed from its severed neck.  

Seeing the Golem in this state, even Uchiha Madara was momentarily stunned.  

"What the hell...? Nagato summoned my Golem for less than five minutes—how did it end up like this!?"  

Upon reestablishing his connection to the Golem, he quickly assessed its condition—  

His face turned even darker.  

"The tailed beasts sealed within—the Two-Tails, Four-Tails, and Six-Tails—along with the Golem’s eyes... are destroyed!"  

"All our efforts have been wasted!"  

"The Moon’s Eye Plan will have to wait until those beasts revive in three years… but by then, I’ll be at the end of my lifespan!"  

Just as his anger reached its peak—  

Another White Zetsu emerged from the ground, blood dripping from his hands. He held a distinct, patterned eye in his palm, his face beaming with excitement.  

"Madara-sama! I recovered your eye!"  

Madara froze. His eyes flickered with suspicion—but in an instant, he masked it with a natural smile.  

He reached out his hand.  

"Zetsu, you’ve done well."  

"Now… hand over the eye."  

At that moment—  

The White Zetsu hesitated.  

His outstretched hand stiffened mid-air.  

Madara’s wrinkled brow lifted slightly, his voice turning icy.  

"What’s wrong, Zetsu? What are you waiting for?"  

Chapter 469: Kagura Mind’s Eye and the Chaos in the Land of Water  

[Clang!]  

[With your overwhelming strength, you clashed head-on with Nagato (Transcended Form). Unable to resist, he was utterly defeated on the spot. You obtained a random skill from him: Secret Technique—Enhanced Perception (A).]  

[Due to the intensity of the counterattack, the reward has triggered a critical enhancement.]  

[Secret Technique—Enhanced Perception (A) has upgraded to Secret Technique—Kagura Mind’s Eye (S).]  

[Kagura Mind’s Eye: A powerful sensory ability capable of perceiving an opponent’s movements and even seeing across vast distances. One of the strongest detection techniques to date! Detection radius: 50 kilometers. Detection effects: Allows you to sense the precise location, movements, number of enemies, their characteristics, speed, and even the form of their techniques in incredible detail.]  

As these notifications surfaced before his eyes, Shinji’s perception instantly expanded.  

It was as if he had activated a god’s-eye view, encompassing everything within a 50-kilometer radius.  

However, what followed immediately was an overwhelming surge of information!  

The flight of birds, the scurrying of beasts, the rustling of trees, the movement of insects, the drifting clouds, the flowing rivers, the swimming fish…  

An immense flood of sensory data rushed into his mind. Even with the processing power of his Bloodline Elimination-tier Sharingan, Shinji nearly experienced a mental overload.  

Only after the effects of "Mastery of All Arts" kicked in, refining his control over this sensory technique and filtering out irrelevant information, did he finally feel some relief.  

Taking a deep breath, Shinji reduced the perception range of Kagura Mind’s Eye to five kilometers and stabilized the technique into a sustained state.  

Unlike Karin, who needed to form hand seals and close her eyes to sense chakra, Shinji, thanks to his battle intuition and Sharingan, already possessed an exceptional ability to process complex information.  

Now, with Kagura Mind’s Eye enhancing his sensory capabilities, his battle intuition was further amplified, extending its effective range.  

In other words, his danger perception had significantly improved!  

The Rinnegan was never truly Nagato’s power. It was expected that "Steel Mind" wouldn’t be able to counteract the Rinnegan’s abilities completely.  

From past experiences, "Steel Mind" could only neutralize techniques derived from Bloodline Limits, but not the Bloodline Limits themselves—especially those requiring the fusion of more than seven elemental natures. To obtain such power, Shinji would have to first master techniques within a Bloodline Limit and then synthesize them himself.  

The reason he could obtain Kagura Mind’s Eye was that it was not tied to the Uzumaki clan’s unique constitution—a pseudo-Bloodline Limit—but rather a secret technique derived from their bloodline.  

To put it simply—  

Shinji’s talent allowed him to bypass all prerequisites and acquire techniques, but it did not grant him the bloodline origins of those techniques.  

For example, he could acquire the secret technique "Earth Grudge Fear Stitching", but not the fundamental "Earth Grudge Fear" ability itself.  

Similarly, he obtained "Kagura Mind’s Eye" rather than the Uzumaki clan’s special chakra constitution.  

"If given enough time… If I can fully utilize this talent… Maybe I can take the most orthodox path—fusing Bloodline Limits one by one, reaching the level of Bloodline Elimination, and ultimately, through sheer will and my transcendent body, combine all seven elemental natures to forge the Truth-Seeking Orbs…  

…and even surpass the Six Paths, stepping into the realm of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—the pinnacle of power only achievable by consuming the Divine Tree’s fruit—the legendary ‘Bloodline Web’!”  

"But…"  

Holding two brief letters in his hand, Shinji shook his head and let out a cold chuckle.  

"I don’t have that kind of time."  

One letter, from Uchiha Fugaku, detailed all intelligence gathered from the Land of Water.  

The other, from Hidan, provided additional critical information.  

The Land of Water was on the verge of a failed coup!  

Just as Shinji had anticipated—Madara Uchiha had taken notice of him!  

If, at this moment, Madara was determined to find a proxy and chose either him or Obito Uchiha, tragedy would inevitably follow, endangering those close to him.  

Last Night 

After Orochimaru made his decision to leave alone, Hidan, with nowhere to go, returned to the Land of Hot Water.  

On his way, he stumbled upon Momochi Zabuza and Yagura, who had fled in disgrace after their failed coup. The two had taken refuge in the ruins of the Hot Water Ninja Village to regroup.  

From them, Hidan learned about the dire situation of Terumi Mei—who, even in foreign lands, refused to send a plea for help to Shinji.  

Meanwhile, the remnants of the coup were now surrounded by the Third Mizukage’s Hidden Mist army at the Green Reef Coast, just outside the Hidden Mist Village.  

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hidan rushed to Hot Smoke City and contacted Uchiha Seichiro, who was stationed at the local black market.  

Using the summoning techniques of the Ninja Cats, they relayed the intelligence back to the Uchiha clan.  

Finally, through a series of fortunate coincidences, this crucial piece of information landed in Shinji’s hands.  

It was almost as if he had received an invitation!  

Long ago, after defeating the Third Mizukage, Shinji had deliberately implanted a genjutsu trigger in his mind to mislead Madara.  

That trigger had led events to unfold exactly here—  

A battlefield of despair, a failed coup, and the Hidden Mist’s last line of defense—  

The Green Reef Coast.  

Shinji exhaled sharply, his gaze firm as he looked far beyond the Heaven and Earth Bridge toward the extreme east. He clenched his fist.  

Such was the nature of the world—  

You could never predict whether tomorrow or an unexpected crisis would arrive first.  

And your enemies would never wait until you were fully prepared before coming for your life.  

Thus, Shinji had only one option—  

To face it head-on!  

With this resolve, he formed a "Snake" seal with one hand.  

Activating "Super Light-Weight Rock Technique", his body instantly became lighter, lifting him into the air as tangible chakra surged around him, ready to propel him skyward.  

But just as he was about to take off—  

"Wait!"  

A weak voice interrupted him.  

Nagato, still collapsed on the ground, struggled to rise. Trembling, he reached out and grabbed the hem of Shinji’s pants.  

"Hmm?"  

Shinji looked down at Nagato, frowning in confusion.  

"I… I can still help you!"  

Nagato clenched his teeth and continued,  

"When I lost the Rinnegan and the Outer Path Golem was unsummoned, I sensed it—The true contractor of the Outer Path Golem is someone else. I was merely granted its usage rights."  

A bitter smile crossed his face.  

"All this time, my life has been a lie."  

"But if you're going to fight that person, Shinji…"  

Enduring the pain, Nagato’s expression turned resolute.  

"I can help you!"  

"I can help you reclaim the Rinnegan!"  

"The residual power of the Rinnegan still within my body allows me to perform one last Summoning: Outer Path Golem!"  

"I don’t know if it will be of any use to you… but this is the last thing I can do."  

"Shinji, if you still trust me—"  

Nagato gritted his teeth and spoke with unwavering determination.  

"Please, take me with you!"  

Chapter 470: The Battle of Green Cove Reef Landing!  

In the end, Shinji chose not to bring Nagato.  

The residual power of the Rinnegan within Nagato's body was likely the reason why, in the original story, his eyes remained Rinnegan even after being reincarnated through the Impure World Reincarnation.  

However, at this moment, Nagato was not in a reincarnated body, nor did he possess the immense endurance granted by the Impure World Reincarnation. If he were to drag his frail body into the battle between Shinji and Uchiha Madara, even with the ability to control the Gedo Statue, he would likely not survive the aftermath of their battle.  

That said, Nagato's power was not entirely useless. Instead, he might have to intervene on the battlefield in a different way—using a miraculous combination of ninjutsu. In the final war that was about to unfold, he would play a crucial role in exposing the enemy's weaknesses for Shinji to exploit!  

At this moment—  

Soaring through the sky, his entire body became a crimson streak slicing through the heavens—  

Shinji flew toward the easternmost Land of Hot Water.  

During this journey, he relied solely on his Kagura Mind’s Eye to navigate, keeping his right eye tightly shut to mitigate the aftereffects of using his Mangekyō Sharingan technique: Susanoo: Lingwei.  

This dojutsu, which summoned a warrior god akin to the Sage of the Six Paths, was overwhelmingly powerful—so much so that it was at the absolute pinnacle of the shinobi world. It even surpassed Kamui, the Mangekyō ability of Obito Uchiha, and was capable of dominating even battles at the Six Paths level.  

However—  

Driving the power of the Six Paths with a mortal body inevitably came at an enormous price.  

Because this was a Mangekyō Sharingan ability so powerful that every single use guaranteed blindness!  

Even with the life force and chakra regeneration granted by his Flameheart, which was created by fusing Hashirama’s cells, the power of the Dragon Vein, and Sage Mode—  

Even with all these enhancements, Shinji still felt an unbearable soreness in his right eye. His vision was so blurry that even objects within three meters looked like they were covered in frosted glass.  

Based on his calculations, even with the regenerative abilities of the Flameheart, it would take at least six months to recover his eyesight and undo the damage.  

If he used this technique again within those six months, the consequence would be permanent blindness in that eye.  

But—  

At this moment, for Shinji to abandon the girl he had once dreamed of marrying, to forsake his comrades still fighting in the Land of Water, to walk away from everything he had vowed to protect—  

To go into hiding for six months, ensuring every preparation was perfect before facing his formidable enemy—  

Sorry.  

Shinji could never do that!  

Meanwhile— 

At the Green Cove Reef, just off the coast of the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water.  

This reef was not merely a cluster of rocks—it was a volcanic island positioned right at the Hidden Mist Village’s harbor entrance, blocking the main shipping lane. Known as the last defensive line before reaching the main island of the Land of Water, it had historically been a fortress of resistance.  

During the Third Great Ninja War, the Battle of Green Cove Reef saw Iwagakure’s surprise attack grind to a bloody stalemate here. Even Pakura—one of Sunagakure’s strongest ninja, who stood alongside Rasa in the race for the title of Kazekage—fell in an ambush at this very location.  

For any foreign nation attempting to invade the Land of Water, this defensive line was an impenetrable barrier—easy to defend and nearly impossible to breach.  

For the Hidden Mist’s forces, however—who were advancing from within the Land of Water, crushing rebel forces from the inside out—this island was the perfect death trap to eliminate their enemies.  

At this moment—  

A vast army of over 30,000 Mist Shinobi, led by the Third Mizukage, Bai Lan, was advancing from the first coastline of the Hidden Mist’s main island, charging across the ocean’s surface toward the second coastline at Green Cove Reef.  

Using an overwhelming shock-and-awe strategy,  

The army split into three divisions, encircling the island from all three sides—including the western cliffs, which stood nearly 1,000 meters high and were considered an absolute death trap.  

The only escape route left open was a narrow stretch of coastline less than ten nautical miles wide, which connected to the Hidden Mist Village’s main island.  

Standing alone on the water, the Third Mizukage coldly commanded a 6,000-strong elite force to launch their third assault on the coastline.  

In the next instant—  

A rain of kunai and shuriken was hurled down from the defenders atop the cliffs!  

Explosive tags detonated in massive blasts, turning the sandy shore black and painting the sea red with blood as Mist Shinobi were caught in the carnage.  

However—  

It was clear that the rebel army’s defenses were weakening.  

Their thrown weapons were of mixed quality, and the number of explosive tags had noticeably dwindled.  

This meant… a crack in the defensive line had appeared!  

Like madmen unafraid of death, the Mist Shinobi charged through this gap, engaging in close-quarters combat with the rebel ninja—led by none other than Hōzuki Mangetsu, the prodigy once hailed as the Hidden Mist’s greatest genius.  

The entire coastline descended into a brutal meat grinder of battle.  

The fighting raged from noon until sunset.  

For the sixth time, Hōzuki Mangetsu, drenched in blood, activated his chakra-infused flounder sword, swinging its 50-meter-long chakra blade to carve through hordes of Mist Shinobi. Then, drawing chakra from his Samehada, he formed hand seals and unleashed a colossal Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave—  

Barely managing to repel the third wave of the Mist’s assault.  

Around him, within a 500-meter radius, no comrades were left standing.  

At that moment, standing on the distant sea, observing the battlefield from afar, the Third Mizukage twisted his lips into a cruel grin.  

Then—  

He raised his hand, gave an order, and turned away, stepping across the ocean’s surface, retreating.  

In perfect synchronization, the Mist army withdrew like a receding tide.  

"...Again."  

Watching this unfold, Hōzuki Mangetsu gritted his sharp teeth, gripping his twin swords so tightly that his hands trembled. His face contorted with rage.  

"How long is this bastard going to keep dragging this out?"  

"Where the hell is he hiding this endless supply of troops?"  

"And… how much longer am I supposed to endure this?"  

As the screams of the wounded echoed around him, his vision blurred.  

He fixated on the unguarded back of the Third Mizukage, who was walking away—  

The veins on his clenched fists bulged violently.  

Like a man trapped in a nightmare, he whispered hoarsely to himself:  

"If I kill him here… will this nightmare finally end?"  

However—  

At that moment—  

Bathed in the last rays of the sunset, a figure flashed to his side, grabbing his bare arm.  

"Mangetsu, don’t be reckless!"  

The newcomer, with horizontal pupils, raised his hand and pointed toward the retreating Mist forces.  

"Mei Terumī sent me with a message—"  

"Look carefully!"  

With a grave expression, Oyashiro Homura spoke in a low voice:  

"Our only chance to break through, and the Third Mizukage’s final attack… is about to begin!"  

(End of Chapter) 


More Creators