With the departure of Uchiha Madara's clone and Nagato's clone, Minato Namikaze and the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
The relentless attacks had placed them on the defensive, leaving them in an extremely passive position.
However, the retreat of Madara and his group also signified that the situation on the other front had been resolved.
Minato and his team quickly returned to the main base.
On the other side, Ōnoki also reported back on the situation. The news was a mix of good and bad.
They had lost the Six-Tails, but they had managed to mark the enemy.
"It seems the enemy is about to launch their final attempt to seize the Nine-Tails," Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely. "Inoichi, notify the Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage to accelerate their preparations!"
"Understood!"
Yamanaka Inoichi immediately began contacting the other Kage.
---
Meanwhile, Nagato and his group returned to the Graveyard of Mountains, where they swiftly sealed the Seven-Tails and the Eight-Tails.
Nagato, controlling the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, could feel a stark difference in the Ten-Tails' shell compared to before. Its power had grown immensely, and it was gradually awakening.
"Only the Nine-Tails remains."
Uchiha Madara, his expression calm, turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, bring out Kinkaku and Ginkaku."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "No problem. I'm quite eager to see what the revived Ten-Tails will look like!"
With that, he performed the Edo Tensei technique. Two coffins rose from the ground, their lids falling away to reveal the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
High atop the Ten-Tails, Nagato raised a single hand, and the Demonic Statue opened its mouth, swallowing Kinkaku and Ginkaku whole.
In the next moment, the final eye of the Ten-Tails slowly opened.
Nagato could feel it—the Ten-Tails had fully awakened beneath him.
For a moment, he cast a sharp gaze at Madara, Orochimaru, and the others.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind: to eliminate them all here and now.
But then, he recalled the intelligence Konan had passed on earlier. His killing intent receded as quickly as it had arisen.
Madara, noticing Nagato's brief hesitation, smiled faintly and asked, "Nagato, what are your plans now?"
"Naturally," Nagato replied evenly, "I will become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, launch the Fourth Great Ninja War, and make everyone feel the pain of war—while seizing the Nine-Tails in the process."
He turned to Obito. "Obito, you will go to Konoha and declare war on the Allied Shinobi Forces. Any objections?"
The masked Uchiha Obito nodded. "Of course not."
Orochimaru observed the subtle tension between the three and smiled. "The White Zetsu modifications will take a little more time to complete. The final battle will have to wait just a bit longer."
"Naturally, it won't be long," he added.
Nagato nodded. "Then, the day the White Zetsu army is complete will be the day we launch our attack."
Nagato made no mention of reviving Madara, but Madara didn't seem to mind.
Everything was still within his control.
Letting Nagato test the depths of Shūichi's power wasn't a bad move either.
---
At Konoha's Root base, a shadow clone of Shūichi quietly waited. By dusk, when no signs of internal conflict among the Akatsuki had emerged from the Graveyard of Mountains, he knew Nagato had heeded his earlier advice.
"Will Six Paths Nagato prove stronger than Six Paths Obito?" Shūichi pondered with some anticipation.
After all, Nagato could handle a pair of Rinnegan, whereas Obito in the original timeline could only manage one. The difference between the two was significant.
"But as for my real body... without a Six Paths-level Chibaku Tensei, how does it plan to deal with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?"
The clone was curious about the main body's thoughts.
Shūichi's current sealing techniques weren't enough to restrain Kaguya. Even the Fire Nether Chains were incapable of directly sealing Edo Tensei Madara.
---
Meanwhile, the real Shūichi, training just outside the Forest of Death, wasn't overthinking things.
By nightfall, he returned home with Tsunade for dinner. Afterward, he busied himself in his study.
Elsewhere, his shadow clones were working non-stop, advancing the development of Truth-Seeking Orbs, electromagnetic-style techniques, and improvements to sealing jutsu.
As for Tsunade's pregnancy, it hadn't been publicly announced.
This was at her insistence, and Shūichi, understanding her desire for privacy, agreed.
---
Days passed, and on the sixth day of the shadow clone's mission…
In a dense forest, under Shūichi's orders, Hyūga Hizashi used his Byakugan to survey underground. Moments later, his eyes widened in shock.
"What is it?"
Sweat beaded on Hizashi's forehead as he swallowed hard. "The discovery is... enormous!"
Shūichi pretended to be curious. "Oh? Tell me more."
Hizashi stammered, "Shūichi, beneath the ground... there's a massive number of White Zetsu."
The rest of the team, startled, listened intently. They had received intel on White Zetsu and knew these creatures were troublesome despite their low individual combat strength.
"So, they're hiding underground," Shūichi said, pointing at the ground.
Hyūga Hizashi steadied himself and said, "Based on preliminary estimates, the enemy's numbers likely exceed 100,000!"
One hundred thousand!
The team members froze in shock at the revelation.
"Um… does the Allied Shinobi Forces even have 100,000 combined?" asked a stunned ninja from Kirigakure.
"I… I doubt it," murmured an Iwagakure ninja, wiping cold sweat from his brow. "How… where did they come from, and how could they have so many?"
At this point, Shūichi lowered his hand and confirmed, "Indeed, their numbers total 100,000."
"Relay this intel back to headquarters so they can draft a battle plan," he added. "Also, you're dismissed from here."
As the team leader, Hyūga Hizashi immediately nodded. "Understood, Shūichi. Be careful!"
Shūichi stood up and replied calmly, "Don't worry—this is just a shadow clone."
Hizashi refrained from saying more and led the team in retreat while transmitting the intelligence to the main base.
---
After the team left, a white snake slithered out from the grass and transformed into Orochimaru.
"Shūichi-kun," Orochimaru greeted with a sly smile. "Nagato is about to become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki. Do you think you can handle him?"
Shūichi didn't answer but instead asked, "What does Orochimaru-sama plan to do next?"
"Researching or even obtaining the Rinnegan is nearly impossible at this stage, isn't it?"
Orochimaru flicked his tongue, his gaze burning with curiosity. "While I am indeed interested in the Ten-Tails, I'm even more fascinated by your cells, Shūichi-kun."
"If I'm not mistaken, you've already mastered the power of all nine Tailed Beasts, haven't you?"
"And if we consider the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the Ten-Tails' shell, you could potentially become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki as well."
"No," Orochimaru continued with a sinister grin, "given your extraordinary physique, which has already integrated the powers of the nine Tailed Beasts, you might even be able to merge with the Ten-Tails' power without becoming its Jinchūriki."
"Isn't that your goal, Shūichi-kun?"
What a sharp insight.
However, Shūichi shook his head. "I have no intention of letting my cells be cloned and spread everywhere."
Orochimaru looked slightly disappointed. "That's truly a shame."
While he wanted Shūichi's cells, he also knew how difficult it would be to acquire them.
Without becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, neither Nagato nor Edo Tensei Madara would be a match for Shūichi.
And from what he could tell, even a Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki didn't seem to worry Shūichi in the slightest. Such confidence was both awe-inspiring and infectious.
Moreover, neither Madara nor Nagato were under Orochimaru's control. Gaining the Rinnegan from them appeared impossible as things stood.
Even with Edo Tensei, resurrecting someone like Hashirama Senju wouldn't be enough to counter Shūichi.
Given the circumstances…
Orochimaru smirked and said, "Your earlier plan has already been completed, hasn't it? Perhaps it's time for me, the spy, to make my exit?"
Shūichi chuckled. "Does the senpai no longer want the Rinnegan?"
Orochimaru pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you have any suggestions, Shūichi-kun?"
Shūichi replied, "You've already obtained the cells of the First Hokage and even those of Madara Uchiha. Perhaps you could fuse them to awaken the Rinnegan."
The formula was straightforward: the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan + Senju power = Rinnegan.
In truth, it was more nuanced: Indra's power + Asura's power = Six Paths power = Rinnegan.
Whether Shūichi's proposed method would work depended on whether Orochimaru could channel the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
Furthermore, simply transplanting cells from Hashirama and Madara might not provide enough power to activate the Rinnegan.
Still, the possibility existed.
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully. "I've considered this before, but it's likely to be extremely difficult."
Shūichi offered another suggestion. "In that case, perhaps you should rely on your specialty."
"Cultivation. Cloning."
"Or, strike while Madara is weakened and capture him."
Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with intrigue, and he smiled. "Thank you for the advice, Shūichi-kun."
"As for the upcoming battle, you'd best be careful."
"If you die, don't expect me to be merciful with your remains."
Shūichi smiled faintly. "You'll be disappointed."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Nagato, Madara, and even Obito each have their own plans. Perhaps that's good news."
"Also… Obito isn't working for you, is he?"
Shūichi shook his head decisively. "Obito has his own agenda."
"But if he has to choose between us and Nagato or Madara, he'll side with us."
"Everyone has their own path to follow, don't they?"
Their own path…
Orochimaru reflected on this, nodding as he smiled. "Let's leave it at that."
"Next time we meet, I hope you're still alive to greet me."
With that, Orochimaru transformed back into a white snake and slithered into the grass, disappearing from sight.
With a soft puff, Shūichi's clone vanished as well.
Outside the Forest of Death, Shūichi, having just tested a new technique, received the feedback from his shadow clone's memories. He couldn't help but ponder, "If Orochimaru truly obtained Uchiha Madara's body, could he awaken the Rinnegan?"
"There's indeed a certain probability," he murmured.
The Rinnegan?
A faint smile appeared on Shūichi's face as he turned his attention to the Tag Tree in his mind.
Two big breakthroughs at once. How satisfying!
At this moment, both the [Taijutsu Master] and the previously dormant [Body Flicker Master] tags were ready to be activated.
Over this period, Shūichi had successfully developed Spirit(Yin) Breathing, Yang Breathing, and even the final stage, Breath of Nature(Natural Breathing).
Although the final Breath of Nature didn't fully meet his expectations and left the forbidden technique somewhat incomplete, it still fulfilled the requirements of the tag tree.
The technique progressed through eight stages: Flame Breathing, Lightning Breathing, Earth Breathing, Wind Breathing, Water Breathing, Spirit Breathing, Yang Breathing, and finally Natural Breathing.
Except for the Flame Breathing and Breath of Nature, the other six stages didn't have a set order.
In other words, after unlocking Flame Breathing, one could choose to unlock Lightning Breathing or Earth Breathing depending on the need.
However, like the Eight Gates, the more stages unlocked, the greater the burden on the body.
Among these, Yang Breathing provided a self-healing function, but it still drained one's life force.
To compensate for this drawback, the Breath of Nature was conceived.
Shūichi had envisioned using natural energy to replenish the life force consumed during the technique. Unfortunately, this idea wasn't fully realized.
The completed Breath of Nature could indeed replenish energy, but it couldn't restore lost life force. It was similar to Sage Mode, providing a boost that extended one's combat endurance.
"To perfect the true Breath of Nature, I'd need the same ability as the Tailed Beasts—or the Ten-Tails—to directly absorb natural energy and convert it into vitality."
"And if I could achieve that, then using Breath of Nature as the foundation…"
Shūichi's eyes glimmered with excitement.
If perfected, this forbidden technique would surpass the Eight Gates by far.
Now, what should it be named? Eight Breaths?
No, this technique actually had little to do with "breathing."
So, it would simply be called…
"Breath of Nature/Natural Breathing!"
Settling on the name, Shūichi immediately activated the [Taijutsu Master] tag.
> Physique +100%, Recovery +100%, Disease and Injury Resistance +100%, Body Control +100%.
His physical abilities doubled once again, and his chakra reserves skyrocketed, now exceeding twenty times that of Kurama.
But what thrilled Shūichi the most was the improvement in body control.
This enhancement gave him an unprecedented mastery over his physical form.
Combined with his heightened mental strength and chakra control, Shūichi now had such precision over his body that it felt like reading the lines on his palm—down to every single cell.
No, it was more than that. He could now manipulate his cells at a microscopic level.
With just a thought, he could cause a single cell to die naturally.
"This level of control also means I can fine-tune my strength with pinpoint accuracy!"
Clenching his fist, Shūichi marveled at the newfound ability to unleash exactly the amount of power he desired, down to the smallest degree.
He approached a tree, extended a finger, and flicked it lightly.
Boom!
The bark exploded into powder, yet the trunk beneath remained completely unscathed.
"Perfectly controlled, down to the finest detail!" Shūichi exclaimed in admiration.
Next, he turned his attention to the [Body Flicker Master] tag on the tree.
This tag had appeared due to his work on the forbidden Breath of Nature technique. When activated, his Body Flicker abilities reached an extraordinary and almost absurd level.
Within a certain range, it was nearly indistinguishable from the instantaneous movement of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Activate!
> Body Flicker Aptitude +100%, Cellular Activation +100%, Explosive Power +100%.
Euphoria!
The consecutive enhancements brought about visible, unmistakable changes to his body.
Shūichi also knew that this was directly related to his greatly improved body control.
While he was reveling in the joy of his new powers, the Allied Shinobi Forces' headquarters was steeped in a heavy atmosphere.
The sheer number of White Zetsu clones—100,000—exceeded the combined forces of all the major ninja villages, leaving Ōnoki and the others deeply concerned.
(End of Chapter)
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