"The matter of Yin-Yang Sage Arts has come to an end. Now, it's time to begin the full reconstruction of the Sage Land."
For Satsuki, this was hardly a difficult task.
Both the Vipralopa Domain and the Black Domain Buddhakṣetra provided her with ample reference, and more importantly, she was the rightful master of this Sage Land—making reconstruction a task that came as naturally as breathing.
Still, the process was tedious and required some time.
That didn't mean, however, that she was unaware of what was happening in the outside world.
After all, her clones were stationed throughout the Lunar Capital, overseeing all its affairs. It was also under her approval that Shirakumaru had been sent to the Uzumaki clan to participate in research related to the Jinchūriki project.
Yet compared to the Jinchūriki matter, Satsuki's greater focus lay on the fusion of Shirakumaru's body with Ōtsutsuki cells.
After all, this directly determined whether the Lunar Capital could gain the legendary ocular power of the Rinnegan.
Among the few abilities in the shinobi world that still held her interest, this was one.
Within the scroll Kiyomaru had given Shirakumaru was an early sample of Satsuki's own blood derivative. In terms of purity, as Hamura's direct descendant, Satsuki's bloodline far surpassed that of the Senju or Uchiha clans of this world.
But precisely because of that, the risks involved in the fusion were also immense.
In the past, even Madara Uchiha had only awakened the Rinnegan shortly before his death—after merging a portion of Hashirama Senju's flesh with his own.
Now, Shirakumaru, who possessed no Ōtsutsuki blood at all, was attempting direct fusion with Ōtsutsuki cells. The resulting transformation was simply impossible to predict.
...
At this very moment, under Satsuki's distant watch, Shirakumaru was already en route to the Uzumaki clan's territory.
He had not activated his Sharingan. Ever since Satsuki had transformed his Mangekyō into the Eternal Mangekyō, he could open and close his eyes of illusion at will.
The road leading from the Lunar Capital toward the Uzumaki domain lay in ruins—scarred and shattered by the devastation of the puppet soldiers. Much of the terrain was reduced to barren earth and muddy craters.
The few villages scattered along the route were nearly devoid of life.
Although the Lunar Capital's barrier had held off part of the puppet army, it could not protect every direction.
While the puppet legions posed no threat to Satsuki's forces, for the ordinary people of this era, they were a natural disaster beyond resistance.
Of course, Shirakumaru paid little attention to the lives and deaths of such people.
In times of chaos, one could rely on no one but oneself.
The distance between the Uzumaki clan and the Lunar Capital was considerable. Even for Shirakumaru, traveling without pause, it would take three to four days to arrive.
And this was no peaceful world.
Encounters with wandering rogue ninja or bandit groups along the road were all too common.
Still, such nuisances would cost him little time to resolve.
—Until, suddenly, he was attacked by a powerful Wind Release technique.
Shirakumaru's reflexes had long since surpassed what the shinobi world defined as "Kage-level." In an instant, his entire body turned into a flash of lightning, darting sideways to evade.
Years ago, he had mastered the art of enhancing his physical capabilities with Lightning Release. By now, that power had become instinctive.
At a mere thought, he could transform into lightning itself and slip past any strike.
But that was not the end.
Though the Wind Release attack was fierce and overwhelming, its power also made it conspicuous.
Thus, that strike was not the true killing blow.
Shiiing—
The faint ring of a blade leaving its sheath sounded from behind Shirakumaru.
He instantly drew his short blade and turned to block.
A gleaming blue katana slammed into his weapon, releasing a storm of pressure that blasted apart everything within dozens of meters—trees, stones, even the ground itself.
"Owoo~ To think you could block my iai—you're the first."
The figure, moving like a bolt of thunder, spoke in a tone that was equal parts praise and mockery.
Wrapped in ghostly blue flames, the swordsman vanished after a single strike.
Shirakumaru prepared to pursue—but then noticed that the short blade in his hand had been shattered by the clash.
Even as surprise flickered across his face, a crimson figure suddenly lunged from behind, charging toward him with unstoppable force.
Shirakumaru turned around, facing the onrushing figure head-on without dodging. In his other hand, lightning roared to life, condensing into a radiant, multicolored blade of thunder that he swung down with tremendous force.
However, just as the blade was about to strike the crimson figure, a lantern suddenly appeared above Shirakumaru's head. From it, a soft blue light poured downward.
The instant the light touched him, Shirakumaru felt his entire body seize up. For a moment, he found himself completely unable to move.
"Genjutsu—or ninjutsu?"
There was no time to think. The next instant, the crimson figure—wreathed in flames—slammed into him with explosive impact.
Boom—!
A violent detonation erupted, sending a shockwave ripping through the air and a storm of dust billowing outward. Crimson fire surged skyward in a roaring blaze.
"Hannya really is as spiteful toward humans as ever," a woman's teasing voice came from above. Perched atop a long-handled paper lantern, she smirked. "Hit by that kind of blast, there won't even be a corpse left to recover."
"He blocked my iai strike earlier. I doubt it'll be that simple," replied another voice.
The azure flames surrounding the speaker faded away, revealing a strange, humanoid figure dressed like a samurai—with the head of a dog.
Indeed, this dog-headed swordsman's intuition was correct.
As the smoke cleared, Shirakumaru stood at the center of the devastation, his body cloaked in flickering blue lightning armor. He clashed directly against the crimson, flame-wreathed figure in a fierce struggle.
The deadlock lasted only a moment before lightning surged violently outward, forcing the crimson figure back under the overwhelming discharge.
After retreating several dozen steps, the red figure finally stopped.
The demonic fire around his body faded, revealing a small, thin frame wearing a ghastly oni mask.
It was hard to imagine that such a frail body could have unleashed such ferocious power moments ago.
The masked figure stared at Shirakumaru, eyes gleaming with restless excitement from behind the oni visage.
"This fearlessness toward death... this hollow aura of one returned from Yomi—he reeks of the underworld. Even if he isn't the target we seek, he must be connected to it."
Above them, a short-haired man dressed like an onmyōji hovered in the sky, wings unfurled from his back. In one hand he held a folding fan, still faintly wreathed in wind—the source of the earlier Wind Release attack.
With an air of superiority, he looked down at Shirakumaru and spoke coldly:
"Since we've confirmed he's the target, we can't damage the body carelessly. Capture him alive."
For the past five years, Shirakumaru had rarely made a move in the shinobi world.
Most of his time had been spent secretly carrying out missions assigned by the Lunar Capital. These missions generally involved intelligence gathering or matters related to the Uchiha artifacts—very few required him to personally engage in combat.
That, however, did not mean he had been idle.
Shirakumaru had seen many strange beings in his life, but hearing what these four before him had just said, he couldn't help but find it laughable.
Had it been so long since he last revealed his true strength that even stray cats and dogs now dared to boast before him?
Truly—
"Courting death!"
For someone of Shirakumaru's caliber, controlling Lightning Release no longer required hand seals.
He spread his hands, and an enormous surge of lightning chakra spiraled forth, forming a massive thunderous cyclone that swept toward the four sudden assailants.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Gale!"
"Looks like we're dealing with a beast after all," one of them muttered.
Facing such overwhelming force, the four shikigami didn't even consider confronting it head-on. They immediately split apart in four directions, each evading separately.
However, Shirakumaru's attack wasn't random—it was deliberately aimed at the woman in the sky.
He had noticed earlier that his movements had been bound by a mysterious lantern's light. Clearly, she had been responsible.
Thus, his first move was to eliminate the one with the most troublesome ability.
"Aoandon!"
The other three shikigami instantly realized Shirakumaru's intention. Yet the thunderous cyclone was already closing in on Aoandon with blinding speed.
The dog-headed shikigami and the slender, oni-masked figure charged at Shirakumaru from both sides, engaging him in close combat.
Meanwhile, Aoandon's lantern staff left a trail of ghostly blue light in the sky. Passing through it, her speed suddenly skyrocketed, while the lightning tornado pursuing her slowed drastically.
In just an instant, the distance between them widened, and she successfully escaped the storm's range.
"This ability… it's unlike anything I've seen in the shinobi world."
Though engaged in close combat with two opponents, Shirakumaru's senses remained sharp. He observed everything clearly even while exchanging blows.
The lightning blade in his right hand clashed repeatedly against Inugami's katana, while his left crackled with electricity, countering the ghostly flames that erupted from Hannya's body.
Who were these strange beings?
As that question crossed his mind, a gust stirred behind him—Ōtengu had reappeared, fan in hand.
He pointed it at Shirakumaru, and the air shimmered as transparent wind blades formed into feather-like arrows that shot toward Shirakumaru's back.
"Hmph~ Petty tricks."
Since their origins couldn't be determined through their jutsu, there was no point in wasting more time.
Shirakumaru stomped down with both feet. From the wide sleeves of his cloak, violent lightning erupted outward.
Caught in the sudden discharge, Inugami and Hannya were struck by the electricity and momentarily paralyzed.
Without looking back, Shirakumaru's entire body flared with lightning armor once more, his speed soaring to an unbelievable level.
Fwoosh—
The wind arrows only pierced through his afterimage, instead grazing the two paralyzed shikigami and nearly injuring them.
But the real trouble had already arrived.
"Behind you!"
From above, Aoandon—having escaped the storm—shouted a warning.
Ōtengu, sensitive to killing intent, sensed danger the instant Shirakumaru vanished.
But even so, he had never expected his opponent to move this fast.
Before he could even turn around, a tremendous force wrapped in lightning and the piercing sound of Chidori smashed into his back.
In desperation, he barely managed to conjure a wind barrier around his body, but the next instant, he was struck down like a broken kite, crashing violently to the ground.
"Damn it… how can this human be so strong without any spiritual power?"
To think a single strike could seriously wound Ōtengu—a being whose true form was that of a great youkai!
Even if this was not his main body, the sight left the other shikigami stunned.
As Shirakumaru moved to press his advantage, Inugami and Hannya rushed in front of the fallen Ōtengu, blocking his path.
Inugami's body ignited once again with visible blue flames, while the demonic mask on Hannya's face twisted with seething hatred.
The three clashed violently, the shockwave of their collision blasting upward into the sky. The pressure and turbulence were so intense that even Aoandon in the distance couldn't approach, while the fallen Ōtengu was sent flying from the crater by the resulting gust.
Seeing his advantage slip away, Shirakumaru's brows furrowed in anger. Locking blades with the two shikigami, he drew in a deep breath.
A surge of overwhelming energy erupted from his body, startling all four shikigami present. Spiderweb-like arcs of lightning spread across his form, coalescing into a glowing electric ring.
Then came his signature ninjutsu—Lightning Release: Roaring Thunder Howl!
Haaa—!!
A deafening roar burst forth from his throat, accompanied by a surge of thunderous chakra that exploded outward. The ring of lightning expanded rapidly, radiating from Shirakumaru's position.
The sound waves and raw lightning power tore through everything in their path. Hannya and Inugami were both struck head-on, their bodies wracked by searing electricity. Even Ōtengu and Aoandon, who were further away, felt their eardrums rupture and their vision blur with flashes of gold under the impact of his roar.
Moments later, they too were engulfed by the storm, their forms tossed aside like candles in a gale.
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Land of Demons, in a shrine where Yao Bikuni sat serenely, her eyes widened in surprise as she gazed upon the four flickering soul flames before her.
"Hannya and Inugami I can understand, but even Aoandon and Ōtengu… Though not my strongest shikigami, their power should have been considerable. For all four to have their forms nearly dispersed—how interesting. It seems they've encountered quite a troublesome opponent."
Murmuring softly, Yao Bikuni began a remote incantation. Four paper effigies appeared in her hand, which she cast toward the trembling soul flames.
And at that very moment…
The four shikigami facing Shirakumaru stirred.
Their bodies flared with light, and suddenly, a powerful new energy surged forth from within them.
"This feeling…" Shirakumaru's expression darkened. The energy was familiar somehow, though he had no time to ponder it further.
The enemies he had just struck down moments before abruptly awakened—as if revived by a second wind. Their wounds healed rapidly, steam rising from their bodies as their spiritual energy returned to full strength.
"Human, I admit you are strong," Hannya hissed through his demonic grin. "But you cannot kill us."
The oni-masked being's garments transformed into a long blue kimono, his crimson flames turning cyan-green.
"To stand against us is to perish in despair."
Ōtengu, now standing once more, had also changed. His once-black wings split into three pairs of violet demonic wings, his body twisting into a more monstrous form. His eyes lost their pupils entirely, replaced by twin orbs of eerie, otherworldly light.
Inugami and Aoandon, too, underwent transformations—their shapes distorting, their auras swelling with strange, chaotic power.
Watching their metamorphosis, Shirakumaru finally realized why the energy had felt so familiar.
The change before him, though outwardly different, bore a striking resemblance to those early experimental failures from the Sage Land—beings who had failed to master natural energy and lost their humanity.
"So that's it… A form of Sage Mode, is it?"
He murmured to himself, eyes narrowing as the four resurrected shikigami advanced once more.
—
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