On the rooftop of the main battlefield.
"Urashiki, step back." Jigen's voice was like instructing a servant.
"Oh dear, getting serious?" Urashiki didn't mind. Carrying his red light fishing rod on his shoulder, he floated backward ten meters with a grin, but his white eyes sparkled with a mix of anticipation and cruelty.
"But are you sure you want to use that here? What if you accidentally crush that 'vessel' as well?"
"If it dies, then it's not a qualified vessel." Jigen's gaze indifferently swept over the smoke-filled arena below.
"The Otsutsuki have no use for waste. Besides..."
His right hand fingers slowly clenched.
"If it can't even withstand this level of attack, it's not fit to be chosen."
Just as Jigen was about to use [Daikokuten]…
Swish—!
A faint sound of something cutting through the air, almost masked by the wind, rang out.
A point of cold light shot out from an inconspicuous corner below, extremely fast, targeting Jigen, who was about to launch his attack!
It was a kunai.
The most ordinary of kunai.
Its flight trajectory was straight, without any fancy changes, as if it were merely a projectile thrown by a Ninja in a panic.
Jigen's right hand, about to clench, paused slightly.
He slightly turned his head, his indifferent eyes looking at the kunai that had flown before him.
'Sukunahikona.'
Jigen silently recited in his mind.
This was one of his Dojutsu abilities, capable of 'shrinking' any object within his line of sight to its extreme.
Theoretically, this kunai should have shrunk to the size of a speck of dust the moment he opened his mouth, then lost all its lethality.
However, the kunai maintained its original size and speed, shooting towards him.
A flicker of surprise appeared on Jigen's usually unfazed face.
'Unable to shrink?'
Just as Jigen was momentarily stunned,
Poof—!
With a light sound, the kunai suddenly exploded into a cloud of white smoke in mid-air.
The moment the white smoke exploded, a figure emerged from the smoke, holding a long sword entangled with dazzling lightning, using the kunai's flying momentum to viciously slash at Jigen's neck!
It was Adult Sasuke!
The lightning on the Kusanagi Sword blazed to its extreme at this moment. Wherever the blade passed, it emitted a crackling explosion.
The speed, power, and timing of this slash were all impeccable.
So impeccable that Jigen had no time to dodge, no time to block, and even no time to use his Dojutsu again.
However, just as the Kusanagi Sword's lightning was about to touch the skin of Jigen's neck…
Shh, shh.
With two soft sounds, two pitch-black Chakra black rods grew out of nowhere from one side of his neck.
The black rods appeared extremely fast, at an angle right on the trajectory of the Kusanagi's slash, one left and one right, crossing to block between the blade and his neck.
Clang—!!!
The Kusanagi viciously slashed at the intersection of the two black rods, producing an ear-piercing sound of metal clashing.
The lightning and the black rods collided, exploding countless tiny electric arcs, making the air within a few meters crackle with ionization.
But the Kusanagi Sword stopped…
Held steady by the two seemingly slender black rods, unable to advance further.
"What?!" Adult Sasuke's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock.
'Chakra black rods?!'
'This guy can use Chakra black rods too?'
'Is he also an Otsutsuki?!'
'No, that's not right.'
Adult Sasuke stared intently at Jigen.
'This bald man did not have the Otsutsuki Clan's signature horns and pale skin, and his eyes were also ordinary human eyes, without a Byakugan or Rinnegan.'
'Who is he?!'
"I see." Jigen looked at Adult Sasuke so close to him, especially the purple Six-Tomoe Rinnegan beneath his side-swept bangs.
"One Rinnegan? It seems its Ocular Power is drying up." Jigen's voice was very soft.
"But, it doesn't matter." Jigen's gaze fell on the two black rods holding the Kusanagi Sword.
"The Rinnegan's abilities are indeed somewhat troublesome, but in the face of absolute power, any technique is futile."
The moment his voice fell…
A black rod suddenly appeared in Jigen's hand, piercing through Adult Sasuke's body.
Shhh shhh shhh shhh—!!
Then, several more pitch-black Chakra black rods appeared without warning, instantly piercing through Adult Sasuke's body!
Pff—!!
Adult Sasuke didn't even have time to react. He only felt a series of dense, cold stabs throughout his body.
He looked down and saw that his chest, abdomen, arms, and legs were all pierced by pitch-black Chakra black rods.
Those black rods pierced into the front of his body and came out the back, 'nailing' him in mid-air, like a butterfly pinned to a specimen board.
Blood, like blooming red lotuses, burst forth on his body.
"Cough...!" Adult Sasuke coughed up a large mouthful of blood. He struggled to raise his head, looking at the face before him, still indifferent, without even a ripple of emotion, his eyes filled with shock.
'How is this possible...'
He had clearly activated his Rinnegan, clearly captured the opponent's movements, clearly prepared to dodge...
Yet those black rods had just suddenly pierced his body directly. His Rinnegan's dynamic vision had only caught a tiny bit of subtle movement, and his body couldn't even react!
Adult Sasuke immediately realized, this fundamentally wasn't a problem of speed!
"Oh dear, now you really can't move, can you~"
Urashiki's mocking voice came from the side.
He floated nearby, carrying his red light fishing rod on his shoulder, looking at Adult Sasuke, nailed in mid-air and bleeding profusely, a pleased, cat-and-mouse smile on his face.
Urashiki lightly tapped his shoulder with the fishing rod, his tone flippant: "You should just accept your fate~"
Jigen ignored Urashiki's nonsense.
He slowly raised his other hand, his palm again condensing a pitch-black Chakra black rod, aiming it at Adult Sasuke's brow.
Then, he thrust.
At the critical moment, Adult Sasuke's Rinnegan Ocular Power exploded to its limit!
The black rod in Jigen's hand missed, and Adult Sasuke's figure had already vanished.
Those black rods that had originally pierced his body, nailing him in mid-air, lost their support and fell from the air one after another.
At the same time, a whirlpool-like black space portal unfolded out of nowhere in the air beside Jiraiya.
Adult Sasuke, covered in blood, with over a dozen bloody holes still gushing blood, tumbled out of the portal and heavily crashed onto the broken tiles of the roof with a dull thud.
"Master!" Boruto rushed over in terror, frantically helping up Adult Sasuke, hurriedly pulling hemostatic bandages and military ration pills from his ninja tool pouch.
"Cough... cough, cough..." Adult Sasuke coughed violently, each cough bringing up large amounts of bloody foam.
He used the Kusanagi Sword to prop himself up, struggling to stand, but the black rods piercing his body had not only caused severe physical damage but also eroded and interfered with the Chakra Flow within him.
Each breath carried a heavy smell of blood, each heartbeat pulled at the wounds across his body, bringing tearing, intense pain.
"Jiraiya-sama..." Adult Sasuke struggled to turn his head, looking at Jiraiya, who was holding Hiruzen's remains: "Leave quickly... get out of here... those two... are not opponents you can handle."
The brief exchange just now, though short, had made him clearly recognize the gap in their strength.
He knew Jigen's strength is likely above Urashiki's!
"Shut up!" Veins bulged on Jiraiya's forehead.
"The old man just left. I can't just stand by and watch you die in front of me!"
With that, Jiraiya gently handed Hiruzen's remains to Yamato beside him, and spoke in a deep voice to Enma, Yamato, and the several other Anbu: "Take Hokage-sama's remains and the others and evacuate immediately! Quickly!"
"Jiraiya-sama! What about you?!" Yamato held Hiruzen's remains, his voice urgent.
"I'll stay behind to cover the retreat!" Jiraiya roared. He glanced at Adult Sasuke, who was severely injured after just one exchange, and the somewhat panicked Boruto beside him, then at the two white figures in the air.
"But—"
"No buts!" Jiraiya sharply interrupted Yamato, his voice somewhat anxious: "This is an order! Immediately, take Hokage-sama's remains and all the Anbu who can still move, and withdraw from this area! Evacuate any surviving civilians!"
"The coming battle... is no longer something you can participate in!"
"These two guys are even more terrifying than Orochimaru!"
Yamato clenched his teeth, looking at Jiraiya's bloodshot eyes, then at the cold, lifeless face of Hiruzen in his arms. Finally, he stomped his foot in frustration.
"Anbu, hear my command! Everyone evacuate!!"
Carrying Hiruzen's remains, he was the first to rush towards the edge of the roof.
The other Anbu who could still move, though their faces were full of grief and anger, also knew that the situation was unfavorable and could only grit their teeth and follow.
Enma took one last look at Hiruzen's remains carried by Yamato, let out a mournful low growl, and then turned into white smoke and disappeared.
In an instant, only Jiraiya, the severely injured Adult Sasuke, and Boruto, who was supporting Adult Sasuke, remained on the roof.
Oh, and one more person.
Orochimaru.
He still stood atop that towering giant tree, his golden vertical pupils watching Jigen and Urashiki in the air with interest, and then looking at Jiraiya and the others on the roof below, a smile on his lips.
"Jiraiya, need any help?" Orochimaru's voice came, carrying his usual playful tone.
"Get lost!" Jiraiya cursed.
"After I deal with these two, I'll kill you next to avenge the old man!"
"Heh, you're still so irritable." Orochimaru chuckled lightly, not angry, his gaze returning to the air.
"However, I advise you to save your energy. Those two... are not opponents you can defeat with momentum."
Jiraiya ignored Orochimaru.
He took a deep breath, looked at Adult Sasuke, and asked in a deep voice: "Hey, kid, can you still hold on?"
He wanted Adult Sasuke to hold on a little longer, to buy him time to activate Sage Mode.
Although he knew it was cruel to ask this of the severely injured Adult Sasuke, but... his Sage Mode was imperfect.
Adult Sasuke struggled to raise his head, looked at Jiraiya, then at the two white figures in the air. Finally, he slowly nodded.
"I can." He replied briefly.
"Good!" A flicker of ruthlessness flashed in Jiraiya's eyes: "Buy me some time!"
Adult Sasuke didn't answer again, just slowly clenched the Kusanagi Sword in his hand.
On the blade, the remaining lightning began to flash and condense again.
Boruto supported him. The Kama in his palm grew slightly warm, and Momoshiki's Chakra also began to stir restlessly.
And Jigen in the air, after Adult Sasuke escaped using Amenotejikara, did not immediately pursue.
His gaze swept over the three people below, ready and waiting, and finally landed on Boruto.
He sensed the presence of a clansman.
"Kama?"
"Urashiki." Jigen spoke slowly: "Is this native the 'vessel' you mentioned?"
Urashiki crossed his arms over his chest, his white eyes glimmering with excitement. He licked his lips and smiled: "No~ these two are my prey."
"Konoha's 'vessel' is someone else."
"No?" Jigen's gaze remained locked on Boruto: "Why does the Kama on him have Momoshiki's aura?"
Upon hearing this, Urashiki shrugged: "Who knows."
Jigen was silent for a moment.
Although his cooperation with Urashiki this time was only temporary, the appearance of a Kama with Momoshiki's aura here struck him as very strange.
After all, according to the mission arrangement, Momoshiki and Kinshiki should be planting trees in another star sector right now.
And given Momoshiki's personality, if he had truly planted a Kama, there would surely be more elaborate arrangements, not just letting a kid with clearly insufficient strength run around with the Kama.
Moreover...
Jigen's gaze again swept over Adult Sasuke below, Jiraiya, and the boy with the cold aura on the Wood Release giant tree.
Although the strength of these people before him was not bad, it was absolutely insufficient to force Urashiki to the point of needing to ask for help from him.
Although Urashiki's personality was lighthearted, he was still an Otsutsuki warrior capable of independently being responsible for planting tree missions in a star sector. His strength was not weak within the Otsutsuki Clan.
Yet Urashiki claimed to have encountered a strange 'vessel' on this planet, apparently belonging to some Otsutsuki with no records.
'If even Urashiki was pushed to this extent...' Jigen pondered silently: 'Could it be... that guy called Shura...'
The only person on the entire planet who posed a threat to Jigen was Shura, who had called himself [Otsutsuki Rakushiki] and had toyed with him five years ago. However, Jigen had later sent people to gather intelligence, and that guy seemed to be in the Land of Stars, not Konoha.
And these people before him, including the one with the Rinnegan, were nothing more than slightly stronger ants in his eyes.
"Since Momoshiki's 'vessel' is here..." Jigen slowly raised his right hand: "I'll reclaim it as well."
"That guy is still as annoying as ever."
As his voice fell, over a hundred Chakra black rods appeared out of nowhere beside him, directly locking onto Adult Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Boruto below!
"Here they come!" Adult Sasuke's Rinnegan hardened.
However, just as he endured the intense pain, raised the Kusanagi Sword in his hand across his chest, ready to hold them off!
"It seems I arrived just in time?"
A voice with a somewhat lazy smile suddenly sounded, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
Jiraiya, who was about to summon the two Toad Sages to enhance his Sage Mode, the watching Orochimaru, the ready Adult Sasuke and Boruto, and even Urashiki and Jigen in the air, about to unleash a large-scale attack, all paused slightly, simultaneously looking towards the direction the voice came from.
At the edge of the roof.
A boy wearing simple black athletic wear, with a head of messy, unruly short black hair, wearing ordinary Ninja Sandals on his feet, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, looking very leisurely.
A faint smile was on his face, his posture so relaxed as if he were taking a stroll. His black eyes seemed to reflect the entire sky.
Beneath his feet was the void hundreds of meters high, but he walked as if on solid ground, stepping up from the air, step by step, finally landing steadily on the edge of the roof.
"Menma?!" Boruto was the first to exclaim in shock.
Jiraiya's pupils suddenly contracted.
'Menma?'
'Could he really be Minato's other child?'
Jiraiya remembered his previous investigation into Menma's background.
"Heh heh heh..." At that moment, a low, pleased chuckle came from the edge of the Wood Release sea of trees.
"You finally came." Orochimaru licked his lips.
"Looks like you're not going to keep playing house anymore? These two are looking for you, aren't they?"
"Shura."
This name exploded in Jiraiya's mind like a thunderclap.
'Wait!'
'Just before he died, the old man had persistently asked Orochimaru if Shura was Minato.'
'But now, Orochimaru was actually calling Menma by the name 'Shura'?'
Jiraiya's mind was in turmoil. Although he knew Orochimaru's words couldn't be fully trusted, was the twelve-year-old Menma the Shura who dominated the Ninja World?
Then he would have been only three years old when he became active in the Ninja World and beat up Kumogakure?
That was even more terrifying than Minato being Shura!
He would rather believe that Minato had faked his death!
But then, Menma's response made Jiraiya's heart skip a beat.
"Orochimaru, the way you say that, it sounds like I've been pretending all along." Menma glanced at Orochimaru on the distant giant tree.
"I've always been myself. It's just that you all... always like to stick various labels on me."
As he spoke, he slowly turned his head, looking at Jigen and Urashiki in the air.
"However, you were right about one thing. These two..." Menma's gaze swept over Urashiki, then slowly moved to Jigen.
"Indeed came looking for me."
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting in a light smile, his tone carrying a hint of mockery, enunciating each word:
"When I wasn't around, you two stray dogs thought you were pretty arrogant, huh?!"
The moment his voice fell,
Boom—!!
A vast, suffocating Chakra, like a dormant volcano erupting, soared unrestrainedly into the sky from Menma's seemingly thin, youthful body!
It was a surge of malicious, violent, dark red Tailed Beast's Chakra.
It rapidly burned and rose on Menma's body surface, condensing into a Chakra Cloak covering his entire body.
The cloak's collar stood up high, its edges jagged and sharp. Dark red flowing light moved across its surface, as if alive, writhing and breathing.
And in the afterimage of the Chakra Cloak, a fierce, dark red fox head was faintly visible. Those crimson beastly pupils reflected endless violence and destruction.
What shocked Jiraiya and Adult Sasuke the most was that from Menma's back, ten tails, completely composed of dark red Chakra, were madly spreading and dancing!
Dark Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, activated!