Chapter 71 Vajra Lockdown/Spitting Blood (Three-in-One...)

When Yan Sheng turned around and faced Madara Uchiha from afar, everyone on the battlefield clearly saw his face, and an indescribable sense of absurdity and a deeper fear gripped everyone's hearts.

—So alike, so incredibly alike!

The two stood there, and although their clothes and expressions were slightly different, their powerful auras were almost identical, giving people a strong illusion that they were the same person.

However, upon closer inspection, the differences can still be observed.

The latter's outline is softer than the former's, less unrestrained and more aloof; its figure is also more slender and upright, like a solitary green bamboo.

More importantly, it's about temperament. The former's aura is outward and flamboyant, like a raging fire that wants to engulf the whole world in its flames; the latter's temperament is more introverted, like a bottomless cold pool, calm on the surface but containing an unknown surge within.

However, even with their combined strength, Madara Uchiha was already a formidable opponent, plunging them into a desperate and arduous battle. Now, another man so similar and equally terrifyingly powerful has appeared—how can they possibly fight back? They might as well surrender.

Panic spread silently through the coalition forces like a plague, and many people's faces showed a look of dejection, as if they had given up resistance.

What's the point of struggling when the enemy is like this?

"Don't be afraid, everyone!" Just then, a loud and firm voice broke the silence. Naruto Uzumaki pointed at Yan Sheng and shouted, "This guy just helped us! He shattered the meteorite and saved us all!"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly awakening the people who were dominated by fear.

Yes, if this man hadn't suddenly intervened, they would probably be reduced to dust by now. Is he... on our side?

A glimmer of hope has been rekindled in the hearts of some.

In the center of the battlefield.

Ban ignored the commotion around him. His entire attention was focused on the unfamiliar man before him. His eyes were sharp as knives, as if he wanted to dissect the man from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Ban asked slowly and deliberately, his voice deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable authority that echoed across the battlefield. The allied forces, who had just regained some "energy" and started whispering among themselves, immediately fell silent, demonstrating the immense power Ban commanded in their eyes.

Faced with Ban's questioning, Yan Shenggang opened his lips as if to answer, but instead of uttering any words, he said—

"puff!"

A large mouthful of bright red blood suddenly gushed from his mouth, splattering onto the charred ground in front of him, a horrifying sight.

Yan Sheng's body swayed almost imperceptibly. At that moment, he felt as if his internal organs were being burned on a raging fire, and excruciating pain was tearing through his limbs and bones, with every nerve screaming in agony.

The "Fleeting Beauty" ability only lasts for three seconds, during which he returns to the peak of his physical strength, wielding power enough to shatter stars. However, when the effect fades, the backlash from forcibly activating his body surges back like a tsunami, bringing a sense of weakness several times greater.

Under normal circumstances, using this ability will weaken you, but it will never cause you to vomit blood.

However, he had previously traveled through worlds one after another, expending his energy to deal with different worlds, and even resurrected Madara from that world in the previous world, all of which caused him great damage.

He has always been physically weaker than the average person since childhood, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he is sickly. Even now that he is twenty-two years old, he is much better than when he was young, but this only means that he can barely withstand these exertions, and it does not mean that the hidden dangers have been eliminated.

Ultimately, he was simply used to enduring, forcibly suppressing all pain and discomfort, never revealing it. But volcanoes always erupt eventually, and so does his body.

Now, after a series of arduous journeys and exhaustion, his body had already reached its limit. At this moment, forcibly using "Fleeting Beauty" caused all the hidden injuries and weaknesses that had been suppressed to erupt like a flood breaking through a dam.

Yan Sheng intended to suppress the surging blood and dizziness with willpower, as he had done before, but he found that he could not do it this time.

The scene before my eyes began to spin and turn black, a sharp ringing sound rang in my ears, and my strength was rapidly draining away.

I'm about to faint.

Yan Sheng's experience allowed him to make a judgment immediately.

The situation was urgent, and he didn't have time to explain slowly.

So he raised his head, enduring the dizziness, and his deep black eyes were instantly replaced by scarlet. Three tomoe appeared and spun rapidly, transforming into a kaleidoscope pattern mixed with purple that Madara had never seen before.

Then, he looked directly into Ban's eyes.

The Sharingan's basic abilities are activated.

In the instant that only a second had passed in the real world, time was stretched infinitely in the mental illusion constructed by the Sharingan.

Yan Sheng transmitted all the key information he knew—about Black Zetsu's conspiracy, the truth about Kaguya Otsutsuki, the deception of the Eye of the Moon Plan, and his basic information about his origins from other worlds—to Madara's consciousness through his eye power, like a "compressed file."

Then, everyone present saw that after the mysterious man coughed up blood and exchanged a glance with Madara, Madara Uchiha, who had been calm and composed and seemed to be in control of everything, suddenly changed his expression.

It was an expression that mixed shock, rage, and chilling killing intent. His aura instantly turned incredibly gloomy, like thunderclouds about to unleash a destructive storm.

"Black Zetsu... Kaguya... Good, very good!" Madara practically spat out these few words full of ferocity through gritted teeth.

Clearly, he had received and understood the message that Yan Sheng was conveying.

The next moment, to the astonishment of the Allied Forces, Madara Uchiha strode up to the man. He reached out as if to grab the man's shoulder, but the latter suddenly went limp and fell straight forward.

Ban instinctively caught him, his arms going under the other's knees and back in a perfect princess carry, holding the unconscious Yan Sheng in his arms.

He glanced down at the pale face of the person in his arms, blood still lingering at the corner of their mouth, his brows furrowed. Without looking at the allied forces again, he carried Yan Sheng and with a few swift leaps, his figure disappeared from the battlefield, leaving behind only a scene of chaos and the bewildered ninja allied forces staring at each other, completely confused.

"They're... leaving already?" Someone murmured, expressing the thoughts of everyone present.

The battlefield fell into an eerie, post-apocalyptic silence.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Naruto was the first to react. His orange figure rushed forward, his face filled with anxiety.

"Oh no! Madara took the man who helped us away!" Naruto shouted urgently, the Nine-Tails' chakra unconsciously emanating wisps of golden light around him. "We have to go save him!"

In his simplistic logic, the man's act of shattering the meteorite at the last moment, saving thousands of ninja soldiers, was undoubtedly a righteous act on their side.

Therefore, even if he resembles Madara Uchiha and they might be related, Naruto doesn't believe that the man and Madara are on the same side. Furthermore, his aid to the Allied Forces is a given, and now that he's been taken away by Madara, who is clearly in a state of rage, his situation is undoubtedly extremely dangerous.

"Wait, Naruto!" Gaara manipulated sand to form a thin sand wall in front of Naruto in an attempt to block him.

He thought more deeply than Naruto, his brow furrowed. "That person's identity... and Madara's final attitude... he might not necessarily harm that person."

Gaara could see clearly that although Madara was angry, his anger was not directed at the mysterious man himself, but rather he was furious because he had learned some information.

Furthermore, while Madara's actions in taking that person away were forceful, they were not brutal. On the other hand, if they had rashly given chase, the consequences of facing Madara Uchiha in his rage would have been unimaginable.

However, Naruto's actions often outpaced his thoughts. In the brief moment that Gaara hesitated and tried to dissuade him, Naruto had already bypassed the sand wall with his astonishing speed, transforming into a golden streak of light and rushing headlong in the direction Madara had left.

Seeing this, Gaara knew he couldn't stop him; he couldn't let Naruto face such a huge risk alone. Left with no other choice, he manipulated the sand clouds to lift himself up and chase after him.

However, the uneasy premonition in his heart grew stronger.

Just as Naruto and Gaara left the main battlefield, the space in the center of the battlefield distorted violently. Accompanied by a powerful chakra fluctuation, three figures suddenly appeared, accompanied by the unique light of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

—These were the three Kage: Raikage A, Hokage Tsunade, and Mizukage Mei Terumi, who had just finished dealing with their respective battlefield emergencies and rushed to provide support by using the Flying Thunder God Kunai reserved by Minato Namikaze, sparing no expense in consuming a large amount of chakra for ultra-long-distance teleportation.

Raikage A, his body wreathed in raging lightning chakra, his muscles bulging, roared in a charging stance, "Uchiha Madara! Let's fight to the death!"

The Yin Seal on Tsunade's forehead has been released, and the black lines of the Hundred Healings Seal have spread across her face and arms. Powerful life force and chakra surged, and her clenched fists were filled with monstrous strength, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

Mei Terumi was surrounded by misty vapor, her two bloodline limits chakra ready to be unleashed. Her alluring eyes held a chilling killing intent as she prepared to use Lava Release and Boil Release to seal off her enemy's movements.

Three Kage, standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world, descended upon the battlefield with a do-or-die mentality and their strongest stance, ready to face a fierce battle against the legendary Asura of the ninja world.

However......

The deafening battle cries and explosions of ninjutsu clashes that were expected did not occur; nor did the imagined scene of Madara Uchiha ravaging the battlefield like a demon god and the Allied Forces struggling to hold on.

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

The only sounds were the mournful whistling of the wind blowing through the scorched earth, stirring up dust, and the heavy, suppressed gasps of countless Allied ninjas who had survived the ordeal.

Well, the battlefield was indeed a mess, with craters, cracks, and still-burning flames everywhere, proving that a great battle had just taken place here.

However, the key figure they had envisioned—Uchiha Madara—was nowhere to be found.

The three shadows remained frozen in place, their expressions shifting from extreme tension and determination to astonishment and confusion.

Raikage A looked around, his resolute face filled with question marks, and shouted in a booming voice with a hint of uncertainty, "W-what's going on? Where's Uchiha Madara?!"

Tsunade also dissipated the chakra in her fist, the Hundred Healings mark slowly fading. Her sharp gaze swept across the battlefield, noticing the terrifyingly large traces of chakra remaining in the air. And the surrounding boulders, shattered by some immense force and now reduced to scattered rubble... the remains of those boulders?

Her brows furrowed deeply: "Are we too late? The battle is already over?"

Mei Terumi suppressed her murderous aura and bloodline limit. Looking at the complex expressions of fear, shock, and confusion on the faces of the Allied Shinobi Forces around her, she was filled with doubts.

This is hardly the scene of a victory, but it is also not the despair of a crushing defeat.

“It seems,” she said, her red lips parting slightly, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness and inquiry, “that something… happened here before we arrived…something beyond our expectations.”

One of the allied commanders, who was nearby, finally recovered from the shock and rushed to the three Kage, his voice still trembling: "Raikage-sama! Hokage-sama! Mizukage-sama! This is what happened..."

"What?!" The three shadows exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.

A man who looks a lot like Madara Uchiha saved them? And then Madara Uchiha took him away?

What is all this nonsense?! No wonder I didn't see Madara Uchiha! He's already gone!

***

Consciousness, like a stone sinking into the deep sea, plummeted into endless darkness, only to be pulled to the surface with difficulty by a bone-chilling cold and a distant, faint rumbling.

Yan Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, and what came into view was a thick, pitch-black sky, devoid of any stars. Beneath him was the cold, hard earth. The damp, cold wind scraped across his skin like knives, taking away his already dwindling body heat, leaving his hands and feet icy cold and even somewhat numb.

He let out a suppressed groan and forced himself to sit up.

My body still felt empty, and the burning pain and weakness from using "Fleeting Beauty" lingered in my meridians. My head also throbbed as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but judging from the explosions and the aftershocks of chakra collisions that he could still hear coming from different directions, he was clearly still on the battlefield.

Memories flooded back like fragments—shattering a meteorite, collapsing his body, coughing up blood, and before completely losing consciousness, transmitting the truth about Black Zetsu, Kaguya, and the Eye of the Moon Plan to this world through his Sharingan.

Madara... hasn't stopped?

Yan Sheng frowned. He leaned on a charred rock beside him and stood up with some difficulty, looking around.

Based on my experience dealing with Madara Uchiha from the previous world, Madara is not someone who can be easily persuaded.

In the previous world, he spent a whole week systematically instilling political, economic, and ruling techniques in him before he could barely get Ban to change his mind.

In this world, he merely conveyed the message; he had no time to shake Ban's deep-seated beliefs and the plans he had already put into practice.

...So, the result is predictable:

After learning the truth, Madara may be angry at being deceived, but this anger will not stop him. Instead, it will drive him to implement the "Eye of the Moon Project" in a more intense and direct way.

Yan Sheng took a deep breath of the cold, gunpowder-scented air, forcibly suppressing his physical discomfort, and his eyes became calm and expressionless.

Right now, the most urgent task is to find Uchiha Madara as soon as possible, figure out his current intentions, and try to stop the core crisis of Kaguya's resurrection.

He determined his direction and stealthily made his way towards the area where chakra fluctuations were most intense and explosions were most frequent. His figure moved through the battlefield like a ghost, avoiding sporadic engagements.

Soon, he arrived at a relatively open area.

The sight before him made him pause slightly.

In the arena, a man dressed in a black robe with red cloud patterns and wearing a white, swirling, one-eyed mask was engaged in fierce combat with Kakashi Hatake. Both men moved with lightning speed, their Sharingan and Kamui spatial distortion powers intertwining, and the light of their kunai and chibi flashed intermittently.

Immediately afterward, a golden figure joined the battle like a cannonball—it was Naruto Uzumaki. His attacks were swift and powerful, and he coordinated perfectly with Kakashi, launching a fierce assault on the masked man.

With perfect coordination, Naruto's Rasengan struck the masked man's mask hard.

"Snap—"

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the white mask shattered, scattering fragments to reveal the face hidden beneath. It was a young and familiar face, though etched with a hint of weariness and obsession, yet Yan Sheng still recognized it:

It's Uchiha Obito.

Obito Uchiha of this world.

However, one of his eyes is the Rinnegan, and the other is the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Kakashi stared at that face, his pupils contracting sharply, clearly shocked: "You... how is this possible... Obito?!"

Naruto was also stunned: "Obito? Kakashi-sensei, he's the one you always mention..."

The atmosphere in the room became extremely strange and heavy.

Just as the drama of truth being revealed and old friends reuniting was unfolding, a deep, magnetic voice, tinged with amusement and authority, seemed to come from the heavens, resounding clearly throughout the area:

"Having fun, Obito?"

Everyone's eyes, including Yan Sheng who had just arrived and was hiding in the shadows, turned toward the sound.

Not far away, on a towering, not yet completely collapsed rock, Uchiha Madara was already standing. He was still wearing his red layered armor, his black hair dancing in the wind, his Rinnegan indifferently looking down at the crowd below.

His appearance instantly shifted the focus of the audience from Obito.

An even greater, more suffocating sense of oppression descended.

No one can deny that Madara Uchiha himself was an invisible deterrent.

His power surpassed the comprehension of ordinary ninjas; it was a terrifying force that had essentially ascended to the realm of mythology. Coupled with his unwavering, ruthless heart that viewed all living beings as mere ants...

The title "Asura" is truly fitting.

Therefore, even in the decades after his "death," his name never truly disappeared from the ninja world. It became a legend, a warning, and an indelible shadow in the hearts of some who experienced that era.

When older generations of ninjas educate their juniors, they speak with reverence about Uchiha Madara, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the First Hokage, and ultimately parted ways with him...

Some people, like the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, would sigh in the quiet of the night about the grandeur of that era and the extraordinary talent of that man; many more would secretly rejoice that such a walking calamity had passed away, bringing decades of "relative peace" to the ninja world.

Whether one feels a sense of regret or relief, it all confirms one fact: the name Uchiha Madara is deeply imprinted in the memory of this world, and his prestige is so profound that anyone who hears of his resurrection will feel a chill run down their spine.

He is a living legend, and a walking nightmare.

......

The situation on the battlefield can change in an instant.

Under Madara's all-encompassing gaze, the ferocious and enormous Ten-Tails let out a deafening roar. Thick chakra frantically condensed in its mouth, and a Tailed Beast Ball exuding an aura of destruction quickly took shape, its target being the Allied Shinobi Forces.

The allied forces were ashen-faced; any resistance against an attack of this magnitude would be futile.

However, just as the Tailed Beast Ball was about to be launched, a sudden change occurred.

Obito Uchiha, standing atop the Ten-Tails, momentarily froze and struggled. In that extremely brief instant, the Ten-Tails' movements deviated almost imperceptibly.

"boom--!"

The massive Tailed Beast Ball whistled past the edge of the Allied Forces camp, exploding into a huge mushroom cloud on the distant horizon. Even from such a distance, the violent shockwave still caused chaos and disarray within the Allied Forces camp, but ultimately... it avoided a direct hit.

"It's Ino! Yamanaka Ino's mind-shifting technique is working!" someone in the allied forces shouted in surprise.

It turned out that Ino, a girl from the Konoha mountain clan, risked a great deal to briefly interfere with Obito's control over the Ten-Tails with her mental power, causing the Tailed Beast Ball to miss its mark.

All of this was observed by Yan Sheng, who was hiding in the shadows.

He did not show himself, not because he was afraid of fighting, but because he was searching for Black Zetsu's whereabouts.

He suspected, no, he was certain, that Black Zetsu was lurking somewhere on the battlefield, coldly watching everything, waiting for the right moment to fulfill its millennia-old wish to save its mother.

As for the truth about Black Zetsu that he had previously passed on to Madara Uchiha... Yan Sheng tends to believe that Madara did nothing.

Otherwise, the situation would never have developed to this point.

—Based on his understanding of Madara, he speculated on Madara's mentality: Madara was certainly furious after learning the truth, but he felt more "understanding" and "disdain".

He believed that now that he knew Black Zetsu's schemes and identity, this cowardly rat could no longer pose a real threat to him. He was confident that his power was sufficient to control everything, and that any of Black Zetsu's small actions would be exposed once he was on guard.

Therefore, he will choose to stand by and watch, see what other tricks Black Zetsu can pull, and then strike and crush him when the time comes.

That's really true... no matter which world, freckles are the same.

Yan Sheng sighed silently in his heart.

This absolute confidence in its own strength, this almost "inclusive" attitude of letting potential threats run rampant, may seem magnanimous, but in reality, it harbors endless hidden dangers.

In this situation, if things don't go wrong, all is well; but if they do go wrong, there will be no hope of recovery.

Madara will never know, or rather, even if he did know, he wouldn't care at all.

Yan Sheng's thoughts drifted away, returning to the past.

Back when the Uchiha and Senju formed an alliance and established the village, many rumors circulated within the village that were detrimental to Madara, questioning him personally and sowing discord between him and Hashirama Senju.

Ban naturally dismissed it, but over time, the rumors intensified and even affected how some people in the clan viewed him.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the villagers who initially spread the rumors had no recollection of the incident.

Who did it? Who else could it be but Black Zetsu, who lurks in the shadows, a master of manipulating people's hearts, concealing his tracks, and using "manipulation techniques"?

If Izuna hadn't discovered it in time and stopped it with swift and decisive action, coupled with Hashirama Senju's complete trust, Madara's reputation in the village would probably have been ruined long ago.

Ban may not care, but over time, seeing the village he had worked so hard to build being eroded by rumors, and seeing his companions and clansmen casting doubtful glances at him, how could he not feel heartbroken?

Brother Ban is still too kind.

All of these thoughts flashed through Yan Sheng's mind like lightning, taking only a second.

He quickly composed himself and began to consider his next move.

It's unrealistic to expect Madara to take the initiative to eliminate Black Zetsu. Therefore, this hidden danger can only be removed by him.

If Black Zetsu is controlled, sealed, or destroyed, then the greatest opportunity for Kaguya Otsutsuki's resurrection will be nipped in the bud. The remaining issues, whether dealing with the Ten-Tails or confronting Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha, will be relatively "simple."

Yan Sheng silently changed his position, concealing his aura to the extreme. His Mangekyou Sharingan slowly rotated in the darkness, meticulously searching for that unique, cold, and malicious aura in this chaotic and vast battlefield.

***

The Tailed Beast Ball, which had veered off course, exploded in the distance. The enormous roar briefly paused the chaotic battle, and the entire arena fell silent. Everyone was stunned by the power of the Tailed Beast Ball.

Madara Uchiha stood atop the Ten-Tails, his Rinnegan not focused on the Allied Forces below, who were agitated by the relief of surviving the catastrophe, nor on Obito, who was becoming restless due to being caught off guard.

His gaze, like a searchlight, swept across every part of the battlefield with a clear purpose, as if searching for something.

His obviously absent-minded demeanor caught the eye of Obito, who was already annoyed by the missed Tailed Beast Ball, and it ignited a nameless anger within him.

Obito snorted coldly, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic:

"What, even the great Uchiha Madara has moments of distraction? What are you looking for? Could it be... that your little lover is hiding in this chaotic battlefield?"

These words were sharp and sarcastic, carrying a strong sense of revenge. They were a response to Madara's earlier playful and suggestive remark, "Having fun, Obito?", and a mockery of his relationship with Kakashi.

--friend?

This word had long since rotted and stank in Obito's mind.

From the moment he witnessed Rin's chest burst with lightning and she collapsed into Kakashi's arms on that blood-red dusk, he felt nothing but a deep-seated hatred for Kakashi.

Back then, at the Kannabi Bridge, to save Kakashi, he was willing to be crushed to pieces by rocks, and he even gave Kakashi his eye, which was important to everyone, especially the Uchiha clan...

Kakashi clearly promised to protect Rin! But what happened? He personally pierced Rin's heart with his Lightning Blade!

He will never forgive Kakashi, much less this hypocritical world that created such despairing rules!

To Obito's surprise, Madara did not get angry at his almost provocative and sarcastic tone. Instead, he replied calmly, "Just looking for someone."

This overly calm reaction startled Obito, who couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who?"

Ban Xunsou's gaze paused slightly, and after a moment of silence, he said indifferently in a "none of your business" tone, "Who cares who it is? What does it have to do with you?"

Obito was taken aback by these words, then became furious and his tone hardened: "Hmph, you better not abandon our plan halfway because of some random person."

Madara finally turned his gaze away from the battlefield and glanced at Obito indifferently.

"I'll return those words to you verbatim."

Let's rewind a little.

Just as Yan Sheng collapsed from exhaustion and lost consciousness, Madara finished reading the massive amount of information transmitted through his Sharingan. His overwhelming rage erupted like a volcano, instantly engulfing Madara's reason.

Black Zetsu... Kaguya's Will... A Thousand-Year Deception...

The rage of being fooled and betrayed was enough to burn everything. Had Black Zetsu been in Madara's sight at that moment, Madara would have killed him without hesitation.

However, Madara Uchiha was, after all, Madara Uchiha. Following his extreme rage came a swift and sub-zero calm.

He stood alone in a corner of the battlefield, letting the storm in his heart subside, replaced by cold-blooded calculation.

Now that things have come to this, is the Eye of the Moon plan completely unfeasible? Not necessarily.

The core concept of Infinite Tsukuyomi creating an eternal dream still holds appeal; otherwise, he wouldn't have been persuaded by it back then. The problem lies in the "flaw" in its execution—namely, Black Zetsu, the parasite who intended to steal the fruit at the last moment.

The solution is simple: just remove the "flaw".

Madara did not immediately attack Black Zetsu, just as Yan Sheng had speculated: besides feeling indifferent, the deeper reason was to "play along with the plan."

In summary, my mindset is: Since you dare to deceive me and attempt to betray me at the last moment, then I will show you what true wickedness in the human heart is.

Madara planned to play along with Black Zetsu, letting Black Zetsu believe that the plan was going smoothly, keeping it busy, and making it devote all its efforts to reviving Kaguya... He himself would, at the most crucial moment, when Black Zetsu thought success was within reach, personally extinguish all its hopes, making it experience the despair of falling from the clouds into the abyss.

This is the most perfect revenge against the deceivers.

Madara believed that his power was enough to control the whole situation. Any small move by Black Zetsu was nothing more than a clumsy performance by a clown once Madara was on guard.

He even looked forward to seeing the incredulous expression on Black Zetsu's face when he ruthlessly exposed and crushed Black Zetsu just before his final plan succeeded.

However, while implementing this "using a counter-strategy" plan, the image of the person who had given him the information and then vomited blood and fainted involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

—His younger brother, who claims to be from another world.

After temporarily leaving the main battlefield with his unconscious brother from another world, Madara placed him behind a relatively secluded rock.

He quickly assessed the other person's condition and determined that the main cause of the unconsciousness was the severe depletion of chakra and mental energy. Coupled with the fact that the person was already weak, it was like a cracked container that had been forcibly subjected to power far exceeding its limits and was on the verge of breaking.

If left unchecked, it could very well die.

Given that the other party had passed on crucial information to him, Madara decided to lend a hand. He attempted to mobilize his chakra and use medical ninjutsu, which he was not proficient in. However, his destructive chakra nature, while adept at destruction, proved inadequate for repair.

His crude energy flow not only failed to alleviate the injury, but also caused the person to frown and their breathing to become even more disordered.

"Troublesome." Ban clicked his tongue impatiently, giving up on the idea of ​​treating himself.

Not long after, he returned to the main battlefield and, in a medical platoon that was treating the wounded, randomly selected a "lucky one." Under the horrified gaze of the lucky one, he snatched him away like a chick and threw him next to Yan Sheng.

"Save him."

The medical ninja was terrified. After a trembling examination, his face turned pale: "He has overdrawn his vital energy and his meridians are damaged in many places. Ordinary healing techniques are powerless. I... my abilities are limited."

Madara frowned even more deeply, remaining silent as he tossed the useless medical ninja back to his original spot, eliciting gasps of surprise. He then repeated the process, capturing over a dozen more medical ninjas in succession.

Under Madara's death stare, these medical ninjas did their utmost, unleashing a flurry of healing techniques, but none of them were very effective.

Yan Sheng's body was like a bottomless pit; ordinary "healing" chakra injected into it was like a stone sinking into the sea.

In the end, with the combined efforts of more than a dozen people, Yan Sheng was barely pulled back from the brink of death and his injuries were stabilized, but he was still far from fully recovered.

Ban looked at Yan Sheng, whose face was still pale but whose breathing had finally calmed down, and the inexplicable irritation in his heart subsided slightly.

After that, he threw all the kidnapped people back, and then turned to deal with the Ten-Tails and Obito.

However, he didn't completely let things go unchecked. Before leaving, he set up a simple barrier around the area so that he would know immediately if anyone forcibly broke in or if Yan Sheng left on his own.

Therefore, Madara was aware of Yan Sheng's awakening and departure. He just hadn't expected that the guy would disappear so soon after waking up.

The battlefield has no eyes; running around recklessly will cost you your life.

I don't know what I was doing in that other world, leaving such a frail younger brother unattended.

A thought flashed through Ban's mind.

But then he remembered Yan Sheng's stunning and domineering figure when he shattered the two Heavenly Obstruction Stars.

Um.

Madara's lips twitched slightly. As expected of Madara's younger brother, even with his frail body, the radiance he exuded was still remarkable.

***

What is Yan Sheng doing right now, whom Madara is thinking about? He is enduring his physical discomfort and moving around the battlefield.

Finding Black Zetsu is no easy task. That guy's ability to hide is top-notch. He is like a shadow that blends into the earth, and his aura is completely integrated with nature. If it weren't for the fact that his aura is the same as Muzan Kibutsuji's, which he is very sensitive to, it would be impossible for him to catch Black Zetsu unless it appears in front of him.

"Cough, cough." Yan Sheng couldn't help but let out a series of suppressed coughs, each cough pulling at his chest and bringing waves of tearing pain.

He felt a familiar, metallic taste rise deep in his throat—the taste of blood. He forced it back down, his face growing even paler.

It seems this backlash is more severe than he imagined. He thought to himself.

If only Hashirama Senju were here.

Just as this thought arose in his mind...

"Buzz—!"

Several incredibly powerful chakra surges, accompanied by the unique aura of the Impure World Reincarnation, suddenly soared into the sky from the other end of the battlefield. Within that aura was a particularly vast and vibrant power, one that Yan Sheng recognized very well: it was Hashirama Senju.

If possible, he would love to go find Hashirama Senju. Just for his good looks, Hashirama Senju would probably agree to help him recharge.

Unfortunately, he has more important things to do right now.

Yan Sheng stopped, looked up, and stared intently at a seemingly normal area of ​​dust swirling in the distance, caused by the aftershocks of the battle.

Found it.

That extremely faint, cold aura, seemingly from the depths of the underworld, was well hidden, but Yan Sheng finally managed to catch a trace of it through his deliberate and meticulous search.

......

In the center of the battlefield, under Obito's control, the Ten-Tails once again gathered terrifying chakra, preparing to launch a new round of devastating attacks.

The Allied Ninjas were on high alert, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Meanwhile, Madara Uchiha was temporarily "engaged" by Hashirama Senju, and the two retreated to the side to have their own conversation and confrontation.

Just then.

The sky suddenly brightened without warning.

Several enormous chains, as if cast from pure gold, emerged from the void like divine reins descending from the heavens. Each chain was astonishingly thick, inscribed with ancient and complex runes, flowing with a sacred and majestic light, and radiating a heart-stopping power.

This was originally the ultimate sealing technique passed down through generations of the Uzumaki clan—the Vajra Sealing Technique.

In order to deal with Black Zetsu, Yan Sheng had systematically studied various sealing techniques. With his talent and learning ability, mastering this technique would not be difficult.

As for why he was able to learn the secret techniques of the Uzumaki clan... well, there must be some unknown story behind it.

We've gone off on a tangent.

The reason it is described as "originally" is because the Vajra Lock that is now displayed before everyone is far more powerful than before.

Yan Sheng, who added the power of the Rinnegan to the Golden Light Sealing Technique on a whim, said: "It's quite powerful."

Countless golden chains swiftly wrapped around the roaring Ten-Tails, causing the once mountain-shaking creature to howl in pain. Its struggles visibly slowed, and its chakra gathering was forcibly interrupted and suppressed.

The other part of the chains, like a precision-guided arrow, pierced through a patch of empty ground with a shrill whistling sound as it tore through space.

"Boom—!"

The earth trembled violently, and the pierced ground instantly exploded into a huge crater, stirring up clouds of dust and debris.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden, almost miraculous scene.

Whether it was Madara and Hashirama facing off, Obito controlling the Ten-Tails, or the Allied Shinobi struggling to hold on... they all looked up, mouths agape, incredulously staring at the golden chains in the sky, interwoven like a net, radiating endless majesty.

Who is it?!

Under countless gazes filled with shock, bewilderment, and awe, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged. His steps appeared steady, but were actually unsteady.

Above the sky.

The Vajra Lock, empowered by the Rinnegan, radiated a magnificent divine might, with one part firmly binding the Ten-Tails and the other part penetrating deep into the earth.

Yan Sheng lowered his head, his dark hair falling down and casting shadows on his delicate face. He suddenly raised his hand and covered his mouth tightly, his shoulders trembling slightly as he suppressed something.

"Cough, cough."

An uncontrollable, heart-wrenching cough rang out.

He coughed so violently that it felt like his internal organs were being shaken out. At first, he tried to block it with his hands, but soon the gushing warm liquid broke through the "blockage" between his fingers.

Crimson blood, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, glaringly oozed from his pale fingers, meandering down the back of his hand, dripping onto his dark clothes and splashing onto the scorched earth beneath his feet, spreading a small, shocking patch of dark red.

He tried to stand up straight, maintaining his ingrained dignity, but the dizziness from blood loss and extreme weakness made him sway, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

His blood-stained hand hung limply, leaving a winding trail of blood on his side, a stark and shocking contrast to his pale, almost translucent face.

Yan Sheng ignored the gazes directed at him, his eyes indifferent, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and fixed firmly on the area pierced by the golden chains, where the smoke and dust were gradually dissipating. His voice, hoarse from coughing, said:

"Gotcha, Black Zetsu."

-----------------------

Author's Note: This weak guy's sickly nature has finally come to the fore. I originally intended to write a story of a beautiful, strong, and tragic character, but it seems I only managed the beautiful and strong aspects; the tragic parts didn't quite come through...

Originally, I wanted to write something like a Warring States period "Lin Daiyu" (a character from a popular TV series), but as I wrote, I felt I was too weak and it wasn't satisfying enough, so subconsciously I overlooked that aspect. [Crinkles]