Chapter 63 Mission Completed / Capture the Jinchuriki / Betrayal...
To ensure he could effectively deal with the "enemies from beyond the heavens" after returning to his own world, Yan Sheng devoted a great deal of energy to studying the Otsutsuki clan.
He employed a two-pronged approach: on one hand, he continued to "interrogate" the sealed Black Zetsu, extracting its only value; on the other hand, he used all means to investigate and search for any information or materials that might be related to the Otsutsuki.
The good news is that Black Zetsu, in order to survive, or rather, to preserve the hope of reviving Kaguya, did indeed reveal all the information he knew.
From the basic "operation" mode of the Otsutsuki clan to the details of Kaguya's descent into this world, and even its fear of the Otsutsuki main family possibly coming to exterminate it, everything poured out like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.
The bad news is that Yan Sheng himself could not find any direct and conclusive records about the Otsutsuki.
However, after carefully considering the information provided by Black Zetsu, he felt that this was normal. If what Black Zetsu said was true, this was the way this race operated: they would initially only send a pair of partners to infiltrate the target planet, plant the divine tree, and absorb its energy.
Once the fruit is ripe, the lower-ranking beings sacrifice themselves so that the higher-ranking beings can devour the fruit and gain evolution and power.
The entire process will not leave many traces on the target planet.
Just like humans don't develop excessive emotions towards food.
The Otsutsuki partner sent to this planet is a rather special case.
Kaguya Otsutsuki, Black Zetsu's mother, is revered in this world as the progenitor of chakra and the goddess of the rabbit. In reality, she is the "inferior" one of the partners.
However, she betrayed her partner and her "duty," betraying her companion, who was in a "superior" position, at a crucial moment, and keeping the chakra fruit containing the essence of the planet's life for herself.
After all that, Kaguya Otsutsuki's so-called protection of the world was, in essence, for her own benefit. It wasn't at all the noble and righteous cause that Black Zetsu portrayed.
However, Yen Sheng did not think there was anything wrong with it.
Survival is the most primal and intense instinct of any living being. Kaguya Otsutsuki didn't want to die, nor did she want to become a stepping stone for her comrades' advancement, so she chose to rebel, which is perfectly normal.
Throughout Yan Sheng's long years of experience, the choices made for survival, whether glamorous or ugly, were simply a part of reality.
Ultimately, in this betrayal and plunder that spanned the stars, the true victims were undoubtedly the planets that passively endured everything.
The planetary consciousness also wanted to save itself. Thus, he arrived, and the deal between him and the planetary consciousness was fair: he got what he wanted, and the planetary consciousness was saved.
How can it not be a win-win situation?
***
The egg-shaped stone, covered with intricate black patterns and containing the consciousness of Black Zetsu, was casually placed in a corner of the desk by Yan Sheng.
He himself sat on the sofa next to him, holding an ancient book with yellowed paper that described the deeds of the Sage of Six Paths.
As Yan Sheng perused these records, he confirmed once again what he had previously discovered in his own world—the historical discontinuity was extremely severe.
Much crucial information is missing; there are only fragmented, embellished, distorted, or outright "deleted" legends.
But now...
Having learned of the Otsutsuki's existence, Yan Sheng understood the reason behind this gap. Clearly, it was Kaguya Otsutsuki who deliberately created this to delay the discovery by the main family.
Records about Kaguya Otsutsuki are extremely rare, with only fragmentary accounts that are full of mythological elements and have no practical value.
There are relatively more records about the Sage of Six Paths, but they are also shrouded in mythology, described in a mystical and esoteric way, with very little truly useful information.
At that moment, Yan Sheng suddenly had a thought.
The tailed beasts have lived for a very long time. Do they know anything about ancient times?
So, after picking Sasuke up from school that day, Kokushibo asked Sasuke for the three tailed beasts back, saying that he had something to ask them.
Sasuke didn't think much of it, just grunted in response and went back to his room to do his homework.
Yan Sheng then led the three little ones into his room.
He acted cautiously, setting up a barrier just in case to ensure that the conversation inside the room would never be overheard by any external force, and that he would be able to detect anyone approaching immediately.
Only after doing all that did he get to the point.
......
“Of course we know the Sage of Six Paths.” The five-tailed fox said gently, its tone filled with reverence and respect when it mentioned the Sage of Six Paths. “The Sage of Six Paths is the one who created us. In your human terms, the Sage of Six Paths is our father.”
Yan Sheng seemed to be deep in thought, then asked his second question: "So, what do you know about the Sage of Six Paths' mother?"
This time, it was Nanami Shigeaki who answered, flapping its wings as it replied, "I don't know. The Sage of Six Paths has never mentioned his mother, and we have never asked her either."
Unfortunately, the tailed beasts were unable to provide any further information about Kaguya Otsutsuki, which was what Yan Sheng most wanted to know.
***
Time flies, and autumn quietly arrives.
The sweltering heat in the air was replaced by a touch of coolness, and the edges of the leaves began to turn a pale golden yellow.
According to his birth date in this life, Yan Sheng will be twenty-three years old after this autumn. But he doesn't feel much about it.
The world's consciousness had already told him that there was no need to worry about the flow of time. No matter how long he stayed in the mission world, once he returned, his own timeline would be anchored at the moment he traveled through time.
In other words, the time he spends in this world is at most an increase in his spiritual experience; his physical age will not change.
This was nothing to Yan Sheng.
Including his previous life, he has lived for over three hundred years, and with this life added, it's nearly four hundred years in total. His personality and values have long been set, and he has long seen through the ways of the world.
Time could no longer change anything for him.
Speaking of birthdays, it's quite a coincidence—Naruto Uzumaki's birthday is only five days apart from his.
Yen Sheng himself doesn't have any special thoughts or expectations about celebrating his birthday.
After being reborn as a ghost in his previous life, no one would celebrate his birthday anymore. Although his family celebrates with him in this life, his birthday is just a day, something he can do without, and it doesn't stir up much of a ripple in his life.
But he knew that children were different. They usually looked forward to their birthdays, anticipating gifts, blessings, and the joy of being treated specially.
Thinking back to the information he had gathered in the village over the past few days about Naruto Uzumaki—the child had no family or guardian and lived alone in a cold apartment.
Given his terrible living conditions, it's unlikely anyone would celebrate his birthday.
In that case...
In order to further deepen the emotional bond between Naruto and Sasuke and solidify the connection he had carefully guided to build, Michiru decided to celebrate Naruto's birthday.
Subsequent developments unfolded exactly as Yan Sheng had predicted.
When Naruto, accompanied by Kokushibo and Sasuke, saw a specially prepared cake, not very big, decorated with fruit, and a gift that was meant for him, the blond boy was stunned at first, then his eyes quickly reddened, and then large tears fell down his cheeks.
He wiped his eyes hard and choked up as he told Yan Sheng that from now on Sasuke would be his best friend, Sasuke's affairs would be his affairs, and he would never let anyone bully Sasuke.
Sasuke's face flushed slightly, and he said awkwardly, "You, a loser like you, want to protect others? You should worry about yourself first."
Naruto immediately retorted, and the two argued back and forth for a while, which actually livened up the atmosphere.
Suddenly, Naruto seemed to have thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Then Sasuke and I can be brothers too!"
Yan Sheng watched this scene and happily chimed in, "You two were born in the same year. Sasuke's birthday is in July, and yours is in October. According to seniority, Sasuke is the elder brother, and you are the younger brother."
Although Naruto was a little reluctant to call Sasuke "older brother" and scratched his head in hesitation, he finally nodded for the sake of the cake and gifts: "Then...then I'll be the younger brother."
"Who asked you to be my younger brother!" Sasuke instantly bristled, his ears turning bright red as he retorted. However, beneath that retort lay no genuine disgust, but rather a hint of helpless embarrassment.
Yan Sheng watched the lively interaction between the two boys and felt satisfied.
Indeed, only when a strong emotional bond is established can a person avoid being as reckless and prone to extremes as when single. Whatever one wants to do in the future, one must always consider the people around them; this connection is the best safety net.
The surprises from this successful birthday celebration didn't stop there.
On the very night the birthday party ended, just as Yan Sheng was preparing to meditate and rest, a clear and profound thought, like ripples on the surface of water, emerged directly from the depths of his mind.
The gist is: He successfully prevented Sasuke Uchiha from destroying the world in the future, and Sasuke's life has turned in a different direction.
The planetary consciousness of this world conveyed its gratitude to him and informed him that the transaction was complete. If he wished to return to his original world, he only needed to think of it, and it could send him back at any time. At the same time, it also reminded him that his stay in this world was not indefinite; the maximum period he could stay was three months.
After processing this information, Yan Sheng's deep eyes gleamed, and a bold and tempting idea suddenly sprouted like a new bud breaking through the soil.
***
Since falling into Yan Sheng's hands and being sealed away, Black Zetsu has been plagued by anxiety and unease. What chills it even more is the clear realization of its perilous situation:
First of all, by its own strength, it had absolutely no chance of escaping this man's control. Its fate rested entirely on Yan Sheng's whim, on whether he would suddenly have a change of heart and release it.
Secondly, judging from Yan Sheng's indifferent attitude, he clearly had no intention of letting him go.
Finally, and most fatally, Yan Sheng possesses the ability to completely kill and annihilate it. In other words, once Yan Sheng decides to kill, its will, which has lasted for thousands of years, will vanish, and its grand plan to resurrect its mother will also be shattered.
In conclusion, Black Zetsu was acutely aware that he was standing on the edge of a cliff, with an abyss of no return below.
So why did it tell Yan Sheng about the Eye of the Moon Project? It answered almost everything it knew. The reason is simple: whether it told him or not, it was going to die anyway.
—It's because whether I tell or not, I'll die!
If it spoke, it could live a little longer, and during that time, it might retain a tiny, negligible chance to try and persuade Yan Sheng. If it didn't speak, it wouldn't even have that last chance to struggle; it would be utterly destroyed.
Just when Black Zetsu felt that the road ahead was bleak and could only place its last unrealistic hope on Uchiha Obito, hoping that he would discover its disappearance and come to its rescue, it realized with despair that even if Obito came, could he really save it from this unfathomable man?
The answer is no.
Otherwise, Obito wouldn't have run away last time.
This situation seems to have reached a dead end.
So...
Black Zetsu's imprisoned consciousness was filled with resentment.
Where did this man come from? Why does he look so much like Madara? And why have I never noticed his existence before? It's as if he appeared out of thin air.
As time passed day by day, Black Zetsu grew more and more desperate, sinking into numbness, seemingly destined to sink into silence like the stone it had been sealed into. Then, Yan Sheng's calm, unwavering voice rang out:
"What is needed to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki?"
It wasn't a question, but a statement. The tone was as flat as if asking about today's weather.
Black Jue suddenly shuddered, and the sealed black substance inside the stone began to fluctuate violently.
"...?!"
***
After confirming again and again that Yan Sheng meant exactly what he understood, Hei Jue was instantly overwhelmed by immense joy and disbelief.
She was moved to tears. What a stroke of luck! This man actually wanted to unseal his mother's seal?!
However, Black Zetsu wasn't so naive as to simply believe everything others said; it held doubts about such things.
It wanted to resurrect its mother, heaven and earth bear witness. But what about Uchiha Kokusatsu? What was his purpose in resurrecting his mother?
Yan Sheng saw through Black Zetsu's doubts and, without hiding anything, gave the answer directly, although this answer only confused Black Zetsu more:
"An attempt."
An attempt? What attempt? An attempt to fight against the Otsutsuki? Or something else?
Black Zetsu couldn't understand Yan Sheng's true intentions behind his profound thoughts. However, it quickly put this doubt behind it—who cares! As long as the ultimate goal is to unseal Mother, the process and Yan Sheng's other plans don't matter! As long as Mother can be resurrected, there is always room for maneuver.
"We must revive Mother." Black Zetsu suppressed his excitement and said, "First, we need to collect the nine tailed beasts scattered throughout the ninja world, re-merge them, and restore the Ten-Tails to its original state. This is the foundation for reviving Mother."
"Secondly, we need a powerful vessel. This vessel must be tough enough to withstand the Ten-Tails' incredibly violent chakra. Most importantly, this vessel must also possess the chakra of both Indra and Ashura in order to unleash the crucial power of the Six Paths and provide the necessary 'key' for the resurrection ritual."
"Finally, activate Infinite Tsukuyomi! Let the Divine Tree's Tree World descend, plunging the entire world into a genjutsu, providing Mother with an endless and immense supply of chakra. In this way, Mother can completely break free from the seal and be fully resurrected."
He laid out the core steps of the Eye of the Moon plan, his heart filled with anticipation. With a powerful figure like Yan Sheng joining the fray, the plan's success rate would be greatly increased.
In fact, the collection of the Tailed Beasts was actually handled by Obito Uchiha, who carried it out secretly through the Akatsuki organization he controlled.
However, the Akatsuki organization is currently facing obvious difficulties: a severe shortage of manpower and the fact that its core members have not yet been fully assembled.
More importantly, Nagato, the current leader of Akatsuki, has not yet completely severed ties with his teacher, Jiraiya...
In conclusion, the Akatsuki organization is still in its development stage. If it rashly attempts to capture the Tailed Beasts on a large scale, it will inevitably alert the enemy and attract the joint attack of the five great ninja villages.
To put it bluntly, it was simply that Obito Uchiha wasn't strong enough to crush all resistance with absolute power, so he could only advance slowly.
But Uchiha Kokusatsu was different.
Although Black Zetsu could not accurately measure Yan Sheng's full strength, it could sense that this man was not much weaker than Madara.
It's important to know that the "God of Ninjas" and the "Ninja Asura" of yesteryear were figures who could easily overturn the entire ninja world's order; their titles were not undeserved.
That being said, compared to Madara and Hashirama, Kokushibo was virtually unknown, and in most people's eyes, he was just a sickly, frail man.
But the truth cannot be hidden, and falsehood cannot be made true. Yan Sheng's strength is undeniable; whether people believe him or not will not affect him, and Yan Sheng does not care about other people's opinions.
After listening to Black Zetsu's detailed explanation of the conditions required to revive Kaguya, Yan Sheng gave a flat "hmm," his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation, and his expression remained calm and composed. Black Zetsu was completely unable to fathom his true thoughts and dared not ask any questions rashly.
However, Black Zetsu's doubts did not last long, as it soon witnessed Yan Sheng's "plan".
—This man actually chose the most direct way.
Before setting off, Yan Sheng told Sasuke that he had "something to do and would not return for several days," and then left Konoha with the stone that sealed Black Zetsu.
At first, Black Zetsu thought that Yan Sheng was going to do some preliminary preparations. It even wondered if it should take the opportunity to introduce Yan Sheng to Obito, so that the two could join forces and be more efficient.
However, it soon discovered that it was wildly wrong.
Yan Sheng's actions involved absolutely no "preparation" or "cooperation." His route was simple and brutal: he headed straight for the major ninja villages.
He first targeted the three major ninja villages that each possessed two tailed beasts: Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure.
Faced with these behemoths that have stood tall in the ninja world for decades and are on par with Konoha, Yan Sheng's approach was: two slaps for every beast.
Yes, it's the kind of slap that a tailed beast can deliver.
With Black Zetsu's guidance, he quickly located the Jinchuriki and, before they and the entire village could react, subdued, knocked unconscious, and took them away with overwhelming power.
The entire process was lightning fast and clean, leaving the ninja villages with only their fortified defenses breached, a scene of utter chaos, and the bewilderment and fury of those who had been whipped until they were dizzy and hadn't even seen the enemy's face before losing their important strategic weapon (the Jinchuriki).
Next are the ninja villages that possess a tailed beast: Sunagakure and Takigakure.
With a single slap from a beast, the human jinchūriki was abducted swiftly and decisively, leaving behind chaos and horror.
Five ninja villages, in a short period of time, had their crucial Jinchuriki stolen by the same person in a near-humiliating manner. Although the news was quickly suppressed, it was foreseeable that it wouldn't be long before the various ninja villages communicated and realized something was wrong—someone was plotting something—and then they would join forces to attack.
Black Zetsu, "seeing" all of this through the sealing stone, was completely stunned.
In a daze, it seemed to see the figure of Uchiha Madara.
Madara Uchiha in his prime captured the Tailed Beasts in the same way, as easily as taking candy from a baby. His absolute power, which surpassed all living beings, made it impossible for anyone to even think of resisting.
At this moment, it once again felt that suffocating sense of oppressive power emanating from Yan Sheng.
Black Zetsu was immediately drenched in sweat.
If Yan Sheng truly has a connection with Madara, and a close one at that, then his deception and manipulation of Madara, coupled with his plan to betray him at the last moment... if Yan Sheng finds out...
Isn't it doomed?
Black Zetsu was completely overthinking it. Not to mention that Madara Uchiha of this world had no connection with Yan Sheng, even if it were Madara from Yan Sheng's own original world, given Yan Sheng's personality, he would not feel any "sympathy" or "anger" upon learning that Madara had been deceived and used by Black Zetsu.
He could only think that it was impossible for Madara, with his strength, to fall for such a trick; ultimately, it was Madara's own fault for being too careless and stupid.
Of course, someone as proud as Ban would never accept any form of pity.
In some ways, Madara and Mikatsu are quite similar; both are extremely proud, believe in power, and are the type who will take full responsibility for their choices.
However, all of this is predicated on them being in a "normal" state.
***
Having easily collected the jinchūriki of all eight tailed beasts, the next problem was how to extract the tailed beasts from their bodies.
Black Zetsu suppressed his anxiety and dutifully played the role of "advisor": "The fastest and most convenient way to extract the Tailed Beasts is to use the Gedo Mazo. It is the body of the Ten-Tails and has a natural attraction and capacity for Tailed Beasts. It can directly extract the Tailed Beasts from the Jinchuriki's body and fuse them into the Mazo. However, this method is very energy-consuming. It usually requires nine people to perform the technique at the same time, and it takes several days to complete the extraction of all the Tailed Beasts."
“Another method is more direct and brutal.” Black Zetsu’s tone was tinged with coldness. “You just kill these Jinchuriki. The Tailed Beasts will temporarily ‘die’ when the Jinchuriki dies, but their essence is a chakra aggregate, which is indestructible. After a period of time, they will re-condense in some corner of the world. However, the disadvantage of doing this is that the location is uncertain, and you need to search for it again, and there is also a time delay.”
Yan Sheng did not hesitate and chose the first method.
"Use the Gedo Mazo." He said calmly.
Although it may sound troublesome to require the collaboration of many people and several days, this method is undoubtedly more convenient and efficient than killing the Jinchuriki and then searching the world for a re-formed, wild Tailed Beast.
As for needing nine people? For him, the Shadow Clone Technique is enough to solve this problem; it just consumes more chakra and mental energy.
If all else fails, it's not too late to ask Black Zetsu for help.
So now only one question remains.
Yan Sheng's gaze turned towards the direction of Konoha Village.
How do I get the Nine-Tails out of Naruto's body?
He didn't care about the lives of others, but Naruto was different. Naruto was the "fuse" he had carefully set up for Sasuke, the key bond that maintained Sasuke's inner light and prevented him from going to extremes and destroying himself. Naruto absolutely could not be harmed.
Black Zetsu replied, "That's simple too. You can forcibly remove the seal on Naruto and release the Nine-Tails. With your abilities, you should be able to suppress and seize control of the Nine-Tails. Then, just stuff it into the Gedo Mazo. As long as you do it properly and quickly, that brat Naruto will only be weak for a while, and his life won't be in danger."
***
Naruto Uzumaki felt that after meeting Sasuke and Mikatsu, his life was straightened by an invisible hand and headed towards a warm and bright future.
He is no longer a person.
He had a good friend and brother. Although this brother always had a stern face and spoke very sarcastically, often calling him a "loser," Naruto could feel that Sasuke genuinely considered him one of his own.
Otherwise, how could I tolerate his constant nagging? How could I stand up for him when he was bullied? And how could I patiently tutor this academically challenged student like this now?
Not only that, he also has an elder...? Uchiha Kokusatsu, Sasuke's older brother and guardian.
Although she seemed cold and unapproachable, she would tacitly allow him to frequently come and go from their home, and would even invite him to stay for dinner, taking his tastes into consideration when preparing the dishes.
What touched Naruto the most was that even the lunch he ate at school at noon, Kokushi would prepare a copy for him, exactly the same as Sasuke's, exquisite and delicious.
This meant he no longer had to rely on expired milk and instant noodles to fill his stomach, nor did he have to hide in a corner alone, eating dry bread or going hungry while his classmates enjoyed the loving lunches prepared by their families.
On weekends, Sasuke would sometimes invite him to his home to train and study together.
Although Yan Sheng mostly just stayed quietly to the side reading or handling his own affairs, Naruto cherished the feeling of having someone present and no longer being alone in an empty room.
All of this gave Naruto a long-lost, or more accurately, unprecedented, feeling of "home".
He had brothers, elders, care, and hot meals... He greedily absorbed this warmth, fearing that one day he would be thrown back into the cold and lonely past.
...A few days ago, Yan Sheng went out on business, leaving only him and Sasuke at home.
The two had to eat out for every meal. However, this wasn't a big problem; Yan Sheng had left Sasuke a lot of money, and since the two children didn't eat much, the money was more than enough. But Naruto still felt that the food tasted better with Yan Sheng at home.
More than half a month passed in a flash, and Yan Sheng finally returned.
It happened to be the weekend, and Sasuke was fulfilling his "duty" as an "older brother": tutoring Naruto with his homework.
"You bottom of the class, you can't even do such a simple question? The basic theory of chakra nature transformation, were you even listening in class?" Sasuke pointed to a question in the workbook, his brow furrowed.
Naruto wore a pained expression, his lips pouting so high that he almost bit the pen in half, and mumbled a complaint: "But...but it's really hard...I recognize all these words individually, but when they're put together, I have no idea what they mean..."
"No, it has to be finished." Sasuke's attitude was firm. "My friend can't be too bad, at least he can't fail every test, that would be too embarrassing." He paused slightly when he said the word "friend," as if he was still a little unaccustomed to it, but his tone was very firm.
Just as Naruto was scratching his head, feeling like he was about to be driven crazy by these tadpole-like characters, he heard the sound of a bedroom door opening and then closing coming from the living room outside.
Naruto's eyes lit up as if he had heard celestial music of salvation. He dropped his pen, jumped off his chair, and excitedly asked Sasuke, "Sasuke! Isn't your brother back?!"
The words had barely left his mouth when he dashed out of the room like a cannonball. To him, anything that could interrupt his homework was a godsend.
Sasuke watched his retreating figure, which was so eager to escape, and shook his head helplessly.
He knew, of course, that Naruto was trying to escape, but... you can run away for a while, but you can't run away forever. Homework still needs to be done. He leisurely tidied up the mess Naruto had made of the desk and then left the room.
Upon entering the living room, Sasuke saw Yan Sheng standing in the doorway, seemingly having just changed his shoes. Naruto, like an enthusiastic puppy, surrounded Yan Sheng, tilting his head back and chattering away.
"Hmm. Go out with you? Sure, but what are we going to do?"
Yan Sheng's gaze fell on Naruto's blue eyes, which were filled with expectation and curiosity. He slowly spoke, but what he said stunned both Sasuke and Naruto:
"Do you want to remove the tailed beast from your body?"
Naruto's smile was instantly replaced by confusion and bewilderment: "Huh?"
Yan Sheng continued in his calm yet undeniable tone, "I can help you."
***
Location: Outside Konoha Village, in a secluded forest.
Yan Sheng chose a very particular location: dense woods that could block most of the view and movement.
—Because he knew very well that those ANBU agents tasked with monitoring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were like leeches, always lurking around. But he could also accurately sense their hiding places and numbers.
However, Yan Sheng no longer cared at this moment.
With the mission accomplished, the planetary consciousness's promise still ringing in his ears, he could leave at any time without causing him any trouble, no matter what happened.
And things unfolded exactly as he had predicted. As he led Naruto and Sasuke, especially Naruto, away from the village, the eyes in the shadows grew increasingly anxious.
Naruto's approach to Sasuke (indirectly to this Uchiha of unknown origin) already made some high-ranking officials in Konoha (especially Danzo) very uneasy, but the Third Hokage suppressed it. Now, this "dangerous factor" is directly taking the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki away from the village, undoubtedly testing the limits of someone's patience.
We must act swiftly and decisively.
"Stand still and don't move," Yan Sheng said to Naruto.
Although Naruto was a little apprehensive, his trust in Mikasa made him stand still as instructed.
Sasuke stood a little further away, his lips pressed tightly together, his eyes filled with worry and vigilance, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the surrounding woods.
Yan Sheng got ready, his right hand forming a knife shape, and pressed it against the seal on Naruto's abdomen.
"untie."
An invisible, massive torrent of energy was instantly unleashed and torn apart.
"boom--!"
Centered on Naruto, a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept outwards, rustling the trees and sending leaves flying everywhere. The powerful chakra shockwave caused even the hidden Anbu members in the distance to lose their footing and nearly expose themselves.
"Ugh!" Naruto cried out in pain, feeling something heavy and burning inside his body being forcibly pulled out. A strong sense of weakness overwhelmed him instantly, his vision went black, and his legs went weak, causing him to fall backward.
Sasuke, who had been keeping a close eye on him, rushed over the moment Naruto swayed and caught him just in time.
"Last-place finisher! Are you alright?" Sasuke's voice carried a tension he himself didn't realize.
Just as Naruto fell, a huge, ferocious, scarlet figure radiating endless malice and violence appeared amidst the chaotic chakra storm.
Its enormous body almost filled the clearing in the forest, its nine huge tails danced wildly like burning flames, and it raised its head and let out a deafening roar, full of the joy of escaping its predicament and the anger that had been building up for many years. The sound waves rolled and echoed all around.
Then, its crimson beastly eyes, initially contracting slightly with the weight of its newfound freedom, suddenly locked onto what lay below. But its target was not the tiny human before it, but rather—
"Shukaku!" Kurama's voice boomed like thunder, her teeth clenched as she said, "I told you! Once I come out, you're dead!"
The one-tailed beast in Yan Sheng's pocket had already bristled with fear the moment the nine-tailed beast appeared. Now, hearing the nine-tailed beast's murderous roar, it was even more terrified, twisting and screaming wildly in the pocket: "Aaaaaahhhhhh! Uchiha Yan Sheng! What are you doing?! Quick! Put this thing back! Lock it up!"
It now deeply regrets its past rudeness in provoking the Nine-Tailed Fox.
However, Yan Sheng completely ignored Shouhe's wailing and did not give these two sworn enemies a chance to catch up.
Time was of the essence. He had already sensed that the pursuers from Konoha were rapidly closing in.
With a blank expression, Yan Sheng raised his other hand and made a grasping motion in the air towards the enormous, mountain-like Nine-Tailed Fox that was about to pounce.
An invisible, absolute power field instantly enveloped the Nine-Tails.
The nine-tailed fox's raging roar abruptly ceased. It was horrified to discover that its power, capable of shaking mountains, was utterly powerless against this force, like that of an infant. Then, its body was forcibly compressed and shrunk, rapidly transforming from a terrifying behemoth into a miniature nine-tailed fox the size of a palm, like a plush toy, under that irresistible force.
"Huh?!" The mini-Nine-Tails was both surprised and angry, and tried to struggle, but Yan Sheng casually stuffed it into another pocket of his robe, separating it from the trembling Shukaku.
Having done all this, Yan Sheng didn't linger. He picked up Naruto, who was weak and unconscious from having his tailed beast extracted, with one arm, and put his other arm around Sasuke.
"They're gone."
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already turned into a blurry afterimage and disappeared into the dense forest, leaving only the lingering chakra shockwaves and dust in the air.
The Konoha Anbu members who were desperately chasing after him could only watch helplessly as the figure disappeared from their sight at a speed far beyond their reach.
One week later.
The land of rain.
With Yan Sheng's abilities, traveling from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rain would have been more than a day or two if he had gone all out. However, he was traveling with two children. One of them had been in a weakened state since the tailed beast was extracted and needed to rest and replenish his nutrition from time to time; the other, although in relatively good physical condition, also needed to be taken care of during the long journey.
Yan Sheng had to slow down to take care of their schedule and physical condition.
Although their journey was delayed due to taking care of their two children, they eventually arrived in the Land of Rain without incident.
......
The Land of Rain, a country that seems to be forever shrouded in a gray rain curtain, with the air filled with dampness and oppression.
Guided by Black Zetsu, Yan Sheng navigated through a maze of pipes and abandoned buildings, eventually arriving at a hidden, secret entrance constructed of massive pipes and steel structures.
Just as I arrived at the entrance, before I even stepped inside, a figure silently appeared in the shadows at the entrance, blocking my way.
It was a woman wearing a black trench coat embroidered with white-edged red cloud patterns. Beneath her blue hair, which was tied in a bun, was a cold, scrutinizing face.
Her gaze, like cold raindrops, first fell on the two children behind Yan Sheng, and then settled on Yan Sheng, who was in the lead.
...The man's unfathomable, aloof demeanor, so out of place with his surroundings, made her tense.
"Who are you?" Xiao Nan asked calmly, but white paper scraps began to silently swirl and dance around her, indicating her wariness of the large and two small figures.
Yan Sheng met Konan's cold, wary eyes with a calm expression and said, "I'm looking for Uchiha Madara."
Black Zetsu ultimately enabled Mikasa to establish contact with Obito.
There's no other way; we have to use the Gedo Mazo.
Konan frowned slightly, clearly indicating that "Uchiha Madara" hadn't told her that someone would be coming to find her.
But she didn't stop him or say anything more. After giving Yan Sheng a deep look and glancing at the two children behind him, she stepped aside to make way, her tone still cold: "Come with me."
Inside the base, the environment becomes darker and more complex, with the crisscrossing pipes exuding a cold, steely feel.
Yan Sheng had no interest in visiting and stopped at a fork in the road.
What he was going to talk about with the masked man who called himself "Uchiha Madara" was not something Naruto and Sasuke could hear.
So, in an uncompromising tone, he said to Konan, "These two are yours for now." With that, he pushed Naruto and Sasuke in front of Konan.
He did this based on two points: First, based on his judgment of people, he could see that the blue-haired woman was not inherently a ruthless killer; beneath her indifference lay a certain persistence and bottom line, making it extremely unlikely that she would harm two unrelated children.
Secondly, and most fundamentally, he had absolute confidence in his own abilities. If the woman harmed the two children, he was confident he could reduce this place to ruins in an instant.
Sasuke glanced at Yan Sheng. He still didn't know what Yan Sheng wanted to do. He had asked him along the way, but Yan Sheng either brushed him off or didn't say anything. He understood that he couldn't get an answer from Yan Sheng.
Now that things have come to this, they have essentially "defected" from the village, and it seems they have no other choice but to follow Yan Sheng.
This is a mindset that Sasuke developed only after his clan was wiped out. Before the massacre, he would have returned to the village no matter what.
Now... he's more focused on getting the truth about the extermination of his clan from Yan Sheng.
Despite having his memory of touching the tail of the truth that night erased, Sasuke was still deeply resentful and utterly heartbroken when he saw Konoha's indifference to the massacre of the Uchiha clan, and how they so casually brushed it off.
Therefore, even if it wasn't Konoha that did it, Sasuke was still disappointed in Konoha.
Xiao Nan looked at the two boys who were being shoved in front of her, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay."
Yan Sheng said no more, stepped into the vortex-like spatial fluctuation that suddenly appeared in front of them, and disappeared from the three people's sight.
......
In a more secluded underground space, where a colossal Gedo Mazo stands, Obito Uchiha looks at Yan Sheng emerging from the Kamui dimension. His eyes, hidden behind his mask, are filled with complex emotions—surprise, scrutiny, and a subtle pressure he is unwilling to acknowledge.
Unexpectedly, Black Zetsu, after going out and being out of contact for several days, actually brought this person back. And he even indicated that the other party was willing to cooperate... This news was too sudden; Obito still hasn't processed the amount of information.
Yan Sheng didn't give Obito a chance to think things through or test the waters.
Before Obito could speak, using his deep voice imitating Madara to say some polite words, Yan Sheng cut to the chase and dropped a bombshell that completely stunned Obito.
"You captured all the Jinchuriki?" Obito's voice was sharp with disbelief, and he even forgot his pretense for a moment.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Tu: I feel like I'm dreaming.
Brother: Hurry up!
Tu: Why are you even more anxious than me?
Brother: I have two months left.
I'll try to write about Kaguya taking care of the baby in the next chapter TT
[Cat's paw]
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