"Urgent report!" Onoki froze for a moment. He had just received intelligence from the front lines, and now another urgent dispatch had arrived.
Had something happened on the battlefield? A very bad premonition took hold of Onoki's heart. Clutching the report, Onoki dismissed the Stone Ninja from his office.
"Just what is going on?" Onoki tore open the letter and began reading. As the moments passed, his expression darkened, his face clouding with coldness and killing intent.
"Tianyuan... it's actually Tianyuan again." Onoki gripped the letter tightly, his knuckles turning white. "He killed over a hundred Stone Ninja and heavily injured Roshi. Is it that legendary power Madara Uchiha once possessed? The Mangekyo?"
Onoki's thoughts drifted to the distant past, back to his meeting with Madara Uchiha.
Yes, the two had fought, but Onoki had been effortlessly defeated. He hadn't possessed the slightest power to resist. And now, he was hearing of such power once again.
"Tianyuan." Onoki took a deep breath. "Someone, come in!"
The door swung open, and a Stone Ninja quickly knelt before Onoki.
"Assemble the Stone Ninja forces. This time, I will set out personally to deal with Konoha." Onoki's gaze was exceptionally icy.
"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage." The ninja nodded and left, presumably to notify the various combat units.
Iwagakure had Jonin responsible for these matters; they only needed to be formally notified.
"Tianyuan? Madara Uchiha?" Onoki inhaled deeply. "I will defeat you, and then I will conquer the Land of Fire."
Konoha, of course, was unaware of this, and even if they were, there was little they could do. Because their forces were spread thin, the Stone Ninja and Sand Ninja held a definite advantage in overall numbers. Konoha had to be even more cautious in battle.
Several days later.
Konoha and the Stone Ninja continued to clash. Both sides traded victories and losses, though the engagements remained small in scale.
However, whenever a Stone Ninja unit encountered Tianyuan's squad, they would flee as fast as they could. Of course, in many instances, Tianyuan's Flying Thunder God Technique ensured the Stone Ninja suffered heavy casualties regardless.
This only served to deepen the Stone Ninja's impression of Tianyuan's terrifying strength; they realized that he was not someone who could be faced in a direct confrontation.
This reinforced their policy: if they saw Tianyuan, they had to run.
Tianyuan himself was somewhat between laughter and tears over the situation. He had essentially become Konoha's nuclear weapon. Since no one could predict where the Konoha ninja would appear, encountering Tianyuan usually resulted in a predictable outcome, adding yet another victory to his record.
On the border of the Land of Earth, Tianyuan was leading a small squad on patrol.
"Prepare to head back," Tianyuan said.
Just as he was about to return, his gaze locked onto a specific location. "Kushina, take the others back. I have something to do."
"Alright, I understand," Kushina Uzumaki nodded. "Be careful."
"Don't worry. There isn't anyone who can keep me here right now." Tianyuan's figure flashed, and he vanished instantly.
"Let's go back." Kushina led the squad of ninja directly toward the Konoha encampment.
Tianyuan continued forward, guided by a familiar sensation. A moment later, he came to a halt.
In Tianyuan's line of sight was a man with white hair, his frame slightly hunched with age.
"This familiar feeling... it's the sensation of the Sharingan," Tianyuan said calmly, addressing the man's back.
"I didn't expect a descendant of the Uchiha to produce such a formidable character." The figure turned around, revealing a weathered, ancient face. His eyes were blood-red, and the three tomoe within his pupils spun slowly.
"I see, you're of the Uchiha clan as well," Tianyuan said with a smile. "So, why were you looking for me?"
"I just came to see my junior, nothing more. I heard you possess the power of the Mangekyo. But do you know that the Mangekyo is only the first step? There is an even greater power beyond it," the old man said slowly, his voice carrying a strange weight.
"Oh? Greater power? Do you plan to tell me about it?" Tianyuan asked.
His gaze remained indifferent. How could Tianyuan not know? There was the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and the ultimate evolution, the Rinnegan. And as for the Eternal Mangekyo, Tianyuan already possessed it.
"Junior, do you want to change this world?" the old man asked, his voice laced with temptation.
"Oh, I have no interest in changing the world. Sometimes, the more chaotic the world is, the faster I can grow," Tianyuan countered. "Perhaps I should call you... Mr. Madara Uchiha? The world believes you've been dead for a long time."
The old man jolted at those words. "You know who I am?"
"Of course I know you. I also know that the power beyond the Mangekyo is the Eternal Mangekyo. Many people might know that, but the one they likely don't know about is the Rinnegan," Tianyuan stated. "I might not have the Rinnegan yet, but as for the Eternal Mangekyo..."
As he spoke, Tianyuan's pupils turned blood-red. The three tomoe spun and transformed into the Mangekyo four hollow circles surrounding the center. A powerful, eerie aura radiated from him.
"The Mangekyo." Madara's expression became solemn.
"And one step further?" Tianyuan's gaze shifted again. The hollow circles multiplied until eight were connected by semi-circles, with flame-like patterns flickering around them.
An overwhelming, heart-stopping pressure emanated from his pupils.
This was the pinnacle of the Sharingan: the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. As someone who possessed the Eternal Mangekyo himself, Madara understood the terror of these eyes better than anyone.
"Why... you don't even have a brother," Madara said, his voice filled with disbelief.
His own Eternal Mangekyo had been achieved by taking the eyes of his younger brother, Izuna Uchiha. How had this Uchiha junior managed to achieve it?
"The Eternal Mangekyo isn't only attained by absorbing a brother's ocular power," Tianyuan said with a smirk. "Reaching the absolute limit of ocular power works just as well. Moreover, the power of the Rinnegan is currently gestating within me."
In truth, Tianyuan was completely bluffing Madara. However, Madara had no choice but to believe him; otherwise, where could Tianyuan have possibly gotten such power?
"In that case... let us test your strength." The patterns in Madara's eyes began to spin, forming a unique and singular mark.
This was Madara's Eternal Mangekyo.
"Susanoo," Madara whispered softly.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).