Chapter 303: Susanoo Chasing the Sun x White Zetsu's Peeping
In Konoha, sacrifice is an ongoing reality; if it isn't the older generation, it will be the younger one.
The young boy dripping with sweat before them, halting his blade, was a prime example. As a descendant of Kagami Uchiha, Shisui represented a significant portion of wartime orphans. Unlike most civilian shinobi who often remained mundane and struggled to make a mark throughout their lives, Shisui was extraordinarily gifted. Even setting aside how he would earn the legendary title of "Shisui of the Body Flicker" in his youth, his current form was already exceptional.
With a single slash, a blazing fiery arc sliced through the air, instantly severing several wooden posts ten meters away. It already carried a trace of the brilliance he displayed back when he first mastered the Water Breathing.
[Prompt: Detected that your believer, Shisui Uchiha, has initiated entry into 'Flame Breathing'. Faith Power +10...]
Ryo casually tossed him a towel that Mikoto had prepared, stating calmly, "I see."
With a single glance along the karmic thread connecting him to Shisui, Ryo manifested a Heart Worm to investigate. Deep within Shisui's heart, the worm retrieved an image. It was a shinobi wearing a cat-faced mask, a black bodysuit, and a white strap vest, with two short swords crossed behind his back. He was continuously speaking to Shisui, repeatedly mentioning Ryo's name, trying to extract information, and enticing him to join them under the pretext of doing it for Konoha.
A trace of imperceptible mockery flashed across Ryo's eyes as he recognized the identity. It was a member of the Foundation (Root), controlled by Danzo and implanted with the Tongue Eradication Seal. While Root possessed many members skilled with dual short swords, the most prominent candidate was Torune Aburame—Danzo's most relied-upon assistant.
However, the specific identity mattered less than the person who authorized it. Recalling his rather unpleasant first encounter with Danzo in the Hokage office, Ryo tilted his head toward Shisui and Itachi: "There is a rat hiding behind the tallest tree fifty meters to our front-right. Which of you will flush him out for me?"
Shisui and Itachi froze slightly, exchanged a glance, and simultaneously drew their blades, slashing toward the direction Ryo indicated!
Slam~ Two crisp blade lights cut through the air, heading straight for the tall bushes sheltering the tree. From the bushes, a head popped up, while the neck and body remained buried underground. Hearing Ryo's sudden exposure, White Zetsu's expression shifted completely as he prepared to flee. He hadn't anticipated that Shisui and Itachi, despite their young age, would possess such sharp swordsmanship!
Particularly Shisui—with his Mangekyo Sharingan active and amplified by his supreme ocular power, a flame-wreathed slash cleaved down. It was fast and precise, forcefully cutting off White Zetsu's intention to continue peeping!
"Damn it! Since when did the Uchiha produce two such terrifying brats with swords?!" White Zetsu cursed inwardly.
The heatwave rushed his face, and the blade light arrived in a fraction of a second. Abandoning his observation, he abruptly shrank downward, drilling into the earth. A massive explosion followed as Shisui's slash struck, blasting the dirt apart and carving a scorched trench across the ground!
"Seventy meters to the west..." Ryo's voice rang out again, charting the position.
A miss? Shisui's brow furrowed upon hearing Ryo's second location report.
Taking advantage of the brief freeze, Itachi sprinted wildly toward the west, his shoulder brushing past Shisui's. Shisui hastily followed with his blade, the two flanking the rising mound of soil from left and right...
Slash, slash~ Another two strikes pierced into the ground, nearly brushing past White Zetsu's body and slicing off one of his ears. Terrified out of his wits as he scrambled to escape, he couldn't help but curse inwardly: Am I the scout ninja here, or is he?!
How on earth did this guy, Jin Uchiha, discover me?!
As White Zetsu tunneled through the soil, Shisui and Itachi pursued relentlessly from above, continuously swinging their blades. What made it even more infuriating was Ryo constantly calling out coordinates from behind, tracking his position with absolute precision. It felt as though an eye was pinned to his body; whether he turned east or west, he was completely anticipated, plunging him into utter despair!
"Forty meters to the south..."
"He's turning, thirty meters southeast..."
"Don't stop, drive the blade deeper... he's tunneling lower..."
Slash, slash~ A few more blade lights penetrated the earth, severing one of White Zetsu's feet!
It was Itachi's blade! Although the boy hadn't unlocked his Sharingan and his dynamic vision was inferior to Shisui's—and his speed lagged slightly behind Shisui, who was three years older—he triumphed through sheer combat instinct!
Noticing that White Zetsu was looping around, faintly attempting to flee toward the northwest, Itachi gathered his strength. In a moment of urgency, he threw his sword like a shuriken, anticipating White Zetsu's escape route and cutting off one of his feet!
A piercing, miserable shriek echoed out!
Shisui flashed past Itachi's side with a whoosh, calling out, "Great job!"
Seizing the opportunity Itachi created, while White Zetsu was stalled by his own agonizing cries, the "Body Flicker Shisui" arrived! Within a single breath, the boy lunged forward. Unleashing Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe, wreathed in raging flames, he driven his blade fiercely into the ground!
Another agonizing scream traveled out!
As the soil churned frantically, Shisui seized the momentum to execute a flurry of over a dozen rapid stabs, until the ground finally settled. As the dust cleared, the earth cracked open, revealing a completely white, humanoid creature with its head tilted and tongue protruding. Shisui and Itachi froze in slight surprise, looking at each other in bewilderment...
"What, surprised?"
A series of steady footsteps echoed by their ears. Ryo strolled over unhurriedly, his black hair swaying with the wind. Reaching his hands out to tap Shisui and Itachi's backs respectively, a warm, spring-like Nen aura invaded their bodies. Amidst their bewilderment, white, lint-like spore aggregates were purged from within them.
"Nii-san, what is this?"
"Spores, a unique ninjutsu of this fellow," Ryo moved his thought, unleashing a Fire Release that instantly incinerated the lint into ash. Looking down at White Zetsu from above, he stated, "In other words, the enemy... isn't completely dead yet!"
"Jin Uchiha, how did you discover me?!" Seemingly validating Ryo's words, White Zetsu, knowing he couldn't escape, widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Ryo.
Shisui and Itachi prepared to lunge forward with their blades once more, but were stayed by Ryo's raised hand...
"No need to worry. Though he isn't dead, he only has a single breath left..."
Ryo looked at White Zetsu expressionlessly, having no intention of engaging in idle banter. With a flick of his finger, a Heart Worm crawled out. Tracking along the newly established karmic thread, it invaded White Zetsu's heart.
A revolving lantern of memories surfaced. At death's door, White Zetsu froze completely. Within his mind, he witnessed Ryo materialize at the edge of his mental space, standing with his hands behind his back as his entire life unfolded across the firmament like a scroll. White Zetsu uncontrollably shivered, pointing a weak finger at Ryo in utter horror: "You can read minds?! You aren't of the Yamanaka clan, why can you read minds?!"
"Right... it's the Sharingan... it must be your Sharingan..."
Boom! The revolving lantern shattered, and his mental field fractured along with it. As Ryo's figure began to dissolve, he seized the opportunity to look toward a specific corner of the scroll. Two suns ignited within his pupils, catching a hazy glimpse of a black shadow standing beneath a large tree.
The shadow possessed half a pitch-black body and half a snow-white body, identical to White Zetsu. Crossing the karmic thread, it looked far across the distance to lock eyes with Ryo, freezing in sudden shock as it stumbled two steps back against the tree trunk!
"Jin Uchiha..." A faint murmur echoed amidst the rustling green leaves. Black Zetsu stared fixedly at Ryo while covering his eyes. The boy's expression remained calm as the White Zetsu clone lost its life, subsequently fading away.
Within moments, Ryo's consciousness returned, and he opened his eyes leisurely.
"Nii-san, he's dead!" Shisui knelt down, checking White Zetsu's breath as his chakra completely drained away.
Ryo let out a non-committal murmur, looking profoundly toward a specific direction at the edge of Konoha. If he wasn't mistaken, the tree where Black Zetsu lingered was precisely where Madara Uchiha was holding onto his final gasps of life!
Withdrawing his gaze, Ryo looked toward Itachi. The boy kept his head down, holding his sword anxiously as he bowed: "Nii-san, I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown my sword..."
Ryo remained silent, merely reaching out a hand to gently rub the boy's head, saying softly, "You did nothing wrong."
"But didn't Nii-san say that a sword is a swordsman's life, and must never be abandoned?"
"Did you abandon it?" Ryo smiled, patting Itachi's forehead while pulling Shisui by the shoulder. Watching the sunlight filter through the lush forest to paint patterns across the ground, he said leisurely, "Throwing your sword in a moment of urgency is not abandonment. Itachi... Shisui... continue to grow stronger."
"Nii-san hopes that one day, even if I am not by your side, you will be able to handle a situation like today's with absolute ease."
"Nii-san, that won't happen. I will always stand by your side!" Shisui looked up at Ryo with absolute determination.
"Me too," Itachi gripped his sword silently, swearing inwardly that he would become strong enough to easily slay enemies without ever needing to throw his blade.
The boys' emotions were pure and sincere, a deep shade of "blue" naturally escaping from the tops of their heads.
Tracing a warm arc on his mouth, Ryo didn't elaborate further, merely stating, "Go practice your swordsmanship."
Shisui and Itachi nodded heavily. Without needing further instructions, they gathered baskets filled with crushed stones, suspended them from the tips of their swords, and began their daily thousands of swings.
Finding a large tree near the edge of the training ground, Ryo sat cross-legged. Immersing his consciousness and mobilizing his Nen aura, he began to construct his own Susanoo!
This technique derived from the Mangekyo Sharingan was less of a traditional ninjutsu and more of an external manifestation of aura, constructing a titanic divine form—similar to Netero's Guanyin of the Hundred Type, or that titan wielding a hammer and drawing lightning he had witnessed within Maha's subconscious domain. Because everyone's Nen capability or Mangekyo properties differed, the manifestation varied in form.
According to Ryo's understanding, Susanoo could be classified into five distinct stages based on strength and structural completeness:
Skeletal Form: The initial state, forming only ribs or a skeletal arm frame with limited defense, capable of wielding basic weapons.
Muscular Form: Muscles and meridians blanket the skeleton, forming a humanoid upper body capable of deploying unique techniques like Yasaka Magatama.
Armored Form: Clad in Yamabushi armor, defense elevates drastically at the cost of immense chakra consumption—similar to the form Itachi deployed against Sasuke to seal Orochimaru in the original timeline.
Humanoid Form: Generating legs and a lower body, allowing the caster to anchor within the head to pilot it, drastically enhancing mobility and enabling integration with Tailed Beasts—similar to the form Madara used to arm the Nine-Tails at the Valley of the End.
Complete Body (Perfect Susanoo): The ultimate form, towering like a mountain peak and sprouting wings on its back, capable of flight and cleaving mountain ranges. In the original timeline, only Madara and Sasuke achieved this, facilitated by their status as reincarnations of Indra, which allowed them to sustain a vaster volume of Yin Release.
Sitting beneath the tree, Ryo rested his hands flat upon his knees, opening his aura nodes to channel his Nen.
Buzz~ As a streak of blood-red crawled into his eyes, three ink-black tomoe connected in the shape of blades, rotating to form a nebula centered around the two ignited suns.
Subsequently, a pure, majestic, and heart-palpitating Ren erupted from the boy as a center point. Shisui and Itachi shivered abruptly, halting their swings to look over.
Crack... crack... A blue giant wrapped in scorching, brilliant flames slowly drilled out from Ryo's body! Its skeletal frame was perfectly defined, and as it unfurled, it completely obscured the sun in the sky.
Looking down at Shisui and Itachi like two tiny ants, two suns ignited within its hollow eye sockets. Compared to the suns within Ryo's eyes, these were vaster, more brilliant, and intensely dazzling. The mere sight of it caused Shisui and Itachi's shins to go soft, sending them tumbling backward onto the ground as their swords fell with a loud clang.
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