Somewhere underground in the Shinobi World.
Bang!
With a puff of white smoke, the severely damaged special White Zetsu was summoned back.
Madara, now in his original body, looked at the badly damaged body, his eyes narrowing involuntarily.
"A Jutsu capable of attacking both the physical body and the soul at the same time. It is simply unprecedented. Did he develop it himself? Such talent."
Even now, Madara still felt lingering fear when he thought about the technique that had threatened his soul.
Had he been even one second slower, that body would have been completely destroyed. Along with it, the fragment of his soul and consciousness within that body would also have been obliterated.
Madara did not know what kind of effect losing a fragment of his soul and consciousness would have on him.
But damage to the soul was undoubtedly much more difficult to deal with than physical injuries!
"Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin!"
Madara's right Mangekyō Sharingan spun as he retrieved the ocular power, Chakra, consciousness, and fragment of his soul from the White Zetsu body.
"Hmph."
Then Madara's body jolted as though struck by lightning.
He could not help letting out a muffled groan.
The stabbing pain in his soul was unbearable.
He gritted his teeth tightly to keep himself from screaming.
The stabbing pain came quickly and disappeared just as quickly.
But Madara's face turned pale. Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he gasped heavily for breath.
It was as though he had just endured some kind of torture!
"Huff."
Madara steadied his breathing. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun slightly, revealing the turmoil within his heart.
"Even the Forbidden Jutsu Izanagi was affected? What exactly was that technique?"
The Forbidden Jutsu: Izanagi had been interfered with and had failed to display its full effect.
Although it allowed the body and fragment of his soul to be summoned back.
The damage they had suffered remained!
And after retrieving that fragment of his soul, the damage was also transferred to the soul of his main body.
His soul had been injured, and the injury was not light!
That special Ninjutsu possessed the ability to isolate its target from the outside world, to the extent that even the Forbidden Jutsu: Izanagi had been affected.
The technique Seiryū had unleashed at the end.
Its bizarre and troublesome nature had exceeded Madara's expectations.
"How could someone his age develop such a technique? I underestimated him after all."
Anger and killing intent appeared in Madara's eyes, along with deep apprehension.
He had suffered losses at Seiryū's hands twice in succession.
This time, even his soul had been injured.
It was simply because Seiryū possessed too many different methods, and the techniques he used were things Madara had never seen before. Each possessed formidable power and bizarre effects.
Could someone's talent truly be this overwhelming?
Even Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World, found it difficult to believe!
"This threat must be eliminated as soon as possible. Otherwise, my plan may very well be hindered by him."
A sharp light gleamed in Madara's eyes.
Powerful talent and a reckless personality.
If Seiryū were allowed to live, he would absolutely ruin Madara's plan.
That was something Madara would never permit!
"Although Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin allows me to control puppets, it cannot display my full power, and I still haven't recovered to my peak."
Madara examined his current body.
Compared to before, he had recovered some of his strength. He was no longer a decaying old man with one foot in the grave.
However, he was still far from returning to his peak.
He needed to continue nourishing his body with the Power of Shinra.
It would likely take a long time before he could truly return to his prime.
Moreover, controlling a puppet through Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin could not display his full power.
It would inevitably be weaker.
After all, only a portion of his ocular power and Chakra had been separated to control the puppet.
Naturally, it could not display his full strength!
He could not even activate the Perfect Susanoo.
"The Chakra of the Gedō Statue can extend my lifespan. Perhaps it can also help me recover to my peak faster."
"To increase the Chakra intensity of the Gedō Statue, I need to capture the Tailed Beasts and allow the Gedō Statue to absorb their Chakra."
Madara muttered to himself.
For some reason, he felt a strong sense of urgency.
Seiryū's rate of growth was simply too fast. His strength this time had increased dramatically compared to their previous encounter.
It made Madara apprehensive.
If Seiryū were given another year or so, who knew how powerful he would become?
He might even catch up to Madara and Senju Hashirama in their prime!
He might truly stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, possessing enough power to sweep through it!
Madara had fully recognized the threat Seiryū posed. He would no longer regard him as a weakling.
He needed to take him seriously!
He had to return to his peak as soon as possible.
He had to become the Asura of the Shinobi World who had once swept through the Shinobi World!
Then, with absolute power, he would erase this threat as soon as possible!
On the other side.
News that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, and the Raikage's son, A, had been killed was naturally delivered to the Third Raikage on another front line as quickly as possible.
Boom!
Terrifying Chakra fluctuations erupted from the Third Raikage's body, sending the nearby tables, chairs, and even the tent itself flying.
"How is this possible!?"
The Third Raikage held the intelligence report in his hand, his entire body resembling a volcano on the verge of erupting.
Suppressing his boundless anger, he said, "How could Killer B and A have been killed? And by a brat who is only eleven or twelve years old?"
The Third Raikage's first reaction after receiving the intelligence was disbelief.
The perfect Jinchuriki, Killer B, and his own son, A.
How could they have been killed so easily?
And the person who had killed them.
Was only a twelve-year-old brat from Konoha?
For a moment, he felt that the intelligence must be false.
The Kumo shinobi responsible for delivering the message trembled as he looked at the furious Third Raikage.
He did not dare speak and merely stood respectfully at the side.
When he first heard the news, he had also thought it was false.
But the person who had sent the message was Dodai, the commander of the other front line and an elite Jonin deeply trusted by the Third Raikage!
Dodai would never send false intelligence like this.
Kumo's perfect Jinchuriki, Killer B, and the Raikage's son, A, had truly fallen!
The Third Raikage's breathing grew heavier, and his voice trembled with suppressed anger.
The Chakra fluctuations surrounding him also became increasingly terrifying as his emotions intensified.
Dodai was his confidant. There was no possibility that he would deceive him about something like this.
And now that they were at war, no one would dare make such a joke.
Killer B was dead.
His own son was also dead.
For both him and Kumo.
This was an enormous blow!
Suppressing the anger in his heart, the Third Raikage did not lose his reason.
He spoke to the shinobi beside him. "Prepare the Heavenly Transfer Technique. I'm going there personally!"
After something like this had happened.
As the Raikage, he naturally could not pretend that nothing had occurred.
He also needed to go there and understand the situation in greater detail.
The transmitted intelligence contained only a rough summary. The specific circumstances were still unclear.
However, the deaths of Killer B and A.
He would absolutely not let this matter rest.
That Konoha shinobi who killed Killer B and A would also have to pay with his life!
"Yes!"
The Kumo shinobi responded with a solemn expression and left.
He went to make the necessary preparations.
Ignoring the departing shinobi, the Third Raikage crushed the intelligence report in his hand.
His fist tightened as he said in a low, restrained voice, "I will avenge you, A, Killer B."
"No matter who did this, they will pay with their life!"
Taking a deep breath, the Third Raikage's eyes revealed intense killing intent.
Whether as a father, an elder, or the Kage of a village.
He had to respond!
If he failed to launch an effective and powerful counterattack against Konoha, Kumo's morale would likely be shaken, which would then affect the entire battlefield.
During wartime, a single move could affect the entire situation!
Military morale was incomparably important.
He needed to launch a powerful counterattack to stabilize morale.
At the same time, he also needed to show the other shinobi villages the strength of Kumo!
On the battlefield, they absolutely could not show weakness or cowardice.
Otherwise, the other shinobi villages might regard them as the weaker side, begin coveting their territory, and launch even fiercer offensives against them!
He also had to act swiftly and decisively, without giving Konoha time to react.
That was why he intended to use the Heavenly Transfer Technique to reach that front line as quickly as possible!
Of course.
He would not act blindly.
He would first learn the specific situation from Dodai.
If he had enough confidence to act immediately, he would do so. Otherwise, he would make the necessary preparations first.
The deaths of Killer B and A had to be repaid by Konoha with an equal price.
Especially Konoha's strongest genius, Seiryū, who had killed Killer B and A.
Even if it meant exhausting every last ounce of his strength, the Third Raikage had to kill him.
Otherwise, in the future, Seiryū would undoubtedly become a disaster!
Inside a tent on the Land of Fire front line.
"It looks like there are no problems."
Tsunade withdrew her hand after checking whether Seiryū had suffered any lingering damage.
She nodded and said, "The healing effect of Creation Rebirth is truly powerful. It can actually offset the burden placed on the body by the Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder."
"However, you absolutely must not open the Eighth Gate: Gate of Death. Although the healing abilities of Kaidō and Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique are extremely powerful."
Tsunade looked at Seiryū and warned him, "The Eighth Gate: Gate of Death is a Forbidden Jutsu that causes the user to die after opening it. Don't entertain such wishful thinking!"
This was not the first time she had warned Seiryū about something like this.
Seiryū was good in every other respect.
But whenever he became reckless, he completely ignored the consequences.
She was terrified that Seiryū might think Kaidō and Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique could offset the fatal burden of opening the Eight Inner Gates Formation.
Tsunade felt that she still needed to warn him several more times.
That was assuming.
Seiryū was willing to listen.
Tsunade had a terrible headache over this. This kid was truly troublesome!
"I already said I'm fine, but you still insisted on checking. I'm also a Medical-nin. How could I not understand the condition of my own body?"
Seiryū put his clothes back on with an aggrieved expression. "I suspect you're taking advantage of me!"
She could examine him if she wanted.
But why did she make him remove his shirt?
Was this not bullying an honest person?
He felt that this bad woman, Tsunade, was taking advantage of him and merely wanted to look at his body.
What a perverted shotacon!
Tsunade fell silent.
This kid always left her speechless.
Why would she be so bored that she would take advantage of him?
Too lazy to pay attention to his nonsense, Tsunade continued, "You've been controlling the Dragon Vein for quite a while now. Can't you fully transform with its power like the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"If you can completely master the power of the Dragon Vein, your strength should become even greater!"
Once his strength increased.
Seiryū would not think about opening the full Eight Inner Gates Formation, right?
Tsunade was worried sick over Seiryū.
"It's still in progress. Only after I completely imprint my mark on the Dragon Vein's source Chakra and make it my possession can I use the Dragon Vein's full power."
Regarding this matter, Seiryū answered truthfully.
He had previously used Setsuna's Genjutsu to control the Dragon Vein's consciousness, allowing him to use a tug-of-war method to imprint his mark on the Dragon Vein's source Chakra.
After that, he gained control over a portion of the Dragon Vein Chakra.
Because the Dragon Vein was not a Tailed Beast, it did not possess true intelligence. It only possessed a primitive consciousness.
Therefore, there was no possibility of reaching an understanding with it.
To completely control the Dragon Vein, Seiryū needed to use another method.
He had to imprint his mark on the Dragon Vein's source Chakra little by little.
He needed to make the Dragon Vein completely his possession.
Simply put, it was a process of subjugation.
And it required time!
Tsunade asked curiously, "How much longer will it take?"
Seiryū shrugged. "Who knows? It's very disobedient. The Dragon Vein's consciousness strongly resists me, so I can only take things slowly. Anyway, this level is enough for now."
Although Seiryū could already use the Dragon Vein Chakra to enter the ethereal state.
The Dragon Vein's consciousness within the Yin Seal still resisted him fiercely.
The moment it sensed Seiryū's consciousness entering the Yin Seal, it would immediately go berserk.
It wanted nothing more than to kill him.
That was normal.
After all, Seiryū was plundering the Dragon Vein's power.
"Can't Queen Sara control the Dragon Vein? You could try asking her."
Halfway through her sentence, Tsunade stopped.
She suddenly remembered, with a headache, that Seiryū also seemed to harbor certain thoughts toward Sara, the Queen of Rōran.
However, Tsunade still felt that improving Seiryū's strength was more important, so she continued helplessly, "Perhaps she can help you gain complete control over the Dragon Vein Chakra."
After hearing this, Seiryū's eyes lit up. "Hey, why didn't I think of that? I need to go cultivate my relationship with Sister Queen later!"
The royal bloodline of Rōran truly did possess the ability to control the Dragon Vein Chakra.
Perhaps Sara really could help him.
Hmm.
He would go cultivate his relationship with Queen Sara later.
He liked her very much too!
She was the queen of an entire country, after all. He liked her far too much, and not in the role-playing sense.
Tsunade fell silent.
For some reason.
She felt slightly angry.
Why did this brat like so many girls?
What a bastard!
"Speaking of which, Rōran is located in the desert within the Land of Wind. I wonder whether it will be affected by the war between Suna and Iwa."
Seiryū sighed. "Sister Queen is too stubborn. She isn't even willing to bring her people to Konoha to take refuge."
Seiryū had previously used the Flying Thunder God Technique to visit Rōran.
He had wanted Sara to bring the people of Rōran to Konoha and take shelter from the turmoil of war.
However, she refused.
With no other choice, Seiryū left a Flying Thunder God Seal on Sara.
He told her that if she encountered danger, she could activate the Flying Thunder God Seal to notify him.
He would rush over immediately.
After all, he was also the Prince Regent of Rōran.
As Prince Regent, he naturally could not ignore Rōran's safety.
Rōran was one of the few places in the Shinobi World that practiced polygamy.
Absolutely nothing could happen to it!
If anyone dared to do anything harmful to Rōran, they would be making an enemy of Seiryū.
The kind of enemy he would fight to the death!
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)