Eastern District…
"That pitch-black lightning… such powerful chakra…" White Zetsu stared at Ye Zi, who was enveloped in the flow of black lightning in the desolate eastern wasteland, with an expression of astonishment.
Black Zetsu, however, silently observed Ye Zi's figure.
Chains radiating a golden glow tore through the wind, hurtling toward Ye Zi.
Clang!
Ye Zi's black blade slashed, shattering all nine golden chains!
"My Sage Mode chakra is running low, and one of my clones hasn't finished refining it yet… I can't waste chakra recklessly. Close combat will have to be my primary strategy."
With a stomp, Ye Zi shattered the ground beneath his feet. Like a flash of blinding black lightning across a clear sky, he instantly crossed the distance, passing through the still-falling fragments of the shattered golden chains, and appeared before Kushina.
The black lightning didn't enhance Ye Zi's speed, but its power was stronger than before. He could only use it in Sage Mode; in his normal state, using black lightning would harm him as well.
Ye Zi's black blade slashed toward Kushina's arm.
Ye Zi didn't know whether Kushina was fighting with the intent to kill, but no matter what, he couldn't take her life.
If Kushina was fighting with a lethal intent, this battle would have been disadvantageous to Ye Zi from the start.
As it stood, even though Ye Zi had inflicted such damage on Konoha, Kushina still had no intention of killing him. Her goal was to stop him and strip him of his power.
The black blade descended.
A layer of Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak immediately appeared on Kushina.
Nine golden chains infused with Tailed Beast Chakra surged out from her back once more. Seven of them intertwined and managed to block the descending black blade just in time.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave rippled outward, shattering the ground beneath them.
"Blocked?"
"Blocked!"
In that brief pause, the same thought crossed both their minds.
Then, Ye Zi leaped back, avoiding the golden chains attacking from both sides.
Boom!
The golden chains struck the ground, shattering it into rubble with immense force.
After forcing Ye Zi back, Kushina's gaze sharpened as she formed hand signs: Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Dozens of shadow clones appeared around Kushina, each cloaked in Tailed Beast Chakra and equipped with nine golden chains.
"…"
Seeing the numerous shadow clones, Ye Zi frowned and decisively widened the distance.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra… A prolonged fight doesn't seem favorable for me. I don't even know if they've found Kotoe yet, and the Sage Chakra from my clone still isn't ready."
Faced with the countless golden chains flying in all directions, and unable to go for the kill, Ye Zi was forced into a defensive stance against Kushina's onslaught.
At this moment, two uninvited guests arrived at the edge of the wasteland.
They were Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, who had hurried over from the Uchiha compound.
Both of them had their Sharingan activated. Previously, Itachi had only been at the two-tomoe stage, but now his Sharingan had evolved to three-tomoe.
Seeing the spectacular scene of Kushina's shadow clones in action and the black lightning surrounding Ye Zi, even from a distance, Itachi could feel the oppressive and piercing chakra, as if needles were pricking his skin.
The overwhelming golden chains and the menacing black figure in confrontation left the precocious Itachi with a deep sense of helplessness.
This level of battle was beyond anything he could interfere with…
He realized this but didn't consider his young age. If he were able to intervene in a fight of this caliber, he would undoubtedly be a once-in-a-lifetime genius.
"Itachi, stay here and watch." Shisui's cold eyes were fixed on Ye Zi in the wasteland.
This place had once been a thriving part of Konoha, but Ye Zi had reduced it to ruins. There was nothing but barren land and rubble.
"I can never forgive this." Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. His eyes slowly transformed, the pupils taking on the shape of shuriken with additional blades.
"Shisui, your eyes?" Itachi noticed the change in Shisui's eyes and was immediately astonished.
"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan. Maybe you'll awaken it someday, Itachi, but I honestly hope you never do. As for the reason… I'll tell you later. For now, stay back and protect yourself." Shisui drew the short sword from his back. He was skilled with blades as well.
However, in this battle, victory wouldn't be determined by swords but by the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular techniques. Shisui intended to use this power to stop Ye Zi.
Itachi nodded, fully understanding the situation. This was a battle he could only watch from the sidelines, but he had faith in Shisui.
On the wasteland, both Kushina and Ye Zi sensed the arrival of the two newcomers.
"It's Shisui…" Kushina thought to herself. With Shisui's abilities, he could at least provide some assistance.
Ye Zi didn't know who the newcomers were, nor did he need to. Faced with the overwhelming golden chains and his dwindling Sage Chakra, at this critical moment, the Sage Chakra refined by one of his clones finally flowed back to him.
"Excellent."
Ye Zi quickly closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his right eye underwent a significant transformation. It was no longer the serpent-like pupil; instead, it had been replaced by a tilted "swastika"-shaped Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, the serpentine traits had not completely disappeared. The vertical slit of the pupil remained, now fused with the Mangekyō Sharingan, with a streak of golden light intertwined with the crimson hue.
The shape of this Mangekyō Sharingan was very similar to Shisui's Mangekyō. The difference lay in the direction of the blades: Shisui's "卐" pointed to the right, while Ye Zi's "卍" pointed to the left.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan activated, everything became much clearer. It was as if Ye Zi could now perceive the invisible flows of natural energy in the environment.
"What is that...?"
Kushina noticed the change in Ye Zi's right eye and was visibly shocked. However, she did not stop her attack.
Dozens of shadow clones leaped into the air, unleashing hundreds of golden chains that scattered across the sky. The dazzling display created a striking visual spectacle as they descended upon Ye Zi.
The golden chains swarmed forward in waves, striking the ground like a barrage of whips.
In Ye Zi's right eye, faint glimmers of light flickered. He could clearly see each of the hundreds of golden chains, as though each one had been isolated into its own distinct frame. These individual frames then reassembled into the complete scene unfolding before him.
"Time feels slower."
This visceral sensation surged into his mind. Ye Zi took a single step backward, effortlessly dodging a golden chain in front of him. He then shifted one step to the left, causing another chain that attacked from the right to miss.
In this way, within the web-like onslaught of hundreds of golden chains, Ye Zi moved as if he were strolling leisurely in a garden. He evaded them all with ease, and not a single golden chain managed to graze him.
This astonishing scene left Itachi utterly stunned.
Ye Zi's overwhelming and formidable presence was deeply imprinted in his young mind.
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Currently on Chapter 478 - Fugaku's Mangekyō Ability