BOOM!
A towering blue Susanoo burst into existence. With a thunderous roar, it swung its massive arms, easily repelling Xiao Li's aggressive charge.
"Xiao Li!" Naruto, Tenten, and Neji rushed forward, catching their injured comrade before he hit the ground.
Meanwhile, inside the glowing ribcage of Susanoo's second stage, Leo stood protected and calm. From his system's storage space, he retrieved the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—an ominous, pulsating eye of immense power.
Without flinching, he pressed it into the empty socket of his right eye using basic medical ninjutsu. It wasn't elegant, but it was effective.
ZING———
At that moment, both of Leo's eyes radiated the dark, terrifying power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Chakra surged around him like a violent tide, warping the air with sheer intensity.
"Nine-Tails," Leo said, his voice low and dangerous, "it's time to put your collar back on."
His scarlet eyes glared directly at Naruto. It was as if he could see straight into the heart of the beast sealed within.
Inside Naruto's subconscious, Kurama roared furiously.
"That cursed eye...! That damned Madara—he's regained that same power!"
Kurama growled at Naruto. "You have to run, brat! Now! Do you hear me?!"
Naruto clenched his fists. "No. I'm not running away. I'll protect Konoha… even if I die. I'll be Hokage someday!"
"You self-righteous fool!!" Kurama yelled in frustration.
He knew this power. He had been enslaved by it before. If Naruto didn't flee now, it would happen again. Leo would take him—just like Madara had done in the past.
Back in the real world, Leo frowned. His right eye wouldn't close—ever.
"Tsk… I suppose my medical ninjutsu isn't enough," he muttered.
The right eye, newly implanted, couldn't regulate its chakra. It remained constantly active—permanently open.
But Leo was unconcerned.
"Tsunade... the medical genius," he mused, shifting his gaze toward the Fifth Hokage. "You might be useful after all."
He smirked.
Inside his system's space, he remembered he had a piece of [Asura's flesh]—a potent source of Asura Chakra. To integrate it, he needed medical precision. If Tsunade wouldn't help willingly…
Well, there were other ways.
"She'll obey eventually," Leo whispered darkly. "All I need is the right opportunity…"
"Everyone, be on guard!" Tsunade shouted, taking the front position. Her chakra flared, protective and fierce.
Behind her, the elite of Konoha gathered: Nara Shikaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Mitarashi Anko, Yuhi Kurenai, Uzuki Yugao, and many more.
They stood shoulder to shoulder with their Hokage, prepared to make their final stand.
"Tch. Even now, you still resist?" Leo paused, somewhat amused.
Their defiance was unexpected.
But futile.
"This… is the power of the Will of Fire!" Tsunade declared. "Passed down from our forefathers! You'll never extinguish it, Madara!"
Leo's smirk faded into a cold sneer.
"I see. Then I suppose I should start with you—the so-called Fifth Hokage."
WHOOSH—
In a flash, Leo vanished from sight. The next moment, he reappeared in front of Tsunade, his movement faster than lightning.
Anbu operatives leapt to intercept him.
BOOM! BOOM! SPLASH!
Leo tore through them with brutal grace, his sickle slicing cleanly through their armor and bone.
A punch. A kick. A swing of his blade—each action left bodies crumpled in his wake.
"Raikiri!" Kakashi appeared from the side, lightning in hand, aimed at Leo's heart.
Leo sidestepped without effort. "Predictable."
BARK! BARK!
Suddenly, a pack of ninja dogs—Kakashi's summons—emerged from the ground and lunged.
Leo clicked his tongue. "How irritating."
SWISH—SLASH!
With a single spinning sweep of his sickle, he eliminated the dogs in a puff of smoke. Blood splattered the battlefield as the last of the summons vanished.
Kakashi struggled to stand. "Pakkun…"
"You bastard!" Tsunade dropped from above with a mighty kick.
BOOM!!!
Leo raised his weapon and blocked. The earth cracked beneath them. The impact was immense.
But he didn't flinch.
When Tsunade landed, Leo countered immediately—chakra exploding through his legs.
BANG!!!
His kick collided with Tsunade's guard. Though she blocked with her arms, she was still thrown backward like a cannonball.
Before she could recover—
SHING—
A sudden flash of steel raced toward the back of Leo's head.
He ducked.
GRAB!
His hand shot up, seizing a slender neck. He turned to see a woman with purple hair: Uzuki Yugao.
"A woman?" Leo said with mild interest. "Do you want to dance too?"
With desperate strength, Yugao raised her sword.
"You devil…"
THRUST!
She swung at him in one last act of defiance, but Leo caught her blade mid-swing—barehanded.
He twisted the weapon, then drove it into her abdomen.
STAB—!!
Blood poured out as Yugao gasped. Her eyes went wide with pain and disbelief.
"…Gale…" she whispered, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
Leo threw her aside like broken glass.
Kakashi and others could only watch, horrified. They had no time to react.
"You struggle… so pitifully," Leo said, brushing blood from his gauntlet. "It's almost comical."
He turned his gaze back to Tsunade, who was rising from the rubble with blood trickling from her lip.
The others followed, battered and bruised.
Still, they stood.
Hyuga Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, Choji, and dozens more Konoha shinobi lined up once more.
Wounded. Afraid. Determined.
"You just don't know when to quit," Leo muttered, expression hardening.
"This is our home!" Naruto shouted. "And we'll protect it—together!"
Leo looked down on them from the fractured battlefield, his Eternal Mangekyō glowing like twin stars of destruction.
He paused for a moment.
Then… he smiled.
End of Chapter 19