chsdbacks Chapter 408 This is actually just a clone?
Chapter 408 This is actually just a clone?
The tense battlefield finally relaxed the moment the Sage of Six Paths was captured.
Only Uchiha Sanfeng remained unmoved. He knew that the Sage of Six Paths' methods were unpredictable and that he could not possibly be defeated so easily.
He decided to search his memories to thoroughly investigate the entire resurrection plan and avoid leaving any future problems.
Uchiha Mikado activated the power of his golden Rinnegan, but just as he was about to touch the Sage of Six Paths' soul, a sudden change occurred.
The soul suddenly twisted violently, as if being torn apart by an invisible force, and then turned into specks of shimmering white light. After hovering in the air for a moment, it completely disappeared without a trace.
"Um?"
Uchiha Mitsunori's brows furrowed suddenly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and his outstretched finger paused slightly.
He could clearly sense that the soul power was not dissipated by the seal, but rather that it had some kind of flaw, more like a... deliberate means of leaving it behind.
"What happened?"
Madara Uchiha, arms crossed, leaned against a nearby rock: "I had him completely subdued just now, even sealing his chakra, so how could he suddenly disappear?"
Minato Namikaze's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, had just begun to relax when he witnessed the Sage of Six Paths' soul dissipate, and his heart jumped into his throat again.
He strode forward, his voice urgent: "Lord Sanfeng, could it be that the sealing technique failed, allowing him to escape?"
Uchiha Sanfeng slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on the faces of the crowd. His tone was calm yet carried an undeniable certainty: "It's not a matter of sealing, nor is it an escape. This is not his true body at all; it's merely a special clone condensed from fragments of his soul."
"A clone?"
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding in everyone's ears.
"We went through all that trouble, and we only defeated a clone? Where is his real body hiding? Is he playing us for fools?"
Madara Uchiha's tone was tinged with anger as he kicked a nearby rock, which instantly shattered into dust.
Just as everyone was filled with despair and anxiety, and the atmosphere on the battlefield became tense once again.
Uchiha Mitsunori suddenly laughed, saying with a relaxed expression, "Don't be too discouraged. This isn't an ordinary Shadow Clone or Wood Clone, but a special physical clone condensed by the Sage of Six Paths using fragments of his own core soul combined with a massive amount of chakra. This kind of clone not only possesses independent consciousness, but can also unleash seventy to eighty percent of the original's strength."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up instantly, and their disappointment vanished.
Although the clone, at seventy or eighty percent of its strength, was incredibly powerful, the four of them still managed to defeat it by joining forces. If the Sage of Six Paths were to appear in his true form, their chances of victory would still be very high.
Thinking of this, the originally tense atmosphere instantly became relaxed.
Naruto suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit: "During the battle just now, I could sense that his control over this clone wasn't perfect. Although the clone's chakra was enormous, it lacked the foundation that the original body should have. As long as we continue to work together and coordinate perfectly, we can definitely defeat his original body!"
Uchiha Mitsunori nodded slightly. After calming everyone down, a key figure suddenly flashed through his mind... Otsutsuki Hamura.
In the chaos of the battle, everyone was focused on dealing with the Sage of Six Paths' clones, and the captured Otsutsuki Hamura was temporarily imprisoned in a special prison on the ancestral star.
Due to the urgency of the war, there has not yet been a proper interrogation.
Now that the Sage of Six Paths' true form is missing, Hamura might know the key to it.
Immediately, Sanfeng led everyone to the ancestral star prison.
The prison is constructed from a special chakra alloy, covered with sealing runes, and filled with an energy field that suppresses chakra.
Hamura Otsutsuki was bound to a stone pillar in the center of the cell, his face pale, yet still carrying a hint of arrogance.
Uchiha Mitsumine slowly stepped forward, his golden Rinnegan slightly rotating as he probed Hamura's soul and chakra fluctuations.
A moment later, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "Otsutsuki Hamura is not a clone, but was truly resurrected by the Sage of Six Paths using a secret technique."
Everyone was shocked, their faces filled with disbelief. They never expected that Otsutsuki Hamura would actually be resurrected.
Without further hesitation, Uchiha Mitsunori unleashed the power of his golden Rinnegan, directly probing into Hamura's mind and beginning to search his memories.
Countless fragments of memory flowed through Uchiha Sanfeng's mind like a revolving lantern: from Hagoromo and Hamura joining forces to seal their mother Kaguya, to their separation due to differing ideals, with Hagoromo staying in the ninja world to create Ninshu and Hamura guarding the moon to protect the seal; and then to Hagoromo expending a great deal of power to revive Naruto in order to regain control of the ninja world, and the two plotting to use Naruto's body to perfect the resurrection ritual... all the details... clearly emerged.
After a long while, Uchiha Mitsunori withdrew his chakra and sighed deeply.
Hashirama Senju strode forward, his tone urgent: "How is it, Lord Sanmine? Have you found the whereabouts of the Sage of Six Paths' true form?"
The crowd behind him cast expectant glances, awaiting crucial news.
Uchiha Mitsunori nodded, his expression turning serious: "Found it. According to Hamura's memories, the Sage of Six Paths' true form is still hidden in the Edo Tensei world. He manipulated Naruto's clones to fight us not to fight for anything, but simply to test our true strength and buy time to perfect his final resurrection ritual."
A flicker of curiosity and doubt flashed in Naruto's eyes: "The Edo Tensei world? Let's go there now and finish him off before he completes his resurrection ritual!"
After saying that, he was about to activate his chakra, looking ready to set off at any moment.
Sasuke stepped forward, echoing, "That's right! Now that we know where he's hiding, we can't give him another chance to plot. We'll go with you and seal him away together!"
Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju also expressed their desire to go together.
Madara Uchiha smiled easily, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit: "Perfect, I want to see just how capable this so-called true form of the ninja world god really is."
Hashirama Senju nodded and said, "The more people there are, the more strength we have. Only by joining forces can we ensure that nothing goes wrong."
All four had unwavering determination in their eyes, ready to rush into danger at any moment.
Faced with everyone's request to go, Uchiha Sanfeng slowly shook his head and firmly refused, saying, "No, you can't go."
Why?
Everyone asked in unison, their eyes full of confusion.
They had finally found the whereabouts of the Sage of Six Paths, but they couldn't go with him, which was hard for them to accept.
Uchiha Mitsunori patiently explained, "Because the Impure World is not an independent space; it is hidden deep within the core area of the Underworld, enveloped by countless death energies. Moreover, the rules of the Underworld are extremely special. When a living person enters it, their body will be eroded by the death energy, and their strength will be greatly reduced, at most only able to exert 30% of their original power."
He paused, then continued, "The crucial point is that the Underworld is fraught with danger. Besides the countless vengeful spirits dwelling in the Impure World, there are many unknown creatures of the Underworld that feed on the souls of the living. If you go there, you will not only be of no help, but you will also be in danger and become a bargaining chip for the Sage of Six Paths to restrain me."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed disappointment.
They understood that Sanfeng was right. Living people in the underworld have limited strength and will encounter various unknown dangers. Going there rashly would indeed be too risky, but giving up now would leave them feeling somewhat unwilling.
Hashirama Senju said worriedly, his eyes full of concern: "Won't it be too dangerous for you to go alone? The Sage of Six Paths' true form must be extremely powerful, and with the added advantage of the Underworld's environment, you might suffer if you go alone."
Uchiha Mitsunori smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on the void outside the prison.
The next second, a white figure slowly appeared; it was none other than Kaguya Otsutsuki.
She walked over gracefully, dressed in a long white dress, exuding a powerful yet pure aura of chakra, and said softly, "I will go with Mitsuhine."
"Kaguya-sama!"
Upon seeing this, everyone bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with reverence.
They hadn't expected Lady Kaguya to offer to go with them; with her help, their chances of winning would undoubtedly increase significantly.
Kaguya Otsutsuki nodded slightly, walked to the side of the three peaks, and said firmly, "Hagoromo and Hamura are my sons. The mistakes they made have brought endless war to the ninja world, and I will naturally deal with them personally. Moreover, I was sealed on the moon for a thousand years and have a certain understanding of the death energy and rules of the underworld. Together with the three peaks, we are enough to deal with all the crises in the Edo Tensei world."
Looking at the people before him, Uchiha Sanfeng entrusted them with the responsibility: "While Kaguya and I are going to the Underworld, the safety of the ninja world is in your hands. Minato, you continue to oversee the overall situation, appease the people, and handle all administrative affairs; Madara and Hashirama, you are responsible for suppressing any potential unrest and protecting the key defense line between our ancestral star and the ninja world; Naruto and Sasuke, you should rest well, consolidate your strength, and safeguard this hard-won peace."
"We understand!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices firm and resolute. They knew the responsibility they bore and were determined to safeguard the peace of the ninja world, awaiting the triumphant return of the Three Peaks and Kaguya.
Then, Uchiha Mitsumine clapped his hands together, and golden chakra surged out from his body, forming a black and white spatial gate.
This is a spatial passage leading to the underworld. The passage is pitch black inside, and one can vaguely feel the strong aura of death, as well as the howls of vengeful spirits, which sends chills down one's spine.
Uchiha Mitsunori and Kaguya Otsutsuki exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
Immediately afterwards, the two stood side by side and quickly stepped into the spatial passage.
As their figures disappeared into the passage, the passage closed, leaving behind only a group of people with solemn expressions, silently praying that they would return safely and completely end this crisis that spanned a thousand years.