Konoha Village
When the man in black finished delivering his analytical assessment, Shisui's pupils contracted sharply with the shock of complete exposure.
It became clear that the enemy before him had been wary of his capabilities from the very beginning, meaning they had already formulated countermeasures for every possible action he might take.
Minato had indeed instructed him to conceal the fact that he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, understanding the tactical advantage that secrecy provided in combat situations.
However, the enemy's intelligence-gathering capabilities had proven far more sophisticated and comprehensive than any of Konoha's strategists had anticipated.
Even so, Shisui retained some doubts about the accuracy of their deductions. Even with the circumstantial evidence they had gathered, the man in black shouldn't have been able to guess the specific nature of his ocular abilities with such precision.
The possibility of modifying others' thoughts and memories was simply too specific and unusual to deduce from behavioral changes alone.
CRACK!
Suddenly, Shisui felt a sharp, lancing pain shoot through his brain as the enormous strain of prolonged Mangekyō usage finally caught up with him. The massive consumption of his ocular power was causing severe backlash effects that threatened to compromise his combat effectiveness.
"With your current level of eye power, how much longer can you realistically maintain this fight?" the man in black taunted with cold satisfaction.
While their primary objective during this assault had been eliminating Namikaze Minato, the defenders currently active throughout Konoha would undoubtedly become significant obstacles to their future plans and operations.
This was especially true for Uchiha Shisui, whose ocular abilities could actually modify the souls and minds of others. If he succeeded in activating Kotoamatsukami at close range, even someone with Rinnegan-level power would feel genuinely threatened by the technique's absolute control.
Such a dangerous individual simply couldn't be allowed to survive and develop his abilities further.
As Shisui's ocular power visibly weakened, the man in black slowly raised his hand with predatory intent. Faint black light began flickering ominously in his palm as he prepared to end this confrontation permanently.
"Universal Pull!"
Tremendous gravitational force descended upon Shisui's position, forcibly dragging his body upward despite his attempts to resist the invisible bonds.
However, at that critical moment, a massive hand radiating brilliant dark golden light suddenly grasped Shisui from behind, pulling him back toward safety.
Nine-Tails chakra claws exerted tremendous force in the opposite direction while golden chains erupted from Kushina's back and anchored themselves deep into the ground below.
When the gravitational and resistance forces clashed, deep cracks spread outward from Kushina's position as the earth itself began to fracture under the opposing pressures.
Fortunately, her combined Nine-Tails chakra and sealing techniques proved sufficient to resist the technique's pull.
The man in black's gaze settled on Kushina with calculating assessment, his brow furrowing slightly with professional concern.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra is indeed formidably powerful," he acknowledged with grudging respect.
Apart from Namikaze Minato's sage chakra, which had proven superior to his own abilities, only the legendary Nine-Tails' power had demonstrated the capability to resist his gravitational manipulation.
However, it appeared that Uzumaki Kushina could only access the Nine-Tails' chakra rather than achieving true cooperation with the beast, unlike the jinchūriki from Kumogakure or the Fourth Mizukage who had established genuine partnerships with their tailed beasts.
If she had possessed that level of symbiosis, she would definitely represent a far more dangerous opponent.
Glancing toward the side of the battlefield, he observed that the Third Raikage, who had been resurrected through Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, had been thoroughly bound with suppressive chains and sealed like a secured package.
"She even managed to seal the Third Raikage... quite impressive capabilities," he admitted with professional appreciation.
The Kage resurrected through Edo Tensei lacked their original consciousness and couldn't exert their full pre-death capabilities. When confronted by someone who possessed Nine-Tails chakra and mastery of advanced sealing techniques, they simply couldn't maintain prolonged resistance.
"In that case, perhaps I should extract the Nine-Tails from her body first!" the man in black decided with cold calculation.
Forming rapid hand seals, he commanded the Gedo Statue to open its cavernous maw wide. Lavender light began gathering within as a massive chain shot forth from the creature's mouth with predatory intent.
"Don't let those chains touch you!" the Nine-Tails' voice suddenly erupted within Kushina's mind, carrying an unmistakable note of terror and urgent warning.
"Understood!" Although she didn't immediately comprehend why the Nine-Tails had reacted with such alarm, Kushina's instincts screamed danger at the sight of the approaching restraints.
Swoosh!
The chakra claws formed by Nine-Tails energy retracted instantly, and Kushina's movement speed increased dramatically as she evaded the chain's assault with acrobatic precision.
"What kind of creature is that thing? You seem to know its nature," Kushina's mental voice echoed within her consciousness, seeking answers from her unwilling tenant.
The monster before them clearly wasn't one of the nine tailed beasts known to the shinobi world. It possessed no visible tails, yet its power was sufficient to make even the Nine-Tails react with genuine fear.
"Don't touch those chains. That's all I can tell you," the Nine-Tails replied with uncharacteristic terseness.
"If you value your life, stay as far away from that statue as possible!"
"So that creature is a statue..." Kushina processed this information while maintaining her defensive stance.
"I can't retreat. If I do, my children and everyone in Konoha will be in mortal danger."
Her chakra-enhanced perception covered an extremely wide area, and she could sense Naruto, Chiharu, and numerous other Konoha shinobi and civilians positioned in the mountains not far from the village.
"But if it's chains you want to use, I have some of my own!"
Kushina formed a cross-shaped seal with both hands, her expression shifting to one of grim determination.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Hundreds of shadow clones radiating brilliant dark golden Nine-Tails chakra materialized in formation around the Gedo Statue, each one blazing with suppressive energy.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
In the span of mere seconds, they dispersed and formed a perfect circle, completely enclosing the ancient creature within their tactical formation.
"Sealing Technique: Adamantine Chain Formation!"
All of Kushina's shadow clones executed identical hand seals simultaneously, and golden chains erupted from their backs in perfect coordination.
The blazing restraints intersected overhead, creating an intricate lattice pattern that transformed into a comprehensive sealing array within moments.
As the chains interwove, they seemed to generate sealing patterns that pulsed with suppressive power designed specifically for containing entities of immense spiritual energy.
"The Uzumaki clan's legendary sealing techniques..." the man in black murmured with genuine surprise and growing concern.
"Seal!"
Every version of Kushina pressed their palms together in unison, and the next instant, all the chains contracted with tremendous force.
Hundreds of golden restraints bound the Gedo Statue's neck, limbs, and torso in an inescapable web of suppressive energy.
ROAR!
As the chains tightened and their sealing power activated, the ancient statue suddenly released a low, anguished bellow that spoke of genuine pain and distress.
"You can actually restrain the Gedo Statue... it seems you've surpassed even Uzumaki Mito's legendary capabilities," the man in black observed with reluctant admiration.
Even the First Hokage's wife hadn't possessed sufficient power to restrain the Outer Path Statue through sealing techniques alone.
While Mito had gained the ability to sense good and evil through her connection to the Nine-Tails, she had never achieved the same level of integration with the beast's chakra that Kushina demonstrated.
However, simply immobilizing the statue wouldn't be sufficient to end this confrontation.
"I won't allow you to break this seal!" Shisui declared as he rushed into the range of the sealing cage, his voice carrying absolute conviction.
Brilliant green chakra erupted from his body once more, condensing into his armored Susanoo construct. The ethereal warrior was substantial enough to nearly fill the entire space on one side of the restrained statue.
The spiral sword in Susanoo's hand thrust forward with lethal intent, aimed directly at the Gedo Statue's vulnerable position.
"So you intend to attack the statue directly while it's restrained?"
With the ancient creature immobilized by Kushina's sealing technique and unable to move or defend itself, Shisui was launching his assault within the confined space where escape would be impossible.
Through their recent battle experience, both Shisui and Kushina had determined that while the man in black possessed numerous special abilities and could manipulate the statue, he lacked effective means to confront Susanoo in direct combat once his primary weapon was neutralized.
Even if he possessed alternative techniques, fighting within the sealing cage's confined space would inevitably result in damage to the statue he was trying to protect.
BANG!
Just as the spiral sword was about to pierce the Gedo Statue's form, the man in black abruptly canceled his summoning technique, and enormous clouds of concealing smoke filled the entire barrier.
"He dismissed the summoning?" Kushina murmured softly as she felt her restraints suddenly lose their target, the chains falling slack without the statue to contain.
However, Shisui's sword attack didn't cease its forward momentum.
Through the obscuring smoke, six new figures suddenly materialized around the man in black's position.
One of them moved directly into the path of Shisui's spiral sword, raising both palms defensively. A thin film capable of absorbing chakra appeared in front of his hands, preparing to intercept the devastating attack.
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