"Trouble."
Beneath his mask, Uchiha Shinji's expression darkened.
Toneri Otsutsuki was one of the last enemies he wanted to face right now. In terms of danger, Toneri might even surpass Nagato!
While Nagato possessed the Samsara Eye, it wasn't his own, limiting his ability to unleash its full potential. Combined with his crippled legs from past injuries, the burden of sustaining the Gedo Statue, and other factors, Nagato's strength, though formidable, fell short of the Six Paths level.
Toneri Otsutsuki, standing before Shinji, was a different story!
As a true descendant of the Otsutsuki clan, Toneri boasted unparalleled lineage and heritage in the ninja world.
Moreover, with his ability to freely wield the Six Paths-level giant Tenseigan, his strength could, in some respects, be considered equivalent to Six Paths level.
This wasn't Shinji's subjective assumption.
In the original timeline, Toneri, even without the Tenseigan, effortlessly defeated Naruto, who had fought in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Naruto's eventual victory over Toneri hinged on one critical condition: destroying the giant Tenseigan in the temple before their final battle.
Without that, Naruto would have been utterly defeated!
If Shinji threw caution to the wind, he could attempt to destroy the giant Tenseigan first and then engage Toneri in a decisive battle.
After all, with Susanoo Tomoshibi controlling a pair of Byakugan and a small amount of Byakugan chakra in his body, he theoretically had the capability to destroy the giant Tenseigan.
However, his goal was to harness the Six Paths-level giant Tenseigan. As the Lampbearer guarding the ninja world, he cherished all its powers. Destroying the giant Tenseigan just to defeat Toneri would be a case of sacrificing the greater good for a lesser gain.
As his thoughts raced, Shinji began planning his escape.
While he pondered, Toneri observed him for a moment, his stern expression brimming with hatred and fury. "You again… Akatsuki!"
"Heh."
Shinji let out a soft chuckle.
He fully understood Toneri's rage. After all, directly or indirectly, two members of the Otsutsuki branch family had died by his hand.
For the now-dwindling Otsutsuki branch family, this was an unforgivable grudge!
Of course!
If Toneri knew that Shinji was also the one who destroyed his puppet in the Hidden Leaf Village, he'd likely be even more enraged.
"You filthy insect!"
Shinji's chuckle only fueled Toneri's anger.
Ignoring Neji, who still carried significant Tenseigan chakra and was fleeing in a panic, Toneri launched an attack directly at Shinji.
With a single raise of his hand, an immense repulsive force enveloped Shinji's complete-form Susanoo. Even in its full form, Susanoo couldn't withstand it, instantly sent hurtling backward, crashing heavily into the floating debris belt near the temple.
Boom!
In an instant, a deafening roar echoed through the surroundings!
The collision of massive objects carried unimaginable force, and Shinji, slammed into the debris belt, was far from unscathed. He didn't show it, though. As cracks appeared on his Susanoo from the impact, he instantly channeled dojutsu power to repair them and stabilize his form.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he checked on Neji's escape. Realizing Neji would need at least five to ten minutes to exit the castle's protective barrier, Shinji's gaze sharpened. Locking eyes with Toneri, he unleashed Amaterasu!
However, Toneri seemed prepared. The moment Amaterasu's black flames ignited, a Tenseigan puppet positioned itself in front of him, using its body as a shield to absorb Shinji's sudden attack.
Whoosh.
Though the puppet was made of exceptional material, it was reduced to ashes in mere moments under Amaterasu's black flames.
Toneri wasn't surprised. Raising his right hand, he drew the black flames that had consumed the puppet into his palm, then clenched his fist, absorbing them entirely.
Shinji's brow furrowed.
He hadn't expected a single Amaterasu to defeat Toneri, but the ease with which Toneri handled it was unexpected.
Clearly, after suffering a loss in the Hidden Leaf and losing clan members, Toneri had grown significantly.
Knowing conventional attacks were ineffective against Toneri but needing to cover Neji's escape, Shinji launched another assault.
Soon, his Susanoo brandished its golden blade, slashing toward Toneri with a whistling gust, its momentum overwhelming.
Along the way, several Tenseigan puppets attempted to intercept, firing chakra cannons from all directions that bombarded Shinji's Susanoo.
But against the complete-form Susanoo's defenses, these cannons, capable of shattering mountains, were like scratches—utterly incapable of slowing Shinji. Some puppets, too slow to dodge, were sliced into fragments by Susanoo's golden blade!
Shinji's attack arrived in an instant. Susanoo, swinging its blade in midair, nearly eclipsed the artificial sun's light inside the Moon, casting a vast shadow.
In the shadow, Toneri's expression grew stern. He raised both hands sharply to meet the descending golden blade of Shinji's Susanoo!
The anticipated earth-shattering clash didn't occur!
Shinji's pupils contracted. Before his Susanoo's golden blade could touch Toneri, it began to melt and warp, like an ice pop under a blazing sun!
Then, the melted golden material flowed along Toneri's raised hands, absorbed entirely into his body.
"Even my Susanoo, shaped with this level of dojutsu power, can't withstand the chakra absorption of the giant Tenseigan?"
Shinji wasn't shocked by the sight, just mildly exasperated.
The dojutsu power of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was likely second only to Karin's, which was on the verge of evolving into the Samsara Eye. Yet, even so, it could only hold out slightly longer against the giant Tenseigan's chakra absorption, much like Naruto in the original timeline post-Fourth War, unable to resist.
Toneri now turned his gaze to Shinji, his murderous eyes tinged with mockery!
"Tch!"
Shinji clicked his tongue, immediately attempting to infuse the Byakugan chakra wielded by Susanoo Tomoshibi into his Susanoo.
Instantly, the melting stopped!
"What!?"
Toneri's face contorted in shock.
Shinji gave him no time to react, urging Susanoo to swing the blade suspended above Toneri's head downward!