At some point, the sky had become adorned with patches of black runes. These sealing scripts intertwined with one another, appearing and disappearing under the blazing sunlight, like a mischievous child playing hide-and-seek.
But to Sōmi, a master of sealing techniques, their extraordinary nature was immediately apparent.
These sealing scripts carried a strong spatial-temporal attribute, as if they were connected to an alternate dimension.
Moreover, there was a semi-transparent barrier set up in front of the seals, complementing them perfectly. The setup suggested a folding of space. Attempting to bypass it would require considerable effort.
"Isn't this the ruins of Rōran?"
"How did it end up like this?"
"Who else in the shinobi world could possess such mastery of sealing techniques, besides Minato?"
"And why would Minato come here for no reason?"
"Could it be that something has happened to the Ryūmyaku here?!"
"The Ryūmyaku contains nearly infinite Chakra, enough to shake the fabric of space and time. If it were to go berserk, what kind of strange phenomena would occur..."
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in Sōmi's mind, but there was no time for careful contemplation—
After all, they were being chased by a grim reaper intent on claiming their lives!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a blinding flash of golden light streaked across the sky.
Clang!
A handsome, radiant figure wielding a kunai appeared, slashing at the golden cloud with a series of intersecting golden arcs. The strikes were swift and precise, producing crisp metallic clashes.
If not for Sōmi's quick reflexes in shielding the golden cloud with Shukaku's conjured head, the three of them would have plummeted from the sky.
"Minato Namikaze?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Upon recognizing the attacker, Sōmi's heart ignited with fury. Just as he was about to find an alternate escape route, he had run into this troublesome individual.
"Didn't you sense that terrifying presence behind us?"
"That guy is Uchiha Madara!"
"He's your ancestor from Konohagakure!"
"If you don't want to die, get out of my way!"
Sōmi shouted loudly.
Wrapped in Nine-Tails Chakra, Minato's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this, but he showed no surprise.
His expression suggested that he had already anticipated this revelation, and it was now merely confirmed.
"I am fully aware of your intentions and Uchiha Madara's strength."
"Both of you have surpassed ordinary shinobi by far, and your existence poses a great threat to the peace of the shinobi world. You and Uchiha Madara are both sources of chaos..."
"That's precisely why I'm here!"
Minato's toad-like eyes brimmed with solemnity.
Sōmi was too exasperated to retort. These Konohagakure folks always seemed to have some self-righteous "mission of peace."
Back when Hashirama subdued the Nine-Tails with one hand, he had declared its power too dangerous.
As long as power wasn't in Konohagakure's hands, it was deemed a threat...
As for how Minato had so accurately predicted Sōmi's movements and intercepted him, there was only one entity in the entire shinobi world capable of such feats— that meddling toad from Mount Myōboku.
That old thing!
It had blatantly rigged the game, all for the sake of that "Child of the Prophecy" who only knew how to talk people into submission!
Just because he's the son of the Sage of Six Paths, does the entire world have to revolve around him?
Sōmi, his heart ablaze with anger, had now added the entirety of Mount Myōboku to his "must-destroy" list!
If he survived this life-and-death crisis, not even a single earthworm from Mount Myōboku would escape his wrath—he'd slice them all in half!
Suppressing his emotions, Sōmi prepared to find an opportunity to slip away amidst Minato's attacks.
Inside the Sealing Space.
"Shukaku! Transfer all your power to me!"
"If Madara catches us, he'll stuff all nine Tailed Beasts into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and merge them into the Ten-Tails."
"When that happens, you won't even have the chance to preserve your consciousness, let alone your position as the top Tailed Beast!"
Standing before Shukaku, Sōmi spoke earnestly.
Shukaku, seeing Madara's overwhelming power firsthand and the Demonic Statue he had summoned, didn't even bother questioning how Sōmi knew about the Ten-Tails.
"Alright!"
Shukaku nodded vigorously. It understood that it and Sōmi were now in the same boat. If Sōmi were captured, Shukaku's fate would be no better.
Outside the Sealing Space.
A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, gathering around Sōmi.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The gale, mixed with sand and dust, howled sharply as it swirled together around Sōmi, forming a towering tornado that shot into the sky.
Roar!
The tornado abruptly dispersed, revealing two massive beastly claws reaching out. Moments later, the enormous jade-gold body of Shukaku emerged.
On Shukaku's chest was a shifting purple dragon, faintly glowing as if transferring Chakra into its body through some mysterious means.
A dazzling blue light flashed, followed by a deafening explosion.
Boom!
The newly-formed jade-gold Shukaku was sent flying, crashing into the semi-transparent barrier.
However, the barrier was incredibly sturdy, glowing faintly with white light but showing no signs of damage.
"A barrier?"
"Sealing scripts?"
"A Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
"No..."
"This Chakra is far too weak compared to the Nine-Tails. It seems to be merely residual Chakra collected from the Nine-Tails."
A towering armored giant, as imposing as a mountain and as majestic as a god, descended with a thunderous crash. Uchiha Madara's deep, curious voice echoed from above.
"So this is... the enemy of the First Hokage?"
Even with eight Chakra tails extending behind him, Minato couldn't help but swallow hard. Internally, he grew even more convinced of the Great Toad Sage's decision.
Since both of these individuals were now present, then...
Minato's hands moved swiftly, forming a series of complex seals with phantom-like speed.
Rumble!
The desert wasteland suddenly shook violently, as if a massive earthquake were tearing through the land.
Abruptly—
The soft, sandy ground split open, as though a giant slumbering beneath the surface had awakened and was trying to claw its way out.
Behind Sōmi, the "wall" of sealing scripts began to bend inward, taking on a fluid-like form, as if it sought to envelop Madara, Sōmi, and everyone else present.
"Hmm?!"
"Such a massive amount of Chakra still exists in this world?!"
"Who is that?!"
Madara's Rinnegan detected the changes deep underground. As the fissure widened, the violent, overwhelming Chakra surging from below became unmistakably clear to him.
What surprised him even more was the sight of an old toad standing on an ancient stone platform underground, seemingly guiding this terrifying power.
"The Senjutsu Chakra in that being..."
"It far surpasses Hashirama's?!"
"What is going on?!"
For the first time, Madara's face showed a trace of seriousness as he gazed at the Great Toad Sage.
But before he could take further action—
A burst of violet light!
A cylindrical beam of purple light began expanding outward at an astonishing speed!
In no time, the massive pillar of violet light shot into the heavens. Everything caught within its range was absorbed and vanished without a trace.
Naturally, the first to be engulfed were Madara, Sōmi, and Minato.
As the radiant purple glow reflected in their eyes, the light erupted, giving them no time to react.
Rumble!
The tremors in the earth intensified, as though an ancient beast was rampaging beneath the surface.
The violet pillar continued to expand, swallowing everything in its path. Even Madara, shielded within his Perfect Susano'o, was no exception. Inside the pillar, all sound ceased, as if it had been completely cut off from this world.
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