"Screee!"
The piercing sound kept echoing as patches of white rapidly spread outward.
It was extreme icy frost, instantly covering the entire sea within sight.
Although it wasn't quite as powerful as the ice techniques demonstrated by others—those capable of freezing entire oceans—it was still more than enough to seal off this section of the sea.
Witnessing such a shocking scene, everyone on the rooftop gasped, rubbing their eyes in disbelief like they were seeing ghosts.
"No way! We're talking about the freaking open sea here!"
"What terrifying power! Or rather, this isn't a force any human should possess!"
This wasn't just about having big chakra reserves—it was like lifting a sword that's way too heavy for you.
Think of it like picking a weapon—everyone knows bigger ones hit harder.
But the truth is, if a weapon exceeds one's own capacity, it becomes nearly impossible to even swing properly.
Chakra works similarly. Using too much at once makes it difficult not only to complete a ninjutsu technique perfectly but also even to form basic hand seals correctly.
That Seiki could perform such precise ninjutsu while channeling this much chakra proved he had complete mastery over its usage!
As for the other side of the sea, the Iwagakure ninja who had barely escaped were quickly overwhelmed with despair.
"Have we really been fighting against an enemy like this all along?"
"There's no way we can win; the gap between our levels is just too huge!"
Some had only their legs frozen—that was survivable. Others, however, were completely encased in ice and wouldn't break free without help.
As Roshi frowned in thought, he realized he could shatter the ice—but doing so might kill his frozen comrades.
Watching as enemies began jumping from Hozuki Castle onto the icy surface, Roshi stopped hesitating, "No time to think further—better risk burning than turning into an ice sculpture!"
[Lava Release: Great Inferno!]
The frost layer melted swiftly, and the previously trapped Iwagakure ninja shouted in panic as they plunged into the water below.
...
A short chase later, Iwagakure fled—leaving a third of their elite behind.
Back from the chase, everyone finally had a moment to voice their confusion: "Seiki, what in the world just happened out there?"
Apologizing briefly, Seiki replied, "Sorry, but to prevent leaks, I withheld certain details earlier. Truthfully, I received intel sooner than you guys did, and together with Mui, I used their plan against them by setting up this trap!"
Even though suspicions existed beforehand, hearing Seiki confirm it still stunned everyone.
Turning an enemy's scheme meant specifically for him into a deadly snare against those same foes required incredible courage and intelligence—an act truly worthy of admiration.
Danzo then asked, "You still haven't explained—who or what exactly was that black sludge?"
Shaking his head slightly, Seiki answered, "Not entirely sure myself. However, one thing is certain—the true mastermind behind everything must be the owner of that sludge!"
Hearing Seiki's explanation left everyone struggling to accept it.
"How can that be? Could someone actually manipulate the Tsuchikage himself?"
"Unbelievable… They've got living nightmares walking among them!"
Seiki Shimaseki fell silent for a moment. "Judging from Onoki's reaction, he himself has been deceived too. The mastermind is exploiting Iwagakure's desire to defeat us and using it to push everything forward."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully, then felt even more shocked.
They hadn't seen through Onoki's plot at all, but Seiki Shimaseki had not only uncovered an even deeper conspiracy hidden beneath that scheme—he'd used it to seriously injure the mastermind behind everything.
In terms of depth and foresight, Seiki Shimaseki was at least five levels above them.
Danzo was stunned. Onoki was scheming, the hidden mastermind was scheming, and now Seiki Shimaseki was scheming too.
Compared to these people, he was as innocent as... some goody-two-shoes lily!
For a moment, Danzo actually developed the mistaken impression that he alone was the good one.
Yet after silently complaining inwardly, deep apprehension and caution immediately followed.
Given how much importance Onoki placed on this operation, he should have been extremely vigilant toward Mui. So how exactly were they communicating?
And even more importantly, the fact that Mui was involved in such matters clearly showed how much trust Onoki placed in him—yet someone so trusted could be turned so easily...
Thinking about this, Danzo couldn't help but sigh, "This kid combines Hiruzen's strength with my own wisdom. He truly is unfathomable!"
Meanwhile, hundreds of feet underground.
For the first time in a millennium, Black Zetsu wept.
It wasn't physical pain causing his tears, but profound anguish from the very depths of his soul.
This form was the only gift his mother had ever left him!
And today, that one and only gift had been damaged!
"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!" Black Zetsu sobbed, already plotting revenge when sudden fear struck his heart.
"Wait a second, why did he specifically target me? Why did he deliberately use Sage Art? Could it be... he's already noticed my existence?"
An unfamiliar fear surged within him. He wasn't afraid of failure or pain—but being exposed? That terrified him beyond anything else.
Once his true identity was revealed and those two elder brothers discovered him, there would be no way he could ever save his mother again!
Yes, his source of fear was precisely those two older brothers.
If even he was still alive, how could those two brothers who inherited most of their mother's power possibly die?
As far as he was concerned, his two elder brothers must still exist somewhere in *shinobi no sekai*, in some form!
Black Zetsu forced himself to calm down. "Let me think carefully—this trap he set wasn't actually designed for Iwagakure. His actual target was me… But how did he learn about my existence? Was it during that time when I was following Nagato and he noticed me?"
"But that's impossible, isn't it?" Black Zetsu murmured to himself in disbelief. Back then, he hadn't left any traces behind at all. The only possible clue might have led Seiki Shimaseki to suspect someone was watching him.
How could anyone deduce solely from that tiny clue that normal elemental techniques are ineffective against me?
"That brat figured out my weakness after failing an attack?" Black Zetsu mumbled quietly. "But where did he even learn about *Yin-Yang Release* ([*Yin-Yang Release*] — the combined power of creation and destruction)?
"That giant mucus-eater? Or maybe Nine-Tails?"
"Or… could he actually be Hagoromo's Chakra incarnate?" Black Zetsu nearly shivered at the thought. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Hagoromo isn't as gullible as his two idiot sons—if this really were his reincarnation, I'd already be dead by now!" Black Zetsu forced himself to stay calm. "Forget about where he got this information for now. Let's focus on figuring out our next move!"
Normally, if someone had uncovered part of his secrets and even acquired part of his physical form, he would stop at nothing to eliminate that threat.
Yet Black Zetsu hesitated. That little monster had an uncanny knack for staying alive. With the powers currently at his disposal, there was no way he could kill him.
Unless he could make Seiki Shimaseki fully trust him, maybe he could then plant a few sincere-sounding words in his ear… The problem, however, was that kid's intuition was absurdly sharp. Last time, he barely concealed his malice when it was immediately detected. Earning his trust seemed like an impossible task.
To make matters worse, this time he had only slightly schemed against the brat when everything was instantly traced right back to him, his disguise completely blown.
If this entanglement went on any longer, he feared he might be completely exposed!
"Tch! If I can't beat him, I'll just avoid him then. Tomorrow I'll head to the other side and see if there's anyone there who meets my standards. First, I'll test Minato Namikaze. If he can hold his own against this brat, his skills must be top-notch!"
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