Uchiha Kai's expression was deadly serious.
His ocular power drained at a rapid pace, while the Third Raikage's body began collapsing at frightening speed.In the blink of an eye—
The lightning armor wrapped around Raikage's body shattered like broken glass.
Cracks spread across his flesh like a spider's web, chilling to behold.Then—
The fissures widened, crimson blood streaming out.Bit by bit, his flesh, his organs, even his bones—
all began to rupture.
In an instant, the Third Raikage became a blood-soaked figure, faint traces of white bone showing beneath.At first, when Kai had unleashed his Mangekyō Sharingan technique, Raikage had barely managed to defend.
But unfortunately—
After such a brutal battle, his chakra and stamina were nearly drained dry.Kai, however, was different.
He too had burned through chakra and stamina, but his hidden trump—his ocular power—was still untouched.Thus, the delicate balance between them shattered.By the time Raikage reached Kai, his right arm—the one executing Hell Stab: One Finger—was nothing but exposed bone, etched with deep cracks, glinting cold and dark.And yet—
The overwhelming force of his thrust still struck Kai's chest.BOOM!The shockwave tore through the battlefield, proof of Raikage's might.Kai did not dodge.
Though the attack remained fearsome, his dual defenses—Armament Haki and Iron Body—were far beyond its reach.And indeed—
As the dust settled, Kai stood tall and unmoved.The Raikage, meanwhile, was reduced to bare bones.
Only his heart, head, and throat still clung to scraps of flesh.Gnashing his teeth in a ghastly grin, Raikage rasped hoarsely:"Kai-kun… truly formidable.
This Mangekyō ability… is unstoppable.Promise me—don't hunt down the Hidden Cloud shinobi.
They pose no threat to Konoha now.What a shame…
In a peaceful world, you and I would surely be friends.
But this world… is too cruel.If you too would call me a friend… then grant me this one request."Even in his eyes burned a trace of pleading.Yes—
he had no choice left.Proud as he had always been, he was forced to bow his head.Originally, his intent had been to buy time—
even if it cost him his life—to allow the Cloud's elite squad to escape.
As long as they reached the village, they would be safe.But now—
Uchiha Kai's sudden appearance had shattered that plan.
This man's strength was too overwhelming.
Even at his absolute peak, Raikage couldn't match him.And after only two hours of battle—far too short—
his forces couldn't possibly have escaped the Land of Earth.Moreover, deep down, he couldn't help but feel a warrior's kinship toward Kai.So, even if it was humiliating, after a moment of struggle, the Raikage yielded.Kai was taken aback.
He hadn't expected the proud Raikage to actually beg.
How rare.Frowning, he thought for a while, then gave a faint smile."Very well.
Like you said—your squad, no matter how elite, is nothing to me.But understand—
In this world, nothing comes free.I do respect you, Raikage-dono, but if you want my help, you must offer something in return.Don't be too quick to refuse.
I know you can't return to the Cloud in your condition.What I want… is your soul.If you agree, then don't resist.
This is my first time attempting it—I might tear your soul apart by accident."His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"Well? Do you accept it?"Yes—
What Kai truly sought was not the shinobi, but the hidden powers manipulating the shinobi world.The so-called "great" figures of the villages—he cared little for them.
What he needed was an experiment.Raikage fit the role perfectly: strong enough, and after their clash, privy to some of Kai's trump cards.
Normally, upon death, his soul would return to the Pure Land.But that realm belonged to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.Who knew what schemes that old schemer had?
Would he harvest Ōnoki's—or any soul's—memories to gain intelligence on Kai?Even if Kai was still weak, he needed to prepare early."My… soul?" Raikage blinked, then let out a rough chuckle.
"How amusing.
It seems Kai-kun hides far deeper than I imagined.Very well.
I accept.
Do it—I will cooperate."He wasn't stupid.
Though Kai revealed nothing, as a Kage he could still piece things together.Kai, however, remained calm.
He didn't care what Raikage thought—he was already half-dead.If the experiment succeeded, Raikage's soul would be his forever.
If it failed, Kai would simply shatter it, denying Hagoromo anything.No hesitation.Kai's left Mangekyō spun, power swelling."Mangekyō Sharingan technique—Nothingness!"BOOM!In an instant—
Raikage's soul was yanked free, drawn out of his battered body by Mangekyō's pull.But under the strain, the soul began to crack apart.Kai's eyes sharpened.
He quickly steadied his ocular flow, guiding and anchoring the soul toward the space within his eye.Yes—
while he had not awakened Tsukuyomi, every Mangekyō contained its own inner space.
A reservoir for Yin Release chakra.Now, he sought to trap the Raikage's soul there.Raikage's spirit trembled with unease—
Yet, knowing Kai's intent, he offered no resistance, only compliance.Slowly but surely, his essence was drawn into Kai's left eye.Five minutes later—Kai's lips curved into a satisfied smile."Not bad.
Truly unexpected… It actually worked.It seems the Sharingan holds many secrets left unspoken in the original tale.
I'll need to set aside time to study it carefully.But it makes sense.
After all, this is the bloodline of Indra, son of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.The Uchiha were always too simple-minded, only knowing brute force.
They never grasped the essence—that Mangekyō power is Yin Release.How amusing.
More and more interesting.This ninja world still hides countless secrets."
To read the full FanFic, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554