"Madara has taught you quite a few things. You even know this move."
Looking at Ryota standing atop the Armored Eight-Tails, Seiryū seemed to have not yet emerged from his disguise.
With the world-weariness of an old man, he said, "This is troublesome. How am I supposed to deal with a monster like this without the Dragon Vein?"
"Haha, hahaha! I have finally surpassed you! I have surpassed everyone!"
Ryota stood proudly atop the Armored Eight-Tails, laughing wildly and without restraint. The ferocity on his face was unmistakable.
Finally, he finally had a chance for revenge!
'Hum, hum, hum.'
The Armored Eight-Tails under his control roared toward the sky. It opened its mouth as red, blue, and black Chakra converged at a single point, forming a chaotic-colored Chakra sphere.
The Chakra sphere instantly expanded to a hundred meters. The immense pressure from its Chakra caused the surrounding earth to crack.
It was a Tailed Beast Ball, one enhanced by the Zero-Tails' dark Chakra!
The Tailed Beast Ball blasted forward, flattening everything in its path as it flew straight toward Seiryū.
"Who starts a card game by playing two bombs at once? You really do not understand anything. You need to fight slowly and methodically, not attack blindly. Do you think you are me, with so many cards in hand?"
Seiryū sighed and shook his head.
Who used their ultimate move right at the beginning of a fight? He had many cards to play, but Ryota had started with a Tailed Beast Ball. What would he do after running out of cards?
Just then, the long-absent system notification sounded.
[Ding! Shinigami Hollowfication and Hollow Shinigami-fication are necessary conditions for becoming the Soul King. Encountering a Shinigami who can use Hollow power poses a major threat to the host's path to becoming the Soul King! Mission issued: Eliminate the threat before you! Mission Reward: Hadō #88 and Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō!]
"Heh, a mission has arrived."
Hearing the system notification, Seiryū merely curled his lips.
"Excalibur."
Seiryū mobilized his Chakra, combined it with natural energy to form Senjutsu Chakra, and once again condensed a sword of Chakra light.
He raised his arm, and the Chakra light sword moved with it, stirring up shrill winds throughout the surroundings.
"Go!"
As though swinging a baseball bat, Seiryū gripped the Chakra light sword and struck the incoming Tailed Beast Ball with all his strength.
'Boom!'
The two collided, and a tremendous roar shook the battlefield, causing the surrounding earth to crack and shatter.
As Seiryū's Monstrous Strength erupted, he sent the Tailed Beast Ball flying just before it could explode.
Home run!
'Rumble!'
The Tailed Beast Ball flew away at a forty-five-degree angle. Having lost its stability after the heavy blow, it exploded in midair.
Firelight illuminated the battlefield as explosions erupted one after another, forming a circular blast zone. Heatwaves and shockwaves descended from high above, sweeping across the surroundings with incessant, shrill whistles.
Afterward, a mushroom cloud slowly rose into the air, but it remained contained within the isolation barrier.
Wings emerged from the back of the Armored Eight-Tails as it flew toward Seiryū. Two Chakra Sabers extended from its hands.
Relying on its massive size, it slashed down at Seiryū's position.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
The Flying Raijin Jutsu had been restricted, so Seiryū could not teleport away. Seeing the incoming attack, he simply raised one hand and cast the Bakudō, enhanced with Senjutsu Chakra.
'Boom! Crack!'
Amid the roar, the faint sound of something splintering and shattering could be heard.
The unchanted Dankū could not completely block Ryota's attack.
A second later, the Dankū wall shattered, and the Chakra Saber continued descending toward Seiryū.
As the saber struck, the earth split apart, and a trench stretched more than a hundred meters into the distance.
Even without the Flying Raijin Jutsu, Seiryū's speed remained unrivaled throughout the shinobi world.
After avoiding the attack, he grinned.
"Not bad, not bad. You are much stronger than before."
"But if you think you have surpassed me, you are still lacking."
The tips of the golden chains clawing through the air behind Seiryū lit up. Countless Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan filled the battlefield, pressing down upon the Armored Eight-Tails.
Amid a dense series of roars, shockwaves rolled outward and exploded as dust filled the air.
'Boom!'
Another roar sounded, and a massive figure was knocked backward out of the dust.
One of the Eight-Tails' tentacles curled around and dragged across the ground, dispersing the force and allowing it to stop steadily.
'Hum, hum, hum.'
A shrill screeching sound rang out.
The dust was torn apart as a massive Ultra-Big Ball Rasenshuriken flew forward.
"Amenotejikara!"
Ryota's left eye spun rapidly. His Dōjutsu twisted the surrounding space, separating it into different dimensions.
The Rasenshuriken slid to the side and exploded behind him with a deafening boom.
"Still lacking? Hahaha! Do you think I am still the weak Ryota from the past? You are no longer my match!"
Ryota laughed wildly as his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Standing high above the battlefield, Ryota spat out a fireball that descended like a meteor.
At the same time, his left eye spun again as he activated Amenotejikara and twisted the surrounding space.
The blazing fireball seemed to cross the intervening space instantly, appearing directly above Seiryū's head.
"Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder, open."
Seiryū instantly opened the Seventh Gate.
Because of his perfect control over Chakra, his appearance did not change, but the sudden surge of Chakra formed an aura around him like a Super Saiyan's energy flare.
He threw a punch, shaking and compressing the air into a pillar that shattered the descending fireball. Broken sparks scattered in every direction.
'Boom, boom, boom!'
Seiryū then launched a rapid series of punches, delivering more than a dozen strikes in a single second.
The compressed air transformed into shockwaves that bombarded the Armored Eight-Tails. However, they were once again diverted to the side, causing no significant damage.
"An attack like this cannot affect me!"
Ryota shouted as he urged the Armored Eight-Tails to launch a fierce assault.
Its tails struck repeatedly, turning the surrounding area into a restricted zone as the earth trembled without pause.
"You cannot hit me either."
Relying on his superior reflexes and speed, Seiryū danced along the edge of the attacks as though moving across the tip of a blade.
The attacks were dense and continuous, yet they could not even touch the hem of his clothes.
Then, amid a loud clattering sound, more golden chains extended from Seiryū's body.
Every strike carried tremendous force, blasting apart the air as the chains repeatedly collided with the Armored Eight-Tails' attacks.
'Boom, boom, boom!'
The Eight-Tails' octopus-like tentacles and the golden chains collided without pause. Roars like exploding firecrackers echoed throughout the area.
The battle was exceptionally fierce, with shockwaves rolling endlessly across the battlefield.
Watching the battle, Minato turned toward Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama, should we help him?"
Tsunade thought for a moment before waving her hand.
"There is no need. That kid can handle it."
She then looked toward Nagato.
"Nagato, can you break the barrier? Space has been sealed here. If something happens in Konoha, we need to be able to return and provide support immediately."
"I will try."
Nagato walked to the edge of the Four Red Yang Formation. The Rinnegan in his eyes emitted a faint glow.
He extended his right hand and whispered, "Absorption Seal!"
The Preta Path of the Rinnegan could absorb Chakra and was the natural enemy of Ninjutsu. It was far stronger than Dark Release.
As Nagato performed the technique, the Four Red Yang Formation emitted a tearing sound before being ripped open by the power of the Rinnegan.
"As expected of the Rinnegan."
Seeing this, Jiraiya sighed with emotion.
"It is only a pity that you are not the true owner of those eyes. The burden on your body is still too great, and you cannot unleash their full power."
Because Nagato was not the true owner of the Rinnegan, the burden the eyes placed on his body was immense.
He could not fully unleash the true power of the Rinnegan. Otherwise, he would not have been defeated by Madara in the past.
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Nagato merely smiled, not caring very much.
"This is enough. I do not like fighting others, and besides, is Seiryū not here?"
He did not like fighting or killing. He longed for peace and possessed no great ambitions.
He did not particularly care whether he could fully unleash the power of the Rinnegan.
As long as he could prevent Madara from taking the Rinnegan back and possess enough power to protect his companions, that was enough.
There was another reason. Fully controlling the Rinnegan was not easy. It required time, a great deal of time.
"Your kohai has surpassed you, even though you are his senpai. Do you not feel any pressure? Do you not want to surpass him again?"
Jiraiya sounded frustrated that his student was failing to live up to his expectations.
"You are the only person with the potential to surpass that kid!"
It was not that Jiraiya had any problem with Seiryū. He was merely frustrated by Nagato's lack of motivation.
In his view, Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, was the only person with the potential to surpass Seiryū.
However, Nagato lacked motivation and did not devote enough effort to training.
Minato remained silent.
He suspected that his Sensei was also indirectly referring to him.
After all, he was also Seiryū's senpai.
Nagato smiled helplessly.
"Seiryū lost more than two years, while I spent those two years training, yet I still could not catch up to him. With a difference in talent like that, how am I supposed to compete with him?"
"And Seiryū relied on his own strength."
Not only was Nagato older than Seiryū, but Seiryū had also lost more than two years because of the Dragon Vein.
Even so, Seiryū remained stronger than him.
Compared to a monster like that, what right did Nagato have to compete?
The Rinnegan was not even his.
Even if he surpassed Seiryū by relying on the Rinnegan, it would not count as true ability.
Moreover, would fully controlling the Rinnegan truly allow him to surpass Seiryū?
Nagato did not believe so.
Minato strongly agreed with Nagato's thoughts.
The gap between people could be enormous, and it could not be bridged simply by talking about it.
Minato was also considered a genius.
However, with the appearance of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju, along with the Sharingan, Rinnegan, Wood Release, and other Kekkei Genkai, he felt that he, a normal person, was gradually being left behind.
The Nine-Tails alone was difficult for him to handle.
However, the Nine-Tails could not cause any trouble in front of Seiryū.
This was a gap created by bloodline and talent. It could not be changed, and effort alone could not close it.
Jiraiya fell silent.
After thinking about it, he realized that Nagato was right.
If Seiryū had not lost those two years, who knew how powerful he would have become?
Perhaps he truly would have possessed the qualifications to be called a Sage.
"Summoning Jutsu."
Tsunade ignored the others and attempted to use the Summoning Jutsu.
Because the Four Red Yang Formation had been torn open, the Summoning Jutsu was no longer obstructed.
She summoned a small Katsuyu.
Tsunade released a breath before asking, "Katsuyu, has anything unusual happened in Konoha?"
Before coming there, Tsunade had left a small Katsuyu with Hiruzen.
The consciousness of Katsuyu's clones was connected, allowing Tsunade to learn about the situation in Konoha through Katsuyu.
The small Katsuyu closed its round eyes. After opening them again, it shook its head and replied in a soft voice.
"Everything is fine in Konoha. Nothing unusual has happened."
"I see."
Tsunade nodded before looking toward the two people engaged in a fierce battle. She had no intention of interfering.
She was guarding against the possible appearance of Madara and anyone else who might try to cause trouble.
After learning Edo Tensei to confirm whether Seiryū was dead or alive, she had also attempted to summon her Great-Grandfather and Second Great-Grandfather.
However, both attempts had failed.
That indicated only one possibility.
Her Great-Grandfather and Second Great-Grandfather were already being controlled by someone using Edo Tensei.
'Boom!'
The descending Chakra Saber shook the earth, but Seiryū avoided it with his speed while simultaneously stepping on the air and rising into the sky.
"A Dōjutsu capable of twisting space is indeed troublesome, but compared to a certain Dōjutsu that allows its user to become intangible, it is still lacking."
Seiryū looked ahead and grinned.
"At least that one requires some effort to deal with. Your Dōjutsu can be broken as long as the attack is powerful enough."
"Serious Punch: Dragon Fist Burst!"
The muscles in his right arm bulged as powerful Chakra converged at a single point.
Taking advantage of the powerful physique granted by the Seventh Gate, he threw a heavy punch.
'Boom!'
The punch shook space.
Its compressed explosive power faintly distorted the surrounding space and carried extreme penetrating force.
The terrifying power of the punch forcibly broke through the distorted space and struck the Armored Eight-Tails.
With a sharp crack, the Susanoo, despite its formidable defensive power, shattered beneath the punch.
The immense force then erupted, sending the massive Armored Eight-Tails flying backward.
It traveled a great distance before barely managing to steady itself.
"Cough, cough."
The backlash from having his Susanoo shattered again caused Ryota to cough up blood.
However, his injuries were not serious.
Ryota gritted his teeth and stared at Seiryū, his voice twisted with disbelief.
"Why are you so strong?"
"Why do you possess this kind of power without even using the Dragon Vein's Chakra?"
"How can your Taijutsu have reached this level?"
He possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, controlled the Eight-Tails, had transplanted the First Hokage's cells, and wielded the Zero-Tails' Chakra.
Why was he still at a disadvantage?
Why was this damned man so powerful?
"Strong? I am clearly only using the Seventh Gate."
Seiryū waved his hand speechlessly.
"Is it possible that you are simply too weak?"
"You have not possessed those eyes for long, have you? If you cannot use them properly, how much of their power do you think you can unleash?"
Although Ryota could activate the Complete Body Susanoo and cover the Eight-Tails with Susanoo, he was not yet proficient in using it.
Madara had once been severely injured by Might Duy. Even if he had fused two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan and awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he should not have been able to immediately transplant it into Ryota without risk.
It was likely that Madara had only transplanted the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan into Ryota after recovering from his injuries.
(To be continued.)