Chapter 96

The battlefield trembled under the weight of countless battles, a chaotic orchestra of destruction and fury. Amidst the raging war, two figures stood against the overwhelming presence of a singular force—Reisi Uzumaki, the Blue King.

The man before them was no mere warrior. He was a King, an equal of the Red King, and a being whose authority and might extended across the battlefield like an unshakable mountain. Among the Six Kings, he ranked third, just below Hotaru, Genryu, and Toshiro, standing as one of the most powerful combatants of his era.

Reisi exuded dominance, not through mindless violence or brute force, but through sheer composure and authority. He was a tall, powerfully built man, his broad shoulders and military posture making him seem even taller than he truly was. His dark blue-black tinted hair, messy yet somehow regal, fell over the left side of his strikingly handsome face. His purple eyes, intelligent and piercing, carried a weight of understanding, calculation, and purpose. A pair of frameless rectangular glasses rested on his face, a contrast to the wild battlefield that surrounded him, only adding to the air of control he carried.

His uniform was a reflection of his rank and dignity, similar to the standard military attire but with an unmistakable mark of royalty. He wore a high-collared, long-sleeved dark blue trench coat, which flared at the waist, held together by a black belt with a golden buckle. Underneath, he was adorned with a white dress shirt with an upturned collar, a cravat of fine quality, dark blue trousers, and knee-high black boots reinforced with silver metal frames. Every inch of him radiated the presence of a King—one who carried the burden of command and duty with unwavering conviction.

Unlike the impulsive, battle-hungry Mikoto, the childish yet deadly Anna, or the carefree strategist Nagare, Reisi was a professional through and through. His stance, his words, and even his gaze conveyed absolute control and clarity of mind. There was no malice in his presence—only a duty-bound leader fulfilling a mission he neither relished nor opposed.

The moment Orochi and Storm stood before him, they felt the weight of his commanding aura.

This was a man worthy of respect.

He was not driven by petty grudges or senseless hatred. He was merely executing a mission—the long-awaited revenge of the Uzumaki clan. Even so, a faint flicker of displeasure lingered beneath his composed features. He did not revel in the bloodshed, but he believed that their cause was just. In his eyes, the world would be better under their rule, instead of descending into the perpetual chaos that had plagued it for centuries.

With a calm, almost gentle voice, Reisi spoke.

"I detest the wastage of resources, and we are in dire need of manpower at this moment. Would you consider joining my army?"

There was no malice, no hostility in his words—just a simple invitation.

It was an unexpected offer, one that Storm and Orochi had not anticipated. They had expected an enemy driven by hatred and vengeance, someone who would attack without hesitation.

But instead, Reisi had offered them a choice.

Orochi, sensing the shift in tone, took charge of the conversation.

"Will you stop this battle if we joined?"

Reisi's expression remained calm, but a glimmer of genuine regret flickered behind his gaze.

"I would if I had the power to do so," he admitted, his voice tinged with quiet honesty. "I know it seems wrong, but it is better for you to surrender. The survival of mankind is more important than this battle."

His words were measured, logical, carrying the weight of a man who had thought deeply about his cause.

For a moment, Orochi considered his words. He had once believed in something similar—that sometimes, inaction was the greater good. But that belief had led to tragedy.

He clenched his fists.

"I would agree with that sentiment," Orochi said, his voice filled with conviction, "but my lord has shown me the way. If I continue to make excuses like that, then what is the point of my existence? I shall not let any injustice stand, and I will fight it wherever I find it."

Naruto's words had changed him.

His own inaction had led to so much unnecessary suffering. He had stood by, watching from the shadows, convinced that interfering would be for the worse. He had let the world burn in war, believing that things would resolve naturally.

But he had been wrong.

Now, he understood.

He would no longer stand by.

Reisi's calm expression faltered for the first time.

Orochi's words struck deep, cutting through his carefully maintained rationality.

He, too, believed in justice. He believed in eradicating war, injustice, and cruelty. That was why he had chosen this side. But now, for the first time, he questioned—

Had he chosen wrongly?

Unlike many of his comrades, Reisi was not blinded by ancestral hatred. He was not a blind child, seeking vengeance for the sake of vengeance.

He had always believed his path was just.

But now…

With a quiet sigh, Reisi made his decision.

"Your words have given me a lot to think about," he admitted. "As a symbol of my gratitude, I shall save your lives from this purge."

With a simple snap of his fingers, the world froze.

A wave of absolute cold swept over the battlefield.

A technique so potent it should have turned Orochi and his allies into eternal ice sculptures, trapped within unbreakable frozen prisons.

But—

Orochi reacted instantly.

His sage-enhanced instincts, honed by his connection to Gaea, allowed him to perceive the attack the moment it activated. His Kage-level reflexes, combined with the divine power flowing through his veins, propelled him to action before the ice could take hold.

In base form, Orochi was already a match for the strongest Kage.

But with Gaea's blessing, he had once been powerful enough to battle Madara.

Had he chosen to act back then, he could have stopped the war before it ever began.

Yet, Gaea had told him to stand aside—that it was Naruto's battle to fight, his destiny to fulfill.

Even now, Orochi regretted that choice.

He had obeyed out of love for his mistress, but the cost had been too great. He had lived to see entire nations crumble, to witness countless deaths he could have prevented.

Now, with Naruto's Sea of Life Technique, his power had grown beyond even his previous limits.

After undergoing Otsutsuki transformation, he had ascended further, reaching a level where he could battle Juubito himself.

And now, using Sage Mode, he was strong enough to take on Juubidara.

Among all the warriors on this battlefield, only Luffy surpassed him in sheer combat prowess.

And so—

He reacted.

With a surge of power, he broke free of the freezing grasp, his chakra pulsing as he teleported his entire group away from the impending doom.

The battlefield shook, the war raging on.

And Reisi stood still, watching, contemplating.

Had he made the wrong choice?

The sky darkened, heavy clouds gathering as the battle escalated to new heights. The battlefield trembled under the sheer force of power unleashed by both sides, the air thick with clashing energies as Storm and her allies fought against Reisi Uzumaki, the Blue King.

With a single command, Storm summoned bluish lightning from the heavens, the powerful bolts streaking downward, passing through intricate chakra seals that amplified their destructive force. The sky rumbled, the atmosphere itself crackling with divine retribution, as the enhanced lightning shot toward Reisi's position.

However, the Blue King barely flinched.

With an icy breath, he froze the lightning mid-descent, shattering the energy before it could touch the ground. The act was effortless, a display of absolute mastery over the elements. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the temperature dropped drastically—a violent blizzard roared to life, swallowing the battlefield in a vortex of freezing winds and razor-sharp ice shards.

Storm retaliated.

Channeling her deep connection to water, she manipulated the surrounding moisture, trying to counteract the raging blizzard. Water rose, swirling in intricate patterns, absorbing some of the chilling force, but—

It wasn't enough.

Reisi's control was absolute. The coordinated tactics of the Blue Army allowed his domain to remain unshaken, his blizzard growing stronger as ice continued to spread.

Recognizing the imbalance, Chris stepped forward, his purple flames surging outward. The cold and heat clashed, two opposing forces fighting for dominance, as fire and ice raged against one another.

At the same time, Yashiro took action.

With a single stomp, he commanded the land to obey. The earth beneath the Blue Army trembled before erupting violently, sending jagged spears of molten rock and debris into their ranks.

From above, Shermie raised her hands, calling forth a tempest of purple lightning. Bolts surged through the air, arcing toward Reisi in a relentless barrage of divine fury.

Yet—

None of it was enough.

With a simple motion, Reisi raised his hand, and a barrier of eternal ice materialized around him. The eruption, the lightning, the flames—all were halted in their tracks, their destructive energy nullified as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze against an unshakable mountain.

But then—

Orochi made his move.

A deep, abyssal darkness crackled around him as he invoked his most lethal technique—

Termination

From his outstretched hand, black discs of annihilation shot forward, moving with impossible speed.

They were nothing like ordinary attacks.

These were pure erasure, absolute destruction, akin to the Truth-Seeking Balls, but refined into razor-thin discs that could slice through the very fabric of existence.

For the first time, Reisi's expression shifted.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face as the black discs approached, their energy distorting reality itself. He recognized the technique instantly—

This was no ordinary attack.

It was a power that could challenge immortals.

But Reisi was no stranger to overwhelming forces.

He had stood against Mikoto's Flame of Destruction, a force capable of reducing all to ash, and survived.

And so, he invoked his own power—

Eternal Concept

A ripple spread through the air, and the black discs halted.

Frozen in place, their devastating power locked in a timeless prison, unable to advance.

Even Orochi had to acknowledge the mastery on display.

This man… was formidable.

Yet Reisi did not act out of arrogance. He had no desire to destroy them, only to end the conflict before it led to unnecessary casualties. Their strength impressed him, and if possible, he would rather see them join his cause.

"You possess incredible power," Reisi said, his voice calm but commanding. "A power that could change the world. I do not wish to waste such potential. Surrender, and you will be given a place among us."

But—

The answer was clear.

"No."

There was no hesitation in their response.

Reisi sighed, his gaze hardening.

"So be it."

Sorrow Blue

Storm took a step forward, closing her eyes as a clear, high-pitched cry echoed through the battlefield. The sound was unnatural, infused with deep, soul-crushing emotion.

A wave of sorrow spread across the Blue Army.

Their fighting spirit wavered.

Their bodies felt heavy.

Doubt, despair, hesitation—Storm's technique gnawed at their very will to fight, wrapping them in a shroud of melancholy that weakened their resolve.

And then—

She raised her hands, invoking another technique.

Mega Guard

A brilliant white aura surrounded her allies, strengthening their defensive capabilities, allowing them to endure the harshest of assaults.

The planet responded to her call.

Storm's connection to nature allowed her to manipulate the weather itself, and in answer to her will, a furious storm was unleashed upon their side of the battlefield.

Tornadoes rampaged.

Lightning rained from the heavens.

The clouds rumbled with pent-up power, growing ever more charged as Shermie focused her purple lightning into them, preparing to unleash an unprecedented storm of destruction.

While the women prepared their ultimate divine assault, Yashiro charged forward.

The earth moved beneath his feet, answering his command, granting him unparalleled strength.

Rage of Gaia

Green energy flared around his fist as he delivered an earth-shattering punch to Reisi's ice barrier.

The moment his fist made contact, the energy detonated—

A blinding green explosion erupted across the battlefield, swallowing the barrier in a blinding surge of planetary might.

From the sky, Chris descended, his body wreathed in purple flames.

Earth Purging Calamitous Fire

Green and purple flames merged, covering Reisi's frost barrier, attempting to consume it whole.

At the same time, Orochi prepared his final seal.

Dispelling of the Transient World

A bluish seal appeared, enveloping the ice barrier, working in tandem with the other attacks to finally break through Reisi's absolute defense.

And for the first time—

A crack appeared.

Reisi's gaze darkened.

He could no longer afford restraint.

The air shifted—an unnatural stillness before an overwhelming force of destruction erupted forth.

Reisi no longer sought to spare them.

Chains shot from the sky, descending like divine retribution, aimed at Chris and Yashiro, seeking to bind and restrain them.

At the same time, the land itself began to freeze, expanding outward with terrifying speed, threatening to consume everything in its path.

This was no longer a negotiation.

This was a battle to the death.