Chapter 138: Sage
Chapter 138: Sage
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Senju Tobirama.
Without a doubt, his death perfectly embodied the Will of Fire.
To protect his subordinates, he willingly became bait, entrusting the will of the Hokage to the next generation. He fought to the death, covering their retreat.
Among those he protected was Uchiha Kagami's grandfather.
That's why, despite Tobirama's historical prejudice against the Uchiha, Kagami never actively sought conflict with him. He simply chose to look the other way.
Kagami wasn't a cold-hearted person. He repaid the debts owed by the past generations.
If he weren't like this, he would never have developed such a strong sense of belonging to the Uchiha clan.
Moreover, Kagami never believed Tobirama's methods were wrong. If their roles were reversed, Kagami would've been even more ruthless.
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Death Forest - Central Region.
From where Nagato stood, a limitless repulsive force erupted, like a hurricane.
Mountains and trees were ripped from their roots, soaring into the sky before being blasted away!
The sheer force flattened the surrounding miles, turning the forest into barren wasteland!
The shockwaves drew every contender's attention.
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"That direction… Is it Akatsuki fighting someone?"
"Is it the Thunder-Earth Alliance? Or Fire Team?"
Based on intelligence, most believed only three teams were overwhelmingly powerful:
Akatsuki led by Nagato,
Thunder-Earth Alliance led by A and Onoki,
Fire Team led by Tobirama and Hiruzen.
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Tobirama swiftly withdrew, controlling Kinkaku and Ginkaku, advancing through the repulsive waves.
Even as Edo Tensei zombies, the Gold and Silver Brothers were sufficient for recon and probing.
"Using repulsion and attraction—so it really is a Rinnegan ability."
The scale was impressive, but in Tobirama's eyes, it was manageable.
He manipulated the brothers with one hand while forming seals with the other.
Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!
Despite the dry terrain, a roaring flood surged forth!
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"The scale is too wide! Gakido (Preta Path) can't absorb it fast enough!"
Nagato's brows furrowed.
"...It's Lord Second Hokage. No matter how much you overestimate him, it's never enough."
Jiraiya chuckled from atop a summoned bird, along with Nagato and Konan.
"Jiraiya-sensei, how long until you're ready?"
"A few minutes. Don't rush me! Look at Orochimaru—he's not ready either."
"Jiraiya-boy, Nagato! Be careful not to get marked by his Flying Thunder God."
On Jiraiya's shoulder, Fukasaku warned gravely:
"Tobirama once used Flying Thunder God Slash to severely wound Uchiha Izuna, leading to his death—"
"—And Izuna was a Mangekyō Sharingan user!"
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Nagato stiffened in shock, hurriedly inspecting his Paths of Pain.
Currently, only two Mangekyō users were known:
Uchiha Kagami,
Uchiha Obito.
They didn't yet know Kagami's Mangekyō was unique.
But even if judged by Obito's standard, the Mangekyō's power was undeniable.
Even Nagato dreaded Obito's spatial phasing abilities.
Fukasaku, on the other hand, compared Mangekyō to what he knew—
Madara's generation.
(...Good thing Fugaku's Mangekyō remained a secret.)
(Otherwise, Mangekyō's reputation would've plummeted...)
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Jiraiya grinned, carefree as ever:
"Sensei and Lord Second are just Edo Tensei bodies. Orochimaru survived Kagami, didn't he?"
"Nagato! Don't hold back!"
Nagato sneered:
"I wasn't planning to."
Shurado (Asura Path) stepped forward.
His palm split open, revealing metallic components.
His head cracked open, exposing a cannon barrel.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A barrage of missiles, rockets, and laser beams rained down—
Obliterating the Gold and Silver Brothers into shattered fragments!
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"To deal with Edo Tensei, you need sealing techniques after destruction. Otherwise, they'll just regenerate."
"Sealing jutsu?"
"...Not necessarily."
If it's a soul-based technique…
Swoosh!
Ningendo (Human Path) appeared behind the reforming brothers, grabbing their heads.
Hummm—
A strange buzzing filled the air as Kinkaku and Ginkaku's souls were wrenched from their bodies!
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"What kind of ability is this?!"
Nagato coldly sneered:
"In front of the Rinnegan, Edo Tensei is nothing but a cheap trick."
He channeled more chakra, accelerating the soul extraction.
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BOOM!!
Suddenly—
A violent surge of chakra erupted from the brothers!
Nine-Tails' Chakra Cloaks enveloped them—
And multiple tails swayed ominously behind them!
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"...What the hell?!"
"Jinchūriki?! That's impossible!!"
Even Nagato and Jiraiya were stunned.
Akatsuki had detailed information on every jinchūriki, and these two weren't on the list!
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"Kinkaku and Ginkaku... I've heard of them."
Fukasaku, the elder sage, narrowed his eyes.
"The Gold and Silver Brothers possessed Six Paths lineage—"
"They wielded the Five Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, and by eating the Nine-Tails' flesh, they obtained Nine-Tails' chakra."
"...They were called the Two Lights of the Cloud—"
"—But after killing the Second Raikage and Tobirama, they became S-rank criminals."
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Nagato's eyes widened.
"Fukasaku-sama… Are you saying—"
"They still possess Nine-Tails' chakra?!"
That was the biggest obstacle in his plan.
He'd been struggling to find a way to extract Kurama from Konoha.
But if he could capture these two instead—
Nagato and Konan exchanged a glance.
They had to claim Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
Even if it meant using their trump cards.
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Above the flooded battlefield, the Gold and Silver Brothers landed beside Tobirama.
"…That soul-extracting jutsu…"
Tobirama's expression darkened.
(…So the Rinnegan even has soul-based abilities?)
"If they can rip out souls, this changes everything."
"Orochimaru! Are you ready?"
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Orochimaru grinned, his inhuman form fully revealed.
Two sharp horns protruded from his forehead.
Transparent chakra snakes coiled around him.
His purple eye shadow extended across both cheeks.
His skin shimmered, covered in white scales.
Three serpents—blue, green, and orange—coiled around his body.
Sage Mode.
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"Sage Mode?" Tobirama muttered, sensing Orochimaru's drastic chakra surge.
"…It's different from Hashirama's."
"Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode thrives on inhumanity."
"The less human, the stronger one becomes."
Orochimaru swept his long hair back, his smile widening.
"I've never felt better."
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Jiraiya laughed, eyes flashing in excitement.
"Hah! Haven't seen you like this before, Orochimaru—"
"Damn ugly, if you ask me."
"Look who's talking, Jiraiya."
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SWOOSH!!
Jiraiya leaped into the air, accompanied by Fukasaku and Shima.
From above, they unleashed their ultimate collaboration jutsu.
"Sage Art:"
"Goemon!"
Oil.
Wind Release.
Fire Release.
The three elements merged into a sea of blazing oil, crashing down like a tsunami!
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