Chapter 55: Echoes of the Past

The underground corridors of the Cloud-Stone joint research base stretched endlessly, their dimly lit passageways thick with the weight of secrecy. Every step Minato and his team took felt like they were peeling back layers of a forgotten nightmare.

Hiroshi's Byakugan pulsed as he scanned ahead, his gaze piercing through the dense rock. "There are multiple chambers beyond this point. Some are old and abandoned… but others are still active."

Kenshiro ran his hand along the wall, his Sharingan gleaming as he traced the faint residue of chakra. "Someone reinforced this structure. They were keeping something inside."

Kushina crossed her arms, a frown settling on her face. "Whatever it is, I don't like it."

Nawaki muttered, "Neither do I."

As they advanced, the walls became lined with tall, glass cylinders filled with a pale, glowing fluid. Inside them, twisted humanoid figures floated in eerie stillness, their bodies grotesquely altered—some with extra limbs, others with distorted chakra networks.

Minato's stomach tightened. "Bloodline experiments…"

Kenshiro exhaled sharply. "This isn't just a rogue faction playing scientist. This was sanctioned."

A cold realization settled over them.

Then Hiroshi stiffened. His Byakugan focused sharply. "We're not alone."

The Unraveling Secret

A hidden panel in the wall slid open with a low hiss. From the darkness, masked figures in black and gray combat gear emerged, their chakra flaring with hostility.

One of them, a deep voice edged with suspicion, demanded, "Who are you?"

Minato raised his hands slightly in a peaceful gesture. "We're here on reconnaissance. We don't mean harm—"

But before he could finish, one of the masked figures flashed through hand seals.

Lightning Release: Thunder Lance!

A spear of crackling electricity surged toward them—only to be intercepted by Kenshiro, who twisted the attack aside with the precision of his Sharingan.

Nawaki sighed, gripping his blade. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."

The battle erupted in an instant.

Kushina's chains lashed out, grabbing two attackers mid-charge and slamming them into the wall. Hiroshi weaved through enemy lines, his Gentle Fist striking with pinpoint accuracy, shutting down chakra points before they could react.

Kenshiro was a shadow among them, his Sharingan gleaming as he countered every strike with seamless precision. Minato, moving faster than the eye could track, incapacitated enemy after enemy, his kunai flashing in the dim light.

The fight was swift—and decisive.

Kenshiro loomed over one of the fallen attackers, yanking off their mask—his expression hardening.

"…This one's from Iwagakure's special forces."

Hiroshi checked another unconscious enemy. "This one's Kumo."

Kushina and Nawaki exchanged glances.

Minato's gaze traveled to the surrounding chamber—until he saw it.

A faded spiral emblem, drawn in red ink.

Uzumaki script.

Kushina's breath hitched. "That's…"

Minato clenched his fists. "…This place has ties to Uzushiogakure."

Flashback: A Silent Capture

Thirty minutes earlier…

In a dark, cavernous chamber beneath the earth, Ōtsutsuki Ryūsei stood before Madara Uchiha. The air was thick with old chakra, and behind Madara, the massive husk of the Gedo Statue loomed like a forgotten god. White tubes extended from the statue, feeding into the throne where Madara sat, his white hair cascading over his shoulders.

Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed as he studied Ryūsei. "So… you found me."

Ryūsei's golden-tinged Byakugan flickered before shifting—black tomoe spinning in his eyes as his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan awakened. The air between them vibrated subtly as their chakras clashed in silent recognition.

At that moment—Ryūsei saw it.

A flicker of movement in the shadows. A presence, hidden beneath layers of deception.

Behind a group of White Zetsu standing in the dim light, something darker lurked—a shifting mass of ink-like chakra, nearly undetectable to normal senses.

Black Zetsu.

Ryūsei's expression didn't change, but internally, a knowing smirk formed. So, you're watching too.

Instead of reacting immediately, he let the conversation flow, his voice measured. "You awakened the Rinnegan… and you captured a White Zetsu." His gaze flicked to a restrained figure in the corner—a White Zetsu, struggling under Madara's grip.

Madara's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you already understand."

Ryūsei nodded. "Then, I should take one as well."

Without warning, he flickered forward.

In an instant, his hand grasped the neck of a White Zetsu near the shadows—but in that same moment, his destruction energy expanded subtly, wrapping around the darkness lurking behind it.

A silent capture.

Black Zetsu—who had been hiding beneath the White Zetsu's feet—was ensnared before he even realized it.

Madara didn't react—he believed Ryūsei had simply captured a White Zetsu. But deep within the void of destruction energy, Black Zetsu struggled, trapped, unable to scream, unable to escape.

A God's Judgment

Now, outside the base, under the pale moonlight, Ryūsei gazed at the transparent box hovering above his palm.

Inside, Black Zetsu writhed, his inky form twisting in silent rage.

For centuries, he had lurked in the shadows, whispering, manipulating. But now, for the first time… he was powerless.

Ryūsei tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but absolute. "This world was never yours to control."

Black Zetsu's formless mouth twisted, his voice like poison. "You think this changes anything? The cycle will continue—"

Ryūsei raised his hand. "No, it won't."

"Divine Technique: God of Destruction."

A crushing force ignited around the box, an invisible force that did not just erase—it unmade.

Black Zetsu let out a final, voiceless scream—his very essence unraveling.

No cries for salvation. No last words.

Only absolute erasure.

Within seconds, he was gone.

Ryūsei closed his hand, dispelling the energy. The night felt… quieter.

He gazed at the distant mountains, where Madara's hideout lay hidden beneath layers of rock and secrecy.

Let the old ghost play his game.

Ryūsei had already rewritten the board.

To Be Continued…