Chapter 99 Amaterasu and the River of Three Paths

"He's awakened!"

Black Zetsu, seeing the Mangekyou pattern appear in Fugaku's eyes, felt both joy and fear.

He was happy because his massive investment in Fugaku Uchiha had finally paid off—it hadn't been wasted effort after all.

The fear stemmed from how unpredictable Mangekyou patterns could be. Without knowing the exact power behind Fugaku's eyes, even Black Zetsu himself might fall victim to them.

So he burrowed deep into the earth without hesitation and vanished.

Fugaku had no time for Black Zetsu.

Fugaku's expression turned icy, murder blazing in his eyes as he strode across the shattered ruins of Mist Island, locking his gaze onto one spot—

Kakuzu's original body.

In the next instant, a surge of Yin Release chakra erupted from Fugaku's left eye.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Without warning, pitch-black flames exploded across Kakuzu's chest, clinging to his body and rapidly devouring him.

"Tch..."

Caught completely off guard, Kakuzu let out a pained cry, his face twisting in agony.

[Earth Release: Earth Spear!]

Despite the searing pain, he endured it and performed hand seals, activating a nature transformation that hardened his entire skin into obsidian.

He'd hoped it would stop the flames—but—

The black flames burned hotter than expected, their destructive power far beyond anything Kakuzu could handle. They tore straight through his body, leaving behind gaping holes.

"What kind of fire is this...?"

Kakuzu realized at once that there was no way to put out these strange black flames.

During the process, the heart formed by his Earth Release in his main body was the first to burn to ashes.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before losing consciousness entirely, Kakuzu activated the [Disassembly Technique]. His body split apart, countless dark threads carrying severed limbs flying in all directions. He barely managed to escape with half his body intact.

"Amaterasu?!"

Far beneath the ground, Black Zetsu witnessed Kakuzu's tragic state and recognized the dojutsu used by Fugaku.

Amaterasu summoned pitch-black flames born of the sun itself wherever the Mangekyou gazed, capable of burning everything to oblivion. These flames wouldn't extinguish until their target was completely destroyed.

With its long range, instant activation, and unstoppable flames, Amaterasu spelled certain death for anyone caught in its gaze—an ultimate Fire Release technique unmatched in power.

Black Zetsu wasn't surprised that Fugaku had unleashed Amaterasu.

After all, the abilities granted by the Mangekyou were somewhat tied to the individual's personal expertise in ninjutsu. Since Fugaku specialized in Fire Release, obtaining Amaterasu made perfect sense.

What intrigued Black Zetsu more was the power hidden within Fugaku's other eye.

Back on the battlefield at this moment,

When Kakuzu's main body was consumed by Amaterasu, his mask beast clones didn't hesitate either. Among them, the Lightning Release mask beast had already reached the heavily wounded Hiashi Hyuga and launched another attack.

Zzzap! Zzzap! Zzzap!

Lightning blazed across the sky as multiple colossal spears of lightning surged toward Hiashi.

Struggling, Hiashi activated his telekinesis, lifting himself into the air while desperately dodging. But his psychic energy soon ran dry. His movements faltered—just then, a massive lightning spear pierced clean through his body!

It looked like he wouldn't survive this.

Just then, Fugaku arrived as reinforcement and once again fixed his gaze on Hiashi Hyuga, activating the power of his Mangekyou Sharingan.

His right eye shot wide open, revealing the swirling Mangekyou pattern inside, slowly rotating like an endless river flowing in a perfect circle.

What came next was beyond belief.

Hiashi's wound from the Lightning Release spear piercing through his body was healing at an astonishing speed visible to the naked eye—completely restored within seconds.

"Is it some kind of healing jutsu?" Black Zetsu wondered silently, though he soon dismissed his own assumption.

It wasn't just Hiashi who healed—his torn clothes also flew back together, miraculously restoring themselves as if they had never been damaged at all.

It was as if... time had reversed itself on Hiashi's body.

"A time ninjutsu?!"

Black Zetsu whispered in disbelief, his expression fluctuating between shock and confusion.

In fact, this technique dwelling inside Fugaku's right eye was called "River of Three Paths (a technique inspired by the mythical Sanzu River that connects life and death)." Its capabilities weren't entirely consistent with Black Zetsu's guesses.

After saving Hiashi Hyuga,

[Amaterasu!]

Fugaku Uchiha immediately targeted the Lightning Release mask beast again, summoning black flames of Amaterasu. However, Kakuzu, having already suffered before, wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

Whoosh!

The lightning beast moved extremely fast, jumping backward repeatedly to dodge the attack of black fire.

Fugaku didn't pursue further because he lacked both the strength and willpower. Having used the Mangekyou's abilities three times in quick succession, he'd exhausted his ocular powers.

"You okay?"

He moved to Hiashi's side, and the two lent each other support after driving Kakuzu back, finally catching their breath for a moment.

Elsewhere,

Kakuzu's three mask beasts gathered fragments of his original body parts scattered across the battlefield before finally regrouping.

Although Kakuzu possessed the ability to replace damaged hearts, frequently changing them carried inevitable side effects—the backlash from Earth Grudge Fear (a powerful curse technique born from deep resentment toward death).

Especially concerning his original Earth Release heart, which held irreplaceable significance for him under current circumstances.

Therefore, Kakuzu—who normally remained cold and composed—now entered an enraged state.

Watching his severed limbs merge once more with the wind, fire, and lightning beasts into one ultimate stitched creature,

The monstrous creation stood over two meters tall, bearing masks upon both shoulders and over its heart. Countless black threads continuously writhed out from its mouth, nose, and ears.

"I will…kill you both."

Kakuzu glared fiercely at Fugaku and Hiashi, his green eyes burning with unprecedented murderous intent.

Yet just as he was about to unleash carnage—

"Enough. We'll stop here for today."

Black Zetsu emerged from beneath the earth again, issuing an order to Kakuzu.

Having personally witnessed Fugaku's mangekyou awakening, this mission had now succeeded. Moreover, both abilities demonstrated by Fugaku's Mangekyou were formidable, particularly the latter one capable of reversing time—something far beyond even Black Zetsu's expectations.

Perhaps Fugaku Uchiha's potential surpassed even that of Madara Uchiha himself.

Therefore, Black Zetsu naturally wouldn't allow Kakuzu to continue his attack against Fugaku.

However, what surprised Black Zetsu was that Kakuzu seemed not to have heard him at all. Without uttering a word, he continued walking toward Fugaku and his companion.

"Kakuzu, do you intend to defy my orders?"

Black Zetsu's eyes turned cold. The moment he finished speaking, a chilling, otherworldly aura surged from him.

A shiver ran through Kakuzu's body.

At this moment, his pupils contracted and his body trembled. Even when facing the First Hokage back then, he had never felt such fear.

"Lo-Lord… I dare not," he managed to say in a trembling voice.

"Good."

With a blank stare, Black Zetsu retracted his oppressive aura and added, "Don't worry. Once we return, I will order the Golden Exchange in the Land of Fire to gather better hearts for you to compensate your loss."

"Thank you, Lord." Kakuzu lowered his head.

"Let's go. We retreat first." Without another word, Black Zetsu turned and walked away.

Kakuzu followed closely behind.

"Who said I allowed you to leave?"

Suddenly, a calm voice came from behind the two.

"What?!"

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