Danzo and the Root members deliberately kept their distance from the battle, observing coldly and emotionlessly from the shadows.
"The encirclement is nearly complete. Can you escape this?" Danzo thought icily. He didn't believe Ye Zi would recklessly place himself in such peril. Ye Zi would undoubtedly have a method to escape even from such overwhelming numbers.
"But even if you escape, your chakra will surely be nearly depleted. That eye…"
Danzo's half-narrowed eyes gleamed with a sharp, predatory light as he slowly placed a hand over his bandaged right eye, which currently housed an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan.
Ordinary only in comparison to what he had witnessed today, he had seen the higher evolution of the Sharingan, the Mangekyō, and it had awakened a deep greed within him.
Although merely observing the battle from afar didn't give him a full understanding of Ye Zi's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, Danzo was determined to claim that eye for himself.
He planned to let Konoha's vast forces weave their net around Ye Zi and wait for the moment Ye Zi tore through it, utterly exhausted. At that point, Danzo's own net would ensnare Ye Zi and bring him down.
The immense net of Konoha's forces, crafted from the lives of its ninjas, was, in Danzo's mind, merely a tool to serve his ultimate goal, which was seizing Ye Zi's Mangekyō Sharingan.
....
Eastern District.
The area, ravaged by two of Ye Zi's large-scale jutsu, had sunk half a meter. The ground was littered with ruins and tree roots, many of which had been destroyed during the fierce combat. The wasteland was a scene of utter devastation.
In the center of the battlefield, Kushina maintained her Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak, with nine golden chains extending from her back like the tails of the Nine-Tails, swaying lightly in the air.
Minato's yellow, horizontal pupils were filled with icy anger as he glared at Ye Zi. No matter what, Ye Zi had to be stopped today.
For now, none of them moved. All three possessed wide-range sensory abilities and could feel the Konoha ninjas converging from all directions, including many of the village's strongest fighters.
Kushina and Minato weren't in a hurry. Once Konoha's forces were fully gathered, they could create an inescapable trap for Ye Zi. Even if they couldn't overpower him directly, they could exhaust him to the point of collapse.
Noting their hesitation to attack, Ye Zi was content to wait as well. He was in no rush. With techniques like Inorganic Reincarnation and Earth Cicada, he could easily burrow deep into the ground and escape the encirclement quickly.
With such an escape plan in hand, Ye Zi intended to let Konoha gather its forces before using most of his remaining Sage Chakra for one last devastating attack as a parting gift.
Unfortunately, his Sage Chakra reserves were limited, so the impact wouldn't be as large as he wanted but it was better than nothing.
On the outskirts of the wasteland, Itachi and Shisui stood observing the growing crowd of Konoha ninjas. More and more were arriving, spreading out along the perimeter and watching the tense standoff below.
Having repelled attacks across multiple areas, this was the final battleground. The enemy was reduced to just one, Ye Zi. The ninjas had gathered here, determined to contribute to this last battle.
Swish, swish, swish!
One by one, Konoha's ninjas arrived with somber expressions.
Most of them recognized Ye Zi, and seeing the state of the Eastern District which was completely destroyed, they were filled with rage. Memories of their fallen comrades further fueled their hatred, and many silently vowed to tear Ye Zi apart.
Among them were the Uchiha siblings who had once been on a mission with Sakumo Hatake.
During that mission, they had narrowly survived thanks to Sakumo's final desperate attack. Later, after witnessing Ye Zi's Deep Forest Emergence, they couldn't help but develop a deep-seated fear of his overwhelming power.
Although they had managed to overcome that fear over time, today they felt an even greater sense of disparity after witnessing Ye Zi's current strength.
Those who hadn't fought Ye Zi directly couldn't comprehend the oppressive feeling of being utterly outclassed. The sight of the wasteland, however, offered more than enough evidence to fuel their imagination.
Compared to the last time, when Ye Zi used Deep Forest Emergence, this destruction was far more terrifying.
"How strong has Ye Zi become? He's on a completely different level…"
"A monster…"
Such despairing whispers, born of the overwhelming gap in power, echoed in their hearts.
Yet, despite the fear, they were determined to avenge their fallen comrades and protect their home. No matter how strong Ye Zi was, they resolved to leave his life behind in Konoha.
Soon, the perimeter of the wasteland was filled with Konoha ninjas. Thousands had gathered, representing the village's remaining strength.
The massive net was now complete, encircling Ye Zi like a lone boat in a storm, surrounded and isolated.
Sensing the encirclement, Ye Zi's black lightning began to subside, leaving only a thin layer of dark chakra clinging to his body. His expression remained calm, his eyes devoid of emotion.
"Ye Zi, you can't escape now. You'll pay for what you've done today," Minato said coldly.
"Oh," Ye Zi replied indifferently, meeting Minato's furious gaze with complete apathy.
Kushina gazed silently at Ye Zi, who stood in the midst of overwhelming peril yet showed no trace of emotion. Her feelings were deeply conflicted.
"Does it hurt?" Ye Zi's calm voice broke through the oppressive pressure from the encircling forces. He stood unfazed, looking at Kushina and Minato with an expressionless gaze.
Both Minato and Kushina felt their hearts tremble. How could it not hurt? Their home lay in ruins, nearly a thousand comrades had perished... How could they not feel pain?
Yet they remained silent, clenching their teeth and meeting Ye Zi's cold stare.
Ye Zi raised a hand and pressed it gently against his chest. With a chilling smile, he said, "The pain you feel now is the same anger I once endured. I'm merely returning it to you."
Was this the pleasure of revenge, making Konoha truly feel the depth of suffering?
"Now then…"
Ye Zi suddenly paused mid-sentence.
A figure descended from the sky, landing beside Kushina and Minato with such force that it cracked the ground beneath them, it was Tsunade.
Shortly after, as if on cue, Jiraiya, having deactivated Sage Mode, appeared in a flash, taking his place at Tsunade's side.
As Jiraiya arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi followed, clad in a black, tight-fitting battle suit and gripping his Adamantine Staff. He landed beside Kushina, the two black ribbons trailing from the back of his headband fluttering in the wind. His aged eyes were fixed on Ye Zi, filled with a mix of emotions.
Accompanying Hiruzen was Fugaku Uchiha, though he didn't join the others on the battlefield. Instead, he silently moved to where Shisui and Itachi stood.
"Clan leader."
"Father."
Upon seeing Fugaku, both Shisui and Itachi greeted him respectfully.
Fugaku's expression was solemn as he gave a slight nod before turning his gaze to the battlefield, his eyes settling briefly on Obito.
Shisui hesitated to speak. Both he and Obito had activated their Mangekyō Sharingan that day, and he wasn't sure how Fugaku would react to this revelation.
Unbeknownst to him, Fugaku himself possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan.
As if sensing Shisui's thoughts, Fugaku kept his gaze on the battlefield and said quietly, "Whatever it is, it can wait. For now, watch closely as this battle comes to its conclusion."
Itachi, too, was instructed through Fugaku's silent gaze. To witness the gap in strength, to understand the importance of power.... and most importantly, to grasp the cost of protecting what matters.
Fugaku's eyes eventually locked onto Ye Zi, or more specifically, his Mangekyō Sharingan. That eye was proof that Ye Zi carried Uchiha blood.
On the battlefield, Obito stood among the group of Konoha's elites without a hint of fear. He could already feel that he was close to being able to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan once again.
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Currently on Chapter 486 - A Toad and a Snake