Chapter 55: Angel and Demon

Chapter 55: Angel and Demon

The cave roared and rumbled.

"Orochimaru…"

Jiraiya's hoarse voice echoed, as if he wanted to say something. However, Orochimaru and Tsunade were already positioned by the entrance, ready to break out at any moment.

Across from them stood Uchiha Yosuke, separated by only a few dozen meters, yet the choice between life and death loomed.

Covered in cursed seal markings, Uchiha Yosuke's skin turned a dark gray, his muscles bulging and his frame larger. His hair had grown wild, and with his menacing aura, he looked nothing short of a monster.

*Cursed Seal - Level 2*

With sharp claws radiating a terrifying, beast-like presence, his sclera had turned black, and two tomoe in his pupils spun rapidly.

"Yosuke!"

Orochimaru's cold voice echoed from the other side, making Uchiha Yosuke take a deep breath. 'Damn it! Life and death are determined by fate! Fortune or ruin, let it be!'

He gambled that reinforcements would arrive within three minutes.

"Ahaha… Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!"

An unhinged laugh, unique to the Uchiha, resounded through the cave as Uchiha Yosuke laughed maniacally.

"To break the rules of the ninja world, we call those people trash... But those who don't value their comrades are worse than trash."

"I! Have come to understand the meaning of life, just like how the Second Hokage stayed in the Land of Lightning back then!"

Surrounded by terrifying chakra, Uchiha Yosuke's frenzied laughter rang out, as the tomoe in his eyes spun, transforming into three tomoe.

Faced with the choice of life and death, he succumbed to the madness fueled by the cursed seal and the evolution of the Sharingan.

Now, he finally understood why the Uchiha clan was known for their volatility! The evolution of the Sharingan was triggered by intense negative emotions, and with the cursed seal, the effects multiplied.

He usually suppressed it, but now he had fully unleashed his restraints.

"I'm going in!"

With his armor plates removed, Uchiha Yosuke's body was covered in explosive tags. Amid Tsunade's shocked gaze, he let out a crazed laugh and began forming hand seals.

Rumbling!

Suddenly, the cave collapsed, and blinding light filled the space. At that moment, Uchiha Yosuke's eyes, spinning with three tomoe, gleamed with madness as he charged towards the exit with hand seals at the ready.

A shadow appeared!

"Hey! Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru! Reinforcements are here…"

Amid the bright light, a group of armored Leaf ninja shouted toward the cave entrance, and one of them yelled, "Lady Tsunade is over there!"

Pointing ahead, a Leaf ninja shouted, while the reinforcements looked on in shock.

"There are two Lady Tsunades!"

One Tsunade, with a fierce, bloodthirsty grin, stared blankly, her eyes meeting those of the determined Tsunade in front of her. In the light shining from behind, one Tsunade stood like a pure angel, radiating light, while the other, with a sinister grin, emanated an aura of a fallen angel.

Angel and demon!

Their gazes met, like a scene from a classic painting.

At the last moment, Tsunade held fast to her true self.

"Yosuke, it seems you no longer need to understand your purpose in life."

Her calm voice echoed, angelic to Uchiha Yosuke.

Not that he was being dramatic—he didn't have to die now!

Looking at her beautiful yet crazy and evil eyes, Tsunade's angelic face softened with a smile.

"I…"

Before Uchiha Yosuke could speak, he felt a gentle warmth on his forehead.

Her soft, pink lips pressed against his forehead.

In the light of day, the angelic Tsunade redeemed the fallen Tsunade.

"You are Uchiha Yosuke; you were never a substitute."

With a puff of transformation smoke, Uchiha Yosuke's monstrous form was revealed, as the power of the curse mark slowly faded with the crisis averted.

The Leaf reinforcements' eyes widened as they saw his body covered in explosive tags.

Everywhere, on the inside and outside of his clothing—enough to blow the entire cave to pieces!

"Looks like we're saved."

Orochimaru, looking at the last moment where Tsunade chose to stop this Yosuke from sacrificing himself, showed a hint of surprise and complexity in his cold snake-like gaze. Though often indifferent, Orochimaru was not devoid of feelings; he was simply more restrained.

"We… are saved…"

Jiraiya, barely conscious, glanced at the Leaf reinforcements before fainting completely, supported by Orochimaru. He didn't witness what had happened at the entrance on the other side—a kiss on the forehead between angel and demon.

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*Land of Earth, Iwagakure.*

"Damn it! That damn Konoha White Fang!"

In his office, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki roared in frustration, slamming his hand on the stone table, shattering it.

"Konoha! Why does Konoha have so many geniuses!"

Seething with envy, Onoki slumped into his chair after hearing a report from a respectful Iwa ninja.

"We lost a step. Konoha's White Fang certainly has guts!"

Onoki glared at the map, noting the urgent message—White Fang was leading two thousand Leaf ninjas, aiming to cut through the Land of Grass and directly invade the Land of Earth.

Moreover, White Fang had secured an alliance with Kusagakure, and Konoha was likely working with Amegakure too. If the battle reached their homeland, it would be disastrous.

Onoki quickly ordered a retreat to reinforce the border, unwilling to risk full-scale war on home soil.

"Konoha! I won't let you get away with this so easily!"

Though they had lost this round, Onoki's eyes glimmered with renewed ambition as he studied the ninja world map.

"Send orders for our ninjas on the Amegakure border to infiltrate the Land of Rain. I want them to create chaos targeting Leaf ninja. Set them up, assassinate—whatever it takes! I want Konoha to pay in Amegakure!"

"Yes!"

With his orders issued, Onoki directed his sights on Amegakure's terrain map, adding, "Have our front-line ninjas exchange intel with Suna and Amegakure. We're also willing to supply kunai, explosive tags, and other war supplies."

"Yes!"

Onoki had never been one to accept losses easily. Though Rain Country was now a major battleground for the Five Great Nations, shadow tactics were never off the table.

With Amegakure declaring war on Konoha and Suna, though Suna and Amegakure maintained a truce, Konoha found itself clashing on multiple fronts. Konoha was determined to pin down the battle in the Land of Rain, hoping to protect its own lands from conflict.

But the moment Konoha showed any weakness, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure would pounce without hesitation.

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