Chapter 280

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In the world of the shinobi, lineage and bloodline seem to dictate much of one's destiny. However, this isn't entirely true; to challenge this notion, you must possess a powerful external advantage.

Without such an advantage, it's difficult for those without the right lineage to rise to the top, especially in an era where the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki clan has emerged.

Kisame is a prime example. His proficiency in Water Release jutsu is already remarkable, and with the widespread availability of Sage Mode training, he has also mastered sage techniques. Together, these have elevated his combat power well beyond the Kage level.

But even with these enhancements, Kisame finds himself unable to intervene in a battle where someone like Isshiki is present.

This is the limitation of the world they live in.

Watching the ongoing battle and noticing Kisame keeping his distance from the battlefield, Kyomu couldn't help but ponder.

Could his ultimate ambition really be achieved?

The exact number of members within the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki clan is unknown, as is the true extent of their strongest members' power.

Leading the shinobi of the world to counterattack and invade the Ōtsutsuki clan's home planet would be an endeavor fraught with unimaginable difficulties and uncertainties.

To realize this ambition, Kyomu knew he must not only be strong himself but must also cultivate a force of powerful shinobi, and the number of these strong warriors must not be too few.

Over the years, Kyomu's efforts have borne significant fruit, but he still felt uneasy.

"I need to find a way to bring the Pure Land under my control as well. Only then can I truly harness the full strength of the shinobi world," Kyomu decided. "Once this battle is over, I'll take a trip to the Pure Land. I can't let Hagoromo and Hamura just sit there doing nothing."

Though the thought was crude, Kyomu knew it was something he had to do.

Throughout the thousand-year history of the shinobi world, there have been many extraordinary individuals whose souls, upon death, were sealed and restricted in the Pure Land, with no possibility of reincarnation.

This situation, if left unchecked, would ultimately be more detrimental than beneficial, further proving that the shinobi world is an incomplete world.

A world without reincarnation cannot be considered a complete transcendent world.

Kyomu's plan was to allow the souls in the Pure Land to reincarnate, ensuring that the talents of exceptional individuals would be passed down through cycles of reincarnation, thus ensuring a continuous emergence of geniuses in the shinobi world, preventing any gaps between generations.

Though this wouldn't immediately raise the upper limits of the shinobi world's overall strength, it would ensure a stable baseline, benefiting both the world and new generations.

If successful, Kyomu's status would officially surpass that of Hagoromo and Hamura, making him the undisputed ruler of this world in both name and power.

The thought of this plan ignited a fire within Kyomu. He had always been serious about his ambitions and never tired of pursuing them.

However, while Kyomu was lost in thought, the situation on the battlefield between Madara, the others, and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki suddenly took a sharp turn.

It wasn't that Madara and his allies had encountered problems—rather, it was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki who was beginning to falter.

If the battle had lasted longer, Isshiki might not have shown signs of weakness so quickly. In fact, the situation could have reversed, with Madara and his allies finding themselves in danger.

But Jigen's body was not capable of fully withstanding Isshiki's immense power, limiting Isshiki's peak performance to a brief three minutes.

One-on-one, within that three-minute window, whether it was Madara, Itachi, Obito, or Kimimaro, they would have undoubtedly been defeated, crushed by Isshiki's overwhelming strength.

But this wasn't a one-on-one battle—it was one against four, or rather, one against eight.

Madara's Rinnegan dojutsu, Limbo: Border Jail, was incredibly powerful. The four shadows that matched Madara's strength and abilities exactly gave him a significant boost, making his combat power far greater than the simple sum of one plus four.

Even so, if the battle had dragged on, Isshiki's chances of victory would have only increased. But the issue was that Isshiki only had a brief three minutes at his peak.

No matter how skilled a chef might be, they cannot cook without the necessary ingredients. Isshiki's plans had been too optimistic.

"I'll remember all of you," Isshiki declared, breaking free from his defensive stance and shoving Madara away. "This will end here for now. But next time, I'll take your lives without fail!"

With those words, Isshiki, at the brink of his body's collapse, summoned a black and red spatial portal and dragged Naruto into it.

In the blink of an eye, Isshiki, along with Naruto, vanished from the battlefield, marking the end of this encounter with Kara, and a decisive victory for the Dragon Nation.

The victory was indeed glorious.

Despite the various factors that hindered Isshiki's full strength, the fact remains that he was driven off in defeat.

As for Jigen, his own power wasn't particularly impressive. He was merely a vessel for the power granted to him by Isshiki.

But after this battle, the core members of Kara, including Jigen, were effectively eliminated. The outer members of Kara, who had been secretly cultivated over the years, were also almost entirely wiped out.

At the same time, the young warriors of the Dragon Nation, who were tempered by this formidable enemy, gained invaluable combat experience, greatly contributing to their growth.

It was clear that after this battle, Kara had been reduced to little more than a name, with the only remaining members being Isshiki and the Naruto he had taken under his wing.

"Phew! It's finally over."

Kisame, who had been lurking on the outskirts of the battlefield, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "The pressure was just too much. Whether it was the elders or that Isshiki, their power was simply beyond imagination."

Shouldering his sword, Samehada, Kisame cautiously approached the battlefield. He didn't dare to speak with Madara or get too close to the others, so he stood beside Itachi.

"Are you injured?" Kisame whispered to Itachi.

"Yeah, the enemy was incredibly powerful and extremely difficult to deal with."

Admitting that someone is stronger than oneself isn't shameful, as long as one doesn't lose the desire to surpass them.

Itachi admitted this openly, and Madara didn't try to deny or find any self-consoling excuses.

The fact that it took eight of them to battle against one enemy was an undeniable humiliation for both Madara and Itachi.

"After all, he was the god that Kara worshipped. It's only natural that he was strong…" Kisame tried to comfort Itachi.

"A god?!" Madara couldn't hold back any longer. "The next time we meet, even if he's a god, I'll kill him and see what makes him any different from us mortals!"

With that declaration, Madara didn't stick around for the cleanup, disappearing from the battlefield in a flash.

There's always a bigger fish. After this battle, Madara had recognized his own shortcomings, and increasing his strength had become his sole focus for the foreseeable future.

"Haha, Lord Madara is still Lord Madara. His words always fire me up."

"I agree with Lord Madara," Itachi nodded. "I need to work harder too. The next time we face Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, I don't want to be left on the sidelines."

Kisame was stunned as Itachi walked off on his own, heading to another part of the battlefield to find Sasuke.

"Hey, were you talking about me?" Kisame grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "Damn you, Uchiha. You're all cut from the same mold, aren't you?"

Feeling a bit frustrated, Kisame didn't follow but instead joined Shisui and Kimimaro, preparing to lead the young prodigies of the Dragon Nation back to Thundercloud City for rest.

"Brother!" Sasuke saw Itachi approaching and sheathed his Kusanagi Sword, running over to him.

After giving Itachi a big hug, Sasuke looked up at him with a wide grin. "Brother, look at my eyes!"

Itachi looked down and met Sasuke's gaze, seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes.

Seeing the unique six-pointed star pattern in Sasuke's Mangekyō, Itachi smiled genuinely and began gently ruffling Sasuke's hair. "Sasuke, I'm proud of you. Your accomplishments have surpassed all of the Uchiha."

"Including Lord Madara?"

"Of course," Itachi replied, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulder as they walked back to the main group. "When Lord Madara was your age, he hadn't even awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan."

"Huh? That late?" Sasuke sounded skeptical.

"It's true. So this shows that being an Uchiha doesn't mean everything is determined by the age you awaken your Sharingan. Early achievements don't mean everything either. The true strength of the Uchiha is determined by the power in your heart."

Itachi tapped Sasuke's chest with his finger. "Just like Lord Obito. His accomplishments now are not any less than Lord Madara's."

"But Lord Obito's eyes…"

"The level of your eyes doesn't mean everything," Itachi explained patiently. "They only determine your baseline. But your upper limits are set by the power in your heart."

"The power in my heart?" Sasuke pondered this for a moment before raising his head again. "Brother, are you saying that the power in your heart determines how strong your Mangekyō abilities are?"

"There are many factors that decide the abilities of the Mangekyō, but besides external influences, what your heart desires and what it grants you do greatly affect the type of abilities you awaken."

Itachi stopped and scanned their surroundings with his Rinnegan, ensuring that no one was eavesdropping or spying on them.

"So, Sasuke, what are your awakened abilities?"

"They're nothing special," Sasuke said, somewhat dejected. "It's just Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi. They don't involve space or time, just fire."

"They're already very strong," Itachi disagreed. "Power indeed has different levels, but it's still people who use that power. Since we know your abilities, you must now become the key to unlocking their full potential.

Sasuke, remember, while power may vary in strength, people also differ in strength. The strength of your abilities only enhances you, but it's your own strength that's the decisive factor."

"I understand, Brother!"

Sasuke nodded firmly. He trusted Itachi completely and would always follow his advice.

Being a little brother is like that.

Of course, Itachi also put a lot of effort into Sasuke's education, so much so that he had no time to think about his own future or personal life. All his energy was focused on Sasuke.

Being a big brother is like that.

"Alright, now that you understand, make sure you don't slack off when we return to the village."

"I won't!"

As Sasuke answered, his thoughts drifted to that blond boy—Naruto had made Sasuke's prideful heart return to reality.

Naruto was really strong!

Otherwise, Sasuke wouldn't have awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan after this battle.

"Brother."

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"My opponent today, that boy Naruto… He seemed familiar. Do you know him?"

"Feeling the pressure?" Itachi asked with a smile.

"No, no pressure at all. If it wasn't for those strange markings on him and that sudden Byakugan, I would have won!"

"So you didn't win?"

"Brother!" Sasuke protested, "If someone hadn't saved him, once I brought out my Susanoo, he would've been dead for sure!"

"Hmm, let's just say it would have been that way." Itachi held back his reservations about whether Sasuke could truly defeat Naruto, especially after seeing what Jigen and Isshiki were capable of.

"What do you mean? You're doubting me…"

"Naruto is a rival worthy of your respect for life," Itachi interrupted Sasuke. "He's someone that His Majesty personally selected as your opponent, so you should take him seriously."

"…I understand."

"I just wanted to tell you that the flaws exposed during your battle with Naruto need to be addressed and corrected."

"Hah, I get what you're saying. I won't slack off."

"That's good." Itachi patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "Now, go back to the group. Talk with Neji and the others. You might learn something valuable."

Whether Sasuke fully understood or not, Itachi let him rejoin the group, then immediately met up with Shisui and the others.

"Lord Madara left early, and Lord Obito didn't stay long either," Shisui said, asking for Itachi's opinion. "Should we use the teleportation platform in Thundercloud City to return, or should we walk back?"

"I'm inclined to walk back," Itachi gave his opinion and then turned to Kimimaro. "What about you?"

Kimimaro agreed with Itachi. "Walking back sounds good. I remember there are still some Kara outer members in other areas, which would make great practice for them."

"Then we'll walk back to the village," Shisui decided. "The remaining Kara outer members are valuable training resources for Sasuke and the others. They might not find any opponents to practice with in the future."

Itachi and Kimimaro exchanged glances, both seeing the mix of amusement and concern in each other's eyes.

They were pleased that an era of peace had finally arrived, ensuring that the next generation of shinobi like Sasuke wouldn't have to face constant bloodshed, possibly not even encountering a single enemy.

But they also worried that peace might lead to a sharp decline in combat skills and experience, which wouldn't bode well in the long term.

However, both quickly set those thoughts aside.

Kyomu would surely address these issues, leaving no need for them to trouble themselves.

(End of Chapter)