First Victory

Blood streamed from Naruto's nose and mouth as he endured the tearing pain in his abdomen. He stared blankly at Chen before him. "What... what did you do?"

Chen said nothing.

—Toyomiketsunomikoto!

"Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!" Connected Black Rods pierced Naruto's acupuncture points all over his body, completely sealing off the pathways of Kurama's Chakra.

The Black Rods of the 'Six Paths Technique' were also products of Chakra, so they could be stored by Toyomiketsunomikoto. As for why Chen knew the 'Six Paths Technique' Madara had personally taught Obito, let us leave that mystery for now.

"Crack!" After completing the preparations, Chen used Amaterasu-no-Mikoto to annihilate the Susanoo blade embedded in Naruto's abdomen!

Naruto had been nailed to the tree like a wedge by that blade. Once the wedge holding him in place vanished, he immediately collapsed into the mud beneath the rain-soaked tree.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle." Blood poured from his exposed abdominal cavity, staining the sludge beneath him red.

Even like this, Naruto, with your vitality, you won't die anytime soon...

Chen turned to face the towering complete-body Susanoo!

Within that dark-purple forehead chamber stood Uchiha Sasuke, his face sharp as a blade!

"Sasuke..." Naruto looked complicatedly at his friend, fighting alone. The dizziness from blood loss made his eyelids grow heavy.

This was my fault. I should have dealt with Uchiha Chen as a dangerous individual long ago!

Sasuke... run!

He was a monster capable of 'manipulating time'!

"Naruto, pull yourself together!" Kurama roared within his mind.

"Naruto, wait for me..." Sasuke's Susanoo lifted its massive foot high, bringing it down upon Chen with crushing force!

If that foot landed, it would collapse half a mountain!

Chen's right eye focused on the bottom of the colossal foot, its light trembling continuously!

—Toyomiketsunomikoto!

"Boom, boom, boom...!" Explosive flame spheres detonated beneath Susanoo's foot in layered succession, forming a terrifying spindle-shaped curtain of fire that forcibly halted the massive foot in midair!

Taking advantage of the opening, Chen released a vortex from his right eye and drew himself in!

"Whoosh!" In the blink of an eye, he had ascended into the sky, reaching a height where he could meet Sasuke's gaze within Susanoo's forehead chamber!

"Bang!" He summoned Gohōkaku, stepped onto its back, and leaped into the air a second time.

Amid the white smoke left by Gohōkaku's disappearance, Chen flew forward, lunging toward Sasuke's forehead chamber!

From the flowing 'light' in Chen's right eye, Sasuke determined that Chen was about to use that disintegrating dojutsu.

"Even if your right-eye dojutsu can disintegrate a Tailed Beast Bomb, don't think you can disintegrate this complete-body Susanoo!"

"Who said I wanted to disintegrate the entire complete body?" Chen's right eye focused, and the light steadied!

—Amaterasu-no-Mikoto!

"Crack!" The front wall of Susanoo's forehead chamber shattered into purple motes of light!

"What!? He destroyed only the front wall of the forehead chamber!"

Sasuke was now completely exposed to Chen's sight!

Damn... now he can use that 'Flash Strike' dojutsu on me!

Without hesitation, Sasuke used Kagutsuchi to create a protective layer of Black Flames!

In the face of danger, his thoughts raced as he searched for a godlike move that could turn the situation around!

Five meters. If Chen comes within five meters of me, I'm confident I can use the Rinnegan's genjutsu to completely restrain him!

One instant would be enough!

"Crack!" That protective layer of Black Flames was useless before Amaterasu-no-Mikoto!

The two were now less than ten meters apart!

Sasuke: Show him an opening!

Yet then, under Sasuke's incredulous gaze, Chen actually lowered his eyes on his own initiative... not giving him any chance for eye contact!

For a moment, Sasuke even suspected that Chen possessed the ability to read minds!

How could he know that Chen had accumulated a hundred years of combat experience in Samadhi!

When he could afford to be a little reckless and indulge himself, and when he had to be as cautious as that hero, Chen knew it all too well!

At this distance, it was unsuitable to use Toyomiketsunomikoto, which required extremely precise focusing. He even had to avoid techniques that relied on his eyes as much as possible.

After all, Sasuke had once trapped all nine Tailed Beasts in genjutsu with a single glance. Even if he had now lost his former edge, the Rinnegan's genjutsu still demanded extra caution.

Otherwise, the outcome could be reversed in an instant!

Before I obtain the Rinnegan during the upcoming journey to the Outer World, I must remain suitably cautious when facing Sasuke!

At this moment, they were no more than five meters apart!

If you enjoy this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't lose it next time.

Chen's left palm was already covered in a mass of violet lightning, crackling and throwing off thin arcs!

—Purple Lightning!

Purple Lightning was an ultimate improvement of Lightning Blade developed by Kakashi Hatake after losing his Sharingan in the war. It was an immensely powerful piercing technique that required neither Hand Seals nor the Sharingan!

"He even mastered Kakashi's Purple Lightning? There's no choice..."

Light flashed in Sasuke's Rinnegan. "Whoosh!" Then, with one use of Amenotejikara, he swapped places with Chen!

Chen glanced back and muttered, "The Rinnegan truly is troublesome..."

—Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire!

Sasuke formed Hand Seals with one hand, and explosive flames instantly engulfed Susanoo's forehead chamber.

He knew Chen could annihilate this Fire Release and possessed terrifying recovery abilities, so he maintained the hand seal with one hand and continued pouring out firepower, intending to suppress him!

Propelled by the reverse thrust, Sasuke rose toward the sky.

"Boom!!!"

The heat built up by the Fire Release even blasted apart Susanoo's skull. The overflowing flames tore through the sky like red lotuses, creating rising storm clouds in the blink of an eye!

By then, dawn had broken, and the rain that had fallen all night had stopped. Thus, the storm cloud stood out especially clearly against the whitening sky!

"Rumble, rumble, rumble...!!" Savage lightning churned within the black clouds, transforming into the form of a thunder beast!

Lightning flickered across Sasuke's palm as he violently swung it down!

—Lightning Release: Kirin!

"Whoosh...!!"

Yet... at that moment, Sasuke's figure abruptly vanished from midair!

Then, without any warning, he reappeared before Chen, even returning to his original posture!

It was as though the forehead chamber had never been blown apart by flames, and the Lightning Release: Kirin roaring across the sky had been nothing but an illusion!

As an observer, Madara witnessed the entire miraculous phenomenon.

When Sasuke returned to the forehead chamber along with the reversed time, the flames that had scorched the sky, the storm cloud, and the lightning all vanished like bubbles in a mirror!

He turned his gaze, his eyes gleaming. "I see. When someone's time is reversed, the phenomena they are in the midst of causing are also erased due to the causality of time being reset?"

"Crack!!" Chen drove the Purple Lightning in his hand through Sasuke's right chest!

I already did my best to avoid his heart...

"Crack!!" Sasuke shot out from the shattered back of Susanoo's skull!

Blood sprayed everywhere. Sasuke clenched his teeth. "Is this your right eye's true ability...?"

I can't... I can't fall here! He still needs me!

He landed not far from Naruto. After getting to his feet, he staggered toward Naruto!

Using the last of his Dojutsu Power, he opened a Rinnegan Space Gate and drew both himself and the barely breathing Naruto inside!

As Susanoo's mangled remains disappeared beyond the horizon.

It declared that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke's first battle against Uchiha Chen had ended in a crushing defeat!

Chen stood atop the great tree, the torn fragments of cloth at his waist rustling in the wind!

He took out the [Kusanagi Sword Hilt] from his ninja tool pouch. Light shone from his right eye as he flicked his wrist.

—Omodaru!

"Crack!" The power of time gathered the scattered dust and reforged the Kusanagi Sword's edge at the hilt's guard!

Chen held the blade upright. A cold face was reflected in its gleaming surface.

He praised it. "A fine sword."

After tucking the Kusanagi Sword at his waist as spoils of war, Chen looked toward the closed Space Gate.

"Naruto, Sasuke, I sincerely hope the lesson from this defeat will help you grow. Though we walk different paths, our destination is the same: to see this land welcome true peace."

"Sizzle!" The grayness in his sclera faded, and the silver eyeshadow vanished. Sage Mode came to an end.

"Whew." Chen let out a long breath. "Without Sage Mode, I really couldn't endure the consumption of my dojutsu."

"As expected, subduing those two was far more exhausting than subduing Hikari..."

Madara and Obito appeared atop a nearby tree.

"Chen, are you all right?"

Of course I am. How could a man say he wasn't all right?

He took out a large Soldier Pill and swallowed it, then sat down where he stood and lowered his gaze to check the time.

5:18.

"Once I catch my breath, we'll officially begin our plan!"