The Decision

"Today, His Leader's display of skill has deeply moved everyone on Mount Myōboku."

Inside the palace deep within Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage, who had risen from his throne, watched as Uchiha Takeyasu approached slowly. The aura that the other man inadvertently revealed deeply shocked him.

"This guy's strength is truly skyrocketing, like a balloon being blown up!"

The Great Toad Sage couldn't understand it, but that didn't stop him from accepting this reality.

Its existence is its own justification!

"Among those deeply grateful, does the Great Toad Sage include you?"

Uchiha Takeyasu chuckled softly, his open Golden Dragon Eyes sending chills down the spine of the Great Toad Sage.

"I've been letting my men fight to the death all this time. When will the Great Toad Sage fight for me? We did sign Summoning Contract, after all."

"This Old Woman am too old and frail to go to the battlefield; I would only be a burden and a target. It is better to let the younger generation get more experience. Shima and Fukasaku have always been people I have high hopes for."

The Great Toad Sage was fairly aware of the current situation.

If he's put on the field, it's most likely to be to deal with the Dragon Emperor.

Surrounding and killing the Dragon Emperor is no problem, but Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Hamura will definitely not sit still. If they face each other head-on, how can this old Toad with his old arms and legs withstand the heavy blows of these two?

"Moreover, His Leader controls the white snake in Ryūchi Cave, and the role it can play is far greater than This Old Woman."

The Great Toad Sage's excuse made Uchiha Takeyasu's gaze deepen. His fixed gaze fell on the Great Toad Sage's old face covered with wrinkles, and he slowly said, "What if I insist that you come?"

"The Great Toad Sage must have also made Summoning Contract with Hagoromo Otsutsuki, right?"

"Staying silently in the back all this time is really making me uneasy!"

After those three sentences were spoken, the room fell into an even deeper silence.

The air itself seemed to freeze at that moment.

The Great Toad Sage lowered his eyes, making it impossible to see any change in his gaze, and simply kept puffing on his pipe, exhaling thick rings of smoke.

Having lived for a thousand years, Gama-matsu knows the key to his survival: the ability to assess situations and act accordingly, or as the saying goes, a wise man avoids dangerous situations.

His ability to make angel investments based on foresight allows him to be successful in all aspects of life.

Even though his stance was ambiguous, and Hagoromo Otsutsuki didn't intend to target him, his participation in the Dragon Emperor's siege was clearly a provocation against Hagoromo Otsutsuki's bottom line!

Gama-matsu knew perfectly well that Hagoromo Otsutsuki was no longer the hot-blooded Hagoromo Otsutsuki he once was; it would be strange if he didn't skin him alive.

"But judging from Uchiha Takeyasu's attitude today, he's clearly forcing me to take sides."

Having never been forced to the brink of despair and make a choice for a very long time, the Great Toad Sage couldn't help but feel a rebellious streak, thinking sinisterly.

"Should we pretend to agree and then let the Dragon Emperor go, or wait for Hagoromo Otsutsuki to appear and then directly betray him?"

"No!"

The idea was rejected by the Great Toad Sage as soon as it came to mind.

If he hadn't killed Uchiha Takeyasu, given the latter's mastery of Space-Time Ninjutsu, he probably would have found him in no time, and he would have lived in constant fear for the rest of his life.

Mount Myōboku will never have peace again!

"Let's just take it one step at a time. It's truly a hardship for this This Old Woman!"

The Great Toad Sage sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Takeyasu, his voice tinged with sorrow and helplessness, "Since it is the Leader's order, this This Old Woman will certainly obey!"

"Don't look like a loser who's already given up before the battle even begins!"

Uchiha Takeyasu could roughly guess what the Great Toad Sage was thinking—this fickle old Toad was most likely to have one of two ideas.

Going all out to help is certainly good, but he was also prepared to defect midway through the battle.

In any case, the advantage is on my side!

"The battle will begin soon; I hope the Great Toad Sage prepares accordingly."

"I will be the ultimate victor!"

Having received a satisfactory reply, Uchiha Takeyasu opened a spatial portal and instantly returned to a small village within the Land of Hot Water Yu, now part of the Rain Province Springs.

The small village was quiet, with the occasional bird song adding a touch of life to the tranquility.

On the edge of the village, hidden among the lush trees, Uchiha Takeyasu's gaze was drawn to a dark corner.

It was a vast, empty land, the surrounding plants seemingly unwilling to approach, appearing withered and shriveled. As he drew near, a pungent, fishy stench filled the air, nauseating and as if some unspeakable evil lurked within.

"This is the place where evil gods are worshipped."

He muttered to himself, his face utterly calm.

Uchiha Takeyasu had also heard of the Jashin Cult that came from Yu-no-ichi. In the original Hokage, Hidan, who could survive having his head severed, came from Yu-no-ichi.

This immortality, resulting from the worship of an evil god, was something Uchiha Takeyasu hadn't had time to investigate before due to his busy schedule. Now that he had some free time, he wanted to see if he could add another trump card to his deck.

Or we could find out who that so-called evil god really is and see what kind of person he is.

If you're lucky, you might even get the coordinates of a world.

Uchiha Takeyasu stepped lightly into the clearing, and an ancient altar appeared before him. The altar was made of black stone, its surface covered with mottled bloodstains and mysterious runes, emitting an eerie light.

In the center of the altar, several twisted tree branches intertwined, as if telling a tale of endless sorrow.

Several desiccated skeletons, their clothes tattered, hung from the branches, seemingly swallowed by the evil of this place.

It's hard to imagine what kind of horrific rituals were once performed here.

The ground around the altar was covered with scattered black feathers, like the remnants of some evil creature.

Uchiha Takeyasu frowned slightly, enduring the nauseating smell that filled the surroundings, his eyes scanning the area, his Spiritual Power spreading like a tidal wave.

When the locals reported the worship of the evil god, the Uchiha patrol team arrived immediately and, without even needing to use Ninjutsu, easily killed the ninjas who were worshipping the evil god.

Hidan, the only one who survived, was sent to Konoha, where he underwent forced education and contributed his blood and flesh to become a rare and precious beast.

The altar, which could connect with the evil god, was not destroyed by the Uchiha patrol team. The fact that they didn't kill Hidan back then made them realize the altar's extraordinary nature, and they originally planned to notify the Science Academy.

Upon learning of this, Uchiha Takeyasu immediately intervened and intercepted him.

Evil gods from outside the Ninja World always pique people's curiosity.

"The purity of evil here doesn't even seem as high as the Public Cemetery next to the fortress city in the Heavenly Province."

Uchiha Takeyasu pondered silently, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

If this evil is allowed to continue to grow, who knows if it might connect with an even more powerful evil god.

Just then, he heard a low murmur in his ear, as if beckoning him, making him uneasy.

"Come quickly... come quickly... become my sacrifice..."

The voice lingered in his ears like a ghost, Uchiha Takeyasu couldn't help but beam with joy.

"I haven't even contacted you yet, and you've already contacted me!"

Uchiha Takeyasu looked around, trying to find the source of the sound, but only saw that the shadow above the altar was getting thicker and thicker, as if some kind of power was quietly gathering.

"Is this what it is?"

Uchiha Takeyasu thought to himself, and waved his hand, preparing to cast a spell.

His fingers traced streaks of light in the air, gathering powerful magical energy, preparing to completely control and amplify this source of evil.

Just then, the runes on the altar began to flicker, and black light swirled in the air, seemingly responding to his movements.

Uchiha Takeyasu stirred, realizing that this altar was not a simple evil object, but probably some kind of ancient seal that was being awakened by someone or something.

"No matter what you are, you can't escape my grasp!"

Uchiha Takeyasu roared in a low voice, his demonic power surging at his fingertips, instantly transforming into a dazzling beam of light that shot straight towards the altar. The light drew a graceful arc in the air, as if it were about to tear this darkness apart.

However, the black light on the altar grew even stronger, seemingly resisting his attack.

Uchiha Takeyasu's heart tightened as he felt a powerful force approaching him, as if it were about to engulf him in endless darkness.

"That's interesting!"

Uchiha Takeyasu frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on the altar, and he poured even more magical power into it. Just as he was about to touch the altar, a burst of black light suddenly erupted, forming a whirlwind that swept over.

At the same time, seven-colored magic orbs, corresponding to the seven-colored magic shields of fire, earth, lightning, wind, water, yin and yang, appeared beside Uchiha Takeyasu, constantly rotating and firmly protecting him.

The black whirlwind crashed against the magic shield, making a creaking sound. Seven-colored light flashed alternately, forcefully withstanding the altar's counterattack.

"A powerful figure in the modern world? Impressive strength indeed!"

The voice from the altar resounded once more, extending an invitation to Uchiha Takeyasu: "If you pledge your allegiance to me, I will grant you immortality!"

"An immortal body? There is no such thing as immortality in this world!"

Uchiha Takeyasu's eyes gleamed with the light of Golden Dragon Eyes as he peered at the base of the altar.

The super-powerful class [God of Magic], derived from the seven major mage classes, along with the powerful Primordial Dragon Bloodline, directly granted him a great deal of innate magic.

One of them is a pair of Golden Dragon Eyes that can see through the essence of power.

"It possesses an aura that doesn't belong to the Ninja World, and the essence of its power is no less than that of the Six Paths."

"The aura left behind by this seal, ah, so it's related to Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

The evil god sealed within the altar was already extremely weak, all its power had been worn away by the great force of time, leaving only a trace of its essence to barely survive.

If it weren't for the fact that a few days ago, the greedy ninja sacrificed the lives of many villagers, breaking a gap in the seal and allowing a massive amount of spiritual energy to enter, the surviving evil god would have been overjoyed and quickly recovered.

Otherwise, even if Uchiha Takeyasu, whose strength was already at the peak of the Blazing Sun, stood by the altar and let the evil god exert all his power, he wouldn't be able to break through his magical protective barrier.

The evil god continued his seductive plea, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"As long as you are willing to dedicate your body and soul, I can make you invulnerable to swords and spears, and impervious to fire and water. Even if your head is cut off, your heart is pierced, and your body is cut in half at the waist, you will not die!"

"Heh, you've been sealed to this extent, so you'd better not talk big."

Uchiha Takeyasu eyes flashed, indicating that he had already made a discovery, and he immediately called upon his true form in his mind.

So, in the next second, a giant hand tore through space, crushed the altar amidst the evil god's exclamation, and grabbed the evil god's soul sealed inside, leaving.

The Fire Province, the Capital of Fire.

"Please, sir, don't do this!"

As the Mana surged and refined, the evil god let out a mournful wail.

Feeling disturbed, Uchiha Takeyasu Mana to create a sound-blocking space, calmly watching the evil god being gradually refined by his Mana.

Minamoto Kaori and Uchiha Naori, who were also standing nearby, walked in with their large pregnant bellies. A comfortable autumn breeze blew through the window, ruffling the two women's bangs, and their bright eyes fell directly into Uchiha Takeyasu's palm.

"Darling, what's this?"

Minamoto Kaori asked curiously.

"Something that might actually help the governor truly become a governor."

Uchiha Takeyasu's answer made Uchiha Naori both happy and frustrated.

To become a true governor, one must possess strength at the level of the Blazing Sun. For someone who is normally at the level of the Shining Moon, being able to take another step forward is naturally a happy thing.

But as the governor of the Fire Province, he was burdened with a mountain of tasks, and his mood was almost depressed.

"Lord An, let's give this governorship to someone else."

Uchiha Naori touched his six-month-old belly and glanced at Uchiha Takeyasu, "Even if you don't care about me, you should at least think about your own child. The mother of the child can't afford not to rest properly now."

"Hey, you've got the whole team in Fire Province, plus family members like Shikata to oversee things and get things done for you. All you have to do every day is sign documents properly, there's no need to be tired."

Uchiha Takeyasu complained, "In the past, the governor of a province would start as Hokage, something our Uchiha Clan would have begged for. Now they're actually looking down on it."

"Who can blame me when my husband is the one in charge of the Ninja World?"

Uchiha Naori's cheeks flushed slightly. Having witnessed the Naori of Konoha under Hashirama Senju and Senju Tobirama, she understood the mindset of the Uchiha Clan at that time.

Hashirama Senju died, a senior Uchiha clan launched a coup, attempting to seize the Hokage Position by force. Unfortunately, the coup was all bark and no bite, and was suppressed by Senju Tobirama.

If it weren't for the sudden emergence of Uchiha Takeyasu, the fate of the Uchiha Clan would still be unknown.

"Good to know."

Uchiha Takeyasu snorted, then reached out and put his arm around Minamoto Kaori's waist, embracing his two beautiful wives as he admired the early autumn scenery outside the window.

The sphere of refining, suspended in the air, is constantly eroding the evil god's resistance.

Uchiha Takeyasu only needs to do two things: dig deep into the soul of the evil god and find the spatial coordinates of the New World; and eliminate its essence, turning it into a harmless, high-quality energy to further advance the Uchiha Naori.