Zhan Gets Trounced

"Six Paths Sage? That's just a legend. No one has ever proven he existed. Tianqi, you're getting more and more off track," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, dismissing Tianqi's claim. Zhan nodded too; he didn't believe it either.

"Believe me or not, I'm telling the truth. This world isn't as simple as you think. Anyway, I'm full. Let's go." With that, he stood up and left.

"Damn! We haven't even eaten yet, and you polished off everything!" Only after Tianqi had left did Sarutobi Hiruzen and Zhan realize he'd eaten all the food.

"Come on. We're full, so let's get some exercise. I want to see whether the Hokage's strength has slipped—and check how strong you are now, Zhan." When he saw the two of them emerge after paying the bill, he immediately invited them.

"Sure." The three of them didn't go to the village training grounds. Instead, they headed straight for the forest on Konoha's Back Mountain. If they fought at the village training grounds, they'd wreck the whole place.

"Zhan, you go first. Let me see how strong you are now. I'll save my fight with Sarutobi for last." He beckoned Zhan over.

"Then let me test you, the Uchiha's number one. Take this!" Zhan activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and charged at Tianqi.

The two began a Taijutsu duel, trading punches. With the Sharingan enhancing his dynamic vision, Zhan actually managed to match Tianqi for a while.

"Not bad, Zhan. You can actually keep up with me in Taijutsu. Let's see how your ninjutsu holds up." As he spoke, Tianqi formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Tianqi used a standard Fire Release technique. As he poured in Chakra, the Great Fireball grew visibly larger, its power rising from C-Rank to A-Rank.

"Impressive! You've brought a C-Rank technique up to A-Rank strength. But I'm not that easy to handle either. Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!" Zhan formed Hand Seals and unleashed the A-Rank Fire Dragon Bullet.

The two techniques collided, raising the temperature around them. Then they canceled each other out, and the two resumed their Taijutsu clash.

"Zhan needed an A-Rank technique just to contend with Tianqi's C-Rank one. Tianqi's strength must have reached the level of a Super Kage," Sarutobi observed, analyzing the two as they fought.

"I can't beat him with ninjutsu. I'll have to rely on Taijutsu." After their exchange of ninjutsu, Zhan made up his mind.

When Tianqi saw Zhan stop using ninjutsu and cling to him with Taijutsu instead, he smiled faintly. You can't beat me with ninjutsu, so you want to settle things with Taijutsu? Fine. I'll indulge you.

As Zhan kicked at him, Tianqi waited for the right moment, activated his Mangekyo, and used Kamui to turn intangible.

Zhan saw that his attack was about to hit Tianqi, and a smile spread across his face. Taijutsu really was Tianqi's weak point. At such close range, he couldn't dodge.

Zhan was still pleased that his attack had landed when, the next instant, his foot passed straight through Tianqi's body as if it had hit nothing.

As his foot passed through, Tianqi grabbed it. "Got you. Prepare yourself, Zhan!" He seized Zhan's leg and flung him with all his strength. Zhan lost his balance in midair and crashed into the forest, stopping only after smashing through five trees.

"Cough, cough... What just happened?" Zhan clutched his chest and spat out blood.

Hmm! Zhan's attack had passed right through Tianqi's body. What kind of bizarre ability was that? Did it make all attacks ineffective? He actually had a power like this. No wonder he could attack the Land of Earth and retreat safely. But a ninjutsu this powerful had to come with a cost or a weakness. Sarutobi watched closely, analyzing it.

"Zhan, you thought you could beat me at Taijutsu. How did that work out for you?" Tianqi looked at him with a smile.

"I didn't expect you to have such a strange ninjutsu. I really did misjudge things this time. If you keep using that ability, I have no chance of winning. But if you don't use it, I might not lose." Zhan still refused to admit defeat. He hadn't lost to Tianqi; he'd lost to that strange ability.

"Is that so?" Tianqi looked at the still-defiant Zhan. Blood trickled from the corner of his left eye. "Tsukuyomi!" He unleashed the ultimate genjutsu, Tsukuyomi.

This technique could pull an enemy's mind into an illusionary space. In the Tsukuyomi World, the caster controlled every aspect, including time, location, and physical properties. The enemy would suffer immense mental and physical torment in the illusion. Anyone who looked into Tianqi's eyes would fall under its spell.

Only then did Zhan notice the change in Tianqi's eyes, but it was too late.

Inside the illusionary space, Tianqi bound Zhan to a cross and created countless phantoms.

"What's going on?" Bound in place, Zhan stared at the many phantom clones and was completely dumbfounded.

The phantom Tianqis said nothing. Holding Ninja Blades, they repeatedly stabbed through Zhan's body. Zhan cried out in agony. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Tianqi, what's happening?"

Tianqi spoke from within the illusionary space. "Welcome to the Tsukuyomi World. Three days here pass in the real world in just an instant. That means you still have seventy-two hours of torture ahead of you. Only one second has passed so far. You have seventy-one hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds left. Enjoy."

"Ah! Ah! Ah! No! Stop! I give up, Tianqi!" Hearing that he still had so long to endure, Zhan immediately surrendered. Unfortunately, the phantoms didn't stop.

In the real world, Zhan instantly fainted.

"Hm? What happened to Zhan? He lost just like that? What a pushover." Sarutobi stared in bewilderment at Zhan, who had been talking only a moment ago and was now unconscious.

He went straight over to Tianqi and asked, "What happened to him? He just passed out. He should be stronger than that, shouldn't he?"

"He fell for my strongest genjutsu." Tianqi pointed to his eyes.

"Oh, what a strange pattern. Is this the legendary strongest Sharingan of the Uchiha, the Mangekyo? Then that strange ability to pass through attacks must come from these eyes too." The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Tianqi's eyes, everything clicked. His teacher, Tobirama Senju, had told him that when Uchiha evolved, each of their eyes developed a unique ability, and the patterns differed too. That was why they were called Mangekyo.

"That's right. And this isn't an ordinary Mangekyo. An ordinary Mangekyo causes blindness, but mine doesn't. These are the same eyes as Uchiha Madara's—the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which will never go blind." Tianqi didn't hide the truth and told Sarutobi outright.

"The same eyes as Uchiha Madara? Does that mean your strength now rivals his?" Sarutobi asked in shock.

"If Madara were still alive, he wouldn't be my match now." Tianqi spoke with pride.

"I see. No wonder you dared to stir up trouble at Iwagakure. Let me test you and see just how far you've come." Sarutobi tossed aside his Hokage cloak, revealing the battle armor underneath.

Sarutobi didn't underestimate him in the slightest. He immediately began forming Hand Seals.

"Summoning Technique! Come forth, Enma, King of the Monkeys!"