The setting sun gilded the ruins of Konoha. Su Ye leaned against the medical kit Sakura had handed him, gently brushing his fingertip over Nagato's dull, lifeless Rinnegan. Faint purple chakra flickered along the edge of its pupil. Naruto crushed the last fleeing little Demon Eater underfoot. As his golden Tailed Beast Cloak faded, he suddenly pressed a hand to his temple, brow furrowing. "That's strange. It felt like something just got into my head, but now it's gone."
Kakashi's Sharingan was still active, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield from behind his mask. "It wasn't your imagination." He crouched and touched the black mist lingering on the ground. The mist burrowed into the soil like a living creature. "The black mist hasn't completely disappeared. It's seeping into Konoha's land." Just then, shouts rose from the distance. Everyone turned toward them and saw ripples spreading through the space above the training ground. Several transparent Demon Eater apparitions were emerging from them.
"Spatial Echoes!" Su Ye sprang to his feet, his Rinne Sharingan spinning rapidly. "When the dimensional rift closed, the energy shock made parts of space unstable. The remaining black mist is using those gaps to create temporary passageways." He formed Hand Seals and sent pale purple chains flying from his palm, binding one of the Demon Eater apparitions. But the moment the chains touched it, the apparition turned into black mist and merged with the rippling space.
Red light glimmered in Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan as his gaze pierced the spatial barrier. "These apparitions are just clumps of energy. The real threat lies deep within the spatial rifts. And..." He looked at Sasuke. "Have you noticed the Cursed Seal on your body heating up?" At his words, Sasuke immediately clutched his left arm. The black Cursed Seal was glowing faintly red, its pulsing frequency astonishingly similar to that of the spatial ripples.
A strange noise suddenly came from Sakura's medical kit. She opened it and found that the antidote inside was somehow breaking down on its own. The pale green liquid turned into mist and drifted toward the spatial ripples. "The chakra is being disrupted." Sakura's expression turned grave. "Under the influence of the Spatial Echoes, ordinary ninja tools and medicines lose their effects."
Guy rolled his sore arms, steam still swirling around him. "At this rate, Konoha's defenses will gradually fail. Su Ye, can your Rinne Sharingan locate all the Spatial Echoes?" Su Ye closed his eyes and released sensory chakra from his Rinne Sharingan. But as soon as his perception covered half of Konoha, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His chakra sensing network shattered as if it had struck a solid wall.
"No." Su Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "The Spatial Echoes are fluctuating wildly, and something deep within seems to be interfering with my perception. Nagato's Rinnegan..." He tightened his grip on the eye, his pupils shrinking. "This eye is responding to the Spatial Echoes. There's some kind of connection between them."
Just then, Tsunade arrived with the Anbu. She surveyed the battlefield and spoke gravely. "The Hokage's office has received a report. Three spatial anomalies have appeared around Konoha's outskirts: one at the training ground, one in the rear hills, and one in the commercial district. We've sent ninja to seal them off, but the spatial fluctuations in those areas are growing stronger." She handed Su Ye a scroll. "These are Jiraiya's notes on other dimensions. They mention that certain otherworldly creatures can use residual energy to awaken 'Spatial Marks' lying dormant inside ninja."
Sasuke suddenly clutched his eye. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun out of control, and an unfamiliar scene appeared before him: beneath a crimson sky, countless Demon Eaters surged toward a spatial rift. On the other side was a Konoha covered in black markings. "I saw it." Sasuke's voice trembled. "The Demon Eaters are using the Spatial Echoes to search for ninja with Spatial Marks inside them. Once a mark is activated, it can open a new rift."
Naruto suddenly remembered something and pulled out the necklace around his neck, an heirloom left behind by Kushina. It was glowing with a faint blue light. "When the spatial ripples appeared, this necklace started getting hot. Could it be..." Su Ye took the necklace. As he brought the Rinne Sharingan close to it, pale purple light intertwined with the blue glow, and he immediately understood. "The Tailed Beast Chakra is resonating with the Spatial Echoes. Naruto has the most prominent Spatial Mark inside him."
Tsunade's expression grew grave. "We must deal with these spatial anomalies as soon as possible, or Konoha will become an entrance for otherworldly creatures. Su Ye, you and Itachi and Sasuke will handle the training ground. Naruto, Guy, and Kakashi will take the rear hills. I'll lead the Anbu to deal with the commercial district. Remember, protecting the villagers comes first. Don't enter the anomalous areas recklessly."
Everyone moved out at once. By the time Su Ye reached the training ground with Itachi and Sasuke, the spatial ripples had expanded to ten meters across. Transparent Demon Eater apparitions kept emerging from them, lunging at nearby villagers. Sasuke immediately activated Susanoo, its blue arm shielding the villagers behind it. Itachi formed a Great Fireball Technique, but when the flames touched the spatial ripples, they warped and exploded in the opposite direction.
"Ninjutsu is being disrupted by the space." Itachi furrowed his brow. "We'll have to rely on Taijutsu and dōjutsu." Su Ye nodded and unleashed Shinra Tensei with his Rinne Sharingan, blasting the Demon Eater apparitions away. But after hitting the ground, they merged into it and emerged beneath Sasuke's Susanoo. "They can travel through the Spatial Echoes," Su Ye said gravely. "Sasuke, use Kagutsuchi to cover Susanoo. The flames should hold back the black mist for a while."
Sasuke did as he was told, covering Susanoo's surface with black flames. The moment the Demon Eater apparitions touched them, they let out shrill screams and dissolved into black mist. Itachi seized the opportunity and used his Mangekyō Sharingan to cast Tsukuyomi, pulling several apparitions into an illusionary space. But just as he was about to attack, the illusionary space began to crumble, and the apparitions reappeared in the real world.
"Even illusions are unstable." Itachi's expression darkened. "The Spatial Echoes are devouring the energy around them, including chakra and the energy behind illusions. Su Ye, can your Sealing Jutsu seal the spatial ripples?" Su Ye took a deep breath and formed Hand Seals. Pale purple chakra gathered in his palms, forming a sealing array. "Let's try. Samsara Spatial Seal!"
The sealing array flew toward the spatial ripples, but the moment it touched them, it was repelled. A sudden pain shot through Su Ye's arm. His chakra recoiled, making him spit out another mouthful of blood. "It won't work." Su Ye gritted his teeth. "The spatial ripples are too powerful, and something deep within is resisting. Wait..." He looked at the Rinnegan in his hand. It was now floating by itself, flying toward the spatial ripples.
"Nagato's Rinnegan is guiding us," Itachi realized immediately. "It can sense the core of the Spatial Echoes. Su Ye, follow it." Su Ye nodded. His Rinne Sharingan resonated with Nagato's Rinnegan, and pale purple and crimson light intertwined, forming a beam that shot deep into the spatial ripples.
The three of them followed at once. The moment they entered the spatial ripples, the surrounding scenery changed: a crimson sky, black earth, and countless Demon Eaters in the distance. At the center of this space, a black crystal pulsed with the same energy as the Spatial Echoes. "That's the Spatial Core," Su Ye said gravely. "If we destroy it, we can eliminate the Spatial Echoes here."
Just then, the Demon Eaters in the distance suddenly charged at them. The one leading them was enormous, with four arms, each gripping a black greatsword. "It's kin to the Demon Eater Leader from before." Sasuke activated Perfect Susanoo, the blue giant gripping a sword as it slashed at the horde. Itachi formed a Susanoo bow and fired a flaming arrow at the Demon Eater Leader.
Su Ye took the opportunity to fly toward the Spatial Core, but as soon as he drew close, it fired a black beam at him. He immediately activated Shinra Tensei and deflected it, but the beam's shockwave still struck his shoulder. Black mist began to eat away at his chakra. "What incredible corrosiveness." Gritting his teeth, Su Ye focused the power of his Rinne Sharingan and forced the black mist out of his body.
The Demon Eater Leader's greatsword struck Sasuke's Susanoo, cracking its blue armor. Sasuke couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Su Ye, hurry! We can't hold on much longer!" Itachi rushed to support him. His Susanoo fired one arrow after another, and the flaming arrows exploded among the Demon Eaters, temporarily halting their advance.
Su Ye took a deep breath and poured all his chakra into his Rinne Sharingan. It and Nagato's Rinnegan erupted with dazzling light at the same time. "Samsara: Ultimate Seal!" The pale purple sealing array enveloped the Spatial Core. The core shook violently, releasing even stronger black beams. One pierced Su Ye's body, and blood poured from his wound, but he gritted his teeth and pushed the sealing array's power to its limit.
"Be sealed!"
With Su Ye's roar, the sealing array blazed brighter, and the Spatial Core was gradually sealed. The Demon Eaters around them let out shrill screams as their bodies began to dissolve. Sasuke and Itachi hurried to Su Ye's side and caught him as he swayed. "We did it." Su Ye managed a faint smile. Darkness closed in, and he collapsed.
When Su Ye woke again, he was lying in a hospital bed at Konoha Hospital, with Sakura changing his bandages. "You're finally awake." Sakura smiled in relief. "You've been unconscious for three days. Itachi and Sasuke are keeping watch outside, and Naruto and the others have dealt with the Spatial Echoes in the rear hills. But..." Her expression grew grave. "The Spatial Echoes in the commercial district have changed. Lady Tsunade says the Spatial Core there is connected to an unknown jutsu."
Su Ye struggled to sit up, his Rinne Sharingan turning faintly. "I have to go see." Sakura tried to stop him, but when she saw the determination in his eyes, she could only nod. "All right, but you're still very weak. Someone has to go with you."
When Su Ye stepped out of the hospital room, Itachi and Sasuke immediately came to meet him. "How are you feeling?" Itachi asked. Su Ye nodded. "I'm fine. Is the situation in the commercial district serious?" Sasuke frowned. "Yeah. The Uchiha clan crest has appeared within the Spatial Echoes there, and..." He paused. "Tsunade says Jiraiya's scroll mentioned that the Spatial Core may be connected to Kotoamatsukami."
Su Ye's pupils shrank. "Kotoamatsukami?" He immediately headed for the commercial district, resolving that no matter what danger awaited, he would protect Konoha and the people around him. Behind him, Nagato's Rinnegan glimmered faintly, as if foretelling that an even greater storm was about to arrive.
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