The Shinobi World Rebuilt a New Order, While Secrets of the Rinnegan Revealed Ancient Traces

The clamor of the victory banquet gradually faded into the dusk. Su Ye stood alone atop the watchtower in the Allied Shinobi Forces' camp, the pale purple power of the Rinnegan flowing at his fingertips and mingling with the setting sun. His Rinne Sharingan opened silently as he gazed toward the sealed spatial rift. A trace of barely perceptible concern crossed his eyes. When he had sealed the rift moments ago, he had clearly sensed a wisp of extremely faint Void power slipping along the flow of his Rinnegan power and burrowing deep into his left eye.

"Still worried about the Void Realm?" Sasuke's footsteps sounded behind him. He carried an old wooden box, its surface carved with the flame patterns of the Uchiha Clan. "I found this in the deepest chamber of the clan's ancestral grounds. It was something Itachi left behind." The moment he opened the box, a fragment of the Uchiha Gunbai, glowing with a dark golden light, came into view. The chakra clinging to it was producing a faint resonance with Su Ye's Rinnegan power.

Su Ye reached out to touch the fragment, and his Rinne Sharingan suddenly blazed. Pale purple light enveloped the fragment, and countless fleeting images flashed through his mind. In ancient times, an Uchiha ancestor stood side by side with a mysterious figure clad in a Six Paths robe, holding a complete gunbai. Before them yawned a spatial rift resembling the one in the Void Realm. In the final image, the ancestor thrust the gunbai into the rift. Dark golden light intertwined with pale purple Rinnegan power, forming a sealing barrier like the three-colored seal, but far more powerful.

"This fragment..." Su Ye's pupils narrowed. "It's connected to the Rinne Sharingan—and even to the Void Realm. Itachi may have left it behind because he foresaw this day." Sasuke nodded and infused the fragment with the golden Power of the Fire Seed from his fingertips. Its glow grew brighter, and an echo of Itachi's chakra slowly sounded: "Sasuke, if you meet someone who possesses the Rinne Sharingan, you must give them this fragment. The Uchiha's fate and the Shinobi World's future both hinge on the secrets of the Rinnegan. Remember: beware of the 'Shadow of the Ancient God.'"

"The Shadow of the Ancient God?" They both frowned. Just then, Naruto hurried over, carrying the lingering warmth of Kurama's chakra and waving a scroll from Konoha in his hand. "This is bad! Lady Tsunade sent word. In several villages in the Land of Fire, people have suddenly been swallowed by an unknown force. All that's left at the scenes are black marks resembling Void power."

The three set off at once for the village where the incident had occurred. When they arrived, the sight before them made their hearts sink. Dozens of black marks were arranged in neat rows in the open ground at the village center. The plants around them had withered, and the air was filled with a faint trace of Void power. Su Ye crouched and touched one of the marks with his Rinnegan power, but a strange force repelled him.

"This isn't ordinary Void power." Su Ye's expression turned grave. "It's far older than Gen's Void power. And it seems to be consciously gathering some kind of energy." Sasuke channeled the golden Power of the Fire Seed, forming a barrier of flames around the marks. But instead of purifying them, the flames were absorbed, and the black marks glowed ever more intensely.

Naruto entered Nine-Tails Mode, golden chakra cloaking his body. "Should we try destroying them with Tailed Beast power?" Su Ye shook his head. "An attack without knowing what we're dealing with could make things worse. Let's inform Tsunade first and contact the Five Great Nations to investigate whether similar incidents have occurred elsewhere."

By the time the three returned to the Allied Shinobi Forces' camp, the leaders of the Five Great Nations were already waiting inside the command tent. The Raikage slapped an intelligence scroll onto the table, Lightning Release chakra crackling around him. "The same black marks have appeared along Kumogakure's borders, and their numbers keep growing." Gaara manipulated Iron Sand to form a model of one of the marks in the center of the tent. "Sunagakure's intelligence division discovered that the marks' locations match the distribution of ancient shinobi ruins exactly."

Sage Fukasaku stroked his whiskers as smoke curled from his pipe. "I once read in an ancient text at Mount Myoboku that, in ancient times, the Shinobi World suffered a calamity from 'beyond the realms.' The shinobi of that era relied on Six Paths Power and bloodline power to quell it. Those ruins may be where the power from beyond the realms was sealed."

Su Ye suddenly remembered the echo of Itachi's chakra. "The Shadow of the Ancient God! Itachi mentioned that name. Could these black marks be its doing?" A trace of surprise flashed in Sage Fukasaku's eyes. "The Shadow of the Ancient God is a forbidden being mentioned in Mount Myoboku's ancient texts. Legend has it that it caused the calamity from beyond the realms and was sealed by the Sage of Six Paths and the ancestors of the great bloodlines. Judging by what's happening now, the Void Realm's incursion may only be a sign that it's awakening."

Just then, a commotion arose outside the tent. A Konoha Ninja rushed in, flustered. "Something's wrong! The largest ancient ruin in the Land of Fire—the Six Paths Altar—has suddenly erupted in intense black light. Countless black chains are pouring out of the altar and spreading toward the surrounding villages."

The three immediately flew toward the Six Paths Altar. When they arrived, the scene before them looked like something out of hell. Black chains wrapped around the village houses and villagers. Those touched by the chains rapidly withered, then turned into wisps of black mist that merged with them. Atop the altar, a huge black shadow slowly took shape, surrounded by energy resembling Void power, but far stronger.

"At last, the day has come." The black shadow's voice was deep, filled with the weight of ages and a touch of madness. "That old fool, the Sage of Six Paths, and those bloodline ancestors thought they could keep me sealed forever? Now the power of the Void Realm has weakened my seal. The energy of the Shinobi World will nourish my rebirth."

Su Ye channeled his Rinnegan power, forming a pale purple chakra barrier around himself. "Are you the Shadow of the Ancient God?" The black shadow gave a cold laugh. "That's right. When I was sealed, I split off a portion of my power to create the Void Realm. Gen was merely a pawn I used to test the strength of the Shinobi World. Now that he's served his purpose, it's time for me to act in person."

As soon as it finished speaking, countless black chains shot toward the three. Sasuke formed a golden flame sword and slashed through the incoming chains. But the moment they broke, even more poured out of the altar. Naruto entered Six Paths Mode, forming a gigantic fist of golden chakra and hurling it at the black shadow. The fist passed through its body without causing any damage.

"Useless." The black shadow spoke disdainfully. "I'm an energy being now. Ordinary attacks can't hurt me. Unless you find the Six Paths Sacred Relic and Bloodline Treasures used to seal me all those years ago, you can only watch as I devour the entire Shinobi World."

Su Ye's Rinne Sharingan spun rapidly. Its pale purple light pierced through the black shadow, revealing what lay deep within the altar. At its center rested a scroll glowing with golden light, surrounded by chakra markings left behind by the Sage of Six Paths. "That's the Six Paths Sacred Relic!" Su Ye shouted. "Sasuke, Naruto, hold off the Shadow of the Ancient God. I'll get the scroll."

Sasuke nodded. The golden flame sword in his hand grew longer as he slashed at the black shadow. Naruto entered Nine-Tails Mode, forming nine tails of golden chakra around himself to lash at the incoming black chains. Seizing the opportunity, Su Ye used Space-Time Ninjutsu to teleport to the top of the altar. He reached for the scroll, but a black chain suddenly shot out of the altar and wrapped around his arm.

"You think you can take the Six Paths Sacred Relic? Not so easily." The black shadow roared and tightened its grip on the chain. Pain shot through Su Ye's arm, and the flow of his Rinnegan power grew sluggish. Just then, the Rinne Sharingan in his left eye blazed. The Uchiha Gunbai fragment Itachi had left behind flew from his robes, resonating powerfully with the scroll.

Pale purple Rinnegan power, golden Power of the Fire Seed, orange Tailed Beast power, and the energies of the scroll and gunbai fragment converged above the altar. Three-colored light intertwined with the golden scroll and dark golden fragment, forming a massive pillar of light that blasted toward the black shadow. It let out a shrill scream as its body began to dissipate.

"No! I won't accept defeat!" The black shadow roared, drawing back all its chains and condensing them into a gigantic black orb that hurtled toward the three. Su Ye, Sasuke, and Naruto joined forces, and the pillar of light surged in power as it collided with the orb. The tremendous shock wave leveled the surrounding village, and the altar began to shake violently.

"Hold on!" Su Ye roared, pouring even more Rinnegan power into the pillar of light. Sasuke and Naruto put all their strength into it as well. The pillar grew stronger and stronger, gradually suppressing the black orb. At last, it swallowed the orb completely, and the black shadow vanished with it.

The three collapsed to the ground, their chakra completely spent. Su Ye picked up the golden scroll at the center of the altar. On it were four ancient characters: "Six Paths Secret Record." He unrolled it. Inside was a complete account of the Shadow of the Ancient God, along with instructions for sealing it: they had to gather the Six Paths Sacred Relics and the five Bloodline Treasures to seal it permanently.

"It looks like our mission isn't over." Su Ye gazed at the scroll, determination shining in his eyes. "Besides this scroll, four other Six Paths Sacred Relics are scattered throughout the Shinobi World. The five Bloodline Treasures are held by the Uchiha, Senju, Hyuga, Uzumaki, and Kaguya bloodlines. We have to gather them as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Shadow of the Ancient God could awaken again at any moment."

Sasuke and Naruto nodded. The three rose to their feet and flew toward Konoha. They knew a new adventure was about to begin. The Shinobi World's peace would need them to protect it with their own hands.