Uchiha Forbidden Grounds: The Search for a Treasure and the Secrets of the Bloodline Trial

In Konoha's council chamber, sunlight streamed through the window lattice and fell across the Golden Scroll of the Six Paths Secret Record. On its map showing the locations of the five great Bloodline Treasures, the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror, corresponding to the Uchiha Clan, was marked deep within the forbidden grounds of the Uchiha Clan Compound. Su Ye put the scroll away, a faint purple light flashing in his Rinne Sharingan. "There are multiple bloodline seals in the Uchiha forbidden grounds. Only members of the Uchiha Clan can enter the inner area. Sasuke, I need you to take the lead this time."

Sasuke gripped a fragment of a Gunbai in his hand, the golden Power of the Fire Seed flickering faintly at his fingertips. "I've heard stories about the forbidden grounds of our ancestral home ever since I was a child. The clan's ancient records say that deep inside, they not only hide a Bloodline Treasure but also seal the lingering souls of Uchiha ancestors who fought the Shadow of the Ancient God." Naruto patted them both on the shoulder, a golden sphere of Nine-Tails Chakra forming in his palm. "Don't worry. With me here, we can smash through any seal we run into!" Su Ye shook his head with a smile and infused Naruto's palm with a wisp of Rinnegan power. "The Tailed Beast's power is too volatile. It could easily trigger the forbidden grounds' self-destruct formation. We have to follow the rules."

The three set out for the Uchiha Clan Compound at once. When they reached the entrance to the forbidden grounds, two enormous statues stood on either side. Each held a Gunbai, and red Sharingan gems were set into their eyes. Sasuke stepped forward and infused the golden Power of the Fire Seed into the statues' brows. The gems lit up at once, and the statues slowly moved apart, revealing a deep passage. Its walls were covered in carvings depicting the Uchiha Clan's migrations and battles.

"Watch your step." Su Ye suddenly raised a hand to stop them. His Rinne Sharingan pierced the passage floor, revealing countless fine Chakra Threads buried beneath it. "These threads are connected to the symbols on the walls. Touch them, and they'll trigger a Fire Release trap." Sasuke nodded and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, complex patterns appearing in his eyes. "I'll use Kagutsuchi to clear a path. Stay behind me." Black flames burst from his fingertips and gathered into a dark trail along the floor. The Chakra Threads touched the fire and burned away instantly.

After traveling several hundred meters down the passage, they came to a circular hall. At its center floated an ancient bronze mirror, its edges carved with flame patterns and its surface glowing faintly red. It was the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror. But just as Sasuke reached for it, red symbols suddenly lit up around the hall. Countless black shadows burst from them, taking the form of Uchiha ancestors as they charged at the three.

"This is the bloodline trial left behind by our ancestors." Sasuke's gaze sharpened. The golden Power of the Fire Seed gathered around him, forming a suit of flame armor. "Only by passing the trial can we truly earn the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror's recognition." The leading ancestral shade held a Gunbai. With a single sweep, it unleashed countless Fire Release Ninjutsu at the three. Naruto activated Nine-Tails Mode, forming a shield of golden chakra to block the attacks. "These shades attack exactly like the Uchiha's ninjutsu!"

Su Ye channeled the power of the Rinnegan, gathering pale-purple chakra in his hand to form a long sword. "Their weakness is their forehead. That's where their chakra cores are." He leaped into the air and thrust his sword at the ancestral shade's forehead. The shade dodged sideways and launched a Great Fireball Technique. Su Ye used Space-Time Ninjutsu to teleport behind it and thrust again, striking its forehead. The shade gave a muffled thud and dispersed into black mist.

Sasuke and Naruto attacked at the same time. Sasuke's black flames burned the shades to ash, while Naruto's Tailed Beast Bomb smashed through whole groups of them. When the last shade vanished, the mirror at the center of the hall suddenly erupted in brilliant red light. The light flew toward Sasuke and merged with his body. The golden Power of the Fire Seed around him surged, and the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes began to evolve into the rudiments of the Rinnegan.

"This is... Bloodline Resonance." Feeling the power surging through him, Sasuke spoke in astonishment. "The Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror is strengthening my ocular techniques." Su Ye stepped forward, and his Rinne Sharingan resonated with the nascent Rinnegan in Sasuke's eyes. "The five great Bloodline Treasures were made to strengthen each clan's bloodline power. Only when we gather them all can they unleash their full power."

Just then, a crack suddenly split open in the hall's wall, and a black figure shot out, heading for the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror. "One of the Shadow of the Ancient God's remnants!" Su Ye roared. Rinnegan power gathered in his hand into a blade of light, which he swung at the figure. The shadow dodged sideways and unleashed black chains that wrapped around the mirror floating in midair.

"I didn't expect you to pass the bloodline trial." The shadow let out a low laugh. "But I'll gladly take the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror off your hands." It tightened the black chains, trying to pull the mirror away. A cold glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes. The golden Power of the Fire Seed formed a long sword, and he swung it at the chains. They snapped, but the shadow seized the opportunity to inject a wisp of black mist into the mirror.

"Not good!" Su Ye's expression changed. He tried to stop it, but he was too late. The moment the black mist entered the mirror, its red glow dimmed, and countless black patterns appeared across its surface. "This is corrosive power. It'll contaminate the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror." Su Ye immediately infused the mirror with Rinnegan power. Pale-purple light clashed against the black patterns. Sasuke and Naruto added their strength, infusing the pale-purple light with the golden Power of the Fire Seed and Tailed Beast power.

The three colors of light intertwined, forming a massive pillar that drove the black patterns out of the mirror. Seeing this, the shadow realized it couldn't succeed and turned to flee. Su Ye used Space-Time Ninjutsu to teleport behind it, then formed a massive hand of Rinnegan power and seized it. "Speak! How many of the Shadow of the Ancient God's remnants are there? What are you after?" Su Ye roared, increasing the flow of Rinnegan power.

The shadow screamed as its body slowly turned transparent. "Lord Shadow of the Ancient God will soon be revived. It won't matter if you gather the Bloodline Treasures. The Shinobi World will become our lord's sustenance in the end." With that, the shadow dispersed into black mist. Su Ye watched it vanish, his eyes clouding with concern. "The Shadow of the Ancient God's remnants have begun to act. We need to speed up our search for the Bloodline Treasures and Six Paths Sacred Relics."

Sasuke put away the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror, and the nascent Rinnegan in his eyes slowly closed. "Our next target is the Senju Clan's Root of All Creations. According to the Six Paths Secret Record, it's hidden in the Senju ruins on the border of the Land of Fire." Naruto nodded, Nine-Tails Chakra swirling around him. "They say the Senju ruins have Wood Release seals. That'll be the perfect chance to see the First's power for myself."

The three left the Uchiha forbidden grounds at once and flew toward the Senju ruins. Along the way, Su Ye opened the Six Paths Secret Record and carefully studied the information about their next destination. The scroll said the Senju ruins were hidden in a dense forest, surrounded by a barrier formed from Wood Release chakra. Only those who possessed the bloodline powers of both the Uchiha and Senju could open it.

"Sasuke, your Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror can resonate with the Senju Bloodline Treasure," Su Ye said. "When we reach the ruins, you and I will need to open the barrier together with the power of the Rinnegan and the Power of the Fire Seed." Sasuke nodded and took out the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror. It glowed faintly red, answering the Rinne Sharingan in Su Ye's eyes.

When the three reached the forest where the Senju ruins lay, the sight before them made their pupils contract. The trees were unnaturally tall, their trunks wrapped in green vines that radiated dense Wood Release chakra. In the center of the forest stood an enormous stone gate. The Senju Clan crest was carved all over it, and a stone statue wielding a giant axe stood on either side.

"This is the entrance to the Senju ruins." Su Ye activated his Rinne Sharingan and looked through the stone gate. Beyond it, he saw a long passage, with statues of the Senju Clan's successive leaders lining both sides. Sasuke stepped forward and placed the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror at the center of the gate. The mirror resonated with the clan crest, glowing red. Su Ye infused the gate with Rinnegan power at the same time. Pale-purple and red light intertwined, and the crest on the gate began to turn slowly.

Rumble! The stone gate gave a tremendous groan and slowly slid open. But the instant it did, countless green vines burst from the passage and lashed at the three. "It's a Wood Release seal!" Su Ye roared, forming a barrier of Rinnegan power in front of them to block the vines. Sasuke unleashed the golden Power of the Fire Seed, burning the vines to ash. Naruto activated Nine-Tails Mode, formed a fist of golden chakra, and punched toward the depths of the passage.

The fist struck the passage wall, where countless Wood Release symbols appeared and glowed green, illuminating the way. The three followed the passage and soon reached a vast hall. At its center, a huge tree root floated in midair, wrapped in green chakra. It was the Senju Clan's Bloodline Treasure—the Root of All Creations.

But just as the three were about to approach the root, green symbols suddenly lit up around the hall. An enormous statue rose from the floor, gripping a giant axe and surrounded by Wood Release chakra. It was a statue of Senju Hashirama, the Senju Clan's first leader. The statue abruptly opened its eyes, and green chakra gathered in its hand to form a massive wooden sword, which swung at the three.

"This is the Senju Clan's guardian statue." Su Ye's expression was grave. "Its power is on par with the First at his peak." Sasuke unleashed the golden Power of the Fire Seed, forming a long sword of flame in his hand and swinging it at the wooden sword. The blades collided with a bang, and a massive shockwave sent the three staggering several steps back. Naruto activated Six Paths Mode, formed a gigantic fist of golden chakra, and punched the statue. The fist struck, but the Wood Release chakra around the statue blocked it.

"Ordinary attacks won't work on it." Su Ye activated his Rinne Sharingan, golden chakra whirling rapidly in his eyes. "Its core is in its forehead. We can only destroy it by striking the core." He leaped into the air and formed a long sword from Rinnegan power, thrusting it at the statue's forehead. The statue dodged sideways and swung its wooden sword at Su Ye. Su Ye used Space-Time Ninjutsu to teleport behind it and thrust again, striking its forehead.

The statue gave a muffled thud, and the Wood Release chakra around it began to fade. Sasuke and Naruto attacked at the same time, unleashing the golden Power of the Fire Seed and Tailed Beast power at the statue. It crashed to the ground and dispersed into countless green motes. The Root of All Creations at the center of the hall then erupted in brilliant green light and flew deeper into the Senju ruins.

"After it!" Su Ye roared, leaping after the light. Sasuke and Naruto immediately followed. Tracing its path, the three reached a secret chamber. At its center, the Root of All Creations floated above a stone platform, which was covered in symbols from the Senju Clan. But just as Su Ye reached out to take the root, the chamber door suddenly slammed shut. Countless green vines burst from the floor and wrapped around the three.

"Another seal!" Naruto roared and tried to break free, but the vines only tightened. Su Ye channeled Rinnegan power, trying to cut them apart, but the vines absorbed it and grew even thicker. Sasuke unleashed the golden Power of the Fire Seed and burned the vines, but they regrew faster than the flames could consume them.

"This won't work." Su Ye furrowed his brow, his Rinne Sharingan spinning rapidly. "The symbols around the platform are the key to breaking the seal. Sasuke, use the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror's power to activate them." Sasuke nodded and placed the mirror on the platform. It resonated with the symbols, glowing red. The symbols activated, and the green vines began to wither away.

The three broke free. Su Ye stepped forward and took the Root of All Creations from the platform. The root felt cold in his hand, and green chakra flowed up his arm and into his body. To his surprise, the Rinnegan power around him resonated with the Wood Release chakra, a trace of green mingling with the pale-purple light.

"The Root of All Creations can strengthen Wood Release," Su Ye said in surprise, feeling the power surging through him. "And it can work together with the Flame Shadow Tracking Mirror to produce even greater power." Sasuke and Naruto moved closer, gazing at the Root of All Creations in Su Ye's hand, excitement flashing in their eyes.

Just then, a crack suddenly split open in the chamber wall, and a black figure shot out, releasing black chains toward the Root of All Creations. "Another of the Shadow of the Ancient God's remnants!" Su Ye roared, forming a blade of light from Rinnegan power and swinging it at the shadow. The shadow dodged sideways, and its black chains wrapped around the root.

"You got lucky last time. This time, I'm taking the Root of All Creations." The shadow sneered, tightening its black chains. Sasuke unleashed the golden Power of the Fire Seed and slashed at the chains with flames. They snapped, but the shadow seized the opportunity to inject a wisp of black mist into the root.

"Not good!" Su Ye's expression changed. He immediately infused the root with Rinnegan power, pale-purple light clashing against the black mist. Sasuke and Naruto lent their strength as well, infusing the pale-purple light with the golden Power of the Fire Seed and Tailed Beast power. The three colors intertwined, forming a massive pillar of light that forced the black mist out of the root.

Seeing this, the shadow realized it couldn't succeed and turned to flee. Su Ye used Space-Time Ninjutsu to teleport behind it, then formed a massive hand from Rinnegan power and seized it. "Speak! How many of you are there? Where will you strike next?" Su Ye roared, increasing the flow of Rinnegan power.

The shadow screamed as its body slowly turned transparent. "You can't stop Lord Shadow of the Ancient God's plan. The next Bloodline Treasure, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan Glazed Bead, will soon fall into our hands." With that, the shadow dispersed into black mist.

Su Ye watched the shadow vanish, his eyes clouding with concern. "The Hyuga Clan! We have to head to the Hyuga Clan Compound at once and protect the Byakugan Glazed Bead." Sasuke and Naruto nodded, and the three left the Senju ruins at once, flying toward the Hyuga Clan Compound. Along the way, Su Ye handed the Root of All Creations to Sasuke. "It's best for you to keep the Senju Bloodline Treasure safe. Next, we'll be dealing with the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan seals, so we have to be careful."

Sasuke nodded and put the Root of All Creations into a storage scroll. Naruto activated Nine-Tails Mode and sped up their flight. "The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan can see through every ninjutsu, and their Gentle Fist can strike an enemy's chakra points with deadly precision. We'd better prepare properly this time." Su Ye nodded with a smile, a faint purple light flashing in his Rinne Sharingan. "Don't worry. With the power of the Rinnegan and the Bloodline Treasures, we'll get the Byakugan Glazed Bead safely."

The three disappeared beyond the horizon. They knew the journey ahead would be even more perilous. The Shadow of the Ancient God's remnants had set their sights on the Hyuga Clan's Bloodline Treasure, and a new battle would soon begin at the Hyuga Clan Compound. They would have to give it everything they had to protect the Shinobi World's hope.