Anrokuzan's eyes moved, turning with difficulty, as he looked at Uchiha Jun.
His lips trembled slightly.
"Why... why? I've already mastered the Dragon Vein, so why can't I beat you, you brat?! Why!!!"
Uchiha Jun scoffed upon hearing this.
"Hahaha, the power of the Dragon Vein is far more than this. The reason you can't unleash its power is simply because you're not using it!"
"You!!"
The hurtful words instantly widened Anrokuzan's eyes.
"What do you mean, 'I'? You're not convinced? Useless thing, guarding a mountain of treasure but not knowing how to use it. Fine, today I'll open your eyes, you country bumpkin! I'll show you what it means for a virtuous person to possess treasure!"
" The Dragon Vein should have a stronger master, but that's not you."
"Come forth, Dragon Vein, I am your true master!"
"Ha ha ha ha!!"
The next moment, Anrokuzan's laughter echoed deep within the empty underground labyrinth.
The laughter was filled with madness, resentment, and the hysteria of someone on the verge of death.
"You... you can't kill me!"
" The Dragon Vein... the power of the Dragon Vein won't let me die!"
Anrokuzan raised his head and stared intently at Uchiha Jun standing in front of him with his only remaining mechanical eyeball, which could still barely move.
"You have no idea... what you're facing. Do you think you can control the Dragon Vein by defeating me?"
"Hahahaha... Naive! So naive!"
Uchiha Jun crossed his arms and looked down at the pile of scrap metal, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Are you done talking?"
"All that nonsense is just to buy you time so you can activate your last resort hidden in the core of the Dragon Vein, isn't it?"
Anrokuzan's pupils—or rather, the lens of that mechanical eyeball—contracted sharply.
"How... how did you know...?"
"Brother Lao, you still need to calm down a bit. Enough with the nonsense, let me see!"
The next second, Uchiha Jun used soccer-like skills to kick Anrokuzan 'Anrokuzan head off the ground and grabbed it.
--The Human Path, the Mind Layer Dive!
Anrokuzan felt his consciousness being violently torn apart by an irresistible force.
Then, he saw his memories—
Those Dragon Vein research notes hidden deep within the underground palace, the puppet manipulation techniques he spent half his life figuring out, the blueprints for his meticulously designed giant puppets...
Everything, like a revolving lantern, was laid bare before Uchiha Jun.
"I see..."
Uchiha Jun withdrew his finger, a knowing glint in his eyes.
"It seems that Dragon Vein are indeed, in essence, 'accumulation phenomena' formed by the accumulation of natural Chakra under specific geological structures?"
Uchiha Jun's gaze pierced through the labyrinth's ceiling, as if he could see directly into the surging torrent of Chakra deep underground.
"No, to be precise, it should be an accumulation of Senjutsu Chakra."
Uchiha Jun muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"The land of the Land of Wind itself contains extremely rich Natural Energy, and the special ley line beneath Rōran is like a natural 'funnel,' gathering, compressing, and precipitating this Natural Energy —ultimately forming the Dragon Vein."
"No wonder that good-for-nothing Anrokuzan could only use a puppet body to exploit loopholes, but couldn't truly unleash the power of the Dragon Vein."
Uchiha Jun glanced at the pile of scrap metal still struggling at his feet, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.
"Using a puppet body to resist the erosion of natural Chakra? That's certainly an idea, but it's just an idea."
"You don't understand at all. The true power of natural Chakra is not for 'controlling,' but for 'refining'!"
Anrokuzan's mechanical eyes darted around frantically, his voice filled with terror and resentment. "You... you've said so much, do you think you can refine it?!"
He had considered using his physical body to control the power of the Dragon Vein, but this damned thing meant certain death!
Forget about mastering it, even touching it would feel like being hit by a forbidden technique!
Who in this Shinobi World can refine this damned thing?
Let alone Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, even the legendary Sage of Six Paths might not possess this power!
Uchiha Jun did not answer him.
He simply turned around and walked towards the core of the Dragon Vein in the center of the underground palace.
--The Eight Branches Technique!
Buzz--
A massive Chakra, like a tsunami, erupted from Uchiha Jun's body!
The color of that Chakra was completely different from ordinary blue Chakra —it was a deep, obsidian-like dark gold!
Dark golden Chakra, like boiling magma, surged, condensed, and shaped on Uchiha Jun's body.
In an instant, a colossal creature slowly raised its head in this underground labyrinth.
That's a Yamata no Orochi!
A Yamata no Orochi entire body was covered in dark gold scales, the edges of which shimmered with a ghostly blue light!
Eight enormous snake heads, like eight small hills, slowly rose from the darkness, each one burning with a crimson light like lava in its pupils.
Its size is even larger than that of a fully-formed Tailed Beasts!
When the Yamata no Orochi fully revealed its form, the ruins of the entire underground labyrinth trembled.
Gravel fell from the ceiling with a soft patter, cracks spread across the walls like a spiderweb, and the floor groaned under its weight.
Anrokuzan, who had been tossed aside like trash, now had his mechanical eyeballs practically popping out of their sockets.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Anrokuzan's voice trembled, roared, and howled in despair.
"You bastard! What are you doing?!"
"What kind of monster is this?! What kind of monster is this?!"
He realized that Uchiha Jun wanted to refine the Dragon Vein with his physical body!
And judging from this situation, it's quite possible that Uchiha Jun succeed!
Damn it! Just who is this Uchiha Clan brat?!
Uchiha Jun ignored Anrokuzan's impotent rage.
The eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi simultaneously turned towards the core of the Dragon Vein in the center of the underground palace.
There, a torrent of Chakra, like a waterfall, was gushing forth from a crack in the ground, emitting a dazzling white light.
The light illuminated the entire underground labyrinth as if it were daytime.
" Dragon Vein..."
Uchiha Jun's voice emanated from the core of the Yamata no Orochi, carrying a reverberation like the clash of metal.
"Submit to me!"
The next second--
The eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi simultaneously opened their blood-red maws and fiercely bit down at the torrent of Chakra!
"Boom--!!!"
A deafening roar erupted within the underground labyrinth!
The sound was like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, like a tsunami crashing, like an ancient behemoth roaring!
The Dragon Vein's Senjutsu Chakra, like a flood bursting its banks, surged wildly into the mouth of the Yamata no Orochi, into its body, into every inch of its meridians, every bone, and every scale!
At this moment, Uchiha Jun's consciousness clashed violently with the Chakra of the Dragon Vein.
It was a feeling that was hard to describe.
It exploded inside Uchiha Jun's body like a nuclear bomb!
The scorching heat, the rage, the boundless power almost tore his consciousness, along with his body, to shreds!
"Holy crap! I've set my pain receptors to the lowest setting! And it still hurts this much?!"
Uchiha Jun gritted his teeth, gathering all his willpower to fight against the raging torrent of Chakra.
"Is this... the true power of Senjutsu Chakra?"
Uchiha Jun felt that power surging wildly within his body, feeling it eroding and transforming his form.
That was an experience more painful than death.
However, as the suffering continued, Uchiha Jun also successfully tasted the sweetness.
After being purified, refined, and processed by the Yamata no Orochi no Orochi, the dragon Dragon Vein Chakra has become quite docile. As long as the growing pains are overcome, it can be used for one's own purposes.
Uchiha Jun's own Chakra also increased rapidly, reaching a level of strength far beyond that of Compound No. 1.
This brought Uchiha Jun pain and pleasure.
A slight smile appeared on Uchiha Jun's lips.
"Interesting... really interesting..."
"This kind of power... is worthy of me!"
At the same time, Namikaze Minato and the others also arrived at the bottom of the maze.
Namikaze Minato stared intently at Uchiha Jun, who had transformed into the Yamata no Orochi, his expression now extremely grave.
"This Chakra..."
Namikaze Minato gripped the Kunai tightly in his hand, his voice trembling slightly, a rarity in his voice.
"Even larger than the Nine-Tails..."
Uzumaki Naruto stood beside him, completely dumbfounded.
"What... what is this...?"
He swallowed hard, his voice filled with disbelief and shock.
"That snake... no, that monster... is it really Uchiha Jun?"
Sakura Haruno and Sai stood to the side, equally speechless.
Yamato, watching the Yamata no Orochi frantically tearing at the Dragon Vein, muttered to himself, "This level of Chakra... even the First Hokage probably couldn't match it..."
Just then, a figure slowly walked up from behind them.
"OI, the transformation of the pure adult is about to begin. At that time, the Dragon Vein will erupt and send shockwaves out in all directions."
Hyuga Yo's voice was calm and composed, as if he were talking about something trivial.
"If you don't want to die, retreat now."
Uzumaki Naruto turned his head and looked at Hyuga Yo, who was wearing a holeless mask and cosplaying as a certain Obito Uchiha. He frowned slightly and asked, "Retreat? What about Uchiha Jun?"
"He?"
Hyuga Yo's lips curled into a strange smile as he pointed to the Yamata no Orochi Dragon Vein.
"He doesn't have time for you right now. Next, the Dragon Vein will enter a state of riot, and all the surrounding areas will be razed to the ground."
"If you don't want to get involved, you'd better get out of here."
Namikaze Minato's pupils contracted slightly.
" Dragon Vein eruption?!"
He abruptly turned his head, looking at Uchiha Jun, then at the torrent of Chakra that was visibly becoming increasingly violent—
That was a power capable of destroying the heavens and the earth!
"Withdraw!"
Namikaze Minato made a decisive move, shouting to the people behind him, "Everyone retreat! Immediately! Right now!"
Uzumaki Naruto was taken aback. "Huh? Retreat? But what about Uchiha Jun— "
"He won't die!"
"He orchestrated this operation; given his personality, he must have been prepared!"
Namikaze Minato's voice carried an undeniable severity. "But if we don't retreat, we'll all die here!"
"Walk!"
Uzumaki Naruto opened his mouth, as if to say something, but Sakura Haruno grabbed him. " Naruto, listen to Captain Minato!"
"... hateful!"
Uzumaki Naruto gritted his teeth, then turned around and ran off into the distance with Namikaze Minato.
Behind them, Hyuga Yo stood motionless.
He pulled out something that looked like a camera and started filming Uchiha Jun, who was frantically devouring the Dragon Vein.
From the very beginning Uchiha Jun instructed him to record the entire process of Uchiha Jun refining the Dragon Vein, and even if there were subsequent interference, he should still record the initial stage of video footage.
"So exciting! So exciting..."
A near-fanatical light shone in Hyuga Yo's eyes.
"To witness such a breathtaking scene, even if I were to die, it would be worth the ticket price!!"
Uzumaki Naruto ran a few steps, then turned around and saw Hyuga Yo still standing there. He was taken aback. "Aren't you going to run?!"
"Run?"
Hyuga Yo turned his head, a crazed smile flashing in his eyes, "Run my ass!"
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I want to witness with my own eyes how Master Chun will transform!"
"You--"
Uzumaki Naruto wanted to say something, but just then—
A terrifying energy shockwave suddenly erupted from the body of Orochi, the clone of Yamata no Orochi Uchiha Jun!
"Boom--!!!"
This shockwave, as if it were tangible, swept outwards in all directions!
Uzumaki Naruto felt an irresistible force slam into his chest, and he was sent flying through the air as if he had been headbutted by a raging bull!
"Bang--!"
He crashed heavily to the ground, carving a long furrow before finally coming to a stop.
"Cough cough... cough..."
Uzumaki Naruto struggled to his feet, only managing to hold on thanks to the thick skin and toughness afforded by the Uzumaki Clan and his Jinchuriki. If it had been Sakura or Sai, they probably would have broken a rib by now!
Uzumaki Naruto looked down at the Yamata no Orochi with eyes full of horror.
"Hey! This power... it's outrageous!"
Behind him, Namikaze Minato and the others were also thrown about by the shockwave.
"Everyone retreat!"
Namikaze Minato gave the order again, his voice filled with an unprecedented solemnity. "Don't turn back! Don't stop! Retreat at full speed!"
This time, no one hesitated.
Everyone used every ounce of their strength to run wildly into the distance.
Behind them, Hyuga Yo remained standing, his camera pointed directly at the Yamata no Orochi below, faithfully recording everything.
His body had developed countless cracks from the impact of the shockwave.
"Pfft--"
A gust of wind swept past, and Hyuga Yo's thigh flew off.
"Oh dear, am I going to die again? I need to protect the adult's equipment."
Upon seeing his broken leg, Hyuga Yo's first concern was for the medical equipment, thinking he would die soon.
But the next moment, the severed leg quickly regenerated around the break. Seeing this, Hyuga Yo was stunned and suddenly realized that he probably now possessed the legendary immortality!
"Hahaha! Great! Great!!"
A maniacal smile instantly spread across Hyuga Yo's face.
"Come on... again..."
"Let me see just how much power you can unleash!"
"Let me see just how you can transform into!"
"Master Chun! Let me see where your limits are!!!"
at the same time.
Uchiha Jun's consciousness was engaged in a fierce battle with the Chakra of the Dragon Vein.
That was an experience more painful than death.
The Chakra of the Dragon Vein surged wildly within his body, like countless sharp knives cutting indiscriminately.
Every meridian, every bone, every muscle was torn apart, crushed, and reshaped under that violent force.
Uchiha Jun gritted his teeth, gathering all his willpower to fight against that force.
His body, under the impact of that force, had begun to show signs of collapse.
The dark golden scales cracked open one by one, and blood seeped out from the cracks. In no time, a pool of blood formed where the Yamata no Orochi was located!
If it weren't for Yamata no Orochi's terrifying regenerative abilities, Uchiha Jun would probably be dead by now!
"Open--!!"
Uchiha Jun roared, pushing the Chakra within his body to its limit!
The eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi roared to the sky at the same time!
"Roar--!!!"
The sound, like thunder, echoed throughout the entire underground labyrinth!
At this moment, the Chakra of the Dragon Vein seemed to be stimulated by something, and suddenly became even more violent!
The raging torrent of Chakra, like a flood bursting its banks, surged wildly into the body of Yamata no Orochi!
Uchiha Jun's body began to tremble violently under the impact of that power.
His consciousness began to blur.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness—
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[bite!]
[Congratulations, host, on completing the main quest - Dragon Vein!]
[Task Rating: S]
[Rewards being distributed...]
[15,000 Gold Coin, 18 Shinobi World Recruitment Ticket, 30 Random Ninja Shards, Title [ Dragon Vein Devourer ] (Effect: Increases Natural Energy absorption efficiency by 30%)]
[bite!]
[New quest unlocked: Dragon Vein Jinchuriki / Great Fulfillment Sage ]
[Please select the evolutionary path you wish to accept.]
Yeah, that's getting exciting!
At this moment, Uchiha Jun's consciousness suddenly returned to normal.
Opening his eyes, Uchiha Jun looked at the semi-transparent panel that appeared on his retina, his gaze slowly sweeping over the two options.
[ Dragon Vein Jinchuriki: The Dragon Vein is sealed within the body, and its power is borrowed when needed after the Dragon Vein is broken; low difficulty and high safety, but the increase in power is limited.]
[ Great Fulfillment Sage: Completely refine and integrate the Dragon Vein Senjutsu Chakra into oneself, achieving Sage Transformation; extremely difficult and highly dangerous, but once successful, it will result in a qualitative leap.]
Uchiha Jun stared at the two options and remained silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Becoming a Jinchūriki of the Dragon Vein Jinchuriki is certainly a good idea. It can increase one's Chakra reserves, directly making one High Kage Level fighter. Then, by developing more of the Golden Finger abilities, one can steadily and surely achieve the Six Paths or even higher in the future! And the risks are not great..."
"But!"
"That's a useless mindset!"
Uchiha Jun reached out his hand and, without hesitation, clicked on the second option.
[ Great Fulfillment Sage ]
[Confirmed.]
[Evolution Path: Great Fulfillment Sage -- Unlocked.]
[WARNING: This evolutionary path is extremely difficult and highly dangerous. Host, please be prepared.]
[WARNING: This evolutionary path is extremely difficult and highly dangerous. Host, please be prepared.]
[WARNING: This evolutionary path is extremely difficult and highly dangerous. Host, please be prepared.]
Uchiha Jun watched the three flashing red warning lights, the smile on his lips deepened.
"Bring it on..."
He closed his eyes, letting all his consciousness sink into his body.
"Let me see just how far this mere inanimate object can push me!"
The next second--
His body suddenly burst forth with a dazzling white light!
The light, like the sun falling to earth, illuminated the entire underground labyrinth in a ghastly white!
The eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi roared to the sky at the same time!
The sound was like a dragon's roar, a tiger's howl, or the roar of an ancient behemoth!
At this moment, the Chakra of the Dragon Vein seemed to be drawn by some force, surging into the body of the Yamata no Orochi at an even more violent speed!
Under the impact of that power, Uchiha Jun's body began to undergo drastic changes—
The dark golden scales began to peel away, revealing brand new skin underneath.
The skin had a luster like white jade, emitting a faint fluorescence.
The eight snake heads began to merge and shrink, eventually forming a huge, cocoon-like white ball of flesh.
The fleshy ball hovered in mid-air, emitting a soft white light.
It's like a heart, beating slowly.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
With each beat, an invisible force emanates from its center and spreads outwards!
That power, like a gentle breeze, swept across the entire underground labyrinth, across the Rōran Ruins, and across the desert stretching for dozens of miles.
But everyone who felt that power experienced a tremor from the depths of their soul at that moment!
It's a kind of awe that only arises when facing a higher level of life!
Meanwhile, outside the Rōran Ruins.
Namikaze Minato and the others also escaped to a sand dune several kilometers away from the ruins.
They turned around and looked at the ground in the distance that was shaking violently. On everyone's face was a look of relief at surviving a disaster.
"Is it... over?"
Uzumaki Naruto looked at the ground that was gradually calming down, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"It should... be over, right?" Sakura Haruno asked, still shaken.
The commotion that Uchiha Jun had just made was quite a shock for her, an 'ordinary person'.