Undercurrents Stir

The Ōtsutsuki overlord fled in panic into the void beyond the heavens, not daring to linger for even a moment. In the blink of an eye, he vanished at the end of a rift in space-time.

Lin Chen did not pursue him. He merely stood quietly in midair, his gaze indifferent as he looked into the depths of the sky.

He could clearly sense that the other side had not been completely wiped out. They had merely been thoroughly intimidated and would not dare set foot in the Ninja World again anytime soon.

But that did not mean the crisis had been permanently resolved.

The Ōtsutsuki Clan spanned countless realms. Their forces were vast, and their foundations unfathomably deep. After suffering such a crushing defeat today, they would surely be secretly brewing an even more terrifying revenge.

For now, however, Lin Chen had no need to take the initiative and charge into the heavens beyond.

His foundation was in the Ninja World. As long as he protected this land, he would remain undefeated.

As the pressure faded, the sky became clear once more. Sunlight spread across the earth, and the apocalyptic scene from before completely vanished.

The six halos around Lin Chen slowly withdrew. The black Yin-Yang Release spheres sank into his body, his eyes returned to normal, and he stepped through the air before slowly descending onto Konoha's ground.

The moment he landed.

Minato Namikaze, Fugaku, the four Kage, and every ninja and villager present dropped to their knees in unison. Their expressions were filled with the utmost reverence, their eyes overflowing with fervor and awe.

"Welcome back, Lord Lin Chen!"

"Lord Lin Chen is invincible!"

"Protect Konoha! Protect the Ninja World!"

The cheers shook the heavens and the earth, continuing without end.

Everyone understood that if Lin Chen had not appeared out of nowhere and faced the entire Ōtsutsuki army alone, the Ninja World would have long since become a land of death.

Lin Chen swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke calmly.

"Rise."

His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly in every person's ears.

Everyone slowly stood, still not daring to raise their heads and look directly at him.

At this moment, Lin Chen was no longer merely a powerful man in their hearts. He was the true guardian deity of the Ninja World, a genuine god of the Six Paths.

Fugaku stepped forward and bowed.

"My lord, the Ōtsutsuki Clan has suffered a complete defeat this time, and the Ninja World's crisis has been temporarily resolved. Should we strengthen our vigilance and monitor spatial fluctuations?"

"Of course."

Lin Chen gave a slight nod, his tone calm.

"From today onward, Konoha's ANBU and the Uchiha Clan will jointly establish the Spatial Monitoring Guard. They will guard the skies in all directions day and night. The moment they detect any disturbance beyond the heavens, they are to report it immediately."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Fugaku bowed as he accepted the order, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Nearby, the four Kage exchanged glances before stepping forward and bowing deeply to Lin Chen.

The Raikage said in a deep voice.

"Lord Lin Chen, we witnessed with our own eyes how you swept through the Ōtsutsuki Clan. We are utterly convinced. From this day forward, the Five Great Villages shall never wage war again and will obey all of your commands."

The Kazekage, Mizukage, and Onoki spoke at the same time.

"We are willing to honor you as the supreme ruler of the Ninja World and serve you loyally for all eternity, never to rebel."

The entire Ninja World had endured countless wars and remained divided for many years.

Today, because of Lin Chen alone, it finally moved toward complete unification.

Lin Chen looked at everyone and said calmly.

"I will not interfere with the internal governance of each village, but war must cease completely.

Anyone who dares to raise arms without permission and bring disaster upon the people, regardless of their village or identity, will be dealt with personally by me."

"We shall heed your decree, my lord!"

The four Kage replied in unison.

Just then.

Lin Chen's brow furrowed slightly.

An extremely faint yet exceptionally ancient and ethereal aura, one that stood above all ninjutsu, quietly flashed from deep underground before vanishing.

That aura did not belong to a ninja.

It did not belong to a tailed beast.

It did not belong to the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Nor did it belong to any living being in the Ninja World.

It was like the origin of the Heavenly Dao, the laws of reincarnation, a trace of aura from the dawn of creation.

It was exceedingly faint and vanished in an instant.

Had Lin Chen not awakened the complete power of the Six Paths, and had his soul not been powerful to the extreme, he would never have noticed it.

"Hmm?"

A chill entered Lin Chen's eyes as his consciousness instantly sank underground, spreading through the earth veins of the entire Ninja World.

Chakra, space, Yin-Yang Release, soul aura...

He spread his senses in every direction.

Yet moments later, that trace of aura vanished completely without a trace, as though it had never appeared.

Seeing the subtle change in Lin Chen's expression, Minato Namikaze hurriedly asked in a low voice.

"Sir, has something happened?"

Lin Chen withdrew his senses and calmly shook his head.

"It's nothing. There was merely a faint disturbance underground. You need not intervene."

He did not say more.

The matter was far too strange. Even he had only caught it for an instant. Speaking of it rashly would only cause unnecessary panic.

But Lin Chen already understood.

The Ninja World's crisis was not limited to the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Aside from enemies beyond the heavens, something even older and more mysterious seemed to be hidden beneath this land.

Kaguya's sealing site, the Six Paths ruins, the origins of the Ninja World, the foundation of the Divine Tree...

All the clues flashed through his mind.

It seems the secrets of the Ninja World run far deeper than I imagined.

Lin Chen thought to himself.

In the plot of his previous life, there had been many gaps and mysteries. In this life, as his strength grew, they were gradually surfacing one by one.

Danzo was dead, Root had been destroyed, the Uchiha were secure, the Nine-Tails had submitted, the Ōtsutsuki had been repelled, and the Ninja World had been unified.

On the surface, the Ninja World had already welcomed true peace.

But beneath the surface, an even more terrifying undercurrent was quietly beginning to surge.

Seeing Lin Chen fall silent, Fugaku spoke again.

"My lord, now that the Ninja World is at peace and every village has pledged allegiance, everyone in Konoha hopes to erect a statue of you in Konoha's center, so that your achievements may be remembered and honored for eternity."

"No need."

Lin Chen refused directly.

"I have no need for worship, nor do I need empty fame.

Konoha's stability and peace in the Ninja World are more important than any formality."

His sole purpose was to rewrite regrets and protect those he cared about. He did not care in the slightest for divine status, prestige, or worship.

Upon hearing this, everyone's reverence deepened further.

He did not covet power, seek fame, or cling to authority.

His strength was invincible, and his state of mind divine.

This was the true kind of being worth following for eternity.

Lin Chen no longer paid attention to the crowd and turned toward the Uchiha compound.

He needed time to quietly sort through his power.

After devouring Urashiki, killing Momoshiki and Kinshiki, and defeating the Ōtsutsuki army, the power of the Six Paths within him was still continuously ascending, merging, and perfecting itself.

Moreover, that mysterious aura from underground deeply concerned him.

Not an Ōtsutsuki, not a tailed beast, not a ninja...

Then what exactly is it?

The Divine Tree? Kaguya's true body? Or... the true origin of the Ninja World?

Lin Chen's steps remained steady as he silently deduced the possibilities.

He could sense that the peaceful days would not last much longer.

The Ōtsutsuki's revenge, the mysterious entity underground, and the truth hidden in history...

Sooner or later, they would erupt together.

And before that happened, he had to push his own strength to a higher level.

Just as Lin Chen was about to return to the courtyard.

A figure rushed over, dropped to one knee, and wore a grave expression.

"Lord Lin Chen, the Fourth Hokage requests that you proceed to the Hokage's office immediately. There is an extremely urgent matter to report."

Lin Chen paused.

"What is it?"

"News has arrived from the border. Strange chakra has appeared simultaneously in uninhabited areas across several countries. The ground is splitting, space is twisting, and several investigation teams have all gone missing. Their fates are unknown."

A cold glint flashed through Lin Chen's eyes.

It had come.

The peace had lasted less than half a day.

That mysterious aura underground had finally begun to emerge.

He spoke calmly, his tone without a ripple, yet carrying supreme authority.

"Lead the way."