The World Within

Mei Terumi suddenly noticed something!

Ōnoki was clearly a Kage-level powerhouse. How could he be guarded by ordinary White Zetsu? With his strength, killing those White Zetsu should have been effortless.

She turned around nervously.

Crack!

Her neck was suddenly seized by Ōnoki.

"I never expected that guy to be so strong. If I hadn't disguised myself as that old bastard, I might not have escaped!" Ōnoki spat viciously!

He was obviously talking about Ye Liang!

Mei Terumi was horrified!

She watched as the skin on Ōnoki's face slowly began to peel away, like some revolting skin disease, falling off piece by piece.

She could even see the flesh and blood underneath.

Finally.

A White Zetsu face was revealed!

"Tsk, tsk. What a shame to ruin such a pretty face. I can only send you on your way first."

"Gasp! You're not the Tsuchikage. Who are you..." Mei Terumi rolled her eyes back, unable to speak clearly.

Just then.

The pitch-black cave suddenly erupted with a tremendous bang!

Sage Art—Night Guy!

Boom!

With that thunderous, awe-inspiring sound, everyone's eardrums nearly burst!

At the same time, the entire mountain where the White Zetsu had been nesting was blown apart!

A colossal White Zetsu wearing a faceless mask was violently sent flying backward. Judging by its size, it was at least dozens of stories tall!

Though immensely heavy, it still could not stop itself from being hurled away!

Its face was hideous as it desperately clawed at the ground, yet it still slid several kilometers before coming to a stop. The Lost Forest, which had originally been used for the Chunin Exams, was completely wiped out by the giant White Zetsu's impact!

Everyone was terrified!

At that moment, the enormous White Zetsu shakily twitched a leg bone, seemingly recovering somewhat. It pursed its lips and tried to stand, but it appeared to be in great pain.

"Gurgle! Gurgle!"

No one knew what it was saying. Its eyes began rolling upward as well.

In the end, a strange little figure wrapped in red mist suddenly crawled out from the back of its head.

Thud!

The giant White Zetsu instantly lost all signs of life!

Ōnoki was dumbfounded.

What the hell was going on?

He jolted in fright and unconsciously loosened his grip. Mei Terumi seized the chance to escape using the Substitution Technique. Seeing her flee, the two clashed with Earth Release once more and were both forced back dozens of meters.

At that moment, the shadow that had been inside the cave suddenly emerged from the earth behind Ōnoki.

"Ōnoki! Run! That guy is even more terrifying than the Master!" The instant the black figure appeared, he urgently urged Ōnoki to flee.

"Run? Black Zetsu, what nonsense are you talking about? Didn't the Master already give you the secret weapon? Why are you still holding back at a time like this? What the hell is wrong with your brain?"

"I fucking used it! Are you blind?!"

Black Zetsu cursed at Ōnoki and instantly disappeared into the earth.

"Used it?" Ōnoki froze. He suddenly recalled the giant White Zetsu that had emerged from the mountain. If that had been the Master's secret weapon, then what was that little figure in the red mist?

He hurriedly looked over.

A little red figure, almost completely transformed into mist, instantly flew toward them.

The skin on its face was somewhat blurry, but its features could still be vaguely made out.

It was Ye Liang!

It was actually Ye Liang!

Ōnoki broke down in tears and immediately tried to flee, but Ye Liang had already drifted lightly in front of him.

"Where did this White Zetsu come from?" He pointed at Ōnoki. When no one answered, he flicked a red Tailed Beast Bomb from his finger.

The latter.

Died instantly!

Mei Terumi sucked in a breath.

Though this Ōnoki had been fake, his strength truly was at the level of the Tsuchikage! Mei Terumi had been completely unable to defeat him.

Yet Ye Liang had casually killed such a terrifying being in an instant!

With a flick of his finger, he had dealt with a Tsuchikage.

Mei Terumi swallowed.

At that moment, Ye Liang slowly returned to normal.

After using the Tailed Beast Bomb to kill Ōnoki, he had exhausted the last of his strength as well.

Ye Liang's vision went dark, and he collapsed heavily into Mei Terumi's arms.

A long time later.

"Ye Liang!"

"Ye Liang, wake up!"

A gentle voice sounded beside Ye Liang's ear.

He struggled to open his eyes, but everything around him was pitch-black.

Darkness!

There was nothing but darkness, and a vast starry sky!

"Where is this? How did I get here?" Ye Liang frowned and began to think. "That's right! I used Night Guy earlier!"

Ye Liang suddenly remembered what had happened in the cave.

Just as Ye Liang had been about to leave the cave, a strange mask had suddenly fallen at his feet.

Then, the White Zetsu corpse fragments that should have been dead seemed drawn toward the mask. They all surged toward it, eventually forming a White Zetsu as large as a building!

Left with no choice, Ye Liang had used Night Guy.

So I passed out because of Night Guy's side effects? Ye Liang suddenly realized.

As the ultimate technique of the Eight Gates Formation, Night Guy had originally required one's life to use. Although Ye Liang had learned it directly through the system, there was no guarantee it would not carry the same side effects!

"Damn it! I don't want to die!"

Ye Liang was on the verge of tears. If that giant White Zetsu had not been so terrifying, he would not have used that final killing move.

At that moment, a cold voice sounded beside Ye Liang's ear.

"Do you crave power?"

Holy shit! It was the Nine-Tails!

The moment Ye Liang turned around, the enormous face of the Nine-Tails frightened him.

The Nine-Tails was crouching behind him, but it was also completely imprisoned within a massive iron cage.

So I entered a near-death state?

Ye Liang vaguely formed a guess.

In the original story, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki entered their mental world whenever they were near death. As long as they obtained the Nine-Tails' Chakra, they could spring back to life.

"Fine, give me some." Ye Liang happily held out a begging hand toward the Nine-Tails, but the latter ignored him.

"I can help you, but first, you need to tell me what that golden sun above your head is."

"Golden sun? What sun?"

Ye Liang froze.

Then he looked above his head. Sure enough, there was a round metallic sphere shining with golden light.

Did I get a fucking brain stone?

Ye Liang was completely dumbfounded.

How could he possibly know what that thing was? After all, this was his first time entering his own mental world.

"If I said I don't know, would you believe me?"

"Then there is nothing I can do either." After hearing his words, the Nine-Tails could only wave a paw.

"Damn it!"

Ye Liang cursed angrily.

Naruto had obtained the Nine-Tails' power so easily, but why was it so difficult for him? Could it be because I'm not the protagonist?

Ye Liang frowned.