Eight-Headed Serpent

The fully formed Eight-Headed Serpent moved. His tail swept across the cavern, snapping stalactites. Sasuke anticipated the attack with his Sharingan and barely dodged, thrusting his Chidori Stream at one of the Sharingan eyes. But the eye closed, bone armor covering it, and the Chidori Stream left only a scorch mark.

"So tough!"

"Fall back, Sasuke!" Lin Ye shouted, forming hand seals. "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

This Fire Release attack was three times larger than the last. The boost from desperate power had sent Lin Ye's chakra reserves soaring. Flames engulfed the Eight-Headed Serpent, but the monster charged out unscathed-he had absorbed the ninjutsu with his Rinnegan.

"The Rinnegan's ability..." Lin Ye gritted his teeth. Neither physical attacks nor ninjutsu seemed to work. He could only attack the core.

"Kamui!"

His left eye bled as space warped, but the Eight-Headed Serpent countered with his Rinnegan, canceling the distortion.

"Amaterasu!"

Black flames ignited, but the Eight-Headed Serpent shed the burning parts and rapidly regenerated.

"It's useless, Ye." Orochimaru laughed from a distance. "The Eight-Headed Serpent possesses every advantage of every kekkei genkai, with none of their weaknesses. Your Sharingan is nothing but a toy before him."

"Is that so?" Lin Ye suddenly smiled. "Orochimaru, you made one mistake."

"Oh?"

"You rely too much on eyes," Lin Ye said. "The Rinnegan and Sharingan are ultimately manifestations of chakra. And chakra carries 'information.'"

He activated the Transparent World and looked at the Eight-Headed Serpent's core. Where the heart should have been sat a fist-sized "core," filled with chaotic chakra information-the Uchiha's hatred, the Senju's life force, the Uzumaki's seals, Ryūchi Cave's greed, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's savagery.

These strands of information clashed and devoured one another. The core was unstable, held together only by overwhelming chakra.

As long as I break that balance, the core will self-destruct, Lin Ye thought.

He looked toward Karin. She was binding Kabuto with her Adamantine Sealing Chains, but Orochimaru severed the chains with the Kusanagi Sword, injuring her.

"Karin, use that jutsu!" Lin Ye shouted.

"Which one?"

"The final jutsu your mother left you!"

Karin froze, then understood. She took her mother's letter from inside her clothes, bit her finger, and drew symbols on it. It was the Uzumaki Clan's Ultimate Sealing Jutsu. It demanded the user's life, but could seal anything.

"With my blood, I invoke the Uzumaki name. With my soul, I forge the Unbreakable Seal-" Karin's voice trembled, but remained resolute. "Sealing Jutsu: Reverse Four Symbols Seal!"

Black symbols spread from her body and surged toward Orochimaru and Kabuto. Orochimaru's expression changed drastically. "Are you insane? That jutsu will kill you!"

"If I can help Lord Ye, it's worth dying!" Karin shouted.

"Karin, don't!" Sasuke tried to stop her, but the Eight-Headed Serpent blocked him.

Pain flashed in Lin Ye's eyes as he watched Karin, but he knew this was their only chance. Once activated, the Reverse Four Symbols Seal could temporarily seal its targets' chakra. It would last only three seconds, but that was enough.

"Sasuke, cover me!"

"Got it!"

Sasuke used the last of his chakra to unleash Chidori Stream, drawing the Eight-Headed Serpent's attention. Lin Ye used Kamui to transport himself to the Eight-Headed Serpent's heart-the basic version of Kamui could transport him for only three seconds, but that was enough.

His hand plunged into the Eight-Headed Serpent's chest and touched the "core."

"See the Uchiha's unfulfilled wishes, the Uzumaki's will, the Senju's ideals, Ryūchi Cave's greed, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's madness-" Lin Ye channeled all the chakra information through his Mangekyo and into the core. "Now shatter!"

The balance within the core broke. The chaotic chakra ran wild, clashing and annihilating itself.

The Eight-Headed Serpent let out an inhuman scream. His body swelled and cracked. His eighteen eyes burst one after another, spraying blood.

"No!" Orochimaru screamed, trying to rush over, but the Reverse Four Symbols Seal restrained him.

BOOM!!!

The core exploded. The shock wave tore through the entire cavern, sending stalactites raining down. Lin Ye used Kamui to become intangible and evade the blast, but its aftershocks still hurled him into a wall. He spat blood.

Dust filled the air. When it cleared, the Eight-Headed Serpent was nothing but mangled flesh scattered across the ground. Orochimaru and Kabuto were trapped by the sealing jutsu, unable to move. Karin lay on the ground, her breathing faint-the Reverse Four Symbols Seal had consumed too much of her life force.

"Karin!" Lin Ye rushed over and gathered her into his arms. Her face was pale as paper, but she was still alive.

"Lord Ye... I did it..."

"Don't talk. I'll heal you." Lin Ye used Healing Chain, but Karin's injuries were too severe. It could only delay her death.

"It's no use... the Reverse Four Symbols Seal... always kills its user..." Karin smiled weakly. "But I don't regret it... I helped Lord Ye... and fulfilled Mom's last wish... I'm happy..."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Lin Ye gritted his teeth and turned to the system. "System, is there any way to save her?"

[Target detected in critical condition]

[Available option: Use "Life Crystal" (cost: Rinnegan Fragments ×50)]

[Life Crystal: Heals all injuries and restores life force, but the target will fall into a deep sleep and cannot awaken until the host has collected 1,000 unfulfilled wishes]

[Use it?]

"Use it!"

[Rinnegan Fragments ×50 consumed. Remaining: 10/1000]

[Creating Life Crystal... Creation complete]

A green crystal appeared in Lin Ye's hand. He pressed it against Karin's chest, and it merged into her body. Her injuries rapidly healed, but her eyes slowly closed as she fell into a deep sleep.

"She needs to sleep for a while, until I collect 1,000 unfulfilled wishes," Lin Ye told Sasuke. "Help me take care of her."

"Okay." Sasuke nodded and took Karin into his arms.

Lin Ye walked toward Orochimaru. Though trapped by the sealing jutsu, Orochimaru was still smiling. "Uchiha Ye, you won, but you also lost. Karin is asleep, Fū has been drained of the Seven-Tails' chakra, and your eyes are almost at their limit, aren't they?"

"So what?"

"Nothing. I'm simply telling you that this game has no winners," Orochimaru said. "Kill me, then. But my will won't die. As long as people pursue immortality and power, Orochimaru will be reborn."

"Then every time you're reborn, I'll kill you again." Lin Ye raised his hand. Amaterasu's flames ignited, engulfing Orochimaru and Kabuto.

The two turned to ash in the black flames.

Lin Ye walked to Fū's glass tank, shattered it, and rescued her. She was still alive, but the Seven-Tails' chakra had been drained away, and she was no longer a jinchūriki. She woke and stared blankly at Lin Ye.

"I'm... still alive?"

"Yes. You're safe now."

"What about Chomei?"

"Chomei is free," Lin Ye said. "Orochimaru drained the Seven-Tails' chakra, but the core is still inside you. Once you recover, Chomei will slowly be reborn. Until then, though, you're no longer a jinchūriki."

Fū fell silent, then began to cry. "Thank you... Ye..."

"No need to thank me. We're comrades."

The cavern began to collapse. Lin Ye carried Fū on his back while Sasuke held Karin, and the four rushed out. Naruto and the others were already waiting outside.

"Big Brother Ye!" Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them.

"Mission complete. Retreat."

They quickly left. Not long after their departure, the cavern collapsed completely, burying everything Orochimaru had left behind.

But no one noticed a small white snake emerging from the shadows of the ruins, burrowing underground, and disappearing.

On the way back to Konoha, Lin Ye looked at the sleeping Karin and clenched his fists.

One thousand unfulfilled wishes... 590 more to go. I'll do it. Karin, wait for me.

The system panel updated:

[Host: Uchiha Ye]

[Age: 9 (one year and three months since the Night of the Massacre)]

[Strength: Kage Level (Mangekyō Sharingan · Evolving)]

[Unfulfilled wishes completed: 410/1344]

[Rinnegan Fragments: 10/1000]

[Current abilities: Kamui (basic), Amaterasu (weakened), Transparent World, Divine Dominion, Time Reversal, Uzumaki Sealing Technique · Intermediate, etc.]

[Special status: Karin is asleep. Collect 1,000 unfulfilled wishes to awaken her]

[Next-stage objective: Continue collecting unfulfilled wishes, increase strength, and counter the threat of the Akatsuki]

The road ahead was still long, but at least he had taken another step forward.

And the storm had never ceased.