It's been three months.
Tsubasa sat there like a guardian deity protecting the world, preventing all Oni Clan from entering the Shinobi World.
The ground beneath his buttocks had long since lost its warmth, and all life within a hundred miles around had been completely eroded away by the ever-expanding black abyss— the Hell Rift.
Initially, the rift was mostly sealed off by Tsubasa, becoming an inconspicuous little opening, like a scar accidentally torn in the sky. The Konoha ninjas even tried to approach to investigate, but all who got close died.
The spatial rift, relentlessly battered by the Ghost Emperor, twisted and trembled wildly, like boiling water. The power was simply beyond the capacity of a mortal body to withstand. Let alone being tens of meters away from the rift, even those self-proclaimed powerful Jonin and Elite Jonin, standing a hundred miles away, felt as if their internal organs were about to be shattered, and their bones were screaming a death knell.
"Damn it, what the hell is this thing?!"
"Retreat! Retreat! Captain, my Chakra is out of control!"
"Aaaaaah—my legs! I can't move my legs!"
Screams rose and fell in waves, then quickly faded into deathly silence.
In less than half a day, within a radius of several hundred miles in the Land of Iron, any living being whose strength had not reached the legendary " High Immortal " level either fled for their lives without a trace, or was directly shattered into pools of blurred flesh and blood by the terrifying spatial tremors, leaving no trace of their complete corpse.
The Konoha Ninja? They've long since vanished without Kageko. Are you kidding me? They're all dead, what's the point of protecting the village? The Land of Iron has become a veritable no-go zone.
Only the Third Hokage, Tsubasa, remained, guarding the exit with his powerful physical body.
He sat there quietly, legs crossed, eyes slightly closed. His clothes had long been torn to shreds by the spatial tremors, revealing his lean and strong body. Three months ago, he was a boy who looked no more than ten years old, with a hint of immaturity in his eyes.
But now he has returned to his adult form...
boom!!!
A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were torn apart.
From the depths of the Hell rift came a sickening grinding sound and a roar. Black mist churned and surged like boiling water. The space at the edge of the rift became even more unstable, with tiny fragments of space flying everywhere like sharp blades, easily cutting hard rocks into dust.
Tsubasa slowly opened his eyes.
Those were no longer the clear eyes of a young boy, but were filled with composure, indifference, and a hint of... excitement?
His body is undergoing astonishing changes.
The body that was once that of a child has now grown into that of a twenty-year-old. His muscles have become more defined and powerful, and his height is increasing steadily every day. The childishness on his face has completely faded, replaced by a handsome, angular face. His skin is as white as jade, and he looks like an Sage descended to earth.
His aura was also recovering and rising at an alarming rate.
For the past three months, while he was guarding this place and killing the Oni Clan, he was also using the pure and violent energy emanating from the Hell Rift. This energy not only did not harm him, but he absorbed it like a sponge, refining his body and Golden Core.
Although it was the energy of death and the aura of destruction, it was the best tonic for Tsubasa.
His Spiritual Power, his mental strength, his physical strength... are all recovering at a visible speed, and have surpassed his previous peak!
Feeling the renewed surge of power within him, the long-lost sense of control brought a cold smile to Tsubasa's lips.
"Finally... I've fully recovered." He murmured softly, his voice no longer childish, but deep and magnetic.
Just then, the commotion deep within the Hell rift began again, and it became even more violent!
Frenzied bombardment
roar--!!!
Ten deafening roars, like ten thunderclaps, exploded from the depths of the crack. The endless resentment, hatred, and destructive will contained in those sounds were enough to instantly break anyone with a weak will, turning them into a madman.
"Damn seal!!!"
"Smash it!!!"
"With the combined might of the ten Ghost Emperor, we refuse to believe we can't break through this piece of junk!!!"
The voice was filled with rage and resentment.
Immediately afterwards, ten beams of energy, each a different color and possessing immense power, bombarded the barely visible transparent barrier in the rift space from its depths—a seal set up by Tsubasa to prevent a large-scale invasion of the human world by Hell creatures.
boom!!!!!!
The first was a dark green poisonous flame, which tainted the space with a decaying aura wherever it passed.
boom!!!!!!
The second bolt was a jet-black lightning bolt, carrying the power to destroy everything, tearing through the sky.
boom!!!!!!
The third liquid was a thick, blood-red liquid with a nauseating, bloody odor that seemed capable of corroding the soul.
Ten attacks, each representing the full power of a Hell King's domain! They were like ten rampaging dragons, relentlessly crashing against the fragile sealing barrier.
The entire rift in Hell was trembling violently!
Large chunks of space continued to collapse from the edges of the crack, merging into the endless darkness. The width of the crack was also expanding at a terrifying rate.
Over the past three months, the distance has increased from a few meters at the beginning, to tens of meters, and then to hundreds of meters...
Now, it has expanded to an astonishing height and width of tens of thousands of meters! The pitch-black crack is like a giant maw ready to devour people, bottomless, exuding a suffocating, chilling, and destructive aura.
Under the relentless bombardment of the ten Ghost Emperor, the sealing barrier was covered with Spiderweb -like cracks, shimmering with a faint light, as if it would collapse completely at any moment.
"Hahaha! It's about to shatter!"
"Keep pushing! Once we break this seal, we'll be able to get through!"
"That tiny human outside will be the first ninja we kill!"
From the depths of the rift came the excited and cruel roars of the Ghost Emperor.
Tsubasa slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and took out a set of armor from his spatial ring to put it on. His gaze, like that of the sharpest eagle, was fixed on the center of the crack.
He could sense the size of the crack...
"Enough for all you big guys to crawl out and die one by one." Tsubasa's smile deepened, and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
He has recovered to his peak strength and has even become stronger by comprehending the power of destruction.
Now, all he needs to do is wait.
Wait for the first Hell King to come to your door, then deliver the fatal blow.
Click--!!!
A crisp cracking sound came from the spatial rift.
That sealing barrier finally succumbed to the pressure and collapsed completely!
"Hahaha! It worked!!!"
"Charge! Wipe out those damned ninjas from the human world!!!"
A more frenzied cheer erupted from the depths of the crack.
Immediately afterwards, an aura more terrifying than ever before began to slowly rise from the crack. It was a mixture of death, decay, brutality, and the overwhelming pressure of a supreme ruler.
The space itself seemed to freeze upon the appearance of this aura.
Tsubasa's eyes instantly sharpened, his muscles tensed, and the power within him surged through his meridians like a volcano about to erupt.
It's here!
The first Hell King is about to emerge!
From the darkness at the center of the crack, a gigantic hand covered in dark red scales and bone spurs slowly emerged. The hand was the size of a house, and each finger was like a sharp spear.
He gripped the edge of the crack tightly with his palm and exerted a sudden force!
boom!
Another loud bang, and the crack widened further.
A gigantic head slowly emerged from the darkness.
It was an extremely ferocious head. It had a blue face and fangs, and its eyes were like burning will-o'-the-wisps, flashing with a scarlet light. Three huge, curved horns grew from its head, and its skin was an unhealthy grayish-purple color, covered with crisscrossing scars.
Thick, black liquid dripped continuously from his mouth, corroding the rocks below and making a sizzling sound.
"Hahaha! Humble mortals, I, the Blood Prison Oni Emperor, have arrived..."
Before the Blood Prison Oni Emperor could finish speaking, the arrogance and cruelty on his face froze.
Because he saw it.
Not far in front of him, that tiny human was standing there, watching him silently.
That gaze was terrifyingly calm, as if he were looking at an... ant?
"Huh?" The Blood Prison Oni Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then flew into a rage. "Where did this little insect come from, daring to block my path?! Die!!!"
He had just poked half his body out, not yet fully free from the rift's confinement, when he instinctively raised his enormous claw and slammed it towards Tsubasa.
The wind howled, and even before the claws arrived, the terrifying power had already slightly distorted the space around Tsubasa.
However, at that moment, Tsubasa moved.
quick!
It's almost at its limit!
The moment the Blood Prison Oni Emperor's claws fell, Tsubasa's figure had already vanished from the spot.
Only a faint afterimage remained.
"What?!" The Blood Prison Oni Emperor's pupils shrank, and a strong sense of unease rose in his heart.
His fighting instincts were screaming at him! He wanted to retreat into the rift of Hell.
But it was too late.
Pfft--!!!
A soft sound, like a sharp blade slicing through paper.
The Blood Prison Oni Emperor felt his consciousness being swallowed up by boundless darkness in an instant, and the power of destruction spread throughout his body.
He didn't even see how Tsubasa made his move.
All he saw was a dazzling silver-white light streaking across the sky like a shooting star, striking precisely the vertical eye in the center of his head.
That was the weakest point in his entire body, where his soul resided!
A burst of silvery-white light erupted instantly, containing extreme sharpness and pure destructive energy. It easily pierced through his hard scales and skull, completely shattering and extinguishing his soul!
"Uh... ah..."
The Blood Prison Oni Emperor let out a short, incomprehensible wail. Its massive body stiffened abruptly, then, as if it had lost all its strength, slowly fell backward.
boom!!!
His massive body crashed heavily back into the rift of Hell, sending up countless plumes of black mist and pebbles.
Soul and spirit annihilated!
There's not even a sliver of a chance for reincarnation!
Tsubasa stood quietly in place, holding a short blade that shimmered with a faint silver light in his hand. A drop of black blood slowly slid down the blade, dripping onto the ground and instantly corroding a small hole in the ground.
He took a slight breath, his eyes still cold.
"The first one," he said casually, as if he had merely crushed an ant.
At that moment, the depths of the Hell rift fell into a deathly silence.
The other nine Ghost Emperor, who were just shouting wildly, are now all speechless.
The Blood Prison Oni Emperor's divine soul aura completely vanished.
It has completely disappeared!
Not even a trace of divine soul energy remained!
How is that possible? The King of Hell is immortal!
Although the Blood Prison Oni Emperor wasn't the strongest among the ten Ghost Emperor, he was still a genuine ruler of Hell! He had possessed world-destroying power for hundreds of thousands of years! How could he be instantly killed the moment he showed his face?!
Who exactly is that human standing outside the crack?!
" Blood Prison? Blood Prison!!!" A shocked and furious voice rang out.
"Damn it! What happened?!"
"Outside... what terrifying creatures are out there?!"
From the depths of the rift came the voices of the other Ghost Emperor, filled with surprise, doubt, and even a hint of fear.
They could sense that the aura emanating from that tiny human outside the crack, though not immense, was as unfathomable as an abyss, carrying a destructive killing intent that made their very souls tremble.
The power that erupted just now... was incredible!
They were so powerful that even these emperors, separated by a spatial barrier, felt a threat of death!
For a moment, all the Ghost Emperor fell silent.
No one dared to step forward rashly anymore.
The first Blood Prison Oni Emperor to emerge has already proven with his life that the seemingly insignificant human outside is a complete and utter god of slaughter!
The ten Ghost Emperor, having finally broken the seal with great difficulty, were preparing to enjoy the thrill of conquering the human world. But now, an unknown and powerful obstacle suddenly appeared, instantly killing one of their companions.
It was like a bucket of ice water being poured over their heads.
go out?
Are we going to our deaths?
No!
They are the supreme Ghost Emperor, the rulers of Hell! How could they back down because of a mere human?!
But... Blood Prison's death is right before our eyes.
The sheer terror of their souls being annihilated caused their greed and cruelty to be suppressed by fear for the first time.
For a moment, an eerie stalemate formed both inside and outside the Hell Rift.
Outside, Tsubasa stood quietly, the Chakra Mother Metal short blade in his hand already sheathed. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the huge crack that was constantly churning black mist, as if waiting for something.
He is not in a hurry.
He has plenty of time.
I've already waited three months, so I don't mind waiting a little longer.
Deep within the rift, the nine Ghost Emperor were engaged in a fierce internal struggle and exchange of ideas.
"What do we do? That human kid is too strong!"
"Damn it! That idiot Blood Prison! Why didn't he scout ahead first before rushing out?!"
"What's the point of saying all this now? The key question is, what should we do now? Are we just going to stay stuck here?"
"Hmph! Just a human, no matter how strong, could he possibly withstand the combined might of nine emperors?!"
"Join forces? How can we join forces? We can't possibly squeeze out together, can we? The rift may be bigger, but at most only one emperor can pass through at a time! If one of us gets out, that kid will ambush us! Blood Prison is a prime example!"
"So... we're just going to stand by and watch? Or should we increase the size of the spatial rift?"
"It's obvious that the human on the other side deliberately had us sabotage this; he won't allow this space to expand any further."
"Then what should we do? Why don't you, Oni Flame Emperor, go out and try? After all, you have an immortal molten lava body."
"None of us are immortal; those humans outside are clearly attacking our souls."
The sounds of arguing, cursing, and hesitation filled the air.
However, not a single Ghost Emperor had the courage to be the first to break through the rift.
Time passed, second by second.
Outside the crack, Tsubasa remained standing still, like a sculpture. His eyes were deep, as if they could see through the endless darkness.
He knew that those guys inside were probably too scared to come out now.
The deterrent effect of the first one is undoubtedly enormous.
But he also knew that this was only temporary.
The Ghost Emperor of Hell are all ruthless and ambitious. They will not abandon their plans to invade the human world just because of the death of a comrade.
They're just hesitating about who should be the first to take the lead.
Once they devise a plan, or are blinded by greed and anger, Shinichi of attacks will soon follow.
Perhaps they will try to wear themselves down with bizarre attacks?
Perhaps they will continue to destroy and expand the spatial rift, attempting to Space Break it together?
Or perhaps... they'll resort to some kind of underhanded tricks?
Tsubasa doesn't know.
He doesn't need to know.
He just needs to do his job well.
Stay here.
kill!
One comes, one kills!
Two come, two kill!
His gaze returned to the massive rift in Hell, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
"What? Too scared to come out?" He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but amplified by Spiritual Power, it clearly penetrated the depths of the rift, carrying a hint of mockery. "Or perhaps, the rulers of Hell are nothing but cowardly trash?"
provocative!
A blatant provocation!
Deep within the rift, the nine Ghost Emperor, upon hearing these words, were instantly enraged.
"Asshole!!!"
"I'm going to tear him to pieces!!!"
"Don't be impulsive! He's trying to provoke us into going out!"
Angry roars rang out again, but still no one dared to be the first to rush out.
Tsubasa's lips curled up slightly.
That's exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted to torment these Ghost Emperor with fear and rage.
He wanted them to know that emerging from the cracks of Hell was not a path to paradise on earth, but a path to utter destruction and death!
He waited quietly.
Waiting for the next, or the next batch, prey willing to die.
The enormous Hell rift continued to emanate a terrifying aura, like a colossal beast slowly opening its blood-red maw in the darkness, ready to devour its prey.
The stalemate continues.