As countless trees twisted and coiled around him trying to break the Susano barrier, the special Shadow clone, lurking in Toshiro's shadow, realized he could no longer afford to wait.
There was no time to hesitate.
Emerging from the shadows, he swiftly clapped his hands together, summoning a spherical chakra barrier around Toshiro.
Against Wood Release Ninjutsu, which could drain chakra on contact, even the formidable Susanoo would be rendered ineffective if left immobile. The outcome didn't look promising.
"Frost Sky!"
Executing his bloodline sword, the clone didn't pause. With fluid precision, he drew the Kusanagi Blade from his original body, channeled chakra into his grip, and slashed forward.
A sharp blue-green arc of chakra extended from his hand, fusing seamlessly with the spiraling Rasenten.
At the very edge of this technique, jagged chakra spikes erupted, whirling alongside the spiraling attack. As they spun, they sliced through the surrounding trees, shredding Wood Release's encroaching grip into splinters.
"ROAR!"
A guttural cry shook the battlefield.
While Obito and Toshiro's clones clashed above, the first to crack under the relentless pressure was Shiromari, caught in the crossfire.
The Wood Release continued to devour his flesh and chakra, a slow and agonizing erosion.
Yet, Toshiro's high-speed Rasenten was just as brutal.
With each rapid spin, it felt as though layers of his scales were being flayed away, inch by inch.
If not for its thick hide and the fact that Toshiro's clone was somewhat restrained, it would have already accepted its fate by now.
No… it was already on the verge of collapse.
If it couldn't suppress Obito's Wood Release, it was certain that, within mere breaths, those roots would pierce straight through its skull.
"AARGH!"
Its claw, which had just swiped at thin air, suddenly shot up toward its own head and ripped away a chunk of flesh.
Blood sprayed violently.
With a piercing wail, Shiromari thrashed wildly, shaking its head frantically, desperate to rid itself of the unbearable pain.
"Tch… what a pity."
Obito steadied himself, his stance unwavering.
His Wood Release was still lacking—if he had fully mastered it, a mere summon like Shiromari would have been drained dry within seconds.
But there was no need to dwell on it.
As the power in his eyes surged, a red-tagged special explosive tag, covered in intricate seals crafted by Madara himself, shot out from his gaze.
He had come prepared.
A massive stockpile of explosive tags had been set aside for this very moment. If they all detonated simultaneously, even Susano wouldn't escape unscathed.
**Inside Yagura's Mental Space**
As Toshiro's eye power surged, Yagura and Sanbi slowly regained their awareness.
"That other uchiha… is gone?"
Yagura scanned the mental space, his expression filled with disbelief.
Even Isobu, the Three-Tails, seemed surprised by Obito's sudden disappearance.
"Hmph, it's good that he's gone."
Toshiro, however, frowned slightly. Something felt off—things had gone too smoothly.
He had successfully broken Obito's illusion, freeing Yagura and the Three-Tails, yet nothing unexpected had occurred—except for his acknowledgment of Obito's formidable eye power.
That Mangekyō Sharingan was nearly at the level of the Eternal Mangekyō.
Could it be that Obito had shifted his focus elsewhere?
Was he planning an attack on Toshiro's original body?
The sealed space was now empty, which meant something was happening outside.
Toshiro's thoughts sharpened. He had no time to linger here.
"Um... can you help me remove the seal?"
Seeing Toshiro preparing to leave the sealed space, Yagura panicked. Desperation flickered in his eyes as he quickly stepped forward.
"Wait! Please… help me remove the seal first!"
His voice carried urgency, and without hesitation, he bowed at a full ninety degrees, his sincerity unmistakable.
Finally, after enduring so much, an opportunity had presented itself—he couldn't let it slip away.
If Toshiro left now, whatever conflict existed between him and the other Uchiha would be irrelevant to Yagura.
From what he understood, that masked man possessed space-time ninjutsu. Even if a battle erupted between him and Toshiro, there was a high chance that he would escape unharmed.
And if that happened, wouldn't Yagura just end up trapped under his control once again?
"And me! Help me break the seal too!"
Even Isobu joined in, its deep, rumbling voice echoing through the mental space.
Despite its usual indifference, the seal had grown increasingly painful after being tampered with by the masked man. Every slight movement tugged at the chakra chains wrapped around it, sending searing jolts of pain—as if its very soul were being torn apart.
"Uh… alright!"
After a brief hesitation, Toshiro nodded. He wasn't too concerned—after all, he had left a Yin Release clone outside to monitor the situation.
His eyes glowed with surging power as his Susanoo materialized once more, its massive form looming over the space. Gripping the thick chakra chain with both hands, he pulled it taut.
Then, an additional set of spectral arms emerged from Susanoo's frame, wielding a blade forged entirely from his eye power and chakra.
With a swift, decisive motion, he brought the sword down upon the chain.
Though Toshiro understood the intricacies of fuinjutsu, following rituals or step-by-step procedures to break the seal would be far more complicated and time-consuming.
A brute-force approach was much simpler.
Of course, that only worked if one had the strength to back it up.
Ding!
The blade met the chain with a resounding clash, sending a shockwave rippling through the entire sealed space—a strange, invisible force radiating outward.
Even the lake beneath their feet trembled, sending ripples across its surface.
Crash!
The chakra-forged chains shattered, the severed pieces plunging into the water below, creating a loud splash.
"It's… broken?"
Yagura could only stare in disbelief as Toshiro, with a single effortless slash of Susanoo's blade, severed the chains that had bound both him and Isobu for so long.
He had known Uchiha were powerful, but this... this was something else entirely.
"These Uchiha truly are…"
His voice trailed off, a mix of awe and unease settling in.
The colossal Isobu, standing nearby, cast a long, thoughtful glance at Toshiro's Susanoo, as if recalling something from the distant past. For a fleeting moment, awe flickered in its eyes.
But the moment of wonder did not last.
Before Yagura and Isobu could even process their newfound freedom, the shattered chains, which had sunk into the lake, suddenly began to stir.
Like a predator sensing its prey, the severed links twitched beneath the water's surface, then lurched upward, racing toward Toshiro with alarming speed.
"Watch out!"
Both Yagura, newly unshackled, and Isobu, still recovering from the ordeal, shouted in alarm.
These were no ordinary chains. They didn't just bind spirits—they carried the power to suppress chakra. If Toshiro were caught, the consequences could be dire.
Yet, unlike his startled companions, Toshiro remained unfazed.
His Sharingan gleamed as he observed the erratic movements of the chains. There was intent behind them.
"Someone's controlling this…"
Murmuring under his breath, he guided Susanoo to manifest another spectral blade.
With swift, precise strokes, both swords danced through the air, cleaving the chains into several pieces before they could reach him.
Then, narrowing his eyes, Toshiro scanned the sealed space, his voice low and commanding.
"Who's there?"
After a brief search, Toshiro's gaze settled on the far end of the chain—an island of solid stone in the very heart of the sealed space.
"Uchiha Toshiro… I never expected you to awaken—no, to evolve into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan!"
A hoarse, grating voice echoed through the air. From the cracks in the stone, a dark figure emerged, its presence as unsettling as its words. The shadowy form fixed its gaze on Toshiro's fully manifested Susanoo, each syllable dripping with disdain.
Its voice, already unpleasant, now carried a venomous edge, twisted further by the frustration in its tone.
Toshiro's eyes narrowed.
Black Zetsu.
No doubt, the scheming parasite had come to check on Obito's progress, only to stumble upon an unexpected revelation—Toshiro's fully evolved Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
That alone was enough to change the game entirely.
Realizing that lingering any longer could be disastrous, Black Zetsu didn't hesitate. His form began to sink into the ground, his escape already in motion.
But Toshiro wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"Trying to flee?"
Without a second thought, he conjured a barrage of Yasaka Magatama, the spinning orbs of chakra whistling through the air as they raced toward Zetsu's rapidly vanishing form.
Yet, even as the attack closed in, Toshiro clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Tch. Slippery as ever."
Letting out a sigh at Black Zetsu's uncanny ability to escape, Toshiro didn't waste another second.
With a flicker, his figure vanished from the sealed space—his mind already shifting to whatever awaited him outside.
In his haste, however, he completely overlooked one crucial detail—
The Three-Tails' seal remained untouched.
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