Naruto: Uchiha Survivor Forced to Save the Shinobi World

Shinji's casual remark stung Sasuke's ears.

His face flushed, and he shouted, "One day, I will surpass you! My Sharingan will also awaken into the Mangekyou Sharingan!"

"Oh, I look forward to it then," Shinji replied dismissively, turning his gaze towards the pile of black ashes left behind by Rengoku Kyojurou, which was about to disappear in the blowing sands.

What Shinji had said earlier wasn't just a random statement.

During the battle, even though Rengoku Kyojurou seemed to be giving it his all, Shinji did not feel even a trace of killing intent from the swordsman's repeated slashes.

Clearly, there was an internal struggle within Rengoku.

Saving his own world was an undeniable duty for him as the Flame Pillar, but if the cost was the destruction of another world, it would have been torture for someone like him.

Shinji could feel the inner turmoil that Rengoku Kyojurou faced.

He even suspected that Rengoku deliberately walked into his trap. Or at least, he might have realized there was a possibility of a trap but walked into it regardless.

From Rengoku's movements in avoiding Susanoo's attacks, Shinji surmised that Rengoku had likely mastered the Transparent World technique.

In other words, to some extent, Rengoku Kyojurou had a dojutsu-like ability akin to the Byakugan.

So even now, Shinji could not be sure whether Rengoku had already detected his real body hidden beneath the sands.

But it didn't matter anymore.

Shinji felt fortunate that he didn't need to be as conflicted as Rengoku.

He only had to protect his own world. All invaders, whether they were doing so willingly or were forced, had only one outcome—annihilation!

Thus, the ripples that Rengoku Kyojurou created in Shinji's heart quickly faded away, like the swordsman's ashes disappearing with the wind.

He turned his gaze away and ignored Sasuke, flashing his form again and arriving at the location of the anchor.

Staring at the sands beneath his feet, Shinji murmured, "Is it right here?"

His ears were filled with the roar of the sandstorm, mixed intermittently with the muffled sounds of combat in the distance.

Undoubtedly, Tsunade's squad was still locked in a bloody struggle with the dozens of demons ambushing the area.

But none of that concerned Shinji. His entire focus was on the anchor point below.

His gaze intensified, and the golden Susanoo reappeared.

Then, Susanoo spread its arms, and in the most rudimentary fashion, began to dig up the sand beneath.

If any other Mangekyou Uchiha saw him using Susanoo like a digging machine, they might cough up blood in disbelief.

Even a formidable shinobi like Uchiha Itachi treated Susanoo as his ultimate trump card.

But under the excavation of Susanoo, Shinji soon uncovered five stone slabs hidden deep beneath the sand.

"This is…"

He observed the five ordinary-looking stone slabs. For a moment, he was unsure if these slabs were indeed the "anchor point."

The term "anchor point" sounded grand and imposing, but these slabs looked utterly mundane. If he hadn't unearthed them here, he might have thought they were just ordinary stones from a buried structure.

"Whatever the case, I should destroy them first and see what happens."

Time was tight; he couldn't afford to study them thoroughly. So, he made a quick decision and activated Susanoo, punching down on the slabs.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the five slabs instantly shattered into pieces under Susanoo's punch.

[Anchor point severed successfully.]

[Warning: Reevaluating dimensional destruction countdown.]

[Countdown: 4]

The voice of the Lamp sounded in Shinji's ears, and the tension in his heart finally eased.

"So, these slabs were indeed the anchor point." Pausing for a moment, Shinji pondered, "I never would have thought the anchor that could threaten the destruction of the shinobi world would look so plain!"

As he let out a sigh of relief, another doubt surfaced in his mind.

Until now, Shinji had believed that the Demon Slayer world's Lamp-bearer invasion was an act of desperate revenge—an attempt to drag the shinobi world down with them.

But after the fight with Rengoku, he began to doubt that notion.

Given Rengoku Kyojurou's character, if the sole purpose of the invasion was mutual destruction, he would never have wielded his sword in the first place!

Shinji suspected that the Lamp-bearer had another plan—something unknown to him.

"That guy must still have hope for saving himself. Everything he's doing, he's still trying to save himself! But why is he using the anchor to bring the worlds of Demon Slayer and the shinobi world closer? What exactly is his goal!?"

Shinji frowned.

Roars echoed around him—the demons scattered amidst the sandstorm let out a series of shrill howls!

They seemed to have sensed the destruction of the anchor point, and all converged on Shinji from every direction, lunging at him.

Seeing their furious, twisted expressions, Shinji coldly muttered, "Seeking death!"

In an instant, Amaterasu's black flames erupted in a circle around Shinji, forming a ring of fire.

These demons, oblivious to the power of Amaterasu, attempted to cross the flames, relying on their regenerative abilities. But they were all engulfed by the black flames!

Elsewhere, Tsunade's squad also sensed that something was off.

After barely surviving an intense battle, Shikaku found Tsunade and said, "Those monsters seem to be drawn somewhere!"

Tsunade nodded, her gaze fixed in the direction of Shinji.

Then, they saw the all-encompassing black flames and the demons wailing and struggling within them.

"Amaterasu?!" Tsunade was shocked. She immediately shouted to her squad, "Retreat from here, and whatever you do, don't touch the black flames!"

Seeing Tsunade's stern warning, the squad members didn't hesitate for a second, quickly following her lead to withdraw from the sandstorm.

After retreating to a safe distance, they stared at the sandstorm gradually engulfed by the black flames, filled with astonishment and confusion.

The saying "wind helps the fire spread" held true, but usually, intense wind would suppress ordinary flames, preventing them from sustaining.

However, Amaterasu was different.

It wouldn't be extinguished!

So, regardless of the intensity of the wind, the flames only spread faster with its help!