Chapter 82: Chapter 75: The Completion of the Soul Palace and the Unfortunate Voldemort!
Chapter 75: The Completion of the Soul Palace and the Unfortunate Voldemort!
Because of Chu Yang, the two major factions in the Demon Slayer world fell into a strange balance in a short period of time. A large number of demons began to disappear, and the frequency of the Demon Slayer Corps' actions also significantly decreased.
But this brief peace was merely an illusion; both sides could feel the looming tension like a storm brewing on the horizon.
...
Naruto World.
Under Senju Tobirama's mediation, Chu Yang and Uchiha Madara, who had differences due to safety concerns, finally reached an agreement. The number of Anbu members participating in the operation was reduced according to Uchiha Madara's wishes, but the prerequisite was ensuring Chu Yang's safety.
The final decision was to have Uchiha Yangdou lead the team, accompanied by three members proficient in Earth Release, responsible for ensuring Chu Yang's safety.
The rest of the Anbu members were tasked primarily with gathering information.
In fact, when it came to the plan to capture the tailed beasts, the Hyuga clan would have been more suitable for reconnaissance compared to the Uchiha-dominated Anbu.
However, Senju Tobirama, aiming to maintain a balance with the Uchiha clan, was reluctant to use the Hyuga clan recklessly. If too many casualties were incurred, it could leave the Hyuga clan at a disadvantage in their competition with the Uchiha.
At present, consuming the Uchiha's manpower under legitimate reasons was the most appropriate strategy.
Based on the intelligence gathered by the Anbu over several days, Chu Yang quickly pinpointed the Nine-Tails' location. Coincidentally, at that moment, the Nine-Tails was wandering near the borders of the Land of Fire.
Soon after, Senju Tobirama issued the order to capture the Nine-Tails.
On the way to capture the Nine-Tails, Chu Yang kept pondering why the Nine-Tails appeared at the borders of the Land of Fire.
So far, all the tailed beasts had been moving away from the Land of Fire. Every tailed beast was highly intelligent and could sense the disappearance of their companions.
Logically, the Nine-Tails shouldn't have come so close to the Leaf Village unless there was a special reason forcing it to this location.
Ninjas move quickly, and in just one day and night, they arrived at the target location from the Leaf Village.
Now, it was up to Chu Yang's Observation Haki to conduct a carpet search for the Nine-Tails' whereabouts.
Throughout the process, Uchiha Madara silently observed Chu Yang's actions. After half a day, he noticed that Chu Yang didn't like using complex tracking techniques. Instead, he relied solely on his natural powerful perception to trace the Nine-Tails.
Is there anything wrong with that? No.
In Uchiha Madara's view, this was excellent.
To Madara, skills could be honed over time and experience, but talent was something that couldn't be altered. You are born with what you have, and that's what you'll have for life.
Uchiha Madara had always believed in the importance of talent. He never thought that sheer effort could surpass a genius. Only a genius who works even harder could surpass another genius, especially in the unique profession of a ninja.
"What a pity this kid isn't a member of the Uchiha clan. If he were to marry someone from the Uchiha, how strong would their offspring be?"
This thought suddenly crossed Uchiha Madara's mind, and he couldn't shake it.
"When Izuna returns, I'll discuss this with him. Perhaps we can figure out a way to bring that Senju Yang kid over. A marriage between the Uchiha and Senju clans could further solidify harmony within the village."
A smile slowly crept across Uchiha Madara's lips, and his eyes lit up, believing this was a brilliant idea.
"Lord Madara, the Nine-Tails is just ahead. Lord Yang says you can prepare to act now." Yangdou appeared beside Uchiha Madara and softly reminded him.
The crimson tomoe in Uchiha Madara's eyes began to spin slowly.
His gaze pierced through a mountain and saw the Nine-Tails, sleeping peacefully under the moonlight.
It was currently early morning, and everything around was silent.
Apart from the occasional chirp of insects or birds, any other sound would seem unnaturally loud.
The Nine-Tails' strength was vastly different from the previous tailed beasts they had encountered, even the Eight-Tails. So this time, Uchiha Madara intended to proceed with more caution.
Weaker barriers were as good as paper against the Nine-Tails, offering no restraint whatsoever. Instead of setting one up, it would be more effective for Uchiha Madara to attack directly.
This time, Chu Yang had learned his lesson. Before the battle even started, he left the battlefield, taking three shields to protect himself from harm.
The battle between Uchiha Madara and the Nine-Tails was intense, far more destructive than the previous one with the Eight-Tails. The man and beast fought from the sky to the ground, reaching a level that could hardly be described from a human perspective.
It was a battle of gods...
The squad members, including Yangdou, were left dumbfounded as they watched.
Chu Yang mused that if it weren't for Senju Hashirama's terrifying strength, the entire Senju clan combined probably wouldn't stand a chance against Uchiha Madara.
The reverse was also true.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were powerhouses who transcended generations.
As Chu Yang was lost in thought, he suddenly sensed a wave of malice approaching.
"Alert!"
Chu Yang shouted a warning to his companions and quickly formed hand seals, raising a defense before him.
A Wall of Trees surged from the ground, blocking the enemy's attack just in time.
"Hmph!"
A humanoid black creature appeared in front of Chu Yang, clearly furious that its attack had been thwarted.
Upon seeing such a strange creature, Uchiha Yangdou and the three other Anbu members were shocked, but Chu Yang merely felt puzzled.
This black creature was none other than Black Zetsu, the will of Kaguya Otsutsuki.
It was supposed to be lurking in the shadows, manipulating events from behind the scenes, so why had it suddenly appeared to attack him?
"If it weren't for you, that Uchiha Izuna would've been long dead! The suffering that Uchiha Madara was supposed to endure was ruined by you, you damned nuisance!"
Black Zetsu, furious beyond measure, continued cursing Chu Yang, its hatred palpable.
Chu Yang suddenly realized that his presence had greatly interfered with Black Zetsu's plans.
Uchiha Madara had not gone down the dark path as intended, and instead, the Leaf Village had become more united than ever before.
With Uchiha Izuna, the head of the Anbu, constantly around Senju Hashirama, Black Zetsu had no opportunity to act.
Now, it could only vent its anger on Chu Yang, believing that the deviations in its plan were caused by him, leading to the current situation.
After a brief moment of shock, Yangdou immediately led his team in a counterattack. Regardless of who the opponent was, anyone attacking them was considered an enemy.
The three Anbu members cooperated to cast Earth Release techniques, blocking Black Zetsu's escape routes, while Yangdou activated his Sharingan and charged forward, attempting to control Black Zetsu with a genjutsu.
As their eyes met, both bodies froze.
"Captain Yangdou has already controlled the enemy," one of the Anbu members sighed in relief.
However, Chu Yang frowned, feeling less optimistic.
As a manifestation of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will, would Black Zetsu really be so easily controlled by a genjutsu?
Yangdou dragged Black Zetsu into his genjutsu and prepared to return to reality, but he suddenly realized he couldn't break free from the illusionary space.
Opposite him, Black Zetsu, who should have been under control, began moving, stepping toward him with each stride rippling like waves beneath his feet.
Yangdou panicked. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
"I'm quite familiar with the Sharingan. Using genjutsu against me isn't a wise choice," Black Zetsu said coldly, smiling. "Especially since you only have a three-tomoe Sharingan, not even reaching the Mangekyo level."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
Black Zetsu's mocking words sent a chill down Yangdou's spine.
Clearly, the enemy was well-versed in the Sharingan and knew how to counter it.
In the brief moment Yangdou hesitated, he suddenly felt himself being bound by something. Looking down, he saw that numerous tree roots were spreading from his legs to his body.
The roots moved rapidly, and within moments, they had reached Yangdou's waist. He struggled to break free, but to no avail.
By the time Black Zetsu reached Yangdou, he had been completely engulfed by a massive tree, with only his shoulders and head exposed, unable to move.
Terror filled Yangdou's eyes. As a genjutsu expert, he knew exactly what was coming.
Black Zetsu placed a hand on the tree, its inhuman eyes staring down at Yangdou as it sneered, "No need to rush, there's still plenty of time to be afraid later."
About ten seconds had passed in the real world when Chu Yang noticed something was wrong. If Yangdou had truly taken control of Black Zetsu, there should have been some movement by now.
Chu Yang quickly stepped forward, formed a "release" hand seal, and dispelled Yangdou's genjutsu. What he found was Yangdou's face, pale and full of terror, staring back at him.
"Hehehe, you react quickly. He was supposed to stay in my genjutsu for an entire day," Black Zetsu let out a chilling laugh, gazing at Chu Yang as though from the depths of an abyss.
"Killing Uchiha Izuna isn't as important anymore. After observing for a while, I've realized that both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara hold you in high regard," Black Zetsu continued. "So, if I kill you, it will definitely drive a wedge between Madara and the two Senju brothers."
"At that point, everything will go back on track."
Chu Yang looked at him coldly, "You sure are confident, always talking about killing this and that. Haven't you ever thought that it might be you who gets killed?"
As he spoke, three members of the Anbu silently approached Black Zetsu from behind, forming seals together. They intended to suppress Black Zetsu using a combined jutsu, especially after seeing how cleanly he had broken Yangdou's genjutsu. They dared not let their guard down.
"Earth Release: Descending Canopy!"
Above Black Zetsu's head, a black hole suddenly appeared, and a green canopy carved with strange creatures descended, enveloping him at lightning speed.
"Success!"
The three Anbu exchanged excited glances and shouted with joy.
Chu Yang shook his head. This technique might trap an ordinary Jonin, but it couldn't hold Black Zetsu.
This guy could use a special jutsu called "Mayfly Technique," allowing him to merge with the earth and plants, moving swiftly through the underground networks formed by plant roots and underground rivers. His presence couldn't be detected.
"Don't let your guard down! The enemy hasn't been trapped by this jutsu. Stay focused!" With no time to explain, Chu Yang could only yell to warn his teammates.
The shout made the three Anbu members tremble in unison.
Fortunately, Chu Yang's Observation Haki was still working. Even though Black Zetsu had merged underground, Chu Yang could still clearly sense his movements.
He tossed the mentally shattered Yangdou toward the Anbu, then quickly formed hand seals to use Wood Release.
Since Black Zetsu was moving underground, the tangled roots beneath his feet could control him!
As Chu Yang activated Wood Release, the ground around them began to shake violently, with large chunks of earth rising as though a slumbering dragon beneath the surface was turning over.
His Observation Haki detected that Black Zetsu had stopped moving, but Chu Yang wasn't sure if he had managed to trap him. He had to keep increasing the pressure, tightening the roots around him.
The three Anbu retreated to a safe distance with Yangdou in tow. Since they couldn't pinpoint Black Zetsu's exact location, they were unable to assist.
Suddenly, Chu Yang sensed movement from Black Zetsu. He hadn't been trapped by the roots but was instead rapidly moving along them, heading straight toward Chu Yang's location.
Just as Chu Yang was about to sever his connection with the Wood Release, Black Zetsu emerged from the roots right in front of him. Laughing wildly, Black Zetsu said, "Now, you can experience that kid's pain!"
Before Chu Yang could react, his consciousness plunged into chaos. When he came to, he found himself standing in his Soul Palace.
Black Zetsu stood opposite him.
"So this is the reflection of your consciousness? Not bad. A grand palace hidden in your mind—do you wish to become a king?" Black Zetsu mocked, bursting into laughter. "For someone so young, you certainly have big ambitions. You don't just want to lead the Leaf Village, you want to rule this world, don't you?"
Chu Yang ignored him and instead turned and walked toward his throne, sitting down slowly.
The moment he sat on the throne, Black Zetsu's heart skipped a beat. A strong sense of foreboding washed over him—something he had never felt before.