The arena was bustling with people, and the noise could be heard throughout most of Konoha. In each square, there were large live screens so that those without tickets could also watch the battle.

The village was in a state of carnival-like excitement.

But there were also people who didn't blend into this atmosphere.

A man wearing a white haori, with a long black ponytail and Roman characters under his eyes, stared coldly at the crowd gathered in the square and at the ninjas fighting fiercely on the screen.

It felt like… like he was watching a thief who had stolen his belongings.

Bang!

A sudden strong wind rose out of nowhere.

The man's eyes widened, his body stiffened for a moment, then he vanished instantly, unnoticed by anyone.

Kaguya, who had been in a daze, suddenly sharpened her gaze. Her robe fluttered as she slipped into the space crack that silently appeared behind him.

Outside Konoha, in a forest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The man who had just disappeared from the village was crashing through the forest like a cannonball.

Trees snapped, rocks flew, and a deep gully several kilometers long was carved into the ground, before the destruction finally stopped, stirring up a massive cloud of dust.

"Cough! Cough!"

"It hurts so much…"

As the wind swept the dust away, Shimura walked slowly over, looking at the man coughing blood with his head lowered. His eyes carried a hint of mockery.

"Jigen… no, I should call you Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. You are quite strong."

"I thought I could break your shell and reveal your true form."

A flash of horror appeared in the man's eyes. Before he could respond, a crack in space appeared, and Kaguya's jade-like hand reached out from it, shining with cold light.

Like lightning, it grasped toward Jigen's head.

But just before her hand touched him, Jigen vanished mysteriously.

Yami frowned, his body also disappearing.

Explosions erupted in the air, gusts of wind spread out, uprooting countless ancient trees. A few seconds later, the two figures reappeared at the same time.

Jigen crashed into the ruins, clutching his bleeding left arm, staring in disbelief at Yami who remained unscathed.

"How is this possible! How could you know my pupil technique?"

"How can you, a group of ninja ants, master the god-tier techniques of my clan!"

No wonder Isshiki could break through defenses so easily. Sukunahikona was his most prized ability, a talent that only a very few Ōtsutsuki could awaken.

The last one with black eyes had been Ōtsutsuki Shibai, an Ōtsutsuki who had surpassed the limits of this world.

Yami was very satisfied with Jigen's reaction. He had been waiting for this day ever since Izumi awakened the Mangekyō.

"It's just a pupil technique. Nothing is impossible as long as you have the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, I didn't expect you to be so bold. I was just wondering how to find you, and yet you came to me yourself."

At this moment, Yami truly felt like the son of fate, able to achieve whatever he set his mind to.

A few days ago, he had been discussing with Kaguya how to find Isshiki more effectively. While in the Wedge Seal state, Isshiki could conceal himself very well. Kaguya had looked for him before, wanting to eliminate him while he was weakened.

After the Ninja World War ended, Yami had also searched during his travels across the ninja world, but found no trace.

He had thought he would have to wait until the Kara organization appeared before he could track Isshiki.

Yet, Isshiki came to Konoha openly, even exposing his aura.

He was instantly detected by Yami's sharp senses.

Ōtsutsuki's expression darkened, feeling his luck had run out.

His chakra had leaked only because of a moment of emotional fluctuation. Even such a slight change was caught. Could it be Yami already knew he would come to Konoha?

"Yami, stop wasting words with him."

Veins bulged around Kaguya's eyes, and rabbit-hair needles shot from her hair, piercing through the void with murderous intent toward Isshiki.

Boom!

A huge red and black cube blocked their attack. The needles struck it with crisp sounds, but not even a scratch was left behind.

"Kaguya, even if you stole my God Tree fruit, you are still useless."

Isshiki sneered as black markings spread over his body. Several black rods appeared behind him.

"First you were betrayed by the offspring of Hagoromo, then you lost to Yami. Do you think you can fight me with his help?"

"Dream on."

"Even without a perfect host to unleash my full power, I can still turn an empty shell like you into dust."

Kaguya's face paled, though she was already fair to begin with.

Isshiki's words had clearly shaken her. As his wedge released, Isshiki's chakra surged, carrying a bloodline-suppressing force.

If it were in the past, Kaguya would likely have already used Yomotsu Hirasaka to escape.

But now, she was no longer alone.

Kaguya suddenly turned back, tears welling in her large pale eyes.

"Yami, help me."

(To be continued.)

***

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