Mentioning that Konoha would be affected was to help Tsunade understand the danger. If Ethan had directly said the entire Naruto world would be reduced to nothingness, it would have been difficult for her to comprehend.
After hearing Ethan's words, Tsunade felt deeply frustrated. She had trained for decades, believing she stood at the top, only to discover she had merely climbed out of a small pit. Ethan had shown her a much broader world.
This should have been a cause for joy. Although not as obsessed as Orochimaru, any ninja who reached her level would have at least some thoughts of pursuing higher realms.
But the truth was, this new world was vast and terrifying. Tsunade now stood cautiously at the edge of her small pit, peeking out carefully. Otherwise, she might not even see the scenery before being utterly destroyed.
"Then is there anything we can do to help?"
"Well..."
Ethan rubbed his chin. He didn't know what Tsunade and the others could do. Or rather, even if they wanted to help, their strength was negligible. The aftermath of his battle with Abraham could completely obliterate their souls, leaving no chance of resurrection. Under such circumstances, what could they possibly help with?
Seeing his expression, Tsunade and Jiraiya gave wry smiles, indicating they understood.
"It's not that you can't help..." Ethan turned his head to look out the window. "I've lived here for many years and done a lot of things. I just hope... after I'm gone, you won't waste the good situation I've left behind."
Just now, Ethan had a strong feeling that time was running out and he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
He had originally intended to wrap things up—finish dealing with Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Madara, and Black Zetsu—before leaving.
Now, it seemed impossible. That sense of danger was becoming clearer. It was no longer just a premonition. The threat was genuinely drawing near.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were both stunned to hear this. "It's that urgent?"
"I was planning to settle everything before I left, but it looks like there's no time."
He looked up at the sky. A few white clouds floated in the clear blue. It was a beautiful sight, but his gaze pierced through that loveliness, looking toward something far beyond.
"You plan to leave in the next few days?"
"I'm afraid I have to leave immediately."
"..."
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances. The situation was worse than expected, but what could they do?
Recalling what Ethan had said earlier, Tsunade patted her chest and made a promise.
"Don't worry, I won't let everything you've done for Konoha go to waste."
Ethan had already contributed a great deal. Konoha was now strong and full of talented individuals.
Minato, Itachi, and Kakashi, along with Tsunade and Jiraiya, meant they wouldn't be at a disadvantage even in direct conflict with the Akatsuki. Especially since the Akatsuki had lost their base, with only a few core members left to deal with.
Adding the rapidly growing Naruto and Sasuke, and assuming Ethan's words were true, the two could become top-tier powerhouses of the ninja world, perhaps even surpassing their predecessors.
With such a strong position, there was no reason for Obito and his group to succeed. If they still managed to win, it would only prove that they were truly incompetent and not worth saving.
Ethan looked at Tsunade and Jiraiya again. "I won't say goodbye to Sasuke and Naruto... If all goes well, we'll meet again. If not, then goodbyes are meaningless."
"I'll tell Sasuke you've left on a special mission and may not return for several years."
"That works."
Ethan didn't mind. Especially since Itachi, who was hiding nearby, had overheard the conversation.
But Itachi was tight-lipped and wouldn't reveal things he shouldn't, not even to his own brother.
"Then I'm off."
Ethan gave a final wave and quietly activated a technique. He no longer needed to leave protective charms or manually bind soul coordinates. As long as he remembered someone, he could locate their soul. If they died unexpectedly, their soul imprint would automatically report to Ethan's divine realm.
As for whether he would resurrect them later or let them enjoy an afterlife, that could be arranged in due time.
This was the last thing he could do. As he waved, a faint light emerged from his body. His entire form slowly turned into points of light and drifted out through the open window toward the sky.
As he rose higher, his speed increased. In the blink of an eye, he had left the Naruto world.
"I didn't get to slap Uchiha Madara in the face. What a pity."
Still, he had shown off plenty in the Naruto world. One or two missed opportunities didn't matter.
After leaving the Naruto world, Ethan returned to the void. At this moment, he was a cluster of energy particles, indistinguishable from the surrounding void energy. This form served as a disguise. Without deliberate scrutiny, it was difficult to detect his true identity.
But the disguise wouldn't last forever. Abraham, as a Main God, surely knew many strange and obscure techniques. Even Ethan himself had several bizarre tricks. He didn't believe that someone like Abraham, who had lived for countless years and stood at the top of the Main Gods, would know less.
Thinking of this, maybe it was better to leave this world entirely. Whether he fought now or sought revenge later, he needed to ensure a retreat path.
Transforming into an energy state felt odd but made him extremely fast. Ethan quickly reached the 'edge' of the world, then suddenly stopped to carefully observe the barrier sealing it.
"So that's how it is..."
No wonder he had thought he could break through and leave once his strength was restored. It turned out the original purpose of this barrier wasn't to trap him, but to anchor his location.
"That old fox..."
If he hadn't stayed in the Naruto world for over a decade, integrated some rule power, and strengthened himself again, he really wouldn't have noticed the hidden trap.
If he had recklessly broken through and left, thinking it was safe, he would have returned to his world and started recovering unguarded. At that point, the old man could have come knocking. Even if Ethan fled to another world, his home base would be compromised.
With Abraham's ability, he could use the Venus's teleportation device to easily locate those few key worlds. At that point, not only would Ethan be in danger, but all the people connected to him would be threatened.
Just imagining the consequences sent a chill down his spine. Ethan also realized that this problem couldn't be taken home with him. It had to be resolved here.
"So what now? Do I just fight that old ghost to the death?"
That would be foolish. His strength had grown considerably, but he still couldn't guarantee a win against Abraham.
Going by his usual approach, if a head-on fight wasn't favorable, he would hide in another world, quietly increase his strength, and wait until the right moment to strike.
Unfortunately, Abraham understood this too. He didn't want to drag things out. He wanted to eliminate the threat before Ethan could fully recover... or before he became stronger than him.
"To find you, I even used techniques I rarely touch..."
The energy particles slowly converged and reformed into a human figure. With a twist, Ethan returned to his usual form—not the teenage version from the Naruto world, but his preferred look of a twenty-four-year-old.
Due to the integration of rule power, Ethan looked even more refined and handsome than before his self-destruction. His appearance had evolved, though it was still recognizably Ethan. It was already apparent back in the Naruto world, and if he had continued growing, he would have eventually reached this form.
Still very beautiful, but not in a way that would be misunderstood.
Abraham didn't care about these surface changes. He focused on something much deeper.
"But now, it seems I found you just in time."
He hadn't expected Ethan to grow so quickly. If he had delayed any longer, Ethan might have become even stronger. That would have been a very bad scenario.
He was thankful he'd located him as soon as his son's injuries were stabilized. Otherwise, who knows how long the search would have taken.
"Looks like you paid a big price to track me down."
Abraham had clearly weakened. Whatever ability he had used to locate Ethan must have come with a steep cost or serious side effect, causing a noticeable decline in his power.
The current Abraham no longer had the same overwhelming sense of suppression.
An opportunity.
Originally, Ethan thought it was bad luck to be found so soon.
Now, he saw it as a chance. Abraham definitely hadn't expected him to have improved so much, making it easy to catch him off guard.
Thinking this, Ethan didn't hesitate. In the next moment, he appeared in front of Abraham. As his right hand opened, a sphere of divine power fused with rule energy condensed in his palm, then transformed into a greatsword.
The greatsword looked extremely heavy. The guard was shaped like bone, with different skulls near the hilt. The ribcage extended down along the blade.
The moment this rule-infused greatsword appeared, Abraham immediately felt an intense sense of danger.
(To be continued.)