"Surrender," Yakura said coldly.
Her gaze was sharp as she stared at the kneeling man before her.
"If you are willing to testify against Elder Takeda, you may still have a chance to atone for your crimes and earn the opportunity to live."
However, Koizumi Yosuke showed no intention of accepting her offer.
Instead, his face twisted with rage.
He suddenly roared loudly into the darkness.
"How long are you going to keep hiding?!"
"Aren't you going to make your move?!"
His voice echoed across the desert night.
Those words immediately made Yakura's expression turn grim.
There were accomplices hiding nearby.
However—
Even after several seconds passed, nothing happened.
No one appeared.
The desert wind continued to blow quietly, carrying grains of sand across the ground.
Yakura remained vigilant, her senses stretched to the limit.
But still, there was no sign of an ambush.
After a moment of silence, she turned her head and glanced at Seisui.
Although she said nothing, the meaning in her eyes was obvious.
She was asking whether he had detected anyone nearby.
After all, she knew that Seisui possessed strong sensory abilities.
Earlier that night, he had revealed this ability himself.
Seisui closed his eyes briefly, expanding his perception.
After a few seconds, he shook his head.
"There's no one nearby."
He had already activated his sensory technique to its fullest extent.
If someone nearby harbored hostile intent, he would certainly have noticed.
Yet there was nothing.
After receiving Seisui's answer, Yakura slowly turned her gaze back toward Koizumi Yosuke.
Her expression became strange.
Earlier, Koizumi had been willing to sacrifice Kitada Yusuke in order to save himself.
Now—
He had been abandoned in exactly the same way.
"You worked so hard for Elder Takeda," Yakura said calmly.
"And yet he abandoned you without hesitation."
She shook her head slightly.
"Is it really worth continuing to protect someone like that?"
Yakura wasn't speaking out of sympathy.
A living Koizumi Yosuke would be the perfect witness against Elder Takeda.
She had no intention of allowing such a dangerous person to remain an elder within the village.
But before Koizumi could respond—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several kunai suddenly shot through the air at incredible speed.
They flew straight toward Yakura.
The attack came without warning.
However, Yakura's reaction speed was extremely fast.
Her body flickered instantly.
Using the Body Flicker Technique, she vanished from her original position.
The kunai slammed into the sand where she had been standing moments earlier.
Yakura landed several meters away and shouted sharply,
"Who's there?!"
The desert fell silent again.
Then—
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
It was a Sand Village ninja.
However, his appearance was extremely strange.
Cracks covered his body like broken porcelain.
And his pupils were completely black.
Yakura frowned.
"Who exactly are you?"
She searched her memory carefully.
But she had never seen this person before.
The strange Sand ninja said nothing.
Instead, he calmly began forming hand seals.
Then he slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The sand beneath their feet trembled.
Suddenly—
Several wooden coffins burst out of the desert.
One after another, they rose from the sand like graves being unearthed.
Then the coffin lids slowly slid open.
Figures began stepping out.
One…
Two…
Five…
Ten…
More than twenty ninja appeared in total.
Their clothing and headbands were completely different.
Some belonged to Konoha.
Some to Kumogakure.
Others to Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
They clearly came from various villages.
However, they all shared two identical characteristics.
Their bodies were covered in cracks.
And their eyes had black pupils.
Yakura's expression darkened instantly.
Even if she didn't understand the technique being used—
She could tell one thing for certain.
"These people…"
"They aren't alive."
They had clearly been summoned through some kind of forbidden ninjutsu.
"What kind of technique is this?"
As a rising Jonin of Sunagakure, Yakura had never heard of the forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage.
The Impure World Reincarnation.
Logically speaking, Seisui shouldn't have recognized it either.
That was exactly why Orochimaru wasn't worried about exposing the technique.
He was controlling everything from the shadows.
However—
There was one thing he didn't know.
Seisui was a transmigrator.
The moment he saw the strange Sand ninja and the resurrected corpses—
He immediately recognized the technique.
Impure World Reincarnation.
And if this technique appeared here, there was only one possible mastermind.
Orochimaru.
Although according to Seisui's memories, Orochimaru should not yet have mastered the technique at this time.
But besides him—
No one else in Konoha would possess such knowledge.
The resurrected ninjas immediately launched their attack.
They rushed toward Seisui and Yakura simultaneously.
Even Koizumi Yosuke became their target.
From the very beginning, Orochimaru had never intended to save him.
A man who knew about his cooperation with Elder Takeda could never be allowed to live.
Even Elder Takeda himself would eventually be eliminated.
Orochimaru would never allow a single clue that could expose his identity.
Unfortunately for him—
Seisui had already seen through everything.
If Orochimaru had known this, he might have been furious enough to spit blood.
After all the effort he had made to hide his identity…
Seisui had recognized him instantly.
"Damn it!"
Koizumi Yosuke cursed in disbelief.
The people he had hoped would rescue him were now trying to kill him.
He immediately launched a counterattack.
"Wind Release!"
A powerful gust of slicing wind erupted from his hands.
The Edo Tensei ninja in front of him was instantly torn apart.
But—
The broken body began repairing itself almost immediately.
Fragments of flesh and bone reassembled like pieces of a puzzle.
Within seconds, the ninja stood up again.
Edo Tensei ninjas were immortal.
No matter how severely they were injured, they would regenerate endlessly.
Against such enemies—
Koizumi's attacks were meaningless.
Within moments, he was overwhelmed.
His eyes widened with unwillingness as the resurrected ninja cut him down.
His body collapsed lifelessly onto the sand.
Yakura watched the scene with a grim expression.
"Are they… immortal?"
Even her Scorch Release had failed to destroy them completely.
The bodies simply regenerated again.
Seisui nodded calmly.
"For now… yes."
He deliberately avoided revealing the details of Edo Tensei.
After all, Orochimaru might be observing through the summoned corpses.
"Then what should we do?"
Yakura felt frustration rising.
This kind of enemy was something she had never faced before.
Seisui replied calmly.
"Every ninjutsu has a weakness."
"Although these enemies cannot be killed…"
"They can still be sealed."
The moment he finished speaking—
Seisui formed several hand seals.
A sealing technique activated instantly.
The Edo Tensei ninja whose leg he had previously broken suddenly froze.
Sealing symbols spread across its body.
Within seconds—
It was completely sealed.
Yakura's eyes lit up.
She looked at Seisui with admiration.
He had discovered the enemy's weakness almost instantly.
As expected of him.
Far away in the shadows—
Orochimaru was thinking the exact same thing.
"Seisui-kun…"
"You surprise me again."
The more talented Seisui appeared—
The more Orochimaru wanted his body.
He had already begun developing the concept of the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique.
And people with powerful bloodlines or exceptional talent were ideal vessels.
Seisui was the perfect candidate.
"But this isn't enough…"
"I still haven't gathered enough information."
"Show me more of your strength."
Under Orochimaru's control, the Edo Tensei ninja quickly retreated.
They began attacking from long range.
Various elemental jutsu filled the battlefield.
Although none of these ninja were particularly famous figures—
They came from all five great villages.
Water Release.
Lightning Release.
Earth Release.
Wind Release.
Fire Release.
Every element appeared.
And because Edo Tensei granted them infinite chakra, their techniques were even stronger than when they were alive.
Seisui quickly understood the situation.
"So that's your goal…"
"You want to test my abilities."
Orochimaru clearly didn't expect this group of Edo Tensei ninja to defeat him.
This was simply an intelligence-gathering mission.
Seisui immediately guessed another detail.
Danzo.
Orochimaru must have learned about him through Danzo.
Even imprisoned, that old fox was still stirring trouble.
Seisui narrowed his eyes.
"If I didn't still need him to feed the Zero-Tails…"
"I would have killed him already."
Meanwhile, Yakura's breathing was growing heavier.
"Damn it…"
"Is their chakra really endless?"
She had already fought two enemies earlier.
Her chakra reserves were almost depleted.
Seisui glanced at her.
"You've already done enough."
"Leave the rest to me."
If Orochimaru wanted information—
Then Seisui would give him a small demonstration.
Water Release: Six Water Dragon Bullets!
Seisui formed a hand seal with one hand.
Suddenly—
Six enormous water dragons erupted from the desert.
Yakura stared in shock.
"This is… the desert!"
Water Release techniques normally required large water sources.
Yet Seisui had created six massive dragons out of thin air.
"Is that level of chakra even possible…?"
The water dragons roared across the battlefield.
They smashed through several Edo Tensei ninja.
Bodies shattered.
Then Seisui activated sealing techniques to capture them.
Moments later—
A flash of silver lightning streaked forward.
One of the Edo Tensei ninja from Kumogakure launched a powerful attack.
The lightning technique radiated terrifying power.
At least B-rank level.
Seisui remained calm.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
He formed another one-handed seal.
A small fireball emerged from his mouth.
But as it flew forward—
It rapidly expanded.
Within seconds, it transformed into a massive sea of flames.
The lightning technique was instantly overwhelmed.
The Edo Tensei ninja was engulfed in the inferno.
When the flames dissipated—
Seisui's sealing technique was already waiting.
One by one—
The remaining Edo Tensei ninja were sealed.
During the battle, Seisui demonstrated multiple techniques.
Earth Release.
Wind Release.
Lightning Release.
Even Hatake-style swordsmanship.
Watching from the shadows—
Orochimaru's pupils shrank slightly.
He recognized that sword technique immediately.
"The White Fang…"
"The signature swordsmanship of Sakumo Hatake."
Orochimaru muttered quietly.
"Enormous chakra…"
"Mastery of all five elemental releases…"
"Water and Fire Release performed with single-hand seals…"
"And even Hatake-style swordsmanship."
He smiled faintly.
"Seisui-kun…"
"You are truly extraordinary."
Although every Edo Tensei ninja had been sealed—
Orochimaru was extremely satisfied.
Tonight's test had revealed many secrets.
And it confirmed something important.
Directly attacking Seisui would be extremely dangerous.
"To defeat him…"
"I must perfect the Impure World Reincarnation."
"And summon those two."
His voice became excited.
"The God of Shinobi…"
Hashirama Senju.
"And the Master of Forbidden Techniques…"
Tobirama Senju.
Only those two legends—
Could truly test Seisui's power.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)