Hiruko's scent was very strong; Obito and Ryūzetsu instinctively covered their noses.
Ryou took out the Gunbai and looked at Hiruko mockingly: "Hiruko, don't think I don't know you've tried many times to trick me out of the Village to make a move on me."
"If I hadn't struck first, I would have been killed by you long ago."
"Alright, enough nonsense. If it were Orochimaru, I'd have to avoid his sharp edge."
"But you, Hiruko, go die as far away as possible!"
"Bastard!"
Hiruko formed hand signs and then transformed into a giant white python, spitting venom toward Ryou's area.
Ryou quickly dodged and then looked at the white python Hiruko had transformed into.
He guessed that Hiruko had used the Chimera Technique to devour Orochimaru's white snake cells, allowing him to transform into a Great White Scale Snake.
"Ryou, I will catch you, tear you to pieces, and then bury you in the toilet."
Ryou formed hand signs; this time, only the "Tiger" sign was needed.
"Fire Release: Demon Lantern Technique!"
The Demon Lantern is a Fire Release Secret Technique of the Kusagakure's "Grass Flower," not found within the Uchiha Clan's Fire Release scrolls.
When this Fire Release technique is performed, dozens of fireballs shaped like lanterns with Hannya-like appearances emerge around.
Moreover, it only requires one sign, making it much more convenient than conventional Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Ryou's Ghost Lanterns filled the underground space, leaving the Great White Scale Python Hiruko had become with nowhere to hide.
All the Ghost Lanterns burned toward him, erupting in intense flames like roasting a snake.
But Hiruko didn't scream; instead, he sneered coldly, "Ryou, I am already a dead man. You cannot kill me again."
Hiruko was now a reanimated body; with nearly infinite Chakra and near-immortality allowing for rapid recovery, it was no different from encountering a ghost.
Obito looked at the regenerating Hiruko with some fear: "What on earth is this? How is it even more sinister than your techniques, Ryou? Is this still a Konoha Ninja?"
Obito felt his worldview was being reconstructed.
Ryūzetsu looked at the regenerating Hiruko in amazement. Kusagakure was good at mimicking the Ninjutsu of other hidden Villages, but such a technique was undoubtedly beyond the understanding of Kusagakure.
This is... a forbidden jutsu!
Ryou was not frightened. Conventional Ninja are at a great disadvantage when facing reanimated Ninja because Sealing Jutsu are Secret Techniques, not common goods that everyone possesses.
But Ryou's Fire Release: Heavenly Prison belongs to a type of Sealing Jutsu.
Even without using Sealing Jutsu, in this narrow environment, a pile of rocks falling and pinning Hiruko down would render him unable to move.
Ryou formed signs—Spore Technique!
Three White Zetsu clones suddenly emerged from his body; the White Zetsu clones are the highest-level clone technique.
If one were to rank clone techniques from the most solid to the most pathetic...
Then the Clone Technique from the Ninja Academy is undoubtedly completely pathetic.
Hashirama's Wood Release clones are difficult for even Madara to distinguish, placing them at the top tier.
The most solid clone is the White Zetsu clones.
White Zetsu clones can absorb a Ninja's Chakra and replicate their Chakra and Ninjutsu; even the Byakugan finds it difficult to see through, and only Golden Form Naruto could distinguish them using malice perception.
White Zetsu clones can also turn into spores and attach to a target without being noticed, continuously absorbing the target's Chakra.
Mayfly Technique, Substitute Technique, Spore, Technique, White Zetsu cells can be said to be Hashirama cells that focus on the auxiliary side.
Ryou's White Zetsu clones stood together, forming signs in unison.
Wood Release: Pitcher Plant Technique!
The three White Zetsu clones merged instantly, turning into a giant pitcher plant.
The pitcher plant extended over a dozen vines, attacking and binding the Great White Scale Snake that Hiruko had become like snakes.
"W-what is this thing?"
Hiruko was bound by the pitcher plant's vines and felt the Chakra throughout his body draining away.
Furthermore, the pitcher plant emitted a rotting, foul stench, which Hiruko found a bit too intense.
If Hiruko had seen Hashirama's Deep Forest Bloom, he would have known that the technique Ryou was performing was a simplified version of Deep Forest Bloom.
Hiruko was hard-crowd-controlled, and in the blink of an eye, his Chakra was drained by the pitcher plant, turning him back into human form; the pitcher plant then pulled him into its calyx to be digested and decomposed.
However, Hiruko was currently a reanimated body, without blood or flesh to digest, so the pitcher plant could only be used as a seal to restrict him.
Ryou was busy running away and had no time to deal with Hiruko.
He took Obito and Ryūzetsu and activated the Mayfly Technique to escape underground.
Inside the belly of the giant snake that had swallowed Tobi.
Black Zetsu suddenly appeared, attaching himself to Tobi.
"Tobi, stop playing around. We need to go after Ryou."
Tobi was a bit disappointed: "I still wanted to try the feeling of being pooped out."
"..."
Black Zetsu didn't know what to say; this kind of White Zetsu would definitely have the surname Mitarashi in ancient times!
With a thought, Tobi directly absorbed the white snake that had swallowed him, turning it into a dried snake, and then chased after Ryou's location.
Madara's entire base was surrounded by pythons from Ryūchi Cave, with an army of White Zetsu clones guarding the perimeter; Ryou had no way to escape at all.
The main chamber of Madara's underground base.
Orochimaru, riding Manda, rushed inside and saw the Gedo Mazo he had seen before, as well as the gaunt, one-eyed old man in front of the statue.
A look of joy appeared on Orochimaru's face; it indeed matched his guess—Madara was already a withered body, hanging on by a thread.
"Junior Orochimaru greets Lord Uchiha Madara!"
Madara slowly opened his Sharingan.
White Zetsu merged into Madara's body; Madara's white hair gradually gained luster, and in an instant, he straightened his back, his skin slowly regaining color.
Madara took on the appearance of a 60-year-old, and a majestic aura erupted from his body.
"Junior, how dare you deceive me!"
Orochimaru suddenly stopped smiling!
"...Damn, have we entered a snake pit? Why are there snakes everywhere!"
Ryou spat out a Great Fireball, burning a swarm of venomous snakes rushing forward.
Obito and Ryūzetsu were set down by Ryou, and the two were performing Ninjutsu to eliminate the overwhelming number of venomous snakes.
Obito was still brooding over the Hiruko matter: "Ryou, what exactly is going on with Hiruko? Why can't he be killed?"
Ryou ignored Obito: "Why do you care so much? Right now, you should be praying that Minato comes to save you!"
"Minato-sensei..."
Obito was a bit melancholy; after so much time, he didn't even know if Minato would still recognize him.
"You two move aside a bit; I'm going to perform a large-scale Fire Release!"
"Okay!"
Ryou formed hand signs and performed Great Fire Annihilation, spewing surging flames that incinerated all the venomous snakes rushing up.
"Alright, let's keep escaping!"
Suddenly, Ryou felt a sharp pain in his heart, as did Obito and Ryūzetsu.
Ryou could still endure it, but Obito and Ryūzetsu were already clutching their heads and rolling on the ground.
It's a Cursed Seal!
The thing Ryou feared most had happened; no matter how grand the facade Madara constructed was, in his old age, he started playing dirty.
He had placed a Cursed Seal on everyone in this base.
"Ryou, where are you guys planning to go?"
Black and White Zetsu appeared—not Black and White Zetsu, but a combination of Black Zetsu and Tobi.
White Zetsu couldn't act out Tobi's lively personality.
"Lord Ryou, please go and help Lord Madara! Lord Madara's body is at its limit and won't last much longer."
Ryou activated the White Zetsu cells in his body to suppress the Cursed Seal on his heart.
"Fine, fine, fine. Madara really is an old rogue who refuses to die. He speaks so eloquently, yet he even placed a Cursed Seal on a child like Ryūzetsu. How can I trust him like this?"
Black Zetsu said, "Ryou, you're so cunning yourself; Lord Madara never trusted you either."
"Let's make a deal. You help Lord Madara restore his strength, and I'll help you undo the Cursed Seal."
Ryou looked at Obito and Ryūzetsu, who were howling in pain while clutching their heads, his expression dark.
Obito slammed his head against the nearby wall, seemingly wanting to kill himself: "...Ryou, don't listen to him. We must never let Uchiha Madara regain his youth, or everything will be over."
"As a Konoha Ninja, one must have the resolve to sacrifice oneself for the Village!"
"Enough—!"
Ryou grabbed Obito's head and said fiercely, "Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Why are people like you so unafraid of death? Once you're dead, there's nothing left."
Obito said weakly but without bowing his head, "Because... I am the man who will become Hokage!"
Ryou's pupils constricted.
The Hokage... When he was young, Ryou looked at the radiant Third Hokage and had the same aspirations as Obito.
I can take his place!
Thirty years have passed, and Ryou is no longer the hot-blooded youth he once was; the bullet fired in childhood has killed his current self with his own hands.
Passion is never recklessness, ignorance is never a sin; the young should forge ahead and break all destinies.
Ryou roared, "I'm not running anymore! I'll never run again!"