"With such heaven-defying abilities, it's only natural that you survived. This has nothing to do with heaven or anything like that!" Senba said seriously. He didn't understand why the father before him seemed to lean toward theology. It felt rather strange.
"Perhaps it really has nothing to do with heaven. Maybe my time simply wasn't up yet," Isamu replied with a nod. Seeing how sensible his son was and that he didn't blindly believe in anything, he felt very satisfied.
"Um… can I ask you something?" Senba asked hesitantly.
"Feel free to ask whatever you want. As long as I know the answer, I'll tell you the truth," Isamu said curiously. He was genuinely interested in what his son wanted to ask. After all, this was the first time Senba had asked him something directly, and no matter what it was, he intended to answer properly.
"Alright. I want to know what happened to the other Father. Is he…?" Senba finally asked the question he wanted answered most.
So that was it.
Isamu had wondered what Senba wanted to ask. It seemed the consciousness body held a very important place in his son's heart.
Without saying a word, Isamu raised the black Truth-Seeking Orb behind him and transformed it into a staff that landed in his hand. He lightly tapped the ground, causing a screen of light to appear, displaying the consciousness body's final moments.
Senba fixed his eyes on the image of the father who had lived with him for so many years. He didn't want to miss a single detail.
Soon, the entire scene finished playing.
"Father…"
Tears streamed down Senba's face, filled with reluctance and gratitude. He had never expected that, even at the very end, that father would still be thinking about him.
Especially those final words:
"My love for Senba has never disappeared!"
Those words struck him deeply.
After putting away the black staff, Isamu patted Senba on the shoulder.
"He had already developed an independent consciousness. He could have separated from me completely and become his own individual. Yet for your sake, he chose to disappear. That was a truly noble choice. Senba, remember him. Remember everything about him, and never forget."
"Yes. I will always remember everything he sacrificed for me." Senba wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, his gaze becoming firmer than ever.
Looking at Senba's deep bond with the consciousness body, Isamu found himself at a loss for words.
The consciousness body was him.
Yet at the same time, it wasn't him.
The contradiction was difficult to describe.
"Senba, actually…"
Just as Isamu was about to say something, his expression changed slightly.
"Hmm?"
"Father, what's wrong?" Senba asked in confusion.
The white-haired man suddenly stopped speaking and stared intently toward the forest behind them.
Senba turned around but saw nothing. Even his sensory perception detected no abnormalities.
"Oh, it's those people…"
As Isamu began to answer, he suddenly realized something.
This was the first time Senba had called him Father.
He froze for a moment.
Having inherited the memories of the consciousness body, he was already accustomed to hearing that title. Yet when it came from Senba himself, he hadn't immediately reacted.
At the same time, he felt deeply gratified.
It seemed that, deep down, Senba still acknowledged him as his father.
"It's Tsuchikage Ōnoki. He's leading a large force of Iwagakure Ninja this way. They're approximately one hundred kilometers away," Isamu said calmly, as though discussing something completely insignificant.
"One hundred kilometers?"
Senba was astonished by such a powerful sensory range.
Then his expression became serious.
"There are a lot of Iwagakure Ninja this time. We should retreat immediately."
Having calmed down, Senba made what he believed was the correct judgment.
In response, Isamu first nodded, then shook his head.
"If it were you or other Ninja facing tens of thousands of enemies, retreating would indeed be the best option. But you're with me now, so there's no need to concern yourself with these Iwagakure Ninja."
"I don't even put them in my eyes."
Looking at his father speaking so confidently, Senba still found it difficult to believe him. After all, he had never personally witnessed his true strength.
"Father, I know you're powerful, but you've only just awakened. Your strength probably hasn't fully recovered yet. How about we let this go for now?"
Although Senba's strength had risen to the Super Kage level, he wasn't arrogant enough to challenge tens of thousands of Ninja head-on.
At this moment, he understood better than ever that rationality must be maintained at all times.
"My strength has indeed only recovered to about half of my peak," Isamu admitted.
"But dealing with tens of thousands of Ninja is still an easy task."
He paused before suddenly asking:
"Senba, what do you think is the true power of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Hmm…"
Senba thought for a long time.
"I think it's our eyes."
Having just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, that was naturally the first answer that came to mind.
"That's right."
A proud smile appeared on Isamu's face.
"What is truly powerful about the Uchiha is our eyes. As long as one awakens that supreme Dōjutsu, they can obtain unparalleled power."
The eyes were not only the source of the Uchiha Clan's strength.
They were also the source of his own power.
Senba assumed his father was referring to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I admit that power is incredible, but it's still not enough to face tens of thousands of Ninja. And you only have half your strength right now. I still think retreating would be wiser."
"Hehe."
Isamu chuckled softly.
"Senba, you have no idea how much power these eyes of mine possess."
"The combination of the Sage Body and the Sage's Eyes creates a level of power beyond your imagination."
"Today, I'll show you exactly how strong I am."
Seeing the confidence in his father's eyes, Senba could only sigh.
"Alright."
After all, with his current strength, even if things went wrong, he should still be able to help his father retreat safely.
The two fell silent and waited.
Isamu wanted to demonstrate his strength.
Meanwhile, Senba remained filled with worry.
Half an hour later, the Iwagakure army finally arrived.
Like an overwhelming tide, countless Ninja surrounded the two of them from all directions.
In an instant, there appeared to be no escape route left.
Looking at the endless sea of Iwagakure Ninja, Senba couldn't help swallowing nervously.
This was the first time he had ever witnessed an army of over ten thousand Ninja gathered together.
Feeling intimidated was only natural.
"Run, Uchiha Tensei!"
Ōnoki stepped out from the crowd with a smug expression.
"Let's see where you can run this time!"
"Hehe."
Isamu shrugged casually.
"Ōnoki, you've become more and more arrogant over the years."
"If I truly wanted to leave, do you really think you could stop me?"
"And besides…"
"You are the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure. Is it really appropriate for you to personally come to the front lines like this?"
His tone remained completely relaxed, as though the vast army surrounding him didn't exist at all.
Chapter 218
"The reason I came here personally is because of you. I heard that your strength has declined significantly, so I rushed here without stopping. This time, I will make sure you die among these ten thousand shinobi!" Ōnoki said through gritted teeth.
If there was one clan he hated most in this world, it was undoubtedly the Uchiha Clan. And if there was one person he hated most, aside from the deceased Uchiha Madara, it was the Uchiha Tensei standing before him.
With his most hated clan and most hated person combined into one, invading the Land of Fire was nowhere near as important as killing Uchiha Tensei.
"Hahaha!" Uchiha Tensei burst out laughing. "Ōnoki, aren't you being a little too optimistic? You've spent over half a year fighting my shadow clone, and in the end, that clone wiped out thousands of your men. Is that really something to be proud of? Should I give you an award?"
"A shadow clone? Impossible! You're bluffing. That's right—you must be bluffing!" Ōnoki refused to believe that sacrificing thousands of shinobi had only succeeded in destroying one of Uchiha Tensei's shadow clones.
"Ōnoki, why do you always insist on walking straight into a trap? I really can't tell whether you're trying to recover your Will of Stone or simply looking for death."
In an instant, Uchiha Tensei used a teleportation technique and appeared only a meter away from Ōnoki.
"Yes. For all these years, I have lived under the shadow of Uchiha power. That fear has prevented me from fully reclaiming my Will of Stone. That's why I mobilized ten thousand shinobi. As long as I kill you today, my Will of Stone will finally be complete. Uchiha Tensei, prepare yourself!"
Ōnoki met his gaze without backing down.
However, although his expression was firm and his aura imposing, the slight trembling of his hands betrayed his true feelings.
His fear had not escaped Uchiha Tensei's notice.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he teleported back to Isamu's side.
Pointing at Ōnoki, he said:
"This is Iwagakure's Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Don't be fooled by how imposing he looks right now. Deep inside, he still carries a fear of the Uchiha that has lasted for years—a fear of the Sharingan. Sometimes, even Kage aren't as strong as people think."
Isamu nodded silently.
He had no intention of speaking carelessly. After all, the man before him was a Kage. More importantly, they were surrounded by Iwagakure shinobi on all sides. Drawing attention to himself would only make escaping later more troublesome.
Unfortunately, Ōnoki had already noticed him.
"Heh, I've heard that a Wood Release user has appeared on the border of the Land of Fire. That must be you."
Ōnoki looked at Isamu.
"Following someone like Uchiha Tensei will only get you killed sooner or later. Why not join Iwagakure instead? I'll put the past aside and make full use of your talents. What do you say?"
Although Ōnoki knew recruiting a Wood Release user was unlikely, he wanted to disgust Uchiha Tensei in front of everyone.
If the recruitment somehow succeeded, even better.
If not, he lost nothing.
"Hahaha…"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Tensei laughed even harder.
Patting Isamu on the shoulder, he said mockingly:
"Did you hear that? The Tsuchikage thinks highly of you. Why not defect to the Land of Earth? Judging from his attitude, you'll probably be treated better there than in Konoha. Hahaha!"
Ōnoki frowned.
He had expected anger, not amusement.
Could it be that this Wood Release genius wasn't valued in Konoha?
If that were true, it would be excellent news.
While he was still entertaining that fantasy, Isamu crushed it completely.
"My name is Uchiha Isamu. Judging from my surname, you should know that I'm one of the Uchiha you hate so much. More importantly, he's my father. Do you really think I'd betray my own father and join you?"
Upon hearing those words, Ōnoki's expression darkened immediately.
Uchiha Tensei's son?
He had tried to disgust Uchiha Tensei, only to disgust himself instead.
Watching Ōnoki's expression sour as though he had swallowed something rotten, Uchiha Tensei laughed even louder.
"Hahaha! Ōnoki, are you a clown sent by monkeys? Trying to poach my son right in front of me? That's truly impressive. In terms of stupidity, you might actually be number one in the entire shinobi world."
"Hmph!"
Embarrassed and furious, Ōnoki immediately gave the order.
"Being father and son makes things even better. Today, I'll wipe out your bloodline. Everyone, prepare yourselves! On my command, attack and kill them!"
The moment the order was given, Isamu drew a kunai.
His Sharingan spun into existence as his heart rate accelerated.
"Wait, Ōnoki."
Just as the battle was about to begin, Uchiha Tensei suddenly raised a hand.
"What? Are you afraid?"
Ōnoki immediately became smug.
"If you're afraid, throw down your weapons and surrender. If you do, I might even leave your corpses intact."
To him, Uchiha Tensei's behavior confirmed that his strength had truly declined.
In the past, he would have activated his ultimate power after only a few words.
Now he had spent all this time talking and was even asking for a pause.
Clearly, he was weak.
While Ōnoki was secretly congratulating himself, Uchiha Tensei's next words hit him like a hammer.
"You can keep those intact corpses for yourselves."
Uchiha Tensei spoke calmly.
"I'm actually in a good mood today. If you retreat now, I'll spare you and won't begin a massacre."
"But if you insist on becoming my enemy…"
"Then be prepared to bear the consequences."
A crimson light flashed in his eyes.
A five-pointed pinwheel pattern emerged.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan activated instantly.
Earlier, after meeting Isamu, Uchiha Tensei had deactivated his Rinnegan and returned to his normal eyes. After all, maintaining that state consumed a considerable amount of chakra and ocular power.
The moment those demonic eyes appeared, memories flooded back into Ōnoki's mind.
The overwhelming pressure of Uchiha Madara.
The terror of Uchiha Tensei.
The invincible Susanoo.
The unmatched power.
Those memories had haunted him for years.
"Tsuchikage-sama, don't be fooled!"
A shinobi beside him suddenly stepped forward.
"There are only two of them. They're bluffing. Don't forget—we have ten thousand shinobi!"
Although the shinobi said not to be deceived, Ōnoki understood the true meaning behind those words.
Don't be afraid.
Looking around at the countless Iwagakure shinobi surrounding them, Ōnoki finally felt a little more reassured.
----------------_-_-_------------------
Read 50 advanced chapter on
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic