Naruto: Fate System

"Bastard! Bastard!!"

After being injured, Urashiki's furious roars echoed throughout the underground chamber of Rōran.

For a moment, Sasuke, Hanabi, and Gaara were all taken aback. They stared at the injured enemy, Sasuke's Rinne Sharingan already analyzing the wound pattern.

They were unaware that Shin had only obtained the Ryūmyaku's power thanks to their assistance.

"Thank you, your intervention was a great help," Sasuke said sincerely.

Gaara quickly added, "I'm truly grateful as well. And also, I am not a traitor!"

Still stuck on that? Time and place, Kazekage. Though I suppose being accused of betraying your village would sting.

Shin calmly accepted their gratitude and then asked, "Is this the enemy you've been searching for all this time? If we deal with him, does that mean you can finally leave?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

Chunks of ceiling continued to fall around them as Urashiki's rage shook the chamber.

At this point, he couldn't bring himself to say anything about preserving historical accuracy. "Yes. This enemy is a threat to the entire ninja world."

"It's true! Maybe Konoha seems like an enemy to you now, but please believe us—we are fighting this guy to protect the entire ninja world!" Hanabi chimed in as well.

Shin nodded. Historical accuracy means nothing if we're all dead.

His straightforwardness left Hanabi momentarily stunned.

"Huh?"

Was it really that easy to reconcile? The young Hyūga's eyes widened in surprise, her guard dropping slightly before she caught herself.

Truthfully, the main reason was that they were already in terrible shape. If they had been at full strength, Shin wouldn't have been so agreeable.

But of course, he didn't say this out loud.

Instead, he turned and asked, "Can your body still hold up?"

Sasuke looked confused. "Why are you asking this?"

"I already said—use your Rinnegan more in battle. Don't be stingy with your chakra. If you're too drained, just rest. Stop trying to tough it out."

"Your other techniques are useless against this enemy; haven't you realized that yet?"

Blood trickled from Sasuke's left eye, evidence of his earlier overexertion.

Meanwhile, Urashiki, who had been roaring in rage, finally lost it. He plucked out one of his own Rinnegan eyes and prepared to swallow it.

Sasuke's hand moved to his sword, but Shin was faster.

Though he had no idea what this move was supposed to accomplish, it didn't stop him from instantly releasing Ryūmyaku's energy to immobilize himi on the spot.

Then, with a Body Flicker, he snatched the eye from Urashiki's hand.

After all, this wasn't an anime. There was no logical reason to sit back and let the boss power up into a second phase without interference.

That said, the Ōtsutsuki clan truly lived up to their reputation as monsters.

While Pakura was still frozen by the Ryūmyaku's immobilization, Urashiki managed to break free in just a second. The energy chains shattered like glass, sending sparks across the chamber.

Even so, by the time he regained his freedom and tried to shove something into his mouth, his hand came up empty.

"What?!" The confused exclamation echoed off the crumbling walls as he stared at his empty hand.

In the group of Ōtsutsuki, only Momoshiki was truly powerful enough to intimidate Kaguya. Urashiki was just an overpowered child, all power and no skill.

The next moment, Nagato raised his hand again. "Banshō Ten'in!"

Sasuke followed up immediately with a combination technique, his remaining chakra flaring bright and dangerous. "Chibaku Tensei!"

First, Urashiki was pulled in by an irresistible force, his body jerking through the air like a puppet on strings. Then, a mass of rubble and debris surrounded him, forming an enormous stone sphere that completely engulfed him. The ground rose up to join the prison, forming layer after layer of containment.

As the dust settled, Shin turned to Sasuke. "What was he trying to do by plucking out his eye just now?"

To his surprise, Sasuke looked equally puzzled.

"Didn't you stop him yourself? You don't know?" Hanabi asked.

"You're the ones who've been fighting him the longest. I just got here. How would I know his abilities?"

"Then why did you stop him just now?"

"Isn't it standard procedure to interrupt an enemy when they're about to unleash a big move?" Basic combat sense seems rare in peaceful times. Has the world gone soft since the Fourth Great Ninja War?

"You make an excellent point." Hanabi couldn't help feeling ashamed. The simplicity of his logic made her earlier hesitation seem foolish.

Why hadn't she immediately thought of that? The battles she'd trained for suddenly seemed staged compared to this raw efficiency.

Was this the battle instinct of a wartime ninja?

By this point, any misunderstandings she might have had about Shin were beyond repair. She saw him now for what he was—a survivor, someone who did what needed to be done without hesitation.

Seeing no reason to dwell on the matter, Shin looked down at the Rinnegan eye in his hand.

As he pondered its potential uses, a sudden thought from the Ryūmyaku interrupted him.

Like a child learning to speak, it anxiously conveyed: Don't touch anything from the Ōtsutsuki! Their things are bad!

Why would it say that?

Before Shin could think further, he was jolted back to reality.

The Rinnegan in his hand began to throb violently.

Simultaneously, the stone sphere created by tthe Chibaku Tensei began to crack.

"He's still alive." Without hesitation, Sasuke activated his massive Susanoo to shield everyone, especially the fragile Boruto.

The next moment, the stone sphere shattered, and Urashiki emerged once again.

This time, his appearance had completely changed: wings sprouted from his back like twisted branches, a third eye opened on his forehead, and black markings spread across his face like living tattoos.

It was a full second-phase transformation.

However, his transformation was incomplete—he was missing one eye, leaving the third eye on his forehead visibly incomplete.

The Rinnegan in Shin's hand grew hotter and more restless, as if trying to return to its owner. It pulled against his grip with increasing strength.

In most anime, this would be the point where the protagonist tightly clutches the prized item, engaging in a dramatic tug-of-war with the boss. And, inevitably, the protagonist would lose, allowing the boss to regain full power.

But again, this wasn't an anime, and Shin wasn't a foolish protagonist.

Realizing the situation, he immediately infused the Rinnegan with Ryūmyaku's energy and crushed it in his hand. The eye shattered like glass, its power dispersing in a flash of purple light.

Better to destroy it than risk losing it. What a pity...

The heavily wounded Urashiki roared in frustration as the ruins of the underground palace collapsed around him.

"NO! What have you done?!"

The disfigured Urashiki, having completely lost his original form, floated in the sky, wailing like a ghost.

Taking this opportunity, Sasuke summarized the intelligence he had gathered for everyone. 

"The Chibaku Tensei won't work here. There's likely a connection between the Rinnegan and their shared origin that makes it ineffective."

He turned to the others. "We need to avoid ninjutsu. Taijutsu and natural energy would be more effective."

Shin nodded in agreement, internally pleased that the Uchiha had reached the same conclusion. "Do you have any techniques that don't rely on chakra?"

Of course, he knew Sasuke did. He was only asking to avoid revealing his foreknowledge.

"I have a lightning jutsu that uses natural lightning instead of chakra. But we'll need the right atmospheric conditions."

"Good. We can coordinate to set that up," Shin said, helping to elaborate on the tactical approach. "Focus on taijutsu for now!"

"Understood." This Akatsuki member seemed to understand his techniques far too well. Sasuke's Sharingan flickered briefly toward Shin, suspicion warring with the need to focus on the immediate threat.

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Urashiki screamed and dove down, his distorted form leaving afterimages in the air. But Gaara stepped forward.

"Desert Fortress!"

The ancient ruins of Rōran transformed beneath them as massive waves of sand reshaped the battlefield.

Pillars rose and fell, archways formed and collapsed, all moving to restrict Urashiki's aerial advantage.

Sasuke, recognizing Gaara's strategy, began rushing through the shifting sand structures. His Sharingan blazed as he used the chaos to his advantage. He struck from multiple angles, forcing the Ōtsutsuki to constantly adjust his position.

Shin formed hand signs, but not directed at Urashiki.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"

Then Konan unfurled her paper wings and lifted him into the air. "I see your plan. Let me help position you."

The paper butterflies scattered around them, some carrying explosive tags, others serving as platforms for their allies to use in the battle.

Shin swiftly formed new hand signs.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

First, he summoned a massive amount of water vapor, then used fire to heat it, creating conditions for cumulonimbus clouds to form.

It was all preparation.

Seeing this, Sasuke's eyes couldn't help but narrow his eyes again. This Akatsuki member once more displayed an uncanny familiarity with his self-created lightning technique.

But he had no grounds to confront him about it now and could only swallow his doubts.

Meanwhile, Gaara had transformed the entire area into his domain. When Urashiki attempted to break through his defenses, Gaara revealed another layer of his strategy – the sand wasn't just for defense, but had been infused with his densest minerals, compressed to their limit.

The dark particles increased the weight and crushing power of his techniques, making them harder for Urashiki to simply blow away. The Ōtsutsuki found himself having to expend more energy just to maintain his altitude against the increasingly dense pressure.

Hanabi, on the other hand, found her ideal battlefield for the first time.

The Ōtsutsuki could absorb chakra, rendering ninjutsu ineffective, so taijutsu became the primary means of combat—Hanabi's specialty.

Using the sand Gaara deftly passed under her feet, she leaped through the air, pursuing Urashiki in close combat.

Her Gentle Fist strikes came from impossible angles, forcing him to expend precious energy defending his chakra points.

At this moment, not only Sasuke but even Gaara and Hanabi couldn't help but lament—if only they had fought like this earlier!

Reflecting on their prior battles, they realized that without the tactical analysis and planning, they had been repeatedly pushed to the brink of defeat.

And the one who was undoubtedly the most frustrated was none other than Urashiki.

"Damn it! You worthless creatures!" How dare these insects resist me!

He screamed, but he could no longer dismiss the ninja as weaklings.

His second form was incomplete. Additionally, his attempt to devour his fishing rod and basket deprived him of his first-form ability to extract chakra from others.

His pride had become his downfall.

In his fury, he unleashed all his remaining energy in a desperate ultimate move. Purple energy swirled around his malformed body as he gathered power for the assault.

"Ryūgū!"

A massive purple ball of energy formed before his palm. The sphere burst forth, followed by an immense demonic serpent that filled the sky with its purple radiance. The beast roared as it dove toward them, its maw wide enough to swallow them whole.

However, he failed to notice that Nagato and three of his Pains had been lying in wait on the battlefield.

First, the Preta Path stepped forward to absorb the energy—but failed. The sphere tore through its defensive technique like paper.

Immediately, the Naraka Path summoned the King of Hell to devour the damaged Preta Path and restore it.

The second line of defense was Tendō. Standing firm among the swirling sand, it raised its hands.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The gravitational force collided with the demonic serpent, creating a massive shockwave as the two powers fought for dominance.

The ground beneath them cracked, Gaara's sand barely holding the platforms together.

But the serpent pressed on, its power slowly overwhelming Tendō's defense. Cracks began appearing in the air as the beast moved closer, its roar drowning out even the thunder above.

Seeing his Deva Path struggling, Nagato flash-stepped forward. He placed his hand on Tendō's shoulder.

Chakra surged from him into his Path.

Tendō's eyes glowed brighter, and its gravitational push intensified. The very air screamed as the enhanced Shinra Tensei collided with the serpent.

For a moment, it seemed like even this wouldn't be enough—until the serpent's form began to crack. Like glass breaking in slow motion, fissures of white light spread across its scales.

With a sound like a thousand thunderclaps, it shattered completely, raining down fragments of purple light that dissolved before they could touch the ground.

"You bastards!" Urashiki roared in rage.

Hanabi, stepping on Gaara's flowing sand, leapt up once more and struck the Ōtsutsuki with her palm.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"

The concentrated burst of chakra slammed into Urashiki's shoulder, momentarily disrupting his ability to maintain altitude.

"Begone!"

Urashiki tanked the blow and retaliated with a violent blast that sent her flying.

Following up, he unleashed a flurry of purple soul bullets at her.

But Hanabi quickly activated her defense, her chakra spinning into a protective dome around her.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"

But Urashiki smirked coldly, believing he had finally outsmarted his foes. He closed in, his right hand glowing with a blue light—the Ōtsutsuki's innate ability to absorb chakra.

Once he absorbed Hanabi's chakra rotation, he intended to finish her off with a soul bullet. It was a perfect plan—until a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist mid-strike.

Shin had been waiting.

"Finally, you used that move."

Knowing the chakra-absorption ability was central to this fight, Shin struck. With a flash, he severed Urashiki's chakra-absorbing right hand.

"Now, Uchiha!"

Thunder rolled across the ruins as Sasuke raised his hand toward the sky.

Everything had led to this moment.

"Kirin!"

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46/150 reached for bonus chapter.

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