Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 165: Reaper Death Seal!

"What are you trying to do?"

Faced with this awkward situation, Mei Terumi had no choice but to ask Uchiha Yi directly, hoping to understand his intentions and find a way out.

"You're not planning to back out now, are you?"

Uchiha Yi's crimson Sharingan glinted dangerously as he responded with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, exuding an unmistakable aura of threat.

"I... I'm not!"

Meeting his intense gaze, Mei immediately yielded, unable to utter any other response.

"Good."

"I was worried you might refuse. If you did, I'd have no choice but to throw you off from here."

Uchiha Yi said this with a light chuckle, though his words carried a weight that Mei didn't dare dismiss as a joke.

His demeanor left Mei speechless and completely off-guard, leading her to unwittingly confirm their supposed "engagement."

She felt like she was going mad.

Under normal circumstances, Mei would not reject someone as dashing and powerful as Uchiha Yi.

But their age difference—about five or six years—felt awkward. More importantly, as the Mizukage of the Mist Village, she couldn't ignore the political implications of an alliance between their villages.

Her mind spun as she considered her precarious position, caught between personal pride and political responsibility.

Eventually, she decided to set these concerns aside.

There were more pressing matters to address—like the imminent destruction of the ninja world.

Mei regained her composure, her usual cold elegance returning.

"Can you let me go now?"

Realizing she had no way to fight her current predicament, Mei softened her tone and requested to be released.

"No."

Uchiha Yi rejected her flatly.

"Why not?" Mei asked, incredulous. Wasn't he aware of the calamity unfolding below?

"You're too weak."

"If I let you go, you'll die. Just stay here and wait for the outcome."

"Besides, I've been watching you from above. You've only been casting a few jutsu from the sidelines. Honestly, your presence on the battlefield changes nothing."

Yi's blunt assessment left Mei fuming. Her chest heaved in frustration as she tried to process the insult.

"Fine, but don't think I'm grateful!"

Despite her anger, Mei knew he was right. Her power paled in comparison to the monstrous entities on the battlefield.

"Calm down," Yi said with a smirk. He pulled her closer into his embrace, his arms steadying her. "You're safe with me. Stop resisting, or you might fall."

---

Meanwhile, the battle below raged on.

Another explosion from a Truth-Seeking Orb shook the battlefield, claiming even more lives.

The surviving ninja—Hashirama, Tobirama, Minato, the Three Legendary Sannin, Onoki, Rasa, Kakashi, and Guy—stood battered and bruised, their spirits weighed down by the overwhelming power of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Obito.

All their attempts at jutsu had proven futile.

It was a nightmarish stalemate.

"Obito! You used to say you wanted to be Hokage!"

"Why are you doing this?"

Minato shouted at his former student, hoping to find a shred of reason left within him.

"Why?" Obito's voice was low and filled with bitterness.

"Do you think lecturing me now will change anything?"

"You were always late, Sensei—never there when it mattered most!"

His voice grew louder, filled with anger and sorrow.

"I gave up on that childish dream of becoming Hokage long ago! This broken world took everything from me! From now on, I will create a new world—a perfect one, free of suffering and loss!"

As Obito spoke, memories of Rin flooded his mind. Her death, the despair that followed, and his hatred toward the ninja world reignited within him.

His grip on the staff tightened as his gaze turned cold and determined.

"You're too late, Minato. I will crush anyone who stands in my way!"

---

"You talk too much, Uchiha brat!"

Tobirama suddenly appeared behind Obito, his Flying Thunder God technique catching him off guard.

"Since conventional jutsu won't work on you, let's see if this will!"

"Reaper Death Seal!"

The moment Tobirama clasped his hands together, the air grew heavy with an ominous presence.

Behind him, a spectral figure appeared—a Shinigami with horns, ghostly white robes, and a fearsome visage.

"Let's end this once and for all!" Tobirama declared, seizing Obito in a firm grip.

Obito's Rinnegan glowed ominously as he noticed the Shinigami approaching him.

"Get away from me!"

A Truth-Seeking Orb shifted and morphed into a blade, slicing toward the Shinigami.

The spectral figure raised its knife to block the attack, but the Truth-Seeking Orb pierced through, wounding it.

The Shinigami let out a ghastly shriek and retreated, unable to complete the seal.

"Hmph."

"In the face of absolute power, your tricks are meaningless!"

Obito sneered, extending his staff toward Tobirama.

Minato rushed to intervene, but a Truth-Seeking Orb detonated beside him, forcing him to teleport away.

Tobirama had no choice but to retreat using Flying Thunder God, narrowly escaping the same fate.

---

The battle continued to spiral into chaos, with Obito's dominance becoming ever more apparent.

From his throne, Uchiha Yi watched with mild amusement.

But as his gaze landed on Mei, who seemed tense in his arms, his smile softened.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you."

Mei glanced up at him, her expression conflicted.

For better or worse, she realized she had no choice but to trust him—for now.

---

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