Chapter 70: Nagato's Confident Persuasion

Chapter 70: Nagato's Confident Persuasion

Sasuke couldn't understand some of what Nagato said, but the part about being able to unlock the Mangekyou Sharingan without losing a loved one piqued his interest slightly.

However, he didn't ask any questions; instead, he continued, "Let's cut the small talk for now. I want to see for myself just how powerful this Mangekyou Sharingan is, that it drove Itachi to do what he did."

"You want to witness the power of the Mangekyou? Very well, but... my Mangekyou is far beyond that of Itachi Uchiha or any other Uchiha in this world. Behold, the power of the Mangekyou, enhanced by the might of the Empire! Susanoo, Armor of the Imperial Warrior!"

The Emperor Obito's eyes spun rapidly, and a pale blue chakra burst forth, solidifying into a suit of armor that enveloped his entire body. A pair of wings slowly extended from his back, making him look like a warrior clad in energetic armor, exuding a formidable aura.

His height also increased from around 1.85 meters to over 2 meters!

"Is this the power of the Mangekyou? It doesn't look like much," Sasuke remarked nonchalantly.

"Oh?" The Emperor Obito extended his right hand, and a spinning vortex appeared. He plunged his hand into it and slowly drew out a bizarre, spiral-shaped cone sword.

"What kind of sword is that?" Sasuke asked, a bit surprised.

"A divine blade specially developed by the Imperial Armament Research Department to complement the power of Susanoo! His Majesty himself named it the Kairetsuken (Departing Sword). I made a special trip to retrieve it before coming here," the Emperor Obito explained, his eyes flickering slightly as he mentioned'retrieving.'

Both Orochimaru and Sasuke were less interested in the sword and more intrigued by the mentions of 'His Majesty' and the 'Imperial Armament Research Department.' This exiled Uchiha seemed to have a powerful force backing him.

"Is that so? Then let's see which is stronger, your Gentle Blade or my Kusanagi-no-tsurugi," Sasuke said.

Just as he finished speaking, the small pair of wings on the back of the Emperor Obito's Susanoo vibrated, causing a violent sonic boom to erupt. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Sasuke, followed by a piercing sound as he swung his Samehada-slaying sword, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, also known as the Grasscutter Sword, or more simply as the Kusanagi.

"So fast! Much faster than before! Was he holding back earlier, or is it because of this armor?" Both Orochimaru and Sasuke thought simultaneously.

Sasuke quickly raised his sword to block.

Clang!

In the instant their swords clashed, Sasuke was overwhelmed by a mighty force that sent him flying like a cannonball.

"Ugh! Wow! This guy's power is unbelievable! I can't keep this up," Sasuke muttered as he activated his cursed seal, causing ugly black marks to spread and a pair of massive fleshy wings to extend from his back. His body's functions were greatly enhanced, allowing him to safely land after crashing through several trees.

The Emperor Obito's figure once again sped across the ground and appeared before him.

"Damn it! He's so fast! But I won't let you defeat me that easily! Chidori Senbon!" Sasuke stabbed forward with his sword.

Shimmering lightning bolts gathered at the tip of his Kusanagi-no-tsurugi, piercing toward the Emperor Obito with explosive force.

However, the moment the attack hit the Emperor Obito, it was repelled by the energy armor, unable to penetrate even an inch.

"It's useless. Ordinary ninjutsu is ineffective against the Susanoo Armor of the Imperial Warrior.

"The Empire's Obito" said calmly.

He seemed to be toying with Sasuke, choosing not to attack at this moment. Instead, he allowed Sasuke's body to continue sliding backward, pushed by the lightning aura of the Chidori Spear.

Two long trenches appeared on the ground as Sasuke slid for sixty or seventy meters.

With a loud bang, Sasuke's figure disappeared.

The rushing figure of the Empire's Obito paused, and he slowly turned around. With a quick scan, he spotted Sasuke standing on a tree trunk a hundred meters away, his expression grim.

Not giving the Empire's Obito a chance to speak, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals, opened his mouth wide, and spat out a massive fire dragon.

"At this distance, do you think this ninjutsu can hit me? However... with the Susanoo protecting me, I don't need to dodge at all," the Empire's Obito mocked.

He stood there nonchalantly as the fire dragon engulfed him completely.

A large area of land and trees were scorched.

When the fire dragon dissipated, the Empire's Obito stood unscathed.

"Just as he said, regular ninjutsu can't break through that energy armor. Then... I have no choice but to do this," Sasuke said, his eyes flickering. He began forming hand seals again and spat out a fire-style ninjutsu, but this time, his target was the sky instead of the Empire's Obito.

Boom! Boom! Boom! One after another, the ninjutsu tore through the sky, causing violent turbulence in the air.

The Empire's Obito was slightly taken aback but quickly reacted, "You want to use that ninjutsu to pierce through my Imperial Warrior Susanoo? Then let me show you the fundamental difference in power between the Empire and the ninja villages."

"Here it comes, Sasuke-kun's secret technique. Even with the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, it's unlikely to withstand it," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

The Empire's Obito remained unmoving due to Orochimaru's words.

Using fire-style ninjutsu, Sasuke quickly altered the weather around them.

Soon, dark clouds filled the sky, accompanied by loud rumbling. Lightning bolts began to dance across the sky.

Sasuke looked up at the sky confidently, his face filled with pride. He formed hand seals with both hands.

The rumbling grew more intense, and the lightning in the sky was controlled, forming a terrifying kirin head that loomed over all living beings.

"Uchiha Obito, your strength is formidable. But against my Kirin, you have no chance of victory!

It will strike in one-thousandth of a second, and you won't even have time to use your Body Flicker Technique before you're reduced to nothingness.

Surrender now. As a member of the Uchiha clan, I can spare your life, but... Itachi is my prey," Sasuke declared.

"Finally, Kirin! Even if it's not the first time seeing it, the impact is still overwhelming.

This is Sasuke-kun's ultimate lightning-style ninjutsu.

Even if I were to face it without evading in advance, it would be difficult to survive.

It's truly beautiful..." Orochimaru praised, looking up at the lightning kirin in awe.

A bystander nearby was also stunned, "Amazing! Has Uchiha Sasuke's strength reached such heights?

This must be the doing of Orochimaru-sama!

If I continue to follow Orochimaru-sama, I will also gain such power one day!"

The bystander's thoughts turned fanatical as he looked at Orochimaru.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end