The moment the Four Red Yang Formation rose, the Sage of Six Paths' brow furrowed slightly.
"What is this?"
He could feel the power emanating from the barrier. The Sage of Six Paths was somewhat surprised; it seemed to be some kind of defensive technique. It completely severed the connection between the inside and the outside. Was this boy intending to fight him to the death? Was it to prevent him from escaping?
"Are you worried I might flee?"
Hearing this, Sasuke offered a faint smile. The Sage felt Sasuke was overthinking things. Him, flee? What an insult! How could anyone underestimate him so? To think that he, the founder of Ninshu, would one day be suspected of running away?
"I merely wanted to prevent the shockwaves from our battle inadvertently destroying the nearby village," Sasuke explained. "And I also don't wish for anyone to disturb us."
With that, Sasuke raised a hand, gesturing for the Sage of Six Paths to make the first move. He lightly beckoned to the Sage with his finger.
This gesture, however, sparked a flicker of anger in the Sage. Sasuke's arrogance truly irritated him for the first time, especially since it seemed this young man had captured his brother.
Unforgivable!
The Sage's eyes sharpened instantly. He spun around and launched a swift attack towards Sasuke. Lightning coalesced in an instant. For the Otsutsuki Clan, the concept of 'jutsu' didn't truly exist. Hand seals? They were entirely unnecessary. As long as one willed it and possessed the mastery, they could freely wield the power of the five elemental releases.
Lightning Release was also one of the powers the Sage of Six Paths excelled at. Coating his fist with it, the resulting attack possessed formidable power. The punch shot forward, swift and unstoppable, aimed directly at Sasuke's face.
In that instant, a smile touched Sasuke's eyes. Attacking me with Lightning Release? Let's see whose Lightning Release is stronger – his or mine.
Crack! Boom!
Sasuke instantly threw a punch as well, black lightning surging around his fist, crackling and roaring. It raged towards the Sage. The moment the two currents of lightning collided, an ear-splitting roar echoed through the heavens. Ripples of force exploded outwards, surging violently against the surrounding barrier walls. Upon impact, the barrier shimmered like the surface of water.
The Sage hadn't expected Sasuke to counter instantly with Lightning Release as well, let alone such powerful black lightning. The black electricity made the Sage feel a faint numbness creeping into his arm.
How was this possible? He possessed the body of a Sage! How could Sasuke's lightning harm him so easily?
He exerted his strength, pushing Sasuke back, while simultaneously using the momentum to leap backward himself. After landing steadily, the Sage of Six Paths regarded Sasuke with a grave expression.
'Did he infuse his Lightning Release with some other power?'
'This boy... his understanding and control of power... it's extraordinary!'
As the founder of Ninshu, the Sage had never encountered anyone who wielded chakra quite like this. Perhaps not even his mother possessed such an understanding!
Sasuke watched the Sage's shifting expression with a smile. He raised his hand, and a blast of black lightning erupted instantly, forming a shimmering pillar of pure electricity that shot straight towards the Sage.
The Sage manipulated the Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him, sending one forward to form a black shield in front of him. The black lightning struck the Truth-Seeking Orb.
It was instantly nullified.
'So the Sage's Truth-Seeking Orbs are quite powerful!' Sasuke thought. 'To block my black lightning so easily. Excellent!'
Just as Sasuke was thinking this, another Truth-Seeking Orb suddenly shot towards him. In that moment, Sasuke's eyes snapped open. His Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan activated instantly.
"Deity Gates!"
An invisible force enveloped the Truth-Seeking Orb. The next second, Sasuke caught it with one hand. Then, with a sudden clench of his fist, the orb simply dissipated.
The Sage had intended to press the attack, but he froze, staring as Sasuke extinguished the Truth-Seeking Orb with a single hand. Disbelief flooded his features. He knew Sasuke was strong, but how could a Truth-Seeking Orb be erased so easily?
That boy's eyes...
Seeing Sasuke's Rinnegan, the Sage was stunned. A Rinnegan... had this boy inherited his bloodline? More accurately, he must be a descendant of his son, Indra. Truly remarkable. That among descendants whose blood had thinned over generations, someone like Sasuke could exist. Someone who could erase his Truth-Seeking Orbs so casually.
If he was indeed Indra's descendant, perhaps they could talk properly. Maybe this young man hadn't actually harmed Hamura.
However, the next instant, Sasuke appeared right beside the Sage.
"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke's voice cut through the Sage's thoughts. "Is there really time to be distracted during a battle?"
The next second, Sasuke's chakra flared as he struck the Sage squarely in the back. He unleashed his enhanced strength, and the Sage felt a violent surge of chakra erupting wildly within his body. In that instant, the Sage's pupils contracted sharply.
His Rinnegan flared. Spinning around, he fired his Truth-Seeking Orbs one after another, like cannonballs, towards Sasuke. But the next moment, Sasuke simply waved his hand through the air in an arc, erasing the incoming orbs one by one. The power of his Deity Gates had clearly been further enhanced. Erasing these Truth-Seeking Orbs was now merely a matter of Sasuke's will.
The next second, a purple glow flared. To the Sage's horror, Sasuke's Sword of Kusanagi was pressed against his throat.
The Sage swallowed nervously. He stared at the blade before him. If that sword moved even slightly further, his throat would be cut instantly. Realizing this, the Sage couldn't help but inwardly admit that Sasuke's power was terrifyingly immense.
"Do you understand now?" Sasuke asked coolly. "If I had truly wanted to harm your brother, do you think he could have survived against me?"
Hearing this, the Sage gave a wry, helpless smile. Indeed, with Sasuke's strength, if he genuinely intended ill towards his brother, Hamura Otsutsuki, he could have easily killed him.
The perplexing thing now, however, was the Sage's astonishment that among his own descendants, someone like Sasuke existed, wielding such immense power. Power that even he was no match for. This young man had no trace of Tailed Beast chakra within him; it seemed he relied solely on his own inherent strength. To be this formidable... it was truly astounding!
"Why did you bring Hamura to that place called Konoha?" the Sage asked, changing the subject.
"This chaos seems to be my fault," Sasuke stated. "If not for this disruption, people like you wouldn't have inexplicably arrived in this era. Therefore, I must find a way to send everyone who doesn't belong to this time back to their original eras!"
Hearing this explanation, the Sage of Six Paths began to grasp the situation. So, this young man's purpose in seeking him out was simply to send him back to his own time?
Well, that wasn't unreasonable. It seemed like a logical goal.
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin