Now they knew for sure: this monster had more than one life. To finally deal with Uchiha Yue, it was necessary either to deliver a lightning, crushing blow that would destroy his body before he could be reborn with the help of the Eternal Izanagi, or to burn both his lives one after the other and inflict a fatal wound in that brief moment until his eyes recovered.
This was the only way to end his existence and take over the terrifying dojutsu.
In the Shinobi world, they are no longer called mangekyo sharingan. They were Divine Eyes now. The legends that were whispered throughout the five great countries said that whoever took possession of them would become the greatest of warriors, gain untold treasures and power comparable to that of a daimyo. They said he would be able to plow the earth with a golden hoe, and fate itself would bow before him.
Those eyes weren't just power—they were absolute power.
But it was easier said than done. Two lives… The Shinobi of the great villages couldn't figure out how to deprive him of even one. And the scariest thing was that these lives were not a one-time trick. If Yue wasn't destroyed right away, he was recovering. It was as if some mad god had endowed him with the ability not just to heal wounds, but to bring life itself back from oblivion. Who could have created such a monster?
In fact, it was much worse. Uchiha Yue did not have two lives. He was an immortal monster, capable of being reborn countless times as long as there was even a spark of chakra in his body.
"I'll see for myself how perverse this Uchiha's power can be!" The Fourth Raikage bellowed. "Now, tie the safety chains around me!"
Hey, I've been here before. Last time, he only assessed the situation from a safe distance, remembering the fate of those who laid down their heads here. He couldn't let go of the thought: how did Jiraiya manage not only to get to Yue, but also to withstand a three-hundred-round fight with him, retreating only at the very end? It seemed unthinkable.
Now, after such a grand battle, Uchiha Yue has surely wasted one life. And even though everyone understood that he was able to restore his eyes, the Raikage felt a catch. Surrounded by loyal Shinobi, bound by chains, he decided to take a chance and personally check out what was hiding in the epicenter of this abnormal force.
Soon he was dragged back, pale, exhausted, with blurred eyes. They seemed to be pulling him out of the void, but in reality the ninjas were pushing with all their might, as if they were rescuing a man from a viscous, invisible swamp that was sucking out his life.
— Mr. Hey!
The Shinobi rushed to the motionless Raikage and hurriedly picked him up and rushed away.
"How... how was Jiraiya able to fight there? A single thought thrummed in Eyah's clouded mind. —And survive..." He, the strongest Shinobi of the Cloud, almost died after being there for only a few moments, even though his chakra was almost intact. His body simply refused, trapped by the icy cold and inexplicable exhaustion.
That's why Jiraiya's feat seemed incredible. The Sannin was strong, but Hey had never considered him invincible. So why could he, but the Raikage couldn't?
There was no response. No one outside Konoha knew the truth: Jiraiya hadn't even reached Uchiha Yue that day. He almost died on the outskirts.
This secret was kept sacred in the Village of Liszt. With the exception of a handful of initiates, everyone believed that their legendary Sannin had lost only a little and would surely win next time. Those who knew the truth, including Jiraiya himself, were in no hurry to dissuade them. Konoha was weakened, and people needed faith, otherwise the fighting spirit would have dried up completely.
Soon, other Kages and their troops arrived at the borders of the anomalous zone. After making sure that Uchiha Yue did not show the slightest signs of weakness, they, unlike reckless Ei, did not tempt fate and silently retreated.
Meanwhile, work was in full swing in one of Orochimaru's secret laboratories. The snake sannin himself was preparing the materials for the ritual with icy concentration.
—Mr. Two, I'll bring you back," he hissed, folding the seals for Edo Tensei.
Anxiety gripped my heart: what if Uchiha Yue really had absorbed Senju Tobirama's soul? In his entire long life, Orochimaru had never encountered techniques capable of destroying a soul. He could not have imagined that the creator of Edo Tensei would suffer such an irony of fate: his own jutsu would be broken and his spirit captured by the enemy.
It was unthinkable. When they conducted their experiments, the dead man remained a dead man, and the soul remained an immaterial category.
Orochimaru mentally prepared himself for failure. If the summoning doesn't work, it means that the Second Hokage is dead for good.
"You have to go back, Mr. Second! "What is it?" he pleaded silently. — My victory over Yue, the post of Hokage, unlimited access to the resources of the village for my research, the opportunity to study any forbidden techniques… It all depends on you!"
The seals were folded. With a thud, the coffin lid opened, and a human figure slowly rose out of it.
Orochimaru breathed out a sigh of relief. Turn out.
—Orochimaru... you're still alive,— Senju Tobirama said, opening his eyes. There was undisguised relief in his voice. He already saw in this renegade genius the future leader of Konoha and could not allow his death.
Senju Tobirama was about to step out of the coffin, but as soon as he lifted his foot, he froze.…