Chapter 209: The Seal of Life!

Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Seal of Life!

"But I definitely can't sit around waiting for Nagato and his people to come for the Nine-Tails."

"Fighting in Konoha would only hold me back."

Once his wound healed, Shūichi stepped to the mouth of the cave, gazing toward the misty, rain-soaked village of Amegakure in the distance.

"With the Seventh Gate open, Nagato wouldn't stand a chance."

After the recent exchange, Shūichi was certain that at full strength, Nagato couldn't be a true match.

Under the Seventh Gate, his power surpasses that of the Nine-Tails, allowing him to counter Nagato's strongest Shinra Tensei head-on.

As for Chibaku Tensei, it wouldn't pose much threat either.

He wouldn't even have to wait for Nagato to strike—his speed alone would allow him to bring Nagato down.

And that's in a one-on-one battle.

Even if Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Uchiha Obito were to join in, splitting his forces with Shadow Clones to keep them occupied, the outcome would likely remain unchanged.

"Yet I'm still not strong enough to crush the entire shinobi world."

"And right now, I don't have a way to completely destroy Kaguya ōtsutsuki. Even capturing Black Zetsu is difficult."

Shūichi sighed to himself, "Without Black Zetsu gone, its 'Rescue Mother Plan' will never end."

"So, letting Nagato gather the Tailed Beasts, stirring up the four Great Ninja Villages, reviving Uchiha Madara to lure out Kaguya ōtsutsuki—that's the safest approach."

"In the meantime, I need to disrupt Nagato's progress in collecting the Tailed Beasts, depending on my own improvements."

"So, my next move is to intimidate Nagato's forces, forcing them to acknowledge my power and stay away from Konoha, targeting the other four Ninja Villages instead."

Shūichi's thoughts flowed and eventually solidified: "Wait a bit longer... until my techniques are fully developed, to be sure."

"As for Kamui Sharingan... White Zetsu!"

He'd left a Flying Thunder God mark on Obito, but to seize a Kamui eye, the best target would still be White Zetsu in the mask.

In terms of strength, it shouldn't be too difficult.

The key is Izanagi.

That's why he hadn't acted sooner.

"But even if it means sacrificing one Kamui, I'll reduce some of their threats!"

Having made his decision, Shūichi left a Shadow Clone to continue watching Amegakure, then vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

...

In Amegakure, inside a tall tower—

Nagato was reflecting on the recent battle, thinking, "He doesn't need hand signs to activate his jutsu—such a technique is almost on par with the Rinnegan's ocular abilities."

"The Six Paths Puppets are indeed necessary."

"But ordinary methods still can't subdue him; such troublesome space-time jutsu."

Nagato frowned.

Given the current situation, he thought that even Chibaku Tensei might not be able to seal Shūichi in one move.

"Unless the battlefield is Konoha... where he would have no reason to escape."

Nagato's gaze turned cold.

...

In the Hokage Office, Konoha Village

Seeing Kushina Uzumaki looking a bit uneasy, Minato Namikaze reassured her, "Don't worry. Shūichi has a good sense of things—he won't act recklessly."

Truthfully, he was a bit concerned himself but didn't let it show.

Kushina sighed. "That guy... even if he went to gather intel, he should've taken Shisui and the others with him!"

Minato knew that Shūichi's so-called "intel gathering" likely meant a direct confrontation—a battle to learn more about the Rinnegan through firsthand experience. Taking others along would just make retreat more difficult.

When comforting her didn't help, Minato turned back to his work. He knew that if nothing went wrong, his student would return soon enough.

Sure enough, in less than two hours, Shūichi appeared in the Hokage office.

"Shūichi, you're back!" Kushina exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.

Minato looked up, and, upon seeing Shūichi safe and sound, a smile spread across his face as well. But then his gaze focused sharply on the torn fabric on Shūichi's shoulder.

Kushina noticed as well, gasping, "Were you hurt?"

"A minor injury," Shūichi replied nonchalantly. "Obito's eye technique is indeed formidable."

Kushina's eyes widened. "Obito... how is he?"

Not wanting to worry them, Shūichi said, "It seems he's gained a measure of trust from the enemy, though he still lacks freedom."

"His left eye's ability can activate from a distance, distorting space-time to teleport an enemy—or a part of them."

"And with both eyes, the technique's speed increases."

"Or perhaps if I fully merge with all Nine Tailed Beasts..."

Shūichi felt a faint intuition.

If he achieved that, he'd become a true human Tailed Beast.

...

After completing the modification of the Curse Seal, Shūichi got up and headed to where Guy was training.

Under the waterfall, Guy was practicing as usual, with Might Duy cheering him on nearby.

Shūichi walked over with a smile, and Duy noticed him, greeting him cheerfully, "Shūichi, are you here to train too?"

"No, I came specifically to find Guy and Uncle Duy," Shūichi replied with a grin.

Duy was taken aback and immediately asked, "Is there a mission?"

Given Shūichi's status, Duy assumed he must have an important task for them.

Hearing the voices, Guy jumped out from under the waterfall with anticipation. "Shūichi, did the Fourth Hokage approve my application to join the Anbu?" he asked eagerly.

Shūichi couldn't help but laugh. Guy had applied to join the Anbu several times to team up with Kakashi, but his overly passionate personality kept holding him back—nobody dared let him into Anbu!

Actually, Guy wasn't the only one applying to Anbu lately. The root of this surge in interest was the impressive strength that Genma Shiranui and his squad had unintentionally displayed in a sparring session with Ebisu's team.

Almost everyone in Root had shown remarkable progress, but Genma and his two teammates had improved the most, especially Genma's Wind Release techniques and Raidō's newly acquired sword, the Executioner's Blade.

"It's not about Anbu," Shūichi explained. "It's something to do with the Eight Gates. I've created a special Curse Seal that helps restore your body after using the Eight Gates."

"Think of it as my New Year's gift for you and Uncle Duy," he added with a smile.

This was also a way to show his appreciation for Guy teaching him the Eight Gates so selflessly.

Guy's eyes widened. "Shūichi, you're amazing! You even managed to figure this out!"

Duy immediately bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Shūichi!"

Shūichi sidestepped politely and smiled, "No need to be so formal, Uncle Duy. Guy taught me a lot about training, and we even developed some new taijutsu moves together."

"Alright, let's test out the Curse Seal," he said.

Guy quickly asked, "So, what do I need to do?"

Shūichi replied, "Just stay still. It might hurt a bit, but I'll handle the rest."

Guy nodded seriously, standing as still as a statue.

Shūichi placed his hand on Guy's bare chest.

Sizzle~

With a faint sizzling sound, Shūichi's Sage Chakra seeped into Guy's body. The Curse Seal pattern unfurled from his heart and spread throughout his body.

When the seal was fully formed, Shūichi withdrew his hand. Now, a purple lotus pattern rested over Guy's heart.

Guy could feel his body changing and exclaimed, "It's absorbing my chakra!"

Shūichi nodded. "That's right. This Curse Seal absorbs some of your unused chakra and combines it with natural energy to form Sage Chakra. When you open the Eight Gates, especially the Seventh Gate, you can activate this seal to recover your stamina."

"It can also be used to heal injuries if needed. I call it the Seal of Life!"

Although it wasn't yet perfected, Shūichi was confident he could refine it to the point that even with all Eight Gates opened, it could help save a life. Not only was it meant for Guy, but also for himself.

Guy was fired up. "I'm opening the Seventh Gate to test it out!"

Duy gasped. "Guy, that's pushing yourself too far right now."

But Guy grinned, showing his determination. "I trust Shūichi!"

Shūichi also felt confident. "While it won't eliminate all damage from the Eight Gates, it should be fine for the Seventh Gate. Don't worry, Uncle Duy."

Reassured, Duy nodded.

Guy clenched his fists, lowered his stance, and began. "Open!"

One by one, the internal gates released, and with a boom, green energy enveloped his body.

But he didn't stop there. After catching his breath briefly, he crouched down and braced himself. "Seventh Gate—open!"

Boom!

The ground cracked as blue energy exploded around Guy's body.

But after just a few moments, Guy had to close the gate and collapsed, panting heavily, his face contorted in pain.

"Guy! Use your mind to connect with the Curse Seal to activate it!" Shūichi shouted.

"Got it!" Guy replied, his voice weak. He immediately activated the seal.

In an instant, purple patterns spread from his heart, unfurling like a blooming lotus across his body. A warm energy flooded him, quickly washing away his fatigue and pain, and he leaped to his feet with renewed energy.

"This is incredible!" he shouted, unable to hide his excitement, bouncing around energetically.

Shūichi chuckled, "The longer you let the seal accumulate, the better it will work."

Duy watched, deeply moved, and bowed to Shūichi once more. "Thank you, Shūichi. With this seal, Guy will be able to go further—far beyond anything I could achieve. Thank you!"

(End of Chapter)