As the decorative stones shattered under the Dark Chakra, two figures burst out from the side entrance.
“Sasuke!?”
Naruto immediately spotted one of them—a black-haired, black-eyed youth he had been desperately chasing: Uchiha Sasuke.
Shinnou, however, locked eyes with the source of the “Light Chakra,” noticing it was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman dressed in monk robes and a kasaya.
“A monk? A shinobi monk!”
During his fourteen years of wandering the nations, Shinnou had collected many little-known pieces of information.
“I see—I have heard some shinobi monks possess an ability called ‘Gift of the Sages.’ That must be the Light Chakra…”
Although shinobi monks used Chakra like regular ninjas, their methods of cultivation differed, leading to different manifestations.
That power was known as “Gift of the Sages!”
Sensing the Light Chakra from Sora, Shinnou muttered, “Looks like I need to eliminate the monk first.”
As a wielder of Dark Chakra, Light Chakra was intolerably blinding.
“Let’s start with you.” Shinnou raised his right hand, palm aimed at Sora.
In that instant, Uchiha Sasuke activated his Sharingan—his black irises turning blood-red, with three tomoe spinning around the pupils.
Boom!
Dark Chakra burst from Shinnou’s palm, yet it didn’t form a visible dark blast, but was invisible and colorless.
Sasuke thought, ‘”Without dojutsu, normal people wouldn’t even sense the trajectory and speed of this Chakra—making it nearly impossible to dodge…’
If you couldn’t dodge, you’d have to endure it. Without a strong body, a single hit could leave one incapacitated.
Sora raised her right hand.
Bang!
A crisp sound rang out as a hole the size of a head appeared in the main hall ceiling, sunlight pouring through.
Sasuke thought, ‘She’s definitely no ordinary character!’
With the Sharingan, he clearly saw that Sora had simply waved her right hand and swatted away the Dark Chakra like shooing a fly.
“What!?” Shinnou was stunned—before, he promptly gathered more Dark Chakra and fired three consecutive blasts from different angles at Sora.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more holes appeared in the ceiling.
Sora remained calm, elegantly and effortlessly swatting aside each blast with her right hand.
Shinnou’s expression changed slightly.
His eyes shifted as he shouted toward Amaru, “Amaru, Shinnou never existed! From the start, I was using you! I nurtured you with care, only to push you from heaven into hell. Your overflowing emotions will produce even greater despair!”
“Ahhh—!”
The already broken-hearted Amaru clutched her head, screaming—The pain within her surged like a tide.
And as her despair deepened, the black mist around Shinnou doubled.
Sora sighed, “Such dense emotional power… If that girl were a Uchiha, she would’ve awakened the Mangekyo already.”
“Hm?” Sasuke’s brow twitched, secretly shocked.
This “Sora” even knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan—something even most Uchiha barely understood.
Sasuke said coldly, “What do you mean by that?”
What did she mean that if the girl were a Uchiha, she’d awaken the Mangekyo? Could this Sora know how to awaken it?
Without looking back, Sora replied, “I wasn’t talking to you.”
Sasuke was choked speechless.
Meanwhile, Naruto, enraged at Shinnou repeatedly tormenting Amaru verbally, formed hand seals and unleashed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, summoning dozens of clones to charge forward.
“Bastard, shut up already!”
Sasuke watched and silently called him an idiot.
‘Such a crude tactic would never work!’
Sure enough, Shinnou remained composed, waving his hand and unleashing Dark Chakra like invisible whips.
Bang Bang Bang—
In the blink of an eye, all the shadow clones were dispelled into white mist.
Under the clones’ cover, Naruto himself rushed forward, clutching a spinning ball of chakra in his palm.
“Rasengan!”
Boom!
At that moment, intense energy erupted from Shinnou’s body.
The shockwave blew Naruto away, and his Rasengan crashed into the ground, leaving a one-meter crater.
“Hah!”
Shinnou smirked, his white hair gradually turning black. His upper clothes burst apart, revealing muscles like intertwined tree roots.
“Heh heh heh, by simultaneously activating body activation and regeneration with Dark Chakra, I can achieve this ‘Body Metamorphosis’!”
Shinnou, proud like a researcher displaying his life’s work, continued, “Not only did I reverse aging, but reinforced and regenerated muscles and bones—transforming the body into the ultimate life form!”
Reinforced regeneration?
Meaning the longer the fight, the stronger he got?
Sasuke thought, if he had to face this man, it had to be a quick battle.
Shinnou clenched his fists, and his energy surged again, transforming him into a wild, beast-like figure.
His aura was now ten times stronger!
Boasting, Shinnou added, “And I can fully open the Eight Gates without dying, even for prolonged periods!”
Just then—
Naruto attacked again.
Shinnou, now faster and fiercer, met him with a brutal palm strike. Dark Chakra hammered into Naruto’s chest, sending him flying.
“…”
Sasuke stood silently, watching.
Rather than worrying about Naruto, he was more curious about what Sora would do.
Would this strange shinobi monk simply watch, or intervene?
Meanwhile, Sora thought, ‘It wouldn’t be difficult to defeat him with brute force.’
Lucy said, “But that wouldn’t help with the Eighty-One Tribulations training.”
Just like in Journey to the West, Sun Wukong rarely used his divine powers during the journey to maximize the effect of training through hardships.
Sora nodded internally and moved.
Sasuke watched, expecting her to head for Shinnou—but to his surprise, she walked toward the red-haired girl, Amaru.
What was she planning?
Curious, Sasuke observed intently.
Sora approached Amaru and said, “Young girl, Shinnou never existed.”
“……” Amaru shuddered, clenching her teeth and closing her eyes, as if someone had sprinkled salt into her wounds, plunging her deeper into despair.
Consequently, the black mist around Shinnou thickened even more.
“Fools!”
Shinnou, having smashed Naruto aside, noticed Sora’s action and instantly understood her intent.
He sneered, “You intend to dispel Amaru’s inner darkness with words? Impossible!”
Not long ago, Naruto had managed to cheer Amaru up with talk of inheriting her teacher’s will.
But… that was then.
Now?
The beautiful memories of the past fourteen years were fake; the admired teacher was a fraud… Nothing was real.
No teacher, no legacy.
Anyone experiencing such betrayal would fall into utter despair.
“However…”
Sora’s body glowed faintly with golden light, appearing solemn and sacred.
“Just like how and although Buddha and Bodhisattvas were not originally physical entities, people believed in their stories and followed their teachings—and thus they came into existence.”
“!” Sasuke was slightly surprised. A monk admitting that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas weren’t inherently real?
Still, considering how odd this female shinobi monk was, her saying such odd things felt… normal.
This unpredictability… reminded him of Naruto.
‘Tch, why did I think of him again?’ Sasuke shook his head.
“Practice…” Naruto mused.
Sora continued to Amaru, “Humans can set goals through imagination and move toward them step by step. It’s truly remarkable.”
Under the influence of her words, the sacred light, and the Power of Enlightenment, Amaru gradually lifted her head, meeting Sora’s deep blue eyes.
Sora gazed into her sea-blue eyes and said, “You, brave girl—you can turn the false Shinnou into reality. Become Shinnou yourself.”
“…Me?” Amaru’s heart trembled, while a spark returned to her eyes.
The teacher Shinnou never existed… but she could become the real Shinnou.
Could she do it?
With that thought, Amaru looked toward Shinnou.
“…” Shinnou was stunned, seeing Amaru sway.
This shinobi monk knew her stuff!
But—
‘It is useless!’
Shinnou sneered and laughed loudly, “What nonsense about becoming a Buddha or Bodhisattva—just empty words! Do you think you can actually do it? Dream on, foolish woman!”
His mocking laughter echoed throughout the hall, making Amaru lower her gaze again.
…Could she really become Shinnou?
Sora, hearing Shinnou’s jeers, was not angered. Instead, a plan formed in her mind—she smiled slightly and said, “Alright then, let me show you a Bodhisattva.”
“Huh?” Shinnou’s laughter paused for a moment, then resumed even louder.
A mere little monk—a golden-haired girl at that—pretending to be a Bodhisattva?
‘If she’s a Bodhisattva, then I’m the real Shinnou!’
“Double Take Over: Venusmon’s Soul.”
With Sora’s soft chant, a magic circle filled with golden light appeared above her head, and the figure of Venusmon merged into her.
Everyone squinted against the dazzling light, and when their vision adjusted, their eyes widened in shock.
“Guanyin Bodhisattva?”
“Impossible!”
Sora, already maintaining the Take Over of Sanzomon’s Soul, now layered Venusmon’s Soul atop it.
Her attire changed: the goose-yellow kasaya transformed into pure white robes.
The white ribbons covering her eyes reformed into a veiled headdress. She lowered her head, a merciful smile on her lips—truly radiating the majesty of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
— The end of the Chapter–
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