Chapter 160: Finally Achieved
After examining Cangshi's condition, Yamamoto Kiyoi rose with a solemn expression. After a brief pause to consider, he issued his orders:
"Team One will remain here and relay the intel back to the village. Wait for reinforcements."
"Yes, Captain!"
Three Iwa-nin immediately responded with firm voices, ready to carry out their tasks.
Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Team Two, follow me into the mountain."
Without hesitation, four other Iwa-nin lined up behind Yamamoto, their faces tense yet resolute.
Cangshi's earlier collapse served as a grim warning: the shinobi within the mountain was no ordinary foe.
But retreat was not an option.
This was their territory, under the dominion of Iwagakure. Any hesitation or failure to act would be a stain on their honor and that of their village.
Knowing that retreat was equivalent to disgrace, they steeled themselves.
"Move out!"
At Yamamoto's command, the team advanced toward the mountain.
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Inside the Mountain
Baishi extended his senses and quickly identified Yamamoto's group approaching the peak.
He opted not to react.
Killing these shinobi prematurely would alert Iwagakure, spurring them to dispatch reinforcements. Such a move would only hasten the interference with his plans.
On the other hand, if he waited for them to get closer before eliminating them, he could delay Iwagakure's response, buying himself the time he needed to complete the spatial seal.
The choice was obvious.
Redirecting his attention to the Heaven-Sealing Mark, Baishi continued channeling massive amounts of chakra into the seal.
Thanks to his significant reserves and relentless effort, the process had already reached its midway point.
However, as the sealing progressed, the rate of progress began to slow significantly.
To counter this, Baishi increased his chakra output, further straining the Nine-Tails within him.
Finally, Kurama had enough. No longer able to tolerate the relentless extraction, the Nine-Tails began to resist violently.
A deafening roar reverberated in Baishi's mind, the sheer force of the beast's fury nearly shattering his concentration.
Baishi winced, his temples throbbing. Gripping his resolve, he attempted to negotiate.
"Kurama, stop being stubborn. Just consider this a favor I owe you, alright?"
But the Nine-Tails ignored him, its resistance only growing stronger, its intention clear: mutual destruction if necessary.
Baishi's face darkened. "You leave me no choice," he muttered icily.
With a decisive thought, he drew an immense portion of Kurama's chakra. After filtering it through Energy Absorption, he channeled it into the Heaven-Sealing Mark.
Simultaneously, the Illusion Ring on his finger activated, projecting the hypnotic power of Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Caught off guard, the Nine-Tails succumbed, slipping into a deep slumber.
"Was that so hard? If you'd just cooperated, none of this would have been necessary," Baishi murmured, shaking his head in faint amusement.
Leaving a portion of his focus to monitor Kurama, he pressed on with the sealing process. If the Nine-Tails showed any signs of waking, the Illusion Ring would be ready to suppress it again.
---
Elsewhere
Yamamoto Kiyoi led his team up the treacherous mountainside, dodging errant lightning strikes and enduring the relentless gales.
At one point, the sheer intensity of the natural phenomena caused one of the chūnin to hesitate.
"Captain… should we really keep going?" the shinobi asked cautiously, sweat dripping from his brow.
It wasn't fear of death that made him pause, but the overwhelming, almost supernatural presence ahead.
Understanding his subordinate's concern, Yamamoto quickly assessed their situation.
"You and Kenichi will remain here," he decided, leaving the less experienced shinobi behind.
Now reduced to three members—himself, a tokubetsu jōnin, and a seasoned chūnin—Yamamoto pressed on.
---
Minutes later, the trio reached the mountain peak.
To their astonishment, the chaos they had experienced below dissipated entirely.
But the serenity was deceptive.
All the natural forces seemed to converge on a single figure at the summit, shrouded in an aura of blinding lightning and ferocious winds.
Yamamoto froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Who… what is this?" he whispered, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the scene.
---
Baishi, standing amidst the chaos, remained unfazed.
Through his own observations and deductions, he had come to understand the concept of the will of the world.
He had long suspected that such a force existed in a realm as fantastical as the shinobi world.
Looking back, clues had been abundant—none more so than the prophetic dreams of the Great Toad Sage.
Baishi didn't believe such visions were purely the result of longevity. Instead, he theorized that the toad was attuned to the world's will, its visions guided by this ethereal force.
Now, as the forces of nature raged against him, Baishi felt he was directly opposing this will.
Yet he couldn't help but scoff at its apparent weakness.
Despite all its bluster, the world's will could only summon natural disasters to hinder him, lacking any transcendent power to directly intervene.
In fact, for much of the process, the elemental chaos hadn't even managed to touch him.
"Pathetic," Baishi thought, shaking his head.
For all its grandiosity, this so-called will of the world could do little more than throw tantrums.
---
Finally, the moment arrived.
The Heaven-Sealing Mark within the ring fully materialized, its intricate patterns glowing with a faint, otherworldly light.
Baishi's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
At last, the sealing process was complete.
Using his Wood Release abilities, he refined the ring further, etching the Flying Thunder God: Guiding Lightning formula onto its surface.
Within moments, the inscription was done.
In his hands, Baishi now held a fully functional spatial ring, a treasure of his own making.
As if sensing its defeat, the natural forces around him began to dissipate. The winds stilled, the lightning faded, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted.
All that remained was Baishi, standing triumphant at the summit, his figure clear and resolute under the now-quiet sky.
(To Be Continued)
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