Chapter 140: The Land Beyond the Ninja World—The Pure Land
At the moment of Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke's deaths, Uchiha Yi automatically exited the Reincarnation Abyss. He spent some time assessing his gains, lingering briefly in place.
Killing the Uchiha brothers had always been part of Yi's plan. He harbored no sentimentality over Sasuke being a protagonist in the original story and showed no mercy.
In Yi's view, the Uchiha family as a whole deserved no sympathy.
Previously, he had refrained from targeting Sasuke directly due to concerns about Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki (the Sage of Six Paths) interfering. Now, having grown far stronger, Yi no longer feared such a confrontation. Instead, he welcomed it, eager to test his power.
As the reincarnation of Indra, Sasuke was now truly and utterly dead. His soul had been devoured by the system, leaving no possibility for him to enter the Pure Land or be revived through Edo Tensei.
But would Indra reincarnate again?
Yi had long questioned the nature of Indra and Ashura's so-called reincarnations.
By conventional logic, reincarnation should involve a singular soul being reborn. Yi initially assumed that Uchiha Madara, as Indra's reincarnation, embodied Indra's very soul.
If one generation's incarnation of Indra passed away, only then would the next emerge.
Yet in the story's later developments, both Madara and Sasuke, as simultaneous incarnations of Indra, coexisted. This shattered the notion of a traditional reincarnation cycle and made the concept seem absurd.
Yi concluded that the so-called "reincarnations" of Indra and Ashura were more akin to parasitic phenomena, where their essence latched onto descendants.
Whether or not these "parasites" fed on their hosts or pursued some deeper conspiracy was unclear, even to Yi.
The system had only awarded him soul points for Itachi and Sasuke, not for Indra. This suggested Indra's essence might still linger.
Regardless of whether Indra reincarnated anew, it didn't matter to Yi.
If Indra emerged again, Yi would kill him again. Once wouldn't suffice, twice or even thrice if needed—until Indra was erased entirely.
After the Fourth Great Ninja War, Yi intended to unite the ninja world under his rule, turning it into his personal domain. He couldn't tolerate the interference of individuals like Indra and Ashura.
Having organized his thoughts and gathered his spoils, Yi left the site through his Flame Space Technique, returning to Karin and the others.
Karin, with her heightened sensory abilities, immediately sensed that Yi's real body had returned and leapt into his arms, clinging to him like a koala.
"Is everyone okay?" Yi asked, his tone calm but tinged with concern.
"We're fine! With you protecting us, Yi-nii, we feel completely safe!" Karin replied cheerfully, her voice brimming with trust and adoration.
"Looks like Konoha's been destroyed again. What a tragedy," Yi remarked, his tone indifferent.
The group was currently in one of the few areas of Konoha that remained intact. This was deliberate. Knowing Yi's presence, Uchiha Obito had avoided sending the summoned beasts from his Rinnegan to this location.
Obito had no desire to provoke Yi, especially without absolute confidence in his own strength.
---
Meanwhile, in the Pure Land, a realm beyond the ninja world created by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki's divine power to house the souls of the departed, something unprecedented occurred.
Hagoromo, who had been in slumber, was suddenly jolted awake. A sense of disbelief and fury filled his expression.
The presence of Indra's reincarnation had vanished entirely.
Unable to believe what his senses told him, Hagoromo focused once more, carefully scanning the ninja world.
The result was the same. Indra's reincarnation was truly gone—his essence obliterated, without any chance of reincarnation.
Who could have done this?
For centuries, Hagoromo had only dedicated a fraction of his power to monitoring Indra and Ashura's reincarnations, believing there was no significant danger.
Even if something happened to their physical forms, he assumed their spiritual essence would remain intact, ready to reincarnate.
Such had been the cycle for millennia. Hagoromo never imagined a scenario where Indra could be erased entirely.
His trust in this cycle had led to his complacency. He had never interfered directly with his sons' lives, believing in their ability to guide the ninja world independently.
But this hands-off approach had backfired catastrophically. Indra was now gone, and centuries of effort had been reduced to ash.
The realization left Hagoromo consumed by rage, his divine fury spreading throughout the Pure Land.
Whoever did this will pay the ultimate price!
---
Back in the ninja world, Yi's shadow clone dissolved as his real body resumed control.
After summoning the giant toad Gamabunta, Minato had successfully diverted Obito's attention. Leaving his shadow clone behind to keep Obito occupied, Minato had stealthily pursued Hidan and Kakuzu.
With his Flying Raijin Technique, Minato quickly caught up to the Akatsuki duo.
"It seems Obito failed to delay him," Kakuzu muttered, glancing at Minato with visible annoyance.
Even Kakuzu, with his vast experience, felt powerless against a speedster like Minato. Without hesitation, he tossed Naruto to the side and fled.
"Kakuzu, what are you doing?" Hidan shouted, stunned by his partner's abrupt retreat.
"We're no match for him!" Kakuzu yelled back.
Although reckless by nature, Hidan wasn't entirely foolish. Seeing Kakuzu retreat made him realize the gravity of their situation. Without further delay, he followed suit.
"...What?" Minato stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by the Akatsuki duo's unexpected decision to flee.
He had prepared for a fierce battle to rescue Naruto, yet his enemies had simply handed the boy over.
"Well, at least Naruto is safe," Minato muttered, deciding not to pursue.
After checking to ensure Naruto was unharmed, he picked up the boy and began his journey back to Konoha.
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