The three exchanged glances, each seeing the fear reflected in the others' eyes.
It was instinct.
The man before them, Shigure, was an existence far beyond reason, a monster in the truest sense. Even their clan leader might not be his match.
The oppressive presence he had displayed earlier still lingered in their minds. Facing such an opponent head-on was not a wise decision.
But at this point, retreat without a fight was no longer an option.
"Bastard!"
"He's just a half-blood. Relying on the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths to gain some strength, and he dares to look down on us, the pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki!"
Shigure found that somewhat amusing.
"So you take pride in being part of the Ōtsutsuki clan?"
"I don't understand. What exactly is there to be proud of?"
"If you truly had that kind of pride, would you still invade the ninja world?"
The three fell silent, their expressions darkening as they stared at him.
"Attack!"
One of them suddenly shouted and charged forward.
The chakra of the Rinnegan erupted from his body as he threw a punch straight at Shigure.
Shigure narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing the fluctuation in the opponent's fist.
Rinnegan chakra.
It was indeed different, but not incomprehensible. To others, it might seem mysterious, but to him, it was nothing more than chakra imbued with a portion of Six Paths power.
As the attack reached him, Shigure simply raised a finger.
Tap.
With a single point, he stopped the incoming punch completely.
In an instant, both the Konoha shinobi and the Ōtsutsuki clan members were stunned.
"He… blocked it with one finger?"
Shigure's casual demeanor made it even more unbelievable.
"So that's how it works… Rinnegan chakra."
A glint of interest flashed in his eyes.
If that was the case, then the Rinnegan was something worth taking.
His expression sharpened.
"I won't hold back when it comes to this power."
"ROOM."
The spatial field expanded instantly, enveloping all three of them.
"Shambles."
Their positions shifted in an instant.
One of the Ōtsutsuki suddenly appeared right in front of Shigure, completely caught off guard.
Shigure drove a punch straight into his abdomen.
Even with Rinnegan chakra protecting him, the man was not killed instantly.
But in the next moment, Shigure raised his hand. Flowing water condensed into a sharp blade, coated with Haki, and pierced forward.
The blade sliced cleanly through his neck.
Blood sprayed into the air.
A chill ran down the spines of every remaining Ōtsutsuki.
"The first."
Shigure turned his gaze to the second.
The moment their eyes met, the man's face twisted in terror as he turned to flee.
"Running?"
"Do you really think you can escape?"
Shigure waved his hand.
A massive stone formation surged from the side and slammed directly into the fleeing Ōtsutsuki.
Boom!
Even with Rinnegan chakra cushioning the blow, the impact left him disoriented.
Before he could recover, Shigure appeared in front of him, grabbed his throat, and twisted.
Crack.
His neck snapped instantly.
"Gluttony."
A black, viscous substance surged out, wrapping around the corpse and devouring it completely.
The other fallen Ōtsutsuki was also consumed.
In the blink of an eye, two Ōtsutsuki had been devoured.
Shigure felt a change in his eyes.
[Great Sage: Congratulations. You have obtained the Byakugan bloodline. Fusion in progress.]
[Great Sage: Congratulations. You have obtained the Crimson Eye.]
The Crimson Eye evolved further, transforming into a Reincarnation Crimson Eye.
Interesting.
Now Shigure possessed multiple dōjutsu, the Rinnegan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, the Crimson Eye, and the Byakugan.
As they fused together, his ocular power became even more terrifying.
The newly enhanced perception made the world itself feel clearer to him.
It was as if he could now see the very essence of things at a glance.
"No… no! Don't kill me!"
The last remaining Ōtsutsuki stared at Shigure, his face filled with terror.
Shigure only smiled.
He raised his hand, and the black substance surged out once more, instantly engulfing the man.
This scene left both the shinobi of Konohagakure and the Hidden Mist completely stunned.
What exactly was Shigure doing?
What was that black substance?
It had swallowed the enemy whole without leaving a trace.
Even the Mist shinobi, who followed him, had never seen such an ability before. An inexplicable chill rose in their hearts.
With the third Ōtsutsuki devoured, the remaining clan members were utterly shaken.
Compared to Shigure, their strength felt insignificant.
They could not comprehend how someone could be this terrifying.
"Run!"
"Retreat!"
The remaining Ōtsutsuki immediately chose to flee.
Shigure glanced at them, then withdrew his gaze.
If they wanted to escape, then so be it.
Stopping them served no purpose. Devouring them would not bring him much benefit either. Their power was too insignificant to matter.
Right now, his interest lay elsewhere.
The Rinnegan.
Shigure looked toward its source, then vanished instantly.
In the next moment, he appeared inside a peculiar structure.
The building was clearly not native to the ninja world. It had likely been transported directly from the moon.
Pushing open the gate, Shigure stepped inside.
At the center stood a massive, golden Rinnegan.
The moment he saw it, he could feel the overwhelming fluctuations of Six Paths power emanating from it.
So powerful.
With such dense Six Paths chakra, it was no wonder the Ōtsutsuki possessed such strength.
A faint light flickered in Shigure's eyes.
"Gluttony. Begin devouring."
[Great Sage: Estimated time required for devouring… 24 hours.]
Shigure frowned slightly.
Twenty-four hours was not a short time.
After a brief pause, he spoke calmly.
"Jūgo, take your men and surround this place."
"I don't want anyone disturbing me for the next twenty-four hours."
"I'll be studying this."
Outside, Jūgo was momentarily stunned before nodding firmly.
"Yes, Lord Mizukage."
He did not understand what Shigure intended to do, but he had absolute faith in him.
"The remaining Ōtsutsuki can be ignored. Let them escape."
"Yes!"
(End of Chapter)
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