I simultaneously traverse countless worlds

"Lady Terumi Mei previously told us to focus on protecting ourselves before considering restraining the Three-Tailed Isobu, but now Lady Terumi Mei hasn't requested any support..."

Ao hesitated for a moment before stopping the reinforcements after hearing the elite Jonin's statement. His words were not an excuse; Mei Terumi had repeatedly warned Ao and the others before the battle.

The reason is quite simple: Mei Terumi wants to use this battle with the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, to establish her authority. Otherwise, even if she has managed to suppress those nearly twenty elite Kirigakure ninja on the surface, before she has shown her truly unparalleled strength, it would be a gross underestimation of the village's Kage to expect them to obediently follow her orders and regard Mei Terumi as the Fifth Mizukage.

Why did Danzo Shimura never become Hokage? Besides the fact that he did the dirty work and neglected publicity, making himself and Root universally hated, the most important reason was that Danzo always thought about others going to their deaths so he could eliminate the enemy and become Hokage. He didn't realize that being the Hokage of a village requires taking responsibility, fighting against strong enemies, and demonstrating one's abilities to the entire village's ninja in order to secure the position.

Similarly, if Mei Terumi were to become the Fifth Mizukage, her strength as a Kage-level ninja might not be enough. However, if she were to defeat or even kill the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, under the watchful eyes of these elite Kirigakure ninjas, Anbu ninjas, and many others, then no one in Kirigakure would have any further doubts. Even if Mei Terumi is a female ninja, the rule of the ninja world is that the strong are respected.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of elite Jonin Ao, Suigetsu Hobuki, Kurosuki Raiga, and many Kirigakure ninja, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, who had assimilated into the Three-Tails Isobu form, directly initiated the battle, and the two sides entered a white-hot phase from the very beginning!

Chapter 38 Mei Terumi's Ruthless Move

Boom!

Just as the elite Jonin Ao finished speaking and was watching the battle with the other Mist Ninja, Mei Terumi had already unleashed her killing move. A lava giant over thirty meters tall appeared and suddenly began fighting the Three-Tails, Isobu.

This is naturally not the Susanoo of the Mangekyou Sharingan. It is the S-rank ninjutsu "Lava Colossus" that Mei Terumi developed directly using her own "Lava Release" after being personally taught by Li Mo. It is a sublimation of her bloodline limit "Lava Release", and it is developed to target enemies with huge size, such as war summoning beasts.

The lava giant, seemingly composed of molten lava and barely resembling a human figure, roared silently. The deep red light emanating from it was so intense it made one's mouth dry. The ground near it had already begun to melt into the form of lava, and even some street slabs and building fragments were starting to turn into lava. The Three-Tailed Beast, Isobu, which seemed to have nothing to do with fire, was suddenly grabbed by the lava giant and let out a piercing roar as it struggled frantically and tried to fight back.

The scene gave the strange impression of a chef branding a sea turtle with a red-hot iron. However, the Three-Tailed Isobu, which was actually being held by the lava giant, was screaming in pain. But the Three-Tailed Isobu, which was shaped like a turtle, was not the type that was good at close combat. It was being brutally beaten by the lava giant, which was wrapped in high temperature and lava. It roared and then opened its mouth and condensed a black chakra ball.

Tailed Beast Ball! At this moment, when the Fourth Mizukage Yagura was completely transformed into a Tailed Beast and the battle was fought by the consciousness of the Three-Tails Isobu, it did not hesitate to use this signature move of the Tailed Beast. As for the possibility of damaging the barrier, it did not care at all. It was now staring intently at the Lava Giant, wanting to kill its opponent directly.

As for thinking about anything, neither the Three-Tails Isobu nor the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, who are controlled by the Mangekyou Sharingan's genjutsu, have that ability for the time being. Their only goal is to kill their enemies!

"Don't even think about succeeding!"

Across from the clearly enraged Three-Tailed Isobu, Mei Terumi, who was inside the Lava Giant and sensing the situation outside, controlled the Lava Giant to punch Isobu directly in the chin. A dull thud was heard, and then Isobu's entire body jumped up.

BOOM!

The Tailed Beast Ball, which had not yet been released, exploded directly in its mouth. The physical form of the Three-Tails Isobu, formed from chakra, was clearly badly injured. The head of the Three-Tails Isobu was covered in wounds, and many of the wounds were oozing chakra energy that looked like blood.

For most creatures, unless they are lizards, cockroaches, or other creatures with exceptional survival abilities, such an internal head wound would almost certainly result in extremely serious long-term consequences. However, for the Three-Tails Isobu, as one of the nine tailed beasts in the Naruto world, this kind of injury was not fatal.

As the Lava Giant was furiously beating the Three-Tails Isobu, some of the minor injuries on its head actually showed signs of improvement. If it weren't for the Lava Giant and other enemies, the Three-Tails Isobu could even absorb external chakra to heal its injuries in a short period of time. The reason is that it and the other tailed beasts are energy creatures composed of chakra, and with some of the essence of the Ten-Tails, they are extremely difficult to kill.

At least, the ninjas in the Naruto world, unless they reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths, cannot truly kill a tailed beast. Even if they seal the tailed beast with a sealing technique, the tailed beast, which is almost immortal, can still sleep and wait for the day it breaks free. Not to mention minor things like getting injured.

Therefore, having learned many hidden knowledge about the Tailed Beasts through Li Mo's guidance, Mei Terumi did not consider engaging in a protracted battle with the Three-Tails, Isobu. Otherwise, even a Kage-level powerhouse might be worn down by the opponent. Even if she successfully broke through to the Kage level with the help of the [Seed of the Blazing Sun], and her overall strength was considered strong within the Kage level, it would be foolish for Mei Terumi to rashly use her weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths. It was not something she wanted to do. It would be better to make use of the power advantage that the [Lava Colossus] was best at.

With a thought from Mei Terumi, the lava giant began to furiously beat down the Three-Tails Isobu. The massive lava fists, as large as battering rams, were terrifying when they fell, even smashing holes into the Three-Tails Isobu's hard shell. The wounded and berserk Three-Tails Isobu tried to lash out at the lava giant with its three whip-like tails, but the lava giant completely ignored it, relentlessly unleashing heavy punches upon it. The powerful blows caused the Three-Tails Isobu to scream in agony, thrilling the Mist Ninja watching from afar.

You mean Isobu's counterattack?

Unfortunately, when the three whip-like tails of the Three-Tailed Isobu slammed into the lava giant, they failed to shake the lava giant, which was firmly attached to the ground. Instead, Mei Terumi, controlling the lava giant, seized one of the tails and slammed it down so hard that the Three-Tailed Isobu couldn't defend itself. Moreover, as it approached the lava giant, it was constantly burned by the high temperature of the lava giant and the lava ground that had already appeared. The Three-Tailed Isobu was in increasing pain, and even when it retaliated, it couldn't hurt the lava giant that was frantically attacking.

After all, that Lava Colossus was no mere decoration. Li Mo's guidance to Mei Terumi was spot on. Apart from Mei Terumi, who was controlling it, being its core vulnerability, the Lava Colossus could repair all other damage with chakra. In a sense, it was inspired by the essence of Susanoo and the Tailed Beasts. Its defense and recovery capabilities were outstanding. It could withstand a few attacks from the Three-Tails Isobu without any problem.

When the lava giant unleashed a barrage of ferocious punches, the three-tailed Isobu was left dizzy and disoriented. Mei Terumi, controlling the lava giant, pressed her advantage and easily delivered an over-the-shoulder throw to the three-tailed Isobu, slamming it to the ground and nearly causing a small earthquake!

[The consciousness of the Three-Tailed Isobu I'm facing is somewhat sluggish. Is it the Fourth Mizukage's own consciousness? Unfortunately, it's too late now...]

When she saw the Three-Tailed Isobu lying on its back, trying to turn over by supporting itself with its tail, but then seemingly losing consciousness and falling back down, Mei Terumi, without hesitation, controlled the Lava Giant to deliver a powerful punch, pondered to herself.

As for Mei Terumi, when she learned that the Fourth Mizukage Yagura was being controlled by the enemy using genjutsu, Li Mo told her not to worry too much. He said that the genjutsu of the Mangekyou Sharingan used by the enemy was not enough to completely control a perfect Jinchuriki. He even said that if he were to fight the enemy, he could win without much effort. And now, looking at the actual battle, what Li Mo said was obviously true. The Fourth Mizukage Yagura was not able to exert his full strength at all.

—In fact, Li Mo's guess was completely correct. As the battle progressed, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, showed some signs of waking up from the genjutsu. While the Mangekyou Sharingan's genjutsu ability was powerful, it was impossible to control a perfect Jinchuriki indefinitely. Obito Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan did not possess the Kotoamatsukami genjutsu. He was only able to continue controlling the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, after Madara Uchiha used a genjutsu before his death. However, he was unable to unleash Yagura's true strength in the battle.

Otherwise, given that Obito Uchiha was considered the worst student in Konoha, and that he could still use genjutsu to control a perfect Jinchuriki even with only one Mangekyou Sharingan left, his talent would probably be greater than that of Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha. Unfortunately, Obito Uchiha wasn't that strong, otherwise he wouldn't have been a bad student but a super genius. Besides, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was still struggling with his own consciousness.

In this way, the scales of victory tipped directly in Mei Terumi's favor. Just as the lava giant she controlled knocked the Three-Tailed Isobu to the ground once again and was about to deliver a fatal blow, she discovered that the magatama illusion in the Three-Tailed Isobu's eyes had disappeared. Clearly, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had successfully broken free of the illusion!

"Then, Lord Mizukage, please set off on your journey!"

Seeing that the Three-Tailed Isobu had broken free from the genjutsu control and his eyes had clearly regained their clarity, Mei Terumi's beautiful eyes were devoid of sorrow or joy. The words she spoke in a low voice could probably only be heard by the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, who had just broken free from the Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu, but he was now powerless to fight back.

It wasn't that Mei Terumi insisted on the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, but even if the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was controlled by the enemy's Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu, causing the Blood Mist Plan to be implemented and resulting in the deaths of many Mist Ninja in internal strife, and the fact that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, could be controlled by the enemy's genjutsu, the consequences would naturally fall on him, and his fate was destined to be no good. Moreover, Mei Terumi also vaguely guessed that Li Mo's insistence on her action without hesitation was to help her overcome all obstacles and successfully become the Fifth Mizukage.

With a thought from Mei Terumi, the Lava Giant reached out and transformed into a molten lava sword, piercing directly through the body of the Three-Tails Isobu. The Three-Tails Isobu, struck by this fatal blow, let out a mournful cry before turning into specks of light. The blow was taken by the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. Having just broken free from the genjutsu control of the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, died before he could even utter his last words.

When the Three-Tails Isobu completely disappeared, leaving only the corpse of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, Mei Terumi released the Lava Giant Technique. As all the Kirigakure ninjas cheered upon seeing Mei Terumi appear and the fallen Fourth Mizukage, they were overjoyed!

Chapter 39: Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu Trapped

At the same time that Mei Terumi won, not far from Kirigakure, a figure wearing a one-eyed vortex mask and a fiery cloud robe looked at Kirigakure, snorted coldly, and left. Accompanying him was a black and white strange man dressed in a pitcher plant shape and a fiery cloud robe.

Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu!

The two figures that fit these two images are none other than two Akatsuki members from the original Naruto anime and manga: one is clearly a delusional Uchiha psychopath who has been completely misled, and the other is Otsutsuki Shinobu x Black Zetsu in multiple disguises.

Undoubtedly, Obito Uchiha could sense that he had barely managed to control the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, whose consciousness had been ravaged by Madara Uchiha's genjutsu. However, apart from the time immediately after the Third Shinobi World War and when he was targeting the Mizuki and Hozuki clans, Obito Uchiha had not stayed in the Land of Water at all. He still had the newly established Akatsuki organization and his own secret base to manage.

Even in the Land of Water, Obito Uchiha's main focus was on suppressing the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's own consciousness and carrying out brutal revenge against the Kirigakure ninja who caused the death of his beloved. He didn't do anything like managing Kirigakure at all. In fact, he took advantage of the opportunity to control the Fourth Mizukage Yagura to continuously bleed Kirigakure to replenish his own pockets. At other times, Obito Uchiha was busy with what he considered important matters and had no time to care about the mess in Kirigakure.

However, when he discovered that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, who was under the control of the genjutsu, was showing signs of breaking free, Obito Uchiha, who had rushed to the outskirts of Kirigakure, had no intention of stepping into Kirigakure again. Even after hearing Black Zetsu tell him about the information about Kirigakure that the hidden White Zetsu had gathered, he had no intention of showing up again and simply turned around and left Kirigakure.

Anyone could see that Obito Uchiha had no intention of going to Kirigakure again, which meant that he didn't want to confront Kirigakure at this time. Even with only one Kage-level ninja and a number of elite Kirigakure ninja left, Kirigakure was not to be underestimated!

"Don't you want to try and see if you can control the next generation of Mizukage?"

As Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu left, Black Zetsu, temporarily disguising himself as "Black and White Zetsu," looked at Obito Uchiha walking ahead and asked him in a low voice. He was well aware of the personality of the pawn that Madara Uchiha had chosen, and naturally knew the other party's psychological weaknesses and how to induce him. However, he still had to pretend not to know, while also probing the other party's current psychological state.

"The Hidden Mist Village has noticed something amiss. Controlling the new Mizukage is unlikely, and we have more important matters to attend to..."

On the surface, Obito Uchiha appeared calm in response to Black Zetsu's question, but inwardly he was thinking that if he could control the new Mizukage, he wouldn't have needed Madara Uchiha to use his last bit of power to destroy the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's consciousness in order to be able to use a Mangekyou Sharingan to cast genjutsu and barely control the actions of this perfect Jinchuriki.

In fact, without relying on the Mangekyou Sharingan's space-time jutsu [Kamui], his overall strength, apart from using only one Mangekyou Sharingan to perform genjutsu and the few wood-style ninjutsu he could use, was at most at the level of an elite Jonin or a near-Kage. For example, when he plotted against his teacher Minato Namikaze, he almost failed and only escaped thanks to the [Kamui] ability. Then, by using the cheat method of releasing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he caused his teacher Minato Namikaze to eventually seal the Nine-Tails and die from exhaustion.

In other words, Obito Uchiha is currently unable to control any Kage-level ninja with genjutsu using his own strength, let alone directly face a Kage-level ninja who killed the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, and a group of elite Kirigakure ninja. If his Mangekyou Sharingan's eye technique, Kamui, were discovered, he would probably have no choice but to flee immediately. Otherwise, being killed by a powerful enemy would be a betrayal of his greatest wish.

Hearing Obito Uchiha's righteous lies, Black Zetsu didn't expose him but silently followed. However, before they could leave the Land of Water, when they were quite far from Kirigakure, they were intercepted by Li Mo!

……

"Hey, you two, would you mind staying for a cup of tea?"

Li Mo looked at Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu with a grin, as if greeting an old acquaintance. However, both Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu's expressions darkened. Neither of them had noticed Li Mo before they saw him.

This is definitely a very novel experience for ninjas. You have to know that ninjas are a combat profession with high attack, high speed and low defense. Scouting enemy intelligence is their top priority (at least before the Fourth Shinobi World War, before those god-like powerhouses appeared). Unless you are a carefree guy like Naruto Uzumaki, ninjas have excellent observation skills. Ninjas who have experienced the baptism of blood and fire will pay more attention to their surroundings.

However, before hearing Li Mo's voice, neither Obito Uchiha nor Black Zetsu noticed anyone standing in front of them. Even now, seeing Li Mo, they didn't notice anything unusual. They couldn't even detect his presence when they turned their heads. What was going on?

"..."

Seeing Li Mo's grinning expression, Obito Uchiha's face darkened and looked particularly ugly. He couldn't help but glance at Black Zetsu beside him. The look in Black Zetsu's eyes, with only one eye showing, clearly contained dissatisfaction and doubt.

Black Zetsu felt aggrieved by Obito Uchiha's dissatisfaction and doubts, just like the White Zetsu, as it had failed to sense Li Mo's presence.

Not to mention those ordinary White Zetsu whose combat power is probably only similar to that of an ordinary Chunin, aside from the [Mayfly Technique], even this product created by Kaguya Otsutsuki using [Yin-Yang Release] did not sense anything unusual.

When Black Zetsu realized this, he felt it was somewhat absurd.

Just kidding, it's a special existence created by Kaguya Otsutsuki using Yin-Yang Release. In essence, it's somewhat similar to the Ten-Tails. Even if it doesn't have much combat power, its ability to conceal itself is off the charts.

Even the Sage of Six Paths and his brother, who were both at the Six Paths level and possessed great strength, did not realize that when their mother sealed Kaguya Otsutsuki, she used Yin-Yang Release to create Black Zetsu at the very end of her sealing process. Black Zetsu, who had no combat ability (at least not at the Kage level to the Six Paths level), was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the Otsutsuki brothers, Hamura and Hagoromo, to die one after the other, in order to devise a plan to unseal Kaguya Otsutsuki.

For the past thousand years, Black Zetsu has acted with extreme caution, including plotting around the reincarnations of the souls of Indra and Ashura throughout the ages, yet he has not been discovered by those reincarnations of Indra and Ashura who have grown to at least Kage level. Even White Zetsu has rarely been discovered by those Kage-level powerhouses, and when they do encounter him, he quickly self-destructs.

Now, looking at Li Mo, whose strength was completely unfathomable and whose situation was unknown, Black Zetsu felt a strange fear for the first time. The dissatisfaction of Uchiha Obito was completely unimportant to Black Zetsu!

"Hmm, it seems the two of you are a little reluctant to stay!"

Seeing that Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu did not intend to answer, Li Mo, who had spent a lot of time specifically staking out the area around Kirigakure to catch Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu, who were difficult even for the Shadow Soldiers to track, raised an eyebrow and suppressed his smile, a hint of malice in his eyes.

Previously, Li Mo did not take action against Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu simply because Madara Uchiha was still alive and Li Mo's own strength was insufficient. However, the current situation is completely different, and he is naturally prepared to eliminate these two unstable factors!

……

"Let's withdraw!"

Upon hearing Li Mo's words, Obito Uchiha's first reaction was not to confront him head-on, but rather to honestly choose to retreat immediately, completely refusing to stay and engage in a life-or-death battle with this seemingly intimidating guy.

Just kidding. While the corrupted Obito Uchiha was indeed despicable and cruel, showing no mercy to his teacher Minato Namikaze and the Hidden Mist Village, he was still aware that his actions were all for the purpose of creating a peaceful world where his ideal world resided. For this, he was willing to kill any enemy who stood in his way. However, this absolutely did not include inexplicably fighting with powerful figures he had no connection with.

—Well, to put it more simply, Obito Uchiha felt a sense of fear. He couldn't figure out Li Mo at all, even Black Zetsu, who controlled many White Zetsu and had a deep understanding of the various forces in the ninja world, couldn't say anything about Li Mo. Obito Uchiha, who felt a strong sense of unease and fear rising in his heart, naturally did not intend to engage in a strange life-or-death battle with the other party, and did not even intend to use the disguise of Madara Uchiha.

To be honest, Obito Uchiha still had some idea of ​​what was going on. He impersonated Madara Uchiha to use Madara's name to intimidate those powerful people whose backgrounds were unknown. However, looking at this unknown enemy whose background was completely unknown, he didn't think the other party would be intimidated. Naturally, he was prepared to retreat immediately. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time to fight to the death with an enemy whose background was unknown and who was strange and inexplicable.

Unfortunately, while Obito Uchiha's idea was not wrong, both he and Black Zetsu discovered in the next second that their Kamui or Ephemeral Technique were completely useless, and the surrounding environment seemed to have formed a special cage!

Chapter 40 Killing two birds with one stone

"Damn it, what's going on?!"

Seeing that he couldn't successfully use Kamui, Obito Uchiha couldn't help but voice his doubts. Moreover, Black Zetsu, who was disguised as Black and White Zetsu, looked particularly ugly.

Just kidding. Obito Uchiha was quite aware of his own strength. Without relying on the Mangekyou Sharingan's eye technique [Kamui], it's questionable whether he could even defeat some senior elite Jonin based on his overall strength. He was basically no match for quasi-Kage level experts, and would be suicide in front of Kage level powerhouses.

Black Zetsu's strength is not considered great either. At least it doesn't use underhanded tactics. An elite Jonin could probably defeat Black Zetsu in a head-on confrontation. If Black Zetsu wanted to hide itself, probably very few people in the ninja world could find its whereabouts.

This is the key reason why Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu could cause so much trouble in the ninja world, yet few people knew their true identities, and even Konoha Village couldn't confirm them.

However, the failure of the Mangekyou Sharingan eye technique [Kamui], which he used to rely on, was a significant blow to Obito Uchiha's mentality. Black Zetsu also felt increasingly uneasy, as he had never expected to encounter such a powerful enemy.

"Well, it's not a good idea for you two to leave without saying goodbye!"

Seeing Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu's unfortunate attempts to escape the Shadow World but failing miserably, Li Mo, who had anticipated their possible escape, wore a particularly sinister smile. As he walked towards the two targets, he issued his final announcement: "However, I will forgive you this time. I'll make you my test subjects!"

As for Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu, Li Mo had naturally considered how to deal with the two guys. However, he had never considered subduing them like Mei Terumi and Tsunade. Not only did he not particularly like either of them, but their value alone made him eager to try.

The Uchiha clan bloodline that has awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan is extremely rare, even in the Naruto world. Moreover, Obito Uchiha awakened the space-time ability [Kamui], making it incredibly valuable. Even Li Mo felt that this pair of Mangekyou Sharingan was very valuable. As for Black Zetsu, there's no need to say more. As for the existing creation of Kaguya Otsutsuki that can be found without causing too much trouble, Li Mo really wanted to explore its life essence.

These two goals were things that Li Mo had listed as key targets to focus on after he reached the Six Paths level and began to fully digest the other Li Mo powers he obtained from the [White Mist Space]. He first went to Konoha Village and captured the girls from Kumogakure Village, then returned to the Rainbow Country with Tsunade and the others, and then went to Kirigakure Village. Otherwise, the action against Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu would probably have already been put on the agenda.

Now, Li Mo was waiting in Kirigakure to ambush Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu. It was a perfect opportunity for him to kill two birds with one stone, and he was naturally not going to let his targets, Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu, go.

"Sure, let's attack together and kill him!"

At this moment, Obito Uchiha could no longer contain his anger and gave an order to Black Zetsu without hesitation. At the same time, he glared at Li Mo with his Mangekyou Sharingan and activated his Mangekyou Sharingan technique, Kamui, once again.

Stab~!

Li Mo's figure and the surrounding space were distorted by the power of [Kamui]. However, before Obito Uchiha could even smile at the face hidden by the vortex mask, he suddenly saw Li Mo's figure disappear like a bubble.