Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 345 Otsutsuki Isshiki's Escape Fails

When the Land of Iron was once again shrouded in smoke that reached the horizon, a dazzling pillar of light rose from the Land of Fire.

The Fifth Hokage, Natsume, clasped his wrists together and placed them on his right hip. His chakra surged forth, transforming into a power that Isshiki Otsutsuki had never seen before, a life force that seemed to be possessed by all living beings.

The power system has been changed, so there are no hand seals anymore; only the accumulation of new power.

When even Isshiki Otsutsuki felt fear, Xia Zuo pushed his hands upwards.

Kamehameha Impact

The powerful gas transformed into a golden pillar of light, propelling a massive energy blast toward the fire meteor that had destroyed the nation.

In the span of just two breaths, the energy blast collided with the fire meteor, and the resulting shockwave dispersed the burning flames and slowed the fire meteor down.

After a brief stalemate, the Kamehameha's energy blast pierced through the outer shell of the fire meteorite, and under Xia Zuo's control, it detonated all the energy at its core, shattering the massive meteorite into a shower of meteors.

The explosion shattered the meteorite into pieces. The smaller fragments burned up in mid-air, while the larger fragments might be able to land, but their power would be enough to destroy a house at most, so it could hardly be called a disaster.

Moreover, the debris will spread out completely due to the explosion, and the impact points will be spread throughout the entire ninja world. No more than three debris points will appear within a hundred kilometers, and the vast majority will land in uninhabited wilderness.

In such circumstances, if someone still dies from falling meteorite fragments, it can only be said that fate has decreed their demise; no wonder the Fifth Hokage, Natsume, died.

Xia Zuo was naturally very satisfied with the attack effect of the [Kamehameha Shockwave].

He was more satisfied with his skill in converting chakra into ki, which meant that he had opened up channels for the conversion of various extraordinary energies.

If they continue their research, Xia Zuo and his ilk will eventually achieve the unification of extraordinary energy and will no longer be limited by the power system.

Xia Zuo was very satisfied with the [Kamehameha Shockwave], but he felt terrible, or rather, horrified, about Otsutsuki Isshiki.

This wasn't the first time he had encountered a power that didn't belong to chakra.

When Kaguya Otsutsuki and he first descended upon the ninja world, it was still in an era of natural energy, ruled by countless giant beasts.

Natural energy is violent and untamed. It is very difficult to absorb natural energy and it is easy to lose one's mind and become a mindless beast driven by instinct.

The combat power of the unintelligent giant beasts is not high. The number of intelligent giant beasts is extremely small. Although their combat power is not weak, it is still not as strong as that of the Otsutsuki clan.

Led by Kaguya, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki fought a fierce battle, wiping out all the intelligent giant beasts and causing the mindless giant beasts to flee in terror.

Only then could the two Otsutsuki plant the Divine Tree, which would draw upon natural energy to release chakra, fundamentally transforming the extraordinary environment of the ninja world.

The giant beasts naturally became extinct as natural energy was replaced by chakra.

Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had done similar things more than once and had a wealth of experience in this area.

But it was precisely because of his extensive experience that he felt an unprecedented shock when he saw Xia Zuo use Qi.

Qi is clearly a variant of life force, and theoretically any living organism possesses it, even the smallest fungus; it is an unparalleled force in terms of its pervasiveness.

This omnipresent power, however, displayed terrifying might in Xia Zuo's hands, far surpassing chakra in terms of offensive power.

Otsutsuki Isshiki could even sense that the potential of ki was far beyond what Shaza had shown, and that it possessed limitless possibilities in terms of offensive power.

Xia Zuo turned to look at Otsutsuki Isshiki, amused by his shocked expression: "What did you see that made you so scared?"

Upon hearing this, Otsutsuki Isshiki regained his serious demeanor and bowed his head, saying, "Fifth Hokage Natsuzo, if you relinquish the power you just used, I am willing to recommend you to become a true member of the Otsutsuki clan."

Xia Zuo was taken aback by what he said, then burst into laughter: "Haha, that's ridiculous! Why would I recommend myself to become a true member of the Otsutsuki clan?"

"Is the goal to spend years traveling through the universe, supplying chakra fruits to the king of the Otsutsuki clan?"

"Is the goal to be used as consumables by high-ranking Otsutsuki, readily turned into pills and consumed, then revived by using the Karma seal when needed?"

"I know that becoming a member of the Otsutsuki clan grants immortality and endless life, but is being a slave with an infinite lifespan, a slave who can be eaten or abandoned at any time, something that intelligent beings desire?"

Xia Zuo's words were very straightforward, but strangely, Otsutsuki Isshiki couldn't understand them.

Instead, he frowned and asked, "To be consumed by a high-ranking being, to collect chakra fruits for the supreme Otsutsuki King—what a noble honor that is! Why do you think there's a problem with it?"

"Furthermore, how do you know information about my Otsutsuki clan?"

Xia Zuo frowned and said, "Being eaten, abandoned, and given nothing in return is glory? Otsutsuki Isshiki, are you serious?"

Ōtsutsuki Isshiki asked with a grim face, "You should be grateful for the opportunity to elevate the rank of such a lowly race as yourself. Moreover, as a member of a lowly race, you must first answer my question!"

Xia Zuo understood. The Otsutsuki clan was indeed a strictly hierarchical race, and the hierarchy seemed to have become an ingrained part of their minds, which they took for granted.

Being eaten by a high-ranking Otsutsuki, dying for a higher-ranking being, and giving up eternal life are all justifiable and glorious.

It is an unparalleled honor to collect chakra fruits for the supreme Otsutsuki King throughout the universe.

Therefore, Otsutsuki Isshiki believed that offering Xia Zuo the opportunity to become a member of the Otsutsuki clan was the highest level of temptation he could offer.

Xia Zuo even figured out a question: Why didn't Otsutsuki Isshiki run away when he clearly saw how strong he was?

The reason is that Otsutsuki Isshiki believed that he had offered the greatest benefit, and the Fifth Hokage, Natsuzo, would surely accept it with gratitude and willingly become his loyal subordinate.

He was about to subdue Xia Zuo, so why did he run away?

This is the most obvious characteristic of the ideological imprint, and also the biggest problem.

On obvious issues, when facts conflict with the stamped perceptions, people tend to ignore the facts, disregard blatant logical fallacies, and make ridiculous judgments.

Xia Zuo stopped talking, raised his hand and aimed it at Otsutsuki Isshiki, activating [Magnetic Control - Magnetization], instantly turning Otsutsuki Isshiki into a super magnet.

Otsutsuki Isshiki reacted extremely quickly, immediately activating his Dark Eye and unleashing [Daikokuten] to retrieve a divine artifact and launch an attack on Xia Zuo.

But as soon as the artifact was taken out, it was attracted by a powerful magnetic force, broke free from the control of Isshiki Otsutsuki, and entered his body.

Xia Zuo and Otsutsuki Isshiki were both stunned. Then, the two disappeared from their original spots at the same time, and a violent air explosion and the sound of dense, indistinguishable flesh collisions erupted in the air.

At high speed, Otsutsuki Isshiki displayed amazing skills, escaping from the attraction and restraint of the magnetic force, and launched an attack on Shaza as if he were completely unharmed.

Xia Zuo initially succeeded using Wood Release and Swift Release, so he was no stranger to high-speed combat. As he mastered the Byakugan and Rinnegan, he became even more adept at high-speed combat.

The two fought fiercely, but Xia Zuo unexpectedly found himself at a disadvantage.

Despite being injured and slower, Otsutsuki Isshiki managed to strike back with his flawless punches and kicks and accurate predictions.

Xia Zuo felt as if he had encountered a master of the Dugu Nine Swords. All his movements were predicted by the opponent, and he was forced to change his moves halfway through each fight, which made him feel very frustrated.

Xia Zuo knew that the worst thing in a battle was to be on the defensive. Since he was no match for his opponent in terms of fists and feet, he suddenly opened his Nine-Tomoe Wheel Eye and unleashed terrifying eye power. He used the force of Mount Tai to drive away Otsutsuki Isshiki.

He watched as Otsutsuki Isshiki gracefully retreated, only then realizing that he had cleared his super-magnetic state, and even the wounds caused by the divine weapon had healed.

No wonder this guy Yi Shi is getting fiercer and fiercer; he's really hard to deal with.

In fact, Isshiki Otsutsuki is really strong. Compared to Black Zetsu, this guy residing in the body of the monk Jigen is the most deeply hidden ghost in the ninja world.

He witnessed firsthand Kaguya Otsutsuki swallowing the Chakra Fruit and achieving "Bloodline Limits," as well as the birth of the Otsutsuki brothers, Hagoromo and Hamura, and their betrayal and sealing of Kaguya under Gamamaru's guidance.

He even participated in the Ninja Cult founded by Hagoromo Otsutsuki, shared a lot of the chakra that once belonged to Kaguya Otsutsuki, and witnessed the millennia-long conflict between the brothers Indra and Ashura.

The wars of the Warring States period, the establishment of ninja villages, and the three Shinobi World Wars—Otsutsuki Isshiki was both an observer and a participant in different roles.

He silently observed all the changes in the ninja world.

Kaguya Otsutsuki and Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, both had a far too high and distant understanding of the ninja world compared to Isshiki Otsutsuki, who delved deep into the inner workings of the ninja world.

Otsutsuki Isshiki didn't really want to do this either, because he was an Otsutsuki with a mental imprint, and was born to regard humans as inferior life forms.

But he had no choice.

He lost half of his body in a sneak attack by Kaguya Otsutsuki and was hunted by her for over a thousand years without any chance to recover.

After Kaguya was finally sealed away, Jigen, who was residing in Isshiki Otsutsuki, was already highly bound to him and had exhausted his lifespan.

In order to repair his body, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki devoted all his strength and spent hundreds of years to barely repair Jigen's body.

During this period, he could not use the power of the Otsutsuki clan and could only live like a human.

For Isshiki Otsutsuki, this was a tremendous insult, like a human being forced to live in an anthill.

But this humiliation also brought unexpected gains. By delving deeply into human society, Otsutsuki Isshiki learned everything about the ninja world, including the origins of ninjas and the various ninjutsu they had developed over the millennia.

This resulted in Isshiki Otsutsuki's combat skills far surpassing Kaguya Otsutsuki's, second only to Madara Uchiha, the strongest ninja who emerged from life-or-death battles.

In the original timeline, Isshiki Otsutsuki, controlling Jigen's body which was unable to sustain combat for long, easily defeated the "Six Paths level" Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha by relying on simple eye techniques and taijutsu.

In that battle, Isshiki Otsutsuki, despite being outnumbered, managed to seal Naruto Uzumaki on the spot and forced Sasuke Uchiha to flee with injuries.

Unlike Momoshiki and Kinshiki Otsutsuki, who attacked Konoha and used the village as a threat to restrain Naruto Uzumaki before finally capturing him alive.

If Isshiki Otsutsuki had used a normal body instead of Jigen's body, which was on the verge of collapse and required him to infuse chakra before each battle, Sasuke Uchiha would have died on the spot.

Unfortunately, Xia Zuo was a ninja who excelled at strategizing and defeated enemies with great strength, but whose combat skills were actually quite average.

Therefore, he was at a disadvantage in the most skill-intensive close-quarters combat.

Fortunately, Xia Zuo's strength far surpassed that of Otsutsuki Isshiki. After forcing him to retreat a certain distance, Xia Zuo could do whatever he wanted to him.

As a powerful being at the peak of the Six Paths level, Xia Zuo does not need to use Six Paths level techniques. Every bloodline limit technique he uses possesses the power of the Six Paths level.

【Storm Release: Hundred Styles: Light Fang】

Not only were there thousands of Koga, but they also freely intertwined into a net, trapping Otsutsuki Isshiki in a net-like attack. Under continuous assault, they even broke off his single horn.

【Magnetic Escape - Sandstorm】

The swirling storm intensified its winds by a full five levels, whipping up even more sand. The sand also acquired a more violent magnetic force, which generated static electricity through friction, pinning Ōtsutsuki Isshiki firmly to the ground.

Ice Release: Freezing Arrow

The crystalline ice arrows mixed in with the sandstorm did not directly hit Ōtsutsuki Isshiki; they merely grazed him at close range. The spreading freezing air caused Ōtsutsuki Isshiki to lose an arm.

The arm wasn't frozen solid; it froze into ice powder on the spot, leaving no chance of saving it.

【Burning Escape - Fat Remnant Wind Disaster】

An invisible, intangible dry wind silently enveloped Isshiki Otsutsuki. By the time he realized something was wrong, his entire body had lost all moisture at the molecular level.

Dehydration and drying at the molecular level are two completely different concepts. The latter simply means becoming dry, while the former changes the properties of the substance.

Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's skin instantly turned to powder, revealing the white fascia and muscles beneath, and the resulting pain was unimaginable.

Seeing the screaming Otsutsuki Isshiki, Xia Zuo smiled coldly: "I've noticed that your strength has been declining since the start of the battle. It seems your body is a sieve, unable to retain chakra at all."

"I couldn't help but wonder, is the secret technique of [Netherworld Release] your absolute nemesis?"

Otsutsuki Isshiki's eyes widened suddenly. He abruptly raised his hand, almost emptying all his chakra, and opened a black circular portal behind him.

But Xia Zuo was faster, using [Netherworld Release: Cold Silence] a step ahead.

The portal collapsed before it could fully open, as all the chakra was drained.

At the same time, Isshiki Otsutsuki's hope of escape also collapsed.

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