Feeling the chill of death at his back, Yujin flung shuriken and kunai behind him without aim.
After summoning Rashōmon, his chakra was nearly drained.
If he still had his two kagune active, he might have been able to keep up a fight.
Unfortunately, for the sake of long-term growth, both his Feather Kagune and Tail Kagune had been extracted and sealed away in jars by Orochimaru — waiting to be mass-produced later.
All he had left now was his close-combat ability, reinforced by Observation Haki — the power of perception.
Sadly, his pursuer was a Water Mask creature that specialized in long-range attacks.
It didn't give him a single chance to close the distance.
Water jutsu after water jutsu flew like they cost nothing, and twice already Yu had barely dodged death.
Now, he was running out of time.
A powerful water cannon forced him into a dead corner.
Panting heavily, his body trembling, he could feel the last drops of chakra fading away.
"Before I die… can I at least unlock my second-stage Gene Lock?" he muttered bitterly.
Just as the roaring water cannon was about to hit him—
A deep voice echoed from his side.
"Wood Release: Wooden Wall!"
Thick wooden barriers surged up around him, enclosing him in their dark protection.
Uchiha Yujin let out a long sigh of relief.
Someone from Konoha had arrived. He was saved.
A masked man stepped forward and introduced himself calmly.
"I'm Yamato from the Anbu of Konoha. That monster chasing you — is it one of Orochimaru's summons?"
Hearing that, Yujin couldn't help but think to himself that he had truly chosen the right ninjutsu to learn.
The Third Hokage must have seen the Rashōmon appear near the village and sent the Anbu in full force, preparing to capture his rogue disciple — Orochimaru.
"Wood Release: Tree-Binding Eternal Burial!"
With Yamato's hands clasped together, the surrounding trees seemed to answer his call.
Thick roots burst from the ground like living serpents, slithering toward the Four-Pillar Prison with a hiss.
The Earth Grudge Fear's Water-style monster refused to give in.
It gathered chakra and spat out a torrent of high-pressure water from its gaping maw, blasting straight at a weak point in the wooden prison.
Yamato's eyes sharpened.
His hands blurred through a new sequence of hand seals.
"Wood Release: Piercing Technique!"
Countless sharp wooden spikes shot from all directions, raining down upon the Water-style monster.
Some spikes pierced through its watery defense, stabbing deep into its body and forcing its attack to falter.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison!"
Yamato slammed both palms to the ground.
Four massive wooden pillars erupted from the earth, growing and twisting at incredible speed until they intertwined and sealed shut—forming an unbreakable cage around the struggling monster.
The wooden prison radiated a powerful life force, humming with chakra so dense it filled the air.
The Water-style Mask thrashed wildly inside, hurling waves and jets of water at the wooden walls.
But the pillars only trembled faintly—without a single crack.
In fact, the Wood Release seemed to absorb chakra from within.
Before long, the Mask's movements slowed… until it fell completely still, as if drifting into sleep.
Yamato turned toward Uchiha Yujin, his expression serious.
"I'm heading to help Guy-sensei at the other battlefield," he said firmly.
"You stay here. Don't act on your own—and especially don't touch the seal tags on this wooden structure. They contain a special sealing jutsu. If they're damaged… the monster could escape."
Uchiha Yujin nodded quickly, showing he understood.
But the moment Yamato turned and disappeared into the forest—Yujin's eyes began to flicker with a strange gleam.
Inside the dim, eerie prison, the air grew heavy, thick with a chilling aura.
From the shadows, a pair of blood-red eyes glowed—twisted and wild.
Uchiha Yujin held a kunai in his hand, his lips curved into an unnerving smile.
Excitement distorted his features, turning them almost monstrous.
Then, with unnerving focus, he began sewing the black threads—one by one—into the flesh of his own left shoulder.
Each stitch carried a look of madness in his eyes.
As if he were performing some sacred, forbidden ritual.
Every time he threaded the needle, his eyes revealed a hint of madness, as if he were performing an incredibly sacred ritual.
The pain was real!
But the pleasure was real too!
Every stitch was a huge boost for him.
After a long while, he finally used every ounce of strength he had to successfully sew all the black threads into his left shoulder.
Once it was done, he let out a satisfied breath and quickly ran out of the Four Pillars Prison.
Outside the prison gates, he calmly and skillfully reattached the Seal Tag to the door. His technique was so practiced it almost seemed suspicious.
Immediately after, Uchiha Yujin transformed as if into another person, switching to a vacant, dazed expression.
He crouched to the side, pretending to rest casually.
But the slight trembling of his fingers and the occasional flicker of strange light in his eyes betrayed the turmoil within.
Another Mask!
When Uchiha Yujin synced the Mask to all worlds' Yujin, every Yujin went wild with excitement!
Each mask of the Earth Grudge Fear represented a heart, capable of taking a blow that would otherwise kill its original owner.
Resisting fatal damage was just one of the Mask Monster's abilities.
And the Mask Monster itself was no weakling. With its nearly endless chakra and mastery of one of the five chakra nature ninjutsu, most people were no match for it.
Especially since this was a Water-Style Earth Grudge Fear Mask!
Uchiha Yujin and Pirate Yujin desired water-style techniques more than anything.
Uchiha Yujin had never been able to compare to Itachi in Fire-Style techniques.
But now, with the assistance of the Water-Style Earth Grudge Fear…
The fire techniques of the evil Uchiha clan would dissolve under this water cannon!
Pirate Yujin exclaimed, "Amazing! The Lord God Yujin must have been stunned when he got the sync."
Marvel Yujin said, "You are my God!"
——————
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Several large dogs suddenly appeared behind Uchiha Yujin. He turned around and instantly relaxed.
Even in over seven hundred episodes of Naruto, while others studied tattoos and eyes, they were studying how to merge with dogs—the Inuzuka Clan.
The trio of the elderly Ino-Shika-Cho trio had also arrived on the battlefield.
Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, the Inuzuka, the ANBU, and even Might Guy.
At this rate, Kakuzu would most likely be left behind.
Time passed.
The forest had been devastated, more than half of it destroyed.
A few battered figures dragged Kakuzu, who had been repeatedly restrained by the trio, into view of Uchiha Yujin.
Seeing that Kimimaro was nowhere among the crowd, Uchiha Yujin let out a relieved sigh.
Yamato quickly moved over and placed a hand on the outer shell of the Four Pillar Prison.
"Get ready!" he said to Nara Shikaku.
Shikaku nodded, pressing his hands together.
The secret technique of the Nara clan—the Shadow Imitation Jutsu—was activated!
The moment the shadows appeared, Yamato canceled the continuous effect of the Four Pillar Prison.
The result, of course, was… empty air.
"Did he escape?"
At this point, the people of Konoha had no idea what Earth Grudge Fear—or the Cursed Seal of Heaven—was. They didn't pay it any mind.
Yamato approached Uchiha Yujin.
"Sorry for the trouble! Escaping from both the Akatsuki and Orochimaru's double trap… you really are a genius of the Uchiha clan!"
****
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