Inside Kara's Alternate Dimension, the sound of mahjong being played could be heard.
To ambush Isshiki, four Shadow Clones of Shun sat around a stone table, playing mahjong.
"Self-drawn. Seven pairs. Hand over the Chakra chips."
A Shadow Clone, holding a "Red Dragon" tile, lightly tapped the stone table with his fingertip, a hint of smugness in his tone.
"Even though we're all Shadow Clones, this guy is really spooky. He's won several rounds in a row. Could it be that his seat has better luck?"
Suddenly, a black spatial gate appeared in the sky.
The next second, a subtle spatial ripple emerged in the void, and Isshiki slowly stepped out.
He wore a white long-sleeved tailcoat with red tomoe patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and loose black pants draped down, conveniently covering his bare feet.
He looked down at the empty God tree sapling, frowning slightly, but his tone remained calm. "My God tree sapling... I wonder which 'friend' has taken care of it for me?"
His gaze swept over the mahjong-playing Shadow Clones, and as he teleported beside the stone table, his palm gently rested on a Shadow Clone's shoulder. Instantly, that Shadow Clone was crushed.
A polite yet cold curve formed on his lips. "No wonder you could get here. I heard before that the Uchiha clan produced an anomaly. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary... Shun."
Inside the Land of Snow's royal palace, Shun was rubbing Koyuki, doing aerobics together.
Feeling the images transmitted by his Shadow Clone, he was a bit annoyed, but he could only stop.
He put on his clothes and said gently, "Koyuki, I have an urgent matter to attend to. Get some rest early."
Koyuki covered herself with the quilt with both hands. "Okay, Shun, please be careful."
Shun smiled slightly, opened a black spatial gate, and instantly vanished.
Inside Kara's Alternate Dimension, Isshiki played with the Chakra chips, the hem of his white tailcoat forming an elegant arc as he turned.
He was not at all surprised to see Shun appear. He activated his Byakugan, as if appraising a rare treasure.
"Shun, I've heard much about you, it's a rare pleasure to finally meet you today."
He paused, the chip between his fingertips gently spinning. "Before, I only heard that your strength was extraordinary, but I never expected that you would revert to an Ōtsutsuki. This is a wild Ōtsutsuki, a once-in-a-millennium occurrence, even more suitable for feeding the God tree than the carefully cultivated descendants within the clan."
Shun slowly raised his eyes, and a golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan suddenly lit up in his gaze, his surrounding aura spreading out like a tide.
"Isshiki, you have good eyesight. However, the word 'wild' is too vulgar. It would be better to say I am a 'naturally born' powerhouse."
When he saw the golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan, Isshiki's eyes showed a hint of pleasant surprise, like a collector seeing a long-sought-after treasure. He put away the chips in his hand, his fingertips gently smoothing the wrinkles on his tailcoat.
"What a tremendous surprise. You actually managed to develop a golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan. This is something only the top geniuses of the Otsutsuki clan can achieve. If the God tree sapling devours your body, it will surely bear a powerful fruit."
He raised his hand and condensed a black rod in his palm.
"It's been over a thousand years. The God tree can finally get a suitable nourishment. If you are willing to cooperate, I will let you go without pain, becoming part of the God tree in the most dignified way."
Shun chuckled, a faint golden Chakra cloak condensing around him. "You want to feed me to the God tree? Actually, I feel the same way. Let's see who is superior."
The surprise in Isshiki's eyes instantly faded, leaving only cold arrogance.
He lightly tapped the ground with his bare feet, quietly activating his "Karma Stage One" state. Faint black patterns appeared around his body.
Isshiki coldly said, "You do have some strength, but unfortunately, you've used it in the wrong place."
He lightly flicked his wrists, and several black rods were suddenly shrunk by Sukunahikona into hair-thin forms, silently shooting towards Shun.
His offensive movements were very clean, without any superfluous actions. But Shun's golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan had already seen through the attack trajectory of the black rods.
He tilted his head slightly, and the shrunken black rod grazed his earlobe, embedding itself in the rock behind him. Then the black rod enlarged.
Shun's tone carried a hint of mockery. "Your sneak attack is as dignified as your attire, but unfortunately, the speed is too slow, and the trajectory is too obvious. Your ocular technique, Sukunahikona, is nothing more than this."
Isshiki's expression remained unchanged. His bare feet beneath his loose black pants lightly tapped the ground again.
Activating Karma Stage Two, the black patterns around his body deepened.
He condensed a black rod in each hand, and the vermillion tomoe on his cuffs glowed red, like burning flames.
"Your perception is keen, somewhat exceeding my expectations. However, can you still receive the 'gift' that's coming next?"
Suddenly, several black rods simultaneously shrunk, shooting from both the left and right sides towards Shun's heart and brow, among other areas. The firing angles were extremely tricky, yet still maintained the fluidity and elegance of his movements. The swing of his arms was so precise it seemed rehearsed a thousand times.
Shun's golden Six Tomoe Rinnegan firmly locked onto the black rod trajectories, and faint golden Chakra formed an invisible barrier around him.
Clang... Clang... Clang...
The shrunken black rods hit the barrier, and after losing their momentum, they enlarged again. When they fell to the ground, they made a crisp sound, like iron falling to the ground.
Isshiki bowed slightly, as if apologizing for his miss and said, "Your defense is good, but a sneak attack in Karma Stage Two is not just this simple."
Faint golden Chakra erupted around Shun, and a black rod condensed in his palm.
He impatiently said, "Stop talking nonsense. If you want to use me as nourishment, you must be prepared to be counter-killed. Today, either you feed me to the God tree, or I feed you to the God tree. One of us is going down."
Isshiki's gaze grew even colder, continuously shooting out several black rods. "Since you insists, then I shall have to be impolite. I hope you don't blame me after your death. After all, becoming nourishment for the God tree is also your honor."
Both instantly teleported out, and intense taijutsu clashes ensued.
Isshiki seized the opportunity, launching a sharp elbow strike towards the chest.
Shun dodged sideways, while simultaneously thrusting the black rod in his hand swiftly towards the opponent's throat.
Isshiki tilted his head, dodging the attack, and grabbed his arm with his backhand, attempting to throw him away.
Shun suddenly collided with him closely, separating the two.
Isshiki in Karma Stage Two was inferior to Shun in both strength and speed. But his combat experience was rich, so he could always counterattack at just the right moment.
***
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