Time passed swiftly, and three days went by in the blink of an eye.
Having wrapped up his tasks, Rinjin was ready to head out for an intense training session. His physical constitution had remained stagnant for quite some time.
Currently, even with the chakra borrowed from the Two-Tails and the Seventh Gate (Gate of Wonder), his body's strength had reached a bottleneck.
As for weighted training, it had become entirely ineffective.
Thus, Rinjin devised a new method—diving into the depths of the ocean.
It was well-known that the pressure at the ocean's depths was terrifying, increasing exponentially the deeper one went. For an ordinary person, diving into such depths was tantamount to suicide.
But Rinjin was no ordinary person—he was immortal, an anomaly.
Sneaking out of Kirigakure, Rinjin found a spot on the open sea and dove headfirst into the water.
Meanwhile, in the room adjacent to the Mizukage's office in Kirigakure…
A shadow emerged slowly from the ground. Black Zetsu and White Zetsu appeared beside Madara Uchiha.
In the dim light, Madara's voice rang out, devoid of any emotion.
"Is Nagato settled?"
At this, Black Zetsu quickly replied, "Yes, he has been relocated to a secure location thoroughly inspected by those immortal shadow clones. He won't be able to find him."
"And the Gedo Statue?"
Hearing this, White Zetsu's expression turned awkward. With a sheepish smile, he said, "Lord Madara, the frequency of the immortal one's attacks on the Gedo Statue has decreased, but every half hour, a batch of clones still appears."
Madara let out a cold snort, his icy gaze sweeping over White Zetsu's main body.
White Zetsu shuddered under the pressure.
After a long pause, as if his anger had subsided, Madara turned to Black Zetsu.
"What have you uncovered about the immortal one?"
"We infiltrated both Kumogakure and Konoha and gathered a significant amount of intelligence on him. We've roughly pieced together his background!"
"The immortal one's original name is Rinjin. He was once a sacrificial offering of the Jashin Cult, rooted in the Land of Rain. During a sacrificial ritual, Rinjin obtained the ability of immortality and was subsequently used by the cult for various human experiments.
Later, he escaped the Jashin Cult during another sacrificial ritual, fled to Amegakure, and was then dispatched to Konoha by the Hidden Rain Village. Afterward, he was sent to Kumogakure by Konoha."
At the end of Black Zetsu's report, Madara's lips twitched imperceptibly.
Black Zetsu continued, "According to intelligence from Kumogakure and Konoha, the immortal one has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Eight Gates Technique, the Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu), the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
His main combat methods revolve around the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the Eight Gates Technique, which are primarily taijutsu-based."
Hearing this, Madara's brows furrowed deeply.
A single forbidden technique might not concern him, but a collection of such techniques was a different matter entirely.
Madara Uchiha, though proud, was not a fool.
A multitude of forbidden techniques, if wielded by an immortal being, would produce effects far beyond a simple sum of their parts.
Pondering this, Madara asked in a low voice, "What is that brat doing now?"
White Zetsu quickly responded, "Reporting to Lord Madara, he's currently at the bottom of the ocean outside Amegakure, seemingly using his immortality to train his taijutsu."
"Training taijutsu…" Madara muttered, his eyes narrowing.
From their previous brief encounters, it was evident that while this individual was cunning, his combat techniques were not particularly diverse.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique combined with the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags was indeed powerful, but against the Rinnegan, it was ineffective.
His other methods were limited to the Eight Gates and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
As for the Flying Thunder God Technique, it seemed to be used solely for mobility and surprise attacks.
Now, with him diving into the ocean to train taijutsu, it became clear that his focus was on physical strength.
Madara's thoughts flickered to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and realization dawned upon him.
"So that's why he's been stalling me with shadow clone harassment at the Graveyard of Mountains!"
He chuckled coldly.
"Does he intend to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki and use its chakra to enhance his physical body?"
"Even as the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, further enhancing physical strength seems redundant. However…" For once, Madara refrained from mocking the idea.
From a practical standpoint, the concept wasn't far-fetched or foolish. Using the immense chakra of the Ten-Tails, combined with the regenerative properties of immortality, could indeed create a body of unparalleled durability.
At that point, even if the Ten-Tails were extracted, this individual would remain an indestructible existence.
Madara's mind pieced together Rinjin's plan.
Planting the Flying Thunder God formula on the Gedo Statue under the guise of an attack, using shadow clones to lure him to Kirigakure, conducting research with White Zetsu clones, secretly providing kekkei genkai to the Third Mizukage—all while stalling Madara's plans and collecting the nine Tailed Beasts himself.
However, one question lingered.
"How does this brat know about the Eye of the Moon Plan? Without the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, it's impossible to decipher the full text on the Uchiha Stone Tablet!"
Madara sneered and shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"It doesn't matter."
"If his goal is the Gedo Statue and he intends to leverage Kirigakure's strength against me…"
"Then I must show him the true power of the Uchiha clan!"
"And teach him the consequences of provoking an Uchiha!"
Time passed, and three days later…
On the turbulent surface of the ocean, a shadow shot upward from the depths, breaking through the waves with a sharp splash.
(Friendly Reminder: Do not imitate! Rapid ascent after diving can cause decompression sickness, which can be fatal.)
The figure leapt high into the air before landing heavily on the water's surface. Water droplets dripped from his light green hair—it was Rinjin.
At this moment, Rinjin stood bare-chested, his muscular torso covered in large bruises. Blood trickled from his nostrils.
Despite the injuries covering his body, Rinjin laughed out loud.
He had thought his physique was formidable, but under the merciless beating of Mother Nature, he realized how wrong he had been.
In the ocean depths, the crushing pressure had shattered his once-proud bones, compressing his muscles and skin into thin layers clinging to the broken skeleton.
Even his skull had been crushed, his brain matter spilling out under the relentless pressure.
Yet, in the face of his immortality, it still wasn't enough to stop him.
With sheer willpower, Rinjin endured the pain, activating the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Under the stimulation of lightning, his immortal cells regenerated, withstanding the immense pressure.
As a result, his physical body had taken another significant step forward.
Standing on the sea, Rinjin raised his right index finger and left palm, his body crackling with electricity.
"Hell Stab: One-Fingered Assault!"
With a low shout, he thrust his index finger into his palm with all his might.
Zzzzzap!
A faint sound echoed, leaving only a white mark on his palm.
Casually rubbing it, the mark vanished.
"Well… great. Before, I could at least pierce my palm after a few tries. Now? Not even a scratch!"
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