"Varu %￥#￥@..."
But perhaps it was because he had been suppressed by the Sage of Six Paths for too long, the Shinigami did not completely stop his actions, merely retorting indignantly in a strange ancient language.
["The one who caused chaos in the world is you. You founded the Ninja Creed and brought the evil power of chakra into the world. Now you still want to interfere with reincarnation. Truly absurd."]
Among everyone present, only Uchiha Kage understood the Shinigami's speech.
To the ears of the Sage of Six Paths and Konan, the Shinigami was only growling fiercely with a distorted face.
"This time, I must seal you away! I can't let more souls be harmed!"
Although he didn't know what the Shinigami was saying, nor how the Shinigami had escaped his surveillance and appeared here, the Sage of Six Paths was already angrily raising the black staff in his hand.
"&…*%￥"
Seeing this, the Shinigami, who was halfway through a meal, had no choice but to grip the short dagger in his hand, while also glancing in Uchiha Kage's direction.
["You also have my power. Help me deal with this outsider, young man!"]
Uchiha Kage once again silently played the role of a translator in his heart.
'So it really came for me. No wonder this dungeon feels so strange...'
'But, outsider?'
Indeed, the Sage of Six Paths' actions do resemble those of foreign invaders bullying the natives.
Still, Uchiha Kage didn't plan to get involved just yet.
The Shinigami was a mysterious entity of this world, while the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo, used the power of the Ten Tails to make himself into an undying being.
No matter which side it was, Uchiha Kage didn't have absolute confidence in victory.
BOOM!
The Shinigami's short dagger and the Sage of Six Paths' black staff clashed violently.
The ripples from the collision not only affected the real-world houses and land, but even scattered the surrounding souls into nothingness, leaving only faint glimmers of light.
'Can souls also die?'
Uchiha Kage watched the souls being blown apart by the shockwave, his expression gradually becoming serious.
"Will that white-bearded grandpa defeat the Shinigami?", Konan, while indulging in the warmth from Uchiha Kage's palm, softly asked.
Even if it was just residual chakra, the Sage of Six Paths at this moment still held an advantage over the Shinigami.
Soon, the Shinigami's dagger was knocked away by the staff, and the Shinigami himself was slashed across the belly by it.
The souls it had swallowed and failed to digest earlier all drifted out from there.
"Hiss!"
Letting out a miserable cry, the weakened Shinigami held its shriveled belly. Then a mysterious power re-stitched the wound on its stomach.
But because of the energy expended to heal, its originally tall figure began to shrink.
"&%￥#..."
The healed Shinigami dodged the Sage of Six Paths' pursuit while continuing to roar toward Uchiha Kage.
["Hurry and act! You have my power inside you, sooner or later he'll target you too!"]
Uchiha Kage automatically translated the Shinigami's ancient language in his mind.
This statement did stir Uchiha Kage slightly.
However, even if he hadn't absorbed the Shinigami's power, he would eventually clash with this patricidal "rebel."
Speaking of which, this rebel really resembled Uchiha Itachi, a choice to kill his mother to maintain peace, disregard for others' feelings, and a path forcibly arranged for son/brother, ending with the same redemption arc—
"I choose to believe in you/your choice and will no longer interfere."
Of course, speaking objectively, the Sage of Six Paths was much better than Uchiha Itachi.
After all, Kaguya wasn't innocent. She was indeed corrupted by the God Tree's fruit and became evil, defeating and sealing her was justified.
But Uchiha Itachi…
No normal person would choose to sacrifice their innocent mother to protect so-called peace, right?
It's exactly because of him and Obito's abnormality that Tobirama Senju's evil "Uchiha theory" became deeply rooted in people's hearts…
"How can I help you?"
Pulling his drifting thoughts back to the present, Uchiha Kage responded to the nearby Shinigami in the same ancient language.
Honestly, given the Sage of Six Paths' undying state, he had no clue where to start.
Also…
This Shinigami might not be a good being either. Uchiha Kage had a constant feeling that its gaze toward him was off.
And if it really wanted to cooperate, it wouldn't have caused such a ruckus upon appearing.
In any case, better to be cautious.
This dungeon is too strange, it likely can't be judged by the old dungeon rules anymore.
"Pick up my blade, then throw it to me!"
"That simple?", Uchiha Kage glanced at the Shinigami's short dagger lying not far from him.
A dagger capable of severing souls was indeed a good weapon, but could this thing really contend with the Sage of Six Paths' staff?
"Hurry!"
Without the dagger, the Shinigami had to grip the incoming staff with both hands. But as the tadpole-pattern sealing jutsu on the staff began spreading onto the Shinigami's arm, the power of the staff gradually bent its body.
"What are you talking about?"
The Sage of Six Paths had thought the Shinigami couldn't speak, but upon seeing it converse with a random young man, he realized this "brutal" soul-eating Shinigami might actually have an older language system.
Also, what connection did that strange young man have with the Shinigami?
Not only could he converse with it, but his aura was incredibly mixed…
"Big brother."
Similarly confused by Uchiha Kage and the Shinigami's encrypted talk was the blue-haired girl Konan.
But compared to the Sage of Six Paths' suspicion, she just hoped that this big brother, who gave her warmth and saved her, wouldn't leave.
Those two weirdly shaped guys up front definitely weren't good people.
But Uchiha Kage had already flashed and disappeared from his spot, then reappeared beside the dagger, picking up the crude-looking weapon with both hands.
"To actually pick up that illusory dagger… Just who are you…"
Seeing the youth appear nearby and pick up the Shinigami's dagger, the Sage of Six Paths couldn't help but show a surprised expression.
Swish!
At that exact moment, the bent-over Shinigami suddenly extended a pair of invisible claws from its belly and tightly gripped the opponent's throat.
At the same time, Uchiha Kage, who raised the dagger with both hands, also felt something wrong.
The instant he touched the dagger, a pair of invisible large hands grew out from the weapon and instantly wrapped him up like a dumpling.
After enveloping Uchiha Kage, the dagger shot up into the air, flying toward the Sage of Six Paths from behind.
Pshk!
Even if it was just chakra form, this illusory dagger still pierced into the Sage of Six Paths' back like flesh.
And the bundled-up Uchiha Kage, held by the dagger's tendrils, was brought to the Shinigami's front.
"My lost power… I'm finally getting it back!"
Restraining the Sage of Six Paths, the Shinigami opened its huge mouth and swallowed the bound youth whole.
BOOM!
But just as it was about to chew, it realized it had only bitten air, the youth it had caught just now had turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared.
"Figures. A native who doesn't even know shadow clones."
Seeing the Shinigami's shocked expression, Uchiha Kage appeared elsewhere and shook his head mockingly.
"So you were trying to retrieve the power from that mask and lured me here."
At this point, Uchiha Kage finally understood why this dungeon had such a magnetic pull on him.
The Shinigami was summoning the power inside him.
"You little brat! Let me absorb you! His power is above ours. If we don't merge, we'll never beat him!"
Realizing he was tricked, the Shinigami began to roar in fury.
Of course, to others, it was just a bunch of wailing.
"Really? We merge and can beat him?"
Uchiha Kage looked at the Sage of Six Paths, who had a dagger in his back and the Shinigami's claws on his neck, yet still exuded undiminished energy, and felt slightly tempted.
"Yes! He's the true source of chaos in this world! We must devour him! Otherwise, you'll end up like me, his prisoner!"
The Shinigami continued to persuade with all his might, not knowing Uchiha Kage also intended to do the same to him.
"You're right."
Uchiha Kage looked at the deadlocked Sage of Six Paths and Shinigami, then silently retrieved the long-neglected Totsuka Blade still burning with Amaterasu from his ocular space.
At this point, he could only try this blade that was said to seal everything.
Seal of Fire Technique!
Unrolling a scroll on the ground, Uchiha Kage first sealed the Amaterasu flames on the Totsuka Blade into it, then activated Susanoo and picked up the now-restored sacred sword.
"Seal!"
Raising the Totsuka Blade, Uchiha Kage stabbed it toward the Shinigami's back without hesitation.
"Brat, how could a mortal's weapon possibly hurt a god, You!"
As the Shinigami spoke defiantly, the blade's flames swiftly pierced through its ethereal form and, like melting wax, began to dissolve it.
"No! I'm the Shinigami, a mere human…"
Screaming, howling, full of unwillingness, the Shinigami could only watch as it was sealed into a strangely shaped gourd.
"The Totsuka Blade, huh? Never expected a youngster like you to possess such a divine weapon.".
———
[Elsewhere]
Freed from the Shinigami's grip, the Sage of Six Paths also pulled the Shinigami's dagger from his back and looked gravely at the youth before him.
"Who are you?"
"I'm your dad."
Now that his existence had been noticed by the Sage of Six Paths in this timeline, it could bring tons of trouble.
Uchiha Kage had no choice but to brace himself to face the more difficult Sage of Six Paths.
Buzz!
After sealing the Shinigami, the golden flames of the Totsuka Blade once again emerged from the gourd held by Susanoo.
"To think you'd attack me so suddenly… You must be a very ambitious one!"
Facing the oncoming Totsuka Blade, the Sage of Six Paths calmly twirled his black staff and raised a black barrier before him.
BOOM!
The golden flames of the Totsuka Blade slammed into the black shield, forming a blazing torch on its surface.
"Truth-Seeking Ball?"
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