Chapter 196: Breaking the Limit, A Sword Subdues the Nine-Tails!
The term "eight million gods" originates from the unique Shinto belief of Sakura Island, which holds that 'kami' (gods) reside in all things. Everything in existence is seen as divine, making the concept of "eight million gods" a representation of infinity.
At this moment, Uchiha Ci poured all his power into the Kusanagi Sword.
Multiple layers of energy collided, clashed, and annihilated one another within the sword. Yet, due to the sword's unique property of containing all energy, these forces were firmly confined within its bounds.
Even as the energies raged, they could not break free from the confines of this divine weapon.
Then, under a series of rigorous constraints—
Absolute control over his physical power, granted by the Heaven Curse Seal;
The Kusanagi Sword's capacity to encompass all things;
And the temporary increase in his power ceiling from absorbing the Nine-Tails' chakra—
These energies began to merge, reaching a profound state known as—Limit Break.
As the wielder of the sword, Uchiha Ci could distinctly sense that when his power reached a certain peak, he could perceive a boundary—a shackle at the edge of the conventional powers of the shinobi world.
This shackle, born from the origins of chakra and bloodline ties, barred mortals from stepping into the realm of the divine.
As he gazed at the white-hot greatsword gradually forming in his hand, Uchiha Ci felt a faint realization, as if he had inadvertently touched upon a key to the foundational truths of the shinobi world's logic.
This epiphany, however, was fleeting. The power he now wielded was only a temporary result of numerous intersecting factors.
Nonetheless, Uchiha Ci let out a scoff.
"At the peak of power, to think such shackles exist. Could this be the reason why Bloodline Limits and Bloodline Selections are so rare?"
"But," he continued, his voice resolute, "the essence of ninjutsu is the blossoming of miracles!"
With this thought, Uchiha Ci gritted his teeth, his face contorted with determination as he poured everything he had into the sword.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
"Water Release: Water Fang Blade!"
"Fire Release: Heartflame Blade!"
He was just two techniques short—Lightning Style: Chidori Blade and an Earth Style sword art—from creating an unprecedented five-element sword art in the history of the shinobi world.
Even so, the addition of these three sword techniques caused the greatsword's power to skyrocket!
The sword began to grow, silently expanding. The blade surged to fifty meters, as if piercing an invisible barrier, then rapidly extended to a towering hundred meters!
The rising sword winds tore through the sky, scattering the dark clouds of night.
Under the moonlight's radiance, Uchiha Ci stood amidst the expanding force of the blade.
Sensing the terrifying power gathering above, the Nine-Tails' eyes widened in disbelief.
"This power... How is this possible?!"
Such overwhelming force—breaking all norms—had only been felt twice before in the past millennium. Just recalling the names of those two individuals was enough to send chills through even the strongest tailed beast: Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
Now, struggling to lift the monstrous blade, Uchiha Ci roared,
"Minato, Kushina—now's your chance!"
The mere aftershock from the blade was already grinding away his flesh and bones. This power, far beyond what he could currently control, was more a curse than a blessing.
Uchiha Ci could no longer sustain himself. Even holding the forbidden sword he had created was beyond him. His arms exploded under the strain, fragments of flesh and bone scattering as the colossal blade plunged downward!
It fell like a divine pillar piercing through the heavens, crashing to the ground.
In the final moments, Uchiha Ci bit through a wire beside him and used it to swing past the Nine-Tails' head, tumbling onto the ground. Only then did the hundred-meter sword crash down!
A massive shockwave erupted, sweeping away everything in its path.
The sword's hilt smashed down onto the Nine-Tails' head, bound tightly with adamantine chains and Earth Grudge Fear threads.
Boom!
The Nine-Tails' head was crushed as though pressed under a hydraulic machine, forced back into the sealing pillar.
The incandescent blade continued to push, obliterating the pillar and pulverizing the Nine-Tails' chakra body into a mass of crimson fox shadows. It was then captured, restrained, and pulled back into the sealing formation.
"No! Damn you, Uchiha brat!"
The Nine-Tails roared in rage, biting into a nearby cliff to halt its retreat.
Its voice rumbled with fury, "If I die out here, at least part of me might regenerate, but if I'm sealed, I'll be imprisoned forever!"
With only its head left outside the seal, the situation reached a stalemate.
From the nearby rubble, Uchiha Ci lay on the ground, watching the scene with nervous anticipation.
"Minato… isn't this enough?"
He had exhausted all his means, pinning his hopes on his teammate.
At that moment, a kunai shot out from the cliff where the Nine-Tails had latched on.
A yellow flash followed—a figure appearing midair. It was Namikaze Minato!
As he descended, Minato couldn't help but grimace at the massive blade before him.
"I just asked you to buy me some time, Ci, but this… this is something else entirely."
Holding a deep black sphere in his hand, Minato prepared to strike with his ultimate technique—the Super Rasengan Wheel, a weapon he planned to use to counter the Tailed Beast Bomb and reseal the Nine-Tails into Kushina.
Uchiha Ci had already done enough by binding the Nine-Tails with his Earth Grudge Fear technique. Minato had been ready to complete the seal then.
But now, with this uncontrollable monstrosity of a sword looming, Minato felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue.
"You've not only suppressed the Nine-Tails, you've nearly killed it!"
If the Nine-Tails' chakra body outside Kushina were destroyed, it would harm Kushina as well, possibly fatally.
Minato now had to protect both Kushina and the Nine-Tails, which resisted sealing with all its might.
Taking a deep breath, Minato's eyes narrowed. In the air, he hurled six Flying Thunder God kunai and vanished.
Reappearing before the Nine-Tails, he swung the Super Rasengan Wheel with full force onto its head.
Boom!
The impact left the Nine-Tails dazed, allowing the Adamantine Sealing Chains to drag it back into Kushina.
With a series of Flying Thunder God techniques, Minato relocated Kushina, Uchiha Ci, and himself to a distant location, far from the sword's blast radius.
Finally, he exhaled in relief.
But in that moment, a crimson arm pierced through his abdomen.
Minato turned, stunned, to see Kushina, now partially transformed with seven tails swaying behind her. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at him with despair and madness in her eyes.
From afar, the incandescent sword detonated, flooding the land with blinding light and overwhelming malice.
The Nine-Tails' voice echoed mockingly,
"Heh, foolish brats—seems I've won this time!"