MTLNOVEL Chapter 479: Ch.479 Harvesting Embers
"What!?"
Hearing the shattering echo ring in his ears, Uchiha Shinji, within his 'Susanoo,' was stunned!
He hadn't expected the mysterious person to use their lamp to block his 'Susanoo' strike at the last moment, nor that the lamp would be shattered by his 'Susanoo's' longsword, crumbling into golden embers.
Swish.
As Shinji stood dazed.
The golden embers from the mysterious person's shattered lamp were wholly absorbed by the lamp at his waist, drawn into its vessel.
"So that's how 'embers' are obtained!"
Shinji had a moment of clarity, then glanced at his lamp vessel.
Originally, his lamp held 'embers' filling only a fifth of its space. Now, it was visibly over half full.
Suppressing his excitement, Shinji searched for the mysterious person.
But nowhere in sight was the mysterious person—only a lingering patch of dim yellow lamplight where the lamp had shattered.
[Discovered coordinates to a foreign plane]
[Foreign plane coordinates have been marked]
[Consume one gram of 'embers' to travel to the foreign plane…]
Instantly, the familiar voice sounded in Shinji's ears.
He snapped his gaze to the dim yellow lamplight, realizing the mysterious person's lamp had opened an escape route before shattering!
The mysterious person had fled to the Demon Slayer world.
For a moment, Shinji hesitated.
The Demon Slayer world's coordinates were now marked by his lamp. By expending 'embers,' he could pursue the mysterious person now.
But the battlefield's situation was delicate.
Nagato, Konan, Itachi, Juzo Biwa, the hidden Obito, and other Akatsuki members en route formed one faction.
Hidden Leaf, Hidden Mist, Hidden Sand's allied forces, plus Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock's approaching armies, formed another.
He and his subordinates—Karin, Haku, Sasuke, and others—were caught between these forces, vulnerable to attack if careless.
If he abandoned Karin and the others to chase the mysterious person alone, their safety would be at risk.
Moreover, he was unfamiliar with the Demon Slayer world and might not find the mysterious person.
Taking Karin and the others to pursue would risk exposing his 'Lampbearer' identity. With Nagato, the Third Hokage, and others watching, he didn't want to reveal his lamp publicly.
Even among his subordinates, Kimimaro was loyal to Orochimaru, so Shinji couldn't easily reveal the lamp's existence to them.
After a moment's thought, he set aside the idea of chasing the mysterious person now.
With the mysterious person's lamp shattered, their status as a 'Lampbearer' was questionable, and they lacked the ability to invade the ninja world again. There was no need to rush to the Demon Slayer world to eliminate them.
Once he completed his 'Rinnegan Plan' or 'Tenseigan Plan' and grew stronger, he could leisurely travel to the Demon Slayer world. Not only could he easily deal with a mysterious person without chakra to absorb, but he could also collect the Demon Slayer world's resources and techniques—far more prudent than rushing now.
Thus, he dispelled his 'Susanoo' and landed on the ground.
The final dim yellow lamplight left by the mysterious person seemed to exhaust its energy, fading under the sunlight.
Shinji discreetly withdrew his gaze.
His earlier lamp manipulations were concealed by his eye-catching golden complete 'Susanoo,' so no one noticed his lamp. They only saw his 'Susanoo' deliver a dazzling strike, after which the mysterious person vanished.
Swish.
With a few leaps, Shinji returned to Karin and the others.
Karin urged her 'Susanoo' to place the meteor on an empty clearing, then dispelled it, landing on the ground.
Haku, Sasuke, Kimimaro, Neji, and Ido gathered around Shinji.
The current situation clearly exceeded their ability to handle.
Haku didn't want to oppose the Fourth Mizukage.
Sasuke and Neji dared not confront the Third Hokage.
Ido couldn't act against Yakumo, who was by Tsunade's side.
If the ninja village alliance attacked, they wouldn't know how to respond.
Akatsuki was no different—Nagato or Obito's actions could have unpredictable consequences.
Fortunately, the ninja village alliance was wary of Akatsuki. In their eyes, Shinji and Nagato were allied, and their combined strength was formidable, so the alliance held back, maintaining their formation and staying vigilant.
Nagato, unclear on Shinji's group's true nature, also made no moves.
Shinji's gaze swept over his group, lingering on Kimimaro.
Kimimaro had lost his Tenseigan state—or rather, after successfully connecting to the giant Tenseigan on the moon, he had depleted all his Byakugan chakra, forcing him out of it.
But his brief Tenseigan awakening proved Shinji's 'Tenseigan Plan' was theoretically viable. Whether he could achieve a true, non-degrading Tenseigan depended on how Shinji refined the technique next!
Shinji said, "Dark Akatsuki's reinforcements and the ninja villages' reinforcements are converging here. We withdraw now!"
Karin quickly asked, "My lord, what about the ghosts? There are probably still many hiding nearby, right?"
"Don't worry. I've severed their invasion route. Aside from the ghosts already here, no new ones will invade the ninja world. As for those hiding, we can deal with them anytime—there's no rush!"
With a brief explanation, Shinji flashed away, avoiding Nagato and the ninja village ranks, retreating from the battlefield.
Karin and the others hurriedly followed.
In the ninja village ranks.
Seeing Shinji's group leave, Asuma asked the Third, "Should we stop them?"
The Third pondered briefly, then shook his head.
To him, 'A' and 'B' dispelling their 'Susanoo' and 'B' placing the meteor in a clearing rather than hurling it at the alliance were gestures of goodwill. With Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock's forces yet to arrive, he didn't want to spark a major battle prematurely.