"Purple Lightning!"
Purple lightning suddenly erupted from Isamu's hands, forming a massive dragon that coiled around him.
"Hmph!"
Ashura snorted coldly, and a blue sphere resembling a Rasengan appeared in his palm.
Bang!
Both attacks were launched at the same time.
The purple dragon collided with the blue sphere, exploding in midair. Taking advantage of the blast, Isamu descended to the ground.
"The warm-up is over. I'm going to get serious now. Prepare yourself, Ashura!"
Isamu bit his right thumb, smeared the blood across his left palm, and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Ram…"
"Summoning Technique!"
"Come forth, Ten-Tails! Descend into this world and crush my enemies!"
A massive sealing array appeared beneath him.
The Ten-Tails that had been residing within Isamu was instantly summoned.
"ROAR!!!"
With a violent shake of its tails, the gigantic beast descended completely.
Its enormous body towered nearly a thousand meters into the sky. Standing on its slender limbs, the Ten-Tails appeared directly in its second form.
"What is that monster?!"
Looking at the colossal creature, Ashura's eyes widened.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from it made it clear that this was no ordinary beast.
"Come on, Ten-Tails. Treat him to a Tailed Beast Ball and let him have a taste of it!"
Standing atop the Ten-Tails' head, Isamu pointed toward Ashura.
The Ten-Tails immediately began condensing a Tailed Beast Ball.
A massive cone-shaped crimson sphere slowly formed before being fired directly toward Ashura, who looked no larger than an ant beneath it.
"Oh no!"
"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique—Tenfold Rashomon!"
Seeing the attack approaching, Ashura bit his finger and rapidly formed hand signs.
Just before impact, ten giant demonic gates rose from the earth.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Tenfold Rashomon proved unable to stop the Tailed Beast Ball.
One gate after another shattered instantly.
However, they succeeded in slightly altering the attack's trajectory.
The Tailed Beast Ball narrowly grazed Ashura's shoulder and shot into the distance.
BOOM!!!
Far away, the attack landed directly on a village.
The explosion completely erased it from existence.
Not a single survivor remained.
"What terrifying power…"
Looking at his burned clothing and scorched shoulder, Ashura couldn't help but feel shocked.
Even without a direct hit, the residual energy alone had injured him.
"To weave such a long sequence of hand signs under pressure and still alter the Tailed Beast Ball's trajectory… impressive, Ashura."
Standing atop the Ten-Tails, Isamu nodded.
"But let's see how you deal with the next one."
The Ten-Tails immediately began gathering energy for another Tailed Beast Ball.
"Peerless Rising Dragon Fist!!!"
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared.
A dragon-shaped blast of force slammed upward into the Ten-Tails' jaw, interrupting the attack.
"Ashura, we're here! Are you alright?"
The reinforcements from the Ninja Sect had finally arrived.
The person who had launched the attack was Taizou, Ashura's most trusted subordinate.
"So the small fry have finally shown up."
Isamu raised an eyebrow as he looked at the newcomers.
He had sensed them approaching long ago but hadn't paid any attention.
Meanwhile, the interrupted Ten-Tails secretly began gathering power once more.
"Father, are you alright?"
Dozens of Ashura's children rushed forward.
Nearly every member of the Ninja Sect had arrived.
"Who told you all to come here?"
Ashura frowned and shouted angrily.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Get back!"
Against Isamu, numbers were meaningless.
Human-wave tactics would accomplish nothing.
"Ashura, we're your companions."
Gasuka stepped forward calmly.
"How could we let you fight alone? We'll face this together."
"That's right, Ashura."
Zhishi nodded.
"We've been with you since childhood. Let us stand beside you."
"Everyone…"
Looking at his childhood companions, Ashura felt deeply moved.
For years, as his strength had grown, he had gradually become accustomed to fighting alone.
Now he suddenly remembered something important.
Companions.
They had always been the source of his strength.
Back when he defeated Indra for the first time during the succession of the Ninja Sect, it had been because of the power granted by those bonds.
"Exactly, Ashura."
Taizou stepped forward as well.
"As long as we're together, no enemy can defeat us."
"That's right, Lord Ashura!"
"We'll fight with you!"
The crowd shouted in unison.
Looking at the people who had always stood by his side, Ashura's heart filled with warmth.
At that moment, he once again understood the meaning of companionship.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Alright!"
"In that case, let's face this battle together!"
"Companionship?"
Looking down at the crowd below, Isamu shook his head dismissively.
"What a meaningless thing."
"You're wrong."
Ashura's eyes became firm.
"It is because of companions that bonds exist. And because of those bonds, the Ninja Sect can unleash its true power."
"Uchiha Tensei, you'll never understand companionship and love."
"Today, we'll show you the strength that bonds can create!"
With his companions beside him, Ashura felt limitless strength welling up within him.
"Bonds?"
Isamu sneered.
"What a boring concept."
To him, all it really amounted to was overwhelming an opponent with numbers.
Against him, such tactics were completely meaningless.
"Attack!"
"Wood Release: Binding Eternal Burial!"
Ashura slammed his palms together.
Countless massive tree trunks erupted from the ground and wrapped around the Ten-Tails' legs, restricting its movements.
At the same time, the others began weaving hand signs.
"Earth Release: Earth Dome Prison!"
Taizou, Gasuka, and Zhishi joined forces.
Two gigantic hemispherical domes rose from the earth and sealed the Ten-Tails between them.
Its mobility was completely locked down.
Meanwhile, Isamu simply stood atop the Ten-Tails with his arms crossed.
Quietly watching.
The lengthy hand-sign sequences gave him countless opportunities to interrupt them.
Yet he didn't move.
All he needed to do now was wait.
The Ten-Tails was already secretly gathering enough power for a devastating purge.
"The target has been restrained!"
"Everyone, attack!"
Ashura waved his hand.
Immediately, countless techniques erupted.
"Earth Release!"
"Fire Release!"
"Water Release!"
"Wind Release!"
"Lightning Release!"
An endless barrage of elemental ninjutsu surged toward the Ten-Tails.
Earth and Fire combined.
Lightning and Water combined.
Wind and Fire combined.
The coordination among the members of the Ninja Sect was surprisingly effective.