Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Otsutsuki Hagoromo fell silent. His brows furrowed, and his expression seemed to grow even more sorrowful. The wrinkles on his face deepened with the emotion, making him look entirely like an old man misunderstood by his child.

He let out a long, heavy sigh, as if exhaling all of his helplessness.

"Child, you misunderstand me far too deeply."

His voice lowered, so quiet it sounded as though he were speaking of something truly heartbreaking.

Having said that, he suddenly reached out. With his fingers spread wide, he grabbed toward Uchiha Taiga.

His movements were incredibly fast—so fast that only a white blur could be seen slicing through the air.

That hand reached out from the void, passing through the light and the air, crossing the distance between the two of them as it aimed straight for Uchiha Taiga's chest.

Nagato, who had been prepared on the sidelines, maintained a forward-leaning posture. His hands had been hanging by his sides, fingers slightly curled. Seeing Hagoromo's hand move, he struck out with his palm without a moment's hesitation.

Chakra surged from his palm, erupting from his body like a violent gale.

It was no ordinary wind, but a fierce squall condensed from chakra—furious, violent, and carrying a devastating, destructive force.

The fierce wind swept up the instruments on the workbench, the bottles and jars on the shelves, and the dust in the air, hurtling straight toward Otsutsuki Hagoromo.

Yet, Otsutsuki Hagoromo neither dodged nor evaded. His semi-ethereal body stood there motionless. He didn't hide, nor did he even spare Nagato a single glance.

His gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Taiga, his hand continuing its trajectory toward him.

The fierce chakra wind passed right through his body as if passing through air and shadows, slamming into the wall behind him.

Boom!

A massive hole was blasted into the wall, sending rubble flying and dust filling the air.

The edges of the hole were jagged and irregular. A few bricks tumbled from the wall, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Cracks spread outward from the edges of the hole like a spiderweb.

Meanwhile, Otsutsuki Hagoromo's body returned to normal after the fierce wind passed through. He shifted from transparent to solid, from ethereal to physical, from nothingness to reality.

At that exact moment, his hand grabbed onto Uchiha Taiga. His fingers clamped down on Taiga's shoulder, digging tightly into the fabric of his clothes.

"I am sorry, child."

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's voice carried a tone of apology.

His chakra surged from his palm, flowing down his five fingers and pouring into Taiga's body.

The chakra carried no offensive intent and lacked destructive power. Instead, it possessed a pulling force, like a swirling vortex. It spun inside Taiga's body, searching for something, attempting to drag something out from within him.

His soul.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo applied a slight amount of force, his fingers tightening as he tried to rip Uchiha Taiga's soul out of his body.

But his expression suddenly shifted. His eyes widened slightly, and his pupils contracted.

In that moment, he felt Uchiha Taiga's soul acting like a massive boulder, firmly rooted within his body, completely unmoving.

*How is this possible!?*

Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at Uchiha Taiga in astonishment, noticing the faint, mocking smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Surprised? Unexpected?"

Uchiha Taiga's voice was loud, his tone carrying an uncontainable sense of triumph.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's expression changed drastically.

His body became slightly transparent in that instant, his silhouette blurring. He was about to vanish.

He retreated while in that transparent state, shifting from a physical entity to an ethereal one, and then into something even more intangible. He intended to leave this place and return to Yomotsukuni, hiding back in the realm where no one could find him.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo was incredibly decisive. His split-second decision was flawless, but unfortunately for him, the person he was facing was Uchiha Taiga.

And so, his arm was caught.

Uchiha Taiga raised his hand, spreading his fingers and clamping down on Otsutsuki Hagoromo's arm. His fingers dug tightly into Hagoromo's ethereal body, as if he had grabbed onto something solid, as if he had grabbed onto flesh and blood.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's arm trembled slightly in his grip, like a captured prey.

"Just as I thought."

Uchiha Taiga's voice grew louder, echoing throughout the laboratory.

"I knew an old geezer like you would definitely make a move."

He looked at Hagoromo, the corners of his mouth curling up high.

"And I guessed right."

He turned his head and spoke to Nagato.

"Don't worry, I'll handle him. Go outside and activate the sealing barrier."

Hearing this, Nagato nodded without a word of protest.

He turned around and dashed toward the door. His pace was incredibly fast, leaving only a white blur in the air. He rushed out of the laboratory doors, his footsteps gradually fading down the corridor.

"Be careful."

His voice drifted in from the hallway, growing fainter and more distant.

Uchiha Taiga withdrew his gaze, letting it fall back onto Otsutsuki Hagoromo's face. A smile bloomed, shifting from a slight smirk to a wide grin, and finally to a full, toothy smile.

"Perhaps you don't know yet."

His voice lowered, as if he were sharing a secret.

"Even I don't know exactly how strong I am right now."

Otsutsuki Hagoromo furrowed his brows. He looked at his captured arm, then at Taiga's face, an uncontainable surprise shining in his eyes.

"Why am I unable to pull your soul out?"

His voice was strained, his tone laced with disbelief.

Uchiha Taiga chuckled. The laugh wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear.

"It's simple."

He paused, his lips curving upward.

"Because my soul and body have already fused into one."

His tone was casual, as if he were stating a very simple fact.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's frown deepened.

"What do you mean?"

It was obvious that Otsutsuki Hagoromo was unfamiliar with the term—or rather, the concept—of soul-body unity.

But just hearing it was enough to guess the gist of it. His expression changed in an instant, shifting from surprise to absolute shock.

"Your body and soul have fused together?"

His voice was tight, carrying an irrepressible sense of astonishment.

Uchiha Taiga nodded, the smile on his lips unwavering.

"Yeah."

His voice remained casual.

"At my level, the soul is the body, and the body is the soul."

He paused, looking at Hagoromo.

"As long as I have energy, I am immortal and indestructible."

His smirk grew even wider.

"Envious, aren't you? This is far superior to the Otsutsuki clan's Karma technique, isn't it? Of course, the Karma technique has its merits. The reincarnating chakra of your two sons—you achieved that using this technique, didn't you?"

His tone was teasing.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo wanted to say something else. He opened his mouth, his lips moving, but no words came out.

The next moment, he suddenly felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.

The pressure didn't just come from the outside; it came from all directions, as if the air itself was compressing and space was shrinking.

His body instantly became heavy, shifting from weightless to cumbersome, plummeting from its floating state. His feet, which had been hovering slightly above the floor, were forced down, the soles of his shoes hitting the ground with a soft thud.

A look of horror crossed his face.

"What happened?"

His voice was strained.

Uchiha Taiga laughed. The sound wasn't loud, but it was sharp and clear.

"Looks like Nagato has activated the barrier."

His voice was nonchalant.

"It's the perfect counter to you."

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's frown deepened even further.

"What barrier?"

Uchiha Taiga looked at him, a smirk on his face.

"A barrier specifically designed to seal souls."

He paused.

"By the way, I developed this barrier myself."

His tone carried a hint of pride.

"I guessed a day like this would come, but I didn't expect it to actually come in handy so soon."

His smile widened.

Otsutsuki Hagoromo's expression was incredibly grim. He looked at his captured arm, felt the immense pressure crushing him from all sides, and stared at Uchiha Taiga's smiling face.

He seemed to regret showing himself at this moment.

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