A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Limbo: Border Jail could never be completely destroyed. As long as the Rinnegan's ocular power remained, the Limbo clones could always regenerate.

Shin had managed to eliminate one clone in the brief moment of contact, but just seconds later, he was once again surrounded by two more Limbo clones.

Even so, in his Seventh Gate state, combined with his immortality, Shin was nearly unstoppable in close combat.

Even though he couldn't see the Limbo clones, his blinding speed allowed him to execute precise counterattacks, willing to trade injuries to land hits.

But Obito and Orochimaru weren't his only enemies.

Both attacked simultaneously.

Obito's Wood Release combined with Orochimaru's Ten Thousand Snake Formation completely trapped Shin once again.

"There's something… strange about his body," Orochimaru muttered.

After several rounds of combat, he had noticed Shin's unusual regeneration.

Orochimaru himself could heal wounds using his Body Shedding Jutsu, but Shin was recovering without any hand seals, seemingly regenerating at will.

That was an ability only Hashirama Senju was rumored to have.

Moreover, Shin didn't display any Curse Mark enhancements, nor did he use Tsunade's Creation Rebirth, this wasn't a jutsu.

It meant his body contained a deeper secret.

Obito knew a little about Shin's past, since they had once worked together in the Akatsuki.

However, Shin had always been cautious around Obito, making sure not to reveal too much.

After being reshaped by Aoba, Shin had become an entirely new person, no one had ever connected him to Hidan.

Aside from Aoba and Yumi, no one in the world knew about Shin's ties to Jashin.

To Orochimaru, this secret was second only to the Rinnegan itself.

And now, he was determined to capture Shin alive.

With Shin still in his Seventh Gate state, normal restraining techniques wouldn't work.

His chakra reserves were already massive, but with the Seventh Gate, his energy surged to a level comparable to a small Tailed Beast.

Additionally, his chakra was rampaging inside his body, making ordinary sealing jutsu ineffective.

Under pressure, Obito took action.

"Chibaku Tensei!" (Planetary Devastation)

A small-scale Chibaku Tensei formed in the sky, completely sealing Shin within.

Meanwhile, far away in Konoha, Aoba was already on the move.

Shin had a Flying Thunder God seal on his body, but Aoba knew that if Shin had resorted to calling for help, it meant he was facing serious opponents.

Aoba was cautious. He didn't teleport directly to Shin's location.

If he arrived and Shin was already defeated, his enemies could have already set a trap.

No matter how strong he was, Aoba was not immortal like Shin. If he walked into an ambush, he could very well be killed.

Instead, he chose to teleport to the nearest Flying Thunder God mark, then rushed forward on foot.

He could only hope Shin's immortality would buy him enough time.

On the battlefield, the Chibaku Tensei sphere suddenly exploded, Shin burst free, but his entire body was in tatters.

His flesh was regenerating, but it would take time.

And worse, his body's damage prevented him from using the Eight Gates anymore.

Although he had broken free from the seal, he was now in a completely weakened state.

Against both Orochimaru and a Rinnegan-wielding Obito, even the strongest shinobi would struggle to hold out.

Before he could recover, he was once again pulled by Banshō Ten'in.

This time, there was no Eight Gates to protect him.

Orochimaru seized the opportunity, stepping forward and slamming his palm against Shin's abdomen.

"Five Elements Seal!"

"Got you."