"What's going on?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade were leading the remaining Konoha shinobi in an assault against the Sound, Sand, and Cloud forces.
Originally, they had intended to remain behind to deal with the One-Tail, but Kitagawa Gen had sworn he could handle it—and still go to reinforce the Third Hokage.
And with shinobi from the other villages on the verge of action, Konoha needed experienced leaders. At this moment, only the two of them could take command.
They had no choice but to believe him. After all, Kitagawa Gen had already proven himself time and again.
But now, they suddenly felt a violent tremor and a surge of overwhelming chakra.
"And this power… it's not coming from within Konoha!"
Tsunade gazed into the distance, her eyes flickering. Jiraiya's face had grown equally grim.
"Hm?"
Just then, a small toad leapt to his side.
"What is it?"
"Uncle Jiraiya, the Great Toad Sage sent me with a message."
The little toad spoke in a low voice, and Jiraiya's eyes went wide.
"The Great Toad Sage? What did he say?"
"He said… the battle outside Konoha is the most crucial—and the most terrifying. You must be extremely careful!"
"The battle out there?"
"Yes. Because Ōtsutsuki Genshiki… he has come."
...
"Hey, hey, hey—what's the rush?"
Elsewhere, Obito had already swept up Hiruko and Hidan, who had been monitoring Orochimaru inside the village, and headed straight for the outskirts of Konoha.
"Shut up—he's here."
Obito's voice was low and sharp, his face dark. That made Hiruko raise a brow, as though on the verge of lashing out.
Hidan, on the other hand, brightened, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"You mean… that Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, the one who thrashed you all—he's shown up?"
"…"
"Perfect! I've been wanting to see what this guy's really made of!"
"…"
Watching Hidan's smug confidence, Obito was at a loss for words.
This idiot truly had no idea how terrifying Ōtsutsuki Genshiki actually was.
"Shut your mouth. My only advice is—be careful. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died."
"Tch. Me, afraid of dying?"
Hidan chuckled carelessly. After all, he was immortal. If anything, he felt a little regretful.
"Too bad I didn't get to watch those other guys fight. And I never found that kappa either."
"…"
"That bastard tricked me. He still hasn't told me who the real dead-last was! Damn bastard!"
"…"
For a moment, Obito truly wanted to wring his neck. But for now, he forced himself to endure.
With a twist of space, they slipped free of Konoha—and emerged directly onto the battlefield.
No sooner had they exited than a deafening roar pounded their ears.
[Boom, boom, boom—]
The earth itself quaked violently beneath them.
What greeted their eyes was an eruption of boundless power—mountains torn asunder, the ground beneath their feet ripped apart!
Deep chasms spread outward, stretching into the distance like yawning canyons.
At one end of the gorge surged countless puppets, a crimson Susanoo, and several monstrous, ghostly figures.
At the other end floated a blurred human silhouette, wreathed in a radiance of chakra.
"What… what is this?"
Hiruko's eyes bulged, and even Hidan stopped grinning.
Staring at the figure suspended in the air, both of them swallowed hard. That overwhelming chakra sent a chill straight through their hearts.
Uchiha Obito drew a deep breath before speaking in a hushed voice.
"That… is Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
...
"Oh? So more of you decided to show up?"
Seeing Uchiha Obito suddenly appear, Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but raise a brow.
In truth, he had been waiting for these people to arrive. After all, he had no intention of letting them interfere with his mission.
Besides—
'At present, it seems that aside from Nagato, no one else here can really stop me.'
Looking at the tense faces of the Akatsuki members, a faint smile crept across his face beneath the mask.
Right now, in this era, he was nothing short of Tier 0.
Of course, three years from now, perhaps he wouldn't dare be so reckless.
But in three years' time—wouldn't he have grown as well?
Once this operation ended, he was certain his strength would rise to a new level. And by then, he would be ready to launch his next plan!
'The moon, huh…'
Lifting his head, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the sky.
'The more I observe, the clearer it becomes. Just one more step, and I'll be able to lock on completely. At that point…'
He was confident—he could seize full control of the Tenseigan, and make its power entirely his own!
At the thought, Kitagawa Gen's mood lightened considerably, and his chakra flared even more vividly.
...
"Hey, are you all right? Just what is with this guy?"
Kitagawa Gen hadn't moved, but Obito had already rushed over with Hidan and Hiruko in tow.
Panting heavily, battered and disheveled, the group looked a mess. Hidan couldn't help but blurt out in curiosity, "What the hell is up with that guy?"
Even Hiruko—normally so arrogant—found himself lowering his voice as he stared at Kitagawa Gen.
"He's strong. Strong beyond belief."
Nagato was in the best condition, thanks only to White Zetsu constantly replenishing his chakra.
Raising his head, he looked up at Kitagawa Gen floating calmly above, and with a voice that hinted at resolve, he muttered, "But no matter how strong someone is, they still have a weakness. Buy me some time. I'm going to use a jutsu."
"Buy you time? Don't tell me—"
Obito needed only a moment's thought to realize Nagato's intention.
"You really plan to go that far? Wouldn't that—"
"I know what I'm doing."
Nagato gave a slight nod, chakra gathering relentlessly around him.
"His target isn't just the tailed beasts—he also covets my Rinnegan."
"His space-time ninjutsu is terrifying. We were pulled out without even noticing the transition."
"Even if you wanted to take us away, you'd need to be fully prepared—otherwise…"
Nagato's words left Obito silent.
The last time, when he had tried to launch a sneak attack, he ended up beaten so badly he was forced to rely on Izanagi.
That bitter humiliation was something he could never forget.
It only proved that Ōtsutsuki Genshiki truly could see through his techniques.
And worse still—this man had set his sights on the Rinnegan. No wonder he was chasing Nagato down so relentlessly.
"…I understand. We'll support you."
Obito gave a firm nod, and the others quickly grasped the situation as well.
Now was the time to stake everything.
"Have you finished your little discussion?"
At that moment, Kitagawa Gen finally spoke, gazing down at the Akatsuki members with cold, imperious eyes.
"I'm afraid my time is short. Once it's up, it'll be time to send you on your way."
"Tch, what an arrogant bastard."
Hidan bristled at the words, his irritation plain, while Hiruko's voice came out colder still.
"You clueless fool, who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Hmph, strong as you may be…"
Even Uchiha Obito couldn't hold back any longer. His fists clenched tight as he growled under his breath.
"Do you really think victory is guaranteed? Drop that holier-than-thou attitude—who do you think you are?!"
"It seems you're still rather naïve. That's on me, I suppose."
Kitagawa Gen did not appear angry at their words. He only shook his head slightly, though his voice grew colder, sharper.
"After all, spending so long toying with you… it was bound to give you a dangerous illusion."
As he spoke, his ninja blade rose just slightly, and in that instant his aura turned utterly frigid.
"Understand this—"
The blade was already in motion, striking with terrifying speed and overwhelming force. At the same moment, his voice drifted down like a whisper of doom.
"Before me… there are no opponents."
[Oooom—]
The chakra driven by the Sword of Totsuka erupted in a storm. Everyone's eyes flew wide.
"What the hell is this power?!"
The sheer force of that slash made fear rise instinctively in their hearts.
In a flash, even Nagato, who had been bracing himself, dodged away. Only Hidan didn't move.
"Why are you all running—"
He muttered, but in the next instant his face changed.
[BOOM—]
In the roaring surge of chakra, his body was instantly torn apart, blasted into chunks of flesh that scattered across the ground!
"Idiot…"
Seeing Hidan's reckless overconfidence end like that, the others all cursed under their breath. Yet, in truth, they also had to be grateful.
At least now they had witnessed the true power of that strike.
"Where do you think you're going?"
As they tried to retreat, Sasori suddenly felt his body seize up. The next moment, he was wrenched out of the air and slammed to the ground!
"Damn it!"
He cursed bitterly, but surrender was out of the question.
Controlling his countless puppets in a frenzy, he sent them surging at Kitagawa Gen in desperate assault.
The Danzō puppet burst forth, unleashing a violent gale that roared toward Kitagawa Gen.
The puppet of the Third Kazekage answered with chakra-driven iron sand, while the rest launched their barrage all at once.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"…!"
In a deafening storm, an endless rain of jutsu poured down upon Kitagawa Gen.
But the radiant barrier shimmering around him instantly shattered all their hopes.
"The first one."
Kitagawa Gen's cold voice cut through the chaos as the ninja blade—formed from the Sword of Totsuka—swung down.
[BOOM—]
Sasori's hand had just touched his core when, in a flash, his gaze went vacant.
The Sword of Totsuka's unique power dragged him into a blissful illusion, and the next moment a thunderous detonation shook the heavens as smoke and dust billowed high into the sky!
Once more, a twisting trench tore open across the ground, surging outward into the distance.
At that instant, Sasori's body shattered completely!
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