"...Sigh."
Watching the sight before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only let out a long breath.
His clash with Danzō had left him bitter, but now was no time to dwell on it.
His gaze turned, settling on Kitagawa Gen, who was walking toward him.
"Gen, you've done well."
Looking at Kitagawa Gen, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh again.
Though he had been locked in battle with Danzō, he had not once failed to pay attention to what was happening elsewhere.
He had seen Kitagawa Gen's performance—how stunningly he wielded his power.
How he seized the moment, cutting down the Fourth Kazekage and the Raikage in one decisive stroke of thunder. It filled Hiruzen's heart with exhilaration.
Without doubt—this was Konoha's future!
'So much like sensei…'
And yet, he also felt a headache looming. He had seen Kitagawa Gen strike mercilessly, but he quickly shook his head, setting the thought aside.
"By the way… how did you learn Dust Release?"
Hiruzen asked curiously, giving Kitagawa Gen a few pointed looks.
"Actually, the first time I went to the Land of Earth, I faintly began to feel something."
Kitagawa Gen flicked the blood from his blade, glancing at the shinobi from Iwagakure and Kirigakure who had leapt back onto the high platform after the battle's end, and spoke with a smile.
"The Land of Earth…"
At those words, all eyes instantly turned toward Ōnoki. A vein twitched on his forehead despite himself.
Of course he remembered that incident—the very same time Deidara had been abducted!
"I didn't think much of it at the time, I just kept the feeling in mind."
Kitagawa Gen turned his head toward Deidara, then continued with a smile.
"And a little over a month ago, when Deidara sparred with me, he used Dust Release and awakened that memory within me. So…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone already understood what he meant.
An insight from years ago, tempered by time, had finally been unlocked—by none other than Deidara himself.
It sounded simple when said aloud, but they all knew just how unbelievable, how difficult such a thing truly was.
"Jōnin Kitagawa, is your Ice Release the same?"
Genji couldn't help but ask. The Yuki Clan had been wiped out during Uchiha Obito's schemes.
With their extinction, Ice Release had vanished as well. To see it again now—how could he not be moved?
"That's right. When I once traveled there, I encountered a shinobi who used Ice Release. Afterward, I developed it myself."
Kitagawa Gen nodded. At least he spared Kirigakure some face. At the same time, he deliberately turned back toward Deidara.
"Deidara, your art is truly incredible. If not for it, I wouldn't have won so easily."
"Of course!"
Deidara puffed up with pride, but before he could gloat further, Ōnoki smacked him on the head.
Ōnoki's own heart was tangled with complex feelings. Dust Release had been learned by a Konoha shinobi—and not just any shinobi, but one who also wielded the Flying Thunder God Technique.
This situation was troublesome beyond measure. Ordinarily, he would have done everything in his power to kill him.
But now—
[Boom—!]
At that moment, a deafening crash like thunder rumbled through Konoha. The ground trembled violently once more.
In an instant, everyone came back to their senses and turned their gazes toward the distance.
"The One-Tail hasn't fully recovered yet. Let the sealing squad handle it—for now, let's go take a look."
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered briefly, then spoke to Ōnoki and Genji.
"Thank you both for your choices. Once all of this is over, I hope we can sit down and discuss matters more deeply. But for now, let's focus on what's before us."
"No objection."
Genji gave a slight nod, while Ōnoki could only snort coldly and say no more.
At this point, what else could he do?
The only consolation was that Sarutobi Hiruzen would make amends—and that Deidara had inherited Dust Release.
But when he saw Deidara staring intently at Kitagawa Gen, his headache only grew worse.
'How is it that Konoha produces such terrifying geniuses—someone who killed both the Fourth Raikage and the Kazekage—while my Deidara here is nothing but a failure?'
...
'Has the battle back in the village ended?'
Outside, in his form as Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, Kitagawa Gen suddenly sensed the change.
It had to be said—the Divine Tree clone was far superior to something like a shadow clone.
Powered by the 'Source of the Divine Tree' within his body, information was shared instantly.
The moment the battle there ended, he knew it here as well.
'Looks like I'll need to speed things up.'
Kitagawa Gen muttered inwardly. His clone slaying two Kage hadn't struck him as anything remarkable.
Even as a clone, he still had the intel, he still had the Flying Thunder God, and now—even Dust Release!
Even if its strength was far inferior to his true body, as long as he had these abilities it would never fall short. With the right chance, he could make it happen.
'But… the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path isn't exactly something soft to deal with.'
Staring at the roaring giant, Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but curse inwardly.
After all, the Demonic Statue was the husk of the Ten-Tails. Even stripped of the chakra of the Tailed Beasts, its body was still unimaginably tough.
His Sword of Totsuka could wound it—every swing carved another gash into its surface.
But with Nagato driving it recklessly, the damn thing just kept regenerating.
'No wonder they sealed it inside the moon. But why don't my eyes have the authority to control this thing?'
In a flash, he dodged the monster's massive arms, his thoughts racing.
'Could it be… that this authority exists only within the Rinnegan?'
Where its arms swept, the land was left in ruins. The ground quaked violently, clouds of dust shot skyward, and endless shards of stone rained toward him like a storm.
He shook his head slightly. In the next instant, his chakra erupted, and the Sword of Totsuka roared out once more.
"Rooaaar!"
Sensing danger, the Demonic Statue clenched its massive fist and met the blade head-on. In an instant, their powers collided.
[Boom—!]
The two forces twisted together, bursting into a shrill gale.
A visible shockwave surged outward in every direction, forcing Kitagawa Gen to flash aside in midair.
Meanwhile, the Demonic Statue was hurled backward, crashing to the ground in a battered heap.
"You're not nearly as strong as you claim to be."
With the earth trembling beneath it, the colossal body of the Demonic Statue slowly rose again. Its mouth gaped wide, revealing Nagato hidden within.
He was gasping for breath, his body tethered to countless black rods snaking out from behind him. Driving the Demonic Statue was far from easy.
Yet his eyes stayed locked on Kitagawa Gen—and his lips curved into a smile.
"Where's that arrogance of yours now? Weren't you the one who looked down on everyone?"
"I'll admit, the fact that you can control the Ten-Tails' husk did surprise me."
Kitagawa Gen arched a brow, though his expression remained calm. After this battle, he had more or less gauged the true strength of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
And he had ways to deal with it. After all, he hadn't exactly revealed all of his trump cards.
"I won't deny it—the Rinnegan does please me. But it seems there's one thing you've failed to understand."
As he spoke, Kitagawa Gen rapidly drew on his chakra.
A vast, oppressive energy reverberated faintly through the sky as he went on, his tone unhurried.
"I've always avoided needless slaughter. After all, my relationship with you lesser beings is like yours with ants. To kill for amusement would only be disgraceful."
As he spoke, the chakra radiating from his body surged more violently. Nagato felt an incomparable suffocation pressing down on him.
He lifted his head slightly, eyes darting to the sky. Though storm clouds still churned overhead, he couldn't shake the feeling that something momentous was about to descend.
"But don't misunderstand. When ants block your path, you still crush them beneath your heel."
"I've always held back to avoid damaging the Rinnegan. But now… I'm curious about something else."
Kitagawa Gen's voice grew distant, almost ethereal, and yet there was a mocking lilt beneath it.
"Have you ever wondered what it feels like—for the ants you trample to death?"
No sooner had his words fallen than Nagato felt the entire world plunge into silence.
The ground beneath his feet was swallowed by a thickening shroud of darkness.
Staring up at the heavens, his face froze in disbelief. And then Kitagawa Gen's voice came again.
"Perhaps I should put it another way… have you ever experienced despair?"
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