Chapter 217: The Strongest Genjutsu Master
"I was merely waiting for the right moment," Tekka replied, his voice a chilling monotone. "But a traitor's death is a fitting end for him."
"And what of the Uchiha clan?" Genichi pressed. "You who speak of them with such reverence, are you prepared to slaughter them all?"
"They have forgotten the glory of the Uchiha," Tekka said coldly. "They have lost their fire. In Konoha, they will only destroy themselves. It is better to bury them now. I will create a new Uchiha clan—a perfect, powerful Uchiha clan!"
He's going to create a world with Rin in it, Genichi thought with a sigh. The logic is… flawed.
"Don't take that condescending tone with me, Kinoshita Genichi," Tekka snarled. "You, who accepted the gift of the Uchiha but stood by and did nothing as their eyes were stolen. You have no right to lecture me!"
Genichi just shrugged. "The only Sharingan I have any connection to is Namiichi's. What do the other Uchiha have to do with me? And you're right, I'm no saint. But what does that have to do with me lecturing you? The rule of this world is simple, Tekka: might makes right. The one with the bigger fist gets to do the lecturing. Isn't that the Uchiha way? I am stronger than you. Therefore, I will lecture you. Do you have a problem with that? If you don't like it, then come and fight me."
"You bastard!" Tekka's eyes instantly morphed into the Mangekyō pattern. A dense barrage of crimson spears materialized from all directions, converging on Genichi.
The ground erupted in a cloud of dust and debris.
Tekka has completely lost his composure, Madara observed silently. But his dōjutsu has improved.
The dust cleared, revealing Genichi hovering unscathed above the newly formed crater. "Your dōjutsu has indeed improved," he commented with a smile. "But you've forgotten the Uchiha's greatest strength. You should have tried to trap me in a genjutsu first. Your attacks will never hit me otherwise. Oh, I see. You've already accepted that your genjutsu is no match for mine. A sad truth, isn't it?"
Each word was a dagger twisting in Tekka's heart. He knew Genichi was provoking him, but he couldn't control the rage welling up inside him. Unbeknownst to him, Genichi had been discreetly releasing a specialized toxin from Shizune's research, a poison that caused hormonal imbalances and amplified aggression. Genichi never engaged in mere trash talk; there was always a purpose.
If he wants me to lose control, Tekka thought, a cunning gleam in his eyes, then I will give him what he wants. He would play the part, creating an opening for Madara and Nagato.
With a roar, he unleashed his Susanoo—a half-body, armored Tengu construct that towered over the trees. "DIE!" it bellowed, swinging its massive crimson blade.
The attack carved a massive swathe through the forest, shattering Konoha's outer wall and sending a shockwave rippling through the village.
"So… strong!" a jonin stammered, his face pale.
"My Mangekyō is nowhere near that level," Fugaku Uchiha thought, his heart pounding. "The gap is… immense."
"Hyūga, report!" Hiruzen commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos.
"It was Uchiha Tekka," Hiashi Hyūga's voice reported through the telepathic link provided by Inoichi Yamanaka. "Genichi is unharmed. He's… standing on the blade of the Susanoo." Suddenly, Hiashi gasped. "He's been captured! By a blue Susanoo! It must be Madara!"
Back on the battlefield, Genichi had indeed been caught in the skeletal grip of Madara's Susanoo. He had effortlessly dodged Tekka's attack, but Nagato had then used Universal Pull to hold him in place, allowing Madara to ensnare him.
But the hand passed right through him, as if he were made of water. Kyōka Suigetsu.
"An illusion of tangible form?" Madara mused, his own Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan now active. "A Kekkei Genkai… So, this is the power of the 'genjutsu prodigy who surpassed the Uchiha'? Then let me see it for myself!"
"As you wish," Genichi said, meeting his gaze.
The instant Madara unleashed the powerful mind-control dōjutsu of his right eye, a technique designed to strip its victim of their will and turn them into a puppet, Genichi countered with his own. Madara's technique slammed into the protective layer of chakra surrounding Genichi's Primordial Spirit and dissipated harmlessly.
At the same time, Genichi cast his own genjutsu: Heaven and Earth Seal. It was a wide-area illusion, catching not just Madara, but Nagato and Tekka as well.
Nagato, having faced it before, simply used his Absorption Seal to nullify it. Madara broke free with a single application of his own chakra. Only Tekka was caught, and he needed Madara's help to escape. His genjutsu… it's gotten stronger!
The three of them launched a coordinated assault. Tekka unleashed his Amaterasu and his spear technique, Nagato used Universal Pull, and Madara used his mind-control dōjutsu again, this time to test the limits of Genichi's illusionary defense.
Genichi countered with a flurry of his own techniques. Kyōka Suigetsu to nullify all incoming attacks. And for Tekka, a deadly three-part combo: Heaven and Earth Seal to block his six senses, Brain in a Vat to feed him a false reality, and Mind Control to subtly influence his judgment.
He then leaped into the air, dodging Tekka's spear, and met the fist of Madara's Susanoo with his own. The skeletal arm shattered under the force of his monstrous strength. As missiles from Nagato's Asura Path homed in on him, he danced through the explosions, tossing a Flying Thunder God kunai to Tekka's flank. The Deva Path repelled it with an Almighty Push.
But in Tekka's illusion-filled reality, the kunai was flying toward Madara. And Nagato hadn't repelled it. He saw Genichi teleport behind Madara, shattering his Susanoo with a Rasengan.
"DIE!" Tekka roared, swinging his blade at what he perceived to be the vulnerable Madara, following up with a barrage of his Yachihoko no Kami.
"Tekka, you fool…" Madara grunted as the attack slammed into him. "A genjutsu?"
"He's been caught in an illusion!" Nagato realized, stunned.
The Konoha shinobi watching from a distance were equally shocked.
"To control an Uchiha with the Mangekyō… his skill is unbelievable," Fugaku whispered in awe.
As Nagato prepared to attack again, Genichi met his Almighty Push with one of his own. The two invisible forces collided, creating a massive explosion of air.
Freed from the illusion, Tekka's face was a mask of dark fury. To be controlled by genjutsu… it was the ultimate humiliation for an Uchiha. But he had also learned a valuable lesson. "His illusions are too powerful. We have to restrain him, even for a second."
The pit of despair in Tekka's stomach deepened. Every one of his abilities seemed useless against this man.
"That was quite the impressive illusion," Madara said, his body regenerating as he stepped out of the crater. "I must admit, your skill has indeed surpassed that of the Uchiha. I, Madara Uchiha, acknowledge you as the strongest!"
And I haven't even used Kotoamatsukami yet, Genichi thought with a private smile.
"Thank you for the compliment," he said with mock humility. "But I am still far from mastering the likes of Izanagi and Izanami."
"The secrets of the Uchiha have all been exposed," Tekka growled. "The fool has probably collected more than one Sharingan by now. Capturing him will be nearly impossible."
"Oh?" Madara said, a dangerous glint in his eye. "Is that your way of telling us we should give up?"
"No," Genichi said with a pleasant smile. "I'm just being honest. But I must say, for all the power the Sharingan holds, you Uchiha have never truly understood its essence. You are blinded by its power, ignorant of its true nature. Your greatest enemy is not others, but your own arrogance and pride. Seeing you now, I see a reflection of my future self, a cautionary tale."
Madara's smile vanished. "Are you lecturing me?" he said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Then the time for games is over. Allow me to show you the true power of the Uchiha!"
His hands flashed through a series of seals, and his Susanoo manifested again, this time with four arms, which mirrored his hand signs.
Tengai Shinsei!
At the same time, Nagato thrust his hand toward Genichi. But this time, it wasn't Universal Pull or Almighty Push. It was Planetary Devastation, with Genichi himself as the gravitational core.
Debris began to rise from the ground, flying toward him. But as it neared, the rocks and dirt suddenly lost their momentum and fell back to the earth. Genichi was now cloaked in his Electromagnetic Storm Release Chakra Mode, his personal magnetic field nullifying the gravitational pull.
"What? He nullified it!" Nagato exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
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