"Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!"
Under a furious storm of attacks from Byakuren and the others, Yui Xuanyue instinctively leaped to an open patch of ground. Nearby, Ishikawa emerged from camouflage, both hands slamming onto the earth to unleash a pre-prepared high-level Earth Release jutsu.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently as two colossal hemispheres erupted on either side of Yui Xuanyue, crushing down like twin mountains.
Yui Xuanyue tried to escape, but the relentless assault of Byakuren and the others had already sealed the narrowing passages ahead and behind. Stunning, dangerous jutsus flared around him, cutting off every retreat route.
He furrowed his brow slightly and paused, expressionless, as the massive walls of earth threatened to crush him into a mere sandwich between two mountains.
Then—
A single, enormous peak suddenly rose in the canyon.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four figures landed on the outskirts of the mountain. Retsuto, tending to the wounds on his arm, glanced at the stationary peak and casually asked:
"Is it over?"
Ishikawa nodded confidently. "Even a tailed beast trapped inside this Mountain Earth Technique won't escape in a short time."
Byakuren frowned, unconvinced. "I'll add a layer of precaution." He stepped forward, preparing to cast a sealing jutsu.
BOOM!
The mountain shuddered violently.
Byakuren's face changed instantly, but it was too late. Like a sudden volcanic eruption, the Mountain Earth Technique spewed molten lava skyward, the flow cascading along the ground.
And through the fiery torrent, a lone figure shot out, surrounded by magma, moving with deadly intent toward the nearest target—Byakuren.
"Got you!"
Yui Xuanyue struck like lightning, barreling toward Byakuren.
Byakuren's face went pale as he hastily unleashed his jutsu, trying to buy a moment—but this time, it was different.
High-speed and unstoppable, Yui Xuanyue extended his right hand:
Dark Release: Absorption Point!
In an instant, the palm acted like a black hole, greedily devouring Byakuren's jutsu.
This was one of Yui Xuanyue's hidden trump cards, kept in reserve during previous battles with the Four Kage, saved for this moment.
"One down."
With the cry of Chidori, Yui Xuanyue closed the distance, striking swiftly with precision.
Byakuren stared in disbelief, unable to react before Yui Xuanyue's hand drove into his chest.
"Stop!"
Everything happened too quickly. Retsuto was too late to intervene.
"Damn it!"
No one had expected that, despite the Four Kage ganging up on a single opponent, one of them would fall first.
Ashamed and furious, A immediately aimed at Yui Xuanyue—but having reacted too fast, he didn't realize why Byakuren's previous jutsu had vanished. Acting on instinct, he unleashed his body technique again—but even his strike was absorbed.
Only when his body's lightning chakra visibly drained into Yui Xuanyue did A realize and try to pull back. But it was already too late.
Yui Xuanyue pulled his hand back, Chidori slicing toward A like a surgeon's scalpel.
In a desperate instant, A made the only choice he could.
RIP!
A thick, severed arm fell from the sky.
One dead, one maimed—this was the trap Yui Xuanyue had meticulously prepared.
The importance of ninja intelligence was evident. Even Jiraiya, unaware of Pain's full capabilities, had destroyed three of his bodies. Knowledge could decide life or death.
Ishikawa and Retsuto helped the injured A and turned their gaze back to Yui Xuanyue, eyes filled with shock, worry, and despair.
Since the dawn of the ninja clans, from Indra's time to the present, countless kekkei genkai had emerged—some enduring like rivers, others fleeting like meteors.
The culprit behind this chaos: Dark Release—an exceedingly rare kekkei genkai.
Few ninjas even knew of its existence. Ishikawa and Retsuto only learned through the combined intelligence networks of the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind. And now, their knowledge brought only despair.
Dark Release could absorb all jutsu and chakra around it, turning enemy techniques into one's own. For a jutsu-based ninja, it was an absolute counter.
And that wasn't all. Yui Xuanyue also possessed Steel Release, immune to physical harm. Magic and matter alike posed no threat.
The assembled Kage, and even the next generation watching from afar, were stunned by the overwhelming combination of Dark Release and Steel Release.
Koto Hozuki had wanted to avenge his first-generation leader, but seeing Yui Xuanyue's terrifying power, he hesitated, unsure if even his most powerful techniques could harm him.
Senju Tobirama, ever pragmatic, remained calm. "Dark Release and Steel Release make a strong combination. But no kekkei genkai is limitless. The Four Kage failing doesn't mean my brother will."
Indeed, Tobirama's reasoning was sound. Even Hiruko, who wielded Dark Release recklessly against Naruto's massive Wind Release Rasenshuriken, perished due to overextending his body.
Yui Xuanyue, walking the proper path, wielded Dark Release with precision and discipline, easily absorbing multiple Rasenshurikens without harm.
Tobirama watched his brother closely, calculating. "Perhaps it's better to wait… but it seems he's already impatient."
Knowledge of his sibling made Tobirama certain of his next move. In the current chaos, he hoped Yui Xuanyue would expand his victory further—benefiting Konoha after the battle with the weakened villages—but he knew his brother would never allow the Four Kage to fall one by one before his eyes.
As expected, Senju Hashirama finally moved, stepping onto the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)