Under the fierce assault from Ai, Byakuren, and Ishikawa, Gensou instinctively dodged to an open space.
Nearby, Ishikawa immediately revealed himself from his camouflage state, slamming his hands on the ground to unleash a high-level Earth Release technique he had prepared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook as two massive hemispheres suddenly appeared on either side of Gensou, pressing towards him with overwhelming force.
Gensou tried to escape the technique's range, but the narrowing passages were already blocked by Byakuren and the others, their dazzling and dangerous jutsu preventing him from moving forward.
Gensou frowned slightly and stopped.
He looked expressionlessly at the mountains on either side about to crush him.
With a loud crash.
A massive mountain peak appeared in the valley.
Swish! Swish! Four figures landed around the mountain peak.
Looking at the motionless mountain ahead, Reto, who finally had a moment to tend to his arm injury, casually asked:
"Is it over?"
Ishikawa nodded confidently: "Even a tailed beast trapped in the Mountain Earth Technique would take a long time to escape."
Byakuren frowned, uneasy: "I'll add another layer of protection."
Saying this, he approached the mountain peak to perform a sealing technique.
Boom!
The mountain peak in front of him suddenly trembled.
Byakuren's face changed, and he was about to act, but it was too late.
Like a volcanic eruption, molten lava spewed from the mountain's peak, shooting skyward and then flowing downward due to gravity.
Within it, a figure wrapped in lava burst out, spreading his arms as he aimed directly for Byakuren.
"Got you!"
Gensou darted towards Byakuren like lightning.
Byakuren's face changed drastically, and he quickly performed a jutsu to buy some time.
But this time was different.
Facing the incoming jutsu, Gensou directly extended his right hand.
Dark Release: Inhaling Maw! Instantly!
Gensou's right palm acted like a black hole, greedily absorbing Byakuren's jutsu completely.
This was one of Gensou's trump cards that he had never shown before.
In previous encounters with the Four Kage, he had kept it hidden for this very moment.
"One down!"
Amidst the sound of a thousand birds chirping, Gensou rushed towards Byakuren, extending his right hand with the Chidori.
"You—"
Byakuren looked at the sudden appearance of Gensou in disbelief, wanting to say something.
Rip!
Gensou's right hand had already pierced Byakuren's heart.
"Stop!"
Everything happened too fast.
By the time Ai, the fastest among them, reacted and arrived, it was already too late.
"Damn it!"
No one expected that despite the Four Kage teaming up against one person, one of them would fall first.
Furious and ashamed, Ai immediately targeted Gensou.
However, his quick reaction left him no time to think about why Byakuren's jutsu had disappeared. Continuing his taijutsu attack on Gensou as before.
Ai couldn't understand why Reto and Ishikawa, arriving behind him, were both shouting for him to stop.
It wasn't until the next second, when his body, covered in Lightning Release chakra, visibly lost its charge, all of it being absorbed into Gensou, that he realized the mistake and tried to withdraw his hand.
But it was already too late.
Gensou pulled out his right hand, the Chidori continuing to cut towards Ai, who had brought himself to him.
In a critical moment, Ai made a swift decision, biting his teeth and choosing the best option.
Rip.
Blood spattered.
A massive severed arm fell to the ground.
One dead, one crippled; this was Gensou's long-prepared trap.
This shows how crucial information is in the ninja world.
Even Jiraiya, unaware of Pain's abilities, managed to destroy three of his bodies.
If he had known more about their abilities beforehand, his fate would not have been so tragic.
The same applies here.
As Ishikawa and Reto assisted the injured Ai, they looked back at Gensou with shock, worry, and even despair.
Since the creation of ninjutsu by Indra, a thousand years have passed.
In this long history, various Bloodline Limits have been born.
Some, like rivers, have been passed down through generations.
For instance, many current ninja clans.
Others have flashed by like meteors.
For instance, the root cause of the current situation, Dark Release.
Dark Release is an extremely rare and unique Bloodline Limit.
Ask today's ninjas, and nine out of ten might not know it.
Ishikawa and Reto learned about it only after consolidating the resources of the Lands of Earth and Wind, using their villages' extensive intelligence-gathering capabilities to uncover bits of information from history.
It was because of this knowledge that they felt so disheartened.
Dark Release can absorb any external ninjutsu and chakra, making it the absolute bane of ninjutsu-type ninjas.
But that wasn't all.
The real issue was that, aside from Dark Release, Gensou also possessed Steel Release, which negated physical damage.
Immunity to both physical and ninjutsu attacks—how could they fight that?
At this moment, not only the Kage present but also the future second-generation Kage watching the battle were stunned by Gensou's combination of Steel Release and Dark Release.
Hozuki Gengetsu had initially wanted to avenge their First Mizukage, but now, seeing Gensou's unreasonable power, he wasn't sure if his strongest ninjutsu could harm him.
Compared to the others, Tobirama, having seen much with his brother, remained calm.
"Dark Release and Steel Release, quite a combination. But even the strongest Bloodline Limits have limits. The Four Kage might not succeed, but that doesn't mean my brother won't."
Tobirama's thoughts were correct.
Hiruko, who also possessed Dark Release, couldn't absorb Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken due to the overwhelming chakra, leading to his death.
This proved that Dark Release has its limits.
Of course, Gensou wasn't like Hiruko, who had forcibly extracted Dark Release through the Chimera Technique, resulting in a lower quality power.
Hiruko's crude method of accumulating power ultimately led to his body breaking down and his death.
In contrast, Gensou, walking the right path, had far superior strength and foundation compared to Hiruko, making his use of Dark Release much stronger.
At least, he could easily absorb multiple Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
With this judgment, Tobirama, more intrigued by Gensou's abilities, frowned slightly as he glanced at his brother's position:
"Waiting a bit longer might be better. But it seems my brother can't hold back anymore."
No one knows a brother better than his sibling.
Given the current situation, Tobirama actually hoped Gensou would cause more damage.
Facing weakened ninja villages after the battle, Konoha could secure greater benefits.
However, he knew his brother's nature too well.
Hashirama would never allow their current allies, the other Kage, to fall one by one before his eyes.
Sure enough.
Hashirama, who had been observing from a distance, finally made his move.
(End of Chapter)
The cold wind howled.
The aftermath of the clash between the five Kage-level figures had left the once picturesque nameless plain beneath their feet looking like it had been struck by a meteor shower.
As far as the eye could see, the ground was full of craters.
Standing on the numerous layers of disturbed earth, Gensou paid no attention to the commotion beyond the battlefield.
Moving swiftly like a rabbit, he continued his assault after defeating one Kage and crippling another, aiming to expand his victory.
Boom! A powerful Water Release jutsu erupted from Gensou's left palm.
Absorbed by Dark Release, the Water Release jutsu from the late First Mizukage Byakuren was re-released, rushing towards the unsettled Reto, Ishikawa, and Ai.
The three remaining Kage, no longer as aggressive as before, quickly dodged with serious expressions.
Although they were fast, Gensou was faster.
Bang! Bang! Two shadow clones were summoned on either side of Gensou.
The three "individuals" moved instantly, turning into three black lines rushing towards the three Kage.
In just a few blinks, Reto looked ahead and saw Gensou's true body appear like a phantom in front of him.
Meanwhile, Ishikawa and Ai were held up by Gensou's two shadow clones.
Bang, bang, bang, bang
The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed continuously.
Pick the easiest target first.
Although Ai had lost an arm, his inhuman physique made him difficult to take down quickly.
In comparison, Reto, with an injured arm, was easier to handle.
Knowing time was limited, Gensou unleashed his full power to take down the First Kazekage as quickly as possible.
Clang!
After several rapid exchanges, Reto seized a brief opportunity to strike Gensou with all his might, only to leave a mere white mark. His eyes dimmed, and he became even more hesitant.
However, it was too late for hesitation.
With Swift Release, Gensou moved faster than a gust of wind, seizing the moment and grabbing Reto's wrist. As Reto's face changed dramatically, Gensou advanced to finish him off.
Suddenly!
An urgent whooshing sound exploded by their ears.
"So fast!"
Gensou's eyes narrowed as he was about to grab Reto's neck, and he swiftly retreated, abandoning the easy kill.
In the next second.
Gensou stood up and looked ahead, where a new figure had appeared in front of Reto, occupying the spot where he had stood.
Long black hair, red Warring States armor, Konoha forehead protector.
It was none other than the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi, who had removed his Hokage robe and hat to fight with full strength.
Senju Hashirama!
"Hokage..."
Retsu, having narrowly escaped death, didn't have time to celebrate. He looked at the figure before him, whom he had always feared, and opened his mouth, but said nothing.
What a disgrace!
As a Kage, not only had they been beaten despite joining forces, but he also had to be saved by the very person he considered his greatest rival.
Reto's feelings were incredibly complicated.
Hashirama didn't concern himself with Reto's inner turmoil.
Seeing Reto start to speak, he didn't pay attention and waved his hand: "Don't worry, leave the rest to me."
Reto, hearing this, wanted to say something, but in the end, it turned into a sigh.
Swish! Swish!
With Hashirama stepping in, Gensou dispersed his shadow clones, and Ishikawa and Ai, no longer hindered, joined the others.
The four regrouped.
Unlike their previous confident and commanding demeanor, Reto, Ai, and Ishikawa no longer looked spirited.
On the other hand, Hashirama, who had started out lackluster, was now brimming with energy.
Reto, Ai, and Ishikawa exchanged bitter smiles.
"You've worked hard, and you must be tired. Go rest now. Leave Gensou to me," Hashirama said first.
After a moment of silence, the three nodded in agreement.
Although Hashirama didn't say it explicitly, they knew they could no longer contribute much, and he didn't need their help.
They had hoped they wouldn't need Hashirama, but in the end, he had to finish it.
What a mess...
Accepting the offer, Reto, Ishikawa, and Ai left the battlefield, leaving everything to Hashirama.
No matter what, ending Gensou was their common goal, and there was no turning back.
Of course, on the darker side, if something went wrong, like Hashirama and Gensou injuring each other or even both perishing, leaving the cleanup to them would be ideal.
Gensou was a threat, but wasn't the talent-rich Konoha also a concern?
Gensou didn't know that his defeated opponents still had such hopes.
Others might not, but he knew all too well about Hashirama's game-breaking strength.
Asura reincarnation, Wood Release, Senjutsu.
His cheat was far superior to his own garbage system.
Especially since he wasn't as unscathed as he appeared.
Although the Four Kage had been defeated, the series of intense battles had taken their toll.
For instance, the most important factor: chakra.
Despite being from the Hagoromo clan and having outstanding ninja aptitude, his chakra reserves, though superior to many, were not as vast as those of Naruto, who could produce hundreds of shadow clones and simultaneously wield Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Chakra reserves comparable to a tailed beast were still just comparable, lacking the tailed beast's endless regeneration.
After the fierce battle, Gensou still had considerable chakra, but he wasn't at his peak.
Facing Hashirama at his peak put him at a disadvantage from the start.
Asking him to wait for a while for recovery? Hashirama, despite his gentle nature, wouldn't agree to such a request.
Ninjas weren't samurai.
As tools, killing the enemy by the most effective means was their norm.
One major goal of the Five Kage Summit was to deal with Gensou.
Although reluctant, Hashirama, as a ninja, would go all out to complete the task.
The first time Gensou called a halt, Hashirama had already given him face by not intervening in the subsequent battle.
Gensou didn't think he had the face to ask a second time.
So...
Let's make the final dance a grand one!
Gensou dusted off his clothes, looking calmly at Hashirama, the only one left to face him, and smiled faintly:
"The Five Kage are now complete."
(End of Chapter)
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