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"So it was you after all, little missy," Gengetsu said with a broad, amused grin. "But tell me, do you honestly believe I can be restrained by a mere Water Binding technique?"
"You're welcome to try," Mei Terumi replied, her gaze fixed coolly upon Gengetsu.
Gengetsu mustered his chakra and strained with all his might, attempting to burst free from the Water Binding. He tried once, twice, three times, yet each attempt ended in failure. "This Water Binding has been infused with senjutsu chakra. Ordinary methods won't be enough to break it," Mei Terumi stated, a faint, satisfied smile gracing her lips.
The corner of Gengetsu's mouth curled upwards. Without wasting any further words, he lifted his leg and yanked backwards with tremendous, explosive force, dragging Mei Terumi clean off the tree branch. As she plummeted downwards, he aimed his index finger directly at her. A droplet of liquid, dense and deadly as a bullet, shot forth from his fingertip. "Water Gun Technique!"
Mei Terumi was intimately familiar with the lethal power of this technique. It could punch a hole clean through a person's body without the slightest effort. She would be no exception. However, just as the liquid bullet was about to strike her, Mei Terumi opened her mouth and expelled a glob of viscous, orange-red liquid. The corrosive substance instantly melted the incoming projectile. At that very same instant, from the branches above, a seemingly infinite storm of razor-sharp needles rained down, weaving a vast, inescapable net that completely enveloped Gengetsu.
"Jiraiya?!"
Spotting Jiraiya, fully immersed in his Sage Mode up in the tree, Gengetsu registered a genuine jolt of surprise. He immediately prepared to evade once again. To his frustration, his ankle remained utterly immobilized. He had intended to replicate his previous tactic, using brute force to drag Mei Terumi into the kill zone of the Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon.
But he found he could not move her a single inch. It was only then that he glanced towards the other end of the Water Binding tether and saw that Tsunade had wrapped her arms firmly around Mei Terumi, anchoring her in place. No matter how much force he exerted, he could not budge them.
Left with no other immediate option, Gengetsu hastily erected a Water Formation Wall. The barrier deflected the vast majority of the incoming hair needles, though a handful still managed to pierce his body. Of course, in his state of Impure World Reanimation, he felt no pain whatsoever. But there was no question that figuring out how to free himself from this accursed Water Binding had just become his most urgent priority.
At that precise moment, he heard the sharp whistle of wind rushing directly behind his head. He whipped around, only to find Might Guy's flying kick already descending upon him, mere inches away. The mere sight of Might Guy made Gengetsu's head throb with frustration. Most shinobi specialized heavily in ninjutsu, with their taijutsu skills maintained at a merely functional baseline. Very few ever dedicated themselves to rigorous, intensive taijutsu training, and those who refined their physical combat to the absolute pinnacle were rarer than phoenix feathers.
During his brief, earlier exchange with Might Guy, he had already recognized that the man's expertise in taijutsu was far from shallow. His punches were devastatingly heavy, his kicks blindingly fast, and his footwork impossibly agile. An ordinary opponent would find him virtually impossible to withstand. And Gengetsu was no exception to that rule. Under normal circumstances, he could have employed the Body Flicker Technique or another ninjutsu to create distance between himself and Guy. But now, with one foot ensnared by the Water Binding and the other end anchored by Tsunade and Mei Terumi, he had absolutely no room to evade.
As Might Guy launched his relentless assault, all Gengetsu could do was parry and block desperately. Yet Guy was like an inexhaustible, raging lion. Each successive attack left Gengetsu feeling increasingly battered and off-balance. Simultaneously, Kakashi closed in from the opposite flank. The very instant Might Guy landed a solid blow on Gengetsu, Kakashi darted behind him with blinding speed and drove his Lightning Cutter straight through Gengetsu's back.
"An attack like this cannot kill me," Gengetsu declared, his expression grim and resolute. He stood his ground, as solid and unyielding as a mountain, even with Might Guy's brutal strike to his chest and Kakashi's Lightning Cutter piercing him from behind.
"Before we even set out, Lord Hokage had already made the necessary arrangements. You needn't concern yourself on our behalf. Sealing Squad, move in!" Kakashi commanded, his voice icy and unwavering.
In a flash, an innumerable flurry of sealing tags erupted from behind Kakashi. They snaked through the air and instantly cocooned Gengetsu, binding him tight. The shinobi of the Sealing Squad surged forward, reinforcing the restraints and completely, utterly immobilizing him. Once he was absolutely certain that Gengetsu could struggle no further, Kakashi finally allowed himself a long, ragged sigh of relief. He turned to face Mei Terumi. "Thank you," he said.
"What is there to thank me for?" Mei Terumi shook her head. "It is I who should be expressing gratitude. Besides, relying solely on my own strength, I could never have successfully captured Gengetsu."
Kakashi inclined his head in acknowledgment. His gaze then shifted to Tsunade and Jiraiya. "Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya, are you both unharmed?"
The two of them nodded in affirmation.
"Has the full Allied Shinobi Forces arrived?" Tsunade inquired.
Kakashi nodded, then half-turned and pointed behind him. "We are merely the advance strike force..." His words trailed off abruptly. It was only then that he suddenly realized the beach behind him was now occupied solely by those who had fought alongside him against Gengetsu. As for the other Hidden Leaf shinobi who had come ashore with them, they were nowhere to be seen. After a moment's swift contemplation, he understood the reason and rubbed his forehead wearily. Gengetsu had detonated his Steam Imp Threat twice in quick succession. The Leaf shinobi who had landed with them would have had no choice but to scatter and seek cover. Otherwise, they would have been caught directly in the blasts.
Furthermore, under those conditions of blinding, choking sand, their own combat effectiveness would have been drastically, cripplingly reduced. This didn't mean their comrades had abandoned them. It was simply that the Akatsuki fielded numerous, powerful members. They couldn't possibly commit all their forces solely to dealing with Gengetsu.
"Where are the others?" Tsunade demanded urgently.
"The main force of the Allied Shinobi Forces should be making landfall as we speak. As for Lord Hokage... he is most likely locked in fierce combat with Pain," Kakashi replied.
"Him? Against Pain?" Tsunade instantly felt a cold knot of dread tighten in her stomach. There was no denying it—Pain's combat prowess was terrifyingly, monstrously formidable. This was not an opponent any single shinobi could hope to handle alone. And what was worse, the Deva Path was surrounded by the other five Paths of Pain. Six against one—even for Hiruzen, the odds of prevailing were far from certain.
"Where are the other commanders?" Jiraiya asked.
"They should still be on the Island Turtle..." Kakashi turned his gaze back towards the sea. Even through the dense, obscuring fog, the vast silhouette of the Island Turtle was still discernible. And shinobi had already begun disembarking onto the shore. At their head were the leaders of the three other Great Shinobi Villages. At this moment, they were surveying the utterly devastated, war-torn beach with expressions of pure bewilderment.
"Your actions were far too reckless! We are an Allied Force. We are supposed to coordinate and fight as one. And Lord Hokage is the Supreme Commander of the entire Allied Forces! For him to charge ahead so rashly and alone—he is practically inviting the enemy to single him out and focus their attacks on him. My teacher... he cannot possibly be a match for the Deva Path all by himself," Jiraiya stated, his brow deeply furrowed.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's anxiety spiked. "Where exactly did Lord Hokage go?" she demanded.
Kakashi shook his head helplessly. "The sandstorm earlier was far too intense. I completely lost sight of his direction."
Mei Terumi could also see how desperately critical the situation had become and immediately spoke up. "I am intimately familiar with this terrain. Allow me to guide the way."
"We're counting on you," Tsunade said, drawing a deep, steadying breath. She then turned to Kakashi and issued a sharp command. "Go and notify the other commanders immediately. Tell them to commit their forces to the battle without a moment's delay! Otherwise, even if we ultimately manage to secure victory in this war, the irreparable losses we sustain in the process may be more than we can bear."
"Understood." Kakashi nodded, though his heart remained unbearably heavy.
"I'm coming with you as well," Might Guy interjected, stepping forward as he saw Mei Terumi's group preparing to depart.
"You?" Mei Terumi shot a questioning, uncertain glance at Tsunade. Might Guy appeared to be around Kakashi's age. And Pain was an adversary so dangerous that even the Hokage himself found him nearly insurmountable. Could Guy truly handle this?
Tsunade regarded Might Guy intently. After a brief, pensive hesitation, she gave a solemn, weighty nod. Compared to the vast majority of other shinobi, Might Guy possessed one singular, irreplaceable advantage: unparalleled, masterful taijutsu. And sometimes, against certain seemingly invincible foes, sheer physical combat prowess might just prove to be the key to unlocking the solution.