'As expected, you've come for Mother.'
Kitagawa Gen's chakra surged endlessly into his body, but Black Zetsu had no time to think.
Because those words from Gen had already left him completely numb!
Though he had always held this suspicion, to hear the other side directly admit it—to his ears, it was unbearable despair.
The Ōtsutsuki clan—this was the clan of gods!
It was only to escape pursuit from the Ōtsutsuki that his mother had once sought to hang every living being in the shinobi world upon the Divine Tree, turning them into White Zetsu.
She had planned to use those fearless White Zetsu as warriors to resist them, but in the end, all of it had been ruined by his two so-called "good brothers."
'It's over… everything is over.'
Black Zetsu's face turned ashen. The only small relief he felt was that this man didn't seem to know where his mother was.
But once he himself died, whether Gen knew or not hardly mattered.
"Hm? What's this?"
At that moment, Kitagawa Gen suddenly halted.
He sensed something, confusion flickering across his face, as if lost in thought.
And just then—a massive serpent's head suddenly lunged straight at him!
[BOOM—]
The colossal snake's head slammed into the earth, and the ground quaked violently.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Black Zetsu suddenly realized that Ōtsutsuki Genshiki had released him. His heart leapt in delight.
In an instant, he plunged underground, swiftly reappearing beside Uchiha Obito.
"Tch… what a surprise."
Beneath the silver moon, Kitagawa Gen had already sidestepped the giant snake's strike.
He glanced down at the white serpent—its eight heads and tails no weaker in size than a tailed beast's—and gave a faint shake of his head.
He knew this was one of Orochimaru's techniques. But his focus wasn't on that—it was on the black chakra in his hand.
It was something he had drawn out using "Chakra Edible Creation." Yet to his surprise, he found himself unable to directly absorb it.
"Why is that? Does it have to be converted into some kind of 'pill' first?"
Gen wasn't sure. For now, there seemed to be no clear answer.
"Forget it. Better deal with what's in front of me first. After all, I still have two more tailed beasts waiting."
Since he couldn't figure it out, he didn't dwell on it. He wasn't the type to get hung up on questions he couldn't answer. He knew exactly what he needed.
And besides, after crossing paths with Akatsuki so many times… it was about time he tested Black Zetsu properly.
"Heh!"
Seeing that Kitagawa Gen hadn't moved, Orochimaru surged forward, his immense serpent-like body striking out at him.
The eight massive serpent heads hissed as they whipped forward, engulfing everything in their path.
"A decent attempt. But your jutsu is hideous."
Watching Orochimaru's attack, Kitagawa Gen's "Totsuka Blade" blazed with dazzling light.
"Still, you and your companions are truly interesting… to think your chakra mingles with that man's."
Before the words had even faded, Gen swung the Totsuka Blade. Its overwhelming power tore through the very air.
In the blink of an eye, blood sprayed high—several of Yamata no Orochi's heads had already been cleaved off by Kitagawa Gen!
[BOOM—]
The severed heads crashed heavily into the ground, kicking up another cloud of dust.
"Do you know the 'truth' of this world? Or is it that being with him, you're hoping to seize a chance to uncover that 'truth'?"
Kitagawa Gen's voice remained calm, his Totsuka Blade once again flashing with brilliance.
In the blink of an eye, another serpent head lunging from behind was cleaved apart!
"But this is a cruel subject. For you lower beings, there are some 'truths' best left untouched."
[Hum—]
Another strike fell. Blood streamed out as Yamata no Orochi's colossal body became nothing but a burden before him.
"Because whether you act or not, you can never escape the circle of fate."
Gen swung again, and by now nearly all of Yamata no Orochi's heads had been severed.
And yet Orochimaru had not managed to touch him even once!
...
"What on earth is that?"
On the far side of the ruins, the shinobi of Kumogakure had finally arrived, though their morale was all but shattered.
Still, with so many people behind them, they had no choice but to step forward—only to be confronted with this scene.
At once, their hearts sank. They couldn't understand what was happening to Kumogakure!
Why had they just suffered Konoha's raid, only to now be caught in another battle with a group of strangers?
"What should we do now?"
Darui stared at the sight before him. Though it didn't seem as overwhelming as the Thousand-Armed Great Buddha from earlier that day, this battle was clearly far from simple.
"Wait and watch," C responded after a moment of silence.
"One of the combatants seems to be Orochimaru, that man—"
"Orochimaru?"
Hearing the name, Darui's eyes narrowed slightly. According to intelligence, Orochimaru had been fighting alongside the Raikage and the Kazekage.
But those two Kage were now dead, and only he had vanished without a trace. Who would have thought he'd turn up here?
"What's his purpose in coming here?"
"Unclear."
C shook his head, then after a pause continued.
"But he's known as a renegade from Konoha, and he's tied to that mysterious Akatsuki."
He stopped speaking there, but everyone already understood what he meant.
This man had some chance—however slim—of being a potential ally.
Still, no matter what, with nothing decided yet, they absolutely would not act rashly.
[BOOM—]
As they hesitated, another thunderous crash rang out.
The final serpent head of the beast, as massive as a tailed beast, was severed. Scarlet blood poured down like rain, scattering in every direction!
From high above, Kitagawa Gen looked down with icy detachment, shaking his head in disdain.
"Pathetic. Your resistance doesn't stir me in the slightest. With this pitiful strength, you think you can seek the 'truth'?"
"Truth…"
Though its heads had been severed, under Orochimaru's control the giant serpent still writhed and moved.
Its heads even began to regenerate. At that moment, Uchiha Obito appeared at his side, his figure rising from the serpent's central, headless body, his expression dark and grim.
He had no idea what Kitagawa Gen meant—but he sensed it had something to do with Black Zetsu.
But still, he couldn't help but growl out in a low voice.
"I don't know what this so-called 'truth' of yours is, but whatever it may be—I will pursue it! I will uncover every secret in this world!"
"I'll uncover your 'truth' as well!"
Uchiha Obito's own voice followed, harsh and low—he could no longer contain himself.
He simply couldn't understand why they couldn't defeat this man, and he was sick of Gen's condescending stance.
"I swear I'll tear off your mask and see who you really are! I will expose your 'truth'!"
"Is that so?"
Kitagawa Gen tilted his head, a trace of familiarity nagging at him.
Why did that sound so much like something Naruto had once said to Obito?
Was he now stealing Obito's script?
He gave a slight shake of his head, then smiled faintly. The Totsuka Blade in his hand lifted slowly.
"I only came here to reclaim the power I'd lost. But now… it seems you're far more interesting than I imagined."
Before the last word had even fallen, the chakra around Gen's body flared—bright as moonlight—shining ever more dazzling.
In an instant, that light drove away the surrounding darkness, transforming a night thick with clouds into something resembling daylight itself.
"This chakra…"
"This guy—why does he feel even more terrifying and dangerous than Kitagawa Gen?"
"What on earth are they talking about?"
"What's this 'lost power' he mentioned?"
Gen hadn't bothered to lower his voice, and the shinobi of Kumogakure had heard every word clearly.
But they couldn't make sense of what he was saying, nor could they grasp what he intended to do.
All they knew was that the man before them felt even more fearsome than the giant Buddha they had faced earlier that day.
"It's over… it's over… this guy, this guy—"
Compared to Kumogakure's ignorance, Black Zetsu's heart was on the verge of collapse.
He had always hidden himself behind the guise of Uchiha Madara's will, lurking at Obito's side.
But everything that had happened tonight—it could very well mean his end.
He would have to think carefully about how to salvage this, or else there would be nothing left for him to do.
"I've noticed something. You lower beings may be weak in strength, but your willpower is unusually firm."
As Kitagawa Gen's chakra condensed fully, his voice resounded again.
"But that kind of unwavering will… oftentimes it's nothing more than self-deception. Still, that's only natural. After all—"
"For you lower beings, without such will, how could you possibly survive in this cruel world?"
[Hum—]
In an instant, the blade swept down, ultimate energy compressed to the extreme before erupting in a wild release.
"Just buy us a little time—I'll get you out of here!"
Uchiha Obito shouted loudly. Having learned from Black Zetsu's suffering, he didn't dare act rashly—he had to wait until Ōtsutsuki Genshiki made his move.
Even as he spoke, Kamui flared wildly, and Orochimaru moved as well!
[Whoosh—whoosh—]
The mountainous bulk of Yamata no Orochi thrashed violently, the sheer wind it stirred no weaker than a Wind Release jutsu.
But his struggles were utterly useless before Kitagawa Gen. The instant the blade descended from above—
[Slash—]
It was as if heaven and earth themselves were split in two.
The entire valley quaked violently, torrents of blood gushing from Yamata no Orochi's massive body!
"Argh!"
With Orochimaru's agonized roar, the serpent's mountainous body was cleaved cleanly in half!
And that dreadful power didn't stop there—it spread outward, and in the blink of an eye, the entire valley seemed on the verge of collapse.
At that moment, Kitagawa Gen's voice finally fell.
"But unfortunately… in this world, only what already exists is real."
[BOOM—]
A deafening detonation swept across the valley, thunderous echoes rolling endlessly through the ravine.
The towering valley walls crumbled in an instant, and within moments the land was flattened!
"What… what is this?!"
Only when the storm of destruction subsided did the shinobi of Kumogakure lift their heads in stunned disbelief.
Not a word could leave their lips.
In that brief moment, they had truly felt like rootless weeds—no matter how strong they were, they could never stand against it!
And now, faced with the flattened valley, that hopeless despair only deepened.
"Kumogakure… what's happening to us? Why are we facing monsters like this…"
Darui muttered under his breath, while C swallowed hard, unable to speak.
"All right… those little nuisances are finished."
At that instant, a cold voice descended upon them.
Looking up, they saw that godlike figure already looming overhead!
Those dazzling azure eyes bore down on them, as if to annihilate their very souls.
"Now… it's your turn, lower beings."
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