The surviving members of the Ōtsutsuki clan, nearly wiped out, glared at Shigure with fury.
"You bastard, how dare you do this to us!"
"You're courting death!"
As soon as the words fell, one of them suddenly turned and fled at full speed in a certain direction.
For a moment, Shigure was slightly stunned. Was this… fear-driven retreat?
But even as one fled, others remained. Shigure did not give chase. This was not the time to pursue escaping enemies.
There were still plenty left to deal with.
The fleeing Ōtsutsuki rushed straight toward Kuji.
His gaze darkened as he looked at Kuji, who had already slain several Ōtsutsuki in the crowd. The scene filled him with rage.
It was unforgivable.
Even at the cost of being devoured by power, he would make them pay.
Without hesitation, he rushed into the structure that housed the Tenseigan.
Within minutes, a violent surge of chakra erupted from its direction.
Everyone froze.
"Someone is activating the Tenseigan!"
An Ōtsutsuki shouted. In the next instant, all the surrounding clan members disengaged from battle and leapt away.
Kuji casually flung aside a corpse and glanced around, frowning.
Why were they suddenly retreating?
Something was wrong.
Then, a terrifying wave of chakra surged from behind him.
Kuji turned sharply.
The massive stone doors of the Tenseigan chamber slowly opened. Inside, a colossal golden eye radiated overwhelming power.
An Ōtsutsuki stood atop a strange platform, his eyes blazing as the Tenseigan behind him gathered chakra at an alarming rate.
The condensed power locked directly onto Kuji.
The moment Kuji saw it, his expression changed.
Not good.
He immediately moved, trying to evade.
But no matter how he dodged, the force remained fixed on him. It was as if space itself had locked him in place.
There was no escape.
"Once targeted by the Tenseigan… there is no way to dodge!"
The next second, a roaring golden beam erupted, tearing through the battlefield as it shot straight toward Kuji.
Instinctively, Kuji activated his Shikotsumyaku.
Bone spurs burst from the ground, forming layered defenses in an instant.
But it was useless.
The beam melted through everything effortlessly and pierced straight through his body.
In an instant, most of Kuji's body was obliterated.
The Ōtsutsuki clan burst into laughter.
"Idiot! Trying to resist the Tenseigan's power is suicide!"
"So arrogant before—where's that arrogance now?"
"You only possess a trace of the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline. Compared to us, you're nothing!"
Kuji lay on the ground, only half his body remaining.
Though his flesh slowly began regenerating, the speed was far too slow.
Any Ōtsutsuki present could finish him off with ease.
"Where's your pride now?"
"Weren't you powerful?"
"Didn't you want to challenge the entire Ōtsutsuki clan alone? Get up!"
The Ōtsutsuki controlling the Tenseigan had visibly aged, his appearance now that of a man in his sixties or seventies.
Just one attack had exacted such a terrifying cost.
It was hard to imagine what it would take to fully wield the Tenseigan's power.
High above, a white dove circled slowly.
Kuji struggled, propping himself up with one arm, attempting to rise.
But his body refused to respond.
He couldn't stand.
From above, the scene was clearly visible.
Shigure, rushing toward the battlefield, wore a grim expression.
Kuji had been taken down in an instant. Even if not completely dead, he had effectively lost all combat capability.
The Tenseigan…its power was truly terrifying.
Yet such overwhelming strength was being used like a mere weapon.
What a waste.
If that's the case, then it would be better for him to take it.
A faint smile appeared on Shigure's face.
At that moment, the golden Tenseigan shifted its aim.
Its new target, Haku and the others.
If Kuji could barely resist with his Shikotsumyaku, then Haku's Ice Release would stand no chance.
Locked on by the Tenseigan, Haku suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
His body tensed instinctively.
In that instant of distraction, an Ōtsutsuki struck him in the abdomen.
Haku was sent flying backward.
But the moment he stabilized himself, he immediately formed hand seals.
"Ice Release!"
The attacking enemy was frozen solid in an instant.
At the same time, Ringo Ameyuri drew her blade.
The Lightning Release chakra surged violently through the Kiba swords, forming a crackling lightning blade.
With a single slash, the enemy was cut clean in two.
And yet, all around them, the remaining Ōtsutsuki suddenly retreated once more, leaping away as if avoiding something inevitable.
Ringo frowned.
"…This is bad."
Before Ringo could even finish speaking, a beam of light suddenly tore across the sky.
It descended in an instant, heading straight toward Zabuza and the others.
Midair, the golden beam split into three separate rays, each locking onto a target. The speed was impossible to dodge.
Zabuza's grip on the Kubikiribōchō loosened slightly.
It was unstoppable. There was no way to block an attack of this level.
The Ōtsutsuki were truly terrifying. To unleash such power so casually, yet they had still failed to complete Lord Shigure's mission.
Suddenly, three bolts of lightning appeared out of nowhere and streaked toward the incoming beams.
The moment they collided, crackling thunder erupted across the sky as the violent clash of chakra echoed like a storm.
Incredibly, all three beams were stopped.
Zabuza turned his head toward Ringo.
"Was that you?"
Ringo Ameyuri immediately shook her head.
"No, not me."
If she could release something like that, she would not be struggling against the Ōtsutsuki in the first place.
Then who was it?
Before the thought could settle, a far more terrifying bolt of black-red lightning descended from the distant sky.
It crashed directly into the Ōtsutsuki ranks.
Boom!
The lightning exploded like a spear of judgment, tearing through their formation.
Zabuza's eyes instantly lit up.
"This is…"
In the next second, figures appeared one after another, landing beside Zabuza and the others.
Kirigakure shinobi.
Seeing the familiar uniforms of the Hidden Mist, a fierce grin spread across Zabuza's face.
"Not just the Mizukage," he said, tightening his grip on his blade.
"Reinforcements have arrived."
…
(End of Chapter)
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