"What on earth... is that on your body?"
Senju Tobirama was just about to exchange immediate intelligence with Hane Genma, but he couldn't stop himself from first questioning the nature of the chakra overflowing from Genma's body.
"It's the Nine-Tails' Chakra Shroud. I siphoned some chakra from the Kyubi, but I accidentally plucked a bit too much, so I have no choice but to let the excess leak out..." Genma remarked. "I didn't expect its defensive power to be this decent."
Ninjas of this era generally had no contact with Tailed Beasts, let alone an understanding of a Tailed Beast's Chakra Shroud. Such a concept would only become common knowledge among certain shinobi once the Great Hidden Villages began the small-scale production of Jinchuriki.
"You can actually utilize the Kyubi's chakra...?" Tobirama immediately recalled Genma's ability to absorb chakra—having been a victim of it several times himself—and decided to pivot to another question. "Can you ignore the corrosive nature of Tailed Beast chakra?"
"Is Tailed Beast chakra really that strong? I'd imagine chakra of this intensity is a common sight for you, isn't it?" For the questions he couldn't easily answer, Genma decisively chose to deflect.
The question left Tobirama momentarily stunned. What do you mean 'a common sight for me'? This is Tailed Beast chakra! This level of intensity... hmmm. Actually, now that you mention it...
If Senju Hashirama didn't hold back and erupted with one hundred percent of his chakra in battle, was it possible his chakra intensity could surpass the Kyubi? Tobirama was an exceptionally powerful sensory ninja; he could compare the scales of power in an instant.
However, being a low-key individual, he chose not to brag about his older brother at this moment.
"Have you made any special progress lately? I should mention first, I've been busy with external affairs, so my strength is roughly where it was before," Genma said truthfully. Lately, he had been running around handling "business" and essentially had no energy left for training or increasing his power.
"Me? The development of my ninjutsu hasn't been very smooth. The difficulty is a bit higher than I anticipated."
Genma knew exactly which ninjutsu Tobirama was developing. Logically, it was normal for a technique of that caliber to face immense hurdles during development. Yet, for some reason, he felt that when Tobirama said "not very smooth," it was the equivalent of a straight-A student saying, "I didn't do well on this test."
"Then let's just settle this with a direct fight."
No fancy tricks. There seemed to be no other way besides a head-on confrontation. Regardless of whether it was two-on-one or a series of duels, Genma had nothing to fear.
Across from them, Hagoromo Shu allowed the two to chat because, upon reaching the outdoors, he had fallen back into a state of indecision. Should he prioritize reclaiming the Secret Scroll, or should he return to his command post to lead his shinobi against the Senju clan?
Logically, there shouldn't be anything to hesitate about. If an object is lost, it can be replaced, but if the people are dead, there is no way to undo the damage. Yet, when faced with his clan's ancestral heritage, this Clan Head appeared uncharacteristically conflicted.
After weighing his options, Hagoromo Shu decided that only children make choices—an old veteran should have it all.
"Do not hesitate. Finish them as quickly as possible and reclaim the Secret Scroll," the Clan Head ordered the two subordinates behind him after a long moment of deliberation.
At that moment, Genma finished a hand seal and suddenly reached out, pressing his hand against Tobirama's shoulder.
"I'll give you a buff. This way, you can be even faster."
Because it was coated in Kyubi chakra, Tobirama felt as though Genma's hand had just been fished out of a latrine. But just as he was wondering if it would be too rude to refuse, the "manure-scooping hand" had already landed on him.
The Nine-Tails' chakra immediately began to corrode Tobirama's skin. A needle-like, sharp pain made him furrow his brows, but Genma's palm retracted as soon as it touched him, and the stinging sensation vanished just as quickly.
Immediately after, Tobirama felt his body become incredibly light.
Before Genma could explain, the three enemies suddenly vanished from their positions. In the next heartbeat, three palms slammed almost simultaneously onto the large scroll on Genma's back.
Give it back!
That was the silent demand of the Hagoromo shinobi.
However, how could Genma possibly let go of something that had already fallen into his hands? He was willing to endure the extra weight just to keep this item on his person.
Almost at the same time, he took a sudden, deep breath and then exhaled with all his might, seemingly squeezing every last bit of air from his lungs.
With a soft bang, a massive cloud of smoke slammed into the ground, sweeping indiscriminately through the surrounding space.
True, Sangun (Acid Mist) had limited lethality in an outdoor setting, but what if the enemies took a few breaths while inside the mist? Is there any "indoor" space more enclosed than a human's chest cavity and internal organs?
"Get back! There's something wrong with the mist!"
Shinobi were naturally cautious. When they saw something resembling biochemical gas, they instinctively held their breath. However, one fool felt the need to shout a warning, and in doing so, his facial features were exposed, instantly succumbing to the corrosion.
You all can use Jinton (Swift Release); why didn't you just 'teleport' away before talking nonsense?
Hagoromo Shu and the other survivor were experienced; they retreated from the mist's range immediately. Shu began to cough violently. His eyes stung, his nose ran, his throat felt parched, and he even had a bit of tinnitus. It felt as if he had reached middle age and woken up one morning with everything in his body aching.
In that moment of distraction—a split second that determines life and death on the battlefield—Senju Tobirama's silhouette appeared behind him. Without a hint of hesitation, a blade pierced through the enemy's heart.
Tobirama's expression was quite grim. If his reactions hadn't been fast enough, he surely would have been caught in Genma's indiscriminate attack. At this moment, he could only curse Genma in his heart for being a man who valued money over his own life. He could tell why Genma had reacted so defensively just now.
You stole someone else's stuff, they try to take it back, and you're the one who gets the most worked up?
Fortunately, thanks to Genma's Doton: Keijūgi no Jutsu (Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Jutsu), Tobirama's movements were exceptionally fluid. Using the Body Flicker Technique gave him the sensation of flying.
Genma, however, had his own justification. He acted that way because he had complete faith in Tobirama's speed. You couldn't do it? If you couldn't do it, wouldn't that be entirely your own fault, Tobirama?
Genma remained hidden within the acid mist, so this time, it was Tobirama's turn to face the encirclement.
Based on his personal mindset, Genma's desire for revenge wasn't that intense anymore. He didn't harbor the obsession that he must personally kill the Hagoromo Clan Head. To put it simply, the moment he lured the Nine-Tails here and the Senju and other clans entered the fray, his revenge was already complete.
He believed the Hagoromo clan could no longer continue to exist. Everyone had finally gathered and made their move; if they allowed this clan to persist after all this, wouldn't that just be asking for trouble later?
The game of 'I attack you, you retaliate against me' is fun, isn't it?
Although the death of a Clan Head could serve as the symbol of a clan's annihilation, for Genma, letting this leader live wouldn't be a big problem. Survival would allow the Clan Head to spend the rest of his life "feeling the weight of the world's pain."
Of course, Genma could think that way, but Senju Tobirama and the other Senju shinobi certainly wouldn't. Tonight, the Senju had drawn a massive amount of hatred. If any high-level ninja among the enemy survived, they would inevitably seek vengeance against the Senju.
Even though Genma was the one who orchestrated this entire operation, in the actual theater of war, he and his Hotaru (Firefly) organization were practically invisible. The only reason this Clan Head was hunting him—besides Genma luring the Kyubi—was simply that Genma was a thief.
Tobirama, facing two ninjas whose absolute speed surpassed his own, seemed to be struggling. However, his eyes remained incredibly calm, showing he didn't believe he was in a dead end.
While he didn't look different on the surface, his strength had been steadily rising during this period. As the saying goes, different people have different fates. Genma and Tobirama were of similar age; Genma felt his potential at this stage was quite limited, but for Tobirama, it was the exact opposite.
Senju Tobirama was marching toward his peak. Upon entering this age bracket, his fundamental stats as a shinobi were increasing rapidly. There was no helping it; as an elite Senju, he automatically gained "skill points" as he grew older.
By the time Genma casually strolled out of the acid mist, Tobirama was shifting positions. In the next instant, he and a Hagoromo ninja appeared in the same spot, one behind the other. The blade rose and fell, severing the opponent's head.
"Jinton (Swift Release)... How long do you think I've been fighting ninjas like you? Anyone would grow and see through your tricks eventually."
Seeing the look of confusion on the man's face before he died, Tobirama kindly offered an explanation.
Swift Release users were fast, but they couldn't escape his sensory abilities. Combined with his constant observation of the enemy's movement patterns, he used two types of prediction to wait for his opening. He simply waited for the "rabbit" to run into the "post," and then the enemy's life was forfeited.
"Swift Release... it really should be paired with a Sharingan."
While Swift Release ninjas didn't strictly need a Sharingan, if they possessed that level of insight... at this point, one should probably invite Uchiha Izuna to give a keynote speech.
Tobirama glanced toward Genma and noticed that while he was fighting for his life, the other man looked like he was here on a sightseeing tour.
Didn't you say we were going to 'fight hard'? Where is the 'hard' part?
At that moment, a squad of more than ten ninjas—dressed in black, masked, bearing no markings, and of unknown origin—passed by Genma. Genma saw the red cloths tied around their left arms and immediately offered some friendly directions.
"Over there. There's good stuff over there."
It was currently the "looting and pillaging the Hagoromo clan" phase, not yet the time for the various groups to turn on each other. Thus, the lead ninja nodded at Genma and led his team in the direction Genma had pointed.
They had strength in numbers but didn't attack, primarily because the people standing here looked like they weren't to be trifled with.
He's giving them directions? Not only did Tobirama find Genma increasingly irritating, but Hagoromo Shu found Genma even more detestable.
Tobirama had moved to the other side to finish off an enemy. Seizing the opening, Hagoromo Shu lunged at Genma again without any warning.
However, the reason Genma appeared relaxed and lacked fighting spirit was specifically to bait the hook.
Chasing a Swift Release ninja like Tobirama did? That was too difficult. The correct approach was to stay put and wait for the opponent to come to him.
Genma's sensory range was only thirty meters. The enemy entered that range in an instant. Even so, under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to catch him, but Genma was currently anything but "normal."
In the next heartbeat, the Nine-Tails' Chakra Shroud on his body fanned out, lunging toward the direction of the incoming enemy. Upon sensing something, the chakra transformed into a giant hand, instantly snatching Hagoromo Shu into its palm.
With so much chakra to squander, it was a guaranteed catch.
The Kyubi's chakra was a wonderful thing; unfortunately, it was a one-time use, and there was no way to replenish it once it was gone.
Caught in an instant, Hagoromo Shu's reaction was remarkably swift. A sky-blue "light sword," resembling a Chidori Sharp Spear, extended from his palm and stabbed toward Genma's chest in a flash.
Genma only had time to slightly twist his body, but his shoulder was still pierced instantly.
Needless to say, as the Hagoromo Clan Head, Shu was proficient in both Jinton (Swift Release) and Ranton (Storm Release).
An energy sword was impossible to defend against. In the next moment, Hagoromo Shu flipped his wrist, swinging the light sword horizontally and pulling his forearm back, intending to take off Genma's head along with his shoulder.
But Genma already had his Mubun-ken (Invisible Sword) in hand. He swung his right arm downward, and the jet of chakra extending from his palm instantly sliced the light sword in two.
An energy sword? You act like I don't have one.
The moment the Storm Release sword snapped, the contemptuous smile on Hagoromo Shu's face froze. He didn't even know what his opponent had done.
As he stood there with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, gasping for air, a massive cloud of white mist suddenly slammed into his face.
Vision blurry? Try some concentrated sulfuric acid in your eyes!
A ghost-like, wolfish wail pierced the night sky. Many Hagoromo shinobi recognized it as their Clan Head's voice. The scream made their hearts tremble, and they couldn't help but imagine the worst.
But he was facing acid mist; the more he screamed, the more pathetic it became, and the more pathetic it became, the more he screamed. His heavy gasping created a perfect cycle of self-destruction.
Under the assault of the strong acid, Hagoromo Shu's eyes were instantly destroyed. Immediately after, he took a massive gulp through his nose and mouth, and his chest cavity began to burn like white-hot iron.
Seeing the enemy lose his vision and remain restricted by Genma's chakra shroud, Tobirama instinctively moved in to claim the kill. It was the perfect opportunity.
However, at that moment, Genma suddenly released the restraints on the man.
"What are you doing?"
Having suddenly lost his sight, Hagoromo Shu no longer cared about his enemies; he began to struggle and flee in a blind panic.
Genma watched the direction the man was running. Even though he was choosing a path at random, he was actually running exactly where he needed to go.
Genma reached out to stop Tobirama from pursuing and said:
"The Gale and Thunder, the Shimmering Light on Swift Water... tonight, they become history."
"Why didn't you just finish him off?"
Tobirama was somewhat bewildered. Genma shook his head and continued:
"Ninjas of this era... their lives are so cheap. They always end up dying like stray dogs."
"And?"
"The Clan Head is also a ninja. Therefore, the Clan Head should also die like a stray dog."
Tobirama seemed to understand something, but he felt that Genma wasn't just insulting the Hagoromo Clan Head.
Hagoromo Shu ran forward in a panic and soon stumbled right into the arms of the looting party from earlier.
"What's this thing?"
"He's screaming too miserably, isn't he?"
"Let's do him a favor, kind folks."
Kunai, shuriken, and blades of all lengths rained down upon the old blind man. The group quickly finished their "good deed."
"That guy from before was a good person, pointed us in the right direction. Move fast, we need to find another spot to scavenge... there are too many competitors tonight."
"Understood. Let's have another big harvest."
They were so focused on looting that they didn't even know whose life they had just taken.
One could only say that Genma's words held truth. If Hagoromo Shu had died at Tobirama's hands, perhaps someone would have written about it in great detail in the history of Konohagakure. But now?
Hagoromo Shu died with nothing left, and after death, there was only silence. He didn't even have to worry about people "whipping his corpse" when they read history books in the future...
It could be said that Genma deserved a share of the credit for that "good deed" just now.
May the dead rest in peace.
Respect, understanding, and blessings.
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