"Shhk! Shhk! Shhk—!"
In a single instant—
Two hundred Konoha shinobi who stepped across the boundary—
Whether chunin or jonin—
Were impaled by black rods that appeared out of nowhere.
They dropped.
Dead.
Just like that.
—
In one exchange—
Jigen had already caused more casualties than Akira ever did.
Naruto. Sasuke. Everyone present—
Frozen.
Death had come too fast.
Too easily.
Too casually.
It didn't even feel real.
"…How is this possible?"
"How did he attack!?"
"This… this can't be real…!"
—
Then—
Kakashi's voice slammed down like thunder.
"Don't charge blindly!!"
"His ability shrinks objects—and restores them instantly!"
"When he drew that circle—he must've already scattered countless microscopic rods across the ground and air!"
"Rush in—and you're dead!!"
—
The crowd trembled.
"…What kind of ability is that!?"
"How do we fight someone like this!?"
—
Kakashi clenched his fists.
The truth?
We shouldn't fight at all.
Konoha… has no power to oppose this monster.
—
Naruto… you acted on impulse.
Handing over Kawaki doesn't mean abandoning him.
We could buy time… grow stronger… plan a rescue.
You knew that.
But…
You couldn't betray Kawaki's trust.
—
Too late.
Jigen had already unleashed his killing intent.
Retreat now—
Would only mean dying faster.
—
Kakashi roared:
"Suppress him with numbers!!"
"Ninjutsu or weapons—attack from outside the boundary!!"
—
His mind raced.
Kāma absorbs ninjutsu—
But mixed attacks force him to use Sukunahikona!
Shrinking consumes more power than restoring!
If he keeps using it—
This vessel will collapse faster!
—
The shinobi moved.
Weapons flew like black rain.
Explosive tags—
Kunai—
Shuriken—
And torrents of jutsu surged forward like a raging tide.
All aimed at Jigen—
Standing alone at the center.
—
"…Hatake Kakashi."
"The Sixth Hokage."
"A strategist… as rumored."
"You played a key role in sealing Kaguya."
Jigen spoke calmly.
"But you misunderstand one thing."
"This kind of attack…"
"From a disorganized rabble—lacking quality, lacking focus…"
"…is meaningless."
—
"No need to absorb."
"No need for Sukunahikona."
"All I need…"
"…is a breeze."
—
"WHOOSH—!!"
Jigen's robes flared.
His braid whipped through the air.
His Byakugan gleamed—
As chakra erupted from every tenketsu in his body.
—
"That stance…!"
"Don't tell me—!"
—
"You call it—"
"We call it—"
—
"BOOM!!!"
A white vortex exploded outward.
Filling the entire fifty-meter radius.
An absolute defense—
Like an impenetrable wall.
—
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!"
Weapons shattered.
Jutsu were torn apart—
Or deflected back.
—
"…Impossible!"
—
Kakashi's breath hitched.
This wasn't in Obito's vision…
Isshiki never revealed his full power…
"…Damn it!"
"Numbers… mean nothing to him!"
—
Jigen's voice echoed coldly:
"Your attacks crossed the line."
"That means… you crossed it."
"Die."
—
Then—
It got worse.
Black streaks shot outward from the vortex—
In all directions.
—
Kakashi's voice shook:
"He's using the rotation to fire the rods!?"
—
"SHHK! SHHK! SHHK—!!"
The Konoha army—
Collapsed like harvested wheat.
Rows upon rows—
Cut down instantly.
—
"Earth Style users! Defend—!!"
Too late.
They couldn't even form hand seals—
Before being pierced.
The rods tore through bodies—
And kept going—
Killing those behind them as well.
—
Second exchange.
Over a thousand dead.
—
"STOP—!! STOP IT!!!"
Naruto snapped out of it—
Leaping into the air, cloaked in Kurama's golden chakra.
A massive Rasengan—
Large enough to obliterate Delta—
Slammed down on the vortex.
—
"BOOM!!"
The storm paused.
The rods stopped.
—
"…Heh."
Jigen watched calmly through the barrier.
"Now that… is worth using a technique."
—
Sukunahikona.
—
"WHOOSH—!"
The massive Rasengan—
Shrank.
In an instant—
It became a pitiful little sphere.
—
Then—
Jigen broke through the vortex—
Appearing in front of Naruto—
Black staff in hand.
—
Naruto twisted midair—
Dodging instinctively—
And slammed the tiny Rasengan into Jigen's shoulder.
—
"RIP—!"
The miniature vortex tore his robe—
Leaving rippling marks on his skin.
—
"…Hm?"
Jigen's eyes flickered.
Naruto's eyes—
Red—
With three tomoe.
"…Sharingan."
He murmured.
Then—
Smashed Naruto back to the ground.
—
The battlefield…
Had become hell.
—
The first two hundred—
Gone.
Untraceable.
Reduced to nothing.
—
Behind the line—
1,800 bodies lay piled.
Some intact.
Some torn apart.
A mountain of corpses.
—
Eighteen thousand remained—
Frozen.
Unable to step forward.
—
Only family—
Friends—
Comrades—
Ran forward.
Crying.
Screaming.
Clinging to the dead.
—
Before death—
All were equal.
—
No names.
No importance.
No exceptions.
—
"Denki!! Iwabee!! Udon-sensei!!"
Denki had half his head blown off protecting his teammate.
Iwabee died anyway.
Udon—
Died protecting them both.
—
Team 5—
Only Metal Lee remained.
—
"Shino-sensei!!"
Shino shielded his students—
His insects saved them—
But not him.
—
"Choji… my son…!"
Choji died protecting his father.
Karui and Chocho wept over his body.
—
"Shizune!! Stay with me!!"
Shizune—
Body riddled with holes—
Protected Sakura.
Barely alive.
—
Sakura's hands trembled—
Blood tears streaming.
"No… no…!"
Shizune's fading voice whispered:
"…Don't waste chakra…"
"You know… these wounds…"
"…mean death…"
Sakura froze.
—
"Go…"
"Leave this place…"
"You're needed…"
"…more than me…"
She gripped Sakura's wrist—
With her last strength.
"Konoha… can lose ten Shizunes…"
"…but not one Sakura…"
"Please…"
"Live…"
—
Her hand fell.
Her eyes dimmed.
Gone.
—
"SHIZUNE!!!"
Sakura's scream tore through the storm.
—
Lightning flashed.
Rain poured.
Cold soaked through every body.
But the real cold—
Came from within.
—
Jigen looked at Naruto and Sasuke—
Standing in shock.
"Do you regret it?"
"You could have handed him over."
"You chose this."
—
No words.
Only rage.
Only grief.
—
"BOOM!!"
Kurama's avatar rose.
"BOOM!!"
Susanoo formed.
—
But both—
Weaker.
Only two-thirds of their former power.
—
Jigen lowered his head.
And laughed softly.
At himself.
"…Why did I bother absorbing the Ten-Tails before coming?"
"I thought you were worth it."
"And this… is what I get?"
—
"SHHK—!"
A massive spike erupted—
Pinning Kurama's avatar to the ground.
—
"BOOM!!"
Jigen flashed forward—
And kicked Sasuke clean out of Susanoo.
—
"You two pieces of trash."
"With this level of strength—"
"Where did you get the courage…"
"…to stand against me?"
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