"Kill me? You think you have the ability? If you're not satisfied, then come and try!" Seeing that he had stalled for enough time and that Senba should already be dozens of kilometers away, Uchiha Tensei stopped wasting words and assumed a fighting stance.
"Hahaha! Uchiha Tensei, do you think you're still the Shura you once were? Stop joking around. After half a year of probing attacks, we've already figured out your strength. Right now, you only possess Kage-level power. You're like a candle in the wind, liable to go out at any moment after burning yourself dry!" one of the Quasi-Kage laughed loudly.
It was precisely because they had confirmed that Uchiha Tensei's strength had declined that they dared to launch such a massive offensive.
"A candle in the wind?" Uchiha Tensei chuckled. "I won't simply burn out. I'll become a signpost, showing the younger generation the path forward."
As he spoke, lightning surged across his body, forming a Lightning Release Armor around him.
"What nonsense about guiding the next generation? Everyone from Iwagakure, attack! Kill Uchiha Tensei!"
The Quasi-Kage pointed directly at him and gave the order.
"Kill him!"
"Kill Uchiha Tensei!"
The Iwagakure Ninja roared as they charged forward.
Wrapped in lightning, Uchiha Tensei accelerated and transformed into a streak of light.
Reaching the first Iwagakure Ninja, he grabbed the man's head with one hand and crushed it effortlessly.
Like a lightning bolt tearing through the battlefield, Uchiha Tensei rampaged through the enemy ranks. Iwagakure Ninja fell one after another, unable to stop him. Blood soaked the ground beneath their feet.
As if even the heavens could not bear to watch, rain began to fall from the sky.
In just a few minutes, nearly a hundred Ninja had been killed.
The five Quasi-Kage watched with grim expressions.
Yet this only confirmed one thing—Uchiha Tensei's strength had indeed fallen significantly.
If this had been the Uchiha Tensei of old, all 1,500 men would have been wiped out within minutes.
Because Senba's Wood Dragon Technique and the Konoha forces had already eliminated around five hundred enemies, only about 1,500 Iwagakure Ninja remained in the vanguard.
"Stop watching!" an elderly Quasi-Kage from the Shadow Guard Squad shouted. "If this continues, he'll slaughter everyone. Follow me!"
"Understood!"
The pillars of Iwagakure finally joined the battle.
Around thirty Elite Jonin and Quasi-Kage-level experts swarmed Uchiha Tensei.
Their combined strength was formidable.
Even though Uchiha Tensei was currently at the late Kage level, wounds gradually began appearing across his body under their relentless assault.
An hour later…
"Huff… Huff…"
After an hour of intense combat, even Uchiha Tensei was breathing heavily.
"What happened to the legendary Shura of the Ninja World?" one Quasi-Kage mocked. "Can't keep up anymore? It seems your strength doesn't match your words."
"Heh." Uchiha Tensei smirked. "If I'm so weak, why don't you come closer? You're all terrified of my final counterattack."
"…"
No one answered.
Because he was right.
The desperate last strike of a Kage-level expert was not something anyone wanted to face.
A Quasi-Kage was still far from a true Kage.
"What? Did I hit the mark? In the end, you're all nothing more than grains of sand. How can the light of fireflies compare to the brilliance of the moon?"
As he spoke, Uchiha Tensei raised his right hand.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasenshuriken!"
A gigantic Rasenshuriken, nearly five meters wide, appeared in his palm.
"That Chakra…" one Quasi-Kage's expression changed dramatically. "Shape Transformation and Nature Transformation combined! Nobody take that head-on!"
The surrounding Ninja immediately retreated.
Unlike Kakuzu, these Quasi-Kage had enough experience not to test such an attack with their own bodies.
"Go!"
Uchiha Tensei hurled the enormous Rasenshuriken toward the densest concentration of enemies.
BOOM!
"AAAAAH!"
The moment it landed, it exploded violently.
More than fifty Ninja screamed before disappearing entirely.
The elderly Quasi-Kage stared at the aftermath in shock.
"To compress Chakra to such a degree and still throw it so casually… He truly is Uchiha Tensei."
"Strong, yes," another Quasi-Kage said calmly after observing the battlefield. "But look closely. That technique consumed an enormous amount of Chakra. His reserves have nearly been cut in half. At most, he can use it two more times."
"Exactly."
The Quasi-Kage whose brother had died years ago finally smiled.
It seemed revenge was within reach.
"Huff… Huff…"
Uchiha Tensei's breathing became even heavier.
Inside his mind, White Zetsu's voice sounded.
"Isamu, you've already lost a third of your Chakra. Stop throwing around large-scale techniques. Start managing your reserves."
"A third?" Uchiha Tensei frowned. "How is that possible? I haven't even used that many jutsu."
"Your Chakra loss accelerated the moment the battle began. At this rate, within three hours, your Chakra reserves may fall to Jonin level."
"Three hours…"
Uchiha Tensei's expression darkened.
"That means I only have about one more hour of effective combat left. Once my Chakra drops too far, I won't be able to stop the Iwagakure forces anymore."
"Do it!"
At the elderly Quasi-Kage's command, five Elite Jonin stepped forward and rapidly formed hand seals.
To prevent Uchiha Tensei from making a desperate final stand, the Shadow Guard Squad had already decided to restrict his movements first.
"Ninja Art: Rock and Soil Barrier!"
The five Jonin surrounded him.
An earthen-yellow barrier instantly rose around Uchiha Tensei.
"A barrier?"
His eyes narrowed.
They intended to trap him and wear him down.
Walking to the edge of the barrier, Uchiha Tensei gathered strength into his fist and struck it with all his might.
THUD!
His fist rebounded immediately.
"What a sturdy barrier…"
Uchiha Tensei frowned.
"It may not be any weaker than the Four Violet Flames Formation."
"This time… I'm really in trouble."