The Ghost Lantern Clan
The Tailed Beast Bomb was still small, about the size of a baby's fist. Though only five had formed, such a rapid barrage was a feat only the complete Nine-Tails could unleash in such a short time.
The five Tailed Beast Bombs plummeted from the hillside, streaking toward the Kirigakure encampment. Upon impact, five small mushroom clouds erupted, sending shockwaves through the camp. Kirigakure shinobi were thrown into chaos, scrambling in fear, their only wish to grow extra legs and flee faster.
A sixth tail burst forth, and Kushina Uzumaki's consciousness wavered slightly.
From the sidelines, Namikaze Minato, ever vigilant, called out urgently, "Kushina, that's enough! Kirigakure's forces are in disarray. Leave the rest to us."
Hearing Minato's voice, Kushina fought to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra. Minato quickly moved to assist, employing intricate sealing techniques. After a grueling struggle, the ominous dark-red chakra finally began to recede, retreating back into Kushina's body.
At that moment, three figures arrived—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
Seeing Kushina's severely burned skin and her utterly exhausted state, Tsunade immediately crouched beside her, channeling medical chakra infused with her signature Strength of a Hundred technique. A vibrant green glow enveloped Kushina as healing energy worked to repair her ravaged body.
"Heh heh... Jiraiya, look at this. We rushed here for nothing," Orochimaru quipped with his usual smirk.
Jiraiya scowled, irritation clear in his voice. "That's enough, Orochimaru! Do you ever stop?"
Orochimaru merely chuckled and fell silent.
Tsunade, her hands still glowing, issued a command, "Leave this to me. The three of you, go after the retreating Mist ninja."
She continued as she carefully mended Kushina's wounds. "Thanks to Kushina, Kirigakure has taken a serious hit, but they still have strength left. We need to press the attack. If we can weaken them further, they won't dare prolong the conflict in Uzushiogakure. We can force them to negotiate peace."
Minato, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru exchanged glances before nodding and vanishing in a blur of motion.
Meanwhile, Konoha's forces had already stormed the Kirigakure camp. The battlefield was littered with deep craters, scorched earth marking where the Tailed Beast Bombs had struck. Many Konoha shinobi stopped to gape at the devastation, their expressions ranging from awe to horror.
Only a few remained unfazed—among them, Uchiha Gen.
"What's this?" he muttered. "If they're shocked by a few Tailed Beast Bombs, what would they do if they saw a full-powered one wiping out a mountain? Or Susanoo cleaving through two with a single swing?"
His voice snapped some of the younger shinobi out of their daze. "Focus. Don't let your guard down," he commanded. "The Mist ninja will put up resistance. Don't get careless just because we're near the end."
"Yes, Captain!" his team responded in unison.
The sun cast long shadows over the battlefield, its golden light glinting off the steel of bloodied kunai.
Kirigakure's forces had begun their retreat, but complete withdrawal was impossible. Konoha's more experienced shinobi—chunin, jonin, and even elite jonin—easily caught up with the stragglers.
What followed wasn't a battle—it was a massacre.
The Kirigakure genin stood no chance. Against Konoha's upper ranks, they were utterly overwhelmed. Those who could fight were swiftly cut down. If not for Konoha's elite forces prioritizing stronger foes, the genin wouldn't have lasted even a minute.
In the span of sixty seconds, over a hundred young Mist ninja lay lifeless on the field, eyes wide with terror, blood pooling around them.
War is cruel. War doesn't care for right or wrong. It only knows sides, and it only knows death.
Yet, for the surviving Mist shinobi, this bloodbath bought them time. Some managed to escape deeper into the forests, though many would not make it far.
Ten minutes later, Uchiha Gen abruptly halted his pursuit. His three subordinates—among them, Yuhi Kurenai—stopped as well, confused.
"More and more chunin are appearing now," Gen observed. "For your safety, break off from me and form a smaller unit to eliminate any remaining Mist ninja in the area."
Though reluctant, his team understood. They had already exhausted much of their chakra and stamina. Staying with Gen would only slow him down.
"Understood, Captain!" they acknowledged before vanishing into the trees.
With a sharp nod, Gen refocused his chakra. In an instant, he was gone, a blur of motion in pursuit of the enemy.
Half a minute later, he caught up with a four-man squad of Mist ninja. The group, clearly lacking the will to fight, immediately tried to flee.
Gen's Sharingan spun to life. He locked onto their leader and surged forward, cutting off the escape route.
Realizing escape was impossible, the Kirigakure captain turned on his heel and attacked, launching a volley of shuriken. Gen weaved through them effortlessly, his Sharingan predicting every trajectory. With a flick of his wrist, his Kusanagi blade extended, stabbing straight toward the Mist ninja.
The enemy barely managed to dodge, but Gen adjusted his angle mid-swing, shifting from a thrust to a slash. His timing was perfect—his opponent, still mid-air, was completely vulnerable.
With a sickening slice, the Kusanagi blade cleaved through the Mist ninja's torso—only for the body to liquefy into water.
"Hmph... a member of the Ghost Lantern Clan?" Gen muttered.
Before he could react further, a high-velocity water bullet shot toward him. He barely evaded it.
His Sharingan swirled, analyzing his opponent—Kitomo Yuzo, a seasoned Kirigakure jonin specializing in Water Release.
Gen didn't hesitate. Fire chakra surged into his blade. At the same time, he exhaled a burst of wind chakra. The elements merged, igniting his sword in searing golden flames. The sheer heat distorted the air.
"Water may counter fire... but let's see if it can withstand this," Gen murmured.
Yuzo's eyes widened. He recognized the danger immediately and raised his hands in a gun-like gesture.
"Water Gun: Dual Shot!"
Two pressurized water bullets fired—one aimed at Gen's head, the other at his heart.
Gen sidestepped both with ease. His blazing sword swung down. Yuzo barely managed to counter with his chakra-infused blade, but upon impact, steam erupted violently, followed by a loud metallic clang.
A deep notch marred Yuzo's sword. He winced. Another hit like that, and it would break.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Yuzo reached for his pouch, fingers brushing against a smoke bomb.
If he could just make it to the sea, he could turn the tide...
But Gen had already seen through his plan.
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