Chapter 168: The Roar of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path
"Oh? So someone did come after all?"
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the newly arrived Uchiha Obito.
In truth, he had been waiting for this moment. These guys showing up was within his expectations—after all, he didn't want any interference with his mission.
More importantly...
"Right now, it seems that aside from Nagato, no one else can truly stop me."
As he observed the grim expressions on the faces of the Akatsuki members, a faint smile crept across his lips beneath his mask.
At this point in time, he was undoubtedly Tier-0.
Of course, three years from now, things might be different, but—did they really think he wouldn't grow stronger in three years?
After this operation, he was confident his strength would rise to another level, and then... his next plan could finally begin.
"The Moon…"
He raised his head, gazing up at the sky.
"My perception is becoming clearer. Just one more step and I can lock onto it completely. Once that's done…"
He was certain—he would fully take control of the Tenseigan and convert its power into his own.
With that thought, Kitagawa Gen felt a surge of satisfaction, his chakra flaring even more intensely.
---
"Hey, are you guys okay? What the hell is this guy's deal?"
Obito had already arrived with Hidan and Hiruko. Looking at the exhausted and disheveled group, Hidan couldn't help but ask curiously.
"What's going on with him?" Hiruko muttered, unusually quiet for someone so arrogant.
"…Strong. Unbelievably strong."
Nagato, still in relatively good condition thanks to White Zetsu constantly replenishing his chakra, looked up at the calm, composed Ōtsutsuki Genshiki hovering midair. As if having made up his mind, he spoke in a low voice:
"But no matter how powerful someone is, they always have a weakness. Buy me some time. I'm preparing a jutsu."
"Buy time? Wait… could it be—?"
Obito's eyes narrowed. After a brief pause, he understood Nagato's intention.
"Are you sure about this? That jutsu… it could…"
"I know the risks," Nagato said, nodding. His chakra was rapidly concentrating.
"His goal isn't just the Tailed Beasts—he's also after my Rinnegan."
"And his space-time ninjutsu is terrifying. We didn't even sense it before being transported. Even if you plan to escape with us, you better be prepared. Otherwise…"
Nagato's words left Obito silent.
He still vividly remembered his last attempt to ambush Kitagawa Gen. It had ended in utter disaster, forcing him to use Izanagi just to survive.
That traumatic experience still haunted him.
"This guy… he can see right through my techniques."
And now, to make matters worse, he was targeting the Rinnegan directly. No wonder he was chasing Nagato so relentlessly.
"…Understood. We'll back you up."
Obito nodded firmly, and the others quickly caught on to the severity of the situation.
There was no holding back now—this was an all-or-nothing moment.
---
"Are you all done talking?"
Kitagawa Gen's cold voice echoed as he looked down at the group from above.
"Sorry, but I'm on a tight schedule. It's about time to send you all on your way."
"Tch. Cocky bastard…" Hidan muttered, visibly irritated.
"Arrogant fool," Hiruko snapped. "Who do you think you are?!"
"Yeah, you're strong—" Obito finally spoke up too, clenching his fists, his voice low and cold.
"But do you really think you've won already? Drop the superior attitude—you're not a god!"
Kitagawa Gen didn't seem angered. Instead, he shook his head lightly, his tone cooling.
"I suppose I'm partly to blame… Playing around with you all this time must've given you the wrong idea."
With that, he slowly raised the ninja blade formed from the Totsuka Blade. In that moment, his aura turned ice-cold.
"You see… to me—"
In a flash, his blade sliced through the air, swift and merciless!
"…There are no worthy opponents."
Vmmmm—!
The chakra-charged slash erupted like a tidal wave. Everyone's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"What kind of power is this?!"
The raw force behind the attack sent a wave of fear through even the most hardened members of Akatsuki.
In that instant, even Nagato—despite preparing his jutsu—dodged reflexively.
Only Hidan didn't move.
"Why run…?"
He muttered to himself—but in the next heartbeat, his expression twisted in shock.
BOOM—!
In a deafening explosion of chakra, his body was instantly blown apart—chunks of flesh raining down across the battlefield.
"…Idiot."
Seeing Hidan's recklessness, everyone cursed under their breath.
But despite his stupidity, they were at least grateful for one thing: now they knew the true power of that slash.
---
"Where do you think you're going?"
While escaping, Sasori suddenly felt a strange force seize him—and in a blink, he was yanked down from the sky.
"Damn it!"
He cursed aloud, refusing to surrender. Controlling his puppets with ferocity, he launched a fierce counterattack.
The vast number of puppets surged forward toward Kitagawa Gen.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
The Danzo puppet unleashed a devastating hurricane toward him.
"Magnet Style: Iron Sand World Method!"
The Third Kazekage puppet followed with an equally powerful magnetic jutsu. Other puppets joined the fray in unison.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"…!"
An overwhelming barrage of elemental jutsu tore through the battlefield, all aimed at Kitagawa Gen.
But—none of it mattered.
A brilliant energy barrier shimmered to life around him, utterly nullifying the onslaught.
"The first one."
Kitagawa Gen's voice rang out coldly.
With one sweep of his chakra-infused Totsuka Blade, he brought it down with brutal finality.
BOOM—!
Sasori's hand had just reached toward his core when, in an instant, his entire body seemed to freeze in place.
The unique ability of the Totsuka Blade had plunged him into a sweet, illusory dream. A split second later, a deafening explosion echoed skyward, accompanied by a plume of smoke and dust.
A long, snaking trench ripped through the ground, stretching far into the distance.
Sasori's body shattered completely at that very moment.
"Damn it... Sasori—is he dead?!"
The others stared at his crumbling body in disbelief. Despair surged through them, but they reacted without hesitation.
"Now! This is our chance!"
Without wasting a moment, everyone except Nagato launched their attacks.
"Wood Release: Hell's Embrace!"
Obito didn't bother with Fire Release techniques this time—he knew they'd be useless. Instead, he unleashed Wood Release. Massive trees spiraled upward beneath Kitagawa Gen, their razor-sharp branches reaching hungrily for him.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Barrage!"
Kakuzu gathered his Wind, Fire, and Lightning masks onto his right arm, forming a monstrous fusion. Violent chakra surged, roaring louder by the second.
In the next instant, a blinding blue beam erupted from his arm.
"Storm Release: Thundercloud Pulse!"
Hiruko quickly formed hand seals, summoning a bolt of lightning from the clouds above that shot straight toward Kitagawa Gen.
And at that very moment—
Uchiha Itachi, who had remained hidden the entire time, suddenly appeared behind him.
"Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful? Let's see if you can take this kind of attack!"
Crimson Susanoo enveloped Itachi's body, now fully matured into its third stage. He drew his longsword and slashed down without hesitation.
"Not bad coordination," Kitagawa Gen murmured, nodding slightly as he watched them. So this is the synergy of top-tier ninja...
Even though they had just lost two teammates in an instant, they were still able to seize this fleeting opportunity without hesitation.
"And they even tried to provoke me with words... Impressive."
Gen chuckled softly—then an overwhelming repulsive force exploded outward from him.
Visible waves of energy radiated from his body, rapidly expanding in every direction.
"Damn it—!"
Itachi's expression changed drastically. His blade couldn't descend, and he could already see his Susanoo's sword cracking—then shattering completely!
"How foolish."
Gen's voice echoed coldly.
The repulsive force took the shape of a massive ring, crushing the wood jutsu below, shattering the ninjutsu in front, and blasting away the lightning above.
He spun and slashed—severing Itachi's third-stage Susanoo in one stroke.
"Remember this: never seek beauty in battle."
In a flash, he appeared before Hiruko. His blade fell silently.
"Damn it!"
Hiruko's expression twisted. He thrust his hand out as Dark Release exploded forth.
"Dark Release: Vacuum Core!"
"And don't seek virtue in death, either," Gen said coldly, his blade slicing clean through Hiruko's body. Hiruko was flung backward like a ragdoll.
"And above all, don't fight just to preserve your own life."
In a blink, Gen reappeared in front of Kakuzu. The Earth Grudge Fear masks had no time to react—they were instantly obliterated!
"Aaagh—!"
Kakuzu howled in unbearable pain as he was hurled away by the force of the blade.
"If you truly want to protect something worth protecting..."
Before Kakuzu even hit the ground, Gen was already standing before Obito.
"Too fast!"
Obito activated Kamui instantly. But just as the thought surfaced in his mind, the Totsuka Blade's genjutsu sent a ripple of confusion through him.
And then—searing pain tore through his body.
At the same time, Kitagawa Gen appeared behind Nagato. He raised the Totsuka Blade once again.
"Then cut down the enemy you hate most—
—even if it means striking from behind."
But at that crucial moment, Nagato's chakra surged violently.
"Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
---
Meanwhile, within the village, the battle atop the high platform raged on.
Shimura Danzo, kunai in hand, pressed his assault. Hiruzen Sarutobi was forced to fall back.
"Hiruzen! Never thought I'd see you like this!"
"Danzo, you've already lost!"
Hiruzen cursed. He could defeat Danzo—but killing him was another story. No matter how many times he struck him down, Danzo kept getting back up.
"Still... looks like Orochimaru's not having an easy time either."
Retreating while weaving hand signs, Hiruzen glanced toward another battlefield.
On the other side, Kitagawa Gen was dominating.
Alone, he was trading blows with the Fourth Raikage, the Fourth Kazekage, and even Orochimaru himself—and not falling behind!
"Has Gen really grown this strong?"
What Hiruzen didn't realize was that the Kitagawa Gen here was only a Divine Tree Clone—and even he was a bit frustrated.
"I underestimated these three a little."
Even though the clone inherited a good portion of the original's power, it still couldn't match the real thing.
Despite using Lightning Chakra Mode and Sage Mode, he could beat them back—but they still found opportunities to retaliate.
Especially since he was focused on Orochimaru. He didn't want to give that snake even a moment to cast Edo Tensei again—even if he wasn't afraid of it.
"Well, a clone is still just a clone. This is normal."
Gen shook his head, clear-eyed about his own limits.
But the moment he spotted a real opening—he'd still go in for the kill.
"…Huh?"
Suddenly, he furrowed his brow. He sensed something.
And not just him—everyone else noticed it too.
A thunderous roar erupted, shaking the heavens. The piercing cry rattled every eardrum.
Moments later, an even greater tremor followed.
"What… what is this?!"
All around Konoha, bewildered shinobi looked to the sky. Even the civilians hiding in shelters turned toward the noise in confusion.
From the high platform to every rooftop, people stared into the distance.
Their expressions quickly turned to horror.
A colossal cloud of dust had risen far outside the village—blotting out the sky.
Within the swirling chaos, a titanic beast roared and thrashed.
Every movement it made was like an earthquake, reshaping the very land beneath it.
And in the air around it… was a faint glowing point of chakra.
Compared to the beast, that speck was almost nothing—but it danced around the giant, relentlessly attacking.
Even through the dust, everyone could see it—
A massive, invisible sword slashing at the beast again and again.
Each blow drew an agonized shriek.
Mountains had been flattened. The earth was shattered and sunken. The sight left everyone paralyzed in awe and terror.
"What kind of battle is this…?"
On top of one of Konoha's tallest towers, Kakashi and Guy stared into the distance, speechless.
They had known there was a fight happening outside the village…
But now they realized:
This wasn't a battle between humans.
"Cough… cough…"
Outside the village, Jiraiya had only just approached the scene when an invisible shockwave knocked him back.
He scrambled to his feet and looked ahead, stunned.
And in that moment, he understood what the Great Toad Sage had meant.
"That… that must be the so-called Ōtsutsuki Genshiki?"
"Is that even human?"
Back on the high platform within the village—
Kitagawa Gen remained the only one unfazed.
He knew exactly what was happening.
And as everyone else was momentarily distracted—
He moved.
"Damn it!"
Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage snapped back to their senses.
But it was too late.
The purple blade had already fallen.