Chapter 155: In This Life, I Will Not Fail You
In the darkness, the light in the forest was extremely dim, with only a little moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves.
After picking up the pace, Kinoshita Genichi's team quickly collided with the Mist-nin.
Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!
Genjutsu: Silent World!
Genjutsu: Flawless Fallen Body Technique!
Genjutsu: Avīci Hell!
From a distance, Genichi threw out four consecutive genjutsu, covering all of the Mist-nin.
To his left, Minato Namikaze swung his arms, and a volley of Flying Thunder God kunai shot out immediately after. To his right, four of Pakura's fireballs followed close behind.
Then, Minato's figure vanished. Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was about to form hand seals behind him, Kakashi, who was drawing his sword, and Obito Uchiha only saw a series of flashes of light, and then a string of screams reached their ears.
Each of Pakura's four Scorch Release fireballs took out an enemy. Minato cleaned up the rest, finishing them all off in an extremely short amount of time. Some of the Mist-nin hadn't even had time to break free from Genichi's genjutsu.
"So… so amazing!" Obito couldn't help but exclaim.
Kakashi was also full of shock. A dozen or so enemies, and they didn't even get a chance to make a move. Even the well-traveled Sarutobi Shinnosuke was incredibly stunned, his heart filled with excitement. A combination like this is simply invincible!
Stepping over the bodies, Genichi's team continued forward without any pause. Soon, the Mist battle line was right before them.
"What's going on?"
"Didn't someone go to intercept them?"
"Enemy attack!"
The appearance of Genichi's team shocked the Mist-nin. Their battle line was then torn open from the rear by the six of them, and they quickly penetrated deeper.
Who could stop them? No one.
Genichi's genjutsu and Minato's Flying Thunder God instant-kills—this combination alone was something most jonin couldn't withstand, unless they cast a large-scale ninjutsu from a great distance. But even that was useless. When it came to large-scale jutsu, Genichi feared no one. And Pakura's Scorch Release could also create massive explosions. Most importantly, for the time being, they could squander their chakra at will. For this operation, everyone was carrying six vials of nutritional supplement, enough to support six rapid chakra recoveries.
Genichi's team charged forward, killing all in their path. The Mist-nin who had followed them from the command post could only see a trail of bodies.
After crossing half the battlefield, Genichi changed direction, heading north to cut horizontally through the Mist's lines. At that moment, at the very front, Jiraiya personally led the charge, launching an all-out offensive.
At that moment, the battlefield, which covered more than half of the eastern coastal region of the Land of Fire, descended into chaos. The sounds of explosions, battle cries, and piercing screams shattered the sleeping night.
In the rear, the commander, Bairin Kyumaru, upon learning that the front line had erupted into a full-scale battle, immediately understood that the enemy was going for a decisive victory. Without hesitation, he gathered everyone who was resting and rushed to the front. He was betting everything. That Konoha unit running rampant within their lines had to be surrounded.
The Hidden Leaf Village.
The Hokage's office was still brightly lit. Hiruzen Sarutobi was reviewing battle reports from various fronts, and also quietly waiting for news from the eastern front. If they could crush the Mist, then they could free up troops to deal with the Sand Village. Then Iwagakure, and finally, Kumogakure. This was the plan he had set in his mind.
The reason he put the Cloud last was because they were the most aggressive, and it would be difficult to end a war with them quickly. If the Fifth Kazekage plan could be implemented smoothly, then they could join forces with the Sand to in turn besiege Iwa, forcing them to retreat and end the war. That guy Onoki would not do something that brought him no benefit.
Time ticked by, and the sky began to lighten.
On the battlefield.
On a body of water, Genichi stomped a Mist-nin to death. He turned his head and saw that there were no more enemies. The mask Pakura had been wearing was gone, split in two by a Mist-nin. If it weren't for Genichi, her face might have been disfigured.
The Mist commander, Bairin Kyumaru, was indeed not bad. Although not as good as Yagura, he wasn't far off.
At this moment, Minato Namikaze was no longer as relaxed as before. His expression was slightly fatigued, and his breathing was a little heavy. Obito was grimacing. Kakashi was helping him bandage a wound on his left arm. And Shinnosuke was taking out a nutritional supplement to inject. There were several cuts on his armor, and blood was faintly seeping out.
After rampaging through the battlefield and tearing the Mist's lines to shreds, their speed had inevitably slowed, and they had been surrounded by the Mist commander and two or three hundred men. This had been their most dangerous battle. The Mist-nin were not trash.
"Everyone, can you still fight?" Genichi asked, not even red in the face or out of breath.
Pakura gave herself a shot. "No problem."
Minato nodded and, for the first time, took out a nutritional supplement. His chakra was not completely depleted, but it was close.
"I can," Shinnosuke said.
Kakashi also nodded.
Seeing this, Obito gritted his teeth and insisted, "I can too. It's just a minor injury."
Genichi stepped forward, his hand covering Obito's wound, and a green light glowed. "The wound is indeed not serious."
"Genichi, you know medical ninjutsu too?" Obito was surprised. "And you seem even better than Rin." He could feel his wound healing rapidly.
"A little."
After quickly healing Obito, Genichi went to help Shinnosuke. Five minutes later, the team of six set off again, tearing south through the Mist's defensive line.
The battle raged on until ten in the morning. Attacked from the front and with their rear being ravaged by Genichi's elite squad, the Mist forces finally couldn't hold on any longer and began to collapse. This collapse set off a chain reaction, turning into a full-scale rout. This was different from their last orderly retreat, where they had a rearguard. With their battle lines torn to shreds by Genichi, their systematic command had been destroyed, and it had become a free-for-all. When they routed, it was also chaotic.
Jiraiya led his men in hot pursuit, but Genichi's team stopped. Their job was done. And while Genichi himself could hold on, Kakashi and the others could not. Obito had already spread himself out on the ground in the shape of a star. The winter sun fell on his body, making him feel warm and comfortable all over. Even the pain from his wounds seemed to disappear. Or rather, he was just too exhausted. Not physically, but mentally.
His stamina had been repeatedly replenished, but his mind had been constantly under strain.
Huu… huu…
Without realizing it, Obito had fallen asleep. Kakashi was also very tired, but he forced himself to stay upright. He saw that Obito was asleep and silently went over, taking out a hemostatic bandage to wrap his wounds.
Minato couldn't help but smile at this scene. Although Kakashi's mouth was particularly sharp, deep down, he was full of concern for his comrades. This was why he had never severely reprimanded him. All of Kakashi's sharp words actually carried concern.
Genichi also saw Kakashi's actions and smiled to himself. What a good pair of bros. He couldn't help but think of Uchiha Namiichi, and a sigh escaped him.
"Minato-san, you all should rest first," he said, reining in his thoughts.
Minato did not refuse. His mind was also extremely fatigued. The intensity of this battle was unprecedented for him as well. And so, they either leaned against trees or lay directly on the ground and quickly fell asleep.
Genichi leaped onto a large rock. The sunlight bathed him, making him feel warm all over. The winter sun was always pleasant. After such a great battle, he didn't feel particularly tired, neither physically nor mentally. Physically, it was because his stamina was astonishing, and the Tailed Beast power within him was constantly leaking out to replenish it. And mentally, it was because of his Primordial Spirit Technique. His Primordial Spirit, within the Yin Seal, was also constantly being nourished by the Yin-natured chakra stored there. This gave him superhuman endurance, both physically and mentally.
The Third Raikage could fight for three days and three nights. Genichi felt he could fight for seven. In a conventional battle, that is. A battle like the one between Madara and Hashirama at the Valley of the End was a different story.
Madara Uchiha… next time, I can try out Kyōka Suigetsu on him, he thought. This Kekkei Genkai-type genjutsu and the sensory deprivation and control illusions he was currently developing were on completely different technical paths. The Second Mizukage's Steaming Danger Tyranny was also a sensory-deceiving illusion, but the clone it created had no combat power. But Kyōka Suigetsu was like Izanagi, a conversion between illusion and reality. However, it didn't have Izanagi's astonishing ability to reverse life and death, but it also didn't have its terrifying cost.
The conversion between illusion and reality… I need to keep working on this. This Kekkei Genkai also has infinite potential. If I can gradually integrate Yang Release and other nature transformations into it, perhaps I can achieve the reversal of life and death by just consuming chakra. And its application isn't limited to just this. Creating an illusionary body… I can also use it to create an illusion of the enemy, just like the Water Mirror Technique.
Although he hadn't tried this aspect yet, he had a gut feeling that an enemy illusion created by Kyōka Suigetsu could also copy all of the opponent's abilities. Of course, it would also have its limits.
Kyōka Suigetsu, Ice Release, Explosion Release, Heaven's Eye, and the Sharingan. That's five Kekkei Genkai. My cell activity, even without the enhancement of the Art of Pyo, is getting stronger and stronger. My life force is becoming more and more vigorous. At this rate, I don't need to wait for the next future overdraft. My stamina will grow to be on par with the Third Raikage's. Genichi was secretly delighted.
Looking at his five Kekkei Genkai, not counting the Sharingan, three of the other four were Wind + Water, and one was Water + Yin.
Illusion and reality, Water, Yin, Wind… Genichi vaguely grasped the thread to further evolve his Ice Release into a Kekkei Tōta. Reviewing the old to learn the new. To innovate, you first need a sufficient foundation, he thought with emotion.
He then sensed someone approaching and immediately opened his eyes. Soon, a figure appeared.
"Genichi!" It was Jiraiya.
"Has the battle ended?" Genichi stood up.
"Not yet," Jiraiya smiled. "But there won't be any more surprises." He looked at the others who were still resting and lowered his voice. "You all can head back to the village first. It will probably take a few more days to wrap things up here."
Genichi did not refuse. "Alright," he nodded.
Jiraiya looked at the still-energetic Genichi and suddenly felt a bit emotional. "We owe this one to you, Minato, and the others." A hint of regret was in his heart. Genichi, whose talent was even greater than Minato's, did not agree with his philosophy. Is there anyone in this world with more talent than this guy?
If Genichi knew what he was thinking, he would definitely say: Talent is worthless in the face of a cheat!
After a few more words, Jiraiya hurried off. Genichi continued to sort through his thoughts.
Time passed, and it was one in the afternoon. Minato and the others woke up one by one. Only Obito was still snoring away. They didn't wake him. When they were heading back to Konoha, Minato carried him on his back. Halfway there, Obito finally woke up.
"Someone sleeps like a log," Kakashi immediately taunted. "Good thing the war is over."
Obito blushed and quickly thanked Minato, then got down and walked on his own. He didn't argue with Kakashi. "Sensei, is the war over?"
"It's over for now," Minato smiled. "Our mission is complete, so we're heading back to the village first. You did well this time, Obito. Keep it up."
Obito puffed out his chest. "Sensei, when I awaken my Sharingan, I'll be even stronger. I might not be able to match Genichi, but I'll definitely be stronger than a certain arrogant jerk."
"That's not necessarily true, that you won't be able to match me," Genichi smiled. "The strength of the Sharingan has a lot to do with the person. I have high hopes for you, Obito."
Obito was overjoyed to hear this, then glanced at the certain arrogant jerk. Kakashi couldn't even be bothered to look at him. Does a true elite need to rely on the Sharingan? Was Genichi so strong because of his Sharingan? Obviously not. Even without it, his genjutsu was still excellent. The Sharingan was just the icing on the cake.
Seeing that Kakashi wasn't responding, Obito felt a bit bored, then began to worry about how he was going to awaken his Sharingan.
Genichi was also thinking about the problem of awakening the Sharingan. The method passed down in the Uchiha clan was through spiritual shock. Couldn't one just master the Yin nature transformation and then combine it with the optic nerves? Or was it that the special Yin nature transformation that awakened the Sharingan couldn't be mastered through study? Or was it because of a problem of understanding, where a slight deviation would lead to failure?
He was now trying to understand and master the nature transformation hidden within the Sharingan, trying to make it evolve with his own ability. For thousands of years, had no one in the Uchiha clan ever researched or looked for other ways to awaken it? He couldn't investigate that now, so he could only try it himself. And compared to the difficulty of awakening the Sharingan, the Hyūga clan had almost no difficulty with their Byakugan. But he knew very little about the Byakugan. That clan was actually even more reclusive than the Uchiha. The Uchiha were unable to enter the core of Konoha's power, while the Hyūga voluntarily stayed away from it.
Mangekyō, Rinnegan, Tenseigan… I wonder if I can develop a dōjutsu of my own? a thought suddenly occurred to him. He didn't know how the Byakugan was awakened. But from the mechanism of the Sharingan, it might be possible to use a certain nature transformation combined with the optic nerves to evolve a new dōjutsu.
I can try it after I've finished researching the Sharingan.
By the time the six of them returned to Konoha, it was already night. Hiruzen was still working in his office. As the de facto captain of this mission, Genichi went to debrief. They also chatted about the Fifth Kazekage plan.
By the time he came out of the Hokage's tower, it was nearly nine o'clock. Pakura had been waiting outside.
"Um, if we can get rid of the Fourth Kazekage, I'm confident I can become the Fifth when I return to the Sand," she said hesitantly on the way, finally voicing the thoughts that had been forming in her mind, or rather, the thoughts that Genichi had slowly guided her toward.
"I believe you can," Genichi nodded. "But the premise is getting rid of the Fourth Kazekage."
"I believe you can do it," she said. "If I become the Fifth Kazekage, I will immediately end the war with Konoha, form an alliance, and we will act in concert."
Genichi was noncommittal. Instead, he said, "The Mist Village knows you're in Konoha. The Sand Village will soon know as well. When you take power, the Sand leadership will definitely suspect Konoha's involvement."
A look of scorn appeared on Pakura's face. "Who else can they choose besides me? And so what if they know? For the greater good, they will pretend they don't. And when the time comes, I will deal with them one by one."
Genichi liked this attitude. "I will mention this to the Third Hokage. But we still need a catalyst. Konoha must defeat the Sand on the battlefield. That way, when you become the Fifth Kazekage, you will be a hero who has saved the Sand again, not a shadowy coup plotter."
Pakura was stunned for a moment, then said solemnly to him, "Thank you."
"You were saved by me. You belong to me. Of course, I will consider things for you," Genichi smiled, then said forcefully. He then leaped up, speeding home.
Pakura froze behind him, then gritted her teeth and whispered, "What an arrogant little brat." Although she said this, she quickly followed after him.
He was an arrogant brat, but he was the only light in her life when she was at her most vulnerable, and her only support now. Pakura was not a brainless woman. She knew she was being used. But so what? At least he would consider things for her, while the leaders of the Sand had cast her aside like a worn-out shoe.
As long as he didn't abandon her like they had, Pakura swore that in this life, she would not fail him.
(End of Chapter)
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!