Chapter 169: Fight Him Until He Agrees
Danzō was, of course, well aware of Kinoshita Genichi's track record of killing two Kage. Any Kage of the five great ninja villages possessed the power to suppress a Tailed Beast. But to deal with two jinchuriki at the same time, and to do so with such ease, was a great shock to him.
And the stronger Genichi became, the more unbearable it was for him. It wasn't because he had once been beaten up by him, but because he himself was not the Hokage. If he were, then a talent like this would be his subordinate. But now, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea how to use such a talent. The threat of Madara Uchiha was just a cowardly excuse!
Taking a deep breath, Danzō waved his hand, and the Konoha ninja behind him also went to intercept the Iwa-nin. But soon, the forces of both sides quickly retreated, leaving the huge battlefield in the middle empty.
Because the Five-Tails had gone on a rampage.
Seeing Rōshi on the brink of death, and a mere clone fighting him to a standstill, the Five-Tails' jinchuriki, Han, not wanting Rōshi to be killed by Konoha, had unhesitatingly chosen to release the Tailed Beast. He didn't believe that this clone of Kinoshita Genichi could also handle that. Besides, choosing to rampage was also a signal to Onoki. This enemy was too strong; Rōshi had been defeated too quickly.
And the mirror clone indeed could not release a Tailed Beast. Otherwise, it would be invincible. With the Five-Tails' rampage, the mirror clone was immediately smashed to pieces by three tails.
As expected, no Tailed Beast should be underestimated, Genichi sighed.
Don't be fooled by how easily Hashirama seemed to handle the Nine-Tails; that was when he was using his strongest moves. Orochimaru's Triple Rashōmon had been obliterated by a single Tailed Beast Bomb from the rampaging Naruto. The Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails had also fought to the point of mutual exhaustion. Genichi's current Ice Release couldn't completely freeze the Four-Tails' Lava Release. And the Five-Tails' power, in its current rampage, the mirror clone had been no match for.
Looks like I have to make this quick, or I won't be able to absorb the Five-Tails' chakra.
Genichi recalled Samehada. It wasn't that he couldn't extract and seal both the Four and Five-Tails. But it would take time, and he would be a sitting duck while performing the sealing. If Onoki came over and hit him with a Dust Release, it would be all over. So, his initial goal was just to absorb their chakra.
The Five-Tails, Kokuō, with the head of a dolphin and the body of a horse, charged forward, its hooves thundering, its tails lashing.
Genichi clapped his hands together. Ice pillars erupted from the ground, but they were all shattered by Kokuō's charge.
Ice Release: Ice Dragon Technique!
He condensed an ice dragon that slithered across the ground. This time, it didn't meet the Five-Tails head-on, but coiled around its body, using the power of ice to freeze its strength and weaken its Boil Release.
After the Five-Tails' speed had decreased, Genichi's eyes glowed with an ice-blue light.
Genjutsu: Heaven and Earth Seal!
This was the strongest genjutsu he had mastered, aside from Kyōka Suigetsu.
The charging Five-Tails, still wrestling with the two ice dragons, was hit. It was as if its system had crashed. It collapsed with a thunderous roar, sliding for some distance before stopping.
"A Sharingan genjutsu?" Orochimaru relaxed. He had been worried, with Genichi facing two jinchuriki at the same time. But the scene was still shocking. To take down two of them in such a short time.
Genichi's genjutsu ability was already famous in the ninja world. Orochimaru himself had experienced it firsthand. But these were jinchuriki! No, a rampaging Tailed Beast. Orochimaru's own genjutsu was very strong, but against a Tailed Beast and a jinchuriki, it was basically useless.
On the other side, Danzō's eyelids twitched as he watched Genichi so easily take down the two jinchuriki. A thought uncontrollably surfaced in his mind. Could I take the Tailed Beasts?
Genichi, however, had no such thoughts. He appeared beside the now-human Han, Samehada reappearing to begin absorbing his Tailed Beast chakra.
And on another part of the battlefield, the moment the Five-Tails had rampaged, Onoki had sensed it. He no longer bothered with Hanzō and immediately left. By the time he arrived, he saw Genichi with his foot on the Five-Tails' jinchuriki, a sword in his hand continuously absorbing his chakra.
Kinoshita Genichi! So it really is him!
Onoki's face was grim. From the air, he clapped his hands together, and without even a greeting, he directly used Dust Release. No martial virtue whatsoever.
Genichi recalled his sword and ran, appearing beside Orochimaru in an instant. Even he couldn't withstand the decomposing ability of Dust Release. Not even with his Kekkei Genkai, Kyōka Suigetsu.
But what was his purpose in coming to this battlefield? The Tailed Beast chakra was just a bonus. His real target was Onoki. If Onoki hadn't appeared, he wouldn't have even bothered to come.
Mirror Eye, copy!
Light-Weight Rock Technique!
Dust Release!
This time, Genichi did not transform into Onoki, nor did he create a mirror clone. His use of the Mirror Eye was already masterful.
He smiled at the Onoki who was looking down from the sky. So what if you can fly? I can too!
The mirror copy was like saving a skill; he didn't need to understand it. Of course, if his brain was good enough, he could also quickly master it on the spot. Just like with Kakashi's Raikiri, he had quickly mastered it without needing to rely on the Mirror Eye. But a Kekkei Genkai like Scorch Release was another matter; it required time to learn and train, just like the Sharingan before.
And so, under numerous shocked gazes, Genichi also began to fly.
Orochimaru had already noticed the abnormality of his eyes. The Sharingan? No, but very similar. Thinking of some of the theories Genichi had mentioned before, and his personality, he immediately guessed the answer. As expected of you, Genichi-kun. To think that you really deciphered the secret of the Sharingan and even awakened your own eye. It just mutated? So, this is a copying ability similar to the Sharingan? But the Tsuchikage's flight ninjutsu is a secret Earth Release technique, something even the Sharingan cannot copy.
For a moment, Orochimaru's gaze on Genichi's back was incredibly fervent.
Danzō's gaze was also fervent. Why isn't a talent like this mine? If he were the Hokage, with such a talent in hand, perhaps he could have swept through the other ninja villages and made it so that there was only one Konoha in the entire world. But, along with the fervor, there was also a deep fear in his heart. With this level of strength, even with sufficient intelligence, it would be very difficult to eliminate him.
The plan must be changed. I absolutely cannot touch Tsunade anymore… Danzō immediately made a decision. But in that case, then he could only…
He hesitated, but only for a moment. This is all for the village. If I were the Hokage, then I believe Genichi would be as loyal to me as he is to Hiruzen now. Unless he wants to become a rogue ninja. But was that possible? He valued his family and friends so much. Would he be willing to part with them?
Thinking of this, Danzō's confidence suddenly surged.
In the air, Onoki was also shocked. This guy actually had an ability similar to his own. And those eyes, they didn't look like the Sharingan. The intel had only said he had one.
He moved, descending to above the two jinchuriki. Kitsuchi arrived with his men and carried the two unconscious jinchuriki to the rear, but he himself stayed behind.
"Dad, be careful! His genjutsu is very powerful!" he yelled, which was why he had stayed.
"I know!" Onoki said with a grim face, staring at Genichi. "Did the Hokage only send you?"
"It seems you look down on a small fry like me, Lord Tsuchikage," Genichi smiled. "But for an occasion like this, there is indeed no need for the Third Hokage to act personally, lest you be too embarrassed, Lord Tsuchikage."
Onoki's face twitched slightly. "Cunning brat," he snorted. "I hear the Third Mizukage and the Fourth Kazekage both died at your hands. I'm curious to see your strength." There were a large number of Sand-nin in the rear. Of course, he had to take the opportunity to drive a wedge.
Genichi didn't care at all. With interests at stake, what was one Fourth Kazekage? So he said loudly, "That is indeed true. I admire the Fourth Kazekage very much. We fought a proper duel. He fought to protect his comrades and died a worthy death. As for the Third Mizukage, the Mist Village invaded the Land of Fire. For me to kill him to protect my country and my village was only natural."
Sharp-tongued. Onoki huffed, then clapped his hands together. "Then let's see your strength."
Dust Release reappeared.
Genichi followed suit, and a white, transparent cube appeared between his palms, which then extended toward Onoki. Onoki did the same.
The two identical Dust Release techniques collided, then erupted in a brilliant flash of light and a violent explosion. At that moment, the countless ninja watching from both the Iwa and the Konoha sides couldn't help but stare with wide eyes.
Dust Release! Kinoshita Genichi also knew Dust Release!
"He… he can even copy a Kekkei Tōta?" For a moment, even Orochimaru lost his composure. This was someone who had guessed the truth. As for Danzō and the others, and even Onoki himself, they were beyond shocked.
"How… how is this possible?" Onoki was blown back by the shockwave of the explosion, his eyes wide as he stared at Genichi. The same Dust Release. It was simply unbelievable.
The Sharingan's copying ability? No, the Sharingan doesn't have such an ability. Onoki, after all, had a wealth of combat experience. He stared at Genichi and quickly came up with a guess. As for Genichi developing it himself, that was also a possibility. But for it to be exactly the same was too much of a coincidence. That possibility was even smaller than the one about those eyes that looked so much like the Sharingan. Especially since Genichi had also displayed the same flight ability as him.
Those eyes…
Onoki reacted quickly. He descended, at the same time avoiding direct eye contact with Genichi.
Genichi immediately activated the Heaven and Earth Seal. Onoki's body lost control, and he plummeted downward.
"Dad!" Kitsuchi was shocked. Noticing Genichi's move, he immediately opened his mouth and spat out a volley of rock projectiles at him.
Genichi dodged, but his Dust Release did not stop. But the casting was indeed very slow. By the time he completed it, Onoki's genjutsu had already been broken by his son, who then flew back with him, escaping the range of the Dust Release cube.
Too slow. I'm not used to it.
And Onoki was now 200% on guard against him. After retreating, he immediately formed hand seals, and several rock clones appeared around him, rapidly switching positions under Kitsuchi's cover to hide his real body.
Seeing this, Genichi gave up the idea of killing him. Or rather, he had never intended to in the first place. He still had to fleece this sheep. He hadn't copied the Added-Weight Rock Technique yet. And…
Genichi discovered that after a one-time mirror copy, some of the information was lost when the jutsu was dispelled, especially for a Kekkei Genkai. This was something he had discovered when he had copied Pakura's Scorch Release. But the Mirror Eye's ability was still astonishing. Genichi even felt it was comparable to a Mangekyō Sharingan's dōjutsu. As long as he had enough chakra, he could even go toe-to-toe with Madara.
But now he had tried it. Dust Release could be copied. He just didn't know if the Rinnegan could. As he became more and more proficient with the Mirror Eye, he became increasingly aware that this dōjutsu had its limits. Or rather, it was related to his own ability, such as the strength of the Mirror Eye's dōjutsu power itself. Just like with Raikiri, even after dispelling the jutsu, he could quickly master it, but he couldn't do the same with Scorch Release. But he had to try, bit by bit.
So, looking at Onoki's state, Genichi, having achieved his goal, couldn't be bothered to continue. "Lord Tsuchikage," he said, "you have seen my strength. Does this war really need to continue? If it does, it will not be good for either of us. Too many people have already died. Why not end it here?"
Onoki was slightly surprised. He was an old fox. He could naturally tell that Genichi was giving him a way out. And so, he went along with it. "If the terms are reasonable, Iwagakure does not mind ending the war here," he said coolly. This was his last bit of face-saving.
Genichi smiled slightly, not minding. Anyway, Konoha had already gotten its benefits. What more could they gain by continuing to fight? Could they destroy Iwagakure? If it really came to that, the Cloud and the Mist would not just stand by and watch. It wasn't that they couldn't destroy Iwa; Genichi was confident that if he went all out, he could. But he had no interest in that. And the disadvantages of doing so outweighed the advantages.
In the future, he had fought Madara again. Although it was only combat experience, he could also deduce some things from those memories. His performance had been too outstanding. It was possible that Madara would try to kill him before he died. So, even if he wanted to play the game of unifying the ninja world, now was not the time. He had to wait until after Madara was dead.
Watching Onoki retreat, he also descended from the sky, returning to Orochimaru's side. He did not dispel his jutsu.
"Prepare for negotiations," he said.
Orochimaru nodded, then looked at Danzō, who had already come over. This time, Danzō was the commander-in-chief, and he also had to consult with Hanzō and Chiyo.
"What if Onoki refuses?" Danzō said coolly.
"What we've eaten is ours," Genichi said, his face expressionless. "We don't need to ask for more. If he doesn't agree, then we'll continue to fight. We'll fight him until he agrees."
This domineering statement made Danzō feel even more strongly that Hiruzen had no idea how to use people. And Genichi's style did not match the current, weak Hiruzen at all. If it weren't for him, Koharu, and Homura fighting for it, they wouldn't have been able to get the benefits of the Lands of Grass, Birds, and Rivers.
Feeling Danzō's strange gaze on him, Genichi couldn't be bothered to stay. "I'm returning to report." After nodding to Orochimaru, he vanished.
He didn't go directly back to Konoha, but to the medical camp. Tsunade and the others must have sensed the Five-Tails' rampage. As expected, the moment he arrived, Shizune and Ina surrounded him, even though Ina had already sensed that his chakra was still present.
"Don't worry, I'm completely fine," he smiled, before they could ask. "Barring any accidents, the war should be ending soon."
Iwagakure couldn't fight anymore. Before, they had been able to drag it out because Hiruzen had proactively offered peace. Now, Genichi was confident that Danzō would be very tough during the negotiations. And what you couldn't get on the battlefield, you shouldn't expect to get at the negotiating table. Unless you ran into a weakling.
Hearing what he said, Ina was completely convinced and overjoyed. "That's great! We can finally go back to the village." Shizune also nodded repeatedly. She also preferred to be in the village, either at the hospital or with Genichi.
But Tsunade's face was serious. "No matter what, we can't let our guard down."
Ina and Shizune quickly nodded obediently.
Watching this scene, a thought popped into Genichi's head: The makings of a first wife.
Noticing his strange gaze, Tsunade felt a little puzzled, but she asked, "You fought the Tsuchikage?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Dust Release is truly extraordinary. I'll tell you more when we get back to the village. I have to go back and report."
He came and went in a hurry, staying for less than half an hour in total.
Returning to Konoha, he didn't go to the Hokage's office first, but back to his bedroom. He dispelled the mirror dōjutsu. The state vanished, but the information on the Light-Weight Rock Technique and Dust Release remained.
The Light-Weight Rock Technique is a bit difficult, but it's fine. My Earth Release is not bad now. As for Dust Release… as expected, it's not working. But once I've mastered Scorch Release, synthesizing it will be much easier.
Not being able to quickly master Dust Release was within his expectations; after all, Scorch Release hadn't worked either. But mastering the Light-Weight Rock Technique was not bad. The ability to fly was very important.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. He opened his eyes, and then his body gently floated up from the bed. He had mastered the Light-Weight Rock Technique. Its principle was to change the mass of an object, making it lighter. The opposite was the Added-Weight Rock Technique. There was also the Super Light-Weight Rock and Super Added-Weight Rock techniques. But as long as he had mastered the first, he was confident he could develop the other three himself. It wouldn't be difficult.
Landing on the ground, he thought to himself, Looks like I have to adjust my plan. In terms of Kekkei Genkai, the priority of Scorch Release has to be raised. After I solve that, I'll solve Dust Release.
(End of Chapter)
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