The Kumogakure Jōnin, skilled in Lightning Release, had enough resistance to electricity that, given a moment, he would have shaken off the paralysis. At the very least, he should have been able to close his eyes and avoid Uchiha Gen's Sharingan.
But with those three spinning tomoe locking onto him, his fate was sealed. His body went limp as his soul and lifespan were torn away, vanishing before the eyes of the Kumogakure shinobi rushing in to save him.
They had heard rumors of Uchiha Gen through their intelligence network, whispers carried from the Hidden Mist, but the details of his abilities had been deliberately concealed. Kirigakure had no intention of warning its rivals; if others suffered the same kind of losses, all the better.
Now, seeing a soul ripped straight from a living body, fear gripped the Chūnin and Genin who had rushed forward. And fear was exactly what fed him.
Bodies thudded to the ground, one after another, their eyes glazed and lifeless. Within moments, Gen had cleared the area around him.
His lips curled into a faint smile. Then, with a powerful leap, he soared high into the air and shouted:
"Shuryu!"
"Here, Master!"
A flash of red light streaked through the battlefield as Shuryu's body expanded in midair, massive wings unfurling. Gen landed lightly on his dragon's back, gripping Shizukamaru in hand.
Kyouki remained sealed away, too new, and too precious. That trump card would be revealed only at the perfect moment.
"Spread fear," Gen commanded, his voice low but brimming with intent. "But hold back. Injure them but don't kill."
"Understood, Master."
The next instant, the battlefield shifted.
From above, it looked like a dragon rider had descended upon the Kumogakure army. Blue-white arcs of lightning screamed from Shizukamaru, while Shuryu opened his jaws to unleash volleys of miniature Exploding Flame Bullets.
Gen targeted clusters of Chūnin and Genin, avoiding vital points, crippling without finishing. His Sharingan's precision ensured that not a single Konoha shinobi was struck in the chaos. Every bolt and every fireball landed exactly where he willed.
Kunai and Ninjutsu fired back in desperation, but Shuryu's speed was overwhelming. Every evasive twist left their counterattacks striking only empty air. To the enemy, it felt like being hunted by a predator they could never touch.
And the fear grew.
Gen harvested it mercilessly, drawing out streams of white soul-light that spiraled into him as terrified Kumogakure shinobi faltered, their spirits consumed.
The more fear spread, the more his harvest multiplied.
But what they thought was Gen's main body, the figure charging alongside Orochimaru earlier, was only a Shadow Clone, carefully maintained to draw attention. Even now, it hadn't been destroyed. The deception bought him freedom to carve through the battlefield without restraint.
Finally, the Kumogakure command realized the trap. Rage flared among their elites. Despite Orochimaru and Konoha's commanders desperately intercepting them, four Jōnin under Dodai's command broke free and converged on Gen.
They fanned out, sealing his angles, and unleashed a barrage of long-range Ninjutsu. Lightning tore through the air, blades of wind howled, earthen projectiles ripped upward.
Ordinary defenses wouldn't suffice. Gen rose higher into the sky, forcing distance, but cursed under his breath. Too high, and his Sharingan's sight could no longer pick out precise targets amid the chaos of friend and foe.
The Byakugan had that luxury but his eyes did not.
If he wanted souls, he had to be closer. Precision was everything.
"Down, Shuryu."
They descended, landing in a churned patch of earth between burning craters. Chūnin and Genin rushed forward to swarm him.
Gen inhaled deeply.
Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust!
Scorching ash and flames poured from his mouth, rolling outward in a burning haze. Screams erupted instantly as the front line was seared alive. Within the choking smoke, Gen's figure flickered again and again; each time another cry cut short, another soul ripped free.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
A gale roared across the battlefield, scattering the ash. Through the clearing smoke, Gen tossed aside the limp body of his last victim.
Dodai's single eye narrowed, his expression grim. "It's the real one. No mistake."
As commander, Dodai carried more than authority. His Lava Release, sensory perception, and battlefield cunning made him a threat even among elite Jōnin.
"Attack!"
Three of his comrades obeyed instantly.
Troy, the Magnet Release user, snapped his wrists, launching thirty glinting, magnetized shuriken.
Another Jōnin's body flared with white light.
Lightning Release: Lightning Illusion—Lightning Pillar!
A second slammed his hands to the ground.
Lightning Release: Ground Travel!
Blinding radiance burst across the field, forcing eyes to squint—yet beneath the glare, lightning arcs writhed along the soil like hunting serpents.
Gen blurred with Body Flicker, slipping past the storm of shuriken. Shizukamaru plunged into the earth, releasing a field of lightning that annihilated the crawling arcs and formed a crackling barrier around him.
He smirked.
Genjutsu: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change!
The false lightning pillar illusion rebounded instantly, twisting back upon its caster. Without hesitation, Gen's hands wove another set of seals.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Flames erupted in a tidal wave, Shuryu's own fiery breath merging with them, transforming the battlefield into an inferno. Though it lacked the overwhelming scope of Madara's legendary version, the fire was vast enough to require a full squad to counter.
"Block it!" Dodai roared, forcing his chakra to the brink. Pain lanced through his meridians as if the Eight Gates had been pried open.
Lava Release: Rubber River!
Pale yellow sludge poured from his mouth, forming a bubbling, viscous flow.
Magnet Release: Magnetized Wall!
Troy crouched low, slamming his palms into the dirt. Rocks and soil ripped together into a towering barrier.
Lightning Release: Lightning Barrier!
The third Jōnin's body flared with blue radiance, erecting a translucent wall of electricity.
The firestorm collided with their defenses. Rubber hissed and ignited, spewing noxious fumes. Stone cracked under the onslaught. Lightning sizzled, straining against the tide of flame.
But one man was unprepared.
The Jōnin caught in Gen's reflected Genjutsu had failed to brace. The wave of heat struck him full on, skin blistering, flesh burning like steam scalding bare skin. He shrieked, rolling across the ground, breaking free from his own illusion only to writhe in agony.
Dodai's heart clenched at the sound, but he had no time to falter. Alongside his remaining comrades, he poured chakra desperately into the wall, struggling to withstand the endless tide of fire.
Their confusion was written across their faces. Why wasn't it stopping? Why did the flames just keep coming?
From atop Shuryu, Gen's voice cut through the roar:
"Hold them here, Shuryu. I'll circle around."
The dragon's growl rumbled like thunder.
"As you command, Master."