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At this moment, under the influence of the forbidden technique, even though her body was already overwhelmed, Hotaru forced herself to turn her head and look at Gensou behind her, to make sure she hadn't misheard.
"Milord, can... can I really?"
"Yes, release Anger of the Heavens," Gensou nodded again.
Although the longer the Anger of the Heavens technique accumulates, the more powerful it becomes, Gensou wasn't using it to destroy anything.
In comparison to the release of Anger of the Heavens, the process of gathering chakra and natural energy was what intrigued him more.
Even if Hotaru hadn't mentioned it, Gensou would have had her release Anger of the Heavens soon. Starting over once, twice, three times... this could greatly accelerate his research.
Relieved by the confirmation, Hotaru kindly reminded him, "Milord, please step back; the power of Anger of the Heavens is very strong."
"You have a kind heart," Gensou remarked, glancing at her. He didn't refuse her suggestion and flashed back a hundred meters.
Seeing this, Hotaru didn't hesitate and decisively released Anger of the Heavens.
In an instant, a blinding white light pierced the sky.
Centered on Hotaru, a violent surge of energy composed of chakra and natural energy erupted from the black orb, sweeping out in all directions.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion roared.
Within a fifty-meter radius, everything material was instantly reduced to nothing.
"In such a short time, it can create this level of destruction. A forbidden technique that once destroyed a town indeed lives up to its name," Gensou commented calmly from outside the explosion's range, observing everything.
"However, the energy released isn't exactly senjutsu chakra as I imagined. The chakra and natural energy within the orb merely coexist, without merging proportionately. The release process seems more like a deliberate collision between chakra and natural energy, resulting in greater destructive power."
"Even so, understanding how chakra and natural energy can peacefully coexist without harming the user is a significant discovery."
The challenge of senjutsu lies in the proportional merging of natural energy with the body's chakra.
Originally, the entire process, from absorbing natural energy to merging it with chakra, could not be paused.
However, through the Anger of the Heavens forbidden technique and the black orb, Gensou saw an opportunity for chakra and natural energy to coexist peacefully, even if only for a brief moment.
This realization sparked his interest.
As the blinding light faded, Hotaru, exhausted, was standing in the newly formed massive crater, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
Gensou approached her, took out a secret medicine, and handed it to her. "Take this; it will relieve your fatigue and increase your chakra reserves."
Fully aware of the value of the secret medicine, Hotaru quickly shook her head in refusal.
She wasn't worried about being poisoned; after all, if Gensou had wanted to harm her, he would have done so long ago. It was just her nature to be cautious.
However, Gensou insisted, and eventually, she took the medicine.
As expected, Hotaru soon felt her fatigue fading away, and her chakra reserves noticeably increased.
Overjoyed, Hotaru was about to express her gratitude to Gensou, who was so different from the bad people she had encountered before and even gave her a sense of reassurance.
But just then, Gensou spoke up, "Now that your body has recovered, let's continue releasing Anger of the Heavens."
Hotaru's smile instantly froze.
"...Huh?"
In that moment, she realized she had greatly misunderstood Gensou.
The commotion caused by Anger of the Heavens was not small.
Approaching Katsuragi Mountain, Kakashi's team looked up and noticed the white beam of light rising into the sky in the distance.
"It seems the battle at Katsuragi Mountain isn't over yet," Kakashi breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, as they tracked Sasuke and his companion, they found that their path coincided perfectly with the direction of Katsuragi Mountain.
This meant that Sasuke and his companion were indeed the ones who attacked the Tsuchigumo Clan, and they wouldn't need to split up.
Kakashi's team quickened their pace.
Soon, they emerged from the forest and arrived at the outskirts of Katsuragi Mountain.
"Be careful, there are many traps here," Hinata, using her Byakugan, warned as all the traps became visible to her.
Following Hinata and Neji's lead, the group advanced rapidly without injury, closing in on Katsuragi Mountain.
"They've arrived?"
On the mountain, Sasuke noticed the familiar faces below and his expression shifted slightly. He then glanced back at the ongoing release of Anger of the Heavens.
With his right hand on the hilt of his sword, Sasuke turned back to face Kakashi's group and said coldly, "No one is allowed to take another step."
Kakashi's group swiftly scaled Katsuragi Mountain.
As they reached the summit and were about to rush towards the source of the Anger of the Heavens, a dozen shuriken clashed in mid-air, ricocheting off each other at sharp angles, forcing them to stop.
"This throwing style..." Kakashi, who had already lifted his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan, narrowed his eyes, drew a kunai, and deftly deflected the incoming shuriken.
He then looked up towards a nearby residence.
On the roof, dressed in Uchiha's blue kimono, stood Sasuke, who hadn't been seen for a long time. With his hand on his hip and his three-tomoe Sharingan activated, he coldly looked down at them.
"We meet again, Sasuke," Kakashi said with a sigh.
It was a pity Naruto and Sakura weren't here.
Otherwise, this moment would have been filled with echoes of the name "Sasuke" across all of Katsuragi Mountain.
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, his expression unchanged, and briefly stated his stance, "Leave."
At these words, Kiba smirked knowingly, "That guy, Sasuke, is still as annoying as ever."
Although he didn't share the deep bond of the former Team 7, Kiba had once hoped to catch up with Sasuke and have a proper reunion. But seeing him still acting all cool, unchanged from before, left Kiba disappointed.
"Even so, we're all comrades at the end of the day, and we still need to bring Sasuke back!" Lee said, thrusting his thumb up with a bright smile, full of determination. "Right, Neji?"
Last time, despite facing many hardships, they failed to bring Sasuke back.
This time, they had a new chance, and Lee was determined to seize it.
Neji, who had also been part of the previous mission to retrieve Sasuke, silently nodded.
He didn't have a deep connection with Sasuke, but since he had accepted the mission, he would do his best to complete it.
Not just for himself, but for Hinata as well.
Neji glanced at Hinata.
At this moment, while looking at Sasuke, Hinata's thoughts were focused on Naruto's relentless pursuit of Sasuke and his unwavering determination. Her expression became resolute.
For Naruto, she was determined to bring Sasuke back!
So...
"Sasuke, come back to the village with us. If not, I'll have to break your arms and legs and drag you back," Kakashi said, tightening his grip on his kunai, his tone flat as he delivered his final ultimatum.
(End of Chapter)