"You can actually block my monstrous strength??"
Tsunade's pupils shrank in shock as she looked at her fist being held back, unable to move an inch.
This was the first time she had encountered an opponent whose strength was not inferior to hers.
"Ninpo: Needle Jizō!"
Sharp, silver-white hair, sharper than steel needles, brushed past Tsunade and shot towards Hagoromo Gensou.
Gensou glanced at the simple robe he was wearing.
Though his body could endure this ninjutsu, if his clothes got torn, being naked would be too indecent.
He released Tsunade's fist, his figure retreating like a gust of wind, easily avoiding the Needle Jizō.
"Tsunade, let's attack together," Jiraiya said seriously as he arrived by Tsunade's side.
Tsunade nodded. "Be careful! His strength is not inferior to mine."
"Understood!"
Jiraiya clapped his hands together, ready to fight alongside Tsunade as they had not done in a long time.
And not only them.
Among the Konoha ninja who had arrived, a large group of elite jōnin split off to assist them.
"Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!"
"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!"
"Shadow Tentacles!"
"...."
One moment, Gensou had just repelled Tsunade and Jiraiya, and the next, he was surrounded by various strange ninjutsu from all directions.
"Such fancy techniques."
Gensou commented indifferently before clapping his hands together: "Fūton: Daitoppa."
A simple C-rank ninjutsu, but in his hands, it suddenly produced the power of a level ten typhoon. Be it the incoming elemental ninjutsu or secret techniques like the Insect Sphere, they were blown far away in an instant.
Then, Gensou looked around.
Most of Konoha's main forces were here, with the elite forces split between attacking Kisame and heading towards Naka Shrine under Kakashi's lead.
There was no need to worry about Kisame.
However, as for Naka Shrine, since he had declared that no one should disturb it, not even a bug could be allowed in.
Gensou clapped his hands together again.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof, poof, poof, poof
Thick white smoke rose, and thirty shadow clones appeared beside Gensou.
Back when he finally completed the initial mission after decades of effort, the system had rewarded him with a technique called "Harem Jutsu"—a technique he would never use.
But the Harem Jutsu was simply a combination of Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu.
Naturally, Gensou had learned the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.
This time, he used it to create an overwhelming number of clones to intercept Kakashi's squad and seal off any paths, allowing no one to disturb Uchiha's revenge.
As for why he didn't go all-out right away—
Gensou looked around with deep meaning in his eyes, observing Tsunade, whose chakra reserves were not much inferior to his own, Jiraiya, who was also exceptional in chakra, and the other Konoha jōnin.
In his eyes, these people were all future precious resources, fuel for his ascension through the Kekkei Sōmō.
If he killed them all, he would lose sources of chakra in the future.
Although everyone in the shinobi world had some chakra to varying degrees, ordinary people compared to ninja, genin compared to jōnin, and even jōnin compared to kage-level, the difference in chakra reserves was like night and day.
Therefore, Gensou's actions needed to be gentle and careful to avoid crushing these fragile "porcelain" in front of him.
Of course, if anyone was so foolish as to seek death, he wouldn't hesitate to kill a few to set an example.
The battle outside Naka Shrine proceeded in an orderly manner under Gensou's arrangements.
Inside Naka Shrine, after scattering Uchiha Itachi's crow army, Sasuke and the others prepared to seize victory and kill Itachi once and for all.
Blood-red tears trickled down Itachi's right eye.
"Amaterasu!"
The ominous black flames that could burn everything instantly descended, devouring the fire-style flames left behind.
Very quickly, the area around Naka Shrine turned into a sea of black flames.
The commotion drew the attention of Konoha's forces below, and except for the headstrong Sakura, Kakashi, and a few others, everyone else instinctively abandoned their intent to rush to Naka Shrine.
Meanwhile—
Within the sea of black flames, Sasuke, who had been specifically targeted, was a step too slow and failed to break free of the encirclement.
The ominous Amaterasu black flames now sealed him in a small area.
Within that space, aside from himself, there was only one other—Uchiha Itachi.
"It's over, Sasuke. Your eyes, I will take them!"
Itachi slowly rose, ignoring the bloodstains at the corner of his right eye, and walked towards Sasuke, his gaze filled with intensity.
Sasuke looked calmly at Itachi as he approached step by step.
"Separating me from the others, trapping me here—you're trying to take me down quickly to take my eyes, right?"
"Itachi, you're still so arrogant! Then let me take your life myself."
Lightning chakra infused Sasuke's blade once more as he charged toward Itachi without hesitation.
Itachi gazed at Sasuke calmly, locking eyes with his determined gaze.
"Tsukuyomi!"
Slash!
Blood spattered.
"Sasuke! Run!"
Seeing Itachi spit blood and collapse in front of him, Sasuke momentarily lost his focus.
"Sasuke! Leave now! We're no match for Itachi!"
Shortly after, Izumi also fell, using her last bit of strength to speak before falling silent forever.
The culprit behind all this, Itachi, once again raised his blade.
One after another, familiar faces—just like that night of the clan's massacre—fell before Sasuke.
Sasuke was initially filled with rage and regret, his three-tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly.
However, he quickly realized something, and fiercely pressed on his neck, where Orochimaru's mark used to be. A blue Hagoromo clan crest suddenly surfaced at that spot.
Under Sasuke's conscious control, the blue crest turned into flowing light that spread across his body.
In an instant, a different kind of energy than chakra filled his entire being.
Blue markings appeared around Sasuke's eyes.
An aura far stronger than before burst from him.
This was Sage Mode!
With his heart still unfulfilled for revenge, Sasuke normally wouldn't have been able to cultivate sage techniques, which require a very stable state of mind.
However, before setting off, as the developer of Sage Techniques, Gensou had specifically placed a one-time-use Sage Mode mark on Sasuke, for use in a critical moment.
Though it could only be maintained for a minute, it was already enough for Sasuke.
Crack, crack, crack
The Tsukuyomi illusion world shattered once again.
In the real world, Itachi, who was half-kneeling on the ground, looked up to see Sasuke, now much faster than before, charging at him like lightning.
"Still not enough, huh..."
He sighed, attempting to activate Susanoo.
But just as a portion of the ribcage formed—
A lightning-infused blade pierced through the ribs effortlessly, continuing without resistance to stab into Itachi's heart.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]