After a short while, everything returned to a fragile calm.
The devastated ground was scattered with remnants of magma, blown apart by the force of the earlier wind jutsu.
In the center of the chaos, a massive protective barrier still stood tall where Hagoromo Gengetsu had been.
As the sound of footsteps echoed within, a fissure slowly formed in the barrier, parting to reveal Gengetsu, unscathed and composed, stepping out.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Without hesitation, the First Kazekage, Rettō, quickly wove hand seals. Dozens of rotating wind blades, each as tall as a person, shot toward Gengetsu from every direction.
Gengetsu didn't even glance at the approaching blades. Activating Swift Release, he vanished, evading the wind blades entirely as if they were too slow to touch even the hem of his robes.
Anticipating this, the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, slammed both hands onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
In an instant, the ground within a radius of several hundred meters around Gengetsu turned into a massive mire of thick mud.
Finding himself bogged down, Gengetsu's movements slowed considerably.
"So quick to find a countermeasure?"
Letting out a cold snort, Gengetsu stopped moving. Twisting his waist, he turned and delivered a crushing punch at the figure that had suddenly appeared behind him—the First Mizukage, Hakuren.
Bang!
Water splashed everywhere.
Hakuren's head burst apart like a smashed watermelon, and his body dissolved into a stream of water.
"Water Clone," Gengetsu muttered, giving it a quick glance before preparing to turn around.
But before he could, the dispersing water clone suddenly reformed into several whiplike streams of water that wrapped tightly around Gengetsu's body.
"Got you!"
Emerging from the muddy river beneath, Hakuren gripped the other end of the water whips, his expression cold as he stared at the restrained Gengetsu, now inches away.
Gengetsu looked down at the water whips coiling around him like a sealing technique, then raised his eyes to meet Hakuren's. His lips curved into a faint smirk.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Hakuren's expression shifted as he instinctively tightened the water whips.
With a sudden puff, Gengetsu vanished in a cloud of white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone? When?"
"Shadow Clone?"
Outside the battlefield, Mu, the future Second Tsuchikage, glanced in surprise at Senju Tobirama.
The Shadow Clone Technique was Tobirama's creation, and Mu knew it well.
But when had it spread beyond Konoha?
Tobirama ignored Mu's questioning gaze. His face remained impassive, but internally, he was fuming.
"That's my jutsu! My Shadow Clone Technique!"
For the first time in his life, Tobirama understood the indignation of seeing someone blatantly claim his work.
Of course, this was only the beginning of such experiences for him.
As for Gengetsu, his mastery of the Shadow Clone Technique had come without any formal instruction.
Some time ago, a Konoha ninja had used it in front of him. With his exceptional talent and ability to replicate Kekkei Genkai techniques with ease, it hadn't taken him long to figure it out.
The Shadow Clone Technique was undeniably useful. Not even the Sharingan or Byakugan could distinguish between real and fake clones, and Hakuren was no exception.
But this advantage wouldn't last forever.
Still crouched with his hands pressed to the ground, Ishikawa suddenly turned his head toward a specific location.
"The earth is my domain, Hagoromo Gengetsu. You might evade once, but not a second time," he declared coldly.
As his words fell, the ground trembled violently.
Enormous hands of mud erupted from the earth, clawing at what appeared to be an empty space.
Gengetsu materialized and shook his head, letting out a sigh.
"You're an old friend, but even with Earth Style, your Transparent Release is limited."
Clapping his hands together, he called out:
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive wave of water surged forth from behind Gengetsu, obliterating the giant mud hands. The cascading water continued, flooding the area and even quenching the remnants of magma beneath their feet, transforming the battlefield into a vast watery expanse.
Ishikawa quickly retreated.
Hakuren responded by slapping his hands against the water's surface.
Unlike most Hokage, whose fire style expertise was often unmatched, Hakuren's mastery of water style was unparalleled—befitting the Mizukage.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
Dozens of whirlpools formed around Hakuren, each transforming into a high-pressure water column that surged toward Gengetsu with incredible force.
This was only the beginning.
Hakuren had cleverly turned Gengetsu's battlefield alteration into an advantage for himself, allowing him to execute powerful water techniques with minimal chakra consumption.
But what Hakuren could think of, so could Gengetsu.
Watching the incoming water columns, Gengetsu chuckled softly and made a single-hand seal.
"Ice Style: Ice Fang Bullet."
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The rapidly advancing water columns froze mid-flight, solidifying into massive ice spears. At Gengetsu's command, the ice spears reversed course, hurtling toward Hakuren as well as the other Kage—Rettō, Ishikawa, and Ai—who were still making their own moves.
Boom!
The crashing ice spears struck the water's surface, sending massive waves cascading outward.
Hakuren narrowly dodged the icy assault, his expression grim.
"The Ice Style of the Yuki Clan… Just how many Kekkei Genkai does Hagoromo Gengetsu possess?"
He wasn't the only one. Rettō, Ishikawa, Ai, and even the observing Senju Hashirama, along with the future Second Kage standing farther away, were all stunned.
They had always known of Gengetsu's immense talent, but seeing it in action was another matter entirely.
This was Kekkei Genkai—abilities so rare that a single one could make a clan a powerful force in the shinobi world.
Historically, those who developed Kekkei Genkai and founded clans were legends in their own right, renowned throughout the shinobi world.
And yet, here was Gengetsu, making even such illustrious figures seem insignificant by comparison.
In the brief span of their confrontation, Gengetsu had already displayed mastery of Steel Release, Swift Release, Lava Release, Transparent Release, and Ice Release—five distinct Kekkei Genkai.
Previously, wielding even two was considered a miracle.
This comparison left no doubt—he was an anomaly, one never seen before and likely never to be seen again.
"It's… hard to believe someone like him exists in this world," the future Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, muttered, scratching his head in frustration.
At first, the five future Kage had thought the current Kage were overreacting by joining forces against one man. It had seemed excessive, like using a sledgehammer to swat a fly.
Now they realized it was entirely justified.
In a one-on-one fight, excluding the Hokage, none of the other Kage could confidently claim victory against Hagoromo Gengetsu.
Senju Tobirama, hearing this, finally spoke up, nodding.
"Precisely. That is why he must be eliminated."
As a man of great talent himself, Tobirama admired Gengetsu's achievements on the shinobi path.
But as a leader and strategist, he knew all too well that someone as uncontrollable as Gengetsu could not be allowed to exist.
Gengetsu was too young.
When this generation passed, there would be no one left who could stop him.
"You were simply born in the wrong era," Tobirama muttered, shifting his gaze from Gengetsu to Hashirama, who was watching the battle with growing intensity.
With his incomparably formidable older brother present, even the brightest prodigy's light would inevitably dim.
Of this, Tobirama was certain.