Even as enemies, the Five Kage standing at the summit of the ninja world couldn't help but marvel at Hagoromo Gengetsu's unparalleled talent. He was truly the strongest person in the thousand-year history of the Hagoromo Clan.
As the subject of their awe, Gengetsu himself wasn't entirely satisfied.
The essence of ninjutsu lay in the nature transformation and shape manipulation of the seven chakra elements: fire, wind, earth, water, lightning, yin, and yang.
From the beginning, Gengetsu's goal in training had been clear.
It wasn't simply to master Kekkei Genkai. It was to go further—to obtain the power of the "Net."
The "Net" referred to the fusion of all seven chakra natures, a power surpassing both Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta.
Such mastery, known as Kekkei Mōra, was the hallmark of Six Paths-level beings. While not all Six Paths-level individuals possessed Kekkei Mōra, anyone who did was undoubtedly among the strongest of the Six Paths.
Both Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo were known to wield Kekkei Mōra.
As a ninja, Gengetsu naturally aspired to reach the Six Paths level.
Achieving this would not only grant him unrivaled dominance in the ninja world but also the possibility of immortality.
Having been given a second chance at life, he wasn't about to settle for a short century before returning to the grave.
However, the bloodline of the Hagoromo Clan, while ancient and tracing its roots back to the era of the Sage of Six Paths, had long since thinned. Unlike the Ōtsutsuki, Gengetsu couldn't rely on the purity of his lineage to ascend to Six Paths-level strength.
As for the alternative path—becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki to reach the Six Paths level—Gengetsu wanted nothing to do with it. He was well aware of the fate of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and the madness that consumed Uchiha Madara, and he had no intention of ending up the same way.
This left only one option: pursuing the path of Kekkei Mōra by mastering the seven chakra natures and perfectly fusing them.
In the ninja world, there were those who had mastered all seven chakra natures, such as Hatake Kakashi.
However, no one had ever fully understood and fused them to create Kekkei Mōra.
Since his transmigration, Gengetsu's exceptional talent, possibly heightened by his second chance at life, had earned him the title of a "prodigy." He progressed with remarkable ease in chakra mastery.
Within a short time, he had unlocked all seven chakra natures.
But as he delved deeper, attempting to fuse them, even someone as gifted as him found it extraordinarily difficult.
While he hadn't yet achieved Kekkei Mōra, his efforts to fuse just two chakra natures at a time had led to the development of numerous Kekkei Genkai.
This, in turn, had earned him his reputation as a man who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with gods.
"Still, it's a pity. I'm no true god, and even the so-called God of Shinobi falls short of that title."
Standing on the rippling waters of the battlefield, Gengetsu watched as the Four Kage dismantled his ice techniques using their own methods. He shook his head in regret.
He needed more time, but it seemed he wouldn't get it.
"Perhaps it's time to prepare an escape route," he mused.
His eyes flicked toward the distant figure of a conspicuous white-haired man standing with his arms crossed. Before the man noticed, Gengetsu quickly averted his gaze.
[Please complete the Newcomer Task as soon as possible.]
The cold, mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind once more.
"Trash system!" Gengetsu muttered instinctively, paying no further attention to the malfunctioning system. His focus returned to the battlefield.
The Four Kage had launched a counterattack, their combined onslaught of dazzling techniques sweeping toward him with a magnitude far exceeding that of ordinary shinobi.
"You old fossils, why don't you just die already?"
Gengetsu shook his head, forming a one-handed seal.
Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale.
A deep, resonant cry echoed through the sky.
Under the astonished gazes of the Four Kage, an enormous ice whale, its size beyond description, leaped from the water below. The sheer weight of the beast caused towering waves to rise as it surged toward them, blotting out the sun.
In the next moment—
Boom!
The earth quaked, and the heavens seemed to shatter.
A powerful shockwave of wind, water, and debris rippled outward, devastating everything in its path.
Gengetsu waved his hand, dispersing the incoming shockwave with ease. His brow furrowed slightly.
As the caster, he could sense the current state of his technique.
When the dust settled, there, on the ravaged ground, stood Ishikawa, clad in his Tsuchikage robes. His hands were raised, holding back the colossal ice whale, which was hundreds of times his size, with a strength that defied reason.
Earth Style: Ultra-Lightweight Rock Technique.
The once-small frame of Ishikawa now appeared enormous as he gritted his teeth, his body trembling under the weight. Slowly but surely, he straightened his posture, lifting the ice whale higher and higher.
"Take it back!"
With a roar, Ishikawa hurled the massive ice whale back toward its creator in a spectacular arc.
"Stubborn old stone," Gengetsu muttered, withdrawing his gaze from Ishikawa.
His hands formed seals again, and the ice whale began to crack and crumble, transforming back into a torrent of water. The redirected water surged toward Ai and Rettō, aiming to intercept their advance.
Just as he was about to issue a command, an external chakra force suddenly intervened, wrestling control of the water from him.
"Hakuren," Gengetsu said, spitting the name with irritation.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Ai and Rettō closed the distance.
"Let's try this again!"
With a burst of chakra rivaling a tailed beast, Ai charged forward, his fists crackling with even more power as he swung at Gengetsu with blinding speed.
Gengetsu stood firm, activating Steel Release, and met Ai's punch with his own. His right fist, darkened like forged iron, clashed directly with Ai's attack.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring echoed as the two titanic forces collided.
Despite his monstrous physique, Ai was forced back a few steps, though he remained unharmed. Gengetsu also staggered slightly from the impact.
Just as Gengetsu prepared to counter, a strange wind appeared at his side.
Before he could react, a razor-sharp blade imbued with wind chakra was aimed directly at his eye with blinding speed.
Steel Release could harden his body, but it couldn't protect his eyes.
This was Rettō, wielding his blade with wind-enhanced precision, aiming for a fatal strike.
It didn't stop there.
The massive hands that had previously held up the ice whale now emerged from beneath Gengetsu, gripping his legs and rooting him in place.
To his side, Hakuren appeared without warning. His hands moved, rapidly forming a Water Prison to entrap Gengetsu.
Even if Gengetsu managed to block Rettō's deadly attack, the prison awaited to seal him.
Everything happened too quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the Four Kage, working in perfect harmony, delivered what seemed to be a flawless execution.
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T/N— 100 PS and an extra Chapter!