"Banbutsu Sōzō!"
Gensou extended his right hand toward Hanzō, pulling him in with overwhelming gravitational force. At the same time, a black rod, prepped and ready in his left hand, was hurled forward.
Under the tremendous suction, Hanzō, unable to perform the Mizu Shunshin no Jutsu, had his chest pierced by the black rod.
As the last of Hanzō's resistance faded, Gensou reached out to grab his neck.
Suddenly!
Several Flying Thunder God kunai shot out from the white mist.
Gensou turned to look.
Minato, moving at blinding speed, appeared behind him, his hands forming a massive Senpō: Ōdama Rasengan, aiming straight at Gensou once again.
"Still haven't learned your lesson? Or is there another plan?"
Without turning back, Gensou clasped Hanzō's neck with his outstretched hand, planting a sealing curse that rendered him immobile.
At the same time, the massive Rasengan struck Gensou's back.
As before, the immense sphere of chakra caused no disturbance, swiftly absorbed by Gensou.
And then—
From one of the Flying Thunder God kunai, Tobirama and Hashirama appeared simultaneously.
Gensou's gaze shifted, most of his attention locking onto Hashirama.
Without hesitation, Hashirama unleashed a full-strength attack.
While still absorbing the Ōdama Rasengan, Gensou's steel-like left hand countered with a punch of equal force.
Boom!
A violent shockwave erupted, scattering in all directions.
Hashirama staggered back.
Even Gensou, along with Minato behind him, was forced to retreat.
Seizing the opportunity, Tobirama stepped forward with his blade poised for a strike.
Gensou glanced at him indifferently.
In an instant, Tobirama's sword reversed direction, catching its wielder off guard and stabbing him.
Gensou frowned.
The next moment—
Tobirama dissolved into white smoke.
Gensou's pupils contracted, his instincts directing him to the other Flying Thunder God kunai passing nearby.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
The real Tobirama, watching the silver flash streaking through like an aurora, marveled at the blinding speed—faster than himself or even Minato.
When the blade sliced across his neck, Tobirama could only sigh:
"So fast!"
Reaching out with his hand, everything—himself, the blade, and its wielder—vanished in an instant.
What replaced them was Minato with another Ōdama Rasengan.
As for Minato's original position, in the moment of exchange, Tobirama's neck was nearly severed.
He ignored it, his eyes fixed on the White Fang Blade.
Despite being deflected from its original course, the blade retained its cutting edge and fierce speed, opening its fangs wide, aimed at Gensou's exposed neck.
Gensou, still pondering the kunai flying by, was caught off guard by the lethal intent behind him.
The attack was too fast—too dangerous. Even invoking Shinra Tensei wouldn't be quick enough.
Surprise filled Gensou's eyes.
"Never thought I'd need to use this technique so soon."
Clang!
A metallic ring echoed.
Just as Tobirama and the blade's wielder believed the strike had succeeded, a black sphere suddenly materialized from Gensou's neck, effortlessly blocking the blade.
The White Fang Blade, mere millimeters from its target, shattered into pieces against the unyielding sphere.
Its wielder's expression remained unchanged, their hand releasing a blade-like aura, ready to strike again.
But as the black sphere flew toward them, Tobirama realized the futility of further attempts. Acting decisively, he grabbed his ally and used the Flying Thunder God to retreat.
With its target gone, the black sphere floated back behind Gensou, hovering motionlessly.
The battlefield fell silent.
Drip.
A drop of blood fell to the ground.
Reaching up, Gensou touched his neck, revealing a long, thin cut.
The White Fang Blade had not touched him.
The cut was merely caused by the aura preceding the strike.
"What incredible speed and sharpness!"
Gensou now knew who the wielder was.
Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo.
A man who, in the original tale, only made a brief appearance, never showcasing his full power. Yet his strength instilled fear in both enemy and ally villages alike.
A single strike from man and blade, like that of an assassin at their peak, demanded his full attention—even with his Steel Release defenses, known for their impenetrability.
Among all the swordsmen he had encountered, Gensou acknowledged Sakumo as the strongest.
"Such a shame that this level of mastery wasn't passed down."
His thoughts briefly turned to Sakumo's disappointing son.
Allowing the blood on his neck to continue dripping, Gensou scanned his surroundings, taking in the remnants of the skirmish and the scattered kunai.
Finally piecing together their strategy, he nodded in understanding.
Using Minato's Ōdama Rasengan to bait him into absorbing it, they exploited his Rinnegan's limitation of activating only one ability at a time.
While he absorbed the Rasengan, Tobirama and Hashirama attacked, with the former attempting to distract him with a shadow clone.
He assumed the real attack would come from the kunai.
But instead, the true killing blow was Sakumo.
Tobirama had brought him into the fray at his peak, striking with unparalleled speed and precision.
"Such a clever strategy," Gensou admitted.
Since they had gone to such lengths, it was only fair for him to get serious as well.
Gensou turned to the Truth-Seeking Orb floating behind him.
In an instant, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield, suffocating the Allied Shinobi Forces with its terrifying presence.
(End of Chapter)
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