Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 320: Hashirama: Even at My Peak, I Am No Longer a Match for Gengetsu

While the subordinates were engaged in battle, Hagoromo Gengetsu, who had officially entered the fray, began to clear out the present enemies.

"Senjutsu: Storm Release - Chasing Light!"

A massive array of Storm Release lasers shot out from behind Hagoromo Gengetsu, spreading out like a peacock displaying its feathers, and covered the surrounding enemies.

Senju Hashirama and the others immediately dodged, though not everyone was as fortunate.

The puppets had all been destroyed by the earlier Ice Release, leaving the Second Tsuchikage Mu defenseless, using only sand to shield himself. He looked down in shock at the gaping hole in his chest.

"The Sand Armor was broken in an instant?"

Recalling how the Storm Release shattered the sand armor covering his body and the large hole it left in his chest, Mu's face turned grim.

If he were made of flesh and blood, wouldn't that mean Hagoromo Gengetsu could have killed him with a single strike? Luckily, he was in an Reanimation body.

Mu could only sigh as his hollow chest quickly began to regenerate, and he chose to retreat for now.

However, just as he was about to retreat, Hagoromo Gengetsu suddenly appeared before him, extending his right hand, with a Truth-Seeking Ball in his palm aimed directly at him.

Mu's expression tightened as he summoned his strongest sand shield, learning from his earlier mistake, to block in front of him.

Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief—

Boom!

The thick sand shield was pierced by a massive hole.

Mu's last memory was of the Truth-Seeking Ball extending a long black rod that shattered his sand shield and simultaneously crushed his brain.

Hagoromo Gengetsu looked at the headless Mu before him and did nothing more. As the Truth-Seeking Ball reverted to its original form, he quickly moved on to his next target.

As Hagoromo Gengetsu departed, Mu's body remained standing headless. As time passed, the expected sound of paper scraps fluttering to the ground never came.

Mu remained in a headless state.

Senju Tobirama keenly noticed this oddity.

He quickly warned, "Be careful! Once hit by the Truth-Seeking Ball, even Reanimation bodies can't regenerate."

Upon hearing this, the already struggling group fighting against Hagoromo Gengetsu's full power felt an even heavier weight in their hearts.

Their greatest advantage had been their seemingly perpetual Reanimation state.

But now, they faced the Truth-Seeking Ball, a technique that completely countered them.

Instinctively, everyone became more cautious in the following battles, no longer fighting as recklessly as before.

However, bad news kept coming.

When Hagoromo Gengetsu ignored the First Mizukage Byakuren's Water Release, got close, and pierced his chest with his right hand, absorbing his chakra using the Chakra Absorption Technique to replenish his own somewhat depleted chakra, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki immediately targeted Hagoromo Gengetsu with Dust Release. But the attack was easily blocked by the black protective membrane formed by one of the Truth-Seeking Balls behind Hagoromo Gengetsu.

As the Dust Release's radiance faded, revealing the unscathed black protective membrane, Onoki took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly:

"Even Dust Release is ineffective against the Truth-Seeking Balls."

If even Dust Release couldn't work, there was no point in trying other jutsu.

In terms of taijutsu, someone had attempted to kick away a Truth-Seeking Ball, only to have their leg instantly turn to ash while the Truth-Seeking Ball remained unmoved.

As for genjutsu, there was nothing to be said.

Even the Second Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu, who was the most skilled in genjutsu on the battlefield, had summoned a giant clam and unleashed the genjutsu Mirage: Steaming Danger Tyranny, but it had no effect in stopping the Truth-Seeking Ball from sending his summoned beast back to wherever it had come from.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu—every secret technique failed against the Truth-Seeking Balls and Hagoromo Gengetsu.

At this moment, as Hagoromo Gengetsu withdrew his hand from Byakuren's body and casually delivered another blow with the Truth-Seeking Ball, further incapacitating the First Tsuchikage Ishikawa and several other powerful Reanimation warriors, it became clear to all that the situation was dire.

Though they still had many fighters, the Allied Shinobi Forces sank deeper into despair. Hagoromo Gengetsu was already formidable, but now, with the addition of the Truth-Seeking Balls that nullified all jutsu, it was as if a true god had descended. How could they possibly defeat him?

Soon, the morale of the Allied Shinobi Forces, whether engaged in battle or observing from the sidelines, began to crumble.

Noticing this, Hagoromo Gengetsu seized the opportunity.

He clapped his hands together, speaking calmly:

"Senjutsu: Ice Needle Rain!"

Under the blood-red moon and the pitch-black night sky, the moisture in the air condensed into thin, needle-like ice shards, which poured down like torrential rain.

Groans and screams echoed throughout the Allied Shinobi Forces.

The ice needles were too dense, covering a vast area, leaving almost no one unscathed.

Tsunade, who had activated the Yin Seal and was in the Hundred Healings state, clenched her fists tightly at the sight and quickly realized something. She retreated, searching for her disciple, the unremarkable Sakura, who had been relatively inconspicuous throughout the battle.

All of the surviving, loyal members of the Konoha 12 were present in the Allied Shinobi Forces.

However, with Naruto, the former protagonist, gone, the Konoha 12, whose strength was only at the Jonin level at best, had not been able to shine. Instead, they were as unremarkable as the other shinobi in the crowd.

Hagoromo Gengetsu hadn't even noticed them during the battle.

After explaining her intentions to Sakura, Tsunade quickly bit her finger and, together with Sakura, performed the Summoning Technique.

Boom!

A large plume of white smoke rose.

With Tsunade and Sakura working together, they summoned a tenth of Katsuyu's body.

"Is it another war?"

Looking down at the vast shinobi army below, the soft, yet slightly sorrowful, female voice of Katsuyu echoed.

After listening to Tsunade's explanation, Katsuyu, even in her fractioned form, much larger than most summoning beasts, turned her head to take a deep look at Hagoromo Gengetsu, who was single-handedly holding off an entire army. Without saying more, she honored the contract as she always had.

Katsuyu's massive body quickly melted, spreading out like a giant sticky carpet over the entire battlefield.

All injured members of the Allied Shinobi Forces who stood on it received healing from medical ninjutsu.

Thus, thanks to the efforts of Tsunade and Sakura, the casualties among the Allied Shinobi Forces were significantly reduced.

"Katsuyu..."

Hagoromo Gengetsu naturally noticed what was happening.

Seeing that only a fraction of Katsuyu had been summoned, and not her true body, he didn't pay much attention to it.

Compared to the Great Toad Sage, Katsuyu, who could continuously split herself, was much harder to kill.

As long as she wasn't specifically targeting him and was merely fulfilling a contract, Hagoromo Gengetsu didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.

He withdrew his gaze and, looking at the few remaining Reanimation warriors before him, waved his hand, causing two Truth-Seeking Balls to transform into massive fans that swept across from left to right, leaving no space untouched.

At this moment, watching his side being pushed back step by step, Senju Hashirama sighed with emotion.

Everyone had already anticipated Hagoromo Gengetsu's strength.

Yet every time they met, he brought a new surprise.

"I must admit, even at my peak, I am no longer a match for you, Gengetsu."

"But... surrendering and giving up are not in my dictionary."

With determination, Senju Hashirama clapped his hands together and launched another attack.