Facing the colossal summon beast that towered over the battlefield like a mountain—its black carapace gleaming with a cold metallic sheen—Senju Bu showed not the slightest trace of fear.
On the contrary.
His aged face was filled with excitement.
After all, he was going to die sooner or later.
The stronger the enemy he faced, the more meaningful his death would be.
And if he could somehow trade his life for one of theirs—
That would be an even greater bargain.
With that conviction burning in his heart, Senju Bu clenched his fists.
His voice pierced through the swirling dust and smoke.
“Everyone!”
“Charge with me!”
“Let’s kill these damned Cloud bastards!”
The moment he finished speaking, his hands blurred into motion.
Seal after seal formed at astonishing speed.
The last remnants of chakra within his exhausted body surged forth and gathered in his throat.
Then—
A tremendous torrent of water erupted from his mouth.
“Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!”
Everyone knew that the finest Water Release users came from Konoha.
And as one of Tobirama’s most trusted subordinates, Senju Bu certainly lived up to that reputation.
The technique surged across the battlefield like a raging flood.
A roaring wall of water swept forward, engulfing nearly half the valley in an instant.
Yet…
Kakui, the infamous Giant Insect Shinobi, was no ordinary opponent.
Watching the incoming deluge, he merely curled his lips into a mocking smile.
“A pathetic trick.”
The next moment—
The giant rhinoceros beetle beneath him raised its enormous horn.
Then it slammed it into the ground.
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed across the valley.
The rocky terrain shattered instantly.
Countless massive boulders were hurled upward.
They landed directly in the path of the advancing flood.
The result was immediate.
The surging torrent split apart.
The artificial stone wall divided the river-like attack into two streams.
Water rushed violently toward both sides of the valley, crashing into the steep cliffs and exploding into countless sprays of mist.
Seeing their commander’s effortless response, the Cloud shinobi’s morale soared.
Kakui’s eyes grew colder.
With a snort of contempt, he urged his gigantic summon forward.
The colossal beetle charged ahead.
Its heavy legs shook the battlefield.
Its massive body resembled a moving fortress.
An unstoppable mountain advancing toward Konoha’s position.
The Kumogakure rebels followed closely behind.
Their eyes burned with hatred.
Most of them already harbored deep resentment toward Konoha.
Now, seeing their prey cornered, they unleashed their full ferocity.
On Konoha’s side…
The situation was entirely different.
Inspired by Senju Bu’s speech, every shinobi had already accepted death.
There was no fear left in their hearts.
Only determination.
Facing the advancing enemy, they charged forward without hesitation.
A brutal battle erupted instantly.
The intensity surpassed every previous clash.
Ninjutsu flew across the battlefield in every direction.
Explosions erupted one after another.
Thunderous impacts echoed continuously.
Smoke filled the air.
Blood splattered across shattered stone.
It was a battlefield in its purest and most savage form.
Unfortunately…
The Konoha forces had long since reached their limits.
They had been running.
Fighting.
Retreating.
Defending.
Surviving.
For far too long.
Their chakra reserves were nearly exhausted.
Their bodies were covered in wounds.
Many could barely remain standing.
Against the well-rested and battle-ready Cloud rebels, the tide quickly turned.
The battlefield became increasingly one-sided.
One Konoha shinobi fell.
Then another.
Then another.
Yet none of them disgraced the hopes Senju Bu had placed in them.
Whenever they found themselves cornered…
Whenever enemy shinobi surrounded them from all sides…
Their hands would move toward the explosive tags attached to their chests.
And then—
They would ignite them.
BOOM!
A burst of fire.
A spray of blood.
And another enemy taken with them into death.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each explosion marked the end of a Konoha shinobi’s life.
But it also dragged a Cloud ninja down with them.
The valley became a slaughterhouse.
One fueled by desperation.
One fueled by hatred.
One fueled by the unyielding resolve of men and women who refused to surrender.
Even in death—
They would make the enemy pay.
This suicidal fighting style had the Kumogakure rebels cursing inwardly.
They might have been cruel.
They might have been bloodthirsty.
But they weren’t idiots.
No one wanted to die alongside a cornered beast making its final stand.
As a result, the Cloud shinobi became increasingly cautious.
Fearing the explosive tags strapped to every Konoha ninja’s chest, they stopped pressing too aggressively in close combat.
Instead, they relied on long-range attacks.
Kunai.
Shuriken.
Lightning Release.
Ninjutsu after ninjutsu rained down upon the trapped Konoha forces.
Meanwhile, the exhausted Konoha shinobi could do little more than desperately defend themselves.
What had once been a completely one-sided battlefield gradually settled into a strange equilibrium.
A temporary balance.
But everyone knew it couldn’t last.
As time passed, the relentless Cloud assault would eventually crush what little strength Konoha had left.
And once that happened—
The collapse would be unstoppable.
Like a broken dam releasing a flood.
The surviving Konoha shinobi would face only one fate.
Death.
However, Kakui, the most powerful commander beneath Kinkaku and Ginkaku, had no intention of allowing them to drag things out any longer.
His priority was simple.
Eliminate these remnants.
Regroup with the two brothers.
Then finish purging the pro-peace faction within Kumogakure once and for all.
Looking down at the battlefield, his eyes filled with killing intent.
“If you refuse to die quietly…”
A cruel smile spread across his face.
“Then I’ll send you on your way myself.”
The moment he finished speaking, the giant rhinoceros beetle beneath him swung its massive black horn once again.
BOOOOOOM!
A devastating shockwave erupted outward.
Sand.
Dust.
Broken stone.
Everything was swept into the blast.
The charging Konoha shinobi were thrown through the air like rag dolls.
Many slammed into nearby cliffs and rocks with sickening force.
But that wasn’t all.
Kakui’s hands flashed through a series of seals.
Brilliant blue-white lightning erupted from his body.
The electrical chakra spread instantly across the giant beetle’s entire frame.
Crackling arcs danced wildly across its armored shell.
The Lightning Release chakra stimulated every cell within the summon beast’s body.
Its already savage temperament instantly exploded into full-blown frenzy.
The gigantic insect went berserk.
Its massive legs stomped across the battlefield.
Each step shattered the ground.
Its enormous horn smashed crater after crater into the earth.
The destructive power was terrifying.
Senju Bu narrowed his eyes.
His weathered face was stained with blood and exhaustion.
Years of experience allowed him to understand what he was seeing immediately.
“Using Lightning Release chakra to stimulate the summon beast’s cells…”
His expression darkened.
“…forcing it to overcome the sluggishness caused by its massive size.”
A clever technique.
And a dangerous one.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
The prolonged battle had drained nearly all his strength.
His body felt like lead.
His chakra reserves were almost empty.
At this point…
There was only one option left.
Fight to the very end.
A ruthless determination appeared in his eyes.
Then he formed hand seals.
“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”
The remaining water scattered throughout the battlefield surged toward him.
The streams gathered.
Twisted.
Compressed.
Until a gigantic water dragon materialized before him.
The monstrous construct roared toward the heavens.
Then lunged at Kakui and his summon with enough force to tear apart a battlefield.
Yet Kakui merely snorted.
“Pointless.”
The giant beetle’s horn descended once more.
BOOOOM!
The water dragon exploded instantly.
The technique shattered apart into countless droplets.
Rain cascaded across the battlefield.
A smug smile appeared on Kakui’s face.
Even the famed Senju Clan had been reduced to desperate resistance beneath his power.
Victory was already within reach.
He prepared to order the finishing blow.
Then—
Dark figures burst from the curtain of water and mist.
One after another.
Senju Bu led the charge.
Behind him came every remaining Konoha shinobi.
Explosive tags covered their bodies.
Their eyes were filled with unwavering resolve.
The Water Dragon had merely been a distraction.
A smokescreen.
Their true objective was a final charge.
A last gamble.
If they succeeded, they would take enemies with them.
And if they failed…
The explosive tags would destroy their bodies before they could be captured.
Either way, they refused to become prisoners.
Kakui watched the charge.
Then shook his head.
“I’ll admit it.”
A trace of admiration appeared in his voice.
“Your courage is impressive.”
His gaze turned cold.
“But this ends now.”
Unlike his subordinates, Kakui had anticipated exactly this kind of desperate counterattack.
Long before the charge began, he had already prepared a killing move.
The Lightning Release chakra surged again.
The giant beetle’s body trembled violently.
Its monstrous jaws slowly opened.
Senju Bu’s expression changed instantly.
Not good…
A moment later—
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ—!
An ear-piercing insect shriek exploded across the battlefield.
The sound was overwhelming.
A terrifying sonic assault that seemed capable of covering the entire valley.
Every charging Konoha shinobi was forced to halt.
Their minds reeled.
Their bodies froze.
The world seemed to shake.
Kakui’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.
“Die.”
The giant black horn rose high into the sky.
Like a pillar supporting the heavens themselves.
Then it came crashing down toward the immobilized shinobi below.
A colossal shadow swallowed the battlefield.
There was nowhere to run.
Nowhere to hide.
Senju Bu’s face turned pale.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it would end like this.
They couldn’t break through.
They couldn’t take the enemy with them.
They couldn’t even trigger their explosive tags.
All they could do was wait for death.
Hashirama-sama…
Tobirama-sama…
I have failed you.
With that thought, Senju Bu slowly closed his eyes.
And just as he accepted his fate—
A violent wind swept across the battlefield.
A storm unlike anything he had ever felt.
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