"Let them retreat slowly. I'll handle the rest of the battle."
Zenkichi stared at the chaos below, then gave the order to Yamanaka Inoichi, who stood beside him.
Inoichi closed his eyes, connecting telepathically with every allied ninja through the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques.
At the same time, Zenkichi's body shimmered, turning into countless particles of light that shot into the battlefield.
His form reappeared midair, both hands glowing with condensed energy.
Yasakani no Magatama.
Countless golden light bullets rained down on the ninja coalition.
Under the precise control of Observation Haki, Zenkichi's devastating barrage created just enough cover for his troops to begin a calculated withdrawal.
"Damn it!"
Ōnoki stared at Zenkichi, wishing he could fire off his Dust Release—but his shoulder, pierced earlier by Zenkichi's laser, made that impossible.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Burial!"
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, slammed his hands into the ground. Massive waves of golden sand surged upward, shielding the coalition from the light bullets and surging toward Zenkichi.
Dark ink-like seals crawled across the gold dust, and faint red sealing talismans flickered within the sand.
"A sealing technique? Boring."
Zenkichi didn't move—he neither resisted nor dodged.
The gold sand engulfed him, forming a sealed pyramid in midair.
Boom!
It crashed down with weighty finality. The pyramid shimmered with binding seals, red talismans pulsing on its surface.
"Did we succeed?"
Gasps rippled through the ninja alliance. Could the seemingly invincible Zenkichi really be sealed so easily?
Ōnoki and a wounded Jiraiya looked stunned. They had experienced Zenkichi's power firsthand. Could it really end like this?
"Was it really that simple?"
Even Zenkichi's own men appeared dazed.
"What now?"
Jūzō, one of the surviving Seven Ninja Swordsmen, looked grim.
Rasa muttered coldly, "If he's really dead, there's no reason to throw our lives away here."
Ōnoki laughed lightly.
"You're all too young. Ninja battles are dangerous. Even the strongest can fall to a single misstep."
Rasa smirked proudly.
"I thought Zenkichi of Kirigakure would be formidable—but this is all he amounted to."
Then—cracks formed on the pyramid.
Golden light burst forth from within.
Boom!
The entire structure exploded in a brilliant flash, obliterating the sealing tags and scattering gold dust everywhere.
A blazing golden figure floated above the shattered pyramid—Zenkichi, completely unharmed.
"Wow... The Fourth Kazekage's seal was impressive."
"I almost couldn't get out."
"Almost."
He said it with a casual smirk, his tone soaked in mockery.
"Damn you...!"
Rasa's expression twisted with fury. More gold dust erupted around him, infused with even more sealing jutsu.
"You think that'll work twice?"
"If I hadn't wanted to experience your little seal firsthand, you never would've touched me."
With a flicker of light, Zenkichi vanished—then reappeared behind the Fourth Kazekage in an instant.
"Too slow."
With a lazy voice, he raised his foot. A golden cross flared on the sole of his boot as he kicked Rasa square in the side, sending him flying.
"Lord Kazekage!"
The Sunagakure shinobi were stunned. Their leader—so easily overwhelmed?
"Bastard!"
The Fourth Raikage erupted in rage, lightning crackling across his body as he dashed toward Zenkichi.
"Another Kage? This might be the most I've killed in one war."
"No, wait—I've already killed two Hokage... even if one was a former one."
Zenkichi raised his guard. Armament Haki surged over his skin, turning it obsidian-black just as Raikage struck with a Lariat-style chop.
Boom!
He blocked it with ease.
"That actually stung a little."
Zenkichi tilted his head, still casual. His right index finger lit up with golden energy.
Boom!
A laser burst from his fingertip, ripping straight through the Raikage's side.
"Compared to your Lightning Armor… mine's just on another level."
The Raikage screamed as he was flung backward, badly wounded.
"Lord Raikage!"
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
A Cloud shinobi formed hand seals. White lightning circled his arms, forming powerful laser beams that shot at Zenkichi.
"Storm Release? Sit down."
Zenkichi unleashed a shockwave of Armament Haki, obliterating the incoming lasers.
In a flash, he appeared before the staggering Raikage and formed a golden lightsaber in his palm.
"Protect Lord Raikage!"
A wave of Cloud ninja charged forward to shield their leader.
"Pointless."
With no change in expression, Zenkichi swung the blade.
A massive golden slash ripped across the battlefield, engulfing the defenders and slicing clean through the ranks. The entire section of the alliance army was cut open.
Whoosh!
The ground trembled. A deadly quiet followed.
Gulp.
All around, shinobi swallowed hard, stunned by the sight of so much devastation in a single strike.
---
Suddenly, a pale white hand shot from the ground beneath Zenkichi, grasping his ankle.
"Finally making your move?"
He wasn't surprised.
Zenkichi's body turned into golden light and ascended upward.
Below, he looked down at the emerging form—White Zetsu, reaching out from the earth.
Under the glow of his Observation Haki, Zenkichi saw the full picture: Black Zetsu, Nagato, and White Zetsu—hiding below.
So that was their plan. Wait for the perfect moment and use Nagato's Human Path to rip out his soul.
"Looks like Nagato's presence is fading. Has he been completely suppressed?"
Zenkichi's eyes narrowed as golden energy bloomed once more at his fingertip.
---
Too much hate comments, lost the drive to even check the notifications anymore.
So I might not react to your "Thanks for the chapters" and stuff.
Send Powerstones btw, it motivates me.