Obito Got Carried Away!

Hiruko had to admit that he was deeply conflicted. The current turn of events had completely exceeded his expectations.

"These Iwa shinobi showed up at the worst possible time..."

Hiruko gritted his teeth.

He was merely an ordinary jonin. There was no way he could withstand so many powerful enemies.

Because of that, a certain thought in his heart grew ever stronger.

"I originally planned to find an opportunity to make a move on Genitsu, but these Iwa shinobi disrupted my plans... Should I find a way to escape with Genitsu, then use the Chimera Technique to seize his Kekkei Genkai?"

Was this merely an accident, or was Orochimaru involved as well?

Hiruko used all his strength to barely fend off Gari's attacks.

Facing Gari, who possessed the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai, Hiruko had been at a disadvantage from the very beginning.

Boom!

Another punch.

Gari repeatedly unleashed Landmine Fist, triggering widespread explosions that forced Hiruko back step by step.

"Hmph. You're not very strong, but you're quite capable of protecting yourself... What a troublesome fellow."

Gari blew apart another substitute with a punch, frowning slightly. After forcing Hiruko back, a look of contempt appeared on his face. Then he turned and lunged at Genitsu.

The brat from the Shiranui clan was the primary target. On a battlefield, this guy was practically a terrifying killing machine!

"Brat, you won't get the chance to grow up!"

With a sinister expression, Gari smashed through several layers of Earth Flow Walls with one punch and descended before Genitsu.

At that moment, Genitsu was leading his team in a constant struggle against the other Iwa shinobi.

Nuclear Release: Vibration Wave!

Two Iwa shinobi hiding behind an Earth Flow Wall, waiting for a chance to launch a sneak attack, were severely injured on the spot. Several kunai flew in and pinned them down one by one.

"Even Gari has charged over... This won't do. We need to find a way to retreat."

Genitsu frowned slightly and signaled Kakashi and the others with his eyes. "You actually managed to defeat Lord Hiruko..."

"He isn't worth my time, brat. You are!"

A fierce gleam flashed in Gari's eyes as he charged forward.

The other Iwa shinobi attacked even more frantically, assaulting Kakashi and Kazue. Layer upon layer of Earth Flow Walls rose with increasing density.

The ground shook as dust filled the air.

Genitsu raised his hand and fired another Vibration Wave!

"Vibration Wave... It doesn't look like a Wind Style technique. Is this also a Nuclear Release Kekkei Genkai technique?"

Yet instead of dodging, Gari formed hand seals with both hands and accelerated his charge.

Steel Release: Steel Hardening!

In an instant, Gari's body became incomparably hard, forcing his way through the impact of the Vibration Wave!

"What kind of technique is that?"

Kakashi used Lightning Blade to forcibly pierce through an Earth Flow Wall. His eyelid twitched as he immediately drove Lightning Blade fiercely into Gari's side.

Boom!

Screech!

The two figures collided amid flashes of lightning and rolling thunder.

But the moment Lightning Blade struck Gari, Kakashi's expression changed. His ever-reliable Lightning Blade could not pierce Gari's body!

"Get lost!"

Gari threw a backhanded punch, and the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai forced Kakashi to retreat again and again. He did not dare take it head-on.

If struck by Explosion Release, his body would explode on the spot!

"I see. Explosion Release and Steel Release... To kill me, they really spared no effort. They actually sent someone as dangerous as you."

Genitsu's expression was grave. He found this rather troublesome.

The Explosion Release version of Gari had appeared in the manga, while the Steel Release version had appeared in the movie.

And now... damn it, both the immensely destructive Explosion Release and the terrifyingly defensive Steel Release had appeared together. That increased Gari's difficulty by several orders of magnitude.

An elite jonin was not so easy to deal with.

"Oh? It seems you know something about me... But my Steel Release Kekkei Genkai is top-secret intelligence. How did you know about it?"

Gari narrowed his eyes, activated Steel Hardening once more, and pounced toward Genitsu.

A resolute look appeared in Genitsu's eyes as he fired more than a dozen Vibration Waves in succession, wildly clearing the field. He shattered a great number of Earth Flow Walls while also slowing Gari's assault.

"Don't stop! Take this chance—everyone scatter and retreat!!"

At that moment, Hiruko let out a sinister shout, then rushed toward Genitsu.

Genitsu's face darkened. With a slap, he struck an incoming Iwa ninja and blasted him with countless streams of radiation, leaving him a shriveled cripple.

Hiruko had already rushed over, reaching out to seize Genitsu.

"Run! This guy is too strong. We can't handle him!"

Hiruko shouted in a low, somewhat anxious voice.

"No, Lord Hiruko. You and I will cover the others' retreat. Surely, as one of the Sannin's closest friends, you wouldn't abandon your comrades and flee, would you? Kakashi, I appoint you temporary captain. Take the others and withdraw immediately."

Genitsu shifted aside, avoiding Hiruko's grasp.

Hiruko really wanted to say that he absolutely could do that. Furious, he snapped, "You damn brat, do you know how troublesome Gari is?! You have to stay alive if you want a future!!"

Gari forced his way through the vibration waves. His Steel Hardening body was absurdly tough, and his face immediately turned cold. "None of you are getting away!"

Kazue and Obito unleashed various Fire Release techniques again, trying to hold back the enemy.

Might Guy's face was filled with grim determination. He was prepared to risk his life by opening even higher levels of the Eight Gates for one final desperate fight.

"Genitsu-san, actually, I can..." Guy began.

"No, you can't. Trust me, Guy. Retreat immediately! You should understand that I have a way to get away." Genitsu gave Guy a deep look.

"...I understand."

Guy nodded heavily.

Could it be that Genitsu-san... was going to use that technique? The technique that even made Father's heart tremble with fear...

"Kakashi, Rin, Kazue, Obito, let's go! Staying here will only hold Genitsu-san back!!"

Guy spoke solemnly. At the same time, he grabbed Kazue and Rin, roaring as he opened the Fifth Gate and accelerated.

"Genitsu-san, if you die, I won't be able to live either. You know that, right..." Kazue said with a smile before leaving without looking back.

Slash!

Kakashi used his short blade to cut an Iwa ninja's throat. After hesitating for a moment, he finally gritted his teeth. "Genitsu, don't die. Once I find reinforcements, I'll come back to save you! Obito, we... Obito?!"

"Ahhh! I, Uchiha Obito, will never flee in the face of battle!! Come at me, you Iwa bastard!!"

Obito had been driven delirious by this near-hopeless situation. Not only did he refuse to retreat, he instead charged madly at the Iwa ninja.

"Genitsu, the more people stay behind, the longer we can hold out, right? I'll never leave you here alone!! Rin, run! I'll cover you!!"

Obito's eyes were bloodshot. He had moved himself to tears before anyone else could.

Is this guy an idiot?

That thought surfaced in everyone's mind.

Genitsu had already made it so clear. He possessed some secret technique and was confident he could escape, yet this idiot had actually rushed in?!

For a moment, even Genitsu did not know what to say.

With you standing at the very front, should I use the ultimate move I've already been preparing or not? Should I vaporize you along with them?