You Have Nowhere Left to Run!

That terrifying wave that had erupted with a thunderous roar had also caught the attention of some people in the distance.

Kakashi and the others, who were rushing along at high speed, abruptly turned their heads while moving. Even from so far away, they could vaguely feel traces of heat spreading toward them.

A brief flash of astonishing light, comparable to a miniature sun, appeared before vanishing in an instant.

Everything returned to silence.

"What was that just now?!"

"That was Genitsu's technique, wasn't it? Guy, how much do you know about it?" Kakashi tightened his grip on the White Fang Short Blade.

Guy stared in that direction with a stunned expression. "No, I don't really know... Only my father knows a little about Genitsu-san's secret technique..."

"Is that so? Such terrifying power... as expected of Genitsu-san..."

Determination appeared in Kazue's eyes. "You keep moving and find reinforcements. The disturbance just now must have already been noticed by Konoha patrols within the Land of Fire."

"What about you?"

"I have the most stamina left. I'm going back to support Genitsu-san. That technique just now... even if he killed the enemy, he must have paid a terrible price. If he dies, I won't be able to survive either."

With that, Kazue turned and left.

"Kakashi! Then I'll also—"

"No. No one else is allowed to turn back. Keep moving and find the Konoha patrol as quickly as possible! This is the mission Genitsu entrusted to me, and I will carry it out to the end."

"But their safety..."

"Even if they all die, I'll still prioritize completing the mission!"

A trace of cold ruthlessness appeared in Kakashi's eyes as he hardened his heart.

He did not understand what exactly was going on between Kazue and Genitsu.

But he remembered the things Genitsu had said to him after defeating him.

"Let me shift the will of hatred onto you... How boring. If that is what you want me to do, then I will resolutely carry out your will, even if you die."

Kakashi's gaze became increasingly indifferent.

Over the past year, under Genitsu's subtle guidance, he had worked closely with his companions and appeared to have stepped out of a certain shadow. In reality, however, he had merely buried that coldness deep within his heart.

The stubborn creed of putting the mission first and sacrificing even himself to complete it had long since been deeply planted within him through Genitsu's day-after-day suggestions. It could no longer be shaken.

The seed planted long ago had begun to take root and sprout after a year of growth.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Kakashi sped up.

Guy hesitated, his long-standing instinct to obey Genitsu's orders clashing fiercely with his desire to turn back and offer aid.

Fortunately, they encountered a Konoha patrol hurrying toward them.

The patrol captain was Yūhi Shinku.

"You're Konoha ninja... Kakashi, why are there only three of you? Where are the others?" Yūhi Shinku stopped.

"Lord Hiruko took Shiranui Genitsu and Uchiha Obito to block an Iwagakure ambush squad! The Stone Ninja captain is someone named Gari." Kakashi quickly reported.

"Gari? This is bad! Kakashi, take your squad back to the village and rest. That's an order! The rest of you, follow me quickly! We're going to support our comrades!"

Yūhi Shinku's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed. Their opponent was an elite jōnin from Iwagakure!

Not daring to delay, the group hurried toward the direction where the astonishing heat and Chakra fluctuations had erupted.

When Yūhi Shinku and his men landed on the ground, the scene before them left him utterly stunned.

The area was a wasteland of wreckage and desolation, with scattered flames still burning. An enormous ravine stretched into the distance, and some of the liquefied material within had already solidified, silently speaking of the terror that had occurred here.

This should have been a dense forest filled with towering trees, but now...

"What kind of technique could produce something like this... Was it Explosion Release? No, it doesn't look like it..."

Yūhi Shinku was deeply shaken. Even as a Konoha jōnin, he felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart.

The other patrol members were equally dumbfounded.

"This should be some kind of offensive ninjutsu capable of generating extreme heat. As far as I know, a Lava Release Bloodline Limit can achieve this. Could an enemy with Lava Release have infiltrated the Land of Fire?"

"Not just Lava Release... I remember that Genitsu's Nuclear Release Bloodline Limit can also raise temperatures!"

"This... Could this have been Genitsu's Bloodline Limit secret technique?! But could a kid like him really unleash such terrifying power?!"

"No matter how unbelievable it is, I hope it was him. At least that would prove he might still be alive!"

The entire patrol fell into an uproar, every face filled with shock and unease.

The scene before them had simply surpassed their understanding.

"Immediately search for Hiruko, Genitsu, and Obito! They are Konoha ninja. We absolutely cannot abandon them!"

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Yūhi Shinku immediately gave the order.

His final glance fell upon the deep ravine. That smooth, unnervingly perfect trench was destined never to be forgotten.

"If it really was Genitsu, then even if it was a Forbidden Technique, it was far too terrifying. To use such a Forbidden Technique, Genitsu must have... But with calm and steady Hiruko there, the outcome may not be so bad..."

Yūhi Shinku consoled himself as he recalled Genitsu's face.

As a classmate of his daughter, Yūhi Kurenai, as well as the strongest top student and a rapidly rising Konoha genius, Genitsu had naturally drawn Yūhi Shinku's attention.

"I hope Hiruko can preserve such a super genius for Konoha... This Bloodline Limit ninjutsu does not merely represent his current strength. It also proves that the bloodline he awakened possesses unimaginably terrifying potential waiting to be developed!"

Yūhi Shinku continued consoling himself.

Somewhere in the forest, inside a cave.

Obito looked at Genitsu with worry written all over his face.

"How do you feel now?"

"Not very good, but not too bad either. It's much better than I expected."

Feeling the exhaustion within his body, Genitsu smiled faintly and hurriedly began refining Chakra.

That blast of White Hot Light had directly drained all of his abundant Chakra. This intense weakness was truly unprecedented.

Fortunately, his recovery ability was exceptionally strong.

After refining a little Chakra, Genitsu formed hand seals once more.

Super Regeneration!

The prototype for this technique had come from the plants and animals that emerged after Gen Urobuchi's Godzilla reshaped Earth's ecosystem, which Genitsu had recalled from his memories. Those special plants and animals all possessed powerful self-healing abilities; every individual had the ability of Super Regeneration.

Genitsu's already astonishing self-healing ability, combined with the medical ninjutsu Super Regeneration, rapidly repaired the injuries on his body through the combined effects of both.

Layers of charred skin crumbled away.

Ten minutes later, Genitsu had initially healed his injuries. When he raised his head again, he met Obito's complicated gaze.

"What is it?"

"I thought you were going to die. After using a Forbidden Technique of that level, you should have paid a terrible price. But looking at you now... you're fine?"

"Of course I'm fine, idiot!"

Genitsu laughed and scolded him.

Obito's expression became even more complicated. He did not know whether to cry or laugh.

Genitsu had used such a terrifying technique and suffered such serious injuries. More than ten minutes ago, he had struggled even to walk, yet he had recovered almost completely this quickly?! This guy was a monster, right? Some kind of demon in human form, right?!

Yet Genitsu remained exceptionally calm.

He knew that while his body seemed powerful in Obito's eyes, it still had far greater room for development.

The truly outrageous one was Tsunade. When she fought reanimated Madara, Susanoo had repeatedly stabbed her countless times. Even when a single blow had destroyed much of her internal organs, an injury that would have been fatal to any other Kage-level ninja, Tsunade could recover completely within seconds...

And according to Madara, the healing effect Tsunade achieved through the Yin Seal and medical ninjutsu was merely Hashirama Senju's standard level... Hashirama did not even need something as fancy as medical ninjutsu. He could accomplish it entirely through his body's natural self-healing ability...

A Sage Body was simply unreasonable. But once the Godzilla inside Genitsu awakened further, it would be even more unreasonable.

"Now that I think about it, I still have a long road ahead of me~" Genitsu suddenly sighed, saying something that left Obito both bewildered and on the verge of madness.

But at that moment, heavy, exhausted breathing suddenly came from the concealed cave entrance, followed by a chilling voice.

"You have nowhere left to run! Brat, I've done so much for you. Now it's time for you to repay me properly!!"