"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?"
Kushinadahime was holding a little boy. She looked at the burly man panting in front of her, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
The burly man was bent over, his hands resting on his knees, his chest heaving violently.
He stopped and turned around, his rough face filled with anger.
" Omoikane, you androgynous freak! You betrayed Takamagahara for the sake of an outsider's eyes! You will die a horrible death!"
"You're quite well-informed; how did you find out so quickly?"
Kushinadahime did not deny it. She held the child in her arms, the boy in her arms with his eyes open, quietly looking at the burly man.
He neither cried nor made a fuss, as if he were watching something that had nothing to do with him.
Kushinadahime glanced down at him, tucked his small hand back into the cloth, and then looked up.
She opened her blood-red eyes. The three Tomoe instantly transformed into intricate and beautiful patterns within them: the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The burly man felt a chill run down his spine as he observed the change in Kushinadahime's eyes.
The courage that had just surged within me has now dissipated by half.
" Omoikane- sama, Kushinadahime, you can call me whatever name you like."
Please spare me; we have no grudge against each other. I will not compete with you for the rule of Takamagahara.
Even when those Ōtsutsuki arrive in the future, I can help you fight on the front lines.
If you spare me, I can acknowledge you as my master!
Omoikane, or rather, Kushinadahime, stretched out her slender fingers, covered her mouth, and smiled.
Takeminakata-no-Kami, why aren't you running away anymore? Have you finally decided to acknowledge me as your master?
I remember back in Takamagahara, you used to scold me really badly.
They called me a spider that devours humanity. Now they think of acknowledging me as their master? Too bad, it's a bit too late.
The expression on Takeminakata-nushi's face kept changing, eventually turning into a resolute determination to burn his bridges.
" Kushinadahime, you androgynous freak, I'm not afraid of you! Prepare to die!"
He stopped running, bent over, and slammed his fists into the ground.
The ground cracked open, and dirt and gravel were thrown into the air.
His muscles bulged beneath his skin, as if something alive was rolling inside.
His back arched, and his whole body swelled up. He turned around, pulled out an old tree that was as thick as a person's embrace, and carried it on his shoulder.
The tree was covered in soil and broken roots, with half a vine still hanging from its trunk.
He charged towards Kushinadahime. He ran even faster than before, each step leaving deep craters in the ground.
He swung the tree like a stick, sweeping it horizontally.
The tree trunk, accompanied by a whooshing sound, struck Kushinadahime's waist.
Kushinadahime turned to the side, and a tree trunk grazed past her and crashed to the ground behind her.
A ditch was smashed into the ground, and gravel flew everywhere.
Kushinadahime traversed the pebbles, stepping on flying stones to propel herself into the air.
She jumped onto the canopy of a tree. Takeminakata-no-Kami threw the tree trunk he was holding, and it hit the canopy.
The tree canopy shattered, Kushinadahime fell to the ground.
Takeminakata-no-Kami rushed over and threw a punch at her landing spot, Kushinadahime nimbly dodged it.
The force of the punch grazed her shoulder, creating a deep crater in the ground.
Kushinadahime steadied herself at the edge of the pit, and the boy in her arms was jolted. His little hand reached out from under the cloth and grasped at the air.
Kushinadahime pulled him closer to her, even pinching the little boy's cheek with her fingers.
Takeminakata-no-Kami looked at Omoikane's composed demeanor with disbelief in his eyes.
" Omoikane! Whose ability did you steal? Your Taijutsu aren't this good!"
Omoikane heard Takeminakata-no-Kami's words, he simply smiled. He had neither the inclination nor the obligation to explain for Takeminakata-no-Kami.
He explained how he seized Physical Body Control of the Ame no Uzume no Mikoto.
Takeminakata-no-Kami saw that his problem was being ignored by Omoikane.
In a fit of anger, he lashed out.
He bent down, gripped the ground with both hands, and Natural Energy flowed from his body into the earth.
The ground shook, the soil beneath Kushinadahime's feet cracked, and stone spikes pierced out from the ground.
Kushinadahime jumped away, and stone spikes emerged one after another after chasing after her, like snakes chasing and biting a person.
Kushinadahime jumped onto a tree, and stone spikes pierced through the roots, splitting the entire tree in two.
Kushinadahime jumped to another tree. That tree was also split in two by the stone spikes.
She jumped seven times, and seven trees fell down behind her.
Kushinadahime brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at Takeminakata-no-Kami.
"This isn't something you can do. You can't sustain using Natural Energy like this for long."
Takeminakata-no-Kami, panting heavily, stared at Kushinadahime, his eyes burning with rage that seemed to want to incinerate the woman and the child in front of him.
He certainly knew that using Natural Energy to forcibly condense the Earth's magnetic field was merely the most rudimentary way of utilizing Natural Energy.
This method of use consumes far too much of the body's Natural Energy.
But what could he do? As a god, he did possess his own core abilities.
However, this ability is completely ineffective for offense.
Moreover, he realized that Omoikane, or rather, Kushinadahime, was far more agile than he was.
Even though she had the upper hand, look at Kushinadahime's calm demeanor.
If it comes down to a Taijutsu, I'd most likely be finished.
Kushinadahime landed on the eighth tree and looked down at the boy in her arms.
The boy was staring silently at the fallen trees.
Kushinadahime reached out and pressed his little face, making him look at her.
Are you scared?
The little boy was not yet a year old, so of course he couldn't understand what his mother was saying. He just clapped his hands excitedly.
Kushinadahime smiled and pinched the little boy's cheek.
"You're happy too? Then let me do something special for you, Mother."
Takeminakata-no-Kami Kushinadahime down from the treetop and landed ten steps away from Takeminakata.
She switched the boy in her arms to her left, with her right hand hanging at her side.
The silk threads slipped silently from her fingertips, like strands of spider silk scattered by the wind, spreading along the ground towards Takeminakata-no-Kami.
Takeminakata-no-Kami saw it, and he suddenly took a step back, slamming his fists into the ground.
Stone spikes pierced the ground, severing the silk threads that clung to the earth.
But the silk threads kept breaking and coming back together, breaking and coming back together. Kushinadahime's fingers were moving, and the silk threads kept gushing out from her sleeves, under her clothes, and in the mud beneath her feet.
They clung to the ground, to the tree trunks, to the stones, surrounding Takeminakata-no-Kami from all directions.
Takeminakata-no-Kami started running. He ran very fast, each step leaving a deep crater in the ground.
But the silk threads were faster than him. They chased after him like living creatures, wrapping around his ankles and his calves.
He pulled hard, and the thread broke. But more threads got tangled up.
The faster he ran, the more entangled he became.
He stopped and slammed his fists into the silk threads wrapped around his legs.
The gray light film on his fist shone, shattering the silk threads.
Even when the silk thread breaks into finer pieces, it still adheres to the skin.
The broken threads crawled from his ankles to his knees, and then to his thighs.
"What are you doing! This is Takuhata Chichi no Mikoto's power! She's your sister!" Takeminakata-no-Kami roared.
Kushinadahime smiled indifferently.
" Takuhata Chichi no Mikoto is not my sister. I am now known as Kushinadahime."
Of course, you can also call me Hashirama.
Takemihijikata-no-Kami's face turned bright red; he didn't know how to refute the mad god before him.
He felt his steps become heavier, as if silk threads were wrapped around his joints, layer upon layer, like an invisible shackle on his head.
He lifted his leg, and felt a resistance in his knee. It wasn't pain.
The silk thread did not sever his flesh. However, it became embedded in the gaps between his joints, making each bend and stretch more difficult than usual.
Kushinadahime stood still, continuing to pull the silk thread with her right hand.
Her fingers seemed to be playing an invisible harp. The boy in her left arm watched quietly, his little hand clutching her collar.
Takeminakata-no-Kami rushed towards her, but he couldn't go very fast.
With each step he took, the silk thread tightened, as if countless hands were pulling him.
"We can't save any more money, "Takemihijikata-no-Kami gritted his teeth and activated his power.
A flash of gray light appeared, and the silk threads binding his body instantly vanished into nothingness.
He relaxed his body, took three steps in front of Kushinadahime, and threw a punch.
Kushinadahime turned to the side, the force of the punch grazing her shoulder. She raised her right hand and gently pressed her fingertips against his wrist.
Takeminakata-no-Kami's wrist twisted.
Kushinadahime's knee pressed against the back of his knee.
His legs buckled slightly, but he didn't fall.
The gray light membrane on his body flashed for a moment, shattering the silk threads in the back of his legs.
He took two steps back and caught his breath.
Kushinadahime didn't chase after him; she stood still and glanced down at the boy in her arms.
The boy was looking at Takeminakata-no-Kami.
Kushinadahime hugged him up a little, then looked up at him.
The Mangekyō accurately captured the flow of Natural Energy within Takeminakata-no-Kami's body.
That shattering of the silk threads just now consumed a lot of his energy.
Takeminakata-no-Kami also noticed that Kushinadahime was not in a hurry to end the battle with him.
Instead, it's like playing a game of cat and mouse with yourself.
He had lost all his anger and dared not use his abilities recklessly. He bent down, pulled a millstone-sized rock from the ground, and threw it at Kushinadahime.
Kushinadahime turned to the side, the stone grazing past her. She raised her hand, and silk threads shot from her fingertips, wrapping around the edge of the stone.
With a flick of her wrist, the stone spun in the air and flew back towards Takeminakata-no-Kami.
Takeminakata-no-Kami shattered the stone with a punch.
Pebbles flew everywhere, and Kushinadahime walked through them with a light step, as if she were walking on the edge of a paddy field.
She rushed to Takeminakata-no-Kami and gently patted his chest with her right hand.
That palm strike had no force. Yet, silk threads emerged from her palm, seeped into the fabric of his shirt, clung to his skin, and wrapped around his ribs.
Takeminakata-no-Kami suddenly retreated, shattering the silk threads with his light membrane.
But Kushinadahime's other hand had already reached to his elbow.
Her fingers pressed against the crook of his elbow. Silk threads shot from her fingertips into the joint, like a fine needle piercing the bone.
Takeminakata-no-Kami screamed in agony as his right arm froze.
The thread got stuck in his joint, preventing him from bending.
He threw a punch with his left hand, Kushinadahime ducked, the force of the punch passing over her head. She raised her knee and struck him in the abdomen.
Silk threads shot out from her knees and wrapped around his waist.
"Your ability is quite impressive; it can negate any energy damage."
If I'm not mistaken, it seems to be using double the energy to negate all energy-related damage?
Takeminakata-no-Kami refused to speak and answered any of Kushinadahime's questions.
However, he was still somewhat surprised that Kushinadahime had seen through the secret of his ability in such a short time.
One can only say, as expected of the wise deity of Takamagahara?
Takeminakata-no-Kami looked at her; his right arm was still stiff.
His breathing became heavier and heavier, and the Natural Energy within his body was being consumed continuously.
Every time the silk thread is shattered, every time the light film is used, it is consumed.
His total energy level was only average, which was the fundamental reason why he was unwilling to use his powers when facing a deity like Kushinadahime.
He couldn't win a direct confrontation, and while he could neutralize all energy-related attacks, he simply couldn't outlast his opponent.
You can't win in a fight, and you can't outrun them.
At this moment, Takeminakata-no-Kami felt only endless despair.
Kushinadahime moved again, but this time she didn't use silk threads.
She closed her eyes, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's power activated. Suddenly, more than a dozen Kushinadahime appeared in the surrounding forest.
Each person was holding a child, and each person was standing in a different position.
Some stood on trees, some on rocks, and some behind Takeminakata-no-Kami.
Takeminakata-no-Kami turned around and saw three Kushinadahime standing in three directions.
He swung his fist at the nearest one.
The Kushinadahime vanished like ripples on water.
It's an illusion!
He turned and smashed the second one, which also broke apart. The third, the fourth, and the fifth.
He shattered one illusion after another, but the real Kushinadahime was behind him.
She stepped forward, raising her right hand. She did not attack.
She simply slapped him lightly across his fat face.
Snap!
The slap was loud and crisp.
Takeminakata-no-Kami turned around, his eyes red. That resounding slap shattered all his pride.
He no longer distinguished between real and fake. He charged towards all the Kushinadahime.
He smashed one illusion with his fist, then smashed another.
His body's Natural Energy was being consumed rapidly.
The gray light film grew thinner and darker. His movements became slower and slower.
His fists grew lighter and lighter.
Kushinadahime stood behind a tree, watching all of this.
The boy in her arms was already asleep. She looked down at his little face, then looked up.
Takeminakata-no-Kami knelt on the ground. The last wisp of Natural Energy in his body had been exhausted in that punch.
The gray light membrane completely disappeared. He looked up at Kushinadahime.
There was no more hatred in his eyes.
All that remained was a faint weariness, like that of a dried-up riverbed.
Kushinadahime didn't take him seriously at all, but instead used a cat-and-mouse approach to test his newly acquired abilities.
Takemihijikata-no-Kami's voice was somewhat hoarse.
"If you wanted to gain my abilities, then you have succeeded."
Come and take it away! Don't trample on my dignity anymore, for the sake of Takamagahara.
Kushinadahime walked up to him and looked down at him.
Takeminakata-no-Kami raised his head and met his gaze.
In Setsuna, he felt himself in an unfamiliar space.
The air here seems to have frozen.
Countless stone pillars appeared on the ground. And at this moment, he was suspended in the air by countless chains that rose from the stone pillars.
Is this the power of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto?
Kushinadahime's voice slowly sounded behind him.
Welcome to my world, where time and space are under my control.
You will be spending a month here.
I hope you will never forget this experience.
Excruciating pain emanated from all parts of Takemihijikata-no-Kami's body.
He looked down and saw that he was riddled with countless sharp knives...
A month passed inside the space, while only a moment passed in the outside world.
Kushinadahime held the little boy, reached out her palm, and grasped the faint white light on the head of Takemihijikata-no-Kami.
It possesses a defensive ability that can neutralize all forms of energy.
I finally got it!