Chapter 195 : Hahaha, That's Hilarious
Faced with Uchiha Taiga's words, the Kage all wore grim expressions.
Raikage A's fist was still numb. He had put all his strength into that last punch, yet he hadn't even grazed the hem of his opponent's clothes.
Yagura Karatachi lowered his Coral Staff, the watery glow at its tip dimming slightly.
The glow of the Particle Style in Onoki's palms flickered erratically, his expression just as volatile.
Even Orochimaru, who had remained seemingly composed all this time, couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Only one thought occupied his mind: the gap between him and Uchiha Taiga hadn't shrunk; it had widened.
The last time they met, he could at least see the boy's back. Now, he feared he couldn't even catch a glimpse of his shadow.
After all, Taiga had just fought an intense, high-level battle, yet he was still handling the combined assault of several Kage with absolute ease.
That was something Orochimaru simply could not do.
Realizing this, no matter how immense his pride, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a chill of apprehension.
As the battle resumed, the Kage unleashed their respective techniques.
Raikage A enveloped himself in Lightning Style chakra once more. Moving even faster than before, he left trails of blue lightning arcing across the battlefield. He dashed from Uchiha Taiga's left to his right, then to his rear. Every charge whipped up a fierce gale and carved deep trenches into the earth.
Yet, whenever he threw a punch, Uchiha Taiga would shift his body by a mere inch—just enough to make every strike miss completely.
Standing in the distance, Yagura Karatachi continuously twirled his Coral Staff.
One water dragon after another surged from the tip of his staff. Some coiled into rings to lock down the battlefield, some crashed directly toward Uchiha Taiga, and others dispersed into a thick mist to obscure his vision.
The water dragons worked in perfect tandem, sealing off one direction while leaving another open, forcing Taiga to move exactly where they wanted him.
Instead of firing his Particle Style at full power, Onoki unleashed it as a barrage of tiny, precise beams, shooting at Taiga from multiple angles.
While these beams lacked the sheer destructive force of a full-powered Particle Style, they were much faster, far more numerous, and incredibly difficult to dodge.
The beams rained down from the sky like white needles, aiming to pierce Taiga from every direction.
Orochimaru's Four White Snakes Formation was still active. The four massive white snakes coiled at the corners of the battlefield, hissing incessantly as the swampy mud on the ground expanded and deepened.
The Kage required no words to coordinate their assault.
Whenever Raikage A charged in, Yagura's water dragons would surge from the opposite direction, attempting to force Taiga right into the Raikage's fists.
Onoki's Particle Style beams would rain down the exact moment Raikage A retreated, striking the precise spots Taiga needed to move to.
Orochimaru masterfully controlled the white snake barrier, opening slight gaps at the perfect moments to let Onoki's Particle Style pass through, effectively sealing off all possible escape routes.
Their jutsu intertwined seamlessly across the battlefield. Lightning coursed through water, Particle Style beams hid within the lightning, fire erupted amidst the dust, and water surged alongside the flames.
The shockwaves of one jutsu were absorbed by the next; the gaps in one attack were filled by a third, and the flaws of the third were covered by the first.
These completely different ninjutsu fused together, creating a synergistic effect far greater than the sum of their parts.
Uchiha Taiga stood his ground, watching the attacks come at him from different directions, angles, and timings, weaving into a nearly inescapable net. He moved fluidly within this web of destruction—dodging left and right, advancing and retreating—every single movement perfectly calculated to evade the onslaught.
Even he had to admit that these individuals were truly worthy of standing at the apex of the ninja world; their combat experience was far beyond that of ordinary shinobi.
Their chakra reserves couldn't compare to Senju Hashirama's, their visual prowess couldn't match Uchiha Madara's, and their Kekkei Genkai were inferior to his own. However, they used their flawless teamwork to make up for their shortcomings and relied on their vast experience to cover any openings.
The battle raged on intensely.
Raikage A's fists repeatedly smashed into the exact spots Taiga had just occupied, cratering the ground with every strike.
Yagura's water dragons crashed down one after another, sending massive waves and torrents of water splashing in all directions.
Onoki's Particle Style beams rained down around Taiga's feet, disintegrating the earth into perfectly smooth, circular holes.
Orochimaru maintained absolute control over the battlefield, perfectly supporting the others.
Yet, no matter what ninjutsu was thrown his way, Uchiha Taiga handled it with ease. His movements became increasingly relaxed and casual, as if he were performing a mindless chore.
However, the smile on Taiga's face gradually faded. The wide, exhilarated grin from earlier shifted into a faint smile of disappointment.
"Not enough. Still not enough."
He spoke effortlessly while dodging their attacks. "Is this really all you have? How disappointing."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure flickered.
A streak of golden light tore through the air, extending from the center of the battlefield all the way to its edge, stopping right in front of the Four White Snakes Formation's barrier.
He came to a halt less than a meter away from the pale white curtain of light.
Raising his hand, he formed his fingers into a claw and swiped at the glowing barrier.
The moment his fingers made contact, a pale golden light ignited at his fingertips. The light was incredibly thin and razor-sharp, like five miniature blades.
Riiiip—
A harsh tearing sound echoed through the air.
The formidable barrier, capable of withstanding the full-powered attacks of ordinary Kage-level experts, was casually ripped open by Uchiha Taiga.
The gaping rift was large enough for a person to easily walk through. Its edges were jagged and irregular, with white light bleeding out from the tear like blood seeping from a fresh wound.
The hissing of the four massive white snakes instantly changed the moment the barrier was breached, shifting from sharp and aggressive to low and chaotic.
Their raised heads slumped, their jaws snapped shut, and their massive bodies began to tremble slightly as the luster of their scales noticeably dimmed.
Orochimaru's pupils violently contracted. The smirk vanished from his lips, instantly replaced by a look of grave solemnity.
Narrowing his eyes, he shifted his gaze from the shredded barrier to Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
A moment later, Orochimaru slightly altered his hand seals, voluntarily loosening his control over the two Reanimated Hokage.
The lifeless numbness vanished from their faces, replaced by the vivid expressions of the living.
Senju Hashirama blinked, a spark of clarity returning to his eyes.
Senju Tobirama's eyelids twitched as his unfocused gaze sharpened.
They had regained their free will.
Taking in the scene before him, Senju Tobirama froze for a moment before his brows furrowed deeply.
He glanced at the Kage fighting in the distance, then at Orochimaru standing beside him. His expression darkened instantly.
Turning his head, Tobirama glared at Orochimaru.
"Brat. Controlling us like puppets... just what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
His voice was ice-cold.
"Did you really think we couldn't break free from the Reanimation Jutsu?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, his grave expression shifting into an apologetic smile.
"Of course not, Lord Second. It's just that the current situation is highly unusual. I simply had no other choice."
Tobirama scoffed coldly.
"As long as you know your place."
Tobirama shifted his gaze away from Orochimaru, locking onto the figure darting across the distant battlefield.
"If it weren't for that Uchiha brat and Uchiha Madara, we would have broken the Reanimation Jutsu ourselves long ago."
With that said, he ignored Orochimaru entirely. He focused all his attention on Uchiha Taiga, his crimson eyes narrowing as he watched the boy enveloped in golden light.
Standing beside him, Senju Hashirama showed no signs of anger, nor did he seem inclined to reprimand Orochimaru. He simply watched the distant battlefield.
"Tobirama, let's stay out of their fight."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Uchiha Taiga for a moment.
"I can tell... that kid doesn't have any intent to kill."
Tobirama scoffed again.
Naturally, he could see that too.
If Uchiha Taiga truly wanted to kill them, everyone present would already be dead.
Because of this, Tobirama's frown deepened. His deep-seated wariness of the Uchiha clan flared up intensely. The more he watched the boy, the more dangerous he seemed, and the more Tobirama felt he had to be eliminated. Yet, he also knew the harsh truth: he couldn't defeat him. Even if he and his brother joined forces, they still wouldn't stand a chance.
At that moment, Hashirama raised an eyebrow.
"It's about to be decided."
His voice was quiet, but his tone was absolute.
Just as Hashirama spoke, a spatial vortex suddenly materialized amidst the Iwagakure forces nearby. It looked like a spiraling black hole tearing right out of thin air.
The center of the vortex was pitch black, its edges warping the surrounding light. It spun faster and expanded rapidly, growing from a tiny speck into the size of a doorway.
A figure stepped out from the vortex. The man wore crimson armor, his long black hair cascading over his shoulders, his face set in a cold, stern expression.
It was Uchiha Madara.
Stepping out of the vortex, he didn't spare a glance at anyone else. His gaze locked directly onto a specific individual within the Iwagakure ranks.
The man was tall and clad in red armor that covered his entire body, leaving only his eyes visible.
Han.
Madara reached out and firmly grabbed Han by the shoulder.
Han's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively tried to struggle, only to realize he was completely paralyzed, as if the very space around him was forcefully restraining his body.
The next instant, both of them were sucked into the vortex.
After swallowing the two men, the spatial vortex rapidly shrank, collapsing from a doorway back into a tiny speck before vanishing completely, as if it had never been there at all.
The entire sequence happened in a flash. From the moment the vortex appeared to the second they vanished, not even a blink of an eye had passed.
Catching a glimpse of this from the corner of his eye, Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow before breaking into a wide, booming laugh.
"Hahaha..."
His laughter echoed loudly across the battlefield.
"That's hilarious!"
He shook his head as he laughed, his eyes curving into amused crescents.
"That was Uchiha Madara, wasn't it?"
His voice broke through his laughter, intermittent but loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.
"Oh man, what the hell was he doing? Hahaha!"
His body trembled with laughter, tears practically forming in the corners of his eyes.
Tobirama had also witnessed the bizarre scene. His face was thunderous, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line.
He turned to Hashirama and sneered, "Is this the man you put your faith in?"
Hashirama stood there, looking incredibly awkward.
"Well..."
He scratched the back of his head, forcing a strained smile.
For a moment, he was completely at a loss for words.
The atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
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