The Mangekyō Sharingan was already considered the most powerful evolution the Sharingan could reach through natural progression.
And yet, even with such eyes, the three of them felt an inexplicable sense of pressure when facing this mysterious stranger.
The flickering radiance in his eyes made their chests feel faintly constricted.
"What the hell is going on here?"
All three of them had the same thought, but it was especially pronounced in Uchiha Obito—his gaze had turned particularly grim.
He couldn't shake the ominous feeling gnawing at his gut. Not even when facing Nagato had he felt anything like this.
"Who the hell are you?"
Obito growled again, his voice low, trying to dispel the heaviness in his heart.
"There's no need to ask the same question twice. I heard you the first time."
Kitagawa Gen's voice remained as calm as ever. He had, in fact, noticed them long ago.
After all, the Tenseigan was evolved from the Byakugan and naturally retained some of its properties—or at least, that's how he understood it.
It wasn't surprising. Especially when he saw Uchiha Itachi, he could already guess what they were here for.
'The Spirit Tool, huh?'
Apparently, his capture of the Nine-Tails had drawn them in.
Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He might have run into them eventually, and this way, he could avoid some trouble down the road. The only real issue…
...was chakra.
Having fought this group more than once, he couldn't help but worry they'd recognize him.
But then again, sensory abilities across the ninja world weren't as terrifying as people made them out to be. Only the Kagura Mind's Eye seemed capable of such precise detection.
Of course, there was also Black Zetsu and White Zetsu—he hadn't forgotten about them. But he had countermeasures.
Whether it was relying heavily on his ocular powers, Yin Release and Yang Release, or using the might of the Giant Tenseigan, he had options.
'Worst case scenario, I just switch identities. As long as I don't go around flaunting these abilities, it should be fine.'
His thoughts ran wild, but on the surface, he simply shook his head lightly.
"Who I am has nothing to do with you. I've come only to reclaim what belongs to me. And you—descendants of Indra—do you really think you can stand in my way?"
"Indra?"
Kisame frowned in confusion, glancing at the two Uchiha beside him with a puzzled look.
But both Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito had grown visibly more serious. They'd both read the stone tablet—they knew exactly what Indra meant.
This man... was no ordinary opponent.
'Their target is the Nine-Tails' chakra?'
Both Itachi and Obito were now fully prepared to strike. Whether it was that line about being a "descendant of Indra" or the mention of the Nine-Tails...
Either way, it was clear—they had to capture this man. Maybe even eliminate him.
"It seems you've made your decision. Good."
Kitagawa Gen murmured softly. At least once he finished here, he wouldn't have to worry about these guys interfering when he went looking for the Spirit Tools.
"Attack!"
Without hesitation, Obito sprang into action, forming hand seals as his eye shifted slightly.
Blazing flames twisted through the air, warping space itself as they surged toward Kitagawa Gen at incredible speed. But just as the fire was about to strike—
[Buzz—]
Accompanied by a subtle ripple of invisible chakra, the distorted flames were instantly shattered!
Sparks scattered in all directions—but not a single ember touched him.
"What... is that?"
Uchiha Obito's breath caught slightly. That technique... it looked an awful lot like Nagato's ability.
"Your attack doesn't seem very effective. Why don't you try mine instead?"
At that moment, Kitagawa Gen gave a light swing of the black rod in his hand. In an instant, the shattered rubble from the collapsed temple around them was drawn toward him and came under his control.
The next moment, those massive chunks of stone came crashing down toward Obito and the others!
Faced with the incoming barrage, Hoshigaki Kisame's expression shifted drastically. Leaping backward, he formed hand seals at lightning speed.
A massive surge of chakra erupted, unleashing an enormous torrent of water that surged forward to intercept the incoming debris. At the same time, he weaved another seal.
As his seals completed, a colossal shark-shaped water bullet emerged from the flood and lunged straight toward Kitagawa Gen!
"You're not getting away this time!"
Almost simultaneously, Uchiha Obito tore through space, launching a surprise assault from Gen's flank.
At the same moment, Uchiha Itachi's figure appeared eerily behind Gen.
The instant Obito made his move, Itachi had already started preparing. Now was the perfect moment to strike!
"What a beautiful combination."
Gen's tone remained calm, but he couldn't help complaining inwardly.
'Uchiha Itachi... this guy's as sinister as they come.'
He had already noticed that Itachi had used a clone to mask his position, while his real body had silently circled behind, waiting for the right moment.
'If not for my eyes spotting it earlier, most people wouldn't have stood a chance.'
These elite shinobi were coordinating their attacks—even if they were each fighting individually, when the opportunity arose, they could still pull off precise teamwork.
'Good thing... even without Lightning Release Chakra Mode or Sage Mode, and though my speed isn't at its peak, my vision is still crystal clear.'
Without the dual-mode boost, Gen naturally had to adjust his combat style. Up until now, he hadn't dared to recklessly use his ocular abilities.
But now...
Just as the massive water shark surged toward him, a blue barrier suddenly flared to life around his body. The moment the shark made contact, it began to dissolve!
"What's going on? My jutsu...?"
Kisame's expression darkened—he could already tell something was off. Obito, being closer, immediately realized what was happening.
"Those eyes... do they have abilities similar to the Rinnegan?"
And not just chakra absorption—at the very instant Gen retaliated, Obito felt a gravitational pull forcefully redirecting his attack... straight toward Itachi!
"Shit, this guy—"
Itachi saw Obito's attack veer toward him and his face turned grim. But there was no way to stop his own strike now.
His eyes spun rapidly, and as he tried to evade Obito's incoming attack, the kunai in his hand accelerated toward Kitagawa Gen!
"Hmph?"
Yet Gen seemed to have predicted his every move.
Without even shifting his stance, he simply turned slightly—evading the kunai with a smooth motion—and in the same instant, the black rod in his hand came swinging around—
[Buzz—]
The black rod swept through the air, landing almost simultaneously with Uchiha Obito's strike.
However, Obito's hand had already turned intangible as it passed through Uchiha Itachi's body.
At the same time, the black rod arced right over Obito's head and landed squarely on Itachi!
[Boom—]
The dull, jarring impact sent chills down the spine. Itachi was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming hard into the ground.
In an instant, the earth cracked apart and thick clouds of dust burst into the air.
"Quick reaction."
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow. The moment his rod had struck Itachi, he'd clearly seen a red chakra flare up around him.
"Susanoo, huh."
He wasn't particularly surprised—after all, this wasn't the first time he'd forced Itachi to use Susanoo.
"Die!"
Just then, without warning, Hoshigaki Kisame burst out from a stream of water at ground level, sharkskin blade in hand, slashing through Gen's afterimage!
"Shit—he's that fast?"
Having missed, Kisame tried to slip back into the water, but Kitagawa Gen's voice rang out.
"Where do you think you're going?"
[Buzz—]
With a slicing sound through the air, a black rod came hurtling toward Kisame from behind, forcing him to turn and block with his blade.
[Boom!]
The moment the rod collided with Samehada, a shockwave burst from the clash!
The water beneath their feet roared and surged. The overwhelming chakra from the clash was so intense that the ground in the distance trembled from the impact.
[Crack, crack—]
Even beneath the water, fractures began to appear in the earth below.
Kisame tried to press the attack—he didn't fear a direct blade-to-blade contest—but then his expression suddenly twisted in shock.
"How does my chakra taste?"
Gen's voice suddenly rang in his ear.
In the next instant, Kisame realized the figure in front of him had vanished—followed by a burst of overwhelming force slamming into his back!
[Boom—]
A sharp wave of pain exploded across his spine, and before he could react, his body was sent hurtling uncontrollably—straight toward Uchiha Itachi's direction.
"Hmph!"
Fortunately, at the last moment, Kisame managed to forcibly stabilize himself—and Uchiha Obito reappeared at his side.
Behind them, Uchiha Itachi staggered back to his feet, still cloaked in red chakra.
"I have to admit, the three of you are more interesting than the monks around here."
Kitagawa Gen looked at the trio, disheveled and battered. He raised his head and glanced up at the sky.
Sensing the air for a moment, he gave a faint shake of his head and spoke with a hint of amusement.
"But that's all it is. Indra's eyes truly are unpredictable—one of you actually possesses a space-time ability, another can use Susanoo. What a pity…"
"Pity?"
Obito gritted his teeth as he stared at Gen. There was something oddly familiar about him, yet he just couldn't place it.
Not that it mattered. Defeating this guy came first.
"Who exactly are you? What's your purpose?"
"Don't speak so aggressively. The more forceful you sound, the more fragile you appear."
Kitagawa Gen's tone remained casually light, almost as if he were chatting with an old friend. There was even a trace of a smile in his voice.
But gradually, his aura began to shift—something was changing. That unique, oppressive pressure around him grew stronger and stronger.
"What... is this?"
The expressions on the three darkened even further. Had this guy not been using his full strength just now?
What the hell was he?
"I didn't really want to fight... but unfortunately, you keep pushing."
Gen gave a slight shake of his head, as if genuinely disappointed. The crushing pressure surrounding him swelled dramatically—and then, suddenly, he smiled.
"But it doesn't matter. After all, sweeping away one or two specks of dust makes no difference to me."
"You've been dying to know who I am, haven't you?"
"Then remember this well, you inferior creatures carrying faint traces of Kaguya's bloodline—"
"My name is—"
Before the final word even landed, Kitagawa Gen had already moved. Like a ghost, he appeared directly in front of the three.
The twin lights in his eyes shimmered like stars. The black rod in his hand was already swinging down, and his voice—now cold and impassive—fell quietly at that moment.
"Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
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