"Do you really think you can hold me here?"
The Fourth Kazekage spoke coldly.
"This battlefield is already decided. You rushed in because you sensed the shift in momentum—but in the end, this is still a battle between commanders."
He stared directly at Chen Xing.
"I'll admit your speed is exceptional. But if you slaughter my forces, I'll do the same to your Celestial Shadow troops. Even if it takes time, I'll bleed your village dry."
Chen Xing didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped forward.
In the Fourth Kazekage's shocked gaze, Chen Xing formed a hand seal.
"You calculated most of it," Chen Xing said calmly. "But you missed one thing."
His figure blurred.
In an instant, Chen Xing appeared directly in front of the Fourth Kazekage. His eyes snapped open—scarlet irises spinning, tomoe locking into place and forming the pattern of a Mangekyō-like pinwheel.
"Sharingan?!" the Fourth Kazekage exclaimed. "Are you—"
"Too late."
The moment their eyes met, the Fourth Kazekage's body stiffened.
A powerful genjutsu triggered through direct eye contact.
Before anyone could react, Chen Xing had already seized the Fourth Kazekage by the throat and lifted him off the ground with one hand.
The battlefield froze.
Chen Xing immediately closed his eyes, suppressing the Sharingan. Even so, a sharp pain surged through his left eye. He pressed a hand against it briefly, breathing steadily.
"This level of genjutsu… even for me, it's not something I can use freely," he thought. "I'll need months before attempting it again."
But the result was decisive.
The Fourth Kazekage hung limp, unconscious.
Chen Xing raised his left hand. Violet chakra gathered in his palm and slammed into the Kazekage's abdomen, sealing his chakra flow completely.
"Ah—!!"
The Fourth Kazekage let out a final, hoarse cry before falling silent.
Chen Xing leapt onto Red See's head, holding the unconscious Kazekage aloft.
"Listen well," his voice echoed across the battlefield. "Your Kazekage is defeated. Continue fighting if you wish—but don't expect him to save you."
Chen Xing knew well that ninja wouldn't surrender simply because their leader was captured.
But morale mattered.
And this was a devastating blow.
For a brief moment, Sand ninja across the battlefield hesitated.
Shock. Anger. Panic.
"How is this possible…?" "The Kazekage was captured?" "He didn't even fall in battle—he was seized alive!"
On the opposite side, Celestial Shadow Village erupted.
"Did you see that?!" "He caught the Kazekage!" "This is our victory!"
The momentum shifted completely.
---
Several Sand elites regrouped in the rear.
Masaki stared at the unconscious Fourth Kazekage in Chen Xing's grasp, his expression grim.
"What do we do?" one elite asked anxiously. "He's still riding that Peacock King…"
Masaki clenched his teeth.
"We retreat."
"But the Kazekage—"
"Enough," Masaki said harshly. "The Peacock King's chakra is monstrous—comparable to a tailed beast. Our sensory unit confirmed it's still recovering rapidly. With the Kazekage sealed, there's no one left who can stop it."
No one argued.
Retreat was the only option.
But Chen Xing had no intention of letting them leave unscathed.
In a flash, he appeared before two Celestial Shadow elites, still holding the unconscious Fourth Kazekage.
"Watch him," Chen Xing ordered. "Don't let Sand retrieve him."
The two nodded instantly, stunned but resolute.
Chen Xing turned and vanished again.
When he reappeared, he was standing atop Red See.
"Uncle Red See," Chen Xing said calmly, eyes cold. "They're retreating."
"Then we hunt," Red See replied with a grin.
Above them, the Peacock King spread its wings.
The slaughter was not yet over.
---