Infinite Anime [282-283] (Patreon)

Chapter 282 A Lone Battle Against the Five Great Nations

With a thunderous crash, Uchiha Fugaku smashed through building after building, until the dust swallowed him and all sound ceased.

"Lord Hokage!"

"Clan Head!"

The elites who had followed Uchiha Fugaku cried out in shock. Some glared furiously at Gusion, while one Uchiha broke off from the battlefield to rescue Fugaku.

Just then, as Onoki finished preparing his Dust Release, a bolt of lightning struck him. The high-voltage current pierced straight through his body. The Dust Release he had readied never fired—instead, it detonated on the spot.

The unleashed gale swept in all directions, and several nearby Iwagakure shinobi were unlucky enough to be blown to pieces and killed.

In Gusion's view, Onoki's Dust Release was powerful—so potent that even Gusion's true body could not take it head-on. It was a bloodline elimination with extremely high damage. But Onoki's weakness was obvious.

Sure, the old man could fly, but his mobility was mediocre. And because of his age, his physical attributes—chakra or no—simply couldn't be that high. With one lightning strike from Gusion, he couldn't dodge and would be gravely injured.

As Onoki rolled his eyes and convulsed in midair, blown away by the Dust Release's shockwave, Gusion did not pause. He charged at the Allied Shinobi Forces.

He stepped forward and swept his blade horizontally. The dark red arc extended like a shadow, covering dozens of meters and sweeping up the strongest among those nearby.

The allied formation of the Five Great Villages collapsed in an instant. Only the Kazekage and Raikage managed to block with their techniques; the other frontliners were bisected at the waist.

The powerhouses recoiled in horror, scrambling to widen the distance from Gusion. Even Zabuza's face was taut with alarm as he retreated—terrified of dying to Gusion's unknown AOE. That would be a truly senseless death.

However, after that one slash, Gusion did not rush to pursue. He let Mazuko hang at his side and walked forward at an easy pace. "Weren't you here to hunt me down? Why back away?"

By now, Gusion had activated Sage Mode. Dragon scales crept across his face. Under his black robe, muscles knotted with power; his dark red hair bristled upward—like an asura walking out of purgatory.

Dark red lightning coiled around him, while purple mist from Mazuko drifted behind him as he advanced. His demonic silhouette seemed to magnify infinitely in everyone's eyes, the pressure like a mountain, suffocating.

Even the Kage present felt their bodies stiffen. They fancied themselves the strongest in the shinobi world, here in the Land of Rain to hunt Akatsuki.

Yet now they realized the prey was far stronger than they'd imagined. This "Calamity" seemed to grow without end—each encounter, his power updated again.

"If you won't come to me, I'll come to you."

Gusion flickered and slashed at the Kazekage's neck.

The Kazekage hurriedly countered with Gold Dust, releasing everything he'd stored. Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!

Spear-like spires of condensed gold dust thrust up to seal Gusion's approach.

But before absolute strength, these petty lances were laughable. Gusion didn't even bother using electromagnetism to counter the Magnet Release; he simply swung, brutally and directly.

The blade's power and pressure tore through the forest of gold spears. He flash-stepped by at extreme speed. When the blade traced across Rasa's neck, there wasn't even a sound.

As they passed each other, Rasa clapped his hands, trying to manipulate the gold dust to bury Gusion—Gold Dust Great Burial.

But as he turned, a bloodline opened on his neck. With the momentum of his turn, his head slid off.

"Lord Kazekage!"

The Sand shinobi were aghast and charged at Gusion.

Gusion's blade showed no mercy. Lightning roared up from the ground like a dragon. In the instant their bodies went numb, the blade flashed—and several more heads tumbled.

"Calamity!"

A furious shout, laden with fresh and old hatred. Lava Release slammed in beside Gusion—Mei Terumi had launched her attack.

But Gusion was too fast. The lava struck only his afterimage. In the same breath that the ninjutsu missed, his true body appeared before Mei.

His right arm swept a blade at the flank, the edge stabbing into the neck of an Iwagakure jonin who'd come to support. At the same time, his left hand clenched and fired off inch-fists from top to bottom, smashing into Mei's throat, chest, and lower abdomen.

The punches were so fast, paired with exquisite technique, that all the force erupted almost simultaneously. Mei's body contorted grotesquely and she flew backward.

"Mei!"

Zabuza shouted genuinely this time. Now that he held the title of Mizukage and Mei had agreed to assist him, she was one of his own. He didn't want this rare Mist powerhouse dying here.

But on the battlefield he couldn't coordinate with Gusion, and could only hope he showed restraint.

In truth, Gusion had indeed held back—just barely. But unless Mei wanted to spend a year bedridden, she wasn't moving again. He had no intention of letting someone try sit-ups on him while he was being besieged.

If not for Kirigakure's future usefulness, that wouldn't have been a punch just now—it would have been a cut.

Zabuza realized that in a chaotic melee, to avoid hindering Gusion, he should learn from the Uchiha clan head—throw himself at the grinder and vanish behind the scenes first.

So, putting on a face of heroic sacrifice, he hefted the Executioner's Blade and charged Gusion.

Bang—

To Zabuza's disbelief, Gusion didn't even turn to face him. He merely raised his left hand—a single finger stopped the Executioner's Blade.

In the instant Zabuza froze, Gusion spin-kicked backward. One sweep to the chest made Zabuza feel his organs rupture. He coughed blood and flew off.

"Mizukage!"

Onoki, just recovering from paralysis, was shocked. He wanted to say, "For a Mizukage… you're awfully 'straight'!"

Everyone present had at least a few tricks. Only you charged head-on with a big cleaver. Is that how you fight the Calamity?

And you really claim to have driven him back before?

Gusion was fighting in high spirits. He had no patience for patching Zabuza's logic. He simply wanted to clear his own people out, then go all out.

Boom—

As the battle hit a fever pitch, a Tailed Beast Bomb came in. Gusion flickered with Shunpo, turning midair. The blast wind tossed his hair as his dark red eyes looked down on everyone.

"Yo-yo—Jinchuriki aren't so easy to catch. Don't drag this out—use Tailed Beast Bombs and send him home!"

Killer B, the initiator, rallied the other jinchuriki. As a perfect jinchuriki and the Eight-Tails' host, he was the strongest among them and had authority.

The first to respond was Yugito Nii, Two-Tails' jinchuriki. She tied her golden hair into a single braid for battle. Her gaze at Gusion was full of hatred. "Lord B, I'll engage him!"

B was about to stop her when Yugito transformed into the Matatabi form, bounding between buildings with feline agility toward Gusion.

Gusion sidestepped with a slight shift, evading her strike. "Tsk, didn't learn your lesson."

Last time, he spared Yugito because of a deal. That didn't mean he'd always show mercy to Kumo.

As he flashed away from another Tailed Beast Bomb, lightning surged. In the instant it struck Yugito, Gusion's blade arrived.

"Don't even think about it!"

The Fourth Raikage, in Lightning Release Chakra Mode, arrived at extreme speed and smashed his Liger Bomb against Gusion's blade.

But unlike last time, Gusion was now a step faster—and the raw power on that strike felt like an endless tsunami. The Raikage's bones trembled.

In Sage Mode, with Conqueror Haki and Ryou, the steel rings on the Raikage's arm-guards showed signs of cracking.

With a roar, the Raikage shot backward at supersonic speed, smashing through rows of buildings and leaving vapor-ring shock halos.

"Lord Raikage!"

Seeing this, Yugito furiously tried to form a Tailed Beast Bomb. But before the chakra could condense, Gusion flashed in front of her. Mazuko thrust into Matatabi's maw.

The explosive damage, coupled with Mazuko's effect, instantly interrupted the Tailed Beast Bomb. Conqueror's Haki burst for a second damage wave. Pinning Matatabi, Gusion sprinted forward, smashing through several buildings before nailing the beast to a wall.

He drew the blade and swept back—azure fire and blood traced an elegant fan.

At that moment, Roshi, the Four-Tails' jinchuriki, had synchronized with Son Goku and launched a technique behind Gusion. "Lava Release: Flower-Fruit Mountain."

Hands to the ground—an ocean of magma erupted like a volcano. A colossal pillar of lava surged at Gusion's back.

Roshi had wanted a better chance, but he couldn't stomach Gusion brutalizing the Two-Tails' young host. He fired early. He didn't expect to kill Gusion, only to burn him enough to save Yugito.

Others converging on the scene had the same hope. From that angle, it would be hard for Gusion to dodge. Even if he fled at top speed, he'd have to abandon finishing Yugito.

Boom—

To everyone's shock, while the azure fire fan from Gusion's swing had yet to fade, Roshi's lava struck Gusion's back as if on an invisible wall. The magma flattened and blossomed behind him like a grand firework.

Bakudō #81. Dankū.

Gusion strode forward against the gale. Yugito's mouth, pierced, had reverted to human form. The hatred in her eyes was quickly replaced by fear.

Gusion raised his hand, gripped her throat, and applied lateral force. Her body went limp.

He lifted her by the collar and turned to the advancing elites. "One."

The jinchuriki boiled with rage. Even the always-unruly Killer B shouted, "Gusion, what do you take us jinchuriki for!?"

"What do I take you for?"

Gusion tossed the paralyzed Yugito into a hollow in the ruins behind him. "Batteries."

Considering Nagato's hidden task, Gusion didn't plan to kill the jinchuriki—he didn't want the tailed beasts' resurrection timers delaying the plan. That didn't mean he'd be gentle.

"Don't waver. Jinchuriki on offense, Kage provide support!"

Onoki, holding his lower back, flew up from the rear. With the Hokage, the alliance commander, missing or dead, his overreach didn't draw protest. Anyone with eyes could see this was the right tactic.

"Han, you're up."

Onoki looked to a masked man in special armor and a dark red conical hat—the Five-Tails' jinchuriki of Iwagakure.

Han stepped forward. "I don't like this, but I can't do it alone. Killer B, you're with me."

Iwa and Kumo had been enemies for years. As a jinchuriki, Han regarded B as his rival. But this wasn't the time for grudges. With Steam Armor and Boil Release, Han had monstrous strength and explosive speed—one of the strongest for head-on combat among jinchuriki.

B was the same. As a perfect jinchuriki, synergizing with the Eight-Tails, he could attack and defend, with immense chakra and vitality—ideal for fighting a close-range chakra-draining monster like the Calamity.

After a quick tactic huddle, Han and B charged without hesitation.

Steam whistled off Han like a locomotive as vast pressure vented. The Steam Armor and Boil Release boosted him to near the Fourth Raikage's speed.

B went into partial transformation, aiming to bind Gusion with tentacles and restrict him.

But facing two top-tier jinchuriki, Gusion didn't need fancy counters. His blade flowed—an oblique rising cut. B's tentacles were severed like roots.

Slipping through the gaps, Gusion's blade flashed against Han's iron fists, shattering his gear on contact.

Seeing his head about to be taken, Han's experience saved him—he sprang back. As Mazuko split across his chest, a chakra cloak flared; then he swelled rapidly into the Five-Tails, Kokuo.

Ignoring the pain, Kokuo braced its hooves on the buildings behind. The force crushed the structures. Then the beast lunged, its five horns spearing for Gusion.

Thump—

Mazuko struck a horn with a heavy sound but did not cut through.

"Tough skull."

Gusion adjusted. Weaving through B's tentacle strikes, he slipped under Kokuo and sliced upward, carving a massive gash in its chest.

Just as Han was cut, bubbles closed in from all directions; at the same time, the ground crumbled under Gusion and magma geysered up—Six-Tails jinchuriki Utakata and Roshi had attacked together.

The Allied Shinobi Forces might talk "one family," but these strikes engulfed Han as well. Even if Gusion died, Han would be maimed if not killed.

Chapter 283: The Meteor That Fell From the Heavens

None of the elites present were naive. They knew Gusion was an ultra-rare super-power. If they didn't sacrifice something to seize a chance, he'd pick them off one by one afterward—potentially wiping them all out here.

So not even Onoki criticized the friendly fire. He too launched Dust Release: a transparent cube slipped past the Eight-Tails' tentacles, aimed at Gusion from a hidden angle.

Roar—

In Five-Tails form, Han howled through the pain of being gutted. Rather than rage at being caught in friendly fire, he rallied and erected a steam barrier with Boil Release to keep Gusion locked near him—to eat the combined might of the Five Nations' elites head-on.

Boom—

When Dust Release and the other high-risk jutsu landed, the explosion was deafening. The blast-wind flattened buildings for hundreds of meters around; the terrain was mangled beyond recognition.

"Did we get him!?"

"Is he dead!?"

As they stared, tense, at the heart of the smoke, Onoki suddenly coughed blood.

He stared in disbelief at the blade tip jutting from his chest. He could not fathom how Gusion had escaped that zone in the blink of an eye.

Substitution required a swap target and couldn't carry you far. Plus, Han's steam barrier had locked Gusion in place. How did he get out?

His intel hadn't mentioned space-time ninjutsu.

As Gusion's blade rose, it cleaved Onoki's head in two—ending his questions forever.

"Calamity…"

The Raikage watched Onoki die, feeling heavy. He hated the old man—Onoki was effectively his father's killer. In another setting, he would've laughed to see him fall.

But not now. He knew how badly he'd been burned by Gusion's teleportation before, but he hadn't expected Gusion to blink this far while sealed inside a barrier.

"Are you the only Kage left?"

Gusion flicked blood from his blade midair and looked at the Raikage.

What he'd used was indeed Cloud-Step Boots's active skill. Skill 3: Piercing Clouds usually only covered 50 meters, but with added techniques, he'd managed a leap of over 100.

After summoning the Fourth Hokage, he'd consulted him about space-time ninjutsu. Flying Thunder God was abstruse and required marking coordinates in space—against Gusion's style.

So rather than learning Hiraishin in full, he borrowed its principles to interfere with Skill 3: Piercing Clouds's destination—and it worked. He could jump farther.

Moreover, because Cloud-Step Boots's essence wasn't ninjutsu, it ignored seals that targeted chakra techniques. He'd slipped out of Han's steam barrier unimpeded.

He'd learned space-time theory to counter Obito—only to find it paid dividends here.

Had he eaten that barrage, it would've ended poorly. Look at tough-as-nails Han: merely grazed from above, and now ominously silent—alive or dead, who knew.

"B, together."

The Raikage's voice was low. He knew Gusion wouldn't spare them today. Their only hope was to break the stalemate with sheer strength.

Who could've imagined it? The Allied Shinobi Forces of the Five Great Nations—five Kage with jinchuriki—had barely entered Amegakure, hadn't even seen the supposed leader of Akatsuki, and were already getting flattened by Gusion, the "number two."

The Hokage and Mizukage were missing or worse. Their subordinates, in the Raikage's view, were useless—some even pulled their Kage out mid-battle. Deadweight.

The Sand were mediocre in his eyes, and they hadn't even brought their jinchuriki—forget them.

At least his hated Iwa still had fight left. The Tsuchikage was dead, Han's status unknown, but Roshi, the Four-Tails' jinchuriki, still stood.

From Kiri, only Utakata was acting like a proper jinchuriki.

Facing the Raikage and the jinchuriki's combined assault, Gusion's battle fervor… faded. He looked almost bored.

Honestly, the alliance was weaker than he'd expected. If Nagato knew the Five Nations were like this, he probably wouldn't have rated Gusion so highly at the start.

Still, this fight felt easy largely because two of the five villages were "his." Fugaku rushed in and threw himself away; the Konoha ninja who went to rescue him never returned—likely slipped off with him.

Same with Zabuza's side. Utakata hovered uselessly on the field; the rest vanished into Hidden Mist's fog.

The only ones really fighting were Iwa and Suna. Even Kumo had slacked at first. If they'd been able to topple him like this, that would've been the real miracle.

Now that the main DPS was down, Gusion felt basically no pressure.

The Five Nations were overconfident. They didn't grasp the gulf between themselves and a super-Kage. Even united, they might only drive back this "Calamity." Against Nagato, there'd be no hope at all.

…

Elsewhere, behind frosted glass in a nearby high-rise, a masked figure stood with a dark expression.

"A bunch of trash."

Obito cursed under his breath. Seeing Nagato keep his hands off and send only the Calamity to meet the alliance had delighted him.

He'd hoped the Five Nations would do his job for him—kill Gusion—removing his biggest worry.

He feared Gusion more than Nagato. Not because Gusion was stronger—raw power-wise, Obito didn't think Gusion compared to Nagato.

But Gusion felt uncanny, as if he knew too much about Obito. In the battle at Konoha, Gusion likely colluded with Itachi to set him up.

Gusion was too unpredictable, growing at a pace Obito couldn't read. Best to remove him early.

As for Nagato—if Gusion died, Obito could still "talk his way out." Worst case, he couldn't beat Nagato, but Nagato couldn't catch him either.

He'd wait for the sickly Nagato to die and then swap owners for the Rinnegan—or wear them himself.

From the look of Nagato, he didn't have long. Everything was still under control.

But after watching the Five Nations' battle, Obito was livid.

They hadn't even pressured Gusion. He didn't look tired at all. Obito dared not strike rashly. The memory of losing half his body still haunted him. Either a clean kill, or stay hidden.

From the shadows, he watched Gusion's invincible figure. "Soon. I'll make you taste the humiliation I did…"

…

Deep in the Land of Rain, in a tower, Konan watched the sleeping Nagato, worry in her eyes.

"I wonder if Gusion can hold them off. It's been so long…"

She didn't want the "future leader of Akatsuki" dying to the Five Nations' joint assault.

After a moment's thought, she left a paper clone by Nagato, set a barrier outside, and flew toward the battle to support Gusion.

She spread her paper wings and took to the sky.

As she flew, the sounds of battle suddenly ceased. Her heart tightened. She considered waking Nagato—and sped up.

But when she arrived and saw the battlefield, her eyes widened.

Gusion sat on a massive stone in the ruins. Below and around him lay corpses—or unconscious jinchuriki.

Sensing her presence, he looked up. "Didn't I tell you to stay with Nagato? What if someone ambushes him?"

"Nagato won't sleep that deeply. No one can ambush him now."

Konan spoke while scanning the battlefield in shock. She hadn't expected that in so short a time, the Five Nations' allied force would fall to Gusion alone.

She saw no injuries on him. Was this really power from a normal bloodline? He had no Sage Eyes or Sage Body—yet he single-handedly fought five great nations!?

"Good. Clean up the battlefield. I've captured as many jinchuriki as I could."

This battle began and ended quickly.

Even with five Kage and five jinchuriki, the whole thing took less than an hour. They couldn't beat him at full roster; after losses, they had no chance.

Gusion swept the rest in Sage Mode. The Raikage, to his credit, was sly—seeing the tide turn, he grabbed B and bolted, selling out Roshi.

Considering the Eight-Tails' resilience and the difficulty of long-term containment, Gusion didn't pursue—severing ties with Kumo altogether.

There was another reason he didn't chase: his Observation Haki had sensed Obito lurking.

A few times during the fight, Obito had seemed to solidify, ready to strike, but each time he backed off and returned to hiding.

Gusion worried that if he chased the Kumo brothers, Obito would slip in and ambush a mentally fatigued Nagato. If Nagato got his eyes plucked while asleep, that would be farcical.

…

In the shadows, Obito watched the battle end, feeling even heavier.

His plan hadn't included ambushing Nagato. Attacking would expose him, and if Nagato caught him, he'd be dead for sure.

But after hearing Konan and Gusion, he sensed "something up" with Nagato—and wavered.

As if deciding, he took something from his cloak—a device out of place for this era. He dialed, as instructed.

"I've decided. Deal's on. When it's done, you get one Rinnegan."

He spoke to the voice on the other end—a path he least wanted, because it meant abandoning the Nagato groomed by Madara, and giving away one Rinnegan.

He'd met those mysterious ninja a week ago. They'd offered a deal. He'd refused, thinking he still controlled the board.

Their demand was simple: they wanted Nagato's Rinnegan. If he agreed to ambush Nagato at a critical moment and provide intel on his true strength, they'd split the eyes after.

"Took you long enough," came a light, cheerful voice. "No matter. We're ready."

"I suggest you hide in your Mangekyo space for a bit."

The call cut.

Obito frowned. Hide? He was hiding just fine. They hadn't found him.

But about thirty seconds later, he felt something wrong. He yanked open the window and looked up, even at the risk of being noticed.

In the dim sky, a blinding light appeared—as if the heavens had opened a radiant eye.

A massive meteor, wreathed in roaring flame, tore through the firmament like a burning comet. Its surface glowed red-hot from friction, as if ignited by an angry fire god.

With unstoppable momentum, it fell at tremendous speed, trailing a long tail of fire like a roaring dragon, carving a shocking scar across the sky.

As it neared, the very air seemed to ignite, roaring like a thousand thunderclaps. The earth trembled.

Obito stared, jaw slack behind his mask. How the hell did they do that!?

Yet excitement surged. He hadn't expected them to be this reliable. With such power, why need him to ambush Nagato? Just crush everything!

Gusion, too, gaped at the descending meteor. He hadn't imagined a strike of this magnitude.

The impact area was enormous. Even sprinting full tilt, he might not escape the blast radius.

Who? Besides Uchiha Madara, who else could call down a meteor?

No—even Madara's Tengai Shinsei wasn't this fast. This didn't look like a ninjutsu creation at all, but a real meteor.

Thoughts flashed. Gusion's gaze locked onto a spot in the sky—the moon, invisible by day.

An Explorer must have reached the moon and driven the Otsutsuki to use the Giant Tenseigan to drop a meteor and net them all!?

Just as Gusion grabbed Konan to run, a red-haired figure emerged from the tower and flew skyward.

Seeing him, Gusion's tension eased slightly. Nagato was awake.