Naruto: Ōtsutsuki lineage

Although the rock giant was powerful, it was being held back by the Raikage due to his superior speed.

"Brother, this big guy seems a bit... weak!" Konan commented, tilting her head while observing the scene with curiosity and a hint of disappointment.

"Hahaha!" Chen let out an awkward laugh, scratching his head. "I've got an idea. Soon this big guy is going to soar through the skies."

With a movement of his hands, he exerted control over the giant.

Under his influence, the colossal rock giant began to crumble, its huge arms and legs breaking apart.

The rocks fell to the ground with a dull rumble, as if the giant was about to collapse entirely.

The Raikage watched the scene, frozen for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he tried to understand what was happening.

"Has he released his jutsu?"

However, the rock giant had not been defeated.

After its original form had crumbled, the muscular colossus had transformed into an elongated figure resembling a stickman, slimming down to become something quick and agile. The fallen rocks reconfigured, forming a new figure.

Swoosh!

At that moment, the giant moved with impressive speed, almost as if it were flying, surpassing even the swiftness of Susanoo.

It appeared in front of the Raikage, its movements almost impossible to follow. Then it delivered a powerful downward strike.

The Raikage sneered. "So it's faster, but you've sacrificed all its strength and resilience!" he exclaimed confidently, as his body was enveloped in thunder and lightning.

Lightning covered his fist as he prepared to take the hit, throwing his own punch toward the giant's fist.

Boom!

But what the Raikage hadn't expected was what happened right afterward: the giant's rocks instantly reformed, restoring its original form of a sturdy colossus.

Caught off guard, he was struck with overwhelming force, sent flying through the air.

"GRAAAAH!" he roared in pain as he spat blood, his body spinning out of control before crashing to the ground.

Fallen on the ground and coughing up blood, he looked at the giant in disbelief. "How is this possible...?" he murmured, as he watched the giant transform back into its swift, lightweight form, resembling a stickman.

"Escape of the Rock: Cage!"

THUD, THUD, THUD, numerous rock bars emerged from the ground, quickly rising. The rocks moved forcefully, clashing together to form a massive spherical cage, trapping the three thousand Cloud Shinobi inside.

Then, the rock bars began to transform—they turned into sharp stone blades, and the cage began to slowly shrink.

This was a jutsu Chen had created imitating Doflamingo's Birdcage, but instead of threads, he had turned the cage walls into sharp rock blades.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Chen said, addressing Sakumo, who was behind him.

He had already neutralized half of Kumogakure's fighting forces. If Konoha couldn't take advantage of that, then he would just watch as everything fell apart.

Sakumo nodded, but his gaze turned toward the rock cage, his brow deeply furrowed. "Don't you think this is... too cruel?" he asked as he saw the Cloud ninjas struggling desperately inside the cage, with no way out.

"Hmm?" Chen looked at him impassively. "If you think it's so cruel, I can let them go... and then you alone can take on the three thousand ninjas who will come out of there."

Sakumo was left speechless.

"Damn it!" roared the Raikage, who had been struck again by the rock giant. His gaze burned with fury as he saw the rock cage shrinking, with his men trapped inside. "I won't let them die like this!"

He tried to run to rescue his comrades, but the rock giant stood in his way once more. The blows kept him at bay. In his impatience and fury, the Raikage received several more hits, each stronger than the last.

Each strike left him more weakened, his body staggering from the brutal force. All he could do was watch helplessly as the cage continued to shrink.

"Don't be afraid! Let's attack together and break this cage!" shouted a near-Kage-level ninja.

Hearing her cry, the panicked ninjas calmed down and began attacking the sharp rock blades surrounding them.

Metal clashed against stone as they tried to break their prison, but soon they realized the cruel truth: they couldn't budge them at all.

Those blades were much harder than steel, and their kunai and swords ended up shattered, cracked, and dull.

Even Lightning Style, which usually overpowered Earth Style, had no effect on those blades, leaving the ninjas desperate. With every inch that the cage shrank, the space for survival dwindled, and the cold breath of death became increasingly palpable.

That feeling of waiting for death, without being able to do anything to prevent it, broke their spirit.

Some, with broken hearts, even began to harbor thoughts of suicide.

Death itself wasn't the most terrible thing. What was truly terrifying was watching it slowly approach, without the power to stop it.

"We can't just wait to die! Come on, break already!" shouted a ninja, attacking with all his might.

Crack!

The sound broke the silence. One of the indestructible rock blades shattered, and for a moment, the ninja thought he had managed to free himself. But before he could even celebrate, the blade quickly regenerated. And as if a death sentence, the speed at which the cage was shrinking doubled.

Swish!

A slicing sound resonated, and a ninja was the first to be split by a rock blade. What followed was like cutting a field of wheat. The sharp blades cut mercilessly, and the ninjas fell one after another, leaving not a single body intact.

In a matter of seconds, more than a thousand died, dismembered without leaving any complete remains.

"No... stop!" roared the Raikage. Two thick lines of tears burst from his eyes. Enveloped in lightning, he seemed like a god of thunder descending into the world, attacking the rock giant frantically. His fists crashed against the giant, but all they did was slow it down temporarily.

"Chen Hyuga, why are you so cruel?! WHY?!" He screamed in anguish, his voice carrying deep pain.

"Chen Hyuga, I beg you to let them go! They still have families; their loved ones are waiting for them at home. I can exchange my life for theirs, I'm begging you!" He screamed in desperation.

The stout Raikage stopped attacking, falling to his knees before Chen. His eyes were filled with pleading, and his posture, kneeling before his enemy, reflected the depth of his despair.

The giant's fist stopped, and the rock cage, which was shrinking inexorably, also halted. The battlefield fell silent; all eyes focused on the Raikage, who remained kneeling.

"Raikage-sama..." murmured the Cloud ninjas, tears filling their eyes at the sight of their leader kneeling on the ground.

"Raikage-sama shouldn't worry... you shouldn't worry about us. It's not worth it!" shouted one of the shinobi.

"Yeah, why bother with that cruel, heartless monster?!" shouted another in resentment, tears streaming down his face.

"Father..." A whispered, clenching his fists. Seeing his father, the proud Raikage who had never knelt before anyone, on his knees in front of his enemy, was a heartbreaking sight.

"Hehehe..." Chen chuckled, his eyes reflecting disdain. "This is the battlefield. Here it's always you or me. If you fear death, then you shouldn't start a war. If you're on the battlefield, you must be prepared to die. Begging for mercy only shows how foolish you are."

As he laughed once more, his face then turned cold. He extended his hand and clenched his fist in judgment.

The rock cage, which had momentarily stopped, suddenly shrank in an instant.

Crunch!

The sound was deafening. The sharp blades closed in, and in the blink of an eye, the three thousand Cloud ninjas were reduced to nothing. Blood flowed across the battlefield, covering the earth like a river.

The Raikage's pupils constricted sharply, his face twisted in pain and hatred. His gaze was filled with despair, his voice broken as he murmured, "Why...? They were all ordinary ninjas; they weren't a threat to you. Why did you kill them in such a cruel way?" he asked frantically.

His three thousand ninjas had been turned into corpses before his eyes. How could he explain this to the people? How could he explain it to their families? How could he be worthy of his position as Raikage?

Chen looked at him coldly, his voice as cutting as ice. "You know my power, yet you chose to fight Konoha, blinded by greed and your own pride. All of this is your responsibility, Raikage."

Advancing a few steps, his tone was impassive. "If you had chosen to surrender and retreat, they would still be alive. The sins committed by gods can be forgiven; the self-inflicted sins have no redemption."

"That doesn't justify killing those who didn't resist!" he cried desperately as tears fell from his face.

"Justification?" Chen gave a scornful smile. "If you want a reason, I can give you hundreds at will. But do you really need one?" His words were loaded with contempt. "Weakness is the original sin. If they had the strength to resist me, do you think I would have killed them? That is the law of this world, Raikage."

A, watching the scene, felt a growing fury burning within him. "Chen, you speak as if you were the owner of the truth, but in reality, you're just justifying your thirst for blood. You have no compassion; you're a death-hungry demon!"

"HAHAHAHA!" Chen laughed arrogantly. "Don't pretend to be the hero, A. If you want to prove that I'm the villain, that I'm a demon, then do it! But only if you can defeat me. As long as you can't, what you say will be nothing but empty words."

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖