"It's useless. You can't wake them up." Shisui's arrow pierced the ground beneath Roshi's feet, stopping him from trying to prevent the infighting within Iwagakure.
"I don't sense any genjutsu."
Listening to the information transmitted by the Four-Tails, Roshi's magma surged violently again. The ground beneath him had turned into a lava field due to the falling magma.
Did he intentionally ignore us because he knew genjutsu wouldn't work on us?
Roshi speculated about the situation.
However, Roshi understood one thing: as long as he could deal with the Uchiha in front of him, the abnormal situation within Iwagakure would end.
Lava Release Chakra Mode.
By combining his Lava Release Kekkei Genkai with the power of the Four-Tails, Roshi's body was surrounded by high-temperature magma. In this mode, his taijutsu became nearly unbeatable in terms of destructive power.
The reason he says it's unbeatable is that he mentally overlooked the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode. In other words, his combat mode was heavily inspired by the Third Raikage.
After being nearly crushed in a brutal fight with the Third Raikage, Roshi, reflecting on the defeat, developed this attack-defense combined mode, similar to Lightning Release Chakra.
In this mode, his defense significantly increased, especially against penetrating or cutting ninjutsu, giving him strong resistance.
Like the Third Raikage, in this mode, Roshi could roam freely on the battlefield. As long as he avoided large-scale overlapping ninjutsu, he could almost ignore all attacks directed at him.
Anyone he struck or brushed past would suffer fatal burns.
Although Roshi wasn't sure if he could match the late Third Raikage in battle, at least he believed he wouldn't be in a position where he couldn't even delay or limit his opponent like before.
Boom!
The massive red molten fist struck the Susanoo, and in Shisui's surprised gaze, numerous cracks appeared on the Susanoo's skeletal frame.
The explosive power behind the punch even pushed Shisui, in Susanoo form, back several meters.
The molten lava flowed down the Susanoo's skeletal frame, as though it had gone through a baptism of lava.
The high-temperature lava crawled over the bones, and steam rose from the places it passed over.
Under the sizzling sound of the burning, the Susanoo's skeletal frame formed deep pockmarks and dents.
Although this strike didn't completely shatter the Susanoo's skeleton, it still caused considerable damage.
"This jutsu can't protect your feet, can it?"
Roshi noticed with sharp eyes that the Susanoo's movements relied entirely on Shisui's legs. His feet were not covered by the Susanoo's skeleton.
After the attack, Roshi's chakra density increased even further, and he transformed into a monster whose face was unrecognizable, with only two hollow black voids for eyes and a mouth.
Lava Release: Flower–Fruit Mountain!
The half-tailed beast form of Roshi slammed his hands down onto the ground. From his point of origin, the high-temperature lava instantly turned the surrounding area into a sea of magma.
Before the sea of magma could spread, Shisui forcefully stomped the ground with his feet and jumped into the air. But it was clear Roshi didn't want Shisui to escape his range of attack so easily.
Thus, a second wave of attack followed. With Roshi's violent chakra output, the sea of lava surged upward like a volcanic eruption, sending a terrifying shockwave into the sky.
The Susanoo in mid-air was almost immediately engulfed by the erupting magma.
The ninjas around them, who couldn't avoid the shockwave, were instantly reduced to nothing but bones under the terrifying jutsu of Roshi.
"Has it been resolved?"
Roshi, who had caused tremendous destruction, subconsciously glanced at the Rock ninjas who hadn't been affected yet. They still seemed to be under the genjutsu, controlled like puppets. A sinking feeling filled his heart.
The technique hadn't been undone, which meant that Uchiha Shisui was still alive!
Didn't this kill him?
Roshi's heart tightened. The level of difficulty he was facing was rare in his life experience.
After enduring the third Raikage's brutal assault, during his recovery period, he had connected more closely with the tailed beast inside him.
Especially him—thanks to the cooperation with the Four-Tails and his own diligent training, Roshi was now able to control the power of the Four-Tails with skill.
Although he wasn't a perfect Jinchuriki, the Four-Tails would still lend him its strength when necessary.
Should he fully transform into a tailed beast?
That thought flashed in Roshi's mind but was quickly dismissed. He saw that after the eruption of lava, Uchiha Shisui looked extremely miserable, as if heavily injured.
In this situation, Roshi immediately decided to press his advantage. In his half-tailed beast state, both his speed and power had far surpassed that of an average ninja.
The distance between him and Shisui closed almost instantly.
Lava surrounded him, and his massive claw, leaving afterimages, slammed heavily into Shisui.
Already severely injured, Shisui had no strength to resist and was slapped from the sky, his already shrunk skeletal frame crashing into the lava below. He sank into it with a bubbling sound.
Roshi, falling from the air, kept his gaze fixed on the spot where Shisui had sunk, vigilantly watching for any last-ditch attack, while also glancing at the Rock ninjas around him.
The Rock ninjas, who had been fighting each other without regard for friend or foe, seemed to have regained their senses in that instant.
The partners who had been locked in combat immediately pulled apart, warily eyeing each other, and watching their surroundings in caution.
The technique was lifted!
Did that troublesome Uchiha Shisui die?
Roshi felt a slight sense of relief inside. Next, all he had to do was have Iwagakure take down as many Konoha ninjas as possible, and then this war could be won.
Though, there was still the matter of Nara Kagetsu, who had defeated and captured Han, not showing up.
Tch!
An arrow suddenly pierced through Roshi's chest from behind. The high-density chakra cloak and his Lava Release mode couldn't stop the arrow.
The destructive power carried by the arrow caused additional internal damage as it passed through his body.
If it weren't for the Four-Tails' power saving his life at a critical moment, he might have died instantly.
"Roshi, wake up!" The Four-Tails' anxious voice echoed in Roshi's mind, growing louder.
"Are you awake?" Uchiha Shisui's voice also followed, ringing in Roshi's ears.
Roshi turned around, seeing the unharmed Shisui standing in the distance. He looked at the spot where Susanoo had previously sunk, feeling a momentary sense of confusion.
"Was I trapped in an illusion?"
Roshi quietly asked the Four-Tails in his mind for confirmation.
"I couldn't wake you." The Four-Tails' voice came again.
"When?" Roshi asked, feeling lost.
"Right after you saw his Mangekyō Sharingan!" The Four-Tails replied. "Be careful, his Mangekyō can sever our connection. It even disrupts chakra, making it difficult to wake you."
"So everything I just experienced was an illusion?" Roshi couldn't believe it.
****
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