Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 361

Despair spread as the Ten-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb continued to swell.

The black sphere grew larger and denser, its pressure crushing the air around it.

"It’s... over. There’s nothing we can do."

More than one shinobi lost the will to fight. In front of that colossal monster, humanity felt unbearably small.

And yet—

The Kage saw the collapse in morale and understood one thing clearly.

This couldn’t continue.

They hadn’t lost yet.

"Mizukage!" the Fourth Raikage roared.

Mei Terumī didn’t answer. She was already forming hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A massive dragon of water surged forward.

This time, the Raikage didn’t charge in with Lightning Release Body Flicker. Instead, lightning erupted from his body and poured directly into the water dragon.

"Lightning–Water Dragon!"

The combined jutsu howled as it slammed into the Ten-Tails.

Madara watched calmly.

"A joint technique from two Kage," he said flatly. "Unfortunately... it’s meaningless."

The attack struck the Ten-Tails head-on.

And did absolutely nothing.

As the progenitor of chakra itself, the Ten-Tails’ resistance to elemental chakra was overwhelming. A combination jutsu like this might devastate other tailed beasts.

Against the Ten-Tails, it was irrelevant.

"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"

Ōnoki released his strongest technique, the white light tearing through the battlefield.

For a brief moment, hope flickered.

Then Madara appeared.

He studied the incoming jutsu with genuine interest. "This bloodline elimination has enough power to injure it."

And then—

"Preta Path."

The Rinnegan absorbed the Particle Style completely.

Ōnoki staggered, fury and exhaustion colliding. "Damn it!"

Shikamaru took a slow breath, eyes scanning the battlefield.

Stopping the Ten-Tails from firing wasn’t going to work.

Even the Kage couldn’t interrupt it.

So the only option left was to block it.

If the Ten-Tails were still standing upright, they might have destabilized its footing. But in its current form, sprawled low to the ground, that strategy was useless.

No tricks left.

Only brute defense.

Shikamaru contacted the command center. His father’s voice came back immediately.

"Shikamaru, don’t hesitate. Ino can link everyone now. Say what you need to say."

"...Got it."

Through Ino’s telepathy, Shikamaru relayed his plan.

Every shinobi who could cast even the most basic Earth Style would use it.

Not for quality.

For quantity.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Crude walls rose one after another, layer upon layer. Shinobi who specialized in defense reinforced them with Earth Flow Ramparts.

Water Style users formed barriers behind them to absorb shock.

"Mizukage-sama," Shikamaru said. "Please seal the gaps with Lava Release."

Mei stared at the growing barricade.

It was insane.

But there was no alternative.

She nodded.

Molten lava poured out, filling every crack and seam.

"And finally," Shikamaru said, turning. "Kazekage-sama. You’re our last line." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Gaara nodded once.

Absolute defense was his specialty.

"That’s everything," Shikamaru muttered. "If this doesn’t work..."

Ino placed a hand on his arm. "It will."

Madara watched the frantic construction with mild curiosity.

"The final struggle of ants," he remarked.

The Ten-Tails finished charging.

The Tailed Beast Bomb fired.

The black sphere tore through the air like a god’s execution, smashing into the layered defenses.

Earth walls shattered like paper.

Lava boiled away.

Still, the blast slowed.

"It’s working!" Shikamaru shouted through the mental link. "Push more chakra! It’s slowing down!"

The alliance roared as one, pouring everything they had into the defense.

Even Madara paused.

"So this is... human cooperation."

He shook his head. "A shame it only appears at the brink of extinction."

The Tailed Beast Bomb detonated before breaking through completely.

The explosion swallowed the battlefield.

"Kazekage!" Shikamaru yelled.

"I know!"

Sand surged forward, forming an enormous barrier. Mixed within it gleamed streaks of golden sand, remnants of Rasa’s legacy.

Gaara pushed past his limits.

Even as his sand disintegrated faster than it could reform, he didn’t stop.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Mei gasped, forcing herself upright. "If the kid’s pushing this hard, I don’t get to rest either!"

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

A massive torrent rose, only to evaporate instantly under the blast.

"Ōnoki!" the Third Raikage shouted.

"Don’t underestimate an old man!" Ōnoki roared back.

He had been charging this entire time.

White light engulfed his hands.

"Particle Style: Boundary Dismantling Jutsu!"

The rectangular prism of light formed just as the explosion reached them, erasing the blast’s core.

But the residual force remained.

Ōnoki screamed as he held it, body shaking violently.

Then a hand pressed against his back.

"Tsunade," he gasped.

"Chakra supply’s on me," she said. "Strength of a Hundred Seal: Release."

Her chakra surged into him, stabilizing the technique.

At last—

The explosion faded.

Silence fell.

They had survived.

Cheers erupted.

Then Madara’s voice echoed calmly.

"Congratulations. You stopped the first one."

The Ten-Tails’ mouth opened again.

"And your reward... is the second."

Horror froze the battlefield.

Ōnoki knelt, barely conscious. Gaara swayed. Mei panted.

Shikamaru’s mind raced.

Nothing left.

No answer.

The Ten-Tails fired again.

"...This time," someone whispered, "it’s really over."