"What... on earth happened here?"
Outside Kusagakure, a group of Grass ninjas staggered to their feet, their faces pale and filled with despair.
Their gazes were empty as they looked at the scene before them, each one appearing utterly lost and helpless.
"You've got to be kidding me. How is this even possible?"
"Am I dreaming? If I am, please let me wake up already!"
"Is this really something a ninja can do...?"
"Damn it! Why are there monsters like this in the world?!"
Looking at the devastation around them, at the destruction that had consumed nearly half of their village, their minds replayed the earth-shattering explosion that had just occurred.
They were on the verge of breaking down. If they hadn't evacuated the villagers in time, the casualties would have been unimaginable.
Even now, the losses were likely catastrophic.
Among the group of ninjas who had left the village to respond to the danger, most were caught in the aftermath, leaving them battered and broken.
"This might be my chance..."
Unlike the others, Karin, who had sensed the danger early and taken precautions, was relatively unscathed. But she didn't dare show herself.
With such heavy casualties, she couldn't imagine what the survivors might do to her if they found her.
Karin had long wanted to leave Kusagakure. This place had brought her nothing but pain and torment.
She still remembered how her mother had died. She didn't seek revenge; she only wanted to leave and never return.
With that thought, Karin quietly slipped into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
"This place... is terrifying."
As Kusagakure's ninjas wallowed in despair, the ground nearby began to shift. Black Zetsu emerged from the earth, his expression unusually grim.
"This level of destruction... what happened here?!"
Beside him, White Zetsu, who usually wore a playful smile, now feigned fear.
"If we're not careful, we might die here. And if we die, we can't..."
"Shut up!"
Black Zetsu cut him off harshly, his tone filled with irritation.
"Tell me what happened here, now! Stop wasting time!"
After dealing with Hanzo of the Salamander, Black Zetsu had intended to come here immediately. However, he had to handle some loose ends first.
Hanzo's appearance required careful planning to prevent further trouble for Amegakure. Once everything was settled, Black Zetsu rushed over, only to witness the aftermath of this catastrophe.
"They fought," White Zetsu said after some thought.
"Obito and Hatake Kakashi are fighting somewhere unknown. Kitagawa Minamoto faced Raiga Kurosuki and Nagato alone, but now... I don't know where they are."
"You don't know?"
"Nagato used some technique. A really big one—so big it forced my clones to retreat."
"A really big technique... Chibaku Tensei?"
"I don't know. But Kitagawa Minamoto used a technique of his own and shattered it. A lot of my clones lost contact after that."
"He shattered Chibaku Tensei?"
Black Zetsu's expression changed, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
He knew exactly what Chibaku Tensei was. After all, it was the technique used by his "two dear brothers" to seal his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Nagato's version might not be as powerful, but for it to be shattered outright was absurd.
"Yes, he shattered it," White Zetsu confirmed, nodding. Then, as if sensing something, he added, "Oh, I think I've found Kitagawa Minamoto."
"Where is he?"
"His Chakra... it's with Nagato."
"...!"
For a moment, Black Zetsu felt like giving up entirely.
But then, a thought crossed his mind: if Kitagawa Minamoto obtained the Rinnegan, could he possibly stand a chance against Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki?
Elsewhere, the battle between Obito and Kakashi continued, though both seemed distracted.
"That's Chibaku Tensei... Damn it, has Nagato been pushed this far by Kitagawa Minamoto?"
Obito, familiar with the Rinnegan's abilities, immediately recognized the technique.
"If he's resorting to that, then Kitagawa Minamoto must be incredibly troublesome."
Though he already knew how formidable Minamoto was—he himself had been a victim of Minamoto's power—seeing Nagato's struggle was still shocking.
"All six Paths of Pain, and he's still losing... This isn't normal."
"I need to get there quickly," Obito thought, gritting his teeth.
But Kakashi refused to give him an opening. His mastery of the Sharingan was far beyond Obito's expectations, making him an infuriating opponent.
"I have to find a way to escape. If Kitagawa Minamoto finds Nagato's real body..."
Obito shuddered at the thought. If Minamoto got his hands on the Rinnegan, it would be a disaster.
Yet, another idea crept into his mind.
"If someone as young as Kitagawa Minamoto already possesses such talent and power... Could he be the one to defeat Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki?"
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Minamoto had already entered Nagato's hidden location.
Before him stood Konan, her angelic wings spread wide, surrounded by fluttering sheets of paper like a swarm of butterflies.
"Paper Release? Explosive tags? They all seem the same. Are you sure you want to fight me?"
Minamoto shook his head, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.
"But you can try. Maybe you'll actually manage to hurt me."
Konan remained silent, her resolve unshaken as she prepared to attack.
But before she could act, Nagato's voice rang out.
"Konan, don't act rashly. Leave him to me."
"As I suspected, your real body isn't in great shape. And you do have someone important to you after all," Minamoto remarked, his gaze shifting to Nagato.
Nagato was emaciated, his skeletal appearance making him look like a corpse. Yet, Minamoto could feel the immense vitality hidden within him—a paradoxical combination that piqued his curiosity.
"Did Uchiha Madara do something to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path? Or did you exhaust yourself creating White Zetsu, leaving you in this state?"
Minamoto wasn't sure. But it seemed likely that Nagato's condition was due to the energy he had continuously supplied to the Demonic Statue.
"Yes, she is important to me," Nagato replied, his tone cold.
"And what about you, as a member of Konohagakure? Are you here to take away the most important person in my life as well?"
"I wouldn't be surprised."
Though Nagato's voice was calm, his Rinnegan burned with fierce determination as he stared at Minamoto.
"Konohagakure invaded my home during the war with Amegakure. They killed my parents.
And it was Konoha's people who conspired with Hanzo to kill Yahiko.
Everything Konoha has done follows the same pattern. Look at your so-called peace—it's built on violence against us!"
Minamoto tilted his head, his expression curious.
"Didn't you bring this on yourself? I was merely delivering a message to the Land of Rain, and you came looking for trouble. How is that our fault?"
"...!"
Nagato was momentarily stunned. Upon reflection, Minamoto's words weren't entirely wrong.
"To be honest, I don't like debating with people like you. It's exhausting," Minamoto said, his tone exasperated.
"But let's try anyway. Maybe I can talk some sense into you."
As he spoke, Minamoto began gathering Chakra, preparing for the possibility that his words wouldn't work.
"You blame Konoha for the war with Amegakure. But anyone with common sense knows the Land of Rain started it. You attacked first and got pushed back. How is that Konoha's fault?"
"...!"
"Is there such a thing as a bloodless war?"
"...!"
"And while we're at it, I actually admire Hanzo of the Salamander. At least he recognized the limitations of the Land of Rain and tried to do something about it.
Unlike you, who can't even match his level of understanding."
Minamoto's words struck a nerve. Nagato's Chakra flared violently as his anger boiled over.
"Enough!"
Nagato's voice trembled with rage.
"You don't understand our pain! Don't you dare lecture me from your high horse!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
A massive repulsive force erupted, aiming to obliterate everything in its path.
At the same time, Konan attacked, her paper shurikens slicing through the air. She grabbed Nagato, her wings flapping as she prepared to retreat.
"Looks like I don't have the gift of persuasion," Minamoto muttered, his voice calm amidst the chaos.
"Well then, if I've tried so hard to live, why should you get to live?"
In the next instant, purple lightning surged. A sharp blade of light pierced through the storm, cutting through the shadows like sunlight breaking through clouds.
But just as the blade was about to strike, space distorted.
A figure emerged, overlapping with Nagato and Konan.
The lightning blade sliced through both figures, scattering fragments of machinery onto the ground.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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