"Roar!"
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path threw its head back and unleashed a sky-shaking roar. The shockwave tore through the air and nearly knocked the members of Akatsuki from the sky far above.
Deidara hurriedly urged his explosive clay bird to climb even higher.
"Nagato!"
Konan's eyes were filled with worry. The first time Nagato had summoned this statue, it had nearly cost him his life. Now, with his chakra already drained, calling it forth again placed an unbearable burden on his body.
I'm afraid he won't be able to endure this…
"Is that… the shell of the Ten-Tails?"
Namikaze Kirito gazed at the raging statue with open admiration. Even as an empty husk, it radiated an overwhelming pressure. If it were ever restored to the complete Ten-Tails, it would stand at the absolute peak of power in this world.
As it roared, the Demonic Statue seemed to sense Kirito's presence. Its grotesque face twisted toward him.
Deva Path leapt onto the statue's head, his weakened body moving with grim resolve.
"Chakra Dragon!"
A blinding purple beam erupted from the statue's mouth.
This was one of the Demonic Statue's most fearsome abilities. Without any tailed beasts sealed inside it, the technique devoured enormous amounts of chakra. Anything touched by that violet beam would have its chakra ripped away, its body—and even its soul—torn apart.
Having studied the events of the past, Namikaze Kirito knew exactly what it could do.
He brought his hands together.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Crack—crack—crack!
Countless massive trees burst from the earth with thunderous force. Empowered by Kirito's vast chakra and enhanced by the cells of Hashirama Senju, the technique transformed most of Amegakure into a forest in an instant.
The purple chakra dragon tore through the trees, and wherever it passed, the wood withered and decayed. Such was the terrifying might of the Demonic Statue.
Yet the endless forest still absorbed the brunt of the attack.
Seeing this, the Deva Path formed another set of hand seals. The Demonic Statue, which had been crouched low, slowly rose to its full height.
Hundreds of meters tall, with massive arms and a monstrous visage, it dwarfed even the fully manifested Nine-Tails. Empty shell or not—it was still the Ten-Tails' vessel. As recorded in history, even the tailed beasts were helpless before the true Ten-Tails.
"Roar!"
With a roar that shook heaven and earth, the statue stomped down. The ground split apart, deep fissures racing outward in every direction.
Far away, in the hidden cave, Nagato's breathing grew ragged.
The Demonic Statue contained no tailed beasts. Every movement it made was fueled entirely by Nagato's chakra and life force. He needed to end this quickly. If the battle dragged on, he would collapse before his enemy ever did.
Kirito understood that as well. He could retreat and return later for an simple victory.
But retreat was never an option.
And besides—it was only the Ten-Tails' shell.
"You summoned the Demonic Statue, Uzumaki Nagato. Out of respect for your resolve… I won't hold back."
"I wouldn't have it any other way!" the Deva Path shouted, driving the statue forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each step made the earth tremble and the mountains quake.
"Strength of a Hundred Seal… Sage Mode!"
The mark on Kirito's forehead spread outward, transforming into the distinct pattern of Sage Mode. Dark pigmentation framed his eyes, with black lines running down toward his jaw.
Drawing on Hashirama's cells, the perfected Strength of a Hundred Seal, and the Sage arts of the three great sacred lands, Kirito had forged a Sage Mode that surpassed all predecessors.
"Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands!"
The towering trees gathered and fused, shaping themselves into a colossal wooden Buddha. The statue rose nearly a thousand meters high. With hands clasped in a seal at its chest and countless arms fanning out behind it, it loomed like a deity over the battlefield.
Even the Demonic Statue appeared small in comparison.
Standing atop the Buddha's head, Namikaze Kirito looked down at the Ten-Tails' vessel.
High above, the Akatsuki members stared in stunned silence.
"Is that Wood Release? No wonder it's called a power that can quell an era…"
"We were standing on that statue's fingertip earlier… and it's alive?!"
"A fight at this level… we can't interfere at all!"
"Hey, Kakuzu—did you really fight the First Hokage? From eight hundred miles away with a shuriken?"
"Shut it, idiot, or I'll kill you!"
"Look—they're about to decide it!"
Facing the colossal Thousand-Armed Buddha, the Deva Path showed no intention of retreating. He urged the Demonic Statue forward in a furious charge.
The statue roared and swung its massive fists.
Kirito's gaze sharpened. He pressed his palms together.
"Focused Buddha Strike: World-Shaking Impact!"
A deep hum resonated through the air.
Every one of the Buddha's countless fists clenched. Unlike Hashirama's technique, each strike shimmered with pale halos—the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit fused with Wood Release.
Thousands of glowing fists crashed down upon the Demonic Statue.
The statue answered with its own punch, lightning crackling across its jagged back.
Then the storm of blows descended.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mountains crumbled. Rivers surged. A deafening roar swallowed the world as a titanic shockwave blasted outward, hurling the Akatsuki members even farther through the sky.
At the center of the impact, the Demonic Statue was smashed deep into the earth. The relentless barrage continued, driving it down again and again.
The surrounding forest disintegrated into splinters. The colossal statue was hammered completely underground.
Amegakure fared no better.
The already ruined village was erased, the terrain collapsing into a vast crater. The ground sank by more than half a meter, leaving behind a massive scar visible from miles away.
In the neighboring nations, earthquakes rippled across the land. When scouts later traced the tremors to their source, they found only the apocalyptic ruin of Amegakure—and were struck speechless by the sight.
Iwagakure immediately recalled its deployed shinobi and sealed its borders.
But that… was a story for later.
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