"Yahiko, are you still going?" Konan asked with a half-smile.
Yahiko covered his face with one hand.
"Are the legendary Sage Eyes really this insane?" He felt like stepping down as the leader and letting Nagato take over. After witnessing the power of the Six Paths, he had to admit—normal shinobi simply couldn't compete.
"No wonder Jiraiya-sensei once said Nagato might be the Child of Prophecy. With his strength, he could bring immense change to the ninja world, maybe even..." Konan's thoughts ran deep, but she dared not voice the rest.
"Do you think this is all he's capable of?" Kisame suddenly spoke, resting Samehada on his shoulder.
The three others turned to him immediately.
"What do you mean, Kisame? Are you saying this isn't Nagato's full strength?" Yahiko asked, puzzled.
Kisame grinned, baring his sharp teeth. "Heh, who knows?"
"Tch, quit acting mysterious, Kisame! My Lord Jashin has already tested him—this so-called Six Paths power of his is nothing special." Hidan scoffed, annoyed at Kisame's cryptic attitude.
Kisame didn't even spare Hidan a glance. "For someone like you, handling just his surface-level abilities is already your limit. As for the rest of his power... you wouldn't stand a chance. Understand?"
"What?! You bastard, I'll offer you to Jashin-sama right now!" Hidan roared, ready to charge, but Yahiko quickly held him back.
"Alright, alright, calm down, Hidan," Yahiko urged.
Konan, however, kept her eyes on Nagato, watching the battle with concern.
"Even if Nagato has more strength, I believe Lord Kakuzu will be able to handle him." She didn't want Nagato to become the one prophesied to bring destruction to the ninja world. But Kisame didn't share her sentiment.
"That's not certain. Who knows how Kakuzu plans to deal with this? This could be an interesting fight." For Kisame, this battle wasn't just about Nagato and Kakuzu—it was also a chance to gauge Kakuzu's true strength.
...
Training Grounds
Nagato slowly rose to his feet, while Kakuzu withdrew his reinforced limbs.
Brushing the dust off his clothes, Nagato smiled. "As expected of Lord Kakuzu. Even with such powerful attacks, I still couldn't defeat you."
Kakuzu remained silent, his face unreadable. The Six Paths' power was strong, but not unbeatable. However, Nagato was only eighteen. At this rate, it was undeniable—he was already at Kage level and rapidly approaching something even beyond.
Was it the power of his Uzumaki bloodline? Or was the Rinnegan simply too overwhelming?
"Lord Kakuzu, I've used all my conventional battle techniques. But there's one jutsu I've been developing... I wonder if I can use it now."
"Oh? So that wasn't all you had?" Kakuzu raised an eyebrow. During his time in the Land of Dragons, Nagato had received excellent accommodations and systematic training, much better than the hardships he faced in the original timeline. And yet, the Third Great Ninja War had only recently ended. For him to already wield the Six Paths' power was thought to be his limit. But now...
"Nagato, if you have any more power, show me!" Kakuzu's body lowered slightly, entering a defensive stance.
In the world of shinobi, evidence wasn't always necessary to confirm something—sometimes, a gut feeling was proof enough.
"Alright, Lord Kakuzu, be sure to catch this!" Nagato's body tensed, his Rinnegan glinting with a hint of madness.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive white cloud of smoke erupted.
This was no ordinary summon—no grotesque creature from the Animal Path. What appeared instead was a towering, 200-meter-tall behemoth—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
With nine empty eye sockets and an eerie, imprisoned appearance, it looked like a monstrous entity sealed away for centuries.
The sight of it made Yahiko and the others instantly realize something was wrong.
"Nagato! Stop! You'll destroy the village!" Yahiko shouted in alarm.
Most Tailed Beasts stood only a few dozen meters tall, with the mighty Nine-Tails reaching around eighty meters. But the Demonic Statue was twice that height—if it went on a rampage, Ryūgakure would be annihilated within ten moves.
Nagato should have known that. But he didn't stop.
Standing atop the massive statue, his eyes radiated a savage aura. He clasped his hands together in a seal.
"RAAAHHH!!!"
A colossal, violet dragon shot forth from the Demonic Statue, roaring as it surged toward Yahiko and the others.
The speed was overwhelming—too fast to dodge. Worse still, why was Nagato attacking them?
"Nagato! It's us—!" Konan's voice was cut short as a powerful hand yanked her backward.
"Water Release: Triple Water Barrier!"
Kisame's hands flew into a blur of seals, his monstrous chakra surging. Samehada, resting on his shoulder, responded as if it were a living beast, fusing into his body.
In that instant, Kisame transformed completely—taking on the form of a monstrous shark.
"… But when the dragon truly crashed into him, Kisame finally felt the immense pressure.
'Go… now!'
Those were the only two words Kisame could squeeze out through gritted teeth. He was in bad shape.
Yahiko and Konan exchanged a glance. There was no way they would retreat at a time like this. Just as they were about to speak—
Boom!
A thunderous crash erupted, and the massive purple dragon silhouette vanished before their eyes.
Standing atop the Seven-Tails' head, Ni held a whip in her hand, watching the scene with concern.
'Kisame, Hidan, stop standing around! Go to the village and evacuate the villagers!'
She then turned to the guests from Amegakure. 'As for you two, I ask that you step back for now.'
Hidan cursed under his breath but still followed Ni's orders. Kisame, however, kept his eyes locked on the ongoing battle between Kakuzu and Nagato.
Yahiko and Konan did not leave immediately either. They didn't want Ryūgakure to be destroyed, but even more than that, they couldn't let Nagato fall into darkness.
'What about the village?'
'We can't just let Nagato continue like this!'
Ni glanced back at the battlefield before her gaze became resolute.
'Trust in Lord Kakuzu. He'll handle it.'
…
At the center of the battlefield, the moment the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path emerged, the entire area had been reduced to rubble.
Kakuzu looked up at Nagato, who loomed two hundred meters above the ground, his mind already beyond reason. Yet, Kakuzu remained calm.
The first priority was dealing with the Demonic Statue. Leaving it in the village for even a second longer would only bring more destruction. It had to be subdued immediately.
'If that's the case… there's only one technique left.'
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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