Capítulo 225: Chapter 225
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When Nagato breached the skies above Konoha, the sealing squad immediately detected him.
This was thanks to Konoha's barrier detection system, which made it easy to spot intruders. Nagato made no effort to conceal himself; he had no regard for Konoha.
"Nagato!" Jiraiya stood atop the Hokage building, glaring up at Nagato with fury. "What do you intend to do?"
"I made my intentions clear from the beginning, but since you refused, I'll take it by force," Nagato's voice echoed from above, devoid of his usual rhetoric.
He needed to disguise his true intentions for now. With Kyomu overseeing things, Nagato wasn't confident enough to broadcast his ideology to the entire ninja world.
Nevertheless, Konoha, one of the main sources of his past suffering, had to experience that same pain.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you have two choices." Nagato raised his hands above his head, gathering chakra. "One, pay ten billion ryō for the life of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Two, refuse again and let the entire village perish for your decision.
The choice is yours, Jiraiya-sensei!"
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, leaping skyward towards Nagato.
"Jiraiya-sensei, this is your decision." Nagato's Rinnegan glinted coldly as a massive surge of chakra vanished from his body.
Super Shinra Tensei!
Boom!
A tremendous repulsive force, akin to a mountain descending from the heavens, pressed down.
Jiraiya attempted to shield himself but...
Crack! His wrist snapped under the immense invisible force, sending him plummeting towards the center of Konoha at incredible speed.
Within a second, Jiraiya crashed to the ground, unable to move under the relentless pressure.
He only had time to summon his toad, but the invisible attack of Super Shinra Tensei had already crushed every structure within Konoha's bounds.
Debris flew everywhere, yet not a single stone soared upwards; all fell straight down.
From above, Konoha resembled a crushed soda can under a hydraulic press, flattened and compacted. The village's entire foundation was driven at least three meters deep.
In an instant, Konoha vanished from sight, leaving deep cliffs around its edges, with the flattened remnants at the bottom.
How many died? Any civilians living within Konoha who were at home had little chance of survival. For the ninjas, only those with sufficient strength and quick reflexes might have survived.
Jiraiya, for instance.
Emerging from the toad's stomach, Jiraiya was stunned.
Where was Konoha? Where was the vast village of Konoha?
All he saw was a flat surface, devoid of ruins, as if a steamroller had passed over it. The air was thick with the scent of blood, but apart from the village's edge, there was no dust, no movement.
His heart bled.
Jiraiya's eyes widened, bloodshot as he glared skyward. If he were an Uchiha, he might have awakened a three-tomoe Sharingan from the sheer rage.
"Nagato!!!"
Jiraiya's voice was hoarse from screaming, but the empty surroundings offered no response, no solace.
No, there were voices.
Faint, weak, yet adding salt to his wounds.
"We... drove away our hero with our own hands…"
"Kyomu-sama, did we truly make a mistake?"
"So much regret…"
"Kyomu-sama, please save us again, we beg you…"
Kyomu couldn't hear these pleas, and even if he could, he would ignore them.
If last-minute repentance worked, why bother making careful choices in the first place?
There's no such logic.
Jiraiya clenched his fists, feeling his broken wrist rapidly healing.
Without a word, he summoned the two great toads of Mount Myōboku, Fukasaku and Shima.
"Jiraiya-chan, is this... Konoha?" Shima covered her mouth in disbelief.
"Elders, I beg you, help me kill him!" Jiraiya's entire being was focused on Nagato, intent on tearing him apart, even if it meant his own death.
Fukasaku and Shima exchanged glances, then sat cross-legged on Jiraiya's shoulders, helping him prepare Sage Mode.
The process was slow, and Nagato had no intention of waiting. He flew straight towards Kushina's hidden delivery room in the Forest of Death.
Meanwhile, surviving elite Konoha ninjas began rescuing people from the debris, their spirits broken, faces blank.
Konoha had suffered a devastating blow, akin to annihilation. As they dug through the rubble, uncovering mangled bodies, their last shreds of hope were crushed.
"Ahhh!!!"
A scream of grief echoed through the night, reverberating over the once lively, now deathly silent ruins.
"Kyomu, isn't this a bit… harsh?" Obito's eyes flickered with a hint of sympathy.
"No destruction, no rebirth," Kyomu's voice was steady. "I am only responsible for my friends and those loyal to me. I gave them two chances."
Obito understood without further explanation. His gaze hardened.
"We can't save everyone, especially those who oppose us in ideals, beliefs, or allegiance."
"Exactly." Kyomu nodded. "They chose their path. Let them walk it."
He turned to Yugito and Mei. "Tomorrow, officially issue a bounty on the Akatsuki leader. Ryūgakure stands with Konoha. It's our duty to lead."
Both women nodded, quickly taking notes.
Yugito and Mei's understanding of Kyomu deepened. This was Mei's first time witnessing this ruthless side of Kyomu.
When Kyomu left Konoha, he took only his loyal subordinates and a fraction of Konoha's population. The rest chose to oppose him, unwilling to support his radical challenge against the Daimyo system.
Kyomu chose to leave and establish the Land of Dragons and Ryūgakure instead of staying to negotiate.
Now, 95% of Konoha's population was annihilated, with the blame pinned on Akatsuki. The three broken kunai would now come into play.
"Phew, lucky I'm on his side," Mei sighed, repeating the thought to herself.
Yugito glanced at Mei with disdain.
"This is nothing. When I fought Kyomu, his methods were far harsher."
"Let's see how Jiraiya and Minato react," Kyomu announced. "I'm curious."
Obito nodded, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan and transporting them to the battlefield above Jiraiya, Minato, and Nagato.
Observing from above wasn't as covert as White Zetsu's surveillance, but the three fighters below were too engaged to notice.
"Nagato has become so strong!" Obito remarked. "Chakra-based attacks are useless against him, even empowering him."
"Only physical and Senjutsu attacks can harm him now," Kyomu observed. "But Nagato is still following my script."
Obito glanced at Kyomu. "You're becoming harder to read."
"Not for you. I've always been open with you," Kyomu replied. "But I must keep some secrets. Here, in this other dimension, we're safe."
Kyomu considered revealing more of his plans, but Obito waved him off. "I trust you."
Kyomu gave a sincere nod. Trusted allies were different from outsiders.
Mei, sensing tension, pointed below. "Look at Jiraiya's massive chakra ball!"
"A Giant Rasengan," Kyomu noted. "Nagato's in trouble."
As predicted, Nagato's face twisted in realization. Sage Mode's senjutsu bypassed the Preta Path's defenses.
"Nagato won't be killed by Jiraiya, will he?" Mei asked.
"No," Kyomu shook his head. "Nagato isn't that fragile. With White Zetsu's cells, his body's burden is reduced, and his chakra and healing capabilities are greatly enhanced."
As if on cue, Nagato found a flaw in Jiraiya and Minato's coordination, nearly incapacitating Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sensei, your Sage Mode is strong, but its duration is short," Nagato taunted, wiping blood from his mouth. "Without it, what can you do?"
Jiraiya was nearly out of options, his chakra severely depleted. Minato was in a similar state.
Meanwhile, the toads from Mount Myōboku were being overwhelmed by Nagato's Hellhound.
Jiraiya was about to make a desperate move when Kushina unexpectedly joined the fight.
"Uzumaki resilience is impressive," Obito commented. "She just gave birth, didn't she?"
"Yes, but it's futile," Kyomu shook his head. "Nagato still has his trump cards."
Nagato's strongest techniques were obvious: summoning the Gedo Statue and the Chibaku Tensei sealing jutsu.
As the battle reached its climax, the area transformed into a basin, ringed by man-made hills.
Nagato began to falter against the combined might of Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina. The Uzumaki chains posed a significant threat.
Moreover, Minato and Kushina's synergy frustrated many of Nagato's attacks. Shinra Tensei had limited effect on them.
Nagato loathed space-time techniques and anything related to them!
Frustrated, Nagato stalemated the trio.
"Obito, assist Nagato," Kyomu instructed.
Obito nodded, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan and subtly manipulating Kurama within Kushina.
"Minato, the seal is breaking. I can't… hold it," Kushina gasped, her face contorted in pain as Kurama's struggle intensified.
Sensing an opportunity, Nagato summoned the Gedo Statue.
Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Statue!
Nagato's chakra visibly decreased, but his reserves were sufficient.
Summoning: Chakra Dragons!
The massive Gedo Statue bent down, its mouth unleashing purple chakra dragons towards the trio.
Their speed was staggering!
"Minato, be careful!" Kushina pushed Nagato aside but was ensnared by a chakra dragon.
The Gedo Statue's eye gleamed with greed, and its mouth began to draw in Kushina's chakra, attempting to extract Kurama.
A tug-of-war ensued.
As Jiraiya prepared to risk everything, Minato scanned the battlefield desperately.
"Stop looking."
A White Zetsu clone emerged from the ground, holding a damaged kunai with its Flying Thunder God formula defaced.
"I know where all your kunai are."
Despair filled Minato. His ace in the hole was no secret, and his escape routes were compromised.
"Kyomu! Fulfill your promise!" Minato shouted. "I know you're there, waiting for this moment!"
Half of Kurama's chakra was already extracted.
Minato bowed his head, but Jiraiya's expression changed drastically. "Minato, I have a plan. I still have…"
"I'll take half of Kurama's chakra," Kyomu's voice rang from above. "And ensure Kushina's survival. Agreed?"
"I agree!" Minato clung to Kushina. "As long as Kushina is safe, I'll agree to anything!"
The allure of eternal companionship was Kushina's charm.
Jiraiya's face contorted in rage, but he bit his thumb and slammed his hands to the ground.
Summoning Jutsu: Great Toad Sage!
Boom.
A cloud of smoke revealed the elderly Great Toad Sage, summoned mid-slumber, now awake.
"Interesting," Kyomu grinned, landing and performing his own summoning jutsu.
Summoning Jutsu: Shikkotsu Island Princess!
Summoning Jutsu: White Snake Sage!
Bring it on. Who's afraid of whom?
(End of Chapter)
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