A Single Strike

"Oh, escaped? Kamui... what a troublesome Dojutsu."

Uchiha Yue looked indifferently at the deep crater in the distance, not particularly surprised. After all, Kamui was no ordinary space-time jutsu; it connected to a special alternate dimension, and it was unclear whether that dimension had naturally existed or was created when Obito awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. It was only natural that he could escape with Nagato.

"Still, it doesn't matter. The future of this world is already set in stone!"

Uchiha Yue closed his eyes and continued researching new jutsu. The technique he had just used was something he had tinkered with last night. The principle was simple—he merely compressed the energy within his body and expelled it in a more concentrated form.

In truth, Nagato had had a chance to block that attack. If Nagato hadn't been arrogant enough to send a puppet to feed Uchiha Yue energy—because, as Nagato had thought, Uchiha Yue's growth time was far too short. How long had it been since last night until now?

"Nagato, how are you? No, no..."

Konan looked at Nagato lying on the ground in panic, lifting him into her arms.

The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat. Nagato lay weakly in Konan's embrace; his lower body had vanished. The scorching heat had seared the wound shut, preventing the nearly cooked organs from spilling out. His skin and flesh blistered, exuding the charred aroma of burning meat.

If not for the Uzumaki Clan's powerful constitution keeping him alive, Nagato would have already breathed his last.

"Nagato, no good—Madara, hurry!"

Black Zetsu stared at Nagato, who lay on the ground on the verge of death, his heart jolting. Nagato could die, but not now.

"Come here, White Zetsu!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Obito quickly summoned a White Zetsu. With a swift motion, he sliced off the White Zetsu's upper half, then took the lower half and nervously began surgery. Fortunately, White Zetsu's flesh was reliable. Back then, even Obito, in his state, had survived thanks to White Zetsu's flesh, let alone Nagato, who already had Uzumaki Clan blood.

After transplanting the lower half, Nagato's body barely stabilized. He still hadn't woken up, but at least he was alive.

Afterward, Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu stood together in silence.

They hadn't expected that this monster, born only a day ago, would nearly kill Nagato—a top-tier powerhouse with the Rinnegan. If Obito hadn't been fast enough to pull Nagato into the Kamui Dimension just before death, Nagato would be dead now. Under such overwhelming power, those Rinnegan wouldn't have survived either.

He was simply a monster. What had happened now completely exceeded their expectations. In their original plan, Nagato was supposed to wield immense power and kill that Uchiha Clan monster—whose name they still didn't know. As for those Mangekyo Sharingan, they were supposed to be crushed underfoot, not for Nagato to end up like a dog, nearly beaten to death. It was completely unscientific, unorthodox—but actually, it made sense. Because Uchiha Yue absorbed energy to raise his upper limit and change his life essence, not to store it up. He wasn't just energy-rich with mediocre combat ability.

On the other side, Konoha's ninjas had already led the original residents far away from the village.

"That is..."

On the road, Konoha's ninjas suddenly looked up at the massive pillar of light appearing in the distance.

"Is that monster fighting someone?"

"Who knows, but for him to unleash such a powerful attack, it can't be some ordinary person."

The ninjas discussed it, but that was all. They didn't even think of getting close. Clearly, Uchiha Yue's power had terrified them. It wasn't power a human should possess.

All they wanted now was to find a new pillar to lead the scattered remnants of Konoha.

Land of Fire, some gambling den.

Win, win, win!!!

Tsunade stood at a slot machine, the excitement on her face long gone, replaced by worry and unease. From start to finish, she hadn't lost once—she kept winning.

A sense of dread crept into her heart, but she didn't know what had happened. She could only leave the gambling den with Shizune, her expression grim.

"Hope it's nothing serious."

Tsunade thought. Konoha had been destroyed too quickly; news hadn't spread yet. But soon, the entire Ninja World would learn of Konoha's fate.

This incident was far too massive.

Mount Myōboku, deep within this ancient and powerful sacred land, in a temple, an aged toad lay quietly. Suddenly, the old toad's eyes snapped open.

"Ribbit, fate has changed. The calamity of destruction has descended. Ribbit, go fetch Jiraiya for me at once. It's over, it's all over. The world is going to be destroyed. Hurry and find the Child of Destiny, ribbit!!!"

The Great Toad Sage's voice echoed repeatedly, fear flashing in his eyes.

Some time later, Jiraiya, who had been searching for material somewhere in the Ninja World, was brought to Mount Myōboku.

"Ribbit, Jiraiya, have you found the Child of Destiny? I have foreseen the world's destruction. I saw the entire world plunged into eternal frozen stillness!"

The Great Toad Sage looked at Jiraiya before him and spoke, easily revealing the terrifying future he had seen. In that future, the world had fallen into ultimate despair. The entire Ninja World was shrouded in ice. All things were void. Everything had fallen into silence. Even their sacred land was not spared—completely frozen, destroyed.

"Wh... what? Great Toad Sage, what are you saying? The world is going to be destroyed?"

Jiraiya's face instantly showed disbelief. What? I was just eating hotpot and singing songs, enjoying a peaceful time, and now you say the world is going to be destroyed?

Are you sure you're not joking?

Great Toad Sage, have you gone senile?

Jiraiya didn't say that out loud. Instead, the two Myōboku sages standing beside him—Shiken and Fukasaku—spoke up.

"Old man, have you lost your mind? How could the world suddenly be destroyed?"

"Yeah, that's not what you said before."

"Old man, you're joking, aren't you? Bored and wanting to play a prank on us, right?"

The two toad sages hopped forward, waving their hands as they addressed the Great Toad Sage.

"..."