"Cough, cough..."
Rasa climbed up from the ground.
He glanced at his son, Gaara.
Then he looked at Chiyo.
Finally... his gaze landed on the White Devil.
"Everyone, I still have business to attend to. I'll be leaving first."
Hyuga Sho stomped on the ground and vanished in an instant.
All that remained were the stunned onlookers.
"Master~!"
Uchiha Izumi called out and quickly followed after him.
Shin, his face feverish with fanaticism, followed close behind.
And just over ten seconds after Hyuga Sho left...
Underground.
A furious roar rang out.
"Give Konan... and Yahiko back to me!!!"
Rumble...!
"Roar~~~!!"
Before anyone could react,
a roar unlike anything human, one that shook the soul, resounded through the heavens.
The earth shattered, and a dark shadow appeared.
A giant crawled out from underground.
"What is that...?!"
Everyone focused their eyes.
It was a gigantic figure with a brown body.
Its skin was like deadwood, yet also like stone.
The giant, its eyes covered by a gray cloth, let out a furious roar.
Everyone present seemed to feel their souls tremble.
"Roar~~~~!!"
The giant's roar shook the heavens.
Just like the anguish in Nagato's heart.
"He summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path..."
Uchiha Obito narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised.
The next moment,
the giant emerged farther, slamming both hands onto the ground amid the ruins of Amegakure with a thunderous boom.
And that was only half its body.
It was already taller than a Tailed Beast.
The one controlling the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path
was a red-haired man seated in a mechanical apparatus.
A pair of Rinnegan was set in his eyes.
His body was much thinner than that of an ordinary adult.
And visibly, he was continuing to grow thinner.
It was as if an invisible demon