Something was wrong!
Why had things turned out like this?
Cold sweat beaded on Yahiko's forehead. Every instinct in him screamed warnings, and a sense of foreboding filled his mind.
Of the three, he was the only one with a true grasp of the bigger picture, often able to notice details the other two overlooked.
That was why he was the leader of Akatsuki. His charisma could also draw more people into the organization.
But now, Yahiko felt that things had spiraled out of control, far beyond his ability to manage.
"Yahiko, stop being so naive! Look at Hanzo—he's completely lost his mind!" Nagato lowered his body and slammed his hands onto the ground after forming seals. "Konan, work with me!"
Though he usually seemed quiet and reserved, he was actually the most impulsive of the three.
Once he determined that someone might pose a threat to Konan or Yahiko, Nagato would pay any price to erase that danger!
And now, even Konan, who had once been the calmest, had been affected by the nightmare and decided that Hanzo was the source of all suffering.
Boom!
The next moment, Nagato collided with Hanzo.
Kunai and sickle clashed, sending brilliant sparks bursting through the air as the clang of metal rang out.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Their clash of ninjutsu instantly expanded the battlefield.
One was a famed master of Water Release in the Shinobi World, while the other possessed the Rinnegan and mastery over six Chakra natures. Their battle was earth-shaking.
Nagato effortlessly unleashed all kinds of ninjutsu without even a moment of sluggishness, as though he had been born for ninjutsu.
Hanzo, on the other hand, had already expended much of his strength and Chakra in his battle against Uchiha Sōgetsu. Now that he faced the Rinnegan, he was clearly struggling.
"Ninja Art: Poison Mist!" He opened his mouth and violently spat out a huge cloud of purple smoke, which rapidly spread in all directions under the force of the wind.
"Konan, fall back!" Nagato immediately withdrew, forming seals at the same time. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
In an instant, fierce winds howled, whipping up sand and stones.
The Poison Mist that had been drifting toward them was blown away head-on by the gale, stopping its spread.
But at that moment, Hanzo suddenly rushed out from the other side, his target the airborne Konan. "I'll start with you!"
Clatter!
A chain shot out like a venomous snake.
Konan had no time to evade in midair and was tightly bound by the chain.
Hanzo then yanked downward with all his strength, violently dragging Konan down and smashing her heavily into the ground.
Bang!
The powerful impact made Konan cry out in pain, as though her entire body had shattered.
"Got her!"
Hanzo leaped high into the air, his sickle slashing down like moonlight pouring from above.
"Konan!!!" Yahiko's eyes turned red. No longer able to care about anything else, he rushed forward with a single step.
Clang!
A kunai blocked the sickle.
Bearing the downward impact, Yahiko nearly failed to stop Hanzo's full-force strike.
Even so, Yahiko was suppressed in his hasty defense. His knees slammed heavily into the ground, and the sickle pierced through his shoulder, blood gushing out.
"N-Nagato!" Blood spilled from Yahiko's lips as he cried out for help.
"Get away from him!"
Nagato's furious roar arrived together with the Raging Wave Wind Blade.
Screech!
The Raging Wave Wind Blade severed one of Hanzo's arms.
Blood sprayed wildly. Hanzo's face twisted in pain, but the viciousness in his eyes only grew more terrifying. "You took one of my arms. I'll make you pay!"
He had long since buried a killing move here in advance!
"Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!"
Countless Explosive Tags suddenly appeared on the ground around Yahiko and Konan!
Under Hanzo's control, the Explosive Tags swarmed forward like sharks drawn by the scent of blood, wrapping around Yahiko and Konan.
The situation instantly became extremely perilous!
Without time to think, Yahiko instinctively made his choice. He gave up blocking the sickle above him and instead grabbed a corner of Konan's clothing.
"Nagato—!"
Using all the strength in his body, he endured the pain of his shoulder being nearly cleaved apart and hurled Konan toward the charging Nagato.
Nagato caught Konan, but the next instant, he saw a sight that shattered his heart.
Hanzo kicked Yahiko away and used the force to retreat, forming seals with one hand.
"No!!!"
"Yahiko!"
"Explode!"
Boom!!!
Towering flames instantly swallowed Yahiko whole.
Over a hundred Explosive Tags detonated at once. The enormous destructive force even blasted apart the nearby ground, and countless fragments of stone were hurled in every direction like hidden weapons by the shockwave.
"Yahiko!" Ignoring the flames that still burned, Nagato charged inside.
Yet what came into view made him feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
Yahiko lay in a scorched crater, his entire body burned black. Both legs had been blown off, and all the vigor he once possessed was gone. He was barely clinging to life.
Konan looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She stood there like a fool, her eyes hollow and empty.
"Cough, cough... pfft."
Yahiko's heavy coughing rang in Nagato's ears, leaving his mind completely blank.
"Nagato." He weakly lowered his head and leaned against Nagato's shoulder. His bloodied hand slowly rose to touch the red-haired boy's face. "Take... good care of Konan."
"Yahiko... Yahiko? Yahiko!"
Nagato stood frozen in place, biting his pale lips hard as he helplessly held Yahiko. "Don't die... please... don't die!"
But no matter how he called out, the body of his friend in his arms gradually turned cold.
"Take good care of Konan..."
The light in Yahiko's eyes faded bit by bit. "Our dream... I'll leave it... to you..."
Tap.
Yahiko closed his eyes, and his powerless hand fell to the ground.
"No!!!"
Nagato threw back his head and let out a distorted howl, boundless agony filling his heart.
Watching his friend die before his eyes, his heart hurt as though someone had carved out a piece of it with a knife.
Indescribable pain and suffocating despair dragged him into an abyss of darkness like countless hands. All the suppressed negative emotions within him erupted completely at that moment!
"Ahhhhh—Hanzo!!!"
Nagato roared like a wild beast. Two trails of bloody tears flowed from his purple Rinnegan. "I'll kill you!"
He bit through his finger and pressed it heavily against the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
Bang!
As the earth trembled, a terrifying and grotesque giant statue rose upon it.
Even Hanzo, who had seen much of the world, felt intense unease as he stared at the horrifying giant statue. "What... is that thing?"
The grotesque humanoid statue braced both hands against the ground and unleashed a roar that seemed to tear apart souls.
Black Rods extended from the statue's abdomen and pierced through Nagato's back, making him cry out in agony.
"Hanzo!!!"
But even pain a thousand times worse than this could not compare to one ten-thousandth of the agony in Nagato's heart.
He endured the excruciating pain and formed seals to control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path behind him!
Roar!
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path opened its mouth and spat out dozens of enormous purple Chakra dragons.
Hanzo's pupils contracted, and his expression changed drastically. His instincts told him that thing was dangerous!
However, just as Hanzo was about to flee, something violently jolted deep within his mind, as though he had been struck by an Iron Hammer. He froze for less than a second.
But that crucial second completely destroyed Hanzo's hope of escape.
Boom!!!
Filled with intense hatred and killing intent, the Chakra dragons dove down.
"Ah—!"
Hanzo, wrapped within them, widened his eyes in terror.
He could clearly feel his life force and Chakra draining away at a horrifying speed.
His already aged face became increasingly ghastly as his Chakra drained away. In just a few breaths, Hanzo became like a dried mummy, his skin resembling withered bark, leaving only a thin layer clinging to the bones beneath.
Completely drained, Hanzo lost his life and fell from the sky.
The battle was over.
Torrential rain fell, as though silently mourning that wordless sorrow.
There was an earthquake last night. The whole house was shaking, and it scared me so badly that I ran outside without even putting on my shoes. Then I immediately caught a cold.
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