The data stream in Nagato's palm vanished, and the rampaging Hunter crumbled into ash.
"Human Path can extract their core data," his voice sounded in the minds of Sasuke, Naruto, and the others. "But it's too slow."
The battlefield proved him right. For every one he took down, two or three Hunters detonated in the distance, taking several exhausted ninja with them. The Alliance couldn't afford this kind of trade.
Despair deepened. The enemy had gone from one unbeatable giant to a horde of madmen who couldn't be killed. The glimmer of victory had appeared, only to be swallowed by an even deeper darkness.
"Enough."
A cool, gentle woman's voice rang out unexpectedly across the chaotic battlefield. It wasn't loud, yet it cut through every explosion and scream like a drop of water falling into boiling oil.
Everyone turned toward the speaker. She was a woman standing beside Konan, dressed in a plain white robe, her expression serene. She had always seemed like an unremarkable medic accompanying the troops, and no one had paid her any attention.
Her name was Tsukimi, and she came from the long-fallen Moon Country.
"Tsukimi, you..." Concern filled Konan's face.
Tsukimi shook her head and gave her a peaceful smile. She slowly stepped forward, facing a Hunter rushing at her, about to detonate, and spread her arms.
"My people of the Moon Country, rest in peace."
She clasped her hands before her chest and formed an intricate seal that no one recognized.
There was no burst of Chakra, no overwhelming presence. A hazy, luminous full moon slowly rose behind her. Gentle moonlight spilled across the battlefield like water, silently blanketing the entire area.
The light held no warmth, but it carried a strange power that could soothe the soul.
Every Hunter caught in its rampage