Demonic Statue of the Outer Path

"Yahiko, wake up."

"Why? Why wasn't I able to save him this time?"

Although Nagato had healed Yahiko's wound, he noticed that Yahiko's face had turned ashen and his breathing was growing weaker by the second.

"Because this time, I coated my blade with the poison of Ibuse." Hanzo glanced proudly at the blackish-purple liquid on the edge of his blade.

Having recovered from the earlier strike, Hanzo straightened his clothes as he advanced on Nagato.

"Although you healed his wound, Ibuse's poison had already spread through his body and seeped into his vital organs. In other words, the moment I struck him, he was as good as dead."

The cruel truth came from Hanzo's lips, every word pounding against Nagato's heart. Unable to accept reality, he poured a massive amount of chakra and life force into Yahiko, but it had no effect.

"Nagato... don't waste your strength. P-please promise me... you'll take care of yourself and Konan..." With death close at hand, Yahiko no longer cared about achieving world peace. All he wanted was for Nagato and Konan to live.

"No... don't... worry about me..." After giving his final instructions, Yahiko breathed his last in Nagato's arms.

"Yahiko!" Nagato could no longer contain his emotions. Clutching Yahiko's body, he threw his head back and roared.

Then, surging waves of energy began to emanate from his Rinnegan. He gently laid Yahiko's body on the ground, then rose to face Hanzo, who was steadily approaching.

"Hanzo, you deserve to die!" Nagato's Rinnegan fixed on Hanzo. The sheer hatred in his voice was unmistakable.

Even Hanzo, who had always been arrogant, couldn't help but drop his contemptuous attitude.

"So you're getting serious?" Feeling Nagato's chakra rise sharply, Hanzo quickly prepared himself as well.

"Summoning Technique: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

In an instant, a massive amount of chakra and life force was drained from Nagato once again. His hair turned from red to white, and his skin grew sunken as his flesh was stripped away. Before long, he looked like a frail old man.

"What is that?"

As Nagato was drained, Hanzo sensed an utterly terrifying presence behind him. It contained not the slightest trace of reason—only boundless savagery and a will to destroy.

"Graaah!"

A huge hand reached up from beneath the ground, and a giant, deadwood-like monster hauled most of its body into view.

Nine closed eyes lined its face, and ten pillar-like protrusions rose from its back. It opened its mouth and roared at Hanzo, its overwhelming presence crashing over him like a tidal wave.

This monster was the God Tree's avatar: the Ten-Tails' husk.

"See? I told you not to act rashly." Nearby, Suikazan Fuguki bragged with confidence.

The three Kirigakure shinobi had also seen the monster that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Its savage appearance and terrifying aura pressed down on the Mist shinobi so heavily that they could barely stand.

Even Biwa Juzo, who was usually tight-lipped, agreed. "Yeah. The Shinobi World is full of hidden depths. You never know when you'll run into some freak."

The Kirigakure shinobi behind them stared at their superiors in speechless disbelief, thinking, You're no better yourselves.

"Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, kill him!"

Normally, as the summoner of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Nagato should have been able to communicate with it mentally. But he couldn't establish any normal connection with it at all. The only emotions he sensed from it were destruction and more destruction.

With no other choice, Nagato released some of the Demonic Statue's instincts and tried to direct it toward Hanzo.

"Raaah!"

The Demonic Statue roared savagely, raised its left hand, and brought it crashing down on Hanzo.

"Water Clone Technique."

Faced with an attack he couldn't block, Hanzo could only dodge. The Rain Ninja around him weren't fast enough, however, and were crushed into a bloody pulp beneath the Demonic Statue's palm.

"What kind of monster is that?"

"We can't fight something like that!"

"Where's Lord Hanzo? I can't see him anywhere! Should we retreat too?"

Under the Demonic Statue's terrifying might, the Rain Ninja forces had already begun to lose heart. Seeing their leader, Hanzo of the Salamander, fleeing in such a sorry state, they lost all will to fight.

"You dare flee in the face of the enemy? You're dead!"

Even Hanzo had no good answer as his troops fled in panic.

"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!" Determined to give it a try, Hanzo spent a huge amount of chakra to unleash his strongest attack: an S-rank ninjutsu.

The Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique was an upgraded version of the Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique, with much greater destructive power. It could also absorb chakra from an opponent's jutsu to increase its own power. The stronger the opposition, the stronger it became. In a direct clash, it could absorb the enemy's chakra and grow larger. This was Hanzo's trump card.

When the enormous shark-shaped water attack savagely clamped down on the Demonic Statue's arm, this S-rank technique even managed to absorb the life force within the statue. As it grew larger and its destructive power increased, it bit a chunk out of the Demonic Statue's arm.

The Great Shark Bullet Technique's performance gave Hanzo hope.

"Roar!"

Provoked by a mere ant, the Demonic Statue roared. As the Ten-Tails' husk, when had it ever suffered such an insult? It reached out with its other arm and grabbed the Great Shark Bullet. The enormous shark, huge in the eyes of mortals, was crushed in its grasp, sending chakra-laced water flying in every direction.

"Urgh!"

His S-rank technique had been destroyed by brute force, and Hanzo, its caster, suffered a backlash.

At that moment, even Hanzo of the Salamander, known as a demigod, began to consider retreating.

"Hanzo, don't run!" Seeing Hanzo hesitate, Nagato was the most anxious of all. He had summoned the Demonic Statue by pushing his body beyond its limits; he couldn't let Hanzo escape.

Just as Nagato was preparing to form a deeper connection with the Demonic Statue at any cost, Konan's voice pulled him back from the edge of his extreme emotions.

"Nagato, stop... If you keep going, you'll die. Don't let Yahiko's sacrifice be in vain."

Konan appeared behind Nagato, holding Yahiko's body. Her soothing words temporarily calmed the fury in his heart.

"But Yahiko..." Looking at the life that had been so vibrant moments ago, now reduced to a corpse, Nagato broke down in inconsolable grief.