As Nagato roared, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path opened its massive mouth and spat out a purple chakra dragon.
The giant dragon clawed and twisted through the rain. The moment it touched anyone, whether Rain Ninja or Root operative, their bodies stiffened. There were no wounds, no blood, and not even time for their expressions to change before their souls were forcibly ripped out.
"Run! If that thing touches you, you're dead!"
"Aaaaaah!"
Terror completely overwhelmed the crowd. Except for Danzo's suicide squad, all the Rain Ninja began fleeing in panic. They tried to get away from Nagato and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, but none of them succeeded... The chakra dragon eventually caught up with them and devoured their life force and souls together...
It wasn't long before the valley, which had been deafeningly noisy just moments ago with the clatter of ninja tools, was left with only Hanzo. The chakra dragon met Hanzo's gaze, gently swaying as it opened its massive mouth, ready to devour his soul.
"Are you kidding me?! I'm Hanzo of Amegakure! I'm at the pinnacle of the Ninja World! How could I possibly die here?!"
Hanzo's will to survive erupted like never before, and with a Water Flicker Technique, he retreated hundreds of meters.
What? You're wondering where Danzo went? The moment Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Danzo frowned, shoved the others in front of him, and ran for his life.
The chakra dragon pursued Hanzo relentlessly. Hanzo had initially planned to launch a surprise attack on Nagato to stop it, but he soon realized he was mistaken. With the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path at Nagato's side and Shinra Tensei protecting him, Hanzo couldn't even get close, let alone launch a surprise attack.
"Damn it..."
Seeing that a surprise attack was out of the question, Hanzo chose the safest option: "I'm outta here!"
But just as he turned to use the Water Body Flicker Technique to escape the battlefield, a sharp knife suddenly pierced through his chest.
"!?"
Hanzo slowly turned around, his body stiff. A thin mist had somehow risen behind him, concealing a small, delicate figure holding a dagger.
"Too bad~ There's no way you're getting away, uncle..."
"How could I... not sense her?!" Feeling the wrenching pain in his chest, the blood gushing out, his body growing weak, and his consciousness fading, Hanzo could hardly believe that after a lifetime on the battlefield, he had finally fallen to a child like this.
Hanzo collapsed, unwilling to accept his fate. Nagato finally got a clear look at the figure holding the dagger, who had precisely removed all of Hanzo's internal organs.
"Jack?!"
That's right. She was the child Konan had brought back a few days ago. Her easygoing nature had left a deep impression on everyone in the Akatsuki.
But... wasn't she just a homeless child?!
Aside from her expression and build, how could the Jack before them still resemble that kindhearted little angel? Especially the way she handled her blade with such precision, as if she were simply butchering an animal—it made her look more like a serial killer.
"Jack?! What are you doing here?!"
Konan, her eyes red from crying, lifted her head at the sound of Nagato's shocked voice. Her eyes were full of disbelief too. She had spent more time with Jack than anyone else over the past two days, yet she had never noticed anything unusual about her. How had someone with such delicate skin and a frail, pitiful appearance managed to approach a powerful ninja like Hanzo without making a sound?!
Countless questions filled their minds, but Jack had no intention of answering them. She lightly hopped in front of Nagato, bent forward slightly, and looked up at him. "Sorry, big brother Nagato, big sister Konan. I lied to you. I'm not a homeless child at all. I'm Jack the Ripper, from the Hidden Organization."
"The Hidden Organization? Jack the Ripper?"
Nagato and Konan exchanged a glance. Neither had ever heard of it. Just as Nagato was about to ask what Jack wanted with the Akatsuki, she suddenly flashed over to the fallen Yahiko.
"Big brother Yahiko is still breathing. It'd be such a shame if he died just like this."
As she spoke, she took out the Horse Talisman and used it on Yahiko. Healing light spread over his body, and soon murmurs came from his mouth. Like someone who'd slept for ages and was still groggy, Yahiko sat up and immediately asked, "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
"Yahiko!"
Seeing their dear friend "come back from the dead," Nagato and Konan were overcome with tears and wanted to rush over and give him a big hug. But Nagato had already had too much chakra drained by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and Hanzo's Explosive Flame Formation had crippled both his legs. Even with the statue gone, he couldn't stand.
But for the noble Horse, this was nothing. As the Horse Talisman's divine power flowed into Nagato's body, sensation returned to his legs, which had been blown to pieces.
"Jack...! What exactly was your reason for approaching us?"
After showing the three of them the Horse Talisman's divine power and collecting enough Dimensional Points, it was time for Jack to retreat. The mist gradually thickened, and before Jack disappeared, Konan asked the question she had wanted to ask all along.
Jack gave them a sweet smile. "I was here to carry out a mission assigned by my leader!"
Jack continued with the story Qian Yu had prepared for her:
"Our leader says the Hidden Organization has been lying low for a long time. It's about time we showed the world our fangs. And the best way to demonstrate our strength is probably to kill some famous big shot, right?!"
"Oh, and take this Horse Talisman. Consider it a parting gift!"
The three of them instinctively caught the object Jack tossed over. They took a look. "So this stone that can heal any injury is called the 'Horse Talisman'...?"
"Wait...!"
The three of them tried to say more, but Jack had already completely disappeared into the thick fog. After that, there was nothing left where she had been...
Back in Amegakure, after disguising themselves, Orochimaru, Uncle, and Chixing successfully slipped inside.
"How strange... The tallest tower in Amegakure has collapsed..."
Orochimaru had visited the Land of Rain and Amegakure on a mission before. In his memory, the tallest tower, a symbol of supreme authority, was something Hanzo would never have allowed anyone to damage...
"And... there are fewer people on the streets, too..."
Though Amegakure was just a small village in a tiny country caught between larger powers, it still had a very large population. The village's deserted state now reminded him of the days when Konoha was plagued by the Fog Demon.
"Uncle's spell tells Uncle we're too late. The Shadowkhan have already taken the Talisman..."
"Is that so..."
Just as the three of them thought they had come all this way for nothing, Uncle's map suddenly flew out of his bag on its own and floated in the air. Then the hoof of a horse was once again pinned to the map of the Land of Rain.
"Goodness! Uncle's spell tells Uncle there are two Talismans in this country. The Shadowkhan only took one of them!"
"There's no time to waste! We have to find the Talisman before the Shadowkhan discover it!"
Before you continue