Squish! The sound of a kunai piercing flesh rang in Nagato's ears.
In that instant, time seemed to freeze. Nagato's mind went completely blank, and every sound in the world vanished. All that remained was the thunderous pounding of his own heart, beating so hard it made his ears ache.
Yahiko fought through the pain in his chest, leaning weakly against Nagato's shoulder. He whispered in his ear:
"Nagato, live well. You're the one who will save this world."
With that, exhaustion washed over him. Yahiko collapsed helplessly to the ground, and the last light in his eyes faded along with his consciousness.
The fine rain fell without end, pattering against Nagato's numb face.
He stood motionless in the rain, bereft of his senses. Yahiko's words clung tightly to his heart, every one of them like a sharp dagger stabbing deep into his chest.
Just as Nagato was sinking helplessly into boundless pain and despair, the Rain Ninja surrounding him slowly parted to make way.
Salamander Hanzo strode out at an unhurried pace, his steps steady and tinged with arrogance.
He looked down at the young man standing dazed before him, a mocking sneer curling his lips as he spoke:
"So, how does it feel to kill Yahiko with your own hands? It doesn't feel good, does it? Akatsuki is no more.
"You have only two choices now: put down your weapons and surrender, or be buried here forever!"
Hearing Hanzo's shrill, triumphant voice, Nagato's muddled awareness snapped back.
In an instant, he understood that Yahiko hadn't appeared beside him by chance. Hanzo had pushed him toward Nagato!
In the chaos of that frenzied battle, anyone who came close to him quickly would instinctively seem like an enemy launching a sneak attack.
And that was why he had accidentally killed the friend he treasured most—Yahiko.
Scalding hatred surged like molten lava in Nagato's chest, blazing fiercely.
He fixed his gaze on Hanzo, his eyes burning with a fury that seemed ready to devour him.
So the one to blame for everything was the culprit standing before him! He had taken Yahiko's life and crushed their shared dream.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Nagato forced the words through clenched teeth. His voice was low and hoarse, yet filled with murderous intent.
He abruptly spread his hand, and a terrifying force of attraction seized Salamander Hanzo.
"That's the Rinnegan! This kid isn't ordinary."
Hanzo felt his body go weightless. The force dragged him uncontrollably through the air, hurtling toward Nagato.
In that brief moment, he saw the eyes beneath Nagato's red hair: purple irises marked with mysterious black rings, radiating an eerie, heart-stopping light.
A flash of terror crossed Hanzo's face. He had never imagined that the young man he'd always regarded as an insect possessed the legendary Sage's Eye.
With his life hanging by a thread, Hanzo reacted swiftly. He reached out, grabbed a nearby Rain Ninja, and yanked him in front of himself as a human shield.
The Rain Ninja didn't even have time to cry out before he was shoved into the heart of the attractive force.
In the blink of an eye, Hanzo and the Rain Ninja were swept to Nagato.
Just then, a force of repulsion surged toward them like a landslide.
The Rain Ninja Hanzo had grabbed couldn't withstand the terrifying force. His body twisted and tore apart before their eyes under the impact of the repulsion.
In a mere instant, he was ground into a pool of bloody pulp. A red mist spread through the air, filling it with a pungent stench of blood.
Hanzo's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill gripped his heart.
He had no time to think. He kicked off with both feet, using the repulsive force to propel himself backward and desperately put distance between them, trying to escape the attack's range.
"Get him!"
Hanzo shouted at the top of his lungs as he retreated, his voice betraying the panic he could barely conceal.
He hurriedly called to the surrounding ninja as if they were his last hope, trying to use their numbers to stop Nagato.
In their confusion, a crowd of Rain Ninja closed in on Nagato.
Watching Nagato go berserk, slaughtering everything around him like a meat grinder, Hanzo could no longer hold back the fear flooding through him.
Taking advantage of the Rain Ninja's bodies completely obscuring him, he shouted without hesitation, "Body Flicker Technique!"
In an instant, he vanished from where he stood, leaving only a blur behind.
The Rain Ninja surrounded Nagato. Shinra Tensei needed time to recharge, so at the moment, he had only one group attack left.
Nagato's eyes widened like bells. His chest heaved, and his ragged breathing rang out against the blood and chaos of the battlefield.
"Summoning Technique: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
Nagato shouted himself hoarse, his voice filled with the resolve of a man with nothing left to lose. He slammed both hands onto the ground, sending muddy water splashing everywhere.
At his furious cry, the entire ground began to shake violently. Cracks spread rapidly in every direction like a spiderweb, and the Rain Ninja nearby lost their footing and fell.
Just then, Konan managed to recover a little of her strength.
She struggled to prop herself up, and her gaze happened to catch Nagato's movements. Her heart sank as she sensed disaster was imminent.
"Nagato, don't use that!"
Konan cried out in alarm, not caring whether Nagato could hear her. Her voice was full of worry.
As Nagato's hands struck the ground, his cry thundered through the rain. Moments after his voice fell silent, the earth seemed to be torn open by an invisible giant hand.
With a deafening rumble, two enormous hands burst out of the ground, blotting out the sky, and slammed toward everything around them.
The Rain Ninja nearby had no time to react. Like leaves swept up by a gale, they were sent flying in an instant.
Their bodies arced through the air before crashing heavily into the ground in the distance, splashing mud everywhere. Pained groans rang out, and pleas for mercy echoed across the blood-soaked battlefield.
Just then, Danzo arrived with Root, long after the fighting had begun.
When they reached the battlefield, the first thing they saw was a terrifying sight: a gigantic monster rampaging, leaving devastation wherever its enormous hands struck.
Danzo's face instantly turned deathly pale. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, mingling with the rain.
A powerful sense of danger surged through him like a rising tide, wave after wave, urging him to flee this dreadful place at once.
"Go support Amegakure!"
Danzo shouted at Root's members, his voice carrying a slight tremor he couldn't quite hide.
Yet driven by that same sense of danger, he himself turned without hesitation and fled desperately into the distance, using every ounce of his strength.
At Danzo's command, the Root ninja had no choice but to charge blindly into the battlefield.