10 Minutes? Too Long, the Third Mizukage Kneels!

Nagato stepped forward, his hands held level.

An invisible yet suffocatingly massive repulsive force erupted from him, centered on his position!

"Shinra Tensei!"

There was no deafening roar, only the dull, mournful cry of air being compressed to its absolute limit.

The earth wailed.

The hard bluestone plaza in front of the Mizukage Building was struck as if by the palm of an invisible giant; spiderweb-like cracks spread instantly, and the entire ground collapsed and shattered!

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who bore the brunt of the attack, felt the sneers and killing intent on their faces freeze instantly.

They felt as though they had slammed into an invisible, intangible, yet indestructible mountain range.

The violent repulsive force tore at their bodies, and the legendary ninja swords in their hands emitted a series of groans under the unbearable strain.

"What... is this technique!"

"Wind Style? No! There is no chakra form at all!"

Their exclamations were swallowed by the gale.

The seven figures were tossed away like ragdolls in a storm, tumbling wretchedly through the air before slamming heavily into the distant buildings, kicking up a sky full of dust and debris.

Only the Third Mizukage, the moment the repulsive force erupted, formed hand seals and roared: "Water Style: Water Wall!"

A thick wall of water rose from the ground, attempting to block this brute force.

However, the water wall held for less than a second before being crushed and evaporated by the invisible repulsion.

The Third Mizukage grunted, his feet carving two deep furrows into the ground as he retreated dozens of meters before barely managing to steady himself.

He looked up at the red-haired youth who had unleashed the power of a god; the coldness in his eyes was gone, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.

"Those eyes... they are the Rinnegan! The eyes possessed only by the legendary Sage of Six Paths!"

His voice trembled.

The entire Kirigakure Village fell into a deathly silence under this single blow.

Every ninja watching from the shadows felt as if their hearts had been gripped by a giant hand, making it difficult even to breathe.

This had already exceeded their understanding of ninjutsu.

"Hmph, a bunch of trash." Kakuzu let out a disdainful snort from his throat, his abacus clicking faster, "Seven ninja swords, plus the head of a Mizukage—this deal... is a massive profit."

Sasori, meanwhile, observed the scattered Seven Ninja Swordsmen with interest, a hint of morbid excitement appearing on his delicate face: "Their body structures are still mostly intact; they make for excellent collection materials."

Yahiko and Konan stood to the side, their expressions complex as they looked at the devastated scene before them.

Yahiko, in particular, clenched his fists, watching Nagato's cold back, his heart filled with struggle and pain.

Is this... the power that "Madara" spoke of, the power to bring peace?

"Nagato."

Lin Feng's indifferent voice rang out, shattering the frozen air.

He did not even glance at the wretched Third Mizukage, instead watching Nagato's back with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Ten minutes was the test for you. It seems I may have overestimated the value of this trash."

This sentence was more damaging than any direct insult.

As the dust settled, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen struggled to crawl out of the ruins, all of them covered in dirt and grime, blood staining the corners of their mouths.

"Bastard!"

Fuguki Suikazan, wielding the Greatsword Samehada, roared, and the barbs on the Samehada spread excitedly, as if craving to devour the opponent's chakra.

"Form up! Don't give him a chance to pick us off one by one!"

The seven instantly scattered, surrounding Nagato in the center.

The Third Mizukage took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the raging waves in his heart, his voice becoming incredibly grave: "Everyone, watch out for his eyes! That is the legendary ocular technique!"

He formed hand seals once more, and massive water-attribute chakra gathered.

"Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"

A giant water shark composed of high-density chakra appeared out of thin air, roaring as it charged toward Nagato.

At the same time, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen moved!

Jinin Akebino, wielder of the Blastsword Shibuki, threw out a scroll covered in explosive tags, creating a sea of fire.

Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the Blunt Sword Kabutowari, leaped high, using the combined strike of his giant axe and hammer to smash down toward the top of Nagato's head with crushing force.

In an instant, a three-dimensional assault from sea, land, and air sealed off all of Nagato's escape routes.

Facing this joint execution-level assault, Nagato's Rinnegan remained calm.

He extended his right hand toward the roaring water shark.

"Preta Path."

An incredible scene unfolded.

The giant water shark, capable of easily destroying a warship, vanished the moment it touched Nagato's palm; it was as if a clay ox had entered the sea, its volume rapidly shrinking until it was absorbed entirely as pure chakra.

Immediately after, just as the explosion and the giant axe were about to strike him:

"Shinra Tensei."

Another ring of invisible repulsive force erupted!

This time, the range was smaller, but the power was far more concentrated!

The flames of the explosion were forcibly pushed away, creating a circular vacuum zone.

Akebino Jinin was sent flying once more, blade and all, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.

"This kind of power..." The Third Mizukage's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks.

Absorbing ninjutsu and repelling all physical attacks?

What an unsolvable ability this was!

However, he keenly noticed that after using Shinra Tensei twice in succession, Nagato's face had grown noticeably paler, and there was a brief interval between the two attacks.

"His technique has a cooldown! Seize the opportunity!"

The Third Mizukage roared, his figure vanishing from the spot instantly to reappear behind Nagato with ghostly speed, a sharp water blade manifesting in his hand to strike directly at his heart.

But just as his water blade was about to touch Nagato's black robe, another of Nagato's arms extended without warning from beneath his ribs, transforming into a mechanical limb covered in hideous cannon barrels.

Asura Path!

"Oh no!" Alarm bells rang out in the Third Mizukage's mind.

BOOM!

A chakra laser cannon erupted at point-blank range, the terrifying beam of energy instantly engulfing half of the Third Mizukage's body.

However, the "Mizukage" who had been struck dissolved into a puddle of clear water.

It was a Water Clone!

The real Third Mizukage appeared several dozen meters away.

He looked at Nagato with a grave expression, feeling the urge to retreat for the first time.

The red-haired youth before him was like a monster; his endless array of bizarre abilities left no openings to exploit.

"Time... is almost up."

Lin Feng looked at his watch and let out a soft sigh, seemingly tinged with disappointment.

"Nagato, your performance is very unsatisfactory to me."

"To take this long just to deal with a few fellows wielding scrap metal."

He slowly lifted his foot and took a step forward.

Just one step.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire Kirigakure Village.

The Third Mizukage and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen felt as if an invisible mountain had been pressed down upon them; even breathing became incredibly heavy, and the chakra within their bodies began to stagnate.

"Your fighting style is too weak, and too wasteful."

Lin Feng's voice reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

"The power of the Rinnegan is not meant for you to play games of offense and defense with these ants."

He extended his right hand, splaying his fingers toward the terrified crowd of Kirigakure.

"It is meant for... creation!"

The moment his words fell.

RUMBLE--!

The hard bluestone ground of the plaza began to tremble violently and crack.

Under the horrified gaze of everyone present, countless thick tree roots and vines burst forth from the earth like awakening dragons!

These trees grew at a speed that defied the laws of nature, instantly forming a primeval forest that blotted out the sky!

Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!

"This... this is... the First Hokage's..."

The Third Mizukage's voice became distorted by extreme terror.

He tried to flee, but the crazily growing trees seemed to have eyes; they instantly coiled around him and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, binding them tightly and hoisting them into the air.

The ninja swords in their hands were disarmed in an instant, scattering across the ground.

With just one move.

The highest combat power of Kirigakure Village—the Mizukage and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—had been completely wiped out!

The whole world seemed to fall silent.

Lin Feng walked slowly with his hands behind his back, stopping before the Third Mizukage, who was bound like a dumpling by the vines with only his head exposed.

"Now, tell me, who do you think needs to be prepared to die?"

The Third Mizukage's face turned ashen; he couldn't even muster a single thought of resistance.

The legendary Rinnegan, the legendary Wood Release.

These two powers, which existed only in myths, had appeared simultaneously in one person.

How could he possibly fight this?

With what could he fight?

"Lord Madara... spare me..." he squeezed a few dry words from his throat.

Lin Feng, however, ignored his plea for mercy.

He turned around to face the Kirigakure Village ninjas outside the plaza, who were already scared out of their wits and kneeling in droves.

His purple Rinnegan slowly swept across their terrified faces, finally coming to rest in a corner.

There, a youth with a fierce expression, sharp shark-like teeth, and a massive severed blade strapped to his back was staring fixedly at him with eyes that held a mixture of fear, resentment, and a hint of fanaticism.

A playful curve tugged at the corners of Lin Feng's mouth.

His voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

"From this day forth, Kirigakure Village no longer needs a Third Mizukage."

"You need a new ruler, a new Fourth Mizukage to lead Kirigakure Village toward a more glorious tomorrow."

He slowly raised his finger, pointing it from afar at the shark-faced youth in the corner.

"You, the brat named Kisame Hoshigaki."

"Come here."