He could create shadows in the gaps of the real world, invisible to the naked eye. Those shadows possessed exactly the same chakra and techniques as he did. Sensory ninja could not detect them, ordinary eyes could not see them, and only the Rinnegan itself could perceive them.
Each shadow could briefly interfere with reality—attack, defend, and unleash techniques. How long it lasted depended on the strength of his eye power, and at its peak, it could last more than a minute.
Nagato raised his right hand and spread his fingers.
Wood Release chakra surged from his palm, gathering at his fingertips into thick woody fibers.
The fibers grew rapidly through the air, stretching down from his palm and piercing the ground. Several sharp, half-inch shoots then sprang up from the earth. A layer of damp green sap coated the edges of the wooden spikes, gleaming fresh in the sunlight.
Nagato withdrew his hand and looked down at the spikes growing from the ground. His mouth slowly spread into a grin, his expression confident and wild.
"I am God!"
"Uchiha Yongye, just you wait!"
He left the cave and stepped outside. Raising his arm, he bit his thumb, dragged it across his palm, formed hand seals, and slammed his hand onto the ground.
The moment smoke from the Summoning Technique burst forth, the Archaeopteryx spread its wings within it.
Nagato leaped from the ground and landed steadily in the center of the bird's back. His knees bent slightly, then straightened. Back upright, he looked past the layered treetops toward Konoha.
The Archaeopteryx beat its wings once, sending air spilling off the wingtips with a low roar above the canopy. Then it climbed, turned, and flew toward Konoha.
The fluorescent lights overhead cast an even white glow, illuminating every detail