On the Pure Land battlefield lay another scorched stretch of ground, blanketed in poisonous mist, corrosive acid rain, and the scars of explosions.
This was a recreation of the place where the fates of the "demigod," Hanzo of the Salamander, and the Akatsuki trio had intertwined-or perhaps a reflection of the chessboard's rules.
Now, Hanzō's soul had been summoned to the Pure Land's side, while Nagato stood on Naruto's side.
Hanzō had initially chosen to attack Nagato not out of any particular hatred, but more as a tactical calculation.
He had keenly sensed the auras radiating from those occupying important piece positions in the opposing camp, such as Hashirama Senju and Kaguya Otsutsuki. Even he, a former demigod, felt his heart quail before them and knew he could hardly match them.
By comparison, Nagato was also powerful, but he was an opponent Hanzō knew and seemed a more suitable point to break through.
Reality, however, dealt him a crushing blow.
Not only had he failed to take Nagato down quickly, but he had even discovered that Konan-the blue-haired girl he had once considered mere dead weight who needed Nagato and Yahiko's protection-had now grown formidable enough to give him trouble!
Konan wielded the Dance of the Shikigami with consummate mastery. Her precise control over Paper Release, its endless transformations, and her attacks incorporating the properties of explosive tags made it difficult for Hanzō's vaunted poisonous mist, Water Release, and Chain Scythe to achieve much.
At one point, her relentless Paper Release attacks had even left him scrambling.
The gulf between his pride as a demigod and reality left Hanzō seething with frustration.
When he turned his gaze back to Nagato, however, he found him locked in a fierce battle with someone else.
It was Obito Uchiha.
Nagato was clearly in