226 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

An immense, terrifying wave of repulsive force erupted. The previously invisible shockwave now took the form of a blinding white light.

Boom!

The blinding surge of energy tore through everything in its path. The ground shook, the heavens roared, and Nagato's fully powered Six Paths: Shinra Tensei obliterated the Susanoo in its path within moments.

At the center of the Susanoo's forehead, three Truth-Seeking Orbs fused together behind Uchiha Hikari, transforming into a shield just as the Susanoo shattered.

Crack.

A sharp noise came from the Truth-Seeking Orb shield. Hikari's eyes narrowed, but she had no time to react.

The shield fractured completely, and the overwhelming force crashed into her like a relentless tidal wave.

"Urgh—!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips as Hikari was flung like a streak of light into the distant mountains.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Her body plummeted through the air, each collision with the ground reducing mountains to dust. The blinding white light illuminated her figure as it tumbled and crashed, leaving destruction in her wake.

"It's not over yet!" Nagato's voice rang cold and emotionless as he raised his right hand. With a low growl, he commanded, "Chibaku Tensei!"

A small, dark gravitational core, no larger than a human head, formed in his palm.

The core shot out, hovering over the devastated mountains.

Rumble...

The earth trembled violently. Massive boulders were ripped from the ground, drawn irresistibly toward the core. The deafening howl of displaced air filled the battlefield as entire mountain peaks were uprooted and sent soaring toward the sky.

It was as if the earth itself was disintegrating. Rocks of monumental size ascended one after another, resembling raindrops in reverse, being pulled upward by the irresistible gravitational force.

Among the rising stones, Hikari lay atop a broken boulder, her body battered and unrecognizable. Half of her form had been annihilated by the earlier repulsion, her pale flesh writhing and regenerating at a visible pace.

Despite the damage, her wounds healed far slower than Nagato's. After all, the portion of the Ten-Tails Hikari had obtained was much smaller than what he controlled.

"An immortal body, huh? Not bad," Hikari muttered, her crimson Sharingan spinning. Even in her tattered state, her face showed no trace of fear.

As she spoke, a figure appeared beside her—Senju Tobirama.

Floating upward, Hikari turned her gaze toward Nagato and declared coldly,

"Nagato, you may have won this round, but next time, don't count on it."

Nagato's face darkened as Tobirama's presence registered. He cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"

In a flash, both Hikari and Tobirama vanished without a trace. Even with the power of the Ten-Tails, Nagato was powerless to stop the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Boom!

On the ground, massive boulders continued to ascend, pulled into the gravitational core. After about a minute, a colossal sphere, over ten kilometers in diameter, floated ominously in the sky like a giant meteor, radiating an oppressive aura.

'What an absurd display of power... A force like this truly is godlike,' Orochimaru murmured from the edge of the battlefield, his golden eyes filled with awe as he stared at the massive structure.

A flash of white light streaked past. Nagato, wielding his Six Paths staff, descended from the sky, landing before the remaining members of Akatsuki.

Konan rushed forward, worry etched on her face. "Nagato, are you all right?"

Looking at her, Nagato's usually impassive face softened slightly. He offered a faint smile.

"Konan, don't worry. I've never been better. Right now, I am practically the second Sage of Six Paths. No one in this world can rival me."

"Don't be so quick to claim that title, Nagato." Black Zetsu's voice interrupted. Emerging from the shadows, he approached slowly. "The current Ten-Tails is incomplete, and a significant portion of its power was taken by Hikari."

Nagato turned to face him, his Rinnegan glinting.

"Do you have a way to restore the Ten-Tails to full power?"

"Of course." Black Zetsu's voice was calm and confident. "Infinite Tsukuyomi. If you cast Infinite Tsukuyomi and gather all the chakra in the world, not only will the Ten-Tails be restored, but it will evolve even further, granting you true immortality."

Nagato's expression darkened. He shook his head decisively.

"I won't use Infinite Tsukuyomi. It goes against everything I stand for."

The peace promised by Infinite Tsukuyomi wasn't the kind of peace Nagato sought.

Black Zetsu smiled faintly and stepped closer.

"Nagato, I'm not suggesting you use it permanently. You can use it temporarily, absorb the chakra to restore the Ten-Tails, and then dispel it. This is merely a necessary step to achieve your goals."

His words carried a subtle persuasion. The truth was that gathering all the chakra in the world would indeed restore the Ten-Tails to an unprecedented state. It wasn't a lie. This era, filled with more chakra than the ancient world, could create a godlike being far beyond what had been seen before.

"Temporary use of Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Nagato murmured, his Rinnegan flickering with indecision.

"Yes. With your Rinnegan and the power of the Ten-Tails, casting and dispelling the technique would be effortless," Black Zetsu pressed, his voice dripping with subtle manipulation.

Nagato's hesitation deepened, and his expression betrayed a flicker of doubt as he considered the possibility.

Black Zetsu's dark face curved into an almost imperceptible smirk. Stepping closer to Nagato, he suddenly lunged, his hand stabbing toward Nagato's chest.

Nagato's head snapped up, his Rinnegan glowing with cold intensity. The uncertainty vanished, replaced by a disdainful smirk. "Shinra Tensei!"

A torrent of repulsive force erupted from Nagato, slamming into Black Zetsu and sending him flying. He tumbled like a ragdoll, crashing through countless rocks before embedding into a massive boulder hundreds of meters away.

The sudden attack left Konan, Orochimaru, Sasori, and Kakuzu stunned. None of them had anticipated this turn of events.

Nagato, who had once entrusted Black Zetsu with many of Akatsuki's operations, had now ruthlessly struck him down without hesitation.

For Nagato, Black Zetsu's betrayal was both unexpected and utterly unforgivable.

The blast obliterated White Zetsu instantly, leaving Black Zetsu relatively unharmed. The repulsive force, terrifying as it was, seemed to barely affect the ancient, shadowy entity.