224 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

"Such power..." Nagato took a deep breath, feeling an overwhelming surge of strength coursing through him, as though he had become omnipotent.

"Next..."

He fixed his gaze on Uchiha Hikari across from him, a flicker of greed and desire flashing in his purple Rinnegan. His intent was unmistakable.

"Tch, without the Rinnegan, it's impossible to outmatch that guy!"

Compared to Nagato, who had absorbed a larger portion of the Ten-Tails' power, Hikari only wielded about 30% of its strength, a stark disadvantage.

"Hikari, you'd best give up your resistance. This is my final warning." Nagato's voice was icy, reverberating in the space like a decree from an unyielding god.

Hovering in the air, his Rinnegan gazed down at Hikari with indifference, exuding an aura vast and oppressive, like the heavens themselves pressing down.

"Heh~" Hikari sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. "Big words! So what if you've absorbed more of the Ten-Tails? Power is meaningless without skill to wield it!"

She hovered effortlessly as well, a minor ability granted by her partial mastery of the Ten-Tails' chakra.

An equally terrifying aura erupted from her, colliding head-on with Nagato's chakra.

Boom!

The Four Red Yang Formation groaned under the immense pressure, its structure trembling.

Cracks formed across the earth below, and in the cavern, chunks of stone were lifted into the air by the clash of their auras before shattering into dust.

Suddenly, the formation gave way, breaking into fragments of fiery red light that dissipated into the void.

Seeing this, Konan, Kakuzu, Orochimaru, and Sasori, who had been maintaining the barrier, swiftly abandoned their positions and retreated from the cavern.

The oppressive energy from the two combatants had shattered their confidence in the barrier's endurance. If the clash continued and the formation collapsed, the entire mountain would inevitably crumble.

This wasn't an ordinary mountain. The cavern alone stretched over a kilometer, while the peak soared more than 4,000 meters high.

Should it collapse, even Kage-level shinobi would struggle to escape unscathed.

The standoff between Uchiha Hikari and Nagato didn't last long.

As the barrier faded and their companions retreated, Nagato made his move.

With his black staff in hand, he slashed the air toward Hikari in a simple yet devastating motion.

Hikari's Sharingan gleamed crimson as she swiftly sidestepped the invisible attack, moving dozens of meters in an instant.

An unseen force slammed into the ground where she had been standing, pulverizing the terrain. The cavern floor fractured as though crushed by an incomprehensible weight.

Rumble!

The entire mountain quaked. Massive rocks broke free and plummeted toward Hikari, their impact resonating like thunder.

The sheer intensity of the assault tested Hikari's mental fortitude, yet she remained unfazed.

"Hikari," Nagato's calm voice rang out, his Rinnegan glowing eerily. "It seems my aim was a bit off. My apologies. But don't worry, it won't happen again."

"Heh~" Hikari smirked coldly. "Don't get cocky. Do you think you're a god? You've got a long way to go!"

Her defiance was unwavering.

Before her taunt had fully settled, Hikari charged forward.

Clang!

The Black Receiver collided with Nagato's, producing a resonant metallic hum that echoed through the cavern.

Waves of energy rippled outward from the clash, distorting the surrounding space like ripples on a pond.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Hikari's strikes grew faster, each swing of her Black Receiver unleashing a whirlwind. Nagato responded in kind, his Rinnegan spinning as his staff intercepted every blow with precision.

The force of their battle rocked the cavern, scattering debris as their weapons clashed relentlessly.

Suddenly, with a deafening roar, one of the Truth-Seeking Orbs behind Nagato shot forward like a cannonball, aimed directly at Hikari.

Her Sharingan flashed. Without hesitation, three of her own orbs countered, intercepting Nagato's attack mid-flight.

Boom!

The explosions shook the battlefield, but Hikari pressed her advantage.

Her Black Receiver ignited with the black flames of Amaterasu, cutting through the remaining orbs and continuing toward Nagato.

Crash!

A brilliant explosion of light and heat erupted as their weapons clashed again, the energy consuming the cavern. The mountain trembled, cracks spreading across its surface as if the world itself was breaking apart.

From afar, Konan and the others watched in stunned silence as the towering mountain was engulfed in light.

In the aftermath of the blinding explosion, Hikari's voice rang clear.

"Amaterasu!"

Black flames spread across the battlefield, forming shapes of beasts and weapons, assaulting Nagato relentlessly.

Unfazed, Nagato unleashed the full might of his Rinnegan.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The massive repulsion obliterated the flames, scattering embers across the mountains, which ignited into raging black infernos.

The battle raged on, the world trembling under the might of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.