After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 191

Chapter 191: Chibaku Tensei!

Unfortunately, the Animal Path Pain, responsible for summoning creatures to tank damage, was pulverized into blood mist by Naruto before it could even join the battle. Otherwise, with various oddly-shaped summoned beasts tanking in front, Pain and the others could have attacked with peace of mind.

The current situation left the Deva Path and Naraka Path struggling with all their might yet still getting swatted aside like children.

After Naruto sent both flying, he walked straight toward that massive and terrifying head.

Under the Naraka Path's control, the King of Hell's head opened its mouth wide, extending two purple hands to grab at Naruto. Though it might seem inconspicuous, being caught by the King of Hell's hands could result in having one's soul extracted.

The Human Path Pain possessed similar abilities—through palm contact, it could use Soul Extraction Technique to pull out souls. And those whose souls were extracted would naturally die immediately.

By comparison, these covert techniques were more like the Six Paths of Pain's true killing moves.

Unfortunately, their opponent was Naruto Uzumaki, who could briefly foresee the future.

Without even seeing Naruto's movements clearly, those two arms were instantly severed.

Immediately after, countless white hands extended from around Naruto's body. Numerical suppression—those palms rapidly approached the King of Hell's head. Everything they touched completely disappeared—whether rock, earth, or chakra, nothing could withstand the mouths on these palms.

The King of Hell's head tried to struggle, but in just a few breaths, most of the head had completely vanished. Suffering "fatal damage," it directly triggered the summoning technique's base mechanism and dispersed into smoke.

Naruto, his expression even calmer now, turned around and said flatly, "Continue. Is there more?"

He had successfully devoured that wisp of essence that had been attracting him. Though it was unclear what it was exactly, the world before Naruto's eyes had already begun to transform.

"Other dimensions" overlapping with reality seemed to be separating out in his vision. Most were bizarrely shaped spaces, but Naruto's sharp eyes distinguished from one "phantom" the place he'd once visited—Mount Myōboku.

This meant these different layered worlds should all be real places.

Naruto could sense he might be able to touch these spaces—he just needed to break through that "invisible membrane" blocking him. Though he hadn't seen it, perhaps continuing upward, he could actively leave this place and travel freely between the pirate world and ninja world.

Unfortunately, this special vision only lasted briefly before everything returned to normal.

It seemed the key lay with this Pain.

So Naruto wasn't joking with those words—he genuinely waited patiently for the Naraka Path to continue summoning more King of Hell projections.

"Damn it."

Even Nagato couldn't maintain his "God's" dignity now.

What should have been an overwhelming victory turned into continuous casualties on his side, while the enemy hadn't even gotten scratched.

The Naraka Path wanted to summon the King of Hell again but shockingly discovered the chakra transmission was halfway rejected by "the other side."

This was unprecedented.

The King of Hell, contracted with the Rinnegan, seemed to possess consciousness—very reluctant to come to this place that had "injured" it.

The Deva Path gritted his teeth. Looking at the battlefield's distance from the Land of Rain, he finally steeled his resolve.

"This is necessary sacrifice. Become the foundation of peace."

The Deva Path's palms suddenly clasped together.

"Chibaku Tensei!"

Simultaneously, Nagato's main body atop the Hidden Rain tower made the same gesture.

"Must we really go this far?" Konan beside him hesitated. On one hand, she worried whether Nagato's body could withstand such chakra output. On the other hand, Konan didn't want to see this country they'd "saved" severely damaged again by this strike.

Regardless of the next move's outcome, Hidden Rain Village definitely needed rebuilding. Buildings were secondary—the key was people. Those Rain Country ninjas who joined them with worshipful faces, working for "peace"—if they knew they were about to become peace's price, would they still maintain their original convictions?

"Be quiet, Konan. I need to concentrate."

Nagato's heart might have struggled for an instant, but his original compassion and kindness had been buried in the grave alongside his dear friend Yahiko's death.

Soon, faint white light shone from Nagato's palms, then rapidly darkened, transforming into a pitch-black sphere. Then this sphere flew from the tower, arriving straight above the battlefield.

Naruto sensed something and turned his gaze upward. Light poured down from the sky.

Immediately following was incomparably powerful gravitational force.

The ground shattered, mountains crumbled, and surrounding buildings were torn apart under this overwhelming power. The Deva Path spread both palms—one toward Naruto and one toward Karin and Sasuke's direction.

Then countless stones "stuck" to everyone, carrying them toward the sky under the gravitational pull.

"Whoa! What's happening?!"

Karin was pulled up, trying to control the wind to escape the gravitational field, but to no avail. She was still too inexperienced—both in stamina and Devil Fruit development.

"Careful! Jiraiya, this seems to be some kind of sealing technique!" Fukasaku Sage warned.

"Damn it, can't break free."

Sasuke burned away the surrounding earth and stone with Calamity Fire, but the gravity persisted.

Hearing the surrounding voices, Jiraiya directly controlled his hair to extend and bind everyone, then countless ink began automatically writing on his body. "Heavy," "Fixed," "Immovable"—his body sank downward like a weight.

Unfortunately, the gravitational pull was too strong. Even fruit-enhanced gravity couldn't resist it. Everyone could only fly toward the sky together.

They soon met Naruto in midair.

Looking at the others, Naruto suddenly said to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sensei, protect them."

Hearing this, Jiraiya immediately had an ominous premonition.

Then several large hands extended from around Naruto, grasping everyone's bodies. Following Naruto, they assumed a "throwing" posture.

The next moment, everyone was hurled from the gravitational field's range like cannonballs.

But as everyone knows, forces act mutually. The cost of doing this was Naruto's speed toward the sky accelerating even further.