While Deidara and Sasori confronted the Five-Tails jinchūriki across the barren rocklands of Earth Country, another equally dangerous hunt was beginning in an entirely different region of the elemental nations.
Among the sparse woodlands that dotted the predominantly rocky terrain of the Land of Earth, a figure moved with predatory grace through the shadows cast by gnarled trees that had somehow managed to take root in the unforgiving soil. Kisame Hoshigaki emerged from the tree line with Samehada resting across his broad shoulder, the massive weapon's scaled surface gleaming dully in the filtered sunlight that penetrated the forest canopy.
His shark-like features were set in an expression of professional focus as his eyes locked onto his target—a solitary figure whose very presence radiated the kind of contained power that marked him as far more than an ordinary shinobi.
"What do you want?" Rōshi demanded, his weathered face showing the wariness of someone who had survived decades of conflict through careful assessment of potential threats.
The former jinchūriki's stance was defensive but controlled, his body language speaking to years of combat experience and hard-won wisdom. At the same time, his peripheral vision tracked the grotesque figure that clung to a nearby tree trunk, half-emerged from the bark itself in a display of botanical integration that defied conventional understanding.
"Give me what's inside you," Kisame replied with characteristic bluntness, raising Samehada to point directly at his target.
The shark-like missing-nin had no patience for elaborate verbal sparring or psychological warfare. His approach to combat was as direct as his personality—identify the objective, eliminate resistance, complete the mission. The tailed beast sealed within Rōshi represented nothing more than another acquisition to be secured through superior force.
"Your target is the Four-Tails!" Rōshi's expression shifted to one of genuine shock as the full implications of the encounter became clear.
His mind raced through the tactical considerations involved. If the Akatsuki organization was actively hunting jinchūriki, then the coordinated nature of their operations suggested a plan of unprecedented scope and ambition. The ramifications extended far beyond his personal safety to encompass the stability of the entire ninja world.
At that moment, Samehada released a distinctive hissing sound that made the air around it seem to vibrate with anticipation. The weapon's scaled surface rippled with barely contained eagerness, its predatory instincts responding to the proximity of the immense chakra reserves that dwelt within its intended prey.
"It seems the Four-Tails' chakra is more appetizing than the Three-Tails'," Kisame observed with a predatory grin that revealed rows of shark-like teeth.
His assessment was based on Samehada's behavior patterns, which he had learned to read with the accuracy of someone who had formed a genuine partnership with his weapon. The blade's current level of excitement exceeded even its reaction to the Three-Tails, suggesting that the Four-Tails possessed chakra of superior quality or quantity.
RUMBLE!
Rōshi's response was immediate and spectacular. Red-hot magma began to seep from his pores, flowing across his skin to form a protective layer that hardened into armor-like plates. The process was accompanied by rising temperatures that made the air around him shimmer with heat distortion, while his pupils shifted to a crimson hue that reflected the volcanic power contained within his body.
"I won't let you succeed so easily!" he declared, his voice carrying the determination of someone who had spent his entire life mastering powers that most humans couldn't even comprehend.
"Come on then!" Kisame's laughter was genuinely enthusiastic as he hefted Samehada with both hands and launched himself toward his opponent.
The collision of opposing forces—water and lava, predator and prey, experience and desperation—marked the beginning of another battle that would help determine the fate of the tailed beasts and the future balance of power in the ninja world.
….
Far from the arid landscapes where earth and fire clashed in deadly combination, an entirely different environment was preparing to host its own confrontation between forces that would reshape the very foundations of the shinobi world.
The Land of Lightning was renowned for its dramatic topography, but perhaps nowhere was this more evident than in the region known as Cloud Thunder Gorge. Here, massive stone formations rose from sea level to heights that seemed to scrape the very clouds, creating a maze of rocky spires and narrow passages that had been carved by millennia of wind and weather.
The base of this stone forest connected directly to lakes and coastal waters, creating a unique ecosystem where terrestrial and aquatic environments merged in ways that could be found nowhere else in the elemental nations. Mist and clouds swirled perpetually through the gaps between the towering rock formations, creating an ethereal atmosphere that seemed almost supernatural in its beauty.
It was through this swirling maze of vapor and stone that two figures moved with the purposeful determination of hunters who had finally located their most important prey.
Suddenly, the surface of one of the nearby stone pillars began to ripple like water, defying the laws of physics in a display that had become characteristic of one particular organization's reconnaissance methods. A pale, plant-like figure emerged partially from the rock face, its features bearing the distinctive appearance of a White Zetsu clone.
"Hidan and Kakuzu have also found their target and are beginning their operation," the clone reported in the flat, emotionless tone that characterized all communications from Zetsu's network.
"Understood," the red-haired figure in the distinctive black robe responded with calm acknowledgment.
As quickly as it had appeared, the White Zetsu clone sank back into the stone surface and vanished without a trace, leaving no evidence of its presence save for the information it had delivered. The intelligence network that the Akatsuki had constructed was truly remarkable in its scope and efficiency.
"Nagato, are you really going to do this?" Konan's voice carried obvious concern as she studied her companion's determined expression.
Her question went beyond simple tactical worries to encompass deeper fears about the path they were choosing and the prices that would inevitably be paid. The plan they were implementing would reshape not just their own organization, but the entire structure of the ninja world.
Nagato's eyes, bearing the distinctive rippled pattern of the Rinnegan, reflected depths of knowledge and power that few humans had ever possessed. When he spoke, his voice carried the weight of absolute conviction.
"This is the only method I can conceive of to defeat that man," he replied with the calm certainty of someone who had considered every alternative and found them all wanting.
The "that man" in question needed no identification between them. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure, represented the single greatest obstacle to their ultimate objectives. His defeat was not just a tactical necessity—it was the key that would unlock the future they sought to create.
"Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, plus the Eight-Tails before us," Nagato continued, his gaze shifting toward the heart of Cloud Thunder Gorge where their ultimate target waited unknowingly. "I must obtain all of their power."
The scope of his ambition was staggering. Simultaneously controlling four tailed beasts would require power management on a scale that had never been attempted in recorded history. Even the Sage of Six Paths, legendary though he was, had never tried to wield such concentrated force at one time.
"It's difficult even for you to control four tailed beasts simultaneously..." Konan observed, her practical nature asserting itself despite her emotional investment in their mission.
Her concern was grounded in genuine understanding of the risks involved. The Rinnegan granted its wielder incredible abilities, but even legendary power had limits. Attempting to exceed those boundaries could result in consequences that went far beyond simple mission failure.
"Don't worry," Nagato replied with a smile that carried both confidence and affection for his longtime companion. "I will never fail with these eyes."
The Rinnegan had been both blessing and curse throughout his life, granting him power beyond imagination while simultaneously marking him as a target for those who would exploit such abilities. But in this moment, he felt nothing but gratitude for the inheritance that would allow him to reshape the world according to his vision.
"I still want to help Yahiko fulfill his dream," he continued, his voice softening as he spoke of their departed friend.
The memory of Yahiko's idealistic goals and tragic death served as both motivation and justification for everything they were attempting. In Nagato's mind, the current plan wasn't about personal ambition or conquest—it was about creating the kind of world that Yahiko had envisioned, where true peace could exist without the constant threat of warfare and suffering.
"So I want to defeat Minato Namikaze and become the supreme god of this world!"
The declaration was delivered with the kind of absolute conviction that brooked no argument or hesitation. Nagato had moved beyond human concerns and limitations, embracing his role as an agent of fundamental change who would reshape reality itself if necessary.
Konan understood that once Nagato committed himself to a course of action, no force on earth could turn him from his chosen path. All she could do was provide whatever support was possible and trust in his judgment, even when that judgment led them into conflicts that would determine the fate of nations.
Nagato's expression hardened as he turned his attention toward their immediate objective. The time for reflection and planning had passed—now came the moment of implementation, when all their preparations would be tested against the harsh reality of combat.
"There's an intruder!"
The shout that echoed across Cloud Thunder Gorge marked the moment when stealth gave way to open conflict. Nagato and Konan finally emerged from the concealing mists and clouds that had hidden their approach, revealing themselves to the sentries who guarded this most sensitive of locations.
The previously peaceful gorge was instantly transformed into a hive of activity as alarm calls spread from guard post to guard post. The Cloud ninja who protected this area understood that any unauthorized presence represented a potential threat to one of their village's most valuable assets.
"A noisy bunch of ants," Nagato observed with cold detachment, his tone suggesting that he viewed the defensive response as nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The Cloud ninja who faced him immediately adopted defensive stances, their training and experience telling them that this was no ordinary infiltrator. But despite their obvious preparations for combat, Nagato continued walking forward as if their weapons and jutsu posed no threat whatsoever.
Konan remained where she was, understanding that once Nagato had decided to act personally, very few individuals in the entire world possessed the power to stop him. The Fourth Hokage was certainly one such person, but he was far from this remote location and unlikely to arrive in time to affect the outcome.
Hiss!
The Cloud ninja facing Nagato's advance quickly formed hand seals with practiced efficiency, then slammed his palms against the water's surface. Lightning chakra erupted from the point of contact, spreading across the liquid medium with lethal intent.
The technique was designed to exploit the conductive properties of water to deliver electrical attacks across wide areas. The ninja's expression showed surprise and satisfaction—surely no opponent could avoid such a comprehensive assault, especially when they showed no signs of defensive preparation.
Lightning traveled at nearly the speed of light, making evasion virtually impossible at close range. Once the electrical energy penetrated an opponent's body, it would cause temporary paralysis that would leave them helpless against follow-up attacks.
The crackling energy spread rapidly toward Nagato's position, but what happened next completely overturned every assumption the Cloud ninja had made about conventional combat.
When the lightning reached Nagato's feet, it simply... flowed around him. The electrical energy behaved as if he wasn't there at all, continuing its path through the water while leaving him completely unaffected. More impossibly still, the water's surface beneath his feet appeared to tear apart under the influence of some invisible force.
Nagato continued his approach by walking across the torn surface of the sea, his body suspended in mid-air through methods that defied every known principle of chakra manipulation. His pace never varied, his expression never changed, and his confidence never wavered.
The Cloud ninja's face reflected genuine shock as he struggled to process what he was witnessing. As someone assigned to guard this critical location, he was certainly no ordinary shinobi—his training and experience should have prepared him for most conceivable threats. But this casual negation of natural laws was beyond anything in his repertoire of expected possibilities.
He immediately shifted to a different approach, his hands moving through new seal sequences with desperate efficiency.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Focused streams of lightning chakra shot toward Nagato like arrows, each one concentrated enough to punch through steel armor or stone barriers. The attacks were precisely aimed and individually powerful enough to incapacitate any conventional opponent.
But just as before, the lightning simply curved around Nagato when it reached him, as if he existed in a separate dimension where normal physical laws held no meaning. The projectiles continued past him to strike the stone formations behind his position, leaving scorch marks that testified to their destructive potential.
The Cloud ninja's shock deepened into something approaching terror as he reached for his equipment pouch, seeking weapons that might prove more effective than ninjutsu against this impossible opponent. His training had covered many scenarios, but nothing had prepared him for an enemy who seemed immune to the very concept of attack.
At that moment, Nagato raised his hand with casual deliberation, and dark energy began to flicker in his palm. The Cloud ninja suddenly found himself pulled forward by an irresistible gravitational force, his feet leaving the ground as he was drawn helplessly toward his opponent.
Nagato's other hand held a black rod that seemed to absorb light from its surroundings, creating an area of deeper darkness that hurt to look at directly. The weapon appeared deceptively simple, but its mere presence suggested capabilities that went far beyond conventional understanding.
The Cloud ninja had no opportunity to resist or counterattack as he was drawn into Nagato's grasp. Against someone who could manipulate the fundamental forces of attraction and repulsion, conventional combat techniques were useless.
CRASH!
A tall, powerful figure suddenly burst from one of the buildings within Cloud Thunder Gorge, moving with the kind of speed and determination that marked him as someone far more dangerous than the sentries who had fallen so easily.
Pink octopus tentacles erupted from the newcomer's back, reaching toward Nagato with obvious killing intent. Each appendage was thick enough to crush bone and strong enough to tear through solid rock, while their reach and flexibility made them ideal weapons for capturing or destroying airborne opponents.
"The Eight-Tails' tentacles..." Nagato observed with calm recognition as he completed his capture of the Cloud ninja.
The tentacles reached the space above both figures simultaneously, creating a web of destruction that should have been impossible to escape. But Nagato had been expecting exactly this response—the Eight-Tails jinchūriki was, after all, his primary target.
Crack!
Nagato's robe fluttered as several mechanical arms extended from his back, each one moving with precision that spoke to supernatural coordination and control. The prosthetic limbs were clearly the products of advanced engineering, designed specifically to complement and enhance his natural abilities.
BOOM! BOOM!
Purple energy waves erupted from the mechanical arms with devastating force, creating shockwaves that could be felt throughout the entire gorge system. The energy was so intense that it charged the very air with potential, making every metal object in the area vibrate with resonance.
The Eight-Tails' tentacles were blasted away with tremendous force, their surfaces charred and smoking from exposure to energy that operated on wavelengths beyond normal chakra manipulation. The power display was both beautiful and terrifying, representing capabilities that few beings in the ninja world could hope to match.
"Ahhh!"
The scream that emerged from the thick smoke marked the fate of the Cloud ninja who had been caught in the energy blast's periphery. Despite not being the primary target, the overflow from Nagato's attack had been sufficient to inflict serious damage.
Killer Bee, whose normally playful and carefree expression had been replaced by grim determination, felt his muscles tense as he processed the implications of what he had just witnessed. This opponent was operating on a completely different level from any enemy he had previously encountered.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several Cloud ninja who had received the earlier alarm signals appeared beside Killer Bee in coordinated formation. Their arrival was perfectly timed and professionally executed, speaking to the quality of training and preparation that characterized Kumogakure's elite forces.
"Run, you idiots!" Killer Bee shouted to his subordinates, his voice carrying the kind of urgent authority that made it clear this was not a suggestion but a direct order.
His assessment of the tactical situation was both immediate and accurate—conventional ninja would be worse than useless against an opponent of this caliber. Their presence would only create additional vulnerabilities for him to worry about while trying to mount his own defense.
Whoosh!
Purple energy waves shot out from the dissipating smoke with pinpoint accuracy, targeting the newly arrived Cloud ninja with lethal intent. The attacks moved faster than the defenders could react, their trajectories calculated to intercept escape routes and eliminate threats before they could develop into actual problems.
The Cloud ninja around Killer Bee had no time to process the danger before they were engulfed by explosions that scattered their defensive formation and left several of them seriously injured or incapacitated.
Nagato floated in from the sea with the kind of effortless grace that made his supernatural abilities seem almost casual. He stopped directly above the explosion site, his position giving him a perfect view of the battlefield while keeping him safely out of range of most conventional attacks.
In the midst of the fire and smoke below, the Eight-Tails' tentacles suddenly lashed out toward his hovering form, moving with desperate speed as they sought to drag him down to where more conventional combat techniques might prove effective.
"Shinra Tensei!" Nagato spoke the technique's name with cold indifference, his voice carrying across the battlefield despite the chaos surrounding them.
BANG!
A massive repulsive force erupted from his position, creating a shockwave that was visible as it expanded outward in all directions. The Eight-Tails' tentacles were not just deflected but actively repelled, thrown back with such violence that they created craters where they struck the stone formations.
Even the flames below were dispersed by the repulsive energy, while the ground itself was shattered into a large crater that spoke to the tremendous forces involved. The technique demonstrated power on a scale that most ninja would have considered impossible to achieve through individual effort.
In the center of the newly created crater, Killer Bee stood with his body covered by a red chakra cloak that marked his partial transformation into tailed beast form. Eight massive tentacles extended from his back, with five of them positioned protectively around the injured Cloud ninja while the remaining three had been used in the failed attack against Nagato.
Only now could he see Nagato's face clearly, and the sight sent cold sweat streaming down his features despite the heat generated by his tailed beast chakra. Those eyes—the legendary Rinnegan that marked their bearer as someone who had transcended normal human limitations—were fixed on him with the kind of focused attention that promised inescapable conflict.
"You're Nagato of the Akatsuki organization, aren't you?" Killer Bee's recognition was immediate and accurate.
His knowledge of their opponent came from intelligence reports that detailed Nagato's previous confrontations with Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze in Konohagakure. The accounts had described capabilities that seemed almost mythical in scope, but witnessing them firsthand made it clear that the reports had understated rather than exaggerated the threat level involved.
What made him feel even more oppressed was the undeniable power that radiated from those strange, rippled eyes. The Rinnegan represented abilities that went beyond conventional ninjutsu into realms that approached divine intervention.
"Bee, try to escape," the solemn voice of the Eight-Tails spoke directly into Killer Bee's mind, its tone carrying the weight of accumulated experience across centuries of existence.
"We have no chance of winning against this opponent..."
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