"But at that time, I didn't pay much attention to it, I just remembered that feeling."
Takemi turned his head to look at Deidara, then continued to smile.
"And a little over a month ago, Deidara challenged me to a spar, and he also used Dust Release, which awakened my memory, so..."
He didn't elaborate on 'so what,' but everyone already understood his meaning.
An epiphany years ago, accompanied by the passage of time, was finally unlocked by Deidara himself.
It sounded simple, but how incredible and difficult it truly was, they all understood.
"Jonin Kitagawa, is your Ice Release also like that?" Genji asked.
The Yuki clan had been annihilated during Obito's machinations.
Ice Release had also disappeared with them, and seeing it again, he couldn't help but be moved.
"That's right, when I went to Kirigakure, I encountered a Ninja who used Ice Release, so I later developed it myself."
Takemi nodded, but at least he gave Kirigakure some face, and at the same time, he didn't forget to turn to Deidara.
"Deidara, your art is truly amazing. If it weren't for your art, I wouldn't have won so easily."
"Of course!"
Deidara was still smug, but Ōnoki, unable to hold back, smacked him on the head.
His mood was exceptionally complex now. Dust Release had been learned by a Konoha Ninja, and one who also knew the Flying Thunder God Technique.
This situation made him feel incredibly thorny and uncomfortable. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely try his best to kill him.
But now...
Boom—
Fortunately, at this moment, another thunder-like roar echoed through Konoha, and the earth trembled again.
This immediately brought everyone back to their senses, their gazes turning to the distance.
"One Tail has not fully recovered yet. Let the sealing squad handle it. Let's go take a look now."
Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then looked at Ōnoki and Genji and said.
"Thank you both for your choice. I think after everything is settled, we can have a more in-depth discussion, but for now, let's focus on the present."
"I have no objection."
Genji nodded, and Ōnoki could only snort coldly and say no more.
Since things had come to this, what else could he do?
His only consolation was that Hiruzen would make compensation, and Deidara had also inherited his Dust Release.
But after glancing at Deidara, who was staring intently at Takemi, he felt another headache.
"How can Konoha's genius be so powerful, eliminating the Fourth Raikage and Kazekage, while my Deidara here is such a failure?"
Meanwhile, outside, Takemi, who had transformed into Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki, immediately sensed it.
"Is it over at the village?"
It had to be said, the 'God Tree Clone' was much better than Shadow Clone and the like.
Its operation was likely reliant on the 'god tree source' within his body, so information sharing was instantaneous.
The moment the battle ended over there, he would know it here too.
"Looks like I need to speed up too."
Takemi muttered to himself. He wasn't surprised that his clone had killed two Kage.
Although it was just a clone, he had the information, he had Flying Thunder God, and he even had Dust Release.
Even if its strength was much weaker than the main body, as long as these things were present, it would definitely not be bad, and seizing the opportunity would surely allow it to succeed.
"However, the Gedo Statue is not just generally hard..."
Looking at the roaring Gedo Statue, Takemi couldn't help but curse under his breath.
The Gedo Statue was, after all, the Ten-Tails' body. Even without the Tailed Beast's energy, it was still incredibly tough.
Takemi's attacks with Totsuka Blade were effective, each swing leaving gashes.
But with Nagato driving it relentlessly, this thing could continuously recover.
"No wonder it had to be sealed within the moon. But why don't my eyes have the authority to control this thing?"
Dodging the Gedo Statue's swinging arms, Takemi wondered.
"Is it because this authority only resides within the Rinnegan?"
At this moment, the ground instantly trembled, dust flew everywhere, and endless rubble surged towards him.
He shook his head slightly, and in the next instant, his Chakra suddenly burst forth, and the Totsuka Blade in his hand roared out again.
The Gedo Statue seemed to sense something, and its hand clenched into a fist, meeting the blade. In an instant, the two forces collided.
Boom—
Two massive storms intertwined, immediately forming a sharp wind howl.
A visible shockwave instantly spread outwards, and this energy pulse caused Takemi in the sky to quickly dodge.
The Gedo Statue, meanwhile, was knocked to the ground, looking incredibly disheveled.
"You don't seem as powerful as you claim!"
Accompanied by a slight tremor, the Gedo Statue's massive body stood up again. The Gedo Statue opened its mouth, revealing Nagato hidden within.
He was now constantly gasping for breath, and countless black iron rods were connected behind him. Activating the Gedo Statue was not an easy task for him.
But his gaze was fixed on Takemi, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Where's your arrogance from before? Didn't you look down on everyone?"
"I admit, your ability to control the Ten-Tails' body truly surprised me."
Takemi raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained calm. After this battle, he had a rough idea of the Gedo Statue's current strength.
He had a way to deal with it. After all, he hadn't truly 'gone all out' yet.
"I have to say, the Rinnegan satisfies me, but you still don't seem to understand one thing."
Takemi spoke while rapidly mobilizing his Chakra.
Faintly, a vast power echoed in the sky, and he continued to speak unhurriedly.
"I've always been unwilling to cause too much slaughter. After all, my relationship with you lower-class beings is like your relationship with ants. It would be disgraceful to kill for amusement."
As he spoke, the Chakra on his body vibrated even more intensely, and Nagato seemed to feel an unparalleled sense of suffocation.
He slowly raised his head and looked at the sky. Although the sky was still covered in dark clouds, he felt that something big was about to happen.
"But don't misunderstand. When an ant blocks your path, you will step on it."
"I've always held back to avoid damaging the Rinnegan, but now, I'm more curious about something."
At this point, Takemi's voice became somewhat distant and clear, and it seemed to carry a hint of mockery.
"Have you ever cared about how the ants you stepped on felt at that moment?"
As soon as his voice fell, Nagato felt as if the world had fallen silent. The ground beneath his feet was covered by a thicker layer of dark clouds.
He stared blankly at the sky, his face full of disbelief, and Takemi's voice sounded again.
"Perhaps I can ask in a different way: Have you ever experienced despair?"