The Rinnegan and the Mangekyō Sharingan both flashed with a trace of shock.
They had observed so carefully, yet they still missed it? How was that possible?
An invisible shadow clone was currently lying comfortably underground, surrounded entirely by hard crystal, while sending a formula kunai up to the surface.
Using Transparent Release as a digging machine—who would ever think of that?
So what if it was a Complete Susanoo? Gekko Chizan and Tagitsuhime demonstrated what it truly meant for a giant serpent to devour a human.
The crimson giant snake was tightly coiling around the Susanoo.
On one side was a pitch-black chakra energy body; on the other was a crimson senjutsu energy body.
Even Uchiha Makito, at this moment, felt what true death entanglement really meant.
That enormous snake mouth had already clamped down on the head of his Susanoo.
Corrosive energy filled with fire poison was steadily eroding the energy of the Susanoo.
As for Nagato, the Titan Python's body also contained extremely powerful chakra. Gekko Chizan's senjutsu chakra couldn't compare to Tagitsuhime's, but Nagato hadn't activated a giant avatar either.
"Cut, he still managed to get close using Flying Thunder God?"
"But you still underestimated my—"
"What?!"
Facing this situation, Uchiha Makito still showed some disdain. After all, his ocular techniques were more than enough to save them from danger. But just as his eyes were about to move—
Suddenly, a red light shone directly onto his face. The blinding red glow made it so that, for a moment, he could see nothing but red.
"Even with Uchiha ocular techniques, without focus, let's see where you can fly!"
"Senjutsu Art, Poison Flame Sunset!"
Tagitsuhime's violent voice, paired with the crimson light covering her entire body, truly turned her into a raging demon at that moment.
Uchiha Makito's ocular technique, Mukyō, shortened or extended all distances within his line of sight.
But if he couldn't see—if he couldn't focus—then he couldn't activate his ocular technique at all.
Tagitsuhime had lived for over a thousand years and was familiar with all kinds of techniques. Even though this was her first time fighting against this ocular power, she found a way to counter it in the shortest possible time.
Seeing her suppress Uchiha Makito, Gekko Chizan was utterly thrilled.
He knew it—how could the Snake Princess of Ryūchi Cave possibly lose to the Uchiha?
Now, as long as he killed Nagato, everything would be okay!
"Watch me turn you into crystal!"
To directly kill Nagato, Gekko Chizan abandoned even his Titan Python body.
All of his senjutsu chakra began to crystallize.
The speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, the Titan Python lost its glow and turned entirely into crystal, and Nagato, who had been swallowed inside, was now in grave danger.
"Damn it, I didn't expect a single snake from Ryūchi Cave to cause this much trouble."
"As expected, none of the Three Great Sacred Lands are pushovers!"
"In that case!"
"Summoning Technique!"
"Outer Path Demonic Statue!"
Nagato had been pushed to the brink. Wrapped inside the Titan Python, even if he used Shinra Tensei, what could he do?
He broke free, but Uchiha Makito's situation was also extremely precarious.
Driven to desperation, Nagato directly unleashed his ultimate trump card.
...
At the same time, far away in the Mist Village, Zetsu stood there with a blank expression—because his Outer Path Demonic Statue was gone. Completely gone!
"What exactly happened?!"
"Why would Nagato summon away the Outer Path Demonic Statue?!"
...
On the battlefield, the gigantic Outer Path Demonic Statue directly burst apart Gekko Chizan's Titan Python, making him curse out loud.
"Fuck!"
"This is the Outer Path Demonic Statue?!"
The Titan Python's body was entirely condensed from senjutsu chakra. Even though it had been ruptured, it could still recover.
But the massive demonic statue before him was what truly shocked Gekko Chizan.
This was the shell of the Ten-Tails!
"Chizan?"
"What is this?"
Tagitsuhime, who had the upper hand, immediately noticed Gekko Chizan's condition.
The Titan Python vanished, and the gigantic demonic statue was already charging toward her.
"Tagitsuhime! We retreat!"
Gekko Chizan had no intention of clashing with the Outer Path Demonic Statue. Even though it was just a shell, he didn't believe that his and Tagitsuhime's attacks could harm it.
Rather than that, it was better to stop here. The appearance of the Outer Path Demonic Statue meant he no longer had any way to keep the opponent here.
Nagato summoned the Outer Path Demonic Statue, and his remaining few clones all gathered together, concentrating all their power onto Nagato himself.
To operate the Outer Path Demonic Statue required an absurd amount of chakra. Even Nagato couldn't use it for long—but at this moment, he was practically insane. He didn't care about that at all.
This was also Tagitsuhime's first time seeing this thing. Hearing Gekko Chizan's words, she immediately released Uchiha Makito's Susanoo and instantly compressed her massive body.
The crimson light before Uchiha Makito's eyes gradually faded.
"Huh? The Outer Path Demonic Statue?"
"Nagato?"
"Forget it, let's kill him first!"
Uchiha Makito wanted to say more, but in the end, it all turned into killing intent toward Gekko Chizan.
"Boom!"
Gekko Chizan and Tagitsuhime dodged one wave of attacks.
Looking at the Susanoo and the Outer Path Demonic Statue closing in, he didn't hesitate at all and directly escaped using Flying Thunder God.
The speed was so fast that Uchiha Makito and Nagato could only stare helplessly.
"Chase?"
"Chase! Can you see his figure?"
"I can't."
"Then what the hell are we chasing?!"
Nagato cursed angrily, waved his hand
"Leave?"
"Let's go."
Uchiha Makito also dispersed his Susanoo, then activated his ocular technique and took Nagato away from the area.
...
What they didn't know was that Gekko Chizan and Tagitsuhime hadn't actually left at all—instead, they had gone straight underground.
"Chizan, you really are clever. You actually had a shadow clone use Crystal Release to dig a tunnel down here?"
"This is called keeping a trump card, you know?"
Gekko Chizan found a comfortable position and lay down underground, where everything was already wrapped in crystal.
It was precisely what the shadow clone had dug earlier.
"From my perception, the auras of both of them have already disappeared. They should have left."
"What now? Go to the Nine-Tails' side?"
Tagitsuhime also calmed down at this point. The recent battle had drained her severely. She had used senjutsu chakra excessively, and now she actually felt a long-lost sense of fatigue.
"Forget it. The Nine-Tails' side has Minato and that Thirdn. Let them have a headache over it."
"Just holding those two back was already hard enough for me."
"But, Tagitsuhime, I suddenly have a novel idea. Help me test it?"
Gekko Chizan suddenly revealed a mischievous grin. That restless, wicked idea of his had surfaced again.
Tonight was a major event for the village. He had put in quite a bit of effort—he ought to get some compensation back, right?
"Ugh, every time you grin like that, nothing good ever comes of it!"