Seeing his clone destroyed, Nagato's eyes flashed with dense killing intent.
The Naraka Path was extremely important to him. It was the repair tool used to restore his other clones. At this moment, Nagato clearly understood that Gekko Chizan truly knew his secrets.
"Hmph! I don't know why you understand my situation so well."
"But I refuse to believe you have the strength to face it!"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Enraged, Nagato could no longer care about anything else. He slammed both hands onto the ground and directly performed the Summoning Jutsu.
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted once more. The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which had originally been in the cave behind them, appeared again. The moment it arrived, it let out a furious roar.
"Roar!"
The enormous sound even drew the attention of Chōmei and Uchiha Makito, who were locked in fierce battle on the other side.
"Damn, isn't that the shell of the Ten-Tails?"
"Why is that thing even here?"
At the loud exclamation, Uchiha Makito's eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't strange for a Tailed Beast to know about the Ten-Tails.
At the same time, he suddenly understood why Gekko Chizan knew so much. Perhaps the Seven-Tails had told him.
After all, the current scene clearly showed that Gekko Chizan was undoubtedly a perfect Jinchūriki—and had handled his relationship with his Tailed Beast extremely well.
Otherwise, how could both man and beast appear on the battlefield at the same time?
"Chizan, fall back!"
"That thing isn't easy to deal with!"
"Sage Art: Giant Python Coil!"
Tagitsuhime reacted faster than Gekko Chizan. A red flash streaked past, and beneath the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's feet, a massive crimson python suddenly appeared, instantly coiling around it.
She cultivated sage arts. Her perception was unmatched. From the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, she sensed something deeply ominous.
As if a single misstep would mean death.
"Of course I know that thing isn't easy to handle!"
"Chōmei!"
Gekko Chizan clearly understood the terror of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Without hesitation, he retreated.
At the same time, he called out to his comrade.
Chōmei had just rammed Isobu away and dodged a strike from Susanoo's massive trident when he heard Gekko Chizan's call.
Without a second thought, he turned into a streak of light and flew toward him.
"Chizan, I'm here!"
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"Oh~~~ alright!"
Chōmei had grown incredibly fond of using Tailed Beast Bombs—mainly because Gekko Chizan could elevate their power by several tiers.
"Hmph, a Tailed Beast Bomb?"
"I have one too!"
"Mukyō!"
Seeing his opponent rush to the main battlefield, Uchiha Makito refused to fall behind. Activating his dōjutsu, he and the Three-Tails arrived there simultaneously.
Upon seeing the Seven-Tails gathering a Tailed Beast Bomb, he immediately ordered the Three-Tails to do the same and counter with its own.
Little did he know how laughable that idea was—he was practically sending the Three-Tails straight to its respawn point.
"Roar!"
The Three-Tails let out a furious roar and began condensing a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Gekko Chizan sneered at the sight.
"Chōmei! Accelerate the gathering! Tailed Beast Bomb Laser—send the Three-Tails to respawn!"
"Oh yeah! Isobu, sorry about this. This time, I'm definitely winning!"
With a strange cry, Chōmei's chakra began to gather wildly.
"Chizan, hurry! I can't hold that big guy much longer!"
Tagitsuhime continued pouring chakra into her technique to suppress the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path while urging him on.
She could clearly feel the statue gradually breaking free from her jutsu.
"Trying to control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path? Dream on!"
"Kakuzu, Kabuto—attack!"
Nagato pressed his palms together, struggling to control the statue. Its activation relied entirely on his life force.
That left him with no extra strength to control his clones.
Thus, the burden of attack fell solely upon Kakuzu and Kabuto.
Neither of them spoke. By this point in the battle, their worldviews had already been shattered. Gekko Chizan's strength had completely astonished them.
Facing so many opponents alone—and not falling into a disadvantage at all.
"Iron Sand World Method! Die!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage! Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
Without hesitation, the two unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously.
A combined wind-and-fire ninjutsu, along with iron sand forming countless sharp spikes, surged once more toward Gekko Chizan.
"Hmph, how annoying!"
"Water Release: Water Pillar Formation!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
While channeling chakra to help Chōmei condense the Tailed Beast Bomb, Gekko Chizan freed one hand to defend.
They weren't particularly powerful ninjutsu, but his chakra reserves were immense.
Relying on the defensive force of those two techniques, he forcibly blocked Kakuzu and Kabuto's assault.
"It's coming! It's coming!"
"Isobu, sayonara!"
"Tailed Beast Bomb! Laser!"
With its superior gathering speed, the Tailed Beast Bomb before Chōmei erupted.
A black-and-red beam flashed forth like the scythe of death.
The Three-Tails Isobu, still in the process of condensing its Tailed Beast Bomb, had no chance to defend.
The beam pierced straight through the unfinished Tailed Beast Bomb, then blasted directly into Isobu's head.
"Boom!"
The massive explosion instantly engulfed the Three-Tails Isobu.
"Impossible!"
"How could it be that fast?"
"And that—was that really a Tailed Beast Bomb??"
Uchiha Makito's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the Three-Tails Isobu struck by the Seven-Tails' attack.
Was that still a Tailed Beast Bomb?
No—that was a beam!
"Unbelievable..."
"That's no longer a Tailed Beast Bomb..."
"He turned it into a beam? Drastically increasing its condensation speed and power?"
"How did he even do that..."
Black Zetsu was stunned as well. Hidden nearby, he had seen it even more clearly.
Though it still appeared to be a Tailed Beast Bomb, the power of the Seven-Tails' attack had completely surpassed the original form.
No—that wasn't something a normal Tailed Beast Bomb could even compare to.
The terrifying destructive force and speed...
"Did it work?"
"Chizan!"
"I can't hold on anymore!"
Even amid her shock, Tagitsuhime felt her control weakening further.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was about to break free.
"Pull back, Tagitsuhime."
"One down."
Gekko Chizan gave the order confidently.
At that moment, the explosion subsided and the smoke dispersed.
As for the Three-Tails?
Heh. Sorry—but even a turtle renowned for its defense had no way to turn the tide after taking that hit.
"Thud..."
Another sound rang out.
But this time, it came from the Three-Tails. Its massive body had lost all strength and collapsed to the ground.
"Damn it! How could this happen!?"
Uchiha Makito could hardly believe his own eyes.
Yet the scene before him was undeniably real.
A huge hole had been blasted into the Three-Tails' massive head. Although the attack hadn't pierced straight through, half its head had been blown open.
It was obvious.
The Three-Tails was finished.
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