"Oh, so someone else decided to show up?"
Seeing the sudden appearance of Obito Uchiha, Kitagawa Minamoto raised an eyebrow.
In truth, he had been waiting for these individuals to arrive. After all, he didn't want them interfering with his mission.
Besides…
"At the moment, it seems that aside from Nagato, no one else can truly stand in my way."
Looking at the tense expressions on the faces of the Akatsuki members, a faint smile appeared beneath Minamoto's mask.
Right now, in this era, he was undoubtedly at the top.
Of course, perhaps in three more years, he wouldn't be able to act so recklessly.
But then again, wouldn't he also grow stronger over those three years?
After this mission, Minamoto believed his strength would reach a new level. By then, he could implement his next plan.
"The moon, huh…"
Raising his head, his gaze shifted to the sky.
"I'm getting closer and closer. Just one more step, and I'll completely lock onto it. Then…"
He was confident he could fully control the Tenseigan and make its power entirely his own!
Thinking of this, Minamoto felt even more at ease. His Chakra surged with renewed vigor.
"Hey, are you guys alright? What's the deal with that guy?"
Minamoto remained still, while Obito Uchiha arrived with Hidan and Hiruko in tow.
Seeing the exhausted and battered group, Hidan couldn't help but ask curiously.
"What's the deal with that guy?"
Even Hiruko, known for his arrogance, couldn't help but mutter as he looked at Minamoto.
"Strong… unbelievably strong."
Nagato, who was in the best condition thanks to Zetsu constantly replenishing his Chakra, raised his head to look at Minamoto, who was calmly hovering in mid-air.
As if making a decision, Nagato spoke in a low voice.
"But no matter how strong someone is, they have weaknesses. Buy me some time. I need to use a technique."
"Buy you time? Don't tell me…"
Obito Uchiha quickly deduced Nagato's plan.
"Are you sure about this? Won't it…"
"I know what I'm doing."
Nagato nodded, his Chakra continuing to gather.
"His target isn't just the Tailed Beasts. He's also after my Rinnegan.
But his space-time ninjutsu is terrifying. We were transported out of there without even realizing it.
Even if you try to take us away, you'll need to prepare thoroughly. Otherwise…"
Nagato's words left Obito silent.
The last time he tried to ambush Minamoto, he ended up being forced to use Izanagi to escape. That painful memory still haunted him!
It was clear that this Ōtsutsuki Minamoto could see through his techniques.
And to make matters worse, this guy was targeting the Rinnegan, which explained why he was relentlessly pursuing Nagato.
"I understand. We'll cooperate with you."
Obito nodded decisively, and the others, understanding the gravity of the situation, prepared themselves.
Now, it was truly a fight for their lives.
"Are you done discussing?"
At that moment, Minamoto suddenly spoke, looking down at the Akatsuki members from above.
"I'm afraid my time is a bit tight. It's about time to send you all on your way."
"Tch, what an arrogant guy."
Hidan, hearing this, felt irritated, while Hiruko sneered coldly.
"An ignorant fool. Who do you think you are?!"
"Hmph, you may be strong…"
Even Obito couldn't hold back, clenching his fists as he spoke in a low voice.
"But do you really think you're invincible? Stop acting so high and mighty. Who do you think you are?!"
"It seems you're still naive. That's my mistake."
Hearing this, Minamoto didn't seem angry. He simply shook his head slightly, his voice turning colder.
"After all, playing around with you for so long inevitably gave you a false sense of confidence."
As he spoke, Minamoto raised his blade slightly, and his aura grew even colder.
"You see, to me…"
In an instant, the blade swung out. The strike was swift, domineering, and unstoppable!
At the same time, Minamoto's voice echoed faintly.
"In front of me, there are no equals."
Buzz—
The Sword of Totsuka unleashed a torrent of Chakra, sweeping across the battlefield.
"What is this power?!"
Faced with this strike, everyone instinctively felt a surge of fear!
Even Nagato, who was preparing his technique, quickly dodged. Only Hidan remained motionless.
"Why are you all running…"
He muttered, but his expression changed in the next moment.
Boom—
Amidst the roaring Chakra, Hidan's body was instantly torn apart, his flesh scattering across the ground!
"Idiot."
Seeing Hidan's arrogance lead to his demise, the others couldn't help but curse inwardly.
But they had to admit that Hidan's sacrifice gave them a glimpse of the blade's terrifying power.
"Where do you think you're going?"
As the others tried to retreat, Sasori suddenly felt his body freeze. In the blink of an eye, he was forcibly dragged down from mid-air!
"Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath. Surrendering wasn't an option for him.
He frantically controlled his puppets to resist. Countless puppets surged forward, launching an all-out assault on Minamoto.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Danzō's puppet unleashed a violent gust of wind toward Minamoto.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"
The Third Kazekage puppet manipulated iron sand to attack, while other puppets joined in with their own jutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet."
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet."
A barrage of ninjutsu roared toward Minamoto, but the shimmering barrier surrounding him shattered all their hopes.
"First one."
Under Minamoto's cold declaration, the Sword of Totsuka swung down.
Boom—
Sasori barely reached for his core, but in an instant, he seemed to lose focus.
The Sword of Totsuka's unique ability trapped him in a blissful illusion.
The next moment, a deafening explosion erupted, sending smoke and dust skyward!
A deep chasm appeared, stretching far into the distance.
Sasori's body was utterly destroyed.
"Damn it, Sasori… is dead?"
Seeing Sasori's shattered form, the others felt their hearts sink.
But they reacted quickly.
"Now's our chance!"
Without hesitation, everyone except Nagato launched their attacks simultaneously.
"Wood Release: Hell."
Obito abandoned Fire Release, knowing it would be ineffective. Instead, he used Wood Release.
Beneath Minamoto, massive trees spiraled upward, their sharp branches menacingly aimed at him.
"Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot!"
Kakuzu gathered the masks of wind, fire, and lightning on his right arm, unleashing a torrent of Chakra.
"Storm Release: Thundercloud Pressure Wave!"
Hiruko formed seals rapidly, summoning a thunderous storm from the clouds above.
Meanwhile, Itachi Uchiha, who had been lying in wait, silently appeared behind Minamoto.
"Aren't you supposed to be untouchable? Let's see if you can handle this!"
Clad in his crimson Susano'o, now in its third stage, Itachi unsheathed his blade and struck without hesitation.
"Not bad teamwork."
Minamoto nodded slightly, seemingly acknowledging their efforts.
This was the coordination of top-tier shinobi.
Despite losing two teammates instantly, they managed to seize the fleeting opportunity.
"And you even tried to provoke me. How amusing…"
Minamoto chuckled softly.
The next moment, an immense repulsive force erupted from his body.
The visible energy expanded outward, shattering the Wood Release below, obliterating the incoming jutsu, and dispersing the thunderclouds above.
"Foolish."
Minamoto's figure vanished and reappeared behind Hiruko in an instant.
The Sword of Totsuka fell, and Hiruko's body was sent flying!
"Never seek beauty in battle."
With another flash, Minamoto was in front of Kakuzu.
"And never seek virtue in death."
The Sword of Totsuka struck again, and Kakuzu's scream echoed as he was launched into the air.
"If you wish to protect what's worth protecting…"
In the blink of an eye, Minamoto appeared before Obito.
"Too fast!"
Obito activated Kamui, but the Sword of Totsuka's Genjutsu caused a momentary lapse.
Pain surged through him as Minamoto's blade found its mark.
And then, Minamoto turned his attention to Nagato, who had been preparing his technique.
"Strike down the ones you want to defeat from behind."
But just as Minamoto approached, Nagato's Chakra erupted.
"Summoning Technique: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
(End of Chapter)
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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