Chapter 203: The Demonic Statue and the Electromagnetic Storm
Nagato flashed a serpent hand sign, then clapped his hands together.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
RUMBLE!
Massive, twisted trees erupted from the earth, spreading in every direction like a tidal wave of wood. This time, the scale was far greater than before, the growth explosively fast.
In perfect sync, Genichi's six Paths—his Zetsu clones—opened their mouths and exhaled a滚滚 torrent of frost. The arctic air slammed into the encroaching forest, and in an instant, a layer of thick ice coated the trees. The rampant growth slowed, then ground to a complete halt, frozen in place.
With the jutsu countered, Nagato kept his hands clasped, gathering an immense amount of chakra. As the frost completely encased every last branch of his wooden creation, he finished his preparations.
He separated his hands, revealing a small, black sphere hovering over his palm, glowing with a faint white light. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it soaring into the sky.
Clap!
Nagato brought his palms together once more.
Planetary Devastation!
Instantly, the black core high above pulsed with a blinding white light, and a powerful attractive force washed over everything below.
CRACK! RUMBLE!
The ground fractured. The frozen forest shattered into countless shards of ice and wood, all of it ripped from the earth and pulled toward the sky. Genichi, who was hovering in the air, and his six Paths on the ground were all caught in the irresistible pull.
Giant chunks of earth, boulders, and debris from the collapsing mountainside followed, drawn into the sky to form a massive sphere. Even using a technique to drastically increase their own weight could only slow their ascent; the gravitational pull of Planetary Devastation was absolute.
"Sage Mode!"
At that moment, all six clones entered Sage Mode simultaneously. Icy-blue pigmentation appeared around their eyes, a slight imperfection showing they couldn't match the main body's perfect control over natural energy. But it didn't matter.
Empowered by senjutsu, they unleashed their attacks. A Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, a Magnet Release: Rasenshuriken, and an Ice Release: Rasenshuriken—six devastating projectiles in total—were hurled toward the core of the forming satellite. They spun with blinding speed and struck their target with perfect precision.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion of light and sound ripped through the sky. The core of the Planetary Devastation was torn apart by the combined force of the six Rasenshuriken. The gravitational pull vanished, and for a moment, everything hung in the air before crashing back down to the ravaged earth.
"Even this technique… was defeated so easily?" Nagato thought, a profound sense of failure washing over him. The power of a god had been shattered.
Konan was equally stunned, perhaps even more so. She had mentally prepared for the possibility of defeat—after all, Uchiha Tekka had warned them that without the power of the Tailed Beasts, even the Rinnegan couldn't contend with Kinoshita Genichi. He had claimed that defeating him would require the combined strength of Nagato, Madara, and Tekka himself.
At the time, Konan had dismissed it as a ploy to convince them to resurrect Madara. Now, she was forced to admit it might have been the truth. Genichi hadn't even seemed to reveal any astonishing new power, yet he had effortlessly dismantled the god-like techniques of the Rinnegan one by one.
"What other power is this man hiding?" she wondered, her eyes fixed on him.
On the ground, Nagato took a deep breath and slammed his palm onto the earth.
Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!
BOOM!
The ground split open, and the upper half of a monstrous statue erupted from behind Nagato. It propped itself up on its massive arms and let out a deafening roar that kicked up a gale-force wind. Unlike the time he had faced Hanzō, when he had to embed black receivers into his back to channel chakra, this time Nagato leaped onto the statue's head. A thick tube extended from the behemoth and plunged directly into the back of his neck.
"Come forth!" Nagato roared, his face contorted into a grimace.
The earth trembled violently as the Demonic Statue, which had only shown its upper torso, began to rise further, pulling its entire lower body from the depths of the ground.
The complete Demonic Statue stood before them.
"So, it really is different this time," Genichi mused aloud, staring up at the terrifying colossus. "And as expected, the Mirror Eye can't copy the Demonic Statue at all."
His dōjutsu could even replicate the Rinnegan, but it was completely useless against the statue. This meant the statue's existence was on a plane far beyond his ability. The Rinnegan, for all its power, was still a Kekkei Genkai. But the Demonic Statue was the empty husk of the Ten-Tails, a vessel of the God Tree itself—the very source of the shinobi world's power. Its fundamental nature surpassed any Kekkei Genkai, Kekkei Tōta, or even Kekkei Mōra.
A thought crossed Genichi's mind. Is such a being man-made, or was it born from nature? The Otsutsuki clan had more than one Ten-Tails. When Kaguya and Isshiki arrived on Earth, they had two. Staring at the statue, Genichi smelled a conspiracy woven through the very fabric of history.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The mountain-sized Demonic Statue lumbered toward them. Suddenly, lightning crackled from the stump-like protrusions on its shoulders before erupting in a massive, widespread barrage of electrical blasts.
Genichi's six clones formed a line. Electricity danced around their bodies as they thrust their hands forward. From their chakra, massive wolves of lightning, each three to four meters tall, took shape. With howls that sounded like the friction of grinding electricity, they charged forward.
Sage Art: Lightning Release: Thunderclap Tigers!
BOOM!
Lightning met lightning in a chaotic explosion. For a moment, the battlefield was nothing but blinding flashes, deafening thunder, and billowing dust.
When the attack failed, Nagato had the Demonic Statue stop and open its mouth, where a dense sphere of chakra began to form rapidly.
Genichi's eyes narrowed. A chakra dragon? No…
It's a Tailed Beast Bomb!
The clone possessing the Sharingan instantly flashed to the front and clapped its hands. A towering golem made of pure ice rose from the ground. The other five clones leaped onto the Ice Golem's head, placing their hands on the lead clone's back and channeling their chakra into it.
Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to be completed, the three tomoe in the clone's Sharingan spun wildly, morphing into the distinct pattern of a Mangekyō Sharingan.
In the next instant, a skeletal frame of emerald-green chakra erupted around the Ice Golem, quickly followed by ethereal armor and flesh, encasing it completely. A perfect Susanoo, with its Tengu-like armor, had formed a shell around the ice construct.
A Susanoo-armored Ice Golem.
This clone's Sharingan was not its original. Genichi had replaced it with Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō, an eye he had "borrowed" from the future. The clone's original three-tomoe eye had been transplanted into the palm of its hand for backup.
"Susanoo!" Konan gasped. "He has a Mangekyō Sharingan, too? Is it Uchiha Tekka's?"
"No," Nagato said, his voice strained with shock. "Tekka's Susanoo isn't that color. Our intelligence said he only had a single three-tomoe Sharingan."
Another completely unexpected development.
But there was no more time for shock. The Demonic Statue fired its Tailed Beast Bomb. The dark red, cone-shaped blast tore through the air.
The Susanoo-Ice Golem raised its hands. A spiraling lance of chakra formed in its left, while a greatsword forged from both Susanoo's energy and solid ice materialized in its right. As the Tailed Beast Bomb closed in, the golem swung its massive blade, positioning it vertically like a shield to intercept the blast.
The resulting impact sent a shockwave that shook the very air and earth. The Tailed Beast Bomb ground against the Susanoo's blade, sending off explosive sparks of energy that shot out in every direction. Each spark was like a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb, detonating upon impact with the ground and leaving massive craters.
From a safe distance, the Zetsu known as Tobi, who appeared to have no eyes, looked on with what could only be described as slack-jawed astonishment. "Susanoo! But that color… it's not Fugaku Uchiha's! What is going on? Yep, I definitely have to find a new master. I hope the next one is nicer."
…
"It was blocked… completely?" Nagato was already panting from the strain, but he grit his teeth and commanded the Demonic Statue to charge forward.
The two giants thundered toward each other. The Susanoo-Ice Golem swung its blade and thrust its spiral lance, aiming to cleave and pierce the statue. But the Demonic Statue shot its arms out, catching both weapons in its massive hands.
BOOM!
The force of their struggle warped the air and kicked up a violent storm. Once again, lightning began to arc between the stumps on the statue's shoulders.
"Nagato, watch out!" Konan's warning cry came from behind.
Atop the statue's head, Nagato looked up just in time to see a blur of bluish-purple light descending from the sky.
It was Kinoshita Genichi.
His entire body was now cloaked in an armor of pure, solidified lightning, as tangible and formidable as a perfect Susanoo. This was a chakra mode formed by his Kekkei Tōta, Electromagnetic Release, which he used to bind and solidify the chakra from his Kekkei Genkai, Storm Release. And it was all amplified by senjutsu.
Its name was Electromagnetic Storm Release Chakra Mode.
In this state, Genichi's speed was terrifying. The moment Nagato registered his presence, the attack had already landed.
A blade of pure Storm Release energy extended from Genichi's right hand, its form similar to Chidori Sharp Spear but infinitely more potent. It was the Sword of Takemikazuchi.
He brought the sword down. With a sickening crunch, the Demonic Statue's left arm was severed at the shoulder, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.
"He cut off the statue's arm!?"
Horrified, Nagato leaped from the statue's head, ripping the tube from his neck. He quickly clapped his hands together. Just as Genichi was about to strike the statue again, it vanished in a puff of smoke.
The summoning had been canceled.
Genichi landed gracefully atop the green Susanoo-Ice Golem, his body merging into its chakra. The Electromagnetic Storm armor dissolved from his body and flowed outwards, coating the Susanoo itself, including its weapons.
Ice Release, Susanoo, and Electromagnetic Storm Release—a fusion of two Kekkei Tōta and two Kekkei Genkai, all empowered by Sage Art.
High in the air, Nagato separated his palms. Another black sphere shot out, rapidly expanding to envelop the Susanoo-golem below.
Konan's paper clone flew to his side. "Nagato, we have to retreat!"
He nodded. The core of the new Planetary Devastation had already trapped the Susanoo-golem and a huge chunk of the landscape, slowly rising as more debris was pulled in to form another rocky moon. Konan's clone then dissolved into a countless swarm of paper sheets, which swirled around and stuck to the rising sphere.
Every single sheet was an explosive tag. As Nagato fell back, they all ignited.
BOOOOM!
For a brief, blinding moment, the Planetary Devastation became a miniature, exploding sun.
"What a spectacular sight!" Tobi exclaimed with awe.
Aloe Zetsu and Black Zetsu emerged from the ground, gazing up at the massive fireball.
"Well, that was entirely unexpected," Aloe Zetsu commented. "I have a feeling that Kinoshita Genichi is even more of a monster than Lord Madara."
"Under normal circumstances, that is correct," Black Zetsu hissed, clinging to Aloe's back. "The man has mastered several Kekkei Genkai and can combine them. His chakra reserves are also astounding, far greater than Nagato's, even with the Hashirama cells. However, if Lord Madara were to be fully revived, things would be very different. Nagato is only using the most basic abilities of the Rinnegan."
Tobi threw his hands up. "Be that as it may, what do we do now? I really doubt that flashy explosion is enough to finish him. If Genichi decides to hunt him down, Nagato will end up just like that Tekka fellow, right? Then Lord Madara can't be revived." He tilted his head. "I think we should just switch sides and join Genichi! He seems to agree with Nagato's goals anyway. We could help him with the Moon's Eye Plan!"
The sheer absurdity of the suggestion almost made Black Zetsu, the millennium-old schemer, lose his composure. "It is precisely because he agrees with Nagato that he won't kill him now," he said coldly.
"Oh? Is that so?" Tobi asked, surprised. "Why?"
"It's because of bonds, isn't it?" Aloe Zetsu chuckled. "Konoha has become a chain holding him back. Just like Lord Madara back in the day; he had the power to crush the other villages, but he couldn't. I imagine the people of Konoha would never approve of his insane plans. So, he wants to use Nagato's power to destroy the other hidden villages for him?"
A dark grin spread across Black Zetsu's non-existent face. He saw the fireball in the sky being torn open from within. "We need to go, now! He's coming out!"
Tobi and Aloe Zetsu immediately sank back into the earth.
CRASH!
The Susanoo-Ice Golem landed heavily, kicking up a storm of dust and rock.
Deep underground, Tobi shivered. "That was close! If we were any slower, I would have had to betray Lord Madara and get a new master!"
"They certainly run fast," Genichi chuckled to himself.
He deactivated the Electromagnetic Storm mode. The Susanoo vanished. The Ice Golem dissolved. He turned to his six clones.
"Take the Demonic Statue's arm and return. Begin analyzing it."
"Understood."
After sealing the massive arm in a scroll, the six clones flickered and disappeared.
Genichi surveyed the battlefield. It was unrecognizable, a wasteland of craters and rubble. If this fight had taken place inside Amegakure, the entire village would have been wiped off the map. He felt a slight twinge of disappointment; Nagato was still a bit too weak to give him a truly satisfying fight.
Still, the mission had been a success.
First, he had tested the capabilities of his new Zetsu clones. They had performed admirably. With a full tank of chakra, they could handle a high-intensity battle without issue. One-on-one, they could even take on a user of a perfect Susanoo like Uchiha Tekka. This drastically increased his overall combat output.
Second, he had analyzed the Rinnegan with his Mirror Eye. He had spent most of the fight observing, cataloging every ability Nagato used. Though Nagato could only access the Rinnegan's basic powers, it was enough. After today, Genichi was confident he could "acquire" a pair from the future whenever he needed them. The real prize wasn't the eyes themselves, but the secrets they held.
Third, the Demonic Statue. His Mirror Eye's inability to copy it was expected. Obtaining one of its arms for research had been a crucial objective.
Genichi glanced toward the Hidden Rain Village. He had no intention of killing Nagato. Nagato's life or death was irrelevant to him. Even Madara's Rinnegan was of little importance.
What was important was whether Madara could be revived.
Whether the Ten-Tails could be revived.
And whether Kaguya Otsutsuki could be revived.
Black Zetsu had spent a thousand years manipulating the Uchiha clan like puppets. And above them all, the Sage of Six Paths seemed to be watching from the heavens, waiting to intervene at the critical moment to ensure his desired outcome. A millennium ago, the Sage had told the Tailed Beasts they would one day be reunited. As a paranoid man who saw conspiracies everywhere, Genichi was warier of the Sage of Six Paths than he was of Kaguya.
"Peace… none of that matters to me," Genichi thought, his gaze turning cold. "What matters is getting my hands on all of them, understanding them, and then surpassing them all."
He turned and vanished.
On the surface, he was already the strongest being on the planet. But he knew that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Hidden Rain Village - The Tallest Tower
Nagato stood at the top, looking weakly toward the north. "Is he gone?"
Konan hovered beside him, her expression troubled. "Why did he stop? Why didn't he press his advantage?"
Nagato was silent for a moment, replaying his conversations with Genichi in his mind. A flicker of understanding dawned on him. "Perhaps… he needs me. He needs my existence to bring change to this world."
Konan's brow furrowed. "You mean he wants us to attack the other great villages?"
Nagato didn't answer. He turned his gaze away from the horizon. "He is bound by Konoha… Konan, please retrieve the bodies."
She nodded, and with a flutter of her paper wings, she flew toward the battlefield. But she still couldn't fathom Genichi's true motives. With strength like that, he could easily crush any opposition within Konoha and impose his will. With strength like that, he could sweep across the entire ninja world.
Recalling Genichi's pessimistic words about peace, a chilling thought entered her mind.
"Is he using Nagato as an experiment… an experiment for peace?"
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