The suction force continued to expand, and the forming mass of Chibaku Tensei grew larger and larger.
Naruto condensed another Rasenshuriken in his hand. With a sharp whoosh, he hurled it forward.
The spinning blade of chakra carved cleanly through the massive sphere, shaving off nearly half of Chibaku Tensei in an instant.
Yet the technique did not collapse.
The remaining mass continued to expand, still drawing everything toward its core.
"As expected of Chibaku Tensei," Naruto thought calmly.
"The technique that once restrained the Nine-Tails so effortlessly."
At the same time, he couldn't help but imagine how terrifying a true Six Paths–level Chibaku Tensei would be.
"If this were the real thing," he admitted inwardly, "even I might end up sealed."
"But this weakened version… reduced once, then reduced again—"
Naruto's lips curled slightly.
"It's nothing more than an oversized toy."
By now, Naruto's body had been pulled fully into the sky. Yet there was no trace of panic on his face.
He extended his hand.
Chakra surged violently.
A massive, forty-meter-long blade of condensed chakra formed instantly in his grasp.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Whoosh!!!
Naruto plunged the chakra blade straight into the heart of Chibaku Tensei, piercing directly toward its core.
Click… click…
A few faint, nearly imperceptible sounds echoed.
Then—
The gravitational pull vanished.
The massive sphere lost its cohesion and immediately began to fall.
Naruto didn't stop there.
An enormous Rasengan, far larger than usual, formed in his hand and was hurled straight at the collapsing mass.
BOOM!!!!
Chibaku Tensei shattered completely, exploding into countless massive boulders.
Lightning crackled across Naruto's hand, releasing innumerable fine arcs of chakra that struck the falling debris, pulverizing the rocks into fragments before they could reach the ground.
By the time everything settled, a vast crater—stretching tens of miles across—had formed below.
"This place will probably turn into a lake someday," Naruto muttered, shaking his head slightly.
He then lifted his gaze toward Pain.
Pain stood frozen, utterly stunned.
Naruto's figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already beside the Six Paths.
His mastery of space had long surpassed reliance on Flying Thunder God kunai. As long as he could perceive the surrounding space, he could move instantly.
Only over extreme distances did he still require spatial markers.
In a single breath—
Five Paths of Pain collapsed simultaneously, their life force extinguished.
Only the Deva Path remained standing.
Naruto looked at him calmly.
"We're still fellow disciples, Nagato," he said evenly.
"Wait for me. I'll come find you."
At that moment—
Far away, Nagato's pupils shrank violently.
The sensory connection to the Deva Path vanished.
It was dead.
"Konan—leave immediately!" Nagato shouted.
"Nagato?" Konan asked, startled. "What happened?"
She was too far away to see the battle clearly.
After a brief silence, Nagato finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki… is no longer someone I can fight."
"He defeated Pain effortlessly."
"I'm afraid that in this world… only the Sage of Six Paths himself could oppose him."
Konan fell silent.
Nagato said nothing more.
After a moment, Konan spoke softly. "I'll take you away."
But before she could act, a calm voice echoed nearby.
"Hello, Nagato. Konan."
"We finally meet."
Naruto appeared before them.
Nagato's expression stiffened. He recognized that ability—the spatial technique he had witnessed earlier.
After a brief pause, he asked quietly, "Why do you call me your senior?"
He couldn't believe that the terrifying existence before him had anything to do with Jiraiya.
Naruto smiled faintly.
"Because I'm also Jiraiya-sensei's disciple," he replied.
"Though to be honest, I didn't really learn anything from him."
"That guy… he's unreliable," Naruto added casually, "but he's a good person."
"I only agreed to become his disciple out of respect for my father."
Minato Namikaze.
That was half the reason Naruto had accepted Jiraiya in the first place.
Nagato didn't respond.
Instead, his aura collapsed.
His gaze turned hollow as he murmured, "I failed… I'm sorry, Yahiko."
"I'm sorry, Konan."
"No," Konan said firmly, stepping forward and taking Nagato's hand.
"You didn't wrong anyone."
"The fault lies with this world."
She looked at her companion—this man broken by endless war.
No matter what path he chose, she was willing to walk beside him.
Even if it was the wrong one.
A tear slid down Nagato's cheek.
"I lost… Yahiko," he whispered.
"I couldn't fulfill your dream."
"The fault… is with this world…"
His voice trembled.
Then he looked at Naruto.
"Kill us."
Nagato no longer resisted.
He had been completely crushed by Naruto's overwhelming strength.
Naruto looked at him quietly.
"Why would I kill you?"
Naruto spoke again, his gaze shifting to Konan, who stood protectively in front of Nagato.
"Let me ask you something," Naruto said calmly.
"What do you consider to be peace?"
Both of them were momentarily stunned.
Nagato fell silent, deep in thought. Seeing this, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Naruto's lips.
Indeed—only the words of the strong could force others to think.
Who ever listened to the weak?
The very premise of Talk no Jutsu was simple:
You must not be weak.
After a long pause, Nagato finally spoke.
"As long as there is no more war… then the world will have peace."
Naruto nodded slightly.
"So that's what you believe."
"Then let me ask you—according to your original plan, you would use terrifying weapons to threaten the Five Great Nations."
"But then what?"
"After peace is achieved, what comes next?"
Naruto fired three questions in rapid succession.
Before either of them could answer, he continued.
"Maybe you don't even know the answer yourself."
"Have you ever thought about it? How is your method any different from Senju Hashirama's?"
"He distributed the Tailed Beasts to balance power. You do the same—only you're more 'efficient,' concentrating the ultimate force in one place to create deterrence."
"I can tell you understand war very well," Naruto said, his voice sharpening.
"But do you know why wars truly break out?"
"Because of hatred," Nagato said firmly.
"Because of desire!"
"That's not wrong," Naruto admitted.
"But isn't your method of 'deterrence' even more likely to breed hatred?"
"You know human desire is endless, yet you still cling to this path. That alone tells me something."
"This isn't confidence—it's desperation."
"This is your last remaining hope."
Nagato fell silent.
So did Konan.
Naruto's words ripped away the final veil in Nagato's heart, exposing a bloody truth he had long avoided.
Naruto stepped forward.
"Peace is not something placed in the hands of others," he said steadily.
"It must be held in one's own hands."
"The Five Great Nations wage war endlessly against one another. So I will conquer the Five Great Nations."
"In the future, Ninja Villages will no longer exist."
"They will be replaced by rapidly developing cities."
"There will be only one country in the entire Ninja World."
"At that point," Naruto continued, his voice resonating with absolute certainty,
"who will attack us?"
"Everything we have done—every drop of blood shed—will finally have meaning."
"Truth has always been controlled by the few."
"And to achieve peace, overwhelming military power is indispensable."
"When the vast majority support me."
"When the vast majority benefit."
"The minority will obey."
"What remains will be a single whole."
"That," Naruto said, "is how peace arrives."
He paused briefly.
"But peace doesn't end there."
"We will improve people's lives. Establish new laws. Create new systems."
"Not leave them drowning in suffering under the illusion of 'temporary peace.'"
"That kind of peace is nothing but self-deception."
Each word struck Nagato's mind like thunder.
"I know you may not understand this right now," Naruto continued, his tone easing slightly.
"But we are not necessarily enemies."
"Our true enemy is the Masked Man—and the one manipulating him from the shadows."
"You will see everything I've said come true."
"But before that…"
Naruto's eyes hardened.
"I will seal your abilities."
With a single motion, Naruto acted.
Power descended instantly.
Nagato and Konan were sealed without resistance. Before Naruto's overwhelming strength, they had no ability to fight back at all.
(End of Chapter)
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