Chapter 96: Ceasefire
Slip!
Goldie's claws lost their grip, and the massive dog plummeted toward the depths of the earth. If anyone could see through the darkness, they would see a look of utter despair on his canine face.
Just then, Goldie felt his descent come to an abrupt halt as he was suspended in mid-air.
He looked up in ecstatic surprise, only to see the green Void Mantis.
Holding onto the earthen wall with one claw, the Mantis had effortlessly caught Goldie—who was several times its size—with the other.
The Void Mantis's somewhat terrifying mandibles clicked open and shut as it spoke coldly.
"Useless thing! Is all that size just for show?"
Goldie: "..."
He stared blankly at the disdainful Mantis. His pupils dilated, and his face turned green with shame and indignation.
"Woof, woof, woof! —Just let me die!"
Nagato quickly spotted the giant eagle hovering overhead. Against a flying ninja, he wasn't entirely without options.
Although he could use the repulsive force of the Rinnegan to hover briefly, trying to fight an aerial battle against Kael, who possessed high mobility on the giant eagle, was clearly unwise.
Gritting his teeth, Nagato prepared to unleash the ultimate sealing jutsu contained within the Rinnegan—Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)!
"Stop! Please, stop fighting!"
Konan's anxious voice shouted from behind. The surging pupil power in Nagato's Rinnegan stalled, and hesitation crossed his face.
At this distance, that jutsu might catch his comrades in the crossfire...
High in the sky, Kael didn't know what was happening below. He was scanning the fractured earth for his two summons.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He commanded the Thunder-Wind Eagle to land quickly on a protruding pillar of earth.
Jumping off the eagle's back, Kael peered down into the deep pit. Through their faint psychic link, he could sense his two summons were not far below.
Before long, the Void Mantis scurried up the thick brown pillar, effortlessly carrying Goldie in one hand.
Thud!
It tossed Goldie onto the ground with a soft thud.
Seeing the motionless Goldie, Kael's heart tightened, and he rushed over to check on him.
He placed a finger under Goldie's large, wet nose and felt the flow of air. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Next, he used all his strength to try and pry open Goldie's eyelids. But they seemed glued shut with superglue. Kael managed to open a small slit, only to feel a strong resistance snap them shut again.
Kael's mouth twitched. He looked at the Void Mantis.
"Did you insult him again? Is that why he's too ashamed to face anyone...?"
"No, I didn't."
Looking at the aggrieved expression on the Void Mantis's face, Kael didn't believe it for a second. This guy's personality was just like Sasuke's—tsundere and dark-bellied!
Kael flew the Thunder-Wind Eagle over to Nagato. He looked down at him and spoke calmly.
"Do you still want to fight?"
Nagato's face darkened, and he sneered. "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Then let's go!"
Kael wasn't one to back down. Although Nagato was a terrible matchup for him, countering most of his summons' abilities, that didn't mean Kael was completely out of options.
If the Blazing Worker Ants landed a bite, or the Mantis got into close range, or even if the Void Mouse landed a Kamui, Nagato would fall on the spot!
Just as the two unconvinced fighters were about to clash again, a purple figure leaped rapidly from the distance and landed beside Nagato.
It was Konan.
She grabbed Nagato's sleeve and said nervously, "Nagato, don't fight anymore. Yahiko said he has no ill intentions! Your eyes..."
"I know," Nagato interrupted her with a wave of his hand. He glanced warily at Kael, clearly not wanting Konan to reveal information about his Rinnegan.
Kael ignored the wariness in Nagato's eyes.
He truly had no intention of killing Nagato. After all, his main goal in coming here was to recruit him. The fact that a teenage Nagato, far from his prime, could render Kael almost helpless spoke volumes. If he could reach adulthood without being corrupted, he would undoubtedly possess the peak combat power of the Shinobi World!
As for the Rinnegan... even if Nagato offered them as a gift, Kael wouldn't dare take them.
Having had contact with Konoha ninja, Kael estimated the timeline was around Konoha year 40-something. At this time, Madara Uchiha was not only alive but likely still retained significant combat power!
Kael didn't want to risk being targeted by Madara or Black Zetsu. Furthermore, the intensity of the Rinnegan meant that no ordinary creature could bear them. He might end up holding the eyes but unable to synthesize them, which would be a joke.
Though he coveted the Rinnegan—the supreme dojutsu among the Three Great Dojutsu—he wondered what quality the system would assign to them.
White, Green, Blue are the known qualities. What would the Rinnegan be?
A higher-tier Purple? or a Legendary Gold?
Smiling lightly, Kael's expression softened as he looked at Nagato, who no longer intended to attack.
"Can we talk properly now?"
"Hmph!" Nagato snorted, grabbed Konan, and turned to walk away.
Kael didn't mind. He had the Thunder-Wind Eagle follow slowly behind. The three of them returned to the dilapidated shelter where they had first met. It was several kilometers away from their battlefield, so it hadn't been too affected by the Earth Dragon's jutsu.
Upon returning, Kael noticed a drastic change in the way the Akatsuki members looked at him.
Even Yahiko and Konan were the same.
The commotion caused by their battle was too shocking. The ground within a kilometer radius had been shattered. This inevitably reminded them of the legendary God of Shinobi.
In their eyes, perhaps this represented the pinnacle of combat power in the ninja world...
While the others were shocked by Kael's strength, they were equally shocked by Nagato, who was usually quiet and unassuming within the organization. They had no idea a ninja of such terrifying power was hiding among them.
Yahiko and Konan, who knew about Nagato's abilities, weren't surprised by his strength. Instead, they were alarmed that Kael could fight Nagato to such a standstill.
"Another genius like Nagato...?" The thought flashed through both their minds as they looked at the silent, indignant Nagato.
This only strengthened their resolve to stop the fighting. Not for anything else, but because they knew that every time Nagato overused his eyes, it caused severe damage to his own body!