Pinned in place by chakra black rods, Jiraiya was unable to move at all.
Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders tried to help pull the black rods out of his body, but Nagato warned them coldly, "I suggest you stop struggling. Otherwise, the two of you will die here as well."
Hearing that, Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "Fukasaku-sensei, Shima-sensei, go back to Mount Myōboku."
Fukasaku glanced at him, worry filling his eyes. "Little Jiraiya…"
Jiraiya said forcefully, "Go! Now!"
Seeing his resolve, Fukasaku and Shima exchanged a look and finally dispelled the summoning technique on their own.
Konan and Kakuzu descended from the sky and silently took their places behind Nagato.
Nagato said expressionlessly, "Teacher Jiraiya, if you promise not to interfere in Konoha's affairs anymore, I can let you leave."
Jiraiya laughed softly and shook his head. "I'm a shinobi of Konoha. I'll never just stand by and watch you attack the village."
Nagato looked at him in silence as a chakra black rod slid out from his sleeve.
"In that case, Teacher Jiraiya… farewell."
He raised the rod and thrust it down, but a flash of golden light streaked in from afar.
In the next instant, Jiraiya's body appeared dozens of meters away.
"Namikaze Minato…"
For the first time, Nagato's gaze turned solemn.
Not long ago, the battle between Uchiha Yuzuru and Namikaze Minato in Konoha had already spread throughout the shinobi world.
Nagato naturally knew Minato's intelligence as well.
The man before him was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. Not only could he wield the Nine-Tails' power, he had also mastered the space-time ninjutsu Flying Thunder God.
If there was anyone in Konoha who truly made him wary, it was the man standing before him now.
Nagato's arm transformed as he fired a laser blast straight toward Minato and Jiraiya.
A phantom image of the Nine-Tails surfaced around Minato. Nine massive tails swept forward, blocking the laser blast head-on.
Immediately after, a Tailed Beast Ball roughly half a meter in diameter rapidly took shape.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Ball surged toward Nagato, carrying an aura of pure destruction.
"Blocking Technique: Absorption Seal!"
Nagato extended both hands. An invisible barrier formed in front of him and Konan.
In just a few seconds, the Tailed Beast Ball containing terrifying power was completely absorbed.
Seeing that Minato and Jiraiya had vanished without a trace, Nagato seemed to let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"They got away."
Konan glanced at him and murmured, "Nagato, you didn't really want to kill Teacher Jiraiya, did you?"
Nagato did not deny it, only saying slowly, "If Teacher Jiraiya continues to cling to his path, then even if I don't kill him, he'll die by Yuzuru's hand sooner or later."
Seeing the two of them in low spirits, Kakuzu spoke up to change the subject.
"Now that Tanzaku Street has been taken, let's hurry to Konoha and regroup with Lord Yuzuru."
"As long as we capture Konoha, this war will be ours."
Hearing that, Nagato and Konan put away their emotions and quickly headed toward Konoha.
————
————
Three days later, on a stretch of grassland less than ten miles from Konoha, nearly forty thousand Cloud ninja gathered into four perfectly ordered formations.
Excitement surged across every face. They looked exhilarated beyond measure.
With just one more step forward, they would conquer what was once the strongest ninja village in the shinobi world.
To personally take part in such a historic feat filled every one of them with pride.
Among them, the Uchiha clan's shinobi were the most excited.
Back then, they had been suppressed by the Hokage faction and forced to leave the village their own clan had founded.
Now… we are back!
Relying on their own strength, they would reclaim everything that belonged to them!
After today, everyone in the shinobi world would have to acknowledge one fact.
The Uchiha clan was the strongest great ninja clan in existence. There were no exceptions!
Opposite the formations stood a high platform created through Earth Release.
Uchiha Yuzuru and the Third Raikage stood side by side, quietly observing the Cloud forces below.
A light breeze passed by as Yuzuru raised the Uchiha war fan on his back high into the air and swung it down.
He did not give a long speech, only saying simply, "Ahead lies Konoha. Divide into four routes and conquer…"
"After this battle, we will be the masters of this land!"
Lightning Release chakra flared around the Third Raikage as he roared, "Kill!"
The forty thousand Cloud ninja below shouted in unison, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The earth-shaking roar echoed through the skies, turning the lips of the Konoha ninja several kilometers away pale.
After Uchiha Yuzuru had last reduced Konoha to ruins, Kumogakure had launched its assault on the Land of Fire.
As a result, Konoha had only managed to rebuild its outer walls and the central Hokage Building.
Nearly everything else was nothing but empty ground.
The remaining ten thousand Konoha ninja gathered in front of the Hokage Building, silent and heavy-hearted.
Compared to the overwhelming momentum of the Cloud forces, there was no trace of fighting spirit to be found among them.
Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura stood atop the Hokage Building, their expressions calm.
"Everyone…" Danzo cleared his throat and spoke gravely. "We won't be defeated so easily. Pull yourselves together."
"Next, I'll show those reckless Cloud ninja what Konoha's true foundation really is!"
After speaking, Danzo fired a signal flare into the sky.
In the next moment, the Sarutobi clan, Shimura clan, Utatane clan, and Mitokado clan shinobi—already prepared in all four directions of Konoha—formed hand seals simultaneously.
Before them knelt rows upon rows of Konoha ninja whose five senses had been sealed!
"Impure World Reincarnation Technique!"
In an instant, screams rang out one after another.
Moments later, the former Konoha ninja had transformed into unfamiliar faces.
"Huh? Where is this? Didn't I already die?"
"Did someone summon us back from the Pure Land?"
"This is great! I never thought I'd get to live again! Hahahaha!"
"Where's my brother? I asked him to take care of my wife before I died. I need to see if he kept his promise…"
Similar scenes unfolded all around Konoha. Most of the reincarnated ninja were still in a dazed state.
But after only a short while, the casters of the Impure World Reincarnation formed hand signs, forcibly controlling them as they charged toward the outskirts of Konoha.
"You are now immortal and possess infinite chakra."
"For Konoha, use your strength to kill every invading enemy!"
All the ninja summoned by the Impure World Reincarnation came to a realization.
Excited smiles spread across their faces. "Perfect. Now we can finally get our revenge."
"Even if we've already given our lives to the village once, this time we'll fight with everything we have."
"The Will of Fire… will never be extinguished!!!"