chapter 105 part 2
They also saw with their own eyes Danzo take out a sealing scroll, slap the Jutsu formula on it, and summon a glass vessel. From it, he took out a Three-Tomoe Sharingan to replace the blind one in his eye socket.
Nagato wanted to disregard everything and continue the pursuit, intending to break Danzo's arms and legs to use as leverage for Konan's return.
"We can't catch him, Nagato. You've tried hard enough."
Yahiko painfully grabbed Nagato: "Your eyes, nose, and mouth are all bleeding. If you keep forcing yourself to fight, your body will deteriorate further... If you don't break down, we'll still have a chance in the future. But if you're incapacitated, even if we capture Danzo now, we won't be able to negotiate with Orochimaru."
There was another thing Yahiko didn't say: a cold-blooded individual like Orochimaru might not care about Danzo's life, preferring to keep the valuable Konan in his grasp.
Nagato gasped for air, feeling utterly powerless for the first time. He had used all his strength, yet why did he still have to watch his comrades die and be captured?
"Let's escape. We'll keep running. Orochimaru might still be nearby. We need to keep relocating our base until the Konoha people can't find us, then we'll plan for the long term." Yahiko spoke, as he was the only one who could barely think calmly now.
Though it seemed futile, Yahiko looked at Nagato, who couldn't even stand straight and was swaying precariously. He then lowered his gaze to the comrades they had painstakingly organized, a look of determination in his eyes.
He had to find a way. This world didn't entirely belong to the Great Shinobi Villages; there had to be power capable of opposing the Great Shinobi Villages, a power that could protect their comrades! Yahiko suppressed his inner grief and comforted Nagato: "This battle was so dangerous, and though our comrades felt fear and wavered, no one turned to flee. This proves that what we've done in the past is right. People with the same ideals and beliefs who come together will definitely form an incredibly reliable team. We will have more comrades in the future, possess greater strength, and do what we want to do!"
"Yahiko..."
For Nagato, Yahiko's dream was his own dream.
"Everyone get on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Don't let your guard down. My Rinnegan hasn't picked up Orochimaru's movements, but that guy's poisonous snakes have been watching us."
Nagato laboriously threw a few kunai, pinning the poisonous snakes hidden in the rain to the ground.
Even at this moment, he still retained some strength, awaiting Orochimaru's sneak attack.
"If Orochimaru wants to attack us, he can only do so by approaching us with high-speed movement. The longer the distance, the more advantageous it is for us. Even if he gets close, having the massive Demonic Statue of the Outer Path here can buy us some buffer time."
"Stop talking, save your strength."
"Yahiko... I feel the power of my eyes more clearly than ever before. Anger and hatred have granted me an even greater number of Dojutsu. If I had this power from the beginning, things definitely wouldn't have turned out this way! Even against Lord Tsukasa Kaede, I wouldn't have needed to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path or use Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals!"
Nagato was filled with deep regret, hating his own incompetence.
Yes, just now, he had gained the means to absorb souls and extract memories from his Rinnegan. This was also an instant, Hand Kaedegn-less Ninjutsu, and as long as he could touch an enemy, he could achieve an instant kill!
Nagato even perceived another summoning-related entity, seemingly connected to devouring souls, but it wasn't as powerful and wild as the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. It wasn't even a summoning beast, but a phantasmal entity existing by virtue of the Rinnegan.
"Damn it, what have I been doing these past few years..." Nagato gripped his face, applying pressure repeatedly.
Yahiko's expression was complex. He looked at the struggling poisonous snakes on the ground, feeling a hint of doubt—Orochimaru should have been controlling Tsukasa Kaede to use Corpse Release. Sensing through corpses was clearly more convenient, so why abandon Corpse Release and insist on using these snake summoning beasts?
From a distance, Orochimaru closely observed everything happening, seeing Danzo's disheveled figure fleeing in panic.
For a moment, Orochimaru hesitated. This was a good opportunity to eliminate Danzo, but he abandoned the thought just as quickly. Danzo still had value. To obtain more of the Senju and Uchiha's power, his help was indispensable.
Moreover, killing Danzo wouldn't really benefit him. Would he fantasize about the Hidden Leaf Village promoting him to be a second Danzo, bearing the darkness of the Village? Orochimaru wasn't interested in doing dirty work for power.
"So, should I look for an opportunity to continue attacking Nagato? But I have a strange feeling. The legendary Sage's Eye absolutely cannot only possess these Dojutsu... I still need to test him first. Danzo has already probed so much intelligence for me; I can't let his efforts be in vain."
Orochimaru licked his lips. In his opinion, the second "Sage" in the world, if not capable of destroying the heavens and earth, should at least be able to unleash large-scale destructive attacks at will.
But looking at Nagato's performance, summoning a strange summoning beast was nothing remarkable, not to mention this summoning beast had a broken finger. Even if Orochimaru guessed that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path still had a greater purpose, if it couldn't be fully utilized, it was as good as useless.
The only thing that made Orochimaru wary wasn't the attraction or repulsion, but Sealing Jutsu: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals.
"That Dojutsu, which resembles Reaper Death Seal, is also very strange..."
Orochimaru thought of the Totsuka Blade, one of the Kusanagi Blades. He had been searching for its whereabouts. Legend said that this sword could seal an enemy's soul just by piercing them; essentially, both were attacks on the soul, making them one and the same.
Considering Nagato's age, he was roughly 16. At that age, possessing the Sage's Eye, yet the power he displayed... how should he put it, Hokage-level? He certainly had destructive power, and his various Hand Kaedegn-less Ninjutsu Dojutsu were extremely potent, but his willpower seemed lacking, seemingly incomparable to even some excellent Jonin.
"Heh heh heh, a Sage's Eye with severe academic imbalance. What a waste of those eyes. This cruel world won't give you the chance to grow at your own pace and reach your full potential."
Orochimaru shadowed Nagato and the others, looking for a chance to summon Manda. Then he would have Manda knock down the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in one go, creating an opportunity for him to extract the eyes.
However, if Manda were to appear, it would mean Ryuchi Cave would also learn about the Sage's Eye's emergence, potentially causing additional unforeseen changes.
"I wonder if Jiraiya told Mount Myōboku about Nagato. If he did, things could get interesting." Orochimaru sneered.
His eyes were now solely on Nagato. As for Tsukasa Kaede, who had already eagerly fled with Konan on his shoulder? Well, the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu formula had failed, and he couldn't control Tsukasa Kaede. Feeling how incredibly sinister Tsukasa Kaede was, his priority was to seize what he *could* seize.
Although he was also curious, why did Tsukasa Kaede, ignoring the Rinnegan, inexplicably abduct that unremarkable woman? Could it be that in Tsukasa Kaede's eyes, that woman was more important than the Rinnegan, and offered greater utility?...
Konoha.
Tsukasa Kaede threw Konan onto the ground, quite roughly.
"You're awake, so stop pretending. I'm merely dead, not stupid. That blow would only make you briefly faint, not send you into a long-term coma."
Tsukasa Kaede looked at Konan, who was forced to open her eyes: "Let me remind you again, don't try to attack me with Paper Release. It's useless. Impure World ninja have an undying body."
"An undying body... that's only because I haven't attached enough Explosive Tags to you."
Konan's face was full of vigilance: "If I blast you to dust, I refuse to believe you won't die!"