Chapter 249: The King of Supreme Benevolence and Goodness
The moment Catherine saw Tendo Pain float into the sky, she knew something was wrong. She immediately pulled the [Magic Carpet] from her inventory. Sensing Kaito Shirogane's peripheral vision on her, she had no choice but to drag Hana Hiranaka and the heavily injured Uchiha Itachi onto it, and then she quickly fled.
According to her memory, the [Super Shinra Tensei]—which used up all his Chakra—was a catastrophe-level ability capable of completely destroying a region several miles wide.
In the original story, he used this move to completely obliterate the entire village of Konoha.
This jutsu was completely beyond the scope of the [Strong-tier]. Even though Nagato's real body was weak, the [Rinnegan's] power was truly heaven-defying, allowing him to cause this level of destruction.
Catherine was worried the magic carpet wasn't fast enough, but she forced herself to remain calm. She believed that if her guess was correct—that Mercenary Tao's main mission was to protect Hana Hiranaka—then as long as she stayed with the woman, Mercenary Tao would not let that attack hit them!
Kaito Shirogane tilted his head back, watching Tendo Pain unleash the Super Shinra Tensei. The Satsui no Hado surged, nearly enveloping his entire body.
The Satsui no Hado was a special ki that could only be nourished by fighting and slaughtering powerhouses like this.
Using strength to nurture strength. Using slaughter to nurture slaughter.
Tendo Pain indifferently pushed his hands forward, and the devastating repulsive force exploded.
At the exact same moment, Kaito Shirogane's figure flashed, appearing in the air directly in front of Tendo Pain.
He spread his hands, [Cursed Technique: Blue] flaring at full power. Without Gojo Satoru in control, the Limitless Cursed Technique imprinted in his body wasn't refined enough. He could only use [Blue], which was why he hadn't used [Red] to attack.
The intense gravity, amplified by his extremely distorted Cursed Energy, created a pitch-black void in front of him—the visual manifestation of Cursed Energy so dense it was completely absorbing the surrounding air.
Nagato didn't care howMercenary Tao resisted. He pushed forward lightly, and the power to destroy a village erupted completely.
BOOM!
Unlike the last collision between Shinra Tensei and the [Cursed Technique: Stopping Power], this time, the entire space vibrated. The destructive repulsive force acted indiscriminately on every inch of air.
Kaito Shirogane watched the air between them shatter under the two opposing forces. The cracks, as if space itself were breaking, spread from Tendo Pain toward him.
Under the effect of the [Limitless Cursed Technique], the force was slowed, but the space around Kaito—above, below, left, and right—was still cracking. This repulsive force had no blind spots.
Instantly, the demand for precise Cursed Energy control skyrocketed.
In Kaito Shirogane's consciousness, Gojo Satoru was leaning casually against the [Throne of the Heart]. He couldn't seize control, but when the host used [Spirit Infusion], he could perceive the outside world.
Seeing Kaito's incomplete Limitless Cursed Technique struggling under this devastating attack, a mocking smile played on his lips.
"My, my. My technique isn't so easy to play with, you know."
He knew this body's master was already immortal to some degree, so he wasn't worried about the host dying. He just seized this rare opportunity to mock the guy who was, in a way, just like him—another anomaly who didn't fit in with anyone else.
Gojo Satoru intentionally tapped on the [Throne of the Heart].
"How about you just give me control? I can probably handle this sort of thing... maybe."
He spoke, his tone a bizarre mix of arrogance and feigned modesty, and was completely ignored by Kaito.
Kaito Shirogane smiled at Tendo Pain's indifferent face, feeling this terrifying attack—enough to pulverize the ground for dozens of kilometers—and gaining a more direct understanding of what Chakra could do.
A high conversion rate... but not destructive enough.
Then, as Tendo Pain's expression changed, Mercenary Tao actually spread his arms, disabling his near-invincible defense.
Kaito Shirogane had sensed that Catherine's magic carpet was far enough away, and in the same general direction. As long as she wasn't an idiot, she wouldn't let Hana Hiranaka die.
Right now, rather than waste effort resisting this unstoppable jutsu, he might as well use his immortal body to experience its power firsthand.
He looked up at Tendo Pain—no, at Nagatobehind him—and gave an exceptionally cruel smile. Kaito Shirogane wasn't just cruel to others; he was just as cruel to himself.
"Nagato! I'm here to feel the 'pain' you're so eager to inflict!"
He spoke like a shonen protagonist making a moving speech, but his actions were those of a complete monster.
He deactivated the Limitless's[Stopping Power], spread his arms wide, didn't even use [Tekkai], and let the terrifying force of the Super Shinra Tensei slam into him.
BOOM! A terrifying, crushing force assaulted him from every angle, as if a giant hand had enveloped him and was trying to squeeze him into paste.
Vast amounts of his skin cells died. [Scales of the Flame Dragon] triggered, and at the same moment, the crimson [Solitary Jealous Flame] ignited. Kaito's physique began to rapidly regenerate and improve, his defense rising with it.
After a brief struggle, his skin cracked. The first wound opened, and blood sprayed.
Pfft!
Kaito Shirogane's body, like a giant water balloon, was crushed and burst apart by the force, then blasted away by the shockwave.
He slammed into the ground and was buried as the very earth around him was annihilated.
Nagato sat frozen in his hiding place. He couldn't understand Mercenary Tao. Is this guy a complete and utter madman?!
No... he could feel that Mercenary Tao had his own logic.
But this guy... he had such a flippant disregard for life, he had that space-time jutsu, he had that steel-like defense... and he used none of it.
All for the sake of... feeling pain?!
Nagato found this absurd. He wanted to use this jutsu to make the world feel pain, but that pain was meant to be the suffering of loss inflicted on others.
Who would personally tank a Shinra Tensei just to feel it?
The next moment, he understood why. Several thousand meters away, the ground exploded.
A fist punched up from underground. The arm was stained with blood, but the flesh was already fully healed.
BANG!
The earth burst open, and the tall, cruelly smiling man rose once more.
Nagato'sChakra was depleted. Tendo Pain was temporarily unable to use other jutsu. The moment he landed, a figure appeared in front of him.
His Rinnegan twitched. He caught the movement, but his body was stiff, his Body Flicker sluggish. He was instantly grabbed by the throat.
Kaito Shirogane had experienced the pain of having his body nearly pulverized. He felt no fear. On the contrary, he found it... novel.
Perhaps some people don't understand, but pain is a unique sensation. Especially when that pain isn't fatal, when you know there are no lasting consequences, humans can find a pleasure in experiencing it.
Like how you can't stop probing a sore muscle after a workout.
Or the... special "games" some lovers play.
Pain... can also be a pleasure.
Kaito Shirogane effortlessly lifted Tendo Pain—the corpse that had once been Yahiko. This was one of the Naruto world's greatest tragedies: so many of its characters died young.
These teenagers, not even considered adults in the real world, were forced by this world's suffering to figure out how to find happiness, not just for themselves, but for others.
Precisely because they were young, their thinking was incomplete.
And precisely because they were young, this world was so dark.
Kaito Shirogane wasn't joking when he said his [Special Trial: Supreme Benevolence and Goodness] suited him perfectly. In his view, for someone like him, what could be better than such a dark world?
In a world like this, not even he was bound by any rules.
Shinobi had no principles to begin with. One day they'd shake hands, the next they'd be at each other's throats. One day they'd sign a treaty, the next they'd break it.
Kaito held Tendo Pain, his gaze passing through the Rinnegan to the Nagato beyond. In Nagato's eyes, that cruel smile was no longer an act. This was a man who was indiscriminately cruel to everyone, including himself.
"Making the world 'feel pain' isn't about something at this level, Nagato..."
"If you want to do that, you have to understand the logic this world runs on."
"The world doesn't stop just because you ordinary people wail and cry. Whether the world is in 'pain' has nothing to do with the civilians of the Land of Fire, the shinobi of Konoha, or even the Hokage."
"The world... is held in the hands of [Kings]!"
Nagato didn't move Tendo Pain. He just listened to the madman.
Just then, a huge figure appeared in the distance. It was a giant, spike-covered turtle with three tails. It heaved itself out of the water and began lumbering across the shattered landscape.
Standing on its head was Uchiha Shisui, who had been missing for days.
Shisui had only one eye open, and his body was covered in new wounds, but he had, indeed, successfully captured the Tailed Beast from Kirigakure.
Through the Rinnegan, Nagato also saw this.
Kaito continued, "Nagato. If you really want to make the world feel pain, then go make the true Kings of the World bleed."
"Only that... will make the world 'contemplate pain' and 'feel pain.' Heh..."
Nagato, his Chakra depleted, didn't argue. Strength was always the best proof. Even the stupidest plan could be realized, as long as the one proposing it was strong enough.
Just like Senju Hashirama distributing the Tailed Beasts to create "balance." There were no checks, no system... just the fact that Hashirama's power was so terrifying that all the other villages had to accept his peace.
Now, Nagato began to think... those... so-called [Kings of the World]...
He began to think... who really started those wars? Who really had the power to decide between war and peace?
Kaito, still not satisfied, shook Tendo Pain's body to make Nagato keep listening.
"I have a plan... A [Supreme Benevolence and Goodness] plan..."
(End of Chapter)
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