Every strike Nagato unleashed was blocked.
Every attack that should have shattered stone and torn through steel was met head-on by Naruto's golden chakra.
The training ground trembled beneath their feet.
Boom!
Another collision sent a shockwave sweeping across the field.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes from the sidelines.
"He keeps getting stronger."
Even he had to admit it.
The current Naruto was no longer the same rival he had known in the Academy.
His growth had become almost frightening.
Beside him, Hinata stared at Naruto's figure with shining eyes.
Meanwhile, Konan watched Nagato closely.
After so many years, she was finally seeing him fight with a healthy body.
No pain.
No weakness.
No machinery supporting his life.
This was the Nagato who should have existed from the beginning.
"Not bad."
Naruto grinned as he blocked another punch.
"But if this is all, you won't be able to beat me."
Nagato's expression remained calm.
"Who said this was all?"
The instant he finished speaking, Naruto's instincts screamed a warning.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A terrifying repulsive force erupted.
Boom!
The ground exploded outward.
Naruto was launched backward like a cannonball, crashing through dozens of trees before finally stopping.
The entire forest shook violently.
A massive crater appeared where he had been standing.
Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly.
"What power..."
Even from this distance, he could feel the overwhelming force.
Nagato slowly lowered his hand.
"The power of the Deva Path isn't limited to destroying villages."
The next moment, Naruto's laughter echoed from the forest.
"Hahaha! That's more like it!"
Golden light flashed.
Naruto instantly returned to the battlefield.
Not a single injury could be seen on his body.
His recovery speed was outrageous.
Nagato was not surprised.
After witnessing Naruto heal Jiraiya and restore his own body, he understood just how terrifying Naruto's Yang Release had become.
Ordinary injuries meant nothing to him.
Which was exactly why Nagato intended to fight seriously.
The Rinnegan began spinning.
A powerful chakra wave spread outward.
"Universal Pull."
Naruto suddenly felt an irresistible force dragging him forward.
His body shot toward Nagato.
At the same time, black chakra rods materialized in Nagato's hands.
If they struck their target, they could disrupt chakra flow and suppress movement.
Naruto immediately understood the danger.
Instead of resisting, he accelerated.
"Then let's see who's faster!"
Boom!
The moment he reached Nagato, Naruto threw a punch.
Nagato met it with one of his own.
The collision created another deafening explosion.
But this time, Nagato's left hand shot forward.
A black rod pierced through Naruto's chest.
Konan's heart skipped a beat.
But Naruto simply smiled.
Poof!
The body vanished into smoke.
"A shadow clone?"
Nagato's eyes narrowed.
Above him, Naruto suddenly appeared.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
A giant sphere of chakra descended.
The pressure alone shattered the earth below.
Nagato reacted instantly.
"Preta Path!"
A transparent barrier formed around him.
The enormous Rasengan struck.
The massive chakra sphere rapidly shrank as its energy was absorbed.
Within seconds, it completely disappeared.
Naruto landed nearby.
"So that's the absorption ability."
"The Rinnegan's abilities are troublesome, aren't they?" Nagato said with a faint smile.
Naruto nodded honestly.
"They really are."
Against most enemies, a Rasengan was enough.
Against Nagato, many ninjutsu became ineffective.
The Rinnegan truly deserved its reputation as the legendary eye.
"But..."
Naruto suddenly grinned.
"I didn't come here to test ninjutsu."
A golden aura erupted around him.
The Nine-Tails' chakra surged violently.
The ground beneath his feet cracked apart.
Nagato's expression became serious.
The pressure radiating from Naruto had increased dramatically.
"Physical combat?"
Nagato asked.
"Physical combat."
Naruto nodded.
Then both vanished.
Boom!
The two collided in midair.
Fists and kicks flew faster than the eye could follow.
Shockwaves exploded continuously.
To Sasuke and the others, the battlefield had become a blur.
Only flashes of gold and red remained visible.
Every collision sounded like thunder.
For the first time since regaining his health, Nagato felt genuine excitement.
This was the strength he should have possessed years ago.
This was what fighting alongside Yahiko had once felt like.
For a brief moment, memories surfaced.
Three children standing beneath endless rain.
Dreaming of peace.
Dreaming of changing the world.
Dreaming of a future that seemed impossible.
Nagato smiled unconsciously.
Naruto noticed it.
"What are you smiling about?"
Nagato's fist slammed into Naruto's shoulder.
"I'm thinking..."
Boom!
Naruto countered with a kick.
"...that perhaps this world really can change."
Naruto laughed.
"Of course it can."
The confidence in his voice was absolute.
Not arrogance.
Not ignorance.
But certainty.
The certainty of someone already walking the path.
Nagato looked at him and suddenly understood something.
The Child of Prophecy.
The answer Jiraiya had searched for his entire life.
Perhaps it had finally appeared.
Boom!
The two separated once more.
Both stood at opposite ends of the ruined training ground.
The battlefield around them had become unrecognizable.
Trees had fallen.
The earth had split apart.
Massive craters covered the landscape.
Naruto rolled his shoulders.
"Senior Brother Nagato, how about one final move?"
Nagato raised an eyebrow.
"A final move?"
Naruto grinned.
"Let's see whose strongest technique wins."
A dangerous smile appeared on Nagato's face.
"Interesting."
Purple chakra surged through the Rinnegan.
At the same time, golden light exploded around Naruto.
The atmosphere itself seemed to tremble.
Konan, Sasuke, and Hinata immediately retreated.
All three could sense it.
The next clash would be unlike anything before.
The true battle between the fully restored Rinnegan and Naruto's overwhelming power was only just beginning.