Chapter 370: Hokage-sama, Give Me a Chance!
Though the super-massive Shinra Tensei's main force fell upon the three Kage and two jinchūriki, its aftershocks still carried devastating power.
Centered on that deep crater, solid earth was torn up as though invisible plows had ripped through it. Mixed with shattered stone, broken wood, and scattered wreckage, an earth and debris torrent rose over ten meters high—roaring outward in all directions like a tsunami.
The repulsive field swept everything along, driving the towering earthen waves forward and leveling everything in their path.
Alliance formations shattered instantly.
Terrified shouts and desperate screams mixed with the thunderous roar of churning earth and stone.
Shinobi scattered like panicked ants, fleeing desperately backward and sideways.
Those too slow were either crushed beneath rolling boulders or swallowed by the earthen waves, vanishing in moments—leaving only brief, piercing wails.
This blood-tinged earth tsunami became the cruelest line between life and death.
The complete Susanoo stood like an unshakable pillar amidst the waves. The several-hundred-meter giant made the terrifying torrent seem to barely reach its ankles.
Watching the destructive flood surge past beneath his feet and the alliance forces scatter in chaos, Yasushi scratched his head in annoyance.
"Ah, Nagato, why'd you have to interfere? I wasn't done with my experiment yet!"
Nagato completely ignored Yasushi's complaints. He simply raised both hands and called out sharply:
"Universal Pull!"
From the crater's depths, the barely breathing Killer B and Yugito were forcibly seized by invisible gravity. They flew toward Nagato like broken rag dolls.
He caught one in each hand like hunting prizes. Without even glancing at anyone below or in the distance, chakra surged around him as he flew away from the battlefield carrying both jinchūriki.
His objective for this mission had always been crystal clear: seize the jinchūriki.
Though there'd been some complications, now that his goal was achieved, he naturally wouldn't waste any more time here.
As for the Amber Purifying Pot that fell from Killer B's hands, Nagato didn't even spare it a glance—simply leaving it lying there.
For Nagato, this tool that had once posed a threat now held no value.
The Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths were indeed powerful, but their strength mainly relied on catching enemies by surprise—exploiting that initial lack of information.
Intelligence exposure was the greatest weakness of these rule-based tools.
Once people knew their rules and limitations, they ceased being threats.
This was precisely why Cloud Village had always kept these powerful tools strictly secret.
Next time, Nagato absolutely wouldn't give opponents another chance to use the Kōkinjō.
As for the Amber Purifying Pot—as long as he didn't respond and trigger its conditions, it would be equally useless.
Watching Nagato exit with his prizes, Yasushi could only sigh helplessly and dispel his wood clone.
The reason he'd dared so brazenly use himself to test the Amber Purifying Pot's power was naturally because this body was merely a clone. Even if lost, it didn't matter.
Who would use their real body for experiments?
The next moment, space beside the Amber Purifying Pot rippled. Yasushi's true body emerged from the dimensional space, reaching down to pick up the pot and sling it over his back.
With Eight-Tails chakra supporting it, this thing's power could crack the complete Susanoo—that already satisfied Yasushi quite well.
If it were boosted with Ten-Tails chakra... now that had potential!
Having claimed his prize, Yasushi was about to leave when suddenly a weak voice called out behind him.
"Wait... wait a moment..."
Yasushi turned to look. In that deep crater, Rasa was trembling as he dragged his body up from the ground, blood flowing freely all over him, gasping for breath—looking utterly spent.
Compared to Ao and Kurotsuchi, Rasa—an experienced Kage—still possessed considerable skill in self-preservation.
While the other two had already fallen unconscious, Rasa still retained consciousness.
"Well now, in that condition, you still planning to fight me to the death?" Yasushi asked with a teasing smile.
"No, no—Hokage-sama, please don't misunderstand." Rasa's face filled with ingratiating smiles, showing not a trace of shame at being mocked.
"Hokage-sama, I want to surrender!"
"Surrender?"
"That's right." Rasa wiped blood from his face, his expression turning solemn and earnest. "Actually, before this great war even began, I'd already considered this matter.
"Hokage-sama's declaration at Konoha Village truly resonated deeply with me!
"The shinobi world's current chaotic state—its root cause is indeed the Daimyo and nobles being unworthy of their positions!
"I firmly support what Hokage-sama said about having shinobi villages govern nations and supervise those Daimyo and nobles—this new shinobi world order.
"Please, Hokage-sama, give me a chance. Let me and the many shinobi behind me contribute Sand Village's strength toward this new shinobi order."
Yasushi burst out laughing, pointing at him while clutching his stomach.
"Ha! Your ability to flip sides is impressively fast!
"If I wasn't looking at your beaten-dog appearance right now, I might've actually believed you."
"But you got it wrong. I never said shinobi villages would govern nations. I said Konoha Village would govern the shinobi world. What the hell does that have to do with Sand Village?"
Faced with Yasushi's cold response, Rasa's expression stiffened momentarily—but he recovered quickly. He immediately threw himself to the ground in a full prostration.
"As long as peace can descend upon the shinobi world, I'm willing to give up being Kazekage.
"Please, Hokage-sama—give me a chance."
Looking at this village leader now kneeling humbly before him, tail wagging like a beaten dog, Yasushi felt even more contempt.
Spineless surrender advocates were despised everywhere and always—the shinobi world proved no exception.
Though it couldn't be denied that these surrender types often lived longer, just like the Ino-Shika-Cho clans who'd fled to Cloud Village.
"Fine, I'll give you a chance." Yasushi curled his lip, gesturing toward the two unconscious Kage. "Those two are yours to deal with. After finishing them, lead your forces off the battlefield and await Konoha Village's reception."
Having said that, Yasushi vanished from the scene.
On the battlefield at this moment, the shinobi alliance's morale had already completely collapsed.
If not for Nagato's Shinra Tensei carrying that clearing effect—scattering Konoha's formations as well—the battlefield would likely have already become a one-sided massacre.
The rolling earth waves, having exhausted their momentum, transformed into chaotic, uneven ruins.
Severed limbs, shattered weapons, blood-soaked earth... together they formed a hellish tableau.
Alliance shinobi crawled out from behind cover and from ditches, eyes vacant, faces written with post-catastrophe bewilderment and bone-deep terror.
Sand Village's betrayal made the catastrophic situation even worse.
Konoha didn't even need to continue pursuit. The leaderless shinobi alliance had already begun routing on its own.
Everyone ran backward like madmen, cursing that they didn't have a few extra legs.
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