In the distant viewing area.
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses and looked at the expressionless Uehara Naraku: "Lord Naraku, Lord Jiraiya has also fallen in battle!"
"..."
Namikaze Minato's face was somewhat grim.
The losses for Konoha this time are just too tragic! Hatake Kakashi fell at the start, then Might Guy sacrificed himself soon after, and now it's Jiraiya's turn...
Yakushi Kabuto looked at Uehara Naraku and softly continued, "Should we use Reanimation Jutsu to bring back Lord Jiraiya?"
"No need."
Uehara Naraku shook his head, a hint of complexity in his voice: "Someone will return their life to him. This is the Ninja World; even in death, there's still resurrection."
After saying this, Uehara Naraku glanced at Namikaze Minato: "But we'll see if the son of the Fourth Hokage can match everyone's expectations... If Uzumaki Naruto isn't strong enough, then you're on your own!"
"..."
Everyone present fell into silence.
On the battlefield.
Uzumaki Naruto's mind was still blank, unable to believe that Jiraiya died right before his eyes: "Ero Sage... Ero Sage?"
Instinctively, Uzumaki Naruto stumbled a few steps, kneeling on one knee beside Jiraiya, reaching out to nudge his body: "Ero Sage?"
No matter how Naruto called, Jiraiya could no longer respond to him.
Jiraiya's lips held a content smile, having entrusted all future hopes to Naruto, he completely stopped breathing.
Uzumaki Naruto still couldn't believe everything in front of him.
"Little Jiraiya..."
Shima Sage's face was full of sorrow.
"Naruto!"
Fukasaku Sage focused on Nagato beside him, hastily reminding: "Naruto, old lady, the enemy is still here. This is not the time to mourn Little Jiraiya!"
"..."
Nagato did not move, only looking down at the stunned Naruto and Jiraiya's body, his face full of complexity.
At this moment, no one knew what Nagato was thinking.
The next moment, Nagato's face turned cold again.
Nagato suddenly kicked Naruto away, conjuring a Black Rod, nailing Naruto's shoulder and pinning him to the ground!
"Jiraiya-sensei is already dead."
Nagato looked at the gradually angering Naruto, speaking coldly: "Uzumaki Naruto, come with me now!"
"Bastard!"
Fukasaku Sage's tongue suddenly extended, about to bind Nagato's body, only to be effortlessly pinned to the ground with a Black Rod!
Shima Sage opened her mouth to spew flames: "Fire Release..."
"Almighty Push."
Nagato casually extended his palm, an Almighty Push directly crushing Shima Sage!
As the true body of the Outer Path, Nagato could use all the abilities of the Rinnegan, even surpassing in the power of jutsu!
Nagato had just arrived, swiftly and decisively dealing with everyone present.
Just as he approached Naruto, about to take him away, a series of stern shouts interrupted his actions from a distance.
"Let go of Naruto!"
Teams of ninja appeared around.
On Jiraiya's previous orders, to avoid greater losses, the support troops in the rear had not appeared on this battlefield.
However, once the Perception Squad noticed Jiraiya's demise, these support troops could no longer hold back, swarming towards the battlefield, with thousands of ninjas densely surrounding the area!
Nagato's eyebrows furrowed slightly, looking up at the charging Konoha ninjas, he muttered: "Asura Path!"
In an instant, two mechanical arms suddenly summoned from Nagato's back, transforming into rocket launchers. Countless rockets rapidly fired, covering a vast area of the battlefield in no time!
Numerous ninjas were blasted away!
Nagato extended his hand slowly towards the group of ninjas at the forefront, speaking softly: "Almighty Push!"
An overwhelming repulsive force exploded!
All the ninjas charging at him were repelled by Nagato!
Fear flickered across the faces of Konoha ninjas, never imagining the enemy could be so powerful, facing thousands of attackers as if they were nothing!
"Before a god, no matter how many mortals, they are still just mortals."
Nagato looked at the panting enemies, halted by fear, his hands slowly folding: "Since you are Konoha ninjas, then let you experience the power you most desire to see!"
Nagato's voice faintly turned somber, his hands swiftly clasping, vines began rapidly growing from his feet: "Wood Release: Tree Realm Descent!"
Countless vines and wood spikes began spreading densely outward!
Vines swiftly pierced through Konoha ninjas trying to cross them, forcing them to finally leave the battlefield!
Their faces showed only more fear towards Nagato.
However, Uehara Naraku, watching from a distance, almost went mad!
"Is this a joke?"
Uehara Naraku punched the ground, watching the towering vine thorns grow taller in the distance, his expression extremely complex: "When did Nagato awaken Wood Release? Why did he hide it from me?"
Damn it, where's the trust between people!
Why couldn't they just speak face to face about everything? Why did Nagato hide his awakening of Wood Release? Could it be that Nagato suspects him?
Why would Nagato suspect him!
Uehara Naraku clenched his fist tightly, shouting angrily, "Kabuto, help me remember this debt, I'll settle it with him later!"
"..."
Yakushi Kabuto looked at Uehara Naraku speechlessly, thinking that before saying those words, couldn't Lord Naraku consider how much he himself has hidden from them?
To be honest, Nagato's awakening of Wood Release was an accident.
While the Akatsuki was preparing with all their might for capturing the Eight-tailed and Nine-tailed Jinchuriki, Nagato secretly performed another Hashirama Cells transplantation to ensure the success of his plan, without informing Uehara Naraku.
Because Nagato, having the Rinnegan, felt he could transplant more Hashirama Cells, thereby gaining more life energy, chakra, and recovery ability.
It's just that Uehara Naraku always disagreed...
Even though Nagato didn't understand why Uehara Naraku was so strongly opposed to him transplanting more Hashirama Cells, Nagato, desiring more power, didn't care anymore.
As long as they captured the Eight-tailed and Nine-tailed Jinchuriki, the plan would succeed, and any side effects from the Hashirama Cells transplantation wouldn't matter.
Moreover, Nagato personally felt quite good about it.
Especially since he had also awakened the Wood Release Kekkeigenkai.
And now it proved that Nagato was not wrong, Wood Release Ninjutsu was indeed very useful; the effects of the Jutsu persistently forced enemies not to come close.
Just when Nagato was going full firepower in a killing frenzy, a sharp claw suddenly flew out, tearing apart the Summoning arm behind him in an instant!
That claw... is the Nine-tail!
Nagato quickly turned his head, only to see a Nine-tail, covered in blood-red, with six tails waving behind it!
At some point...
Uzumaki Naruto had unleashed the Nine-tail within him!
Perhaps due to Jiraiya's death, Uzumaki Naruto was utterly enraged, finally ceasing to hide his ferocity, allowing the Nine-tail within to break free!
But now that the Nine-tail was released, it might not be so easy to seal it back later?
The Nine-tail leaped onto the ground!
The scarlet giant mouth of the Nine-tail opened fiercely, one energy bullet after another swiftly covering the surrounding vines, directly shattering a large area!
"The Nine-tail, huh?"
Nagato's brow slightly furrowed, abruptly stretching out his palm toward the Nine-tail, a surging repulsive force burst out: "Almighty Push!"
In an instant, the originally raging Nine-tail was flipped over by the massive repulsive force!
Nagato waved his hand, throwing Black Rods to pin down each of the Nine-tail's tails, but as he just finished nailing the sixth tail, a seventh blood-red chakra tail grew anew from the Nine-tail's back!
"Still getting stronger?"
Nagato couldn't help but frown again, corresponding with a Black Rod pinning the seventh tail to the ground, but just as he was waiting for the eighth tail of the Nine-tail to emerge...
The furious Nine-tail suddenly spewed an energy bullet toward him!
What's more troubling for Nagato was that the Black Rods pinned on the Nine-tail were now being slowly shaken off by it!
"This chakra..."
Nagato's eyes instinctively narrowed, scarcely believing as he watched the Nine-tail with eight tails breaking free from his Yin Yang Release Black Rods!
Nagato stared intently at the massive Tailed Beast poised for attack on the ground, a look of astonishment on his face: "Just in terms of chakra... even in its current state, it far surpasses the other Tailed Beasts!"
How were Tailed Beasts even created!
This Ninja World is too unfair!
Is there such a disparity even in the power of Tailed Beasts?
Nagato had been involved in capturing the One-tail, overseen the capture of the Six-tail, but had never seen chakra as vast as the Nine-tail's, to the point where even its mere presence far exceeded any Tailed Beast from One-tail to Seven-tail.
At this very moment, a remarkable thought crossed Nagato's mind: "If we were to absorb the Nine-tail's chakra into the Gedo Statue, it would likely take several times longer than absorbing other Tailed Beasts, wouldn't it?"
In the next moment, Nagato stopped pondering this question.
Because the chakra within the Nine-tail swelled abruptly, nine scarlet tails writhed and danced wildly behind it, as an enormous fox stood face-to-face with Nagato!
The complete form of the Nine-tail entirely manifested in the world!
Even Konoha Ninja watched the colossal true form of the Nine-tail with some fear and unease, retreating instinctively, reminiscing that fearsome night of the Nine-tail's rampage!
That night of the Nine-tail Chaos...
Konoha suffered heavy losses and never fully recovered since.
The Nine-tail did not look at the Konoha Ninja, for there was someone more captivating in front of it.
The Nine-tail slowly lowered its head, a flicker of savagery in its crimson eyes as it gazed at Nagato, slightly opening its mouth to reveal a set of sharp teeth!
"Your eyes may look familiar..."
The Nine-tail's eyes slightly squinted, its voice even somewhat gentle. In the next instant, its tone became brutally savage: "Hmph, but they merely look alike. The aura within them makes me feel sick!"