The betrayal of the Sand Village threw the entire allied army into chaos.
Enraged roars echoed from all directions.
Under the Sand's counterattack, the allied forces suffered heavy losses and were forced into a continuous retreat.
"It's over," Tsunade said, her face a mask of despair.
The moment the Sand turned on them, the battle was lost.
She and Mei Terumi were quickly defeated under the combined assault of the White Fang, Kakashi, and Gaara. They dragged their heavily injured bodies back behind the front lines.
The allied army began to fall back, on the verge of a full-blown rout.
Kakashi, the White Fang, and Gaara simply watched them retreat, making no move to stop them.
"I suppose the first battle is coming to a close," the White Fang sighed.
"After this, the shinobi world should understand the power of the Seireitei."
"Never underestimate the human heart," Gaara said faintly. "To them, this is just the first defeat. They won't give up so easily."
"It doesn't matter. What we need now is time. Naruto should be back soon," Kakashi said calmly. "Our final plan has not yet begun."
"Even without Naruto, the Seireitei was able to hold back the allied army. Once he returns and the plan is set in motion, they will be unstoppable."
"Besides, we still have many cards to play. The Nine-Tails hasn't even made an appearance this time."
For the Seireitei, this war was merely a warm-up.
The goal was simply to show the shinobi world their strength.
"But the Seireitei's losses were not small either," the ever-merciful White Fang couldn't help but sigh.
There were no winners in this battle.
The Allied Shinobi Forces had the numbers. Although their army was in retreat, their losses were still within a manageable range.
But the Seireitei's numbers were finite. The death of even a hundred, let alone a thousand, was a painful blow.
Kakashi, however, was much more accepting of the reality. "A Shinigami who has not experienced death cannot truly evolve," he said softly. "Although our forces suffered losses, the ones who survived will undoubtedly become elites. Furthermore, the Hollows were the ones on the front lines. Lord Orochimaru's research has been a great help. Once the equipment is mass-produced, we can create even more Hollows. The souls in the Pure Land will be our most valuable reserve. The Seireitei is already in an unbeatable position."
What the Allied Shinobi Forces didn't know was that for the Seireitei, this war was nothing more than a training exercise.
On another part of the battlefield, the strongest combatants, Nagato and Minato, now faced each other.
Facing the legendary Yellow Flash, whose name was known throughout the shinobi world, Nagato did not dare to be careless.
He knew that in life, Minato's strength was on par with a base-form Jiraiya. After becoming a Shinigami, his true power was not to be underestimated.
Moreover, the fact that the Seireitei had sent Minato to face him alone was a testament to their confidence in him.
Nagato moved his arms, and in the next instant, the Six Paths of Pain surrounded Minato.
"Let's see what the renowned Yellow Flash is capable of."
The Animal Path summoned its beasts, and the Asura Path fired missiles from its fingers.
Minato's expression was relaxed. He vanished in an instant, and a Rasengan slammed into the Animal Path.
With a deafening roar, the Animal Path was blown to pieces.
Minato landed gracefully, his white Shihakusho fluttering in the wind. The bright yellow blade in his hand shimmered with a faint light.
"You will."
"Condense, Meta-Sphere." A blinding red light shot into the sky, then spread out like an umbrella, enveloping the entire area. The air began to fill with crimson motes of light.
"Is this his Shikai?" Fighting Minato for the first time, Nagato was on high alert.
I wonder if he's mastered Bankai, Nagato thought. He still remembered how Shion's Bankai had nearly wiped out all six of his Paths.
If Jiraiya hadn't been there, he would have been defeated.
For Minato to face him alone, he had to have a trump card.
His strength would be no less than Shion's.
Now, inside the Meta-Sphere, he could no longer see any other ninja. The battlefield had transformed into a field of rubble under a dark red sky.
"Is this a separate dimension?" he murmured, his eyes narrowing with caution.
The entire space was an eerie, dark red, and he could feel a faint Reiatsu flowing through the air.
It suppressed the chakra within his body to a certain degree.
It wasn't much, but it could easily affect a ninja's judgment.
What made Nagato even more wary was that he couldn't find any flaw in the Meta-Sphere.
For a battle between ninja to change the weather was already astonishing. To create an entirely separate dimension…
This was insane. Was this the overwhelming power of a Zanpakuto? It was no exaggeration to say that Nagato was already feeling the pressure.
It had been the same with Shion, and now with Minato.
"What's wrong? Too scared to move? Then leave an arm behind and retreat. I might just spare your life," Minato's gentle, concerned voice rang out, causing Nagato's expression to turn even colder.
Damn it. He looks so gentle, but he's a pressure-talker! For some reason, he saw a shadow of Naruto in Minato.
No wonder they were father and son.
They were cut from the same cloth.
By now, the Naraka Path had already restored the destroyed Animal Path, and several giant summoned beasts were eyeing Minato menacingly.
"Just as the intel said. The Naraka Path can restore the other puppets. I have to destroy it first," Minato noted, his eyes flashing.
"Universal Pull!" The Deva Path was the first to act, a powerful gravitational force pulling Minato toward its hand.
However, the amount of chakra used was small; it was more of a probe.
"Hm? Just like the intel said—attraction and repulsion." Minato looked completely at ease. To Nagato's astonishment, he unleashed a massive burst of Reiatsu that instantly canceled out the Universal Pull, and then his figure vanished.
"Kido Art: Divine Wind Annihilation Rasengan!" The next moment, a giant Rasengan descended from the sky, obliterating both the Naraka Path and the Animal Path.
Minato lightly tapped his feet, using two of the summoned beasts as springboards. As he leaped, his Zanpakuto sliced the Human Path in two.
His figure flashed through the space like lightning, a streak of yellow light.
"Hado Number 54: Haien."
"Hado Number 63: Raikoho."
A continuous stream of Kido erupted from his palms. Before Nagato's shocked eyes, four of the Six Paths of Pain were disabled, leaving only the Deva Path and the Asura Path.
The whole process was so fast that Nagato didn't even have time to react.
"How can he flash all over the space? Doesn't the Flying Thunder God Technique require markers?" Nagato was filled with confusion.
Before they had set out for the Seireitei, Konoha had provided the Akatsuki with all the information on Minato and the others. He knew about Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique.
Although it was difficult to defend against, its biggest weakness was the need for markers.
All he had to do was pay attention to where the markers were placed.
And with the shared vision of the Six Paths of Pain, even the Flying Thunder God should have been manageable.
But reality had just slapped him in the face.
Minato could use the Flying Thunder God to jump to any point within this space.
"Does Shinigamification remove the need for markers? Or can he just teleport anywhere within this dimension?" A look of realization flashed in Nagato's eyes.
But it was too late.
"This Zanpakuto, this ability… it's terrifying. No wonder the ninja villages see the Seireitei as such a threat. If they're allowed to develop, the entire shinobi world won't be able to stop them. But it's still not enough to defeat me."
Nagato's expression hardened. A massive amount of chakra erupted from his body, and even the Meta-Sphere seemed to tremble for a moment.
"Summoning Jutsu!" A giant centipede and a two-headed dog appeared. Nagato stood atop the centipede's head, looking down on Minato with arrogance.
The Deva Path and the remaining Asura Path collapsed to the ground like lifeless puppets.
From this moment on, Nagato would fight with the full power of his own body.
"Now this is more like it. I hear you're Naruto's senior disciple. I hope you won't disappoint me," Minato chuckled. In the next instant, he had flashed in front of Nagato, his Zanpakuto slashing out.
"Almighty Push!" Nagato's eyes narrowed. A powerful shockwave erupted, but Minato just gave a strange smile and vanished.
"Divine Wind Tri-Rasengan!" Minato appeared behind Nagato, a Rasengan in his hand, and slammed it forward.
He's too fast! Can he use the Flying Thunder God an infinite number of times?
"Blocking Technique Absorption Seal!"
Chakra swirled, and the Rasengan was absorbed completely. Nagato spun around and grabbed for Minato.
"He can absorb Kido? What an impressive technique." Minato was slightly surprised. He raised a hand to block Nagato's attack, but as he caught the blow, he felt a shiver of alarm. Something was wrong.
Nagato's attack was soft, not at all like a taijutsu strike meant to cause harm.
Then, to his shock, he realized that the Reiatsu in his body was flowing continuously toward Nagato's hands.
Minato's eyes narrowed. With a pulse of Reiatsu, he broke free from Nagato's grip and used the Flying Thunder God to retreat, his gaze now filled with caution.
"This is an ability that wasn't in the intel. It seems he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve." The thought flashed through Minato's mind, and his figure once again flickered through the space.
"Hado Number 54: Haien."
Minato used Kido from a distance. As expected, the attack was absorbed by Nagato.
"I see. Normal Kido won't work, but if I get too close, he'll absorb my Reiatsu. He can attack and defend. As expected of the Rinnegan, which surpasses the Sharingan. If Shinigami didn't exist, Nagato would probably be the strongest ninja in the world," Minato thought, his expression calm.
"In that case, I'll have to use a binding Kido."
"Bakudo Number 63: Sajo Sabaku!" Chains as thick as giant snakes shot out from the ground, wrapping around Nagato.
"Useless. Almighty Push!" A violent shockwave erupted from Nagato's hands, shattering the chains.
He stood atop his giant summoned beast, looking down on Minato with cold indifference. "It's useless. In the face of absolute power, everything else is meaningless."
Minato found Nagato's Rinnegan to be quite troublesome.
Nagato's main body possessed all the abilities of the Six Paths of Pain, giving him an advantage at both close and long range.
Minato's only advantage was his agility and the Flying Thunder God.
The situation had reached a stalemate. Nagato couldn't catch Minato, and Minato was having trouble harming Nagato.
"As expected of Naruto's senior disciple," Minato said with a relaxed smile.
"No, I should say, as expected of the Child of the Prophecy."
Minato knew of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, which foretold that the Child of the Prophecy would decide the fate of the shinobi world.
Thinking about it…
If Shinigami didn't exist, Nagato, with his abilities, could definitely control the destiny of the ninja world.
A flicker of curiosity toward Nagato sparked within him.
"You possess such powerful eyes, so why are you allied with the shinobi forces? Why oppose the Seireitei? As far as I know, the Akatsuki and the Seireitei have no deep-seated hatred for each other," Minato asked.
"You are obstructing our plan," Nagato replied coldly, raising an eyebrow.
"Plan? To capture the Tailed Beasts, I presume," Minato nodded to himself.
"Do you intend to turn the nine Tailed Beasts into weapons of war and conquer the shinobi world?"
Minato had heard the legends of the nine Tailed Beasts.
It was said that they were all created by the Sage of Six Paths and were later controlled by the various ninja villages, sealed within jinchuriki.
Nagato possessed the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, so his techniques were likely related to the Tailed Beasts.
For that reason alone, the Akatsuki could not be allowed to succeed.
Nagato did not answer Minato's speculation.
"You will not succeed," Minato said with a smile, then vanished. His body erupted with a speed and power far greater than before. He appeared above Nagato, a Rasengan in his hand that had swelled to the size of a small mountain, and brought it crashing down.
BOOM! With a world-shaking explosion, the shockwave spread out from Nagato, shattering the earth. Spiderweb cracks spread out in all directions.
The rocks on the ground were thrown into the air, breaking into countless pieces.
The entire red space was engulfed in a white light.
"This jutsu, this power! Is this the Fourth Hokage?!" Nagato's face was filled with horror, but his Rinnegan spun wildly. He used the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal to absorb most of the violent Reiatsu that was converging on his body, forming a shield around himself.
Even so, after the explosion, his clothes were in tatters, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. His already injured body felt as fragile as a candle in the wind.
When the dust settled and the explosion subsided, he was stunned to find that he was now in a crater at least ten meters deep.
And Minato was high above him, half of his face covered by a Hollow mask. He was looking down at Nagato, his gentle eyes gone, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness and killing intent.
"Is this… Hollowfication?" Seeing Minato's murderous gaze and awe-inspiring presence, Nagato actually felt a pang of fear.
It was only Shikai and Hollowfication, yet it felt like he was facing Shion's Bankai.
If Minato had a Bankai, then a Bankai- and Hollow-enhanced Minato could probably wipe the floor with him. This thought only strengthened Nagato's resolve to destroy the Seireitei.
"Round two, begin." As he spoke, Minato vanished.