The atmosphere across the training ground grew heavy.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Konan, Sasuke, and Hinata had already retreated far from the battlefield, yet they could still feel the terrifying pressure radiating from Naruto and Nagato.
The ground beneath their feet trembled continuously.
Naruto's golden chakra cloak blazed like a miniature sun.
On the opposite side, the Rinnegan in Nagato's eyes emitted a mysterious purple glow.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Both were gathering strength for their ultimate techniques.
Finally, Nagato raised his hand.
"Naruto."
"Hm?"
"Don't hold back."
A smile appeared on Naruto's face.
"I was about to tell you the same thing."
The next moment, both erupted into action.
Nagato thrust his palm toward the sky.
"Planetary Devastation!"
A tiny black sphere shot upward.
At first glance, it appeared insignificant.
But everyone present immediately sensed the terrifying power hidden within it.
The sphere rapidly ascended hundreds of meters into the air.
Then its gravitational force exploded outward.
Boom!
The earth shook violently.
Massive chunks of rock tore free from the ground.
Trees.
Boulders.
Fragments of the training field.
Everything began flying toward the black sphere.
The sky darkened.
The scene resembled the birth of a miniature moon.
Sasuke stared upward in shock.
"So this is..."
"The power that destroyed Konoha," Konan finished quietly.
The growing satellite continued expanding.
Hundreds of tons of earth were dragged into the air.
Its gravitational pull became stronger and stronger.
Even Naruto felt his body being pulled upward.
The force was tremendous.
Ordinary shinobi would have already been trapped.
But Naruto merely planted his feet and smiled.
"An impressive technique."
"However..."
Golden chakra surged behind him.
One tail.
Two tails.
Three tails.
More and more chakra tails emerged.
The Nine-Tails' power flooded the battlefield.
A gigantic chakra avatar slowly formed around Naruto.
Golden fox ears appeared.
Then massive arms.
Soon, a colossal Nine-Tails construct towered above the forest.
The surrounding trees looked tiny in comparison.
Nagato's eyes narrowed slightly.
The amount of chakra was unbelievable.
Even with the Rinnegan, he could not ignore it.
Inside the golden avatar, Naruto brought his hands together.
A gigantic Rasengan began forming.
Then a second one.
Then a third.
Wind Release chakra merged into them.
Nature energy poured inside.
The spheres rapidly transformed.
Sharp blades of chakra emerged from their surfaces.
"Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken."
The surrounding air screamed.
Countless microscopic chakra blades spun at unimaginable speed.
Even from a distance, everyone could feel the danger.
Naruto looked toward the growing satellite in the sky.
"Let's see which one wins."
Then he hurled all three attacks upward.
Boom!
The gigantic Rasenshuriken shot into the sky.
The entire battlefield shook.
Three streaks of golden light tore through the clouds.
A second later, they collided with Planetary Devastation.
Silence.
A brief, terrifying silence.
Then...
The world exploded.
BOOOOOOM!
A blinding light consumed the heavens.
The impact shattered countless rocks instantly.
The miniature moon trembled violently.
Cracks spread across its surface.
The gravitational core struggled to maintain control.
For several seconds, the two techniques fought against one another.
Gravity against destruction.
The Rinnegan against the Nine-Tails.
Then the balance broke.
Crack!
A massive fissure split across the satellite.
Nagato's expression changed.
The next instant, the entire structure detonated.
BOOOOOOM!
Millions of tons of rock exploded outward.
The sky appeared to shatter.
A storm of debris rained down across the forest.
Fortunately, both Naruto and Nagato reacted immediately.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato unleashed a powerful repulsive wave.
At the same time, golden chakra arms shot upward from Naruto's avatar.
Together, they redirected the falling debris away from the village.
After several minutes, the chaos finally subsided.
The battlefield was silent once more.
Dust drifted through the air.
The forest had been transformed into a wasteland.
Massive craters stretched in every direction.
Nagato slowly lowered his hand.
His breathing had become noticeably heavier.
Planetary Devastation consumed an enormous amount of chakra.
Even with his restored body, it was far from effortless.
Across from him, Naruto dismissed the Nine-Tails avatar.
He looked equally excited.
"That was incredible."
Nagato laughed softly.
"I should be the one saying that."
For the first time in many years, he had fought without pain.
Without weakness.
Without relying on life-support machinery.
Simply as himself.
The feeling was strangely liberating.
Naruto walked forward.
"Well?"
Nagato raised an eyebrow.
"Well what?"
"Who won?"
The question caused everyone nearby to pause.
Konan looked toward Nagato.
Hinata looked toward Naruto.
Even Sasuke was paying attention.
Nagato considered it for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"A draw."
Naruto immediately protested.
"How is that a draw? My attack broke your Planetary Devastation."
Nagato pointed toward the devastated landscape.
"And if this had been a real battlefield, your village would no longer exist."
Naruto opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
A few seconds later, he nodded reluctantly.
"Fair point."
Nagato chuckled.
The others laughed as well.
The tension of the battle finally disappeared.
For a brief moment, everyone simply enjoyed the peace.
Then Nagato turned serious.
"Naruto."
"What is it?"
Nagato looked toward the distant horizon.
"The masked man won't wait forever."
His voice became cold.
"He'll come looking for me."
Naruto followed his gaze.
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
Golden chakra flickered around him.
"I've been waiting for him."
Far away, beneath the shadows of a storm-covered sky, neither Naruto nor Nagato knew that Black Zetsu had already begun moving.
The next phase of the struggle was about to begin.
And this time, the hunters might become the hunted.