"Planetary Devastation... that is the one I told you can create a moon." Makiya let out a long breath. He had not expected Nagato to spam his ultimates like this, unleashing the All-Out Almighty Push followed immediately by Planetary Devastation. Could his body even handle it?
"Didn't you say Nagato overexerts his life force when using this jutsu? Why is he putting his life on the line so soon? What happened between you two?" Minato was a bit dazed. He had not been gone for long; after dealing with several summoning beasts, he had hurried back only to find the enemy pushed to such an extreme.
"I am not sure either." Makiya shrugged. "Anyway, the range of this jutsu is massive. Go protect the villagers; I will figure out a way to break it."
Makiya could guess Nagato's state of mind to some extent. Ever since Yahiko's death and the formal awakening of the Rinnegan's powers, Nagato had been effortlessly crushing other ninjas. Almost no one could stand against a combination of any two of the Six Paths puppets.
Even the man known as a demigod, Hanzo of the Salamander, had met a miserable end under the mysterious Rinnegan. He had not been able to cause even a ripple, played like a toy in the palm of Nagato's hand as revenge for Yahiko's death.
In a place like the Hidden Rain Village, the Rinnegan was more than enough to dominate everyone. Long-term power superiority had made Nagato's ego float. He kept calling himself the god of the new world, and over time, the role had truly gotten into his head, making him believe he was an all-powerful deity.
Simply put, an edgy teenager's ego had inflated, and being humiliated so suddenly made him lash out in rage.
Losing four of the Six Paths puppets in such a short time meant that the pressure Makiya exerted on Nagato was unparalleled—the greatest crisis he had faced since awakening the Rinnegan.
Furthermore, Makiya acknowledged Nagato's ideals and was even competing for the position of 'God.' In such a battle for succession, one had to go all out.
The core of the Planetary Devastation, resembling a black hole, hung high in the sky, continuously releasing a terrifying gravitational pull. While performing the technique, Nagato had to concentrate all his focus on the Deva Path. Beside him, the Animal Path lost control and collapsed face-down on the ground.
With his power concentrated on a single puppet, the Rinnegan in the Deva Path's eyes glowed with a cold, oppressive light. Raising both hands above his head, his body slowly rose, ensuring everyone would take notice of him.
"Makiya Uchiha, Fourth Hokage, and you mortals of the Leaf... feel pain, contemplate pain, accept pain, know pain!"
The Deva Path's voice was low and raspy, like a roar from the depths of hell. Nagato used his remaining chakra to amplify his voice, broadcasting it across the sky above Konoha.
Minato's expression was grim. Makiya's description of Planetary Devastation replayed in his mind. He knew that with his current abilities, he could not dispel this jutsu in a short time. He could only leverage his speed to save as many villagers as possible.
"Makiya, be careful. Prioritize your own safety," Minato said solemnly. "As long as people are alive, Konoha can be rebuilt even if it is destroyed. If the people are gone, protecting the village means nothing. Tsunade is still waiting for you in the East."
Hearing Minato's words, Makiya nodded in agreement. He understood the logic: save the people and lose the land, and both are eventually regained; save the land and lose the people, and both are lost for good. It was rare for Minato to share such a philosophy.
But when Minato finished his last sentence, Makiya nearly stumbled. He quickly clarified, "What do you mean Tsunade is waiting for me in the East? We do not have that kind of relationship."
They had not even reached first base yet, and he had not tasted the meat yet. There was no way Makiya would admit to a relationship with Tsunade; he would wait until he hit a home run to announce it publicly.
Besides, Minato, you usually look so straight-laced, but you have got sharp eyes to have noticed that.
Makiya and Tsunade rarely interacted in the village, so he was surprised Minato had caught on after only a few conversations.
Minato blinked, giving a look that said 'don't play dumb with me.' He pulled a large number of Flying Raijin kunai from his pouch, scattering them like flower petals before vanishing in a flash.
The attraction of the Planetary Devastation grew stronger. First came small pebbles and branches, followed by shards of houses. Eventually, even the ground began to crack, and massive boulders were ripped from the earth, flying toward the black sphere in the sky.
Konoha Village, the core area near the Hokage Rock.
This was where the Hokage Building was located, as well as the political and economic heart of the village. The Konoha Hospital, Anbu base, and the most bustling commercial streets were all here; every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.
It was also within the range of the Planetary Devastation.
Flames spread across the streets, and broken water pipes sprayed massive torrents of water. Mixed with the fire and thick smoke, it looked like a scene from hell.
After the massive summoning beasts had rampaged, more than half the houses had collapsed. Fortunately, Tekka Uchiha and Yashiro had activated their Susanoo in time to block them, buying precious escape time for the villagers.
"Squad 1 and Squad 2, prioritize escorting villagers to the shelters! Squad 3 and Squad 4, go to the Barrier Corps to help search for any hiding enemies! Squad 5 and Squad 6, dig through the ruins to see if anyone is trapped underneath!"
Next to the Hokage Building, Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Uchiha clan, was directing the Military Police Force with rapid commands, following a pre-rehearsed emergency response plan.
In the original timeline, when the Nine-Tails rampaged, the Uchiha clan had been ordered to stay in their compound. This was because the Nine-Tails had giant Sharingan eyes; anyone who was not blind could see the spinning tomoe patterns.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, believed the Uchiha were secretly sabotaging the village and had released the Nine-Tails to overthrow Konoha, so he ordered the Anbu to watch them, wasting precious manpower.
Now, things were completely different. Without a Sharingan-controlled Nine-Tails, the purple pupils in the summoning beasts did not look like the Uchiha's eyes at all. Plus, two Uchiha powerhouses had stepped up to protect the villagers, so they were naturally trusted.
The Military Police Force was fully deployed, acting in an orderly fashion under Fugaku's command to protect the villagers heading toward the shelters inside the Hokage Rock.
The thick mountain could block most ninjutsu attacks, but unfortunately, they did not know that under the intense gravity of Planetary Devastation, even mountains could not escape destruction.
"Tekka, Yashiro, you have done well." After issuing his orders, Fugaku turned to look at the two clansmen behind him. Both were outstanding Jonin experienced in war, possessing Three-Tomoe Sharingan and performing exceptionally well in the recent conflict.
Fugaku had not paid much attention to them originally. While Three-Tomoe eyes were respected in the Uchiha clan, they were not rare. Who would have thought they were silent types who would shock everyone? If it were not for today's attack, Fugaku would not have known they had awakened the Mangekyo.
'They awakened the Mangekyo and did not even notify me, the Clan Leader. Do they even respect me?!' Fugaku felt a surge of secret resentment, but he could not let it show. Both were heroes who had just protected the village; he could only reward them.
"You flatter us, Lord Clan Leader," Tekka nodded modestly. "Lord Makiya said that the Uchiha are the Clan of Love. Protecting the villagers is our duty."
Fugaku nodded. "Remember, the Mangekyo Sharingan is extremely precious. Once overused, your vision will gradually deteriorate until you go blind. Go and guard the shelters now; do not come out without orders."
Tekka and Yashiro glanced at each other. "...Yes, Lord Clan Leader."
Tekka took a step but suddenly sensed something was wrong. "Huh?"
The sensation of his feet on the ground was off. He lacked the usual grounded feeling, feeling light as if his weight had suddenly decreased by two-thirds.
The gravitational pull of the Planetary Devastation had reached this area. By the time everyone noticed their weight shifting, the surrounding ground was already cracking, and leaves were abnormally flying upward.
The Military Police Force, villagers, and Anbu ninjas looked up in shock. They saw the puppet floating in the sky, and his embarrassing, edgy speech echoed in their ears. As if confirming the enemy's words, the entire Hokage Building shuddered twice before being pulled from its foundations.
"What is that thing?"
"Who is the enemy?"
"Look, the Hokage Building..."
"The Hokage Building is... flying?!"
"Help! I can't control my body! Someone help me!"
The water tower on the roof broke free from its bolts, flying into the sky along with the water inside. Next were the ceiling tiles, brick walls, uprooted trees, and a large number of villagers... Gravity had reversed at this moment, and the terrifying pull acted indiscriminately on every object in range.
"Susanoo!"
Tekka and Yashiro activated their Susanoo almost simultaneously. The skeletal giants reappeared. Having just fought a major battle, both refrained from manifesting muscles or armor to conserve their ocular power.
Skeletal palms reached into the sky, catching the villagers who were being pulled up and placing them underneath the Susanoo for protection.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"It turns out there are good people in the Uchiha too."
"I am sorry, I should not have discriminated against you. From now on, any Uchiha who shops at my store gets a 5% discount and a five-ryo coupon!"
"Damn profiteer."
The rescued villagers were incredibly grateful. Tekka and Yashiro ignored them, focusing on controlling their Susanoo's hands.
They could feel that controlling the Susanoo was becoming increasingly difficult, as if swimming through thick liquid. Every move consumed a massive amount of ocular power.
The situation was grim!
Countless ninjas released chakra from their feet, trying to stick themselves firmly to the ground, but the ground itself shattered, and they were pulled into the sky along with it.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Earth Pillar Spear!"
"Water Style: Water Colliding Wave!"
""
Various ninjutsu flew toward the black dot in the sky, attempting to shatter the source of the gravity. However, whether it was fireballs or rock spears, they all disintegrated in the violent gravitational turbulence halfway through.
Despair clouded everyone's hearts. Cries and howls of terror echoed incessantly, interweaving with the roar of crumbling buildings to create a tragic scene.
Minato became a yellow flash, weaving through the sky. He continuously saved villagers and ninjas, transporting them to the far end of the village, near the old battlefield.
Unfortunately, the number of people Minato could save was limited. Using Flying Raijin to transport others consumed a lot of chakra and stamina. After moving fewer than a hundred people, Minato landed on the ground, panting. He pulled out a handful of Military Rations Pills and tossed them into his mouth, feeling the bitterness spread as they began to restore his depleted chakra.
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