The Chibaku Tensei was now nearly complete. The monolithic structure hanging in the sky exerted a crushing pressure, instantly triggering a primal fear of colossal objects in those below. Villagers and ninjas alike trembled, cold sweat pouring down their faces as if an impending apocalypse was about to strike.
"Is this the jutsu that created the moon? To think it could reach such a scale..." Minato's figure appeared atop the shelter. He looked up at the sky, speechless for a long time. A technique of this caliber had completely transcended the concept of ninjutsu; it was no different from the power of a god.
"I hope Makiya succeeds. Otherwise..." Minato scanned the area. The floating shelters were overcrowded. Even if he exhausted himself using the Flying Raijin, he could only evacuate a fraction of them.
Boom! Standing on the surface of the rocky sphere, the samurai giant pulled out its greatsword and thrust it back in with a violent surge of strength. Bright red magma spilled from the heavens like a crimson river falling toward the earth.
The core of the Chibaku Tensei suffered a devastating blow. The high temperatures destabilized the black sphere's balance, and rays of white light pierced through the rocky mass as if it contained an infinite brilliance within.
'Looks like it's going to blow...' Makiya controlled the Susanoo to flap its wings, attempting to distance himself from the Chibaku Tensei before the explosion.
However, the Susanoo's massive size was firmly snared by the Chibaku Tensei's gravitational pull, making it impossible to escape immediately. In a final push, Makiya unleashed a massive amount of ocular power, positioning the Susanoo between the Chibaku Tensei and the Leaf's shelter below, spreading its wings to shield everyone as much as possible.
Pure white flames manifested before Makiya, transforming into a flying sword that hovered in front of him. He reached out, gripped the hilt, and flew out of the Susanoo in the blink of an eye.
A second later, the sky suddenly ignited as if daylight had returned in an instant. Blinding light erupted from within the Chibaku Tensei, radiating in every direction. Ripples distorted the air as a violent gale and a terrifying shockwave surged outward.
Rumble...
A scene resembling the explosion of an asteroid played out before everyone's eyes. The colossal Susanoo blocked the shockwave for the people, but it couldn't stop the blinding light and the sea of fire. Time seemed to slow down as the terrifying energy impact scoured the space, creating ripples in its wake.
The "planet," split in half, geysered flames. Translucent shockwaves spread through the air like a radiant halo. Behind it, the high-hanging moon quietly cast its silver light while the hulking pitch-black giant with wings on its back shielded everyone from the blast... The sight felt like an epic myth come to life, leaving everyone's minds blank.
The unforgettable scene didn't last long. The sky was swallowed by fire, and the pitch-black giant vanished into the flames. Massive fragments the size of mountains began to rain down, kicking up an endless cloud of dust.
The shelter's upward momentum gradually slowed. Just as people began to look relieved, a few clever souls began to feel despair.
They were no longer on the ground. Having been pulled high into the air by the powerful gravity, now that the force had vanished, there was only one outcome for them.
They would plummet back to the ground with the shelter and be smashed into a bloody pulp!
Weightlessness enveloped everyone as the shelter beneath their feet began to fall. As the descent accelerated, the villagers couldn't keep pace with the falling platform, and their feet gradually left the ground.
"What's happening?" Some villagers hadn't realized the situation yet, looking around in confusion.
"You idiot, we're dead!" a nearby villager screamed in terror. The honor of witnessing a battle of gods was long forgotten, replaced by pure survival instinct. Yet, high in the sky, they had no leverage.
"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?!" a little girl cried out in a panic, only to be pulled into the arms of a young woman pushing through the crowd.
"Listen to me! Don't panic!" a self-proclaimed genius ninja shouted, getting a sudden idea. "Ninjas, use your chakra to stick to the floor and grab the villagers nearby! Just before the shelter hits the ground, we all jump at the same time, and we'll be fine!"
Tekka and Yashiro grit their teeth. "We can use our Susanoo to protect some of the villagers, but the rest..."
The villagers cried out in vain while the ninjas used every trick they had, all struggling to find a glimmer of hope amidst the disaster.
Just as despair took root in everyone's hearts, the shelter's descent began to slow down. Caught off guard, many people slammed hard against the shelter's floor, getting a mouthful of dirt and sand.
"Is everyone all right?" Makiya's voice, amplified by chakra, echoed throughout the shelter. Though the howling wind made it hard to hear clearly, the massive Susanoo was visible to anyone who looked up.
"It's Lord Makiya!" Tekka's eyes lit up as he looked at the pitch-black giant Makiya had summoned. His joy was mixed with confusion. "Didn't Lord Makiya's Susanoo just..."
"Idiot, the Susanoo isn't a one-time use thing." Beside him, Yashiro Uchiha facepalmed, worried about his comrade's intelligence. "As long as you have enough ocular power, you could create a hundred clones and have each one manifest a Susanoo."
"I see!" Tekka realized, then became shocked. "Lord Makiya's ocular power is incredible. It's on a completely different level from ours."
"Of course it is." Yashiro's face was full of pride. "Do you even know who you're talking about? That's the Lord Makiya we follow."
The world-towering giant appeared once more between heaven and earth. The wings on its back whipped up a gale as its hands supported the mountain-like shelter, lowering it slowly. Amidst violent tremors, it touched down on the ground.
The Susanoo's legs bent to absorb the impact of the heavy shelter. The bone structures in its arms began to crack but were instantly restored by the abundant ocular power.
Makiya could have forced the shelter to a halt in an instant, but his goal was to save lives, not to end up with a pile of human paste. It wasn't until the Susanoo's hands were nearly touching the ground that the shelter's descent finally ceased.
After plugging the mountain-like shelter back into the massive pit in the Hokage Rock, Makiya looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had somehow appeared at the top of the shelter.
"Lord Third, I'll leave the falling debris from the sky to you. I have some business to attend to."
"Leave it to this old man. It's just a few rocks," Hiruzen nodded. He looked up at the falling debris and swung his Adamantine Staff, shattering the stones that drew near.
Makiya nodded. As he dispelled the Susanoo, the blue flames surrounding him flickered weakly. But the battle wasn't over yet, and now was no time for slacking.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu, Release!"
Three clones in the Shikkotsu Forest dispelled, flooding Makiya's body with abundant natural energy. After being absorbed and channeled through his meridians, the energy was funneled into the marking on his forehead.
The blue marking emitted a magnificent glow. The flames surrounding Makiya surged once more as he transformed into a streak of blue light, flying like a meteor toward a location outside the Leaf Village.
Minato and the village higher-ups could clean up the mess in the Leaf. His primary objective was Nagato Uzumaki.
In the forest, the Deva Path and the Animal Path were sprinting under Nagato's control. Massive rocks fell around them occasionally, which they skillfully dodged.
Given the Deva Path's usual style, it would have normally used Shinra Tensei to obliterate any rock falling toward its head without a second thought. But it couldn't do that now. After unleashing Chibaku Tensei, the Deva Path puppet was severely damaged and desperately needed Nagato's repairs. Every jutsu used now would only further damage Yahiko's body.
He hadn't expected Makiya to be so strong that he could slice through Chibaku Tensei with a single blow—technically two blows, but to Nagato, there was no difference. Looking at how energetic the opponent still was, he could probably manage another twenty or even two hundred slashes... but Nagato certainly couldn't fire off two hundred Chibaku Tenseis.
Whoosh!
A flash of blue light appeared in front of the Deva Path and the Animal Path. The two puppets braked hard under Nagato's control, coming to a halt right before Makiya.
Nagato didn't hesitate. He controlled the Deva Path to draw a black receiver and, coordinated with the Animal Path, quickly closed in on Makiya. He hoped to exploit an information gap to drive the black receiver into Makiya's body.
Black receivers forged from Yin-Yang Release could disrupt chakra flow. Once inserted, Nagato could remotely influence Makiya's chakra, preventing him from performing any jutsu.
However, every advantage has its drawback. While the Six Paths of Pain operated externally, allowing Nagato to remain safe in the shadows, finding him through normal means was difficult. Yet, the chakra signal within the black receivers was undeniable. In the original story, Naruto had intentionally let a black receiver pierce him to trace the signal back to Nagato's hidden location.
Makiya sidestepped the Deva Path's attack. The Animal Path followed up immediately, black markings swirling in its palm as it attempted to trigger a summoning jutsu inside Makiya's stomach to blow him apart from the inside.
"You're at the end of your rope. Your speed is pitifully slow." Makiya smirked. He grabbed the Animal Path's arm with one hand and delivered a kick to its abdomen. The terrifying force exploded instantly, snapping the puppet in half.
"Cough... Shinra Tensei!"
Repulsive force erupted. The Deva Path was right next to Makiya, and the massive pressure enveloped his entire body. Bolstered by Sage Mode, Makiya stood his ground firmly, anchoring himself to the earth with chakra.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Since Makiya withstood the Shinra Tensei, the one who went flying was the Deva Path.
Boom!
The Deva Path was sent flying by the immense force, smashing through countless tree trunks as it hurtled backward. Even solid rock couldn't slow its descent.
"Hahahaha! You've been had, Makiya Uchiha! This is my escape route!" The Deva Path laughed wildly in mid-air, its hands moving again to release bursts of repulsive force to accelerate its flight.
Nagato realized that defeat was inevitable. At Konan's urging, he had already decided to retreat.
He could abandon the other Paths, but Nagato and Konan couldn't bear to leave Yahiko's body behind. No matter what, they had to take him back.
Using the repulsive force, the Deva Path quickly put distance between itself and Makiya. Knowing the opponent could fly, it stayed low, darting through the dense forest and debris, hoping the complex terrain would block Makiya's line of sight.
Makiya watched the Deva Path retreat but chose not to pursue it further. Instead, he picked up the severed halves of the Animal Path and pulled out a sealing scroll.
"What... are you doing?" The Animal Path was still under Nagato's control, its head turning with difficulty to look at Makiya.
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