Huff... Huff...
Nagato, controlling the Tendo, was gasping heavily.
"Is his body reacting from emotional overload?"
Intense emotional states can trigger physiological responses—rapid breathing, racing heart, and, in extreme cases, muscle spasms that lead to chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
Nagato was clearly on that edge.
"The Rinnegan must be contributing to this too..."
Toshiro narrowed his eyes. Nagato's overexertion was no longer his concern—the one who stirred the storm should bear its consequences.
As he watched Orochimaru retreating into the distance, he could only mutter inwardly,
"You're on your own now."
"Nagato, don't lose control!"
Even Konan, despite her injuries, noticed Nagato's destabilizing condition. She had seen it once before—when Yahiko died. Now, she feared history was repeating itself. Only this time, it was her life on the line.
"I'm fine!"
Nagato growled through clenched teeth.
But she knew better. After his last breakdown, he'd become a half-living wraith. Another outburst like that could destroy him.
"Ugh… aah!"
Nagato ignored her pleas. His emotions spiraled into panic and regret—not for himself, but for Konan, who had nearly died protecting him.
Huff!
He inhaled deeply and cast a final glance toward the distant silhouettes of Toshiro and Orochimaru. A slight smile appeared on his face.
Between his hands, now spread wide, shimmered a tiny black orb.
"Nagato..."
Konan sighed softly, as though reassured, then collapsed into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru observed Nagato with a mixture of wariness and confidence. His Yamato no Orochi, known for its terrifying regenerative power, had already recovered from being blasted back by Tendou's Shinra Tensei. He was disheveled, but far from defeated.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"That black sphere..."
Despite his unease, he pressed forward. Pain's Six Paths were faltering—this was his chance.
As Orochimaru moved, he noticed something strange.
"My speed... is increasing?"
No, that wasn't it.
Leaves and twigs began floating into the air. Snowflakes drifted upward. Even the very ground beneath him began to lift, defying gravity.
Orochimaru's instincts flared—something was terribly wrong.
"Sasori-dana, what is that thing?"
Deidara stared at the orb forming in the sky.
"No idea," Sasori replied. "But it doesn't feel good."
Even without understanding, their instincts told them to run.
"Let's go—now!"
Farther away, Toshiro used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside Pakura. Without explanation, he hoisted her onto his back and sprinted toward the forest.
"Uchiha Toshiro! Put me down this instant!"
Pakura was too stunned to resist properly.
Snap!
A sharp, unmistakable sound echoed.
That... felt too soft. Did I just—?!
Mortified, Toshiro reached instinctively to help but felt her stir behind him.
Nope—now wasn't the time for distractions. He picked up speed.
"Wait... what is that?"
Pakura turned, still draped over his back. What she saw left her speechless.
Massive boulders, trees, and entire chunks of land were being pulled from the earth, converging toward the black sphere in the sky.
"Is that... really a human jutsu?"
This wasn't naivety. What she was witnessing defied everything she'd known about chakra.
"That's Chibaku Tensei," Toshiro said, now safely beyond the technique's range.
"Legend says the Sage of Six Paths used it to imprison an evil god. Some believe the moon itself was formed by it."
"The Sage of Six Paths?"
Itachi looked up at the floating sphere, incredulous.
"Aren't those just myths?"
"Maybe... maybe not."
Toshiro offered no clear answer.
He gently set Pakura down, then turned his gaze back to the sky.
Suspended high above was an enormous sphere, kilometers in diameter. Within its core, a white figure was barely visible.
Toshiro smirked.
"Looks like Orochimaru's not getting out of this one."
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the horizon.
On the surface of the massive stone sphere, chunks of rock suddenly dislodged and tumbled downward—only to halt midair. An invisible force field surged upward, pulling the debris slowly back toward the sky.
"It's Deidara... and Sasori!"
As the dust from the earlier explosion cleared, two disheveled figures could be seen scrambling away from the stone sphere. Taking advantage of the chaos, they darted toward safety.
Not far behind them, Orochimaru—equally battered—had somehow managed to momentarily escape the stone's gravitational pull. He was frantically seeking a way out.
"Those three are actually fighting each other right now?"
Toshiro watched from afar, almost laughing. "Unbelievable."
Though all three were technically running for their lives, Deidara and Sasori seemed far more composed than Orochimaru. They had correctly deduced that this overwhelming jutsu originated from their leader. As members of the Akatsuki, their lives were likely safe—for now.
So when they spotted Orochimaru, the traitor, clinging to survival, they couldn't resist the opportunity to strike him while he was down.
"This jutsu... it's really pushing the limits!"
Once again, Orochimaru was yanked back toward the sphere's surface. But he wasn't ready to give up.
His mouth opened unnaturally wide, and from within it, a new Orochimaru emerged—slithering free from the crushing mass of stone to the surface once more.
BOOM!
Before he could regain composure, a muffled explosion rocked the area.
"Let me show you true art!"
Deidara grinned proudly as detonating clay erupted near Orochimaru, disrupting his escape again. His eyes sparkled as he scanned the massive structure forming in the sky.
"Is this the leader's jutsu? Incredible..."
For once, he was speechless. He vowed to someday create a piece of art that could rival this magnificent destruction.
"Tch!"
Orochimaru glared at the gloating boy, his body oozing like mud to absorb most of the blast.
With a flick of his tongue, he latched onto a distant rock and pulled himself away using the momentum.
But he didn't get far.
A long whip made of black iron sand lashed out from above. Though slightly off course due to the strange gravity, it still cut off his path.
"You're not going anywhere, Orochimaru."
Sasori's voice was flat, emotionless. But the cold determination in his eyes said it all - With the two of us here, you won't escape.
"Deidara, Sasori..."
Once again dragged toward the sphere by the crushing gravitational force, Orochimaru's expression darkened like a brewing storm.
But he had no time to bicker with these two.
Transforming into a large serpent, he slithered swiftly across the stone surface, weaving away from his pursuers.
Then, the snake's mouth opened—and instead of the grotesque, monstrous forms he often used, a single small white snake slithered out.
Orochimaru's fingers blurred as he formed seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
He had a plan.
A massive python from Ryuchi Cave appeared, swallowing the little white snake whole. Orochimaru's goal was clear: to hide the snake inside the summoning beast and have it return to Ryuchi Cave—taking his essence with it.
"Not so fast, you snake!"
Sasori wasn't about to let him escape. He'd despised Orochimaru for a long time, and this was the perfect chance to end him.
Controlling the Third Kazekage puppet, Sasori moved in.
"Iron Sand: Drizzle!"
Without hesitation, he unleashed his Magnetic Release technique. A storm of high-speed iron sand rained down, blanketing the area—hitting Orochimaru, the python, and the tiny white snake in a single sweeping strike.
As the fierce battle raged around the stone sphere, Nagato watched with a deep frown.
"The Fifth Hokage... escaped?"
Although Sasori and Deidara had been caught in the Chibaku Tensei's pull, there was no sign of Toshiro. That left Nagato uneasy.
"It must have been the Flying Thunder God..."
The jutsu's range was massive, and for Toshiro to have gotten away, he likely used the space-time technique to teleport beyond it.
"If I were truly at the Sage of Six Paths' level, even that jutsu wouldn't be enough to escape."
Nagato realized he had acted in anger—and perhaps too impulsively.
But then his gaze shifted to Konan, unconscious at his feet.
He clenched his fists.
"No... I don't regret it."
At the very least, he had managed to trap Orochimaru.
"Nagato, deal with Orochimaru first."
A deep, magnetic voice cut through the tension. It was Obito, emerging from Kamui's space-time void, having avoided the pull of Chibaku Tensei.
"The Hokage didn't go far. But in your current condition…"
He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air. The message was clear.
Nagato's state was far from ideal.
While still stronger than in the original timeline, his body was just barely enduring the toll of Chibaku Tensei. Even maintaining the Six Paths of Pain alongside such a colossal jutsu was straining his limits.
That was exactly why Toshiro had decided to retreat. He'd gauged the situation and made a strategic choice.
"The Hokage… can wait until next time," Nagato muttered, eyes dark with fatigue and frustration. Orochimaru had disrupted his rhythm, and his focus had shifted. For now, he agreed with Obito.
Obito…
Nagato's rinnegan eyes narrowed slightly behind his piercings.
Was that really his name?
He recalled how Zetsu had casually referred to the masked man as Obito. That name… it rang a bell. Later, he would need to dig deeper. There was something off about him.
—
"It's finally over…"
From a distant vantage point, Toshiro exhaled as he gazed up at the massive stone sphere floating silently in the sky.
A jutsu capable of sealing Kaguya herself—just witnessing it had been nerve-racking.
"Itachi, I'm going to check the situation over there. Take care of the other two."
With calm authority, Toshiro issued his orders and prepared to move.
"Hokage-sama, wait!"
Yamato stepped forward, concern etched across his face. "That's way too dangerous!"
Even with the battlefield momentarily quiet, the enemy he was about to face was anything but ordinary.
"It's fine. I've already figured out most of what I need to know."
Toshiro's voice was light, almost cheerful, but his words were meant to reassure them. He knew what he was doing—and he knew they were worried.
"Just be careful..."
The voice was faint, barely a whisper, but it reached everyone's ears. They all turned to see Pakura, looking battered but determined.
Even Itachi glanced at her, then back at Toshiro. For a moment, his stoic expression faltered. Behind those calm eyes, something like curiosity flickered.
"Well, well…" he muttered, smirking slightly. "Didn't expect you to have that side to you."
Pakura's cheeks flushed a delicate pink, and Toshiro couldn't help but smile.
'Guess saving her wasn't a waste after all.'
With a surge of chakra, his body ignited in a susanoo body without armor.
"Compared to me, that guy's nothing!"
His voice rang out with unshakable confidence.
Without another word, he launched into the sky, a crimson streak tearing across the clouds as he flew toward Nagato's position with that giant leap.
BOOM!
Nagato had been preparing to strike—ready to end Orochimaru once and for all.
But before he could move, a brilliant red light burst before him. Flames of chakra scorched the ground just ahead.
And from within the blazing heat, a voice rang out—
"Going somewhere?
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