"Whoa! Old Man Chōmei strikes again!"
"Isobu, when you come back to life, remember how awesome this old man is! Hahahaha!"
"Who's next! This lord is coming!"
Chōmei's single shot took down the Three-Tails Isobu, leaving him in an incredibly euphoric mood. The aura emanating from his massive form grew increasingly frenzied. His feat also sparked a hint of unease in Nagato, Muren Uchiha, and the others.
Susanoo retreated beside the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, maintaining a line of sight with both his Mangekyō Sharingan and Rinnegan.
"That last strike... it transcended the limits of the Tailed Beast Ball, didn't it?"
"Its power was overwhelming."
The Tailed Beast Ball alone was terrifying enough, but transforming it into a Tailed Beast Ball Beam attack? That was beyond anyone's imagination.
"Hey, hey, hey! The battle isn't over yet!"
"Distracting yourselves on the battlefield? Do you have too much time on your hands?"
Kazuyama Gekkō's icy voice rang out as Titan Python and Crimson Snake closed in before them. This shift in offense and defense saw Kazuyama Gekkō directly confront the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, while Tagitsuhime locked horns with Muren Uchiha.
"It's merely the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
"Giant Snake Strangle!"
"Damn it, it's over!"
The Hell Path had been destroyed, the Preta Path had been blown away, and the Animal Path's summoned beasts were utterly useless in a battle of this caliber. Thus, Kazuyama Gekkō attacked the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path without reservation.
"Hmph!"
"You don't think the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's power ends here, do you?"
"Kazuyama Gekkō, even if I die today, I'll take you with me!"
The Rinnegan in Nagato's eyes flashed with a terrifying cold light. He clasped his hands together, and the chakra surging through his entire body began to grow wildly. The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path also began to move. Even though it was tightly bound by the Titan Python, as Nagato had said, the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was not so simple.
"Crack!"
Thunder roared, startling Kazuyama Gekkō. He seemed to have forgotten that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, though merely the Ten-Tails' shell, possessed several attack methods. Lightning was one of them.
"Damn it!"
"Is this supposed to be my lightning tribulation?"
"A giant snake enduring a lightning tribulation? Nagato, let me test if your lightning is the real deal!"
Thunder roared violently as massive bolts of lightning erupted from the protrusions on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's back.
"Boom!"
These bolts slammed directly into the Titan Python. Even its body, fortified with Senjutsu Chakra, struggled to withstand the thunderous assault. Kazuyama Gekkō, positioned at the Titan Python's core, remained unharmed by the thunder. Yet with each strike, his chakra trembled violently.
"Truly the Ten-Tails' lightning—it packs a serious punch!"
"Too bad. You always think you control the battle, never realizing it was never yours to control from the start."
Bearing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's lightning, Kazuyama Gekkō uttered words that left Nagato perplexed. Yet the next instant, Nagato grasped the meaning behind Kazuyama Gekkō's words.
"Sage Art, Rasengan!"
"BOOM!"
The sudden sound, coupled with the violent collision, captured Nagato's attention.
Unbeknownst to him, Kazuyama Gekkō had already closed in on Kakuzu. The demon lord, still unleashing his combined ninjutsu assault on the Seven-Tails Chōmei, remained utterly unaware. Only when Kazuyama Gekkō's Rasengan slammed into one of his masks did Kakuzu finally react, reeling from the devastating impact.
"Damn it, when?"
"Is this... Transparent Escape Technique?"
Relying on his Transparent Escape Technique, Kazuyama Gekkō could traverse the battlefield at will. This attack came from a clone Kazuyama Gekkō had left behind earlier—a single Rasengan obliterated one of Kakuzu's heart masks. The wounded Kakuzu instantly clutched his chest. Even as a Shibito, he could still feel the pain of his heart being destroyed.
"When did you release that clone?"
Nagato witnessed the scene too—after all, the Rinnegan's vision was interconnected, and his other clones remained on the battlefield. They could easily share their field of view with him.
"Hey, mummy, you got any skills?"
"Need a hand?"
Kabuto mocked Kakuzu while manipulating his puppets and Iron Sand. Then, the next second...
"BOOM!"
"A little insect controlling a bunch of little insects. Hey, aren't insects your favorite thing?"
"Too bad yours are just wooden scraps. I can't be bothered with them!"
Chōmei's mocking voice echoed through the sky as the massive tail executed a divine dragon's tail swing. Kabuto and his puppets didn't even have time to react before being swept away, becoming the second unfortunate soul swept away by that tail in this battle.
"Hmph! It's just a heart. Even if I kill you, I can still replenish it!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Earth Grudge Fear!"
Kakuzu, enraged by the destruction of one heart, unleashed his chakra. Though it rippled, it barely affected him. Fire Release continued to unleash, but alas—the Kazuyama Gekkō clone had just shattered the wind-attribute heart, the very one Kakuzu had snatched from Popo earlier. Without wind's aid, the Fire Release Head Carving's power was drastically weakened.
"Hmph, Sewing Monster."
"Crystal Release: New World!"
Both the main body and clone of Kazuyama Gekkō engaged in battle simultaneously. The main body maintained its iron grip on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. The clone, however, unleashed another assault, firing beams of Crystal Release light toward Kakuzu. One by one, the tentacles of the Earth Grudge Fear were pierced by the beams.
In that moment, Kakuzu finally felt an unprecedented pressure—a pressure that inevitably reminded him of one person: the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. He couldn't fathom how this brat before him could be compared to the God of Ninja.
"Hmph! Don't think this will defeat me!"
"Die!"
Enraged, Kakuzu descended into utter madness. Various dōjutsu techniques erupted wildly from his mask, while he himself channeled even greater power into Earth Grudge Fear, intent on tearing Kazuyama Gekkō to shreds. Alas, his actions were destined to be futile.
"Rampaging?"
"Then you're finished, aren't you?"
"For example..."
"Whoosh!"
Shadow Clones differed from other clones. Their power stemmed entirely from their ability to act independently. The Flying Thunder God Technique activated instantly. Before Kakuzu could react, a crystal-bladed longsword pierced through his second mask.
"Impossible!"
"When!?"
Intense pain surged through him again, leaving Kakuzu stunned.
"Hehehe. Even the body of the Earth Grudge Fear can be imprinted with the Flying Thunder God seal if I touch it."
"Kakuzu, you undead wretch—today might truly be your end."
The shadow clone swung its crystal blade, using Flying Thunder God Technique again to create distance. Returning to its original position, it let a faint smile touch its lips. In just two brief exchanges, Kakuzu had already shattered two clones. This meant of his five lives, only three remained.