A profoundly heavy aura began emanating from Nagato's entire being.
Seeing this, Kazuyama Gekkō felt a slight jolt of alarm. He suddenly sensed an oppressive pressure coming from Nagato—a feeling he hadn't experienced in a very long time.
"Kazuyama, I sense something ominous about him."
"Don't tell me you're the only one. I feel it too."
Chōmei had already flown back to Kazuyama's side. Both man and insect felt a twinge of unease at the situation unfolding before them. It was as if something was approaching.
"No time to think about it. Chōmei, let's go!"
"Take him down before the other two return!"
Kazuyama gathered a Rasengan in one hand and, in the next instant, launched another Flying Thunder God Technique.
As for Chōmei, his approach was straightforward and brutal—a Tailed Beast Ball unleashed, though his target was the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Their roles were clearly defined: one against the man, one against the statue. A two-pronged attack.
"Hmph! Useless!"
"This technique isn't something you can handle so easily!"
"True!"
The utterance of that single word "True" made Kazuyama's pupils contract sharply. His memory began frantically searching for every technique associated with that character. It quickly made him understand Nagato's current intent.
By then, Kazuyama had already raised his Rasengan and arrived before Nagato.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
True! Chibaku Tensei—an enhanced version of Chibaku Tensei. No, its scope was even more terrifying.
Pitch-black chakra radiated outward from Nagato as its center. Kazuyama was the first to be engulfed. Covered in the dark light, he instantly felt his body freeze, unable to move.
Gravity—overwhelming, inescapable gravity.
The standard Chibaku Tensei technique involved hurling a small black orb as a gravitational center, pulling nearby objects toward it. This True Chibaku Tensei, however, launched a Daikoku black sphere that completely enveloped its intended target, transforming the target itself into the gravitational center.
No wonder Nagato declared he'd eliminate both him and the entire island—this was his plan all along.
"Chōmei! Escape!"
"This guy's lost his mind!"
Without a second thought, Kazuyama shouted at the top of his lungs, then immediately activated a series of Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport outward.
But things didn't go quite as he'd planned.
The black chakra at the center of Chibaku Tensei spread far too quickly, engulfing even many of the coordinates he'd previously set. This left Kazuyama with no choice but to select a more distant coordinate for his Flying Thunder God Technique.
As for Chōmei, the instant he saw the black light, he understood the enemy's intent. He immediately transformed into a ball of chakra and returned directly to Kazuyama.
Seriously, that was Chibaku Tensei. The larger the volume, the greater the gravitational pull. He had no intention of becoming a sacrifice.
"Kazuyama, take my chakra!"
"Run!"
"That black light will envelop everything it surrounds."
"Run any slower and you'll be minced meat!"
Even without Chōmei's warning, Kazuyama understood their predicament. After all, the black light continued to spread, and the gravitational pull intensified.
Just then, Muren Uchiha returned, but upon seeing the black light, he controlled his Susanoo to hide at a distance.
"Chibaku Tensei, huh..."
"No, this is far more terrifying than Chibaku Tensei."
"Nagato, are you planning to take him down with you?"
No. Muren Uchiha quickly dismissed the thought. Nagato would never let himself be caught in the blast, and with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path protecting him, he'd be fine. The outcome unfolded exactly as Muren Uchiha had predicted, though he hadn't anticipated Nagato suffering such severe injuries.
Now shielded within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Nagato gritted his teeth and continued channeling chakra. Yet blood steadily dripped from the wound in his abdomen.
"I will kill you!"
"Ah!"
Nagato fueled himself with rage, channeling more chakra into a black light that gradually enveloped the entire island. Meanwhile, Kazuyama Gekkō had already arrived at the island's edge via Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Damn, this guy's gone mad."
In just a moment, the entire island was shrouded in black light, rendering all the coordinates he'd set up on the island useless.
"Chōmei, chakra!"
"Got it!"
With Chōmei's chakra supply, Kazuyama Gekkō turned his gaze toward the opposite shore.
"Kazuyama Gekkō, die!"
"True! Chibaku Tensei!"
Nagato's heart-wrenching roar echoed across the sky.
"I won't die!"
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Kazuyama Gekkō merely curled his lip, utterly dismissive of Nagato's roar. The next second, black light flared, and Kazuyama Gekkō vanished.
"BOOM!"
Violent tremors began to ripple. The entire island slowly rose into the air under the gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei. Mountains, trees, and rocks all began compressing toward the center. Under the spell's influence, the entire island transformed into a massive spherical orb ascending into the sky.
"Truly the power of the Six Paths."
"That's insane."
"Huh? Wait, isn't that Black Zetsu guy just getting buried inside?"
"And what about Nagato and Kabuto?"
Muren Uchiha remained at a safe distance, only uttering his astonished remarks after Chibaku Tensei was fully activated. Suddenly, his gaze shot upward.
"Huh? Is that Kabuto?"
"Looks like that bastard Kazuyama Gekkō tossed me into the sea and flung him into the sky?"
The thought made Muren Uchiha inwardly curse Kazuyama Gekkō as a complete asshole. He then charged toward the direction Kabuto was falling.
...
Across the sea from Akatsuki's island.
"Damn, that bastard really has some nerve."
"A Chibaku Tensei of this magnitude? Does he think he's immortal?"
Kazuyama Gekkō slumped on the sand, his face still pale with lingering fear. He knew Nagato's condition well. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, he possessed formidable vitality—the very reason Madara Uchiha had bestowed the Rinnegan upon him. The Rinnegan wasn't something just anyone could wield. Without a powerful physique and robust life force, attempting to activate it was nothing short of a pipe dream.
"Thank goodness you ran fast. Otherwise, we'd both be mincemeat by now."
"Kazuyama, do you think that guy's dead?"
Kazuyama Gekkō flashed a wicked grin.
"He's dead for sure!"
"Why? Just one stab?"
Chōmei looked perplexed. It was just one stab, right? Could one stab really kill him?
Kazuyama Gekkō shook his head with a smile.
"How could it be just one stab?"
"The crystal needles were injected into his body through that wound. Those crystals will send him straight to heaven."
"This time, I took out two Akatsuki members plus a Three-Tails."
"Ah, I was so close to eliminating the entire group."
Kazuyama Gekkō sighed slightly. After all, if he could have wiped out Akatsuki in one fell swoop, it would have saved him a lot of trouble. But looking at it now, it wasn't a bad outcome either.