The Grim Reaper moved.
A massive, translucent hand inscribed with spotted runes slowly reached into Pain's chest. In its other hand, the Reaper gripped a short blade, licking its lips as if savoring the feast to come.
But Pain stood there, utterly unfazed. His expression didn't flicker, as if the Reaper was nothing more than a stray breeze brushing dust from his cloak.
The ghostly hand withdrew—empty.
Pain's face remained as calm as ever.
The Reaper stared at its open palm. Nothing.
Confused, it tried again, plunging its spectral arm back into Pain's chest and feeling around, searching, groping, almost frantic.
It withdrew once more, opened its hand—still nothing.
The Reaper looked down at its empty palm, lost in thought.
Huh?
For a split second, Minato could almost hear the Reaper's bewildered muttering.
Its face twisted in embarrassment, tinged with frustration.
What's going on? No soul at all? Is this guy already dead?
First, one target ran faster than a rabbit—couldn't catch a thing. Now this one doesn't even have a soul!
What kind of sick joke is this?
The Reaper's gaze shifted toward Minato.
Kid, you mess with me, you pay the price.
Having gained nothing, the Reaper's face soured with resentment as it slowly faded into the void.
Pain stared at Minato, cold and indifferent.
Minato stared back, his face a portrait of despair.
"Could you let go now? This is getting awkward," Pain said, voice flat.
"You… what… what are you?!" Minato's voice trembled.
"Me?" Pain's lips curled into a faint, chilling smile.
"I'm the vengeful ghost here to collect Konoha's debts. The divine punishment that will end your village's fate. I am Heaven's Judgment upon Konoha. Shinra Tensei!"
He raised his hand.
Minato flew like a dead leaf caught in a storm, spinning through the air before crashing to the ground. He didn't get up.
A black rod extended from Pain's palm. He stepped forward to finish the job, but Jinghang blocked him.
"No need. He's done for. We're out of time—sealing the Nine-Tails comes first."
Pain didn't argue. He nodded, retracting the rod.
"Let's move!" Jinghang called to Rosa and the others.
Moments later, the group hurried off with the unconscious Uzumaki Kushina, leaving Minato sprawled on the ground, his fate uncertain.
After three days of chaos, the battlefield finally fell silent.
A black-and-white head slowly emerged from the earth, quietly watching Minato's fallen body.
"Didn't expect to come back from the Hidden Mist and walk right into a spectacle like this. Entertaining," murmured Zetsu, tilting his head thoughtfully.
"Looks like there's still some use left in him. Might as well lend a hand."
…
Deep within a colossal cavern, Uzumaki Kushina floated suspended in midair, encased in a shimmering pink bubble. Orange-red chakra slowly seeped from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
On the ten fingers of the Gedo Statue, Jinghang, Rosa, Pain, Konan, Guren, Tsukigami Kōichi, Aotu Tailuo, Kazama Xu, Sasori, and Yugito Nii each stood, hands locked in intricate seals.
"Everyone, we're at the most critical step. This will take a while, so hang in there. Once we seal the Nine-Tails, our mission is complete!"
"Yes!" The reply was unanimous, voices echoing through the cavern.
"Oh, merciless heavens, why do you forsake Konoha so?"
Watching the Konoha forces retreat like a receding tide, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't hold back a bitter cry to the sky. A murky tear slid down his weathered cheek.
Honestly, the moment the Nine-Tails vanished, Hiruzen had a sinking feeling.
Did I just walk into a trap?
And as the war dragged on, that feeling only grew stronger.
For nearly three days, Konoha's attacks had crashed against the enemy like endless waves.
But the Wind-Lightning Alliance's camp stood firm, unmoved, like a wall of stone against the surf.
Without a Tailed Beast to break the lines, the assault became brutally difficult. The morale Konoha had built up over half a year was slowly eroded by the stubborn resistance of the Sand and Cloud ninja under the Third Raikage's command.
And for three days, there'd been no word from Minato or Kushina—they'd vanished without a trace.
Hiruzen, who'd once placed all his faith in the Nine-Tails and Minato, felt his heart pounding with dread.
Could it be? Did Jinghang really plan this far ahead? Camping outside Konoha's gates for half a year, just to force my hand?
Still, Hiruzen clung to a sliver of hope.
He'd received intelligence about Sand and Cloud raids all across the region, but far from making him anxious, the news almost excited him.
So in the end, they're just after loot. Jinghang and A may be powerful, but they're just frogs in a well—limited by their own vision.
It's just treasure. If Konoha ever counterattacks successfully, all of it will be mine anyway.
Even when the Nine-Tails was taken, Hiruzen had resolutely launched a full-scale assault on the Wind-Lightning Alliance's camp.
He'd made that call for two main reasons.
First, the Alliance might have numbers, but they came from different villages. Their tactical coordination couldn't possibly be perfect. Ninja on long campaigns always faced problems—homesickness, fatigue, morale loss. War only made those issues worse. Meanwhile, Konoha was fighting on home turf, defending their homeland, and had endured months of Sand's puppet bombings. The ninja were itching for a decisive battle with Sand and Cloud, and that hunger gave them an edge.
Second: Jinghang. With that monster off the battlefield, the pressure dropped immensely.
It wasn't just talk—Jinghang's battle record was legendary. He'd fought every major powerhouse of this era and never lost a one-on-one. He was the ninja world's undisputed top dog. When he wasn't present, Konoha's ninja could finally breathe. In earlier battles, so many Konoha ninja were so terrified of Jinghang's Magnet Release that they refused to use metal weapons at all, giving Hiruzen and the village elders endless headaches.
Now, with Jinghang gone, Konoha's ninja could finally fight at full strength. Hiruzen truly believed he still had a shot at victory.
But without Jinghang, Konoha ran straight into another nightmare.
The Third Raikage—A.
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