After smoothly resolving the trouble with Madara, Saitama could finally continue heading toward Nagato's direction.
Though Madara's transformation had been somewhat sudden, it was still within reason—it even maintained strong continuity with what came before, without feeling stiff or unnatural.
Now that Impure World Madara was dealing with Black Zetsu, Saitama could clear his mind and focus on handling others, making up for the time he had wasted earlier in order to achieve his desired goals.
After all, enough time had already passed; there was no need to keep playing around.
If real challenges truly existed, they would wait for him and Nagato at the final critical moment. Everything happening now was merely an appetizer.
Constantly leaping across protruding rocks on the ground, Saitama swept his gaze forward, his eyes serious and determined.
Let the storms come already! That was his true inner thought, because he knew there was no escaping.
He was already close to Nagato's location. Battle tremors clearly transmitted through the air, along with intense explosions echoing in waves, causing varying degrees of tremors.
And as he approached, the aura of Sage Chakra grew stronger and more distinct.
So Saitama confirmed exactly who had activated Sage Mode.
It wasn't Jiraiya as previously expected, nor some unknown mysterious figure, but someone very familiar…
Minato Namikaze!
Truly a surprising name indeed.
When Saitama identified the enemy's identity, his pupils quickly contracted. At the same time, a slight smile slowly curved his lips upward.
He originally assumed it would be Jiraiya, but unexpectedly it turned out to be Minato Namikaze—a person who had never actually used Sage Art in battle.
But that was also fine. If Jiraiya wasn't there, then things would become much easier during the fight—at least Minato Namikaze wouldn't be able to leave the battlefield so easily.
Even better, if an opportunity arose, Saitama could eliminate him directly, clearing away one of the final obstacles.
The sky was covered in layers of dark clouds—clear signs that a storm was brewing.
This kind of atmosphere felt like foreshadowing for what was about to come.
A true warrior stands firm against any storm.
Saitama sped up again, his trench coat trailing behind in long blurred afterimages, resembling a mass of dark clouds surging forward.
As the distance closed further, the oppressive, suffocating heat thickened in the air, bringing along a faint, spreading blood scent caught in subtle breezes blowing in all directions.
The terrain ahead showed drastic changes, with visible wreckage scattered about.
Saitama scanned a wide area in an instant before locking onto a direction and rushing straight toward it.
He had already spotted a flash of yellow light—that would be his next target!
...
"You're no match for me! Tell me where the [Nine-Tails] is, and you could avoid unnecessary losses. Wouldn't that be better?"
Standing alone atop jagged rocky cliffs, Nagato's loose trench coat draped casually down around his ankles.
At that moment, drops of rain began falling from the sky, each splashing onto the ground, spreading wetness everywhere.
The blood-like scent in the air started to be suppressed, its faint traces fading into the ground.
Just like this war—it wouldn't be long before it too was forgotten, vanishing from the path of history.
"Are you okay, Guy? Asuma?"
Minato Namikaze kept his eyes on Nagato as he softly asked the two subordinates who had faced the enemy before him.
"No problem, Hokage-sama!"
The two young ninja answered Minato in unison, though both appeared battered and bruised.
Seeing that they both insisted they were fine, Minato didn't press further.
After all, Nagato's very presence weighed heavily on him.
What's more, Minato had launched a full-force surprise attack at all costs, destroying several of the Six Paths Puppets, which left him severely drained. It was better to save that time and focus on recovering.
"As for the Nine-Tails, it stands behind me. If you want it, step over my dead body first—that is the vow I make as Hokage!"
Meeting the enemy's eyes directly, Minato gripped the kunai in his hand tightly, speaking firmly and clearly.
"Hehe!" Nagato remained cold and emotionless, but a flicker of something unusual passed through his Rinnegan.
Earlier in the battle, Minato suddenly used Sage Art similar to Jiraiya's and crushed Pain—who had seemed formidable—in an overwhelming, effortless victory.
Nagato then realized the uselessness of Pain, immediately halting losses by retreating the few remaining intact puppets.
Therefore, Minato, with the timely assistance of Guy and Asuma, managed to break through and reach Nagato's true body for a surprise strike.
But Nagato's real body was no longer as frail as before—now, he might very well be the most powerful being in the entire Shinobi World.
Thus, Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique was seen through; the moment it was activated, it was suppressed by Nagato raising his hand.
[Shinra Tensei] cleared away every threat—it was Nagato's ultimate response to the three rushing at him.
So the three now faced Nagato warily.
"Besides, how can we know unless we try?"
Noticing the change in his opponent's attitude, Minato pressed lightly on the area across his chest that had just been struck, calming his breath before speaking toward Nagato ahead.
This was his first time seeing Nagato's true face: wine-red hair resembling Kushina's, fair pale skin, and fragile-looking features… He looked exactly like someone who had been bedridden for years from a long-term severe illness.
Yet such a person, seemingly approachable at first glance, was none other than the leader of Akatsuki Organization—the main catalyst throwing the current Shinobi World into chaos.
"Then by all means, try. I'd also like to see whether you, the disciple of my teacher, truly possess the ability to protect what you cherish and shoulder such responsibility. Without matching strength, your resolve is nothing but a joke. But first, I'll deal with these irrelevant nuisances."
Nagato's Rinnegan always maintained calm and coldness, but after finishing his words, a flash of white light surged—an ocean once still now stirred violently, unleashing waves swallowing every hidden undertow.
And all of this was instantly noticed by the always-alert Minato Namikaze.
So he reacted instinctively and blurted out immediately.
"Watch out!!"
Minato Namikaze turned sideways, looking at Asuma and Guy under Nagato's gaze. As he spoke, his hands moved—launching a kunai straight toward Nagato.
Nagato clearly intended to eliminate Guy and Asuma. If even Minato Namikaze—who had entered Sage Mode—was uncertain about victory against this foe, how could these younger ones stand a chance?
That was why he felt uneasy.
[Universal Pull]!
Nagato sprang forward by forcefully pushing off the rock beneath one foot. At the same time, he aimed his hands toward the enemy, activating a ninjutsu powered by his Rinnegan.
An unsettling gravitational force shot forth from his palms, enveloping the two young Konoha ninja whose faces twisted in alarm.
"A familiar technique—but I'm no pushover who can't fight back! There are no cowards in Konoha willing to just surrender. Don't underestimate me!"
As an expert Taijutsu fighter, Guy's reaction speed wasn't much slower than Minato's; his face contorted with effort as he shouted.
Simultaneously, he swiftly dodged sideways, escaping the range of Nagato's technique just in time.
This was already everything he could manage right now.
And since the evasive action was purely reflexive, in the next instant he noticed Asuma, still frozen in place, appearing somewhat dazed while facing the enemy's jutsu.
"Eh...?"
A violent force dragged Asuma toward Nagato, a low growl escaping his throat.
It wasn't until he was hit that Asuma realized he had to fight back.
But it was too late. Alone, he couldn't possibly escape Nagato's pull.
At that moment, Asuma's life hung in the balance.
"Asuma!"
Guy shouted desperately, his face paling, yet he could do nothing at that point.
He touched down nearby and shot his arm forward.
"Shwip—"
Drawn in by the pulling force, a kunai suddenly appeared before Asuma, then a flash of yellow light passed through—and Asuma vanished from within Nagato's technique.
"Phew! That was close!"
Minato grabbed Asuma's shoulders, speaking with a serious tone.
"Be careful. You two shouldn't get mixed up in this—let me handle it."
Minato placed Asuma beside Guy and, after tossing those words behind him, disappeared again.
The two young ninja shared a wry smile and then stepped back together.
Asuma lacked the capability to engage in such a battle, and Guy, weakened from prior combat, clearly couldn't fully or immediately rejoin the fight.
Still, Guy remained a formidable opponent. Give him some time to recover, and he'd become troublesome again.
With his target gone, Nagato landed firmly on both feet and calmly watched the pair retreat, occasionally scanning his surroundings casually.
"Nagato!!"
Reappearing once more, Minato used the Shifting Body Technique to materialize exactly where Nagato landed, shouting Nagato's name as he emerged.
With a raised hand, he launched a Rasengan downward, using his descending momentum midair to press down onto Nagato, who stood tall and upright.
Nagato narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his palm, and grabbed Minato's hand. The jutsu at the center of the latter's palm was absorbed in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
Still gripping Minato's arm, Nagato wasted no time—his other hand lashed out in a blur, aiming straight for Minato's abdomen.
The actions were seamlessly connected with no apparent delay. Even Minato, who had swift reflexes, couldn't react momentarily.
A black rod flickered into existence midair before vanishing again, its deadly intent unmistakable.
Slicing sound—
[Yin-Yang Release Rod] pierced Minato's body and emerged from his back.
Fresh crimson blood trickled slowly down the exposed end of the rod, hanging thickly in the air like a grim omen.
"Hmph, so you're not your real body? Quite a wise choice indeed!"
With a slight shake of Nagato's hands, the pierced Minato immediately turned into a puddle of water and fell onto the ground beneath his feet.
With an easygoing tone, Nagato scanned the area, turning his body slowly, as if searching for Minato's hidden true form, while the blood previously on the rod dissolved into glistening drops of water, trailing lazily toward the floor.
"He used a clone right from the start of the counterattack, which is why he dared to attack me so recklessly," finally, Nagato fixed his sight on the pool of water on the ground, gaining some insight, as if understanding Minato's tactics just now.
But within such limited time, where exactly did Minato's true body go?
Even though he possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, there wouldn't have been much time left for him to relocate after saving Asuma and launching the attack.
Thinking about this, Nagato sensed something and lifted his head to look upward.
From midair, a dark shadow dropped toward him, accompanied by intense chakra fluctuations spreading through the air. Because of [Secret Arts], he could sense it only now.
"Again?!"
Nagato didn't dodge but slowly raised his arm instead.
His movement wasn't fast, yet just in time, he blocked the incoming assault before it arrived, as if raising a shield to protect everything.
A Rasengan no less than two meters in diameter resembled a massive water sphere, pushed by Minato as it smashed downward onto Nagato standing on the ground. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, stirring up clouds of dust around Nagato.
However, just like the previous attack, the Rasengan gradually shrank in Nagato's palm and vanished in an instant, being absorbed entirely into chakra without leaving any traces.
"The true body possesses all the abilities of the [Puppet Clones], yet has become even more powerful!"
Seeing Nagato absorb his jutsu once again, Minato's eyes twitched slightly. He flipped over and landed lightly on the ground.
Jiraiya-sensei once said absorbing jutsu containing Sage Chakra was difficult for Pain to handle, and might even lead to petrification.
Yet currently, Nagato had already absorbed huge amounts of chakra from Minato twice consecutively, remaining perfectly calm.
Clearly, this new body wasn't like the original Pain at all—previous intelligence on Pain could merely serve as a reference rather than a foundation.
After landing, Minato Namikaze fixed his gaze on Nagato, desperately thinking of countermeasures.
"This is my advantage. All your attacks have become meaningless in my eyes. So tell me, how much longer can you maintain this state of yours?"
Nagato's slightly mocking tone caused Minato's already furrowed brows to tighten further. The enemy had clearly noticed the Sage Chakra within him gradually weakening.
Indeed, just as Nagato said, Minato's attacks were no longer effective. Even using Sage Art, he could barely achieve the desired damage.
But that was simply reality.
Many things contained unreasonable elements. If one truly wanted to succeed, there was no choice but to overcome all obstacles and push forward despite adversity.
At this moment, Minato could only force himself to stay calm, reviewing every piece of information available, hoping to find a weakness in his opponent within the limited time.
A ninja's strength lay in controlling their emotions at the most critical moments and staying completely rational.
It was extremely difficult, but for a ninja bearing such heavy responsibility, there was no choice but to push through it.
Therefore, in response to Nagato's provocation, Minato didn't say a thing. He simply raised his guard into a basic defensive stance and continued observing silently.
"Hmph! As stubborn as Jiraiya-sensei!"
Nagato snorted coldly. Minato's reaction was similar to Jiraiya's, which wasn't unexpected.
Even though he had already predicted the outcome, he still felt slightly annoyed—as if his goodwill was being ignored and wasted.
"Then, I'll just kill you outright!"
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