On the Konoha battlefield.
Seeing Pain, powerful as a god, instantly killed with a single blow, everyone was stunned, too shocked to speak.
"What kind of power was that? A beam of light?"
"The leader of the Akatsuki was defeated in one strike. Who exactly is that man?"
While feeling exhilarated, Tsunade recalled the previous intelligence report. "Pain should still have a true form. Everyone, quickly search the surrounding area. We mustn't let him escape!"
"Yes!" The group shouted ferociously.
Pain had destroyed half of Konoha and killed so many of their comrades. How could they let him escape?
Suddenly, Seiki spoke, "Tsunade-sensei, how about I go instead?"
"This... No need to bother you," Tsunade paused for a beat before replying.
After all, he was a disciple taken in by her counterpart in the parallel world. She didn't want to keep troubling him.
Besides, she still carried a sense of guilt.
Wasn't it because of her lack of discernment that this world's Seiki Shimaseki failed to rise?
"Tsunade-sensei, don't you want to bring back the dead?" Seiki smiled and asked.
Certainly, the conversation with Nagato was an important turning point in Naruto's growth and marked the first step toward him becoming a hero. But what did that have to do with him, Seiki Shimaseki?
He hadn't come to this world to play the hero for free. With limited time, better to let him take the hero role.
Hearing Seiki's words, Tsunade froze, "The dead can really be brought back to life?"
Sakura, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask eagerly, "Senior Brother Seiki, can you really resurrect the dead?"
"Not me, Nagato!" Seiki paused, then clarified, "The one who possesses the Rinnegan!"
"The Rinnegan..." Sakura's eyes dimmed, "How could our enemy, who hates us so much, possibly help us bring everyone back?"
"Don't worry. Leave it to me!" Seiki smiled.
Hearing this, Sakura immediately became excited again. If it was her senior brother, then surely there would be a way!
Tsunade suggested, "How about we go together? The enemy's true form might be the strongest one!"
"No need. I'll be faster alone!"
With that, Seiki transformed into a streak of light and vanished before everyone's eyes.
Watching Seiki leave, Mizuki remained calm — too calm.
Although Seiki claimed he couldn't fight, wasn't subduing Nagato still considered part of the battle?
...
With Seiki's abilities, there was naturally no need for him to detect chakra flow by inserting black rods like Naruto had originally done.
Since he needed to receive chakra, the small hill where Nagato was located wasn't far from Konoha. At the speed of Light Release, it was practically an instant journey.
Hearing Nagato's bitter chuckle, Seiki tore open the paper tree and stepped inside.
"He got here this fast?!" Konan was deeply shaken. From the moment Nagato admitted defeat to when they decided to retreat, it had only been about ten seconds!
In that short time, it would've been difficult to even pinpoint their location, yet their opponent had already arrived directly here!
Konan stepped in front of Nagato, shielding him, "What do you want?"
Nagato coughed twice, his eyes shining with intensity as he stared at Seiki, "More importantly, I want to know who exactly you are?"
Seiki Shimaseki asked calmly, "Do you think it matters?"
"It matters who you lose to when you're about to die!" Nagato replied.
"Then remember this name well — Seiki Shimaseki!"
Nagato looked puzzled. Why had he never heard of this name before?
"Let's make a deal," Shimaseki proposed. "You bring back the dead of Konoha..." He pointed at Konan. "And I'll let her go."
Nagato perked up. "You're serious?"
"Absolutely not!" Konan fiercely objected. "Using that technique will kill you!"
Nagato shook his head slightly. "Even without using that technique, there's no way he'd let me leave."
"Then we fight our way out!" Konan declared firmly. "I don't believe he's that strong..."
Before Konan could finish speaking, Shimaseki summoned roots to bind her.
"This is Wood Release?" Konan thought in surprise, though she wasn't particularly alarmed. After all, wasn't the Wood Release user from Konoha nothing special?
However, when she tried to break free using her paper techniques, she realized she couldn't channel any chakra.
"What's going on? My chakra..."
"Don't mistake my Wood Release for someone else's," Shimaseki said calmly. "Right now I'm only interfering with your chakra flow. If you keep struggling, I'll simply drain all your chakra."
"You really are extremely strong!" Nagato couldn't help but exclaim.
Although Konoha's Yamato could also interfere with and absorb chakra using his Wood Release, there was absolutely no way he could stop Konan from resisting completely.
Shimaseki turned his gaze to him. "Have you made your decision yet?"
Nagato asked seriously, "You really will let Konan go?"
"She poses no threat to me," Shimaseki shook his head slightly. "I wouldn't lie about something like this."
"Alright, I believe you," Nagato nodded, then looked at Konan. "Konan, live on carrying both my dream and Yahiko's."
He intentionally gave Konan a purpose to keep going, worried she might consider suicide.
"No, don't..."
Nagato took a deep breath and formed Hand Seals. [Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!]
In Konoha...
"Resurrection?" Choji exclaimed excitedly upon hearing the news. "Did that person really say everyone could be brought back?"
Ino, knowing about Choji's father's sacrifice, comforted him. "It'll definitely work. Master said it could be done, so he must have a way!"
"That's great, that's great..." Choji grinned foolishly.
"Now that I think about it..." Shikamaru couldn't help interrupting. "Since when do you have a master?"
Ino hesitated. "That's none of your business."
This information about parallel worlds wasn't trivial. Before, Sakura had only told her because she believed the connection between worlds had been sealed shut. Now that the situation had changed, Ino couldn't tell Shikamaru everything — better to let Lady Tsunade make the decision.
Meanwhile, many people gathered around Mizuki.
"Great sir, thank you for saving Konoha!"
"Was that other person your companion?"
Although Naruto had contributed greatly too, he was after all one of their own. At times like these, they should express their gratitude more visibly to outsiders first.
After all, the one who acted first would always be remembered most clearly.
"Companion?"
Mizuki suddenly turned his head coldly towards Yugito, who he hadn't cared much about originally.
The person who asked the question flinched under Mizuki's gaze, stammering, "Aren't we... aren't we allies?!"
Mizuki snapped coldly, "No one can stand equal to Leader-sama! For mere mortals, it's the greatest honor just to follow Leader-sama's footsteps!"
The people around him gasped in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock. A powerful expert who could rival Pain viewed another person as his faith!
Even calling themselves "allies" was seen as an insult to that great person!
What kind of overwhelming charisma could make such a powerful expert so fanatically devoted?
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