The golden laser bombarded the earth, and the highly concentrated light particles produced an extremely violent explosion upon impact.
A white figure was thrown from the heart of the explosion—White Zetsu Tobi. The shockwave from the blast sent him flying through the air.
Zenkichi's body flickered, transforming into light particles. In a flash, he reappeared beside Tobi and reached out.
His palm, infused with Armament Haki, grasped Tobi and yanked him away with force—like peeling a banana—tearing him from Nagato's body.
With a flick, Zenkichi flung the tattered White Zetsu like a discarded rag.
What remained was Nagato—half his body overtaken by Black Zetsu.
Now that White Zetsu had been removed, Nagato's eyes regained some clarity. He seemed to recover partial control over his own body.
"I didn't expect... even now, I still can't defeat you," rasped Black Zetsu, his voice hoarse but eerily calm.
A cold glint crossed Zenkichi's eyes. Without hesitation, he extended a hand and plucked Nagato's Rinnegan from its socket.
He had initially wanted to observe what other tricks Black Zetsu might use, but now it was clear—he wasn't worth the caution.
There was no reason to leave the Rinnegan in Black Zetsu's hands.
"What a mistake to lose the Rinnegan," Zenkichi muttered.
"That's right... you haven't won yet," Black Zetsu said again, still unhurried, his voice low and grainy.
As he spoke, Black Zetsu's form slipped away from Nagato's body like liquid.
Zenkichi's expression shifted. Instantly, his body dissolved into light particles and reappeared beneath Black Zetsu.
The light particles condensed into a glowing container in his hand, catching the falling black mass.
No consciousness?
Inside the earthen jar formed of light, Black Zetsu slumped into a ball of viscous fluid, seemingly inert.
Zenkichi reached out to catch the falling Nagato and noted that both of the man's eye sockets were now empty.
"When Black Zetsu came this time... he left a portion of himself elsewhere as insurance," Zenkichi concluded.
"When Nagato arrived, he only had one Rinnegan... the other was still with Black Zetsu."
It all clicked. A flicker of understanding lit Zenkichi's eyes.
As expected of the wily old manipulator—Black Zetsu always ensured he had a fallback plan.
"Nagato!" cried Jiraiya, who was within the Allied Shinobi Forces, eyes locked on the man held in Zenkichi's grasp. His expression was complicated, conflicted.
Zenkichi casually tossed Nagato to his subordinates and turned his gaze toward the ninja army. A mad grin split across his face.
"Release the jinchūriki!"
A command echoed through the minds of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Instantly, the jinchūriki of the One, Two, Five, and Seven-Tails were pushed to the front lines.
The transformation began.
Four colossal tailed beasts stood before Zenkichi, their presence radiating terrifying, suffocating power.
"Do you really think five beasts are enough to stop me?" Zenkichi sneered. "Don't overestimate yourselves."
He lunged forward.
The tailed beasts roared as they charged, their immense chakra shaking the battlefield.
As Zenkichi closed in, a golden cross flashed beneath his feet.
Moving at light speed, he appeared beside Shukaku, the One-Tail, and unleashed a devastating kick.
"Speed is weight!"
"Shukaku, have you ever experienced a light-speed kick?"
The words echoed in Shukaku's ears as Zenkichi's shining figure struck him across the face.
The massive tanuki was flung away—his size offering no protection from Zenkichi's attack.
Before anyone could react, Zenkichi turned into light particles again, evading the incoming claws of the Two-Tails.
He reappeared in front of the fiery blue cat, speaking calmly:
"Matatabi, a light-speed kick should help you think straight."
A golden flash.
The Two-Tails was sent crashing back like a rag doll.
The Five-Tails, a massive horse-like creature, charged forward with his massive horn aimed at Zenkichi's chest.
"Overestimating yourself."
Zenkichi's voice was cold and measured.
Despite the Five-Tails being one of the stronger bijū—strong enough to have seriously injured the Eight-Tails in the past—it meant little before Zenkichi.
Just as Uchiha Madara's clones had once overpowered the tailed beasts, so too could Zenkichi.
With one brutal kick to the head, the Five-Tails was silenced, letting out a pained whine that sent the Seven-Tails, Chōmei, into retreat.
The giant beetle-like beast, capable of flight, took to the sky in a panic.
But Zenkichi, glowing with golden light, burst into the air, blocking Chōmei's escape route—and kicked it downward.
"What a pity."
Zenkichi's hand brushed the sealing scroll on his waist—within it, another Rinnegan.
If he had already transplanted it, this battle would've ended even more swiftly.
His eyes gleamed coldly as he gazed at the disorganized, panicked Allied Shinobi Forces.
He'd gathered them all in one place—why waste the opportunity?
Zenkichi burst into golden light and shot toward the alliance.
Hanzo of the Salamander gritted his teeth, summoning his massive summoning beast—the giant Salamander.
The creature emerged with a roar, unleashing a deadly cloud of purple mist—a potent poison meant to counter Zenkichi.
But Zenkichi, in his light form, soared above the toxic fog with ease, untouched.
Ironically, it was the ninja below who suffered. Many were caught off guard by Hanzo's attack and were poisoned before they could react.
"Vanish from existence!"
Zenkichi hovered in the sky. Energy gathered in his hands, forming brilliant light bombs that rained down upon the Allied Forces.
"Namikaze Minato. Jiraiya. Gengetsu. The Sarutobi Clan. The Shimura Clan. Hanzo…"
He murmured their names like a curse as the torrent of light obliterated the battlefield.
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, erected a towering stone barrier in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
But under the merciless assault of golden light, the wall was crushed.
Hanzo's summoned salamander was reduced to pulp, riddled with holes.
Even Minato's Flying Thunder God technique couldn't save him from this overwhelming onslaught.
A beam pierced his heart—he died alongside his teacher, Jiraiya, joining their ancestors.
Zenkichi's assault lasted ten minutes.
When the light finally faded, the ground was unrecognizable—only a massive crater remained.
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