He was determined to bury this newborn Little Ten-Tails.
Meanwhile, Zetsu stood frozen in disbelief.
Another Ten-Tails had appeared in the world—did that mean there were now two Ten-Tails Jinchūriki?
The image of Shigeo flashed in his mind—
And the next instant, the real Shigeo appeared before him.
Zetsu extended a hand to summon—
The Little Ten-Tails, which had been trapped within Pain's Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation), vanished in an instant and returned to Shigeo's body.
Shigeo's deep-blue Rinnegan flared open.
Lightning surged as Ranton (Storm Release) energy exploded in his palm.
Ignoring the chakra chains of the reappearing Gedō Mazō and the Six Paths of Pain closing in, he charged straight ahead.
The Little Ten-Tails might have been young, ignorant of good and evil, solving problems only through destruction—but that didn't mean others could harm it.
Nine chakra chains shot toward him as the Gedō Mazō fixated once again on Shigeo's body, drawn to the power of the Tailed Beasts within him.
The Little Ten-Tails burst from his body once more, luring the chains away. The mindless statue lumbered forward in pursuit.
"Stop! It's a trap!"
Zetsu and the arriving Obito shouted together.
But it was too late.
The plan was already in motion.
After retrieving the Little Ten-Tails and freeing it from Chibaku Tensei, Shigeo had rushed the Gedō Mazō, feigning vulnerability.
Then, as the statue locked onto him, he released the Little Ten-Tails again—baiting the Mazō forward.
At that moment, Shigeo entered Sage Mode, his chakra swelling to its peak.
The Ranton lightning in his hand intensified into a divine spear that split the sky, cutting straight toward the statue charging at him and the Little Ten-Tails.
No one could react in time—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore across heaven and earth.
The lightning of Ranton fell like a divine blade, striking the Gedō Mazō square in the torso.
The entire valley froze.
Then the shockwave erupted outward, sweeping sand and wind in expanding rings that blotted out the horizon.
"It's over…" White Zetsu muttered, his voice trembling. His heart plummeted into an icy pit.
The statue's head crashed to the ground, and its body collapsed with a resounding quake.
The Six Paths of Pain, Obito, Sasori, and both Zetsu halves surged forward at once.
Pain's six bodies launched a unified assault—every Rinnegan ability unleashed in fury.
The Animal Path summoned beasts to strike from above.
The Human Path dove in to snatch Shigeo's soul.
The Preta Path lunged to drain his chakra.
The Hell Path seized his throat, snarling with murderous hatred.
Meanwhile, the Deva Path grabbed the fallen statue's severed head and body, coordinating with Obito to retreat from the battlefield.
Sasori glanced toward Gaara's position—
But the Sand's Jinchūriki was nowhere to be seen.
Zetsu, escorting the damaged Gedō Mazō away, couldn't erase the image of Shigeo beheading the statue.
He remembered Shigeo's vow years ago—to destroy the Gedō Mazō entirely.
The blood contract still linked them; if the Akatsuki lost control of the statue again, next time it might not just lose its head—it might be obliterated completely.
Luckily, the Little Ten-Tails had already left Shigeo's body.
Had it remained, the fusion of its chakra with his Rinnegan might have shattered the statue to dust.
Now, five of Pain's bodies formed a battle circle around Shigeo.
The Little Ten-Tails returned into him as his Rinnegan pulsed with power.
He drew on his Tailed Beast chakra freely—without the statue's interference, nothing restrained him.
Three heads and six arms manifested, his aura expanding violently.
A single chakra explosion blasted the five Pains backward.
Then, Shigeo's Wood Clone appeared and dove into the fray.
Rinnegan against Rinnegan—
Each of Shigeo's clones wielded multiple path abilities, clashing with the Pains' specialized powers.
Speed, strength, summoning, and sheer will intertwined in chaos.
The ground split apart; the valley trembled under the shockwaves.
In moments, the entire Ryōfūkō Valley was reduced to rubble.
Shigeo's Wood Clone seized the Animal Path, immobilizing it.
Then he activated the Preta Path's absorption technique, draining the enemy's chakra while binding it in Wood Release restraints.
Several summoned beasts charged to rescue their master—
Only to be intercepted by the roaring Byakko (White Tiger).
"Those pests again?! Hyūga brat, you really have no other enemies to fight?" the tiger growled, irritated.
These summons were troublesome—no matter how many times the tiger crushed them, they kept reviving through bizarre regeneration.
The charging ox, the massive centipede—all of them returned again and again.
Meanwhile, Shigeo's three-headed form vanished, his Rinnegan narrowing as he stared toward a distant ridge.
He was debating whether to pursue Pain and Obito all the way to Amegakure and annihilate them completely.
The valley wind howled, carrying the scent of blood and sand.
Then—
A faint voice reached his ears.
So soft, yet unmistakable.
Gaara's voice.
He was in danger.
Shigeo moved instantly.
Two of the Six Paths fell dead on the ground.
The Preta Path's manifestation vanished with the Hell King's disappearance.
The remaining two Pains triggered explosive tags and retreated into nothingness.
The battlefield fell silent, save for the whistling wind.
Following his sensory perception, Shigeo found Gaara amid the wreckage—
Lying half-conscious, his skin tinted blue from poison.
"Gaara, can you hear me?" Shigeo knelt beside him.
"Hurts…" Gaara murmured weakly before passing out.
Poison. Only Sasori used such toxins.
That meant their battle had been fierce indeed.
Shigeo lifted Gaara in his arms and vanished into the storm.
Moments later, he appeared a hundred kilometers away—inside Sunagakure's main compound.
Chiyo, Ebizō, and several village leaders rushed out to greet him.
"Lord Mo-Kage, what happened?"
"Long story," Shigeo replied calmly. "Save him first."
He laid Gaara down. Chiyo and the medical team began treatment at once.
But time passed, and the lights of the operating room did not change.
From inside came screams—Gaara's screams.
His chakra flared wildly, half his body transforming as his consciousness slipped.
The partial form of Shukaku erupted, turning the room into chaos.
He injured some medics and killed others in his rampage.
Chiyo led the survivors out, shouting as she retreated,
"Sealing team! Get the sealing team here immediately!
Chagama, bring the black teapot we once used to seal the One-Tail—quickly!"
(End of Chapter)
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