"This man..." Minato observed quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Nagato's turned back with the analytical precision that had made him one of the most feared tacticians in the ninja world.
He was indeed deeply concerned about the potential consequences if their battle were to unfold within the village boundaries. Even though the protective barrier that shielded Konoha had been extensively improved through the combined efforts of his own space-time techniques and Kushina's sealing expertise, he harbored serious doubts about its ability to withstand the level of destruction that their confrontation promised to unleash.
The enhanced barriers represented the cutting edge of defensive technology, incorporating lessons learned from previous attacks and theoretical improvements that pushed the boundaries of what was possible through conventional fuinjutsu. Yet the power levels that both combatants could now access suggested that even these advanced protections might prove inadequate against sustained assault.
But for Nagato, the village's vulnerability should have represented a significant tactical advantage that any reasonable strategist would seek to exploit. Given Minato's well-established personality and moral framework, he would inevitably take the safety of the village and its remaining ninja population into consideration during any combat scenario. Such concerns would necessarily limit his tactical options and create openings that a ruthless opponent could leverage for decisive advantage.
But Nagato was voluntarily abandoning this strategic benefit, a decision that seemed to contradict both tactical wisdom and his stated objectives. This unexpected choice prompted Minato to reconsider his assessment of his opponent's psychological state and underlying motivations.
Perhaps, buried deep within Nagato's transformed consciousness, there still existed traces of the idealistic young man who had once risked everything to protect the civilian population of the Rain Country during the brutal conflicts that had shaped his youth. That earlier version of Nagato had stepped forward to shield the innocent, fully aware that such actions would mark him as a target for Hanzo's paranoid suspicions and violent retaliation.
"As long as I eliminate you, everything will be resolved," Nagato replied with casual indifference, his voice carrying the terrifying certainty of someone who believed himself to hold absolute power over life and death. "At that point, the survival or destruction of these people will depend entirely upon my whims and preferences."
The statement was delivered with the emotionless precision of someone discussing weather patterns rather than the potential massacre of thousands of innocent people. It was this very casualness that made his words so deeply chilling to everyone who heard them.
When the assembled Konoha ninja received this pronouncement, their immediate response was a surge of righteous anger mixed with growing awareness of their tactical reality. Just as Nagato had stated with such terrible simplicity, even the Fourth Hokage—now widely regarded as the God of Shinobi in the hearts and minds of his people—might not possess sufficient power to defeat this transformed adversary.
The admission was bitter and difficult to accept, but the evidence of their own eyes and the chakra signatures their enhanced senses could detect made denial impossible. They were witnessing the emergence of a threat that exceeded anything in their previous experience or preparation.
As soon as Nagato finished delivering his ominous declaration, he began flying toward the outskirts of Konoha with the steady, unhurried pace of someone completely confident in their ultimate victory. His movement through the air was effortless and graceful, defying gravity with the same casual ease that ordinary people might display while walking across level ground.
Konan, who had been maintaining her position at a respectful distance from the confrontation, immediately followed her childhood companion. Her paper wings carried her through the sky with the fluid beauty of a creature born for flight, though her expression remained fixed in the emotionless mask that had become her default during times of crisis.
Minato had barely left the elevated position atop the Hokage building when he materialized on a rooftop adjacent to one of the village's main thoroughfares. His movement was instantaneous and precise, demonstrating the spatial awareness and tactical positioning that had made his Flying Thunder God technique so devastatingly effective in countless previous battles.
Kushina, whose own position had been relatively close to this location, arrived almost simultaneously. Her approach was marked by the fluid grace that characterized all her movements, but her expression carried an intensity and determination that spoke to the gravity of what they were about to undertake.
"I want to accompany you," Kushina stated firmly, her violet eyes meeting Minato's blue ones with unwavering resolve.
Her voice carried a solemnity that left no room for argument or discussion. This was not a request that could be negotiated or a suggestion that might be politely declined—it was a declaration of intent that reflected both her assessment of the tactical situation and her personal commitment to their shared responsibilities.
Even for the current version of Minato, enhanced as he was by perfect mastery of Sage Mode and access to half the Nine-Tails' vast chakra reserves, claiming certain victory in the coming battle would represent dangerous overconfidence. The power levels that Nagato had demonstrated during their brief exchange suggested capabilities that might exceed anything Minato had previously encountered.
Konan's presence alongside Nagato meant that their enemies would be fighting as a coordinated team, able to support each other's attacks and cover each other's vulnerabilities. Under such circumstances, Kushina could not allow Minato to face such overwhelming opposition without backup of his own.
Minato studied Kushina's expression, noting the depth of resolve and determination that had replaced her usual warm demeanor. After a moment of consideration, he nodded his acceptance of her proposal.
The decision was based on multiple strategic factors that went beyond simple martial support. Nagato's stated objectives for this assault on Konoha included not only Minato's elimination but also the capture of the Nine-Tails chakra contained within both Kushina and Naruto's bodies. With Naruto still engaged in sage training at Mount Myōboku, far from immediate danger, the primary target for tailed beast extraction would necessarily be Kushina herself.
Leaving the village while abandoning Kushina to defend herself would not necessarily represent a safer tactical approach. Her combat capabilities were formidable, but facing Nagato's transformed power alone would place her at severe disadvantage regardless of her skills or the Nine-Tails' support.
Furthermore, Konoha's current defensive barrier system had been designed primarily to repel conventional attacks from ordinary enemies. Its detection and analysis functions would prove meaningless against an organization like the Akatsuki, whose members possessed capabilities that exceeded traditional ninja limitations.
Therefore, if Minato and Nagato were not engaged in direct combat within the village boundaries, there would be no immediate need for Kushina to remain behind for barrier maintenance and repair operations. Her tactical expertise and combat abilities would be far more valuable on the battlefield than in a support role.
The husband and wife team reached their consensus quickly, their years of partnership allowing for rapid decision-making without extensive discussion. At that moment, a graceful figure landed on the roof tiles on the opposite side of the street, her arrival marked by the fluid precision that characterized all members of the Namikaze family.
Chiharu looked across the distance that separated them, her clear, intelligent eyes taking in every detail of her parents' preparations and body language. Her expression carried worry that went far beyond what might be expected from someone her age, reflecting both her natural intelligence and her intimate understanding of the forces that were shaping their current crisis.
"Dad, Mom!" she called out, her voice carrying across the space between the buildings with the clarity of genuine concern.
With Chiharu's exceptional intelligence and observational skills, she had already analyzed the situation and reached accurate conclusions about her parents' intended course of action. The tactical necessities were clear enough, but understanding the logic behind their decisions did nothing to reduce her emotional distress at the prospect of their departure.
"Chiharu, the village is entrusted to you and everyone else who remains," Minato responded, offering her a gentle smile that was intended to provide reassurance despite the gravity of their circumstances.
His voice carried the warmth and affection that had always characterized his interactions with his children, but it also contained the weight of someone who understood that he might be speaking these words for the final time.
"Just wait patiently," Kushina added with her own smile, though hers carried the forced brightness of someone trying to maintain normalcy in impossible circumstances. "Your father and I will return in time to prepare dinner together."
The promise was both genuine expression of hope and deliberate attempt to maintain the illusion that this departure was temporary and routine. Both parents understood the importance of projecting confidence, even when their own certainty about the outcome was far from absolute.
Chiharu's blue eyes showed the subtle movement that indicated powerful emotions being carefully controlled, but she managed to produce a smile of her own as she nodded obediently.
"Alright," she replied, her voice steady despite the tremendous effort required to maintain such composure. "I'll wait for Mom and Dad to come home."
Swish!
Minato and Kushina nodded their final farewell, then activated their movement techniques while sensing the direction that Nagato and Konan had taken during their departure from the village. The couple transformed into parallel streams of golden light, their forms disappearing almost instantaneously as they pursued their opponents toward whatever battlefield awaited them.
After her parents had vanished from sight, the artificial smile that Chiharu had maintained for their benefit immediately disappeared. Despite her best efforts to project calm and strength in front of them, her small body began trembling uncontrollably as the full weight of her fears and anxieties finally found expression.
How could she not worry about her parents' safety when they were departing to face opponents whose power exceeded anything in recorded history? The chakra signatures she had been able to sense during the brief confrontation over the village had been unlike anything she had previously experienced, carrying an intensity and alien quality that suggested capabilities far beyond normal human limitations.
The only contribution she could make to their mission was to ensure that they departed without additional concerns about her emotional state or safety. By projecting strength and acceptance, she had given them permission to focus entirely on the challenges ahead rather than dividing their attention between combat preparation and parental worry.
Although she recognized that such thoughts were inappropriate given the current crisis, she could not prevent herself from offering a silent prayer to whatever forces might be listening.
"Brother, please return home soon," she whispered to the empty air, her voice barely audible even to herself. "I'm truly frightened of facing all this alone."
The admission carried the weight of someone who had been forced to mature far beyond her years, bearing responsibilities and concerns that no child should be required to shoulder. But despite her fear, she would continue to fulfill her duties and maintain the facade of strength that her parents needed to believe in.
Minato and Kushina followed the trail left by Nagato and Konan as they continued moving toward the northeastern region of the Fire Country. Their pursuit carried them over familiar landscapes that gradually gave way to more remote and uninhabited terrain, until they finally reached their apparent destination—a rare geological formation consisting of multiple rocky mountains clustered together in an isolated group.
Each of the stone mountains in this formation rose several hundred meters above the surrounding landscape, their slopes steep and challenging even for experienced climbers. The rocky surfaces supported little vegetation, creating an environment that was both visually striking and notably free from human habitation or regular travel routes.
For ordinary civilians, attempting to scale mountains of such height and difficulty would represent a significant undertaking requiring specialized equipment and considerable preparation. But for ninja of Minato and Kushina's caliber, reaching the summit required only a few lightning-fast movements across the vertical stone faces.
In mere seconds, they had positioned themselves atop one of the towering peaks, where they could observe their opponents who had selected positions on adjacent mountains. Nagato stood with perfect stability on a summit approximately fifty meters away, his posture displaying the calm confidence of someone completely at ease with their chosen battlefield. Konan maintained her aerial position, her paper wings keeping her suspended above the rocky terrain with effortless grace.
The distance between the opposing forces was negligible by ninja standards, close enough for detailed observation of facial expressions and body language while providing sufficient space for the deployment of large-scale techniques without immediate collision.
Minato looked across the gap that separated him from Nagato, studying his opponent's calm expression with the analytical attention that had served him well in countless previous encounters. After a moment of consideration, he offered something that neither his allies nor his enemies would have expected under such circumstances.
"No matter what you have done in the past, and regardless of what you intend to do next," Minato said with genuine warmth, "at least for this moment, I still want to express my gratitude."
The statement was delivered with sincerity rather than tactical calculation, representing a genuine acknowledgment of Nagato's decision to relocate their battle away from the civilian population. Despite all the philosophical differences and moral disagreements that separated them, Minato could still recognize and appreciate actions that demonstrated concern for innocent lives.
Nagato offered no verbal response to this unexpected expression of appreciation, but his body language shifted in ways that suggested he had heard and processed the comment. Instead of engaging in further dialogue, he began channeling the tremendous energies that flowed through his transformed physiology.
An astonishing wave of chakra began emanating from his position, visible to the naked eye as distortions in the air that resembled heat shimmer rising from summer pavement. The energy signature was so intense and alien that it seemed to possess physical weight, pressing down upon the surrounding environment like an invisible tide.
The stone mountain beneath Nagato's feet began responding to the pressure of his unleashed power, hairline cracks appearing across its surface and gradually expanding into more significant fissures. The ancient rock, which had withstood centuries of weather and geological stress, was beginning to fail under the influence of chakra that exceeded anything the natural world had been designed to accommodate.
Equally astonishing chakra fluctuations began erupting from Minato's position as he responded to his opponent's display of power. His own energy signature, while different in quality and character from Nagato's alien presence, proved to be nearly equivalent in terms of raw magnitude and intensity.
Boom boom!
The two massive chakra fields collided in the space between the mountains like tangible entities engaged in their own separate battle. The interaction created shock waves that propagated through the solid rock, causing the mountain walls to tremble and huge boulders to break free from their ancient positions and tumble toward the valleys below.
The sound of their clash echoed across the landscape like thunder, a sonic signature that would be detectable from miles away by anyone with sufficient sensitivity to chakra fluctuations. The very air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of forces that challenged the fundamental laws governing energy and matter.
Nagato experienced a moment of genuine surprise as he processed the full implications of what he was sensing. Despite possessing the accumulated power of five different tailed beasts and the ancient energy of the Gedo Mazo flowing through his system, Minato's chakra reserves appeared to be competitive with his own enhanced capabilities.
Although it remained impossible for Nagato to exert his full potential in his current physical state—the human form still imposed certain limitations on his access to the vast energies he contained—the fact that Namikaze Minato could match his output suggested that his opponent had undergone his own form of fundamental enhancement.
Minato glanced toward Kushina with a brief nod that conveyed volumes of tactical communication developed through years of partnership. She immediately understood his intent and began moving to a position that would allow her to engage Konan without interfering with the primary confrontation between the two most powerful combatants.
When Kushina had relocated beyond the immediate collision zone of Minato and Nagato's clashing energies, Konan responded by adjusting her own position to maintain tactical advantage. She raised her arms toward the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki with the fluid precision that marked all her combat movements.
White origami papers began materializing in the air around her, gathering and reshaping themselves with supernatural speed as they transformed into the distinctive projectile weapons that had become her signature technique. Each paper shuriken was perfectly crafted and imbued with chakra that would make it as deadly as any conventional weapon.
"Surrender the Nine-Tails that resides within your body!" Konan demanded, her voice carrying the cold authority of someone who viewed their mission as both inevitable and morally justified.
She would naturally not allow this opportunity to capture one of the remaining tailed beasts to slip away without making every possible effort to achieve success. The strategic value of the Nine-Tails was too significant to ignore, regardless of whatever personal feelings she might harbor about their opponents.
"Although I understand your concern and loyalty toward Nagato," Kushina replied, her voice carrying genuine sympathy mixed with unwavering resolve, "what he is attempting to accomplish now is fundamentally wrong!"
She looked across the distance that separated her from Konan, studying the other woman's expression with the careful attention of someone who had been trained to read emotional states and psychological conditions during combat situations.
For just a moment, Kushina noticed that Konan's expression seemed to pause slightly, as if her words had penetrated through whatever mental barriers had been constructed to protect her from doubt or uncertainty. The reaction was subtle and brief, but it suggested that somewhere beneath the surface loyalty and determined dedication, questions and concerns might still exist.
However, this moment of apparent vulnerability lasted only an instant before Konan's face returned to its characteristic mask of indifference and determination. Whatever internal conflict might exist was quickly suppressed in favor of the mission requirements that had brought them to this confrontation.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The sky above their battlefield suddenly filled with paper projectiles as Konan launched her opening attack. The shuriken moved with coordinated precision, creating a pattern of intersecting trajectories that would be difficult for any target to evade completely.
"It seems that this battle has become unavoidable," Kushina observed, her voice carrying a note of sadness that spoke to her genuine regret about the necessity of their conflict.
As someone who had earned the nickname "Blood-Red Pepper" during her younger years, Kushina had once approached combat with enthusiasm and competitive spirit. Fighting had been both challenge and entertainment, an opportunity to test her skills against worthy opponents while proving her capabilities to those who might underestimate her.
But this particular battle represented something she absolutely did not want to experience. The opponents they faced were not merely enemies to be defeated, but former allies whose transformation into adversaries represented tragedy rather than simple conflict.
From behind Kushina's position, the distinctive golden chains of her Uzumaki heritage began emerging with the fluid grace of serpents responding to their master's call. Each chain was imbued with chakra that gave it both tremendous strength and the ability to suppress and contain other forms of energy, making them particularly effective against tailed beast chakra and other exotic power sources.
The chains shot upward toward Konan's aerial position with speed that matched the paper shuriken in velocity while offering far superior offensive capability.
At the same moment that the secondary battle began between the two kunoichi, the primary confrontation between the most powerful combatants reached its opening phase.
Nagato raised both hands and brought them together in the same gesture he had employed during their earlier exchange above Konoha village. The movement triggered the activation of his gravitational manipulation abilities, creating the distinctive repulsive forces that had proven so devastatingly effective in their previous encounter.
The repulsive energy formed ripples that were clearly visible to the naked eye, distorting the air itself as massive pressure waves began converging from opposite directions toward the point where Minato was positioned.
Bang!
Under the tremendous pressure generated by these opposing forces, a significant portion of the mountain beneath Minato's feet began to disintegrate. The ancient stone, which had survived countless millennia of natural weathering and geological stress, proved unable to withstand the artificial forces being directed against it.
Minato quickly assessed his tactical options by glancing left and right to identify potential escape routes, then suddenly launched himself into the air with explosive force. As he moved, natural energy formed protective barriers on both sides of his body, creating defensive shields that would hopefully provide adequate protection against the crushing pressure of Nagato's technique.
With the assistance of natural energy manipulation, Minato's mobility in aerial environments was not significantly reduced compared to his ground-based capabilities. This enhancement allowed him to escape the convergence zone before the opposing pressure waves could complete their crushing embrace.
Behind him, the summit of the stone mountain and a substantial portion of its upper structure were completely obliterated by the tremendous repulsive forces. Where once there had been solid rock formation, now there remained only empty air and falling debris.
Nagato also took to the air, though his flight capabilities operated on fundamentally different principles from Minato's temporary aerial maneuvering. His natural speed might not match Minato's legendary velocity, but unlike his opponent who could only maintain aerial positioning for brief periods, Nagato possessed true sustained flight capabilities that allowed him to operate indefinitely in three-dimensional combat environments.
A glimmer of flame-colored light flashed across Nagato's distinctive purple eyes as he prepared to demonstrate another aspect of the enhanced capabilities that had resulted from his transformation and tailed beast integration.
Whoosh!
In front of Minato, who had just successfully escaped from the gravitational crushing attack, a tremendous volume of red-hot magma began surging upward from some impossible source below. The molten rock moved with the force and speed of a volcanic eruption, creating a wave of superheated material that threatened to engulf everything in its path.
The attack represented an entirely new level of threat, combining massive scale with temperatures that would prove instantly lethal to any organic matter unfortunate enough to make contact with the advancing wall of liquid stone.