Under Nagato's horrified gaze, the space between the jet-black energy wave and Minato's chakra sphere began to distort with terrifying intensity. The distortion wasn't simply visual—it was a fundamental warping of reality itself, expanding outward in concentric circles that seemed to consume the very fabric of existence.
What had started as a localized phenomenon quickly grew beyond all expectation. The distorted space stretched and writhed like a living thing, its boundaries becoming increasingly unstable as the two opposing forces continued their cosmic dance. The air itself seemed to scream under the pressure, creating a sound that resonated not just through the physical world but through the spiritual realm as well.
After the initial shock wore off, Nagato's analytical mind began to work furiously, drawing on memories and intelligence gathered over years of conflict. The Rinnegan's enhanced perception allowed him to see patterns and connections that would be invisible to ordinary eyes, and slowly, the truth began to emerge.
During the Third Great Ninja War more than a decade ago, Minato Namikaze had used a technique that could distort space itself to kill the Third Raikage of Kumogakure. That single action had shattered the final balance of the war, giving Konoha the decisive advantage they needed for victory. At the time, it had seemed like an impossible feat—the Third Raikage was legendary for his defensive capabilities, his Lightning Release Armor making him virtually indestructible.
Zetsu had collected detailed intelligence about that battle, documenting the circumstances and apparent mechanics of Minato's technique. However, the information had always been incomplete, frustratingly vague about the actual principles involved. After that war, Minato had almost never used this particular technique again, making it impossible to gather more accurate data about its true nature.
Only now, witnessing the phenomenon firsthand, did Nagato finally understand the elegant brutality of the technique's design. The principle was devastatingly simple yet incredibly difficult to execute: use the collision of two almost perfectly equal forces to create a controlled distortion in space-time itself.
This time, Minato had employed the same method with surgical precision. By creating a chakra sphere with energy output exactly matching Nagato's attack, he had orchestrated a controlled collision that would neutralize both techniques while creating a localized space-time anomaly. The entire process required not just immense power, but perfect chakra control and split-second timing.
The complexity of what Minato had just accomplished was staggering. To hide his true intentions while simultaneously analyzing the exact energy signature of an incoming attack, then create a perfect counter-technique in the span of seconds—it was a feat that pushed the boundaries of what even legendary ninja could achieve.
Under Nagato's increasingly desperate gaze, the distorted space expanded to encompass a sphere nearly ten meters in diameter. Within this zone, the normal laws of physics simply ceased to function. Objects didn't fall—they simply ceased to exist in any meaningful sense. Light bent at impossible angles, creating a visual effect that hurt to look at directly.
The distorted space consumed everything within its boundaries with casual indifference. Rocks, debris, even the air itself—all of it was swallowed by the anomaly as if it had never existed. The phenomenon was both beautiful and terrifying, a perfect demonstration of power that transcended normal understanding.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the distortion started to fade. The warped space gradually returned to its normal state, the violent energies dissipating into the ambient chakra of the battlefield. When the last traces of the anomaly disappeared, they left behind a perfectly spherical void in the landscape—a monument to the incredible forces that had just been unleashed.
Nagato's eyes searched the battlefield with growing dread, until he finally spotted Minato standing calmly in an open area dozens of meters away from where the distortion had occurred. The Fourth Hokage appeared completely unharmed, his golden chakra still flickering around him like a protective aura.
"The outcome should be obvious now, Nagato," Minato said, his voice carrying across the devastated landscape with crystal clarity. "Give up your so-called ambition to control the world. That path is impossible from the very beginning."
There was a note of genuine sadness in Minato's tone, the sorrow of someone who had been forced to shatter the dreams of a person he had once considered family. His cross-shaped pupils fixed on Nagato with an intensity that seemed to see straight through to the other man's soul.
Minato's enhanced perception, boosted by both Sage Mode and the Nine-Tails' chakra, allowed him to assess Nagato's condition with frightening accuracy. The Rinnegan wielder had exhausted nearly ninety percent of the Tailed Beast power sealed within his body, and his pupil power had been severely weakened by the strain of forcibly controlling such chaotic energies.
Although Minato couldn't be completely certain, all the signs pointed to an inevitable conclusion: if Nagato continued to force this battle, he would most likely suffer a catastrophic backlash from the Tailed Beasts within his body. As someone who had achieved a form of perfect cooperation with the Nine-Tails, Minato understood better than most the consequences of such a backlash.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of unspoken truths and abandoned possibilities. Finally, Nagato's face twisted into an expression of bitter acceptance, though his reason told him that he had failed once again.
Even now, after everything he had accomplished, after all the power he had gathered, there was still a gap between him and the man standing before him. The realization was more painful than any physical wound. Since Minato could neutralize his strongest technique with such apparent ease, he certainly possessed other methods to defeat him decisively.
"We are brothers from the same teacher," Minato said, his voice heavy with guilt and regret. "If it weren't for my negligence, you wouldn't have fallen into Hanzo's trap, and Yahiko might not have died."
The admission hung in the air like a confession at a funeral. When Minato had traveled to the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire to be recommended for the position of Hokage, Danzo had secretly dispatched Root operatives to cooperate with Hanzo's scheme. The political machinations of that time had directly led to the tragedy that had twisted Nagato's heart toward darkness.
"We should be the closest people in the world," Minato continued, his voice growing more earnest with each word. "Not fighting meaningless battles like this."
"You talk too much," Nagato replied, his tone flat and emotionless as he met Minato's gaze. But beneath the surface indifference, something else flickered—a spark of the old fire that had once driven him to change the world.
"I haven't failed yet!"
The declaration came with explosive force as Nagato threw his arms wide, embracing the pain and exhaustion that wracked his body. His palms came together with a sharp clap that echoed across the battlefield, and immediately, ripples began to appear in the air around Minato's position.
"Sigh..."
Minato's expression filled with resignation as he recognized the futility of further words. His body began to glow with golden light, the radiance growing brighter and more intense until his entire form seemed to be composed of pure energy. The light shot upward like a pillar connecting earth to sky, pointing directly at Nagato's airborne position.
"Senjutsu: Flying Thunder God Stage Three!"
The technique was unlike anything Nagato had ever witnessed. From the pillar of golden light, countless brilliant streams of chakra rain burst forth like a shower of falling stars. Each stream moved with perfect precision, creating a three-dimensional web of energy that filled the entire battlefield.
Nagato's response was immediate and desperate. His back arched as mechanical chakra arms extended from his shoulders, their muzzles already beginning to glow with purple energy. But even as he prepared his counterattack, something fundamental had changed. The power was no longer there—his depleted chakra reserves could no longer sustain the overwhelming force he had wielded just moments before.
This time, Minato made no attempt to dodge or evade. His cross-shaped pupils suddenly dilated, and the world seemed to slow around him as he entered a state of perfect combat awareness.
"Frog Kumite!"
The technique was deceptively simple in appearance—Minato simply moved in front of one of the chakra rain streams and threw a punch into empty air. But the result was anything but simple.
"Bang!"
The massive concentration of natural energy that surrounded Minato's body formed into a giant invisible fist, striking Nagato's mechanical arm with devastating force. The artificial limb, which had withstood the stress of channeling Tailed Beast-level chakra, shattered like glass under the impact.
But the attack didn't stop there. Even as Nagato processed the destruction of his mechanical arm, another stream of natural energy struck him directly in the chest. The force was overwhelming, sending him tumbling through the air like a broken doll.
"This guy..." Nagato gasped, feeling his ribs crack under the impact. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. With his chakra so severely depleted, his attacks were no longer capable of the devastating power he had demonstrated earlier.
More importantly, he realized with growing alarm that Minato had held back significantly when delivering that blow. If the Fourth Hokage had used his full strength, the attack would have been enough to inflict fatal damage. The restraint was perhaps more insulting than the defeat itself.
"Nagato!"
Konan's voice cracked with emotion as she witnessed her oldest friend's defeat. Without hesitation, she abandoned her aerial battle with Kushina and rushed toward Nagato's falling form, her paper wings carrying her with desperate speed.
Just as Nagato was sent flying by Minato's devastating technique, the ground in a seemingly empty area began to ripple and shift. A white head emerged from the earth like a grotesque flower blooming in reverse, its pale features twisting into an expression of disappointed calculation.
"It seems that guy has failed again," White Zetsu murmured to himself, his voice carrying a note of bemused disappointment. The plant-like being had been observing the battle from the safety of the underground, using his unique abilities to remain hidden from even the enhanced senses of the combatants above.
After delivering his assessment, White Zetsu's body began to sink back into the earth, preparing to disappear as silently as he had arrived. But even his brief appearance hadn't gone unnoticed by someone with Kushina's supernatural perception.
"Minato, that creature called Zetsu has appeared!" Kushina's voice rang out with urgent warning, her head snapping toward the location where the white figure had emerged.
"Where?" Minato's attention immediately shifted from Nagato to scan the surrounding area, his perception spreading out in waves as he searched for any trace of the infiltrator.
By the time Konan reached Nagato's position, catching him before he could hit the ground, the damage was already evident. Her oldest friend's chest had been visibly compressed by the force of Minato's blow, and his breathing was labored and painful.
Kushina landed beside Minato with fluid grace, her expression grim as she delivered her report. "That creature burrowed underground and seemed to use some kind of special ability to escape. I can't sense him anymore."
"Really?" Minato's eyes took on a dangerous glint, but he didn't seem overly concerned by the spy's escape. His attention slowly returned to Konan and Nagato, his expression softening slightly as he took in the sight of his former fellow student's injuries.
"Can't we really stop fighting now?" Minato asked, his voice heavy with the weight of their shared history. The question was directed at both of them, but his eyes focused primarily on Nagato.
"Nagato, don't hold on any longer," Konan's voice was soft but firm, though it began to tremble toward the end. "We've lost."
The admission seemed to cost her something vital, and tears began to gather in her eyes as she cradled Nagato's broken form. All of their planning, all of their sacrifice, all of their determination—it had all led to this moment of crushing defeat.
"No!" Nagato's voice cracked with desperation and pain. "I haven't fulfilled Yahiko's dream yet! I won't give up!"
Despite his serious injuries, despite the obvious futility of continued resistance, Nagato's eyes still burned with the same fanatical determination that had driven him for so many years. He struggled to stand with Konan's help, his legs shaking with the effort but his gaze fixed on Minato and Kushina with undiminished resolve.
Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering between them. The tactical situation was clear—they had won decisively, and Nagato was in no condition to continue fighting. But the emotional complexity of the situation made any next step fraught with difficulty.
At the foot of the outermost mountain in the stone range, far from the devastation of the main battlefield, a figure that was both black and white stood wrapped in a distinctive spiral-patterned cloak. The being known as Zetsu received the mental communication from his White Zetsu clone, processing the information with the dispassionate efficiency of someone who had witnessed countless failures over the centuries.
"That guy failed," Zetsu said, turning to address the figure standing beside him. His voice carried no emotion, simply stating the facts as they had been reported.
"Such powerful forces are truly suffocating," the other man replied, his voice carrying a note of genuine appreciation mixed with anticipation. He could feel the residual chakra fluctuations in the air even from this distance, and the sheer magnitude of the energies that had been unleashed was impressive even by his standards.
"But I wonder who is stronger—me or that guy," the man continued, a playful smile crossing his features as he considered the possibilities.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the man's hands moved through a complex series of seals with practiced precision. The movements were fluid and confident, speaking of someone who had performed this technique countless times before.
"Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"
"Rumble!"
The ground in front of the two figures cracked and split with tremendous force, as if the very earth was being torn apart by unseen hands. A wooden coffin rose from the depths, its surface covered in intricate seals and markings that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.
"Bang!"
The coffin's door fell open with a thunderous crash, hitting the ground with such force that it created a small crater. Inside the wooden container, a figure began to stir—a man with long black hair and distinctive red armor that seemed to absorb and reflect light in equal measure.
When Zetsu saw the legendary figure emerging from the coffin, his usually expressionless face twisted into something resembling satisfaction. This was a development that had been planned for years, a contingency that would ensure their ultimate victory regardless of temporary setbacks.
Mukade's eerie laughter echoed across the landscape as he formed additional seals with his hands, his movements becoming more animated with each gesture. The sound was filled with anticipation and malicious glee, the laughter of someone who was about to witness something truly extraordinary.