"I have a great dream…"
"I will become a god… in this world of endless wars."
"And then, I will put an end to the wars that leave us with no place to call home!"
"You are the bridge to peace, and I… am the pillar that supports that bridge."
"Nagato, you are the savior of this world… if it's you… you definitely can…"
A bridge built with blood and life is destined to lead to peace.
Even if it costs an entire lifetime, even if it costs one's life, on this long road countless people will fall, but their corpses will pave the way forward.
"Yes, I will become a god, let this world feel pain, understand pain, and thus long for peace, that is the path we have always pursued."
Sharp black rods extended like antennae, then pierced into Nagato's legs and back. With a soft "puff," blood welled out, sliding slowly down the rods.
Pain that seeped into the marrow spread throughout his body, making every cell in him groan. This intense agony continuously stimulated his nerves, yet Nagato's expression did not change in the slightest.
This kind of pain… was nothing at all.
"Almost there…"
Nagato looked down at the crowd below, his gaze finally resting on the solemn-faced Kushina. The vitality in his body was being absorbed by the black rods, slowly channeled into the Gedo Statue, forging a subtle connection between them.
The most powerful Shinra Tensei, the strongest sealing technique, Chibaku Tensei, and controlling the Gedo Statue… all of these abilities demanded a price in lifespan.
This was not an equivalent exchange, it was that Nagato could not perfectly adapt to the Rinnegan, nor perfectly wield the abilities it granted him.
After all, these Rinnegan belonged to Madara Uchiha, and Nagato was merely of the Uzumaki bloodline.
But to Nagato, the cost of lifespan meant nothing. For the sake of peace, even if it meant sacrificing his life, he would not hesitate.
This expression of will, turning conviction into action, was very much like Ye Zi. If Ye Zi had not been fortunate enough to overcome his physical defects, he too would have risked consuming his own life without hesitation, just to reach his goal.
When all the black rods had been driven into Nagato's body, the Gedo Statue suddenly threw back its head and let out a wild roar. The sound was like spring thunder exploding, and with it came a surge of chakra reaching its peak.
The entire village of Konoha, and even Ye Zi who was outside the village, were swept by this wave of chakra.
"Going in?" White Zetsu tilted his head toward Ye Zi.
"Go." Ye Zi's eyes grew thoughtful as his body melted into a tree trunk and disappeared.
Seeing this, White Zetsu also sank into the tree.
The two used the Mayfly Technique to head toward the village.
Right now, everyone's attention was fixed on the Gedo Statue, providing them an excellent opportunity to hide. Not that they needed such an opportunity, if they wanted to conceal themselves, few could discover them.
The roar's imposing force faded into the blue sky, but it left a shadow in many people's hearts.
This monster, terrifying as it appeared, was more of a paper tiger. Without the Nine-Tails' chakra, the Gedo Statue's capabilities were quite limited.
At present, Nagato had two ways to capture the Nine-Tails using the Gedo Statue: one was chakra chains given form, the other was the chakra dragons of the Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals.
"Kushina, he's after you. You should get out of here." Halfway through healing himself, Minato flickered to Kushina's side.
The enemy's goal was clearly the Nine-Tails, getting Kushina away was best, after which they could rally the whole village to attack Nagato.
Hearing Minato's words, Kushina was silent. She did not respond. Precisely because she knew he was after her, she would not simply leave.
Nagato also heard Minato's words, and immediately thought of Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. If Minato carried the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and escaped, there really would be nothing Nagato could do.
His expression grew cold. With a thought, the Gedo Statue opened its savage mouth, from which nine chakra dragons shot out. Once fully formed, they scattered in all directions, rushing at Konoha's ninja with extreme speed.
These dragon bodies, similar to the Spirit Transformation Technique, were even faster than Ye Zi's spirit form. Without warning, they struck at the surrounding ninja. In just seconds, the nine dragon spirits had passed through the bodies of dozens of Konoha ninja.
In an instant, the souls of those dozens were ripped from their bodies, merging into the dragons and making them swell in size.
A dozen ninja reacted quickly enough to dodge, but their faces turned grim upon seeing the carnage.
Nagato had not struck directly at Kushina, instead, he had unleashed the chakra dragons of the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals upon other Konoha ninja. This was not merely a show of force…
"Run, or stay…"
The sudden awareness of this question turned Nagato into the giver of a choices to a problem for Kushina.
If Minato truly intended to flee with her, Nagato would be helpless. Realizing this, he chose to begin a mass slaughter in Konoha, and, if necessary, even destroy it.
Thus, the "question of conviction" was born.
The dragon spirits were not physical entities that could be blocked, they could pass through any material substance, and only sealing techniques could counter them.
However, few around here knew sealing arts. Against the dragons' assault, defensive ninjutsu were useless, and the dragons' speed made them impossible to block or evade.
Shisui and Itachi's expressions turned grim, both activating their Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I'm not leaving." Kushina bit down hard, her voice firm.
Sage Mode activate!
Beautiful water-blue eyes overlapped within Kushina's own, two half-moon markings slanting from the sides of her nose.
Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails gripped the bars of his cage with both claws, staring coldly into the darkness ahead. His demonic eyes were filled with murderous intent.
He was hesitating…
The appearance of the Gedo Statue, along with the chakra of other tailed beasts, was like a key suddenly appearing in Kushina's heart.
That key was what she had always sought, with it, she could open a certain door.
For now, she could not claim the key, it had to be brought to her by the Nine-Tails himself.
Seeing Kushina's Sage Mode, Minato and Tsunade's hearts trembled.
"She's done it… Sage Mode of the Shikkotsu Forest."
In the past several months of training, Kushina had not revealed her progress to them. This sudden display showed her full achievement.
With Sage Mode activated, a faint red cloak of tailed-beast chakra quietly emerged, wrapping her body. In this state, she could only maintain the cloak, this was the most she could do without disrupting the chakra conversion process.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Nine golden chains burst from Kushina's back like the tails of the Nine-Tails, lashing out at the rampaging dragon spirits.
These Adamantine Sealing Chains could restrain tailed beasts, and in Kushina's hands, they could also bind spirits. At this moment, they were the perfect counter to the nine dragon spirits.
At the same time, Shisui and Itachi's chakra also flared to life…
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Currently on Chapter 597 - A Pathetic Way to Die