Nagato scrutinized Hikari closely, from head to toe and back again, taking in every detail.
"You say you're about to obtain the Rinnegan? How is that possible? The Rinnegan is the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
Hikari lifted his black staff. "There's nothing impossible about it. The Sage of Six Paths has been dead for centuries. You don't really think his eyes could've survived until now just to be implanted in you, do you?"
Nagato almost asked whose eyes were currently in his sockets—but after a moment of hesitation, he decided not to.
No matter what, the Rinnegan was his now. How to use them would be entirely up to him.
"Do you truly believe I can't stop you today?" Nagato's gaze turned sharp, his voice carried a dangerous undertone.
"Of course not," Hikari replied calmly.
He wasn't that arrogant. Even beings at the level of the Sage of Six Paths could die.
He was still one crucial step away from that realm himself—how could he think he was invincible?
His victory over the Human and Preta Paths was merely due to a tactical advantage. If all six Paths worked together against him, even Hikari would be hard-pressed to handle it.
"I just wanted to ask... have you finished extracting the Three-Tails' chakra?"
*Boom!*
An explosive surge of chakra erupted, scattering the clouds for dozens of miles around.
Nagato's eyes widened slightly. "You knew I was using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to extract the Three-Tails' chakra?"
Hikari pointed toward Nagato's feet. "I'm not blind. There's a constant flow of chakra beneath you, and since you didn't bring the statue with you, I assume it's underground, absorbing the Three-Tails' chakra. Am I wrong?"
This seal was powerful, yes—but that depended on who was trying to break it.
Since the Demonic Statue itself had gone underground to siphon chakra, there was no way this seal could stop it. The statue would simply tear through the barrier and drain the chakra dry.
Perhaps Nagato feared the Three-Tails might escape... or perhaps the chakra was too vast for him to handle alone. Either way, he had chosen not to destroy the seal completely, opting instead to absorb the chakra bit by bit.
"Since you know I'm drawing out the Three-Tails' chakra, why aren't you in a hurry?" Nagato asked, noticing that Hikari still hadn't attacked. "If it were me, I'd be striking with everything I have right now."
The chakra beneath them didn't feel fake.
Could it be that Kamizuki Hikari had already given up on the Three-Tails?
The thought crossed Nagato's mind but was immediately dismissed.
Impossible.
At their level of power, their actions weren't determined by fleeting thoughts or convenience.
Nagato wanted to collect the Tailed Beasts, merge them into the Ten-Tails, and use its power to dominate the shinobi world.
Hikari wanted to slay the Three-Tails to maintain peace for a few more years—buying time for the world.
Each had their own conviction. Neither would back down.
And truthfully, Hikari still held the upper hand for now.
"Actually, I've been wondering..." Hikari said, his tone thoughtful. "With your current strength, plus the Akatsuki, you already have enough power to dominate the shinobi world. Why insist on reviving the Ten-Tails?"
Nagato answered, "Because aside from you, there's still Tsunade, who has mastered Wood Release. Both of your powers far surpass ordinary Kage-level shinobi. That's one reason. The other is that I'm still not strong enough. I need a power so terrifying that no one in the entire shinobi world would dare to oppose me. The Ten-Tails can grant me that."
Hikari could only sigh at that.
No matter what, once Nagato chose this path, his death became inevitable.
Whether it was Uchiha Madara's contingency plans or Black Zetsu's scheme to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Nagato would be doomed.
Once he gathered all nine tailed beasts and revived the Ten-Tails, he'd be forced to use the Rinnegan to control it.
And in that moment, Black Zetsu would convince him to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki—leading to Kaguya's resurrection through him.
The Ten-Tails was the fusion of Kaguya and the God Tree. Her body had been sealed on the moon by the Sage of Six Paths, but her consciousness endured. She was immortal because the Ten-Tails still existed.
As long as the Ten-Tails lived, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya could never truly die.
Why had Uchiha Madara been so easily possessed by Kaguya? Because he had willingly become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
Kaguya's battle experience might not surpass Madara's, but her spiritual strength certainly did.
With the Ten-Tails' support and Black Zetsu's betrayal, Madara never stood a chance against possession.
Nagato was even less prepared than Madara. When the time came, he wouldn't have the slightest ability to resist.
"If that's how you think," Hikari said quietly, "then we'll remain enemies."
"And as for why I haven't attacked yet... you should be feeling it right about now."
This seal was one Hikari had personally crafted. He knew exactly how much of the Three-Tails' chakra was stored inside.
Through the barrier, he could sense clearly: the chakra Nagato was absorbing had nearly run out. Any moment now, Nagato would notice something was wrong.
Indeed, Nagato's face darkened almost immediately.
With his skeletal frame and sunken eyes, the sight was downright terrifying.
"Wait... what sealed here isn't the real Three-Tails?!" Nagato muttered. "Then... could it be... Terumi Mei?"
He had pieced it together.
Everyone believed that someone like Terumi Mei would never become the Three-Tails' jinchūriki. And if Hikari intended to kill the Three-Tails, why would he ever allow someone to become its host?
If that were the case, the beast would be impossible to kill later!
"You guessed right," Hikari said evenly. "What's sealed here is only part of the Three-Tails' chakra—enough for you to use for now. That means you have two options: capture Orochimaru or capture Terumi Mei. Either one would let you make up for the missing chakra."
Hearing Hikari's words, Nagato laughed.
"Only Konan and I came here. The others have already gone after Orochimaru. Do you really think that snake can escape?"
Before coming, Nagato hadn't expected the Three-Tails' seal to be fake, but he had anticipated that Hikari might intervene. So he'd sent the rest of Akatsuki ahead of time.
Those people alone could annihilate every shinobi village outside the Five Great Nations. Even one of the Five would suffer devastating losses if they were attacked together.
"Never underestimate Orochimaru's ability to survive," Hikari replied. "Even if you kill him now, he'll come back later. Besides, I doubt Akatsuki can truly capture him."
"In that case," Nagato said with a faint smile, "you're forcing me to go after Terumi Mei."
As he finished speaking, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path slowly rose up behind him, towering like a wall that shielded him from the wind and storm.
Aside from draining his life force, the statue was... perfect.
----
Read 45+ advanced chapters on my P@treon.
[email protected]/KakuzuTL