Size doesn't always equate to strength—but in the shinobi world, massive size usually means formidable power.
If you can't pilot a Gundam, no wonder you can't win a ninja war. If you can't pilot a Gundam, you don't even deserve to join the final showdown of the shinobi world.
Whether it's the Gundam-style era of full-body Susano'o, Super Expansion Jutsu, giant summoning beasts, or full Tailed Beast transformations…
Or the Ten-Tails Armor Susanoo and Inukaitakeru-no-mikoto of the Ōtsutsuki era, almost all are prime examples of Gundams.
And now, the Gedo Statue summoned by Nagato was one of the most terrifying of all.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The monstrous howl of the Gedo Statue shook the skies as it charged toward Yuki Yoru. Compared to its colossal frame, Yoru seemed no more significant than an insect. It looked like he could be swatted out of existence with a single swing.
But—
"To a Shinigami, size has never meant anything."
"And besides... don't you think you're a bit too big of a target?"
Yoru gave a faint smile, raising Hyōrinmaru high into the air.
Instantly, the world darkened.
The Land of Iron lay in the northern reaches of the continent, blanketed year-round in snow. Combined with its seaside elevation, its atmosphere was thick with moisture. Even with his Gigai limitations, Yoru's power here was virtually bottomless.
Thunder rumbled across the ink-black sky. Lightning snakes danced across the firmament. The already-frigid land plunged into even more unbearable cold.
Snowflakes and shards of ice began to fall from above, blanketing the body of the Gedo Statue.
The statue wasn't a living creature. While it moved like a beast, it didn't possess the spiritual will of a Tailed Beast. It was more like a lifeless husk—an ancient shell infused with violence and raw chakra, the remains of a Six Paths-level being.
As the ice fell, the statue didn't hesitate. It raised its fist and smashed it down toward Yoru.
But thick walls of crystalized ice surged upward from the ground, intercepting the blow.
Layer after layer of glacial barricades emerged, forming a fortress of ice between Yoru and the statue. Even though the Gedo Statue had monstrous strength and shattered the first few layers with brute force, more ice instantly formed to replace them.
This—was the power of a map-wide AOE.
During the Warring States Era, why was the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, able to dominate the world? It was because his Wood Style wasn't just overbearing—it was practically a cheat code. His chakra was as vast as the ocean, and he could absorb chakra from enemies to sustain his own attacks.
Endless. Relentless.
And now, Yoru's Ice Release was doing the same.
Hyōrinmaru had command over the heavens—it controlled the very sky itself.
All of the moisture and frost in the Land of Iron had now become Yoru's fuel. Which meant: at this moment, Nagato wasn't fighting Yuki Yoru.
He was fighting the climate of the Land of Iron itself.
The glaciers multiplied endlessly. Yoru didn't even have to lift a finger. The terrain itself stopped the Gedo Statue's advance. And soon, layer upon layer of frost began creeping over its body.
As the blizzard thickened, the Gedo Statue's entire form was wrapped in a blooming field of icy flowers.
The Ice-Heaven Hundred-Floral Funeral—capable of freezing anything it touches—began to seal the statue entirely.
"Crack… crackle…"
But just a heartbeat later, the glacial flowers shattered under a burst of immense force. The statue's savage roar ripped through the storm as it burst free of its icy tomb.
Inside its maw, Nagato screamed too, coughing up blood-tinged spittle. His face was gaunt, twisted in agony, madness clear in his eyes.
"I am the one and only God in this world! Die, Yuki Yoru!!"
"How fascinating… not even the Hyōten Hyakkasō could stop it?"
Yoru's gaze flickered with a hint of curiosity.
The Gedo Statue truly lived up to being the husk of the Ten Tails. Calling it indestructible would not be an exaggeration.
But indestructibility didn't mean it could last forever.
To activate something on this level… the energy cost was simply unimaginable.
Centuries ago, in Ancient Egypt, Simon Muran sacrificed his soul to summon the invincible Dark Magician Exodia—but even Exodia lost to Zorc in the end.
Why? Because Simon's soul couldn't sustain Exodia for long enough.
"So then… how much of your candlelight remains, Nagato?"
Yoru's eyes remained calm. He hadn't even attacked yet, and Nagato was already running on fumes.
The glaciers continued to spread endlessly. Even if the Ice-Heaven Hundred-Floral Funeral failed to seal it, the ever-expanding sheets of ice were more than enough to drive Nagato to frustration.
It was obvious—he understood it too.
The Gedo Statue was indeed indestructible. Its power was undeniable. But he wasn't.
Every second he maintained control over it drained another chunk of his life force.
"No... I won't lose. I can't lose... I must not lose!"
Nagato's body trembled. Muttering to himself like a madman, he once again brought his hands together in a desperate seal, pushing his body beyond its limits to squeeze out the last drops of chakra.
As the energy of his very essence continued to drain away, the Rinnegan in his eyes flared with renewed brilliance.
The Gedo Statue roared again, and in its massive jaws, a sphere of pale purple chakra began to form.
The next moment, that sphere erupted from its mouth—transforming into a monstrous Chakra Dragon, its maw wide in a sound-shattering roar, carving through the air like a serpent soaring across the heavens, straight at Yuki Yoru.
This dragon was no ordinary technique. Originally, the lore claimed it only absorbed chakra—but considering how Hanzo's subordinates died instantly upon contact, the fanon had expanded it to drain all forms of energy, including life force and souls.
The Chakra Dragon's speed was immense. In the blink of an eye, it shot through the layers of glacier and hurtled toward Yoru.
Still, Yoru stood calmly.
Unflinching.
He simply raised Hyōrinmaru once more.
Four-World Freez
The ultimate power of the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō burst forth again.
"The Gedo Statue's sealing abilities truly are impressive—even the Tailed Beasts couldn't resist its power."
"But to me… it's meaningless."
The instant the Chakra Dragon entered within three steps of Yoru, its blinding speed abruptly halted.
Its massive head began to frost over—just like the flames and lightning had before.
Crack... Crackle... KRAK!
The frigid aura consumed it.
The Chakra Dragon froze completely and shattered into a million icy shards.
In the same breath, Yoru vanished—his figure flickering through the frozen battlefield and reappearing atop the Gedo Statue.
There, lying slumped and drained of nearly all life, was Nagato.
Yoru's expression was tranquil. He pressed Hyōrinmaru's edge gently against Nagato's neck.
"You've lost, Kami."
"I… lost…" Nagato murmured, eyes wide and glassy, staring blankly at the gleaming blade just inches from his throat.
He had gone all out.
He'd summoned the Gedo Statue.
He'd unleashed the Chakra Dragon (Genryū: Nine Phantom Seals).
And yet… he was still no match for Yuki Yoru.
Every jutsu, every ounce of power he'd shown had been nothing more than a child's toy in the eyes of this man. Laughable. Weak. A clown show.
The so-called god had been utterly defeated.
But…
But—!
"Why… why would someone with such strength still choose to become an oppressor? A ruler?!" Nagato's voice cracked as he screamed, his emaciated face twisted with mania. "You could rule the entire shinobi world! You have the power of the First Hokage himself!"
"You were the one who said it, weren't you? That to bring peace, we needed someone like Hashirama Senju—to use strength to unite the nations, to bring even a few decades of peace. That's what you said! So why don't you do it?!"
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse, and even now, blood seeped from the corners of his lips. His body, wrung dry of all life, could barely even support his thoughts—but emotion still surged.
Yoru exhaled softly. "You think I held this Three Kage Summit for nothing?"
"I did it for peace, Nagato."
"Your world is too small. The Land of Rain has blinded your view. Even after breaking free of society's chains, even with the pain of loss… you're still just a frog in a well."
"In your world—or rather, in Yahiko's world—peace can only be achieved through brute strength. You thought, if you could just become like Hanzo, that so-called 'Demigod' you killed, you could bring peace."
"You thought you could be a pillar of power in a small nation, standing up against the great powers… and maybe buy peace for a generation."
"But I'm different."
Yoru's voice was calm, but it landed like hammer blows. "I've seen higher. Farther. I once thought brute force could bring unity too. But eventually…"
"I realized this world has never truly been united."
"Even if you conquer every nation with overwhelming power, the schemers and backstabbers will tear that unity apart from the inside."
Yoru's gaze pierced Nagato's heart like a blade.
"To truly rule… conquest isn't enough."
"You must unify ideals, culture, dreams."
"Only when we erase the lines between 'you' and 'me' will true unity exist."
"If the First Emperor hadn't standardized language, currency, weights and measures, would the Warring States have ended so easily?"
"That's the real path to peace."
Nagato stared up at him, stunned. His mind was foggy, his body drained, his will flickering.
Even if Yoru's voice echoed like thunder in his mind… he no longer had the strength to fully process it.
"I…"
Suddenly—
"Hm?"
Yoru's eyes narrowed.
A shadow flickered into view.
Their gazes met for a brief second—Yoru and the jet-black figure that suddenly emerged.
Black Zetsu's emotionless eyes twitched ever so slightly—and in that instant, an invisible wave of energy surged toward Yoru.
The world warped.
A towering figure—over 100 meters tall—appeared before him.
A perfect Susano'o, clad in crow-black tengu armor, with massive wings spreading across the sky.
Its very presence cracked the earth beneath it. Even the tallest mountains would be like molehills to it.
And in the center of its forehead jewel, clad in crimson samurai armor—
—was Uchiha Madara.
...
"Leader!"
Just as Yuki Yoru suddenly froze in place, a voice rang out in Nagato's ear.
In the next moment, two figures—one black, one white—appeared at once. Black Zetsu stared cautiously at Yoru, while White Zetsu's body liquefied, flowing like a blob of paste as it slithered behind Nagato and began fusing with him.
"Zetsu! What are you doing?!"
Nagato, slow to react, snapped in alarm.
"Don't worry, Leader. I'm here to help you," White Zetsu replied from within the shifting white mass. "Your body's pushed to its absolute limit, right? I know you're close to collapse. But this clone of mine has incredible vitality. Let me merge with you—restore your strength—and you might even gain the power of Wood Release!"
"Leader, with me here, you've got nothing to fear!"
"You..."
Nagato's face hardened.
This wasn't the first time White Zetsu had offered his "assistance." Ever since Obito and Zetsu began cooperating with him, Zetsu had repeatedly tried to heal Nagato's ruined legs and replenish the life force he lost when summoning the Gedo Statue.
But Nagato had always refused.
Why?
Because he didn't trust them.
Thanks to Yuki Yoru's intervention back in the Land of Rain, Nagato's relationship with Obito never progressed like it had in the original timeline.
Even in canon, Nagato was always wary of both Obito and Zetsu.
Here? His suspicions ran even deeper.
But now...
"Leader, you can't fall here! Akatsuki still needs you to lead us. And don't forget—the Angel is still out there! If you collapse now, do you really think Yuki Yoru and the other two Kage will spare her?!"
"..."
Nagato's expression stiffened.
He said nothing—but crucially, he didn't object.
That was all White Zetsu needed.
The integration accelerated.
White Zetsu moved quickly, merging into Nagato's body like water being absorbed into dry soil. And as the process continued, Nagato suddenly felt the emptiness within him, his once nearly withered body now rapidly replenishing.
Just like a shriveled sponge soaking in water again, Nagato's gaunt and shriveled body visibly plumped up, and even the injuries on his legs began to heal rapidly.
...
"How fascinating… a genjutsu projection."
Yoru observed the fully armored Perfect Susano'o and the crimson-clad Madara standing within it.
With a thought, the illusion shattered like a mirror.
But when he returned to reality—Black and White Zetsu were already gone. So was Nagato.
"They ran quite fast."
Yoru chuckled softly, but countless images flashed through his mind.
Blurry shadows streaking through dense forest. Nagato—his skin pale and body still partially white—was being carried by Konan, while Black and White Zetsu, nestled in their pitcher plant body, moved alongside them.
Monitoring microbes
Back during the earlier battle, Yoru had already planted nonitoring microbes on both Nagato and Konan.
They were incredibly hard to detect—perhaps not invisible to the Rinnegan, but subtle enough when split between two targets. And apparently, none of them had noticed in the chaos of their retreat.
So now the question was:
Where could they possibly run to?
Yoru's smirk deepened. He was just about to pursue—when their movements stopped.
"We can't just run like this."
Black Zetsu's gravelly voice cut through the gloom. His expression, as always, was unreadable.
"Madara has already infiltrated Konoha. We must buy him time. Our role here is to distract the Fourth Hokage."
"So the bastard finally made his move..." Konan's tone brimmed with irritation.
It was for that man—the so-called "Madara"—that Nagato had crossed nations, fought three Kage, and nearly burned himself out entirely.
And yet...
Who could've predicted that Yuki Yoru's power would be so monstrous?
Fighting him wasn't like facing a normal Kage. It wasn't even like fighting a Tailed Beast.
He was something else entirely.
"Yoru's power is too much. After that fight, Nagato's injuries haven't healed. It'll be difficult just to hold him off."
"We're not trying to fight Yoru," Black Zetsu replied. "Our target is the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze."
He turned to Nagato, who had remained quiet up to now. "Besides, you've fused with White Zetsu. Your condition will stabilize soon. Even the damage from summoning the Gedo Statue will be repaired. Power isn't the issue."
"As long as Madara succeeds, we'll eliminate a major threat—Konoha—and reclaim the most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts: the Nine-Tails. That alone would give our future plans a massive boost."
Konan stayed silent. She knew she wouldn't win an argument with Black Zetsu. But the decision still rested with Nagato.
Feeling both their gazes, Nagato finally stirred. He turned to face them.
"Minato has the Flying Thunder God Technique. If he decides to run, I can't stop him."
"You don't have to," Black Zetsu said darkly. "The Iron Country will stop him."
"The damage from your fight with Yoru—and the destruction caused by the Six Paths of Pain earlier—was enormous. All we need is one last push. Minato's guilt will keep him here."
"Use the pain of the Iron Country's people… and his own conscience against him."
That made both Nagato and Konan frown.
A grim silence settled over them.
"We only need to buy Madara time," Black Zetsu said firmly. "Nagato, this is for the greater good. For the plan. For true peace."
"...I understand."
...
While chaos continued to unfold in the Iron Country...
...back in Konoha, a long-planted conspiracy was quietly blooming.
Time flowed onward, unnoticed.
Autumn had arrived—October's golden season.
And with it came a moment of enormous significance:
The due date of Kushina Uzumaki, wife of the Fourth Hokage.
This wasn't just the concern of the Namikaze family.
It was a matter of national security.
Because Kushina was not only the Hokage's wife—she was also the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
And when a Jinchūriki gives birth, it is the moment they are at their weakest—the seal loosens, and if anything goes wrong, the Tailed Beast may break free.
The entire village mobilized.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shibi Aburame, and every Konoha elder worked tirelessly to prepare. Layers upon layers of security surrounded the designated birthing grounds.
All precautions were taken.
And yet—
Beneath the dark of night, cloaked in secrecy...
A lone figure, hidden beneath a black robe, appeared within the village cemetery.
Silently…
He stood before a gravestone.
Watching.
Waiting.
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