Boom—
The Rasengan infused with planetary energy collided with Nagato's "Super Shinra Tensei," creating a massive shockwave of energy.
The invisible force roared as it tore apart the earth, and the enormous mushroom cloud dissolved everything in its vicinity.
Under the influence of this overwhelming power, Nagato's body was sent flying backward. Even he struggled to withstand the destructive energy that seemed capable of annihilating heaven and earth.
His body rolled across the ground before he finally managed to stand upright.
However, his clothes were severely damaged, and he was left gasping for breath.
On the other side, Kitagawa Minamoto's figure had already disappeared.
Once the torrent of energy subsided, he leisurely appeared atop a pile of rubble.
"Not bad. I admit you've made some progress."
"Hmph."
Nagato snorted coldly. Seeing Kitagawa Minamoto emerge unscathed filled him with unease.
But he was already well aware of Kitagawa's formidable strength and methods, so he quickly composed himself.
"Using Flying Thunder God certainly allows you to avoid a lot of trouble. Space-time ninjutsu is truly a headache."
In Nagato's view, Kitagawa Minamoto's ability to remain unharmed was entirely due to Flying Thunder God.
Of course, he wouldn't deny Kitagawa's prowess either.
The unique Rasengan from earlier, capable of directly countering his "Super Shinra Tensei," spoke volumes about his strength.
"But that Rasengan was extremely unusual. What kind of power was that?"
Nagato couldn't help but feel curious, though he didn't have time to dwell on it now—Kitagawa Minamoto was already on the move!
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees."
Without forming a single seal, Kitagawa Minamoto clasped his hands together.
Immediately, countless vines burst forth from the ground, intertwining and coiling wildly.
The massive tendrils surged toward Nagato, forcing him to dodge rapidly.
Before long, towering trees rose into the sky, intertwining to form what resembled an ancient forest.
On the branches of these towering trees, flower buds began to bloom.
As Kitagawa Minamoto's chakra surged, a colossal wooden figure roared as it emerged, standing tall amidst the forest.
Kitagawa Minamoto stood atop the head of a wooden dragon, which coiled protectively around the wooden figure.
"Nagato, you're no longer the same as you were three years ago."
Kitagawa Minamoto chuckled softly, controlling the wooden figure as he observed Nagato's solemn expression.
"This also means you're no longer just an ordinary thug. I must strike decisively!"
"?"
Nagato didn't understand what being "no longer an ordinary thug" had to do with "striking decisively."
But judging by Kitagawa Minamoto's stance, he knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"Still, this is good. Only by overcoming you, this obstacle, can I move on to deal with Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki!"
Nagato roared, his power erupting once more as he charged toward the massive wooden figure.
Boom—
Boom—
Boom—
The deafening explosions echoed across the ruins and canyon, shaking the earth violently once again.
"They're fighting so fiercely..."
Not far away, Black Zetsu's figure quietly appeared.
Looking at the massive forest and hearing the roaring sounds of the wooden figure, Black Zetsu couldn't help but sigh.
"Such terrifying power..."
White Zetsu trembled beside him, seemingly unable to bear the overwhelming energy.
"Kitagawa Minamoto is truly formidable. I didn't expect him to face Nagato without fear."
"I know."
Black Zetsu nodded. In fact, the stronger Kitagawa Minamoto was, the better it was for him.
After all, he had "helped" Kitagawa Minamoto significantly. Now, watching him fight Nagato, Black Zetsu could evaluate the results of his efforts.
But the more he watched, the more he felt his earlier suspicions might be correct.
"No matter how talented or powerful an ordinary person is, they cannot escape certain limits—the power of bloodlines."
Without a sufficiently strong bloodline, the limits of humanity were visible.
After all, the chakra in this world originated from his mother!
Without some connection to her, it was impossible to surpass those boundaries.
"Unless... one walks the nearly impossible path!"
The "nearly impossible path," of course, referred to self-fusion with Kekkei Mōra.
Kekkei Mōra was the only path the heavens left for ordinary people, but achieving it...
Black Zetsu thought it better to remain realistic.
"Kitagawa Minamoto can master so many Kekkei Genkai and grow as if he has no limits. Even the restored Nagato struggles to contend with him."
Black Zetsu clenched his fists slightly, feeling as though he had uncovered the truth.
"Perhaps he truly possesses the bloodline of the moon, and it has already awakened."
"If that's the case..."
Black Zetsu's breathing grew heavy, and he became increasingly certain of what he needed to do.
"Black, should we move farther away?"
Just as he was deep in thought, White Zetsu spoke again.
"It's too dangerous here. Things are getting scarier!"
"You idiot..."
Interrupted by White Zetsu, Black Zetsu grew irritated.
"What's there to fear? If it truly gets dangerous, we can leave. You weren't this scared when we went to Konohagakure!"
"But isn't that different?"
White Zetsu sighed innocently, unable to muster his usual cheerful demeanor.
"In Konohagakure, we were forging documents—not fighting. But here..."
"Shut up! Forging documents?!"
Black Zetsu's face darkened, cutting him off harshly.
"I warn you, stop spouting nonsense. Got it?"
"Okay, okay. I understand. No need to be so mean."
Sensing Black Zetsu's foul mood, White Zetsu quickly nodded.
But soon, his gaze returned to the distant battlefield.
"We should really leave. I feel like things are getting more dangerous over there!"
"Dangerous?"
Black Zetsu turned his head in confusion, and his eyes widened in shock.
Boom—
Boom—
Boom—
The deafening explosions continued as Nagato darted through the forest.
But this time, he faced true "enemies everywhere."
The surrounding vines attacked relentlessly, while the wooden figure and dragon compressed his space further.
And Kitagawa Minamoto's Flying Thunder God ensured he struck from all angles, giving Nagato no room to breathe.
Nagato was left with no choice but to repeatedly use "Super Shinra Tensei" to defend himself.
"But even this is consuming too much of my energy—and there's poison..."
Dodging and shattering the attacking vines, Nagato gritted his teeth in frustration.
"I'm not afraid of poison, but these trees keep regenerating. Are they trying to drain my chakra?"
Looking at Kitagawa Minamoto, who stood atop the wooden dragon and surveyed him coldly, Nagato felt a headache coming on.
"Is this your full power?"
At that moment, Kitagawa Minamoto's voice rang out.
"Damn it..."
Nagato cursed under his breath, but in the next instant, Kitagawa Minamoto appeared beside him.
This forest was entirely constructed from Kitagawa Minamoto's chakra, meaning the Flying Thunder God markings were everywhere!
"Ha!"
Nagato unleashed a terrifying repulsive force, but Kitagawa Minamoto was far too fast.
Before the force could take effect, Nagato was sent flying into a pile of rubble!
"It seems..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's voice grew distant as he returned to the wooden dragon's head.
"You haven't changed much from back then, have you?"
His words brought painful memories flooding back for Nagato.
Back then, he had been completely suppressed by Kitagawa Minamoto, unable to fight back.
And now, the situation was the same!
Though the suppression wasn't as despair-inducing as what Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki could unleash,
Kitagawa Minamoto's targeted attacks and relentless pressure gave Nagato no room to recover.
The methods were different, but the result was the same—Nagato felt utterly powerless.
"Damn it! I will never surrender!"
Suddenly, Nagato leapt out of the rubble, blood streaming from his head.
He glared at Kitagawa Minamoto and shouted,
"My destiny is not yet fulfilled! I haven't walked the path of the Sage of Six Paths—I cannot lose to you!"
As he roared, his chakra erupted wildly.
In the next moment, a black sphere imbued with mysterious power formed in his hand.
Buzz—
A massive gravitational force began to devour everything around it.
As the black sphere ascended into the sky, the overwhelming power distorted the space around it.
"You wanted to see my change? Then feast your eyes on this!"
Boom—
The immense gravitational pull drew everything toward the black sphere.
"Take a good look. Do I still resemble who I was before?"
"Super Chibaku Tensei!"
With Nagato's roar, the Rinnegan's ocular power surged into the black sphere.
In an instant, the sphere doubled in size, pulling everything from the ruins into its orbit.
Even Kitagawa Minamoto's Wood Release was uprooted and drawn into the sphere alongside the shattered rocks!
The sphere grew larger and larger, soon obscuring the sky entirely.
It resembled the massive meteorite outside Konohagakure years ago.
Even the wooden figure was absorbed into it!
"This time, can you destroy it?"
Nagato gritted his teeth as he continued pouring chakra and ocular power into the sphere.
Legend had it that the Sage of Six Paths used this technique to create the moon and seal the Rabbit Goddess.
Nagato was far from that level, but he pressed on.
"I'll use you as a sacrifice for this technique—first you, then Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki..."
Nagato muttered, but suddenly his eyes widened in shock!
In the sky, beneath the shadow of the massive "Chibaku Tensei," a white light began to shine.
In the next instant, the white light transformed into a colossal chakra sphere!
Within the sphere, smaller chakra spheres of various colors rotated, driven by a mysterious force.
"What... is this?"
Nagato stared in disbelief, while Black Zetsu, who had retreated to avoid the "Chibaku Tensei," fell into deep thought as he observed the massive sphere.
"This power... why does it feel invincible?"
Not just them—everywhere, people froze in awe, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Buzz—
As the colossal Rasengan collided with Nagato's "Super Chibaku Tensei," a visible shockwave erupted!
The sheer magnitude of the collision rendered the world silent.
In this soundless, oppressive reality, everyone watched as the surrounding environment froze momentarily, before sandstorms and tidal waves erupted.
The massive "Chibaku Tensei" began to collapse silently.
Countless fragments fell to the ground, triggering earthquake-like tremors.
The sphere continued to disintegrate, and the sunlight it had blocked began to shine through.
But as the rays of light fell upon Nagato, he felt no warmth.
Instead, his heart seemed to sink into an icy abyss.
"How is this possible?"
He muttered, his body trembling.
It felt as though time had rewound—everything was just like before.
Despite the years that had passed, nothing had changed.
"Why is it like this? Why?!"
"Why wouldn't it be like this?"
As Nagato roared, Kitagawa Minamoto's voice suddenly appeared behind him.
The ghostly tone shattered what remained of Nagato's composure.
"Is this your full strength? Honestly, I'm disappointed."
As Kitagawa Minamoto's words fell, the shattered "Chibaku Tensei" in the sky continued to collapse.
In his hand, another Rasengan infused with planetary chakra formed.
He swung the Rasengan, striking Nagato heavily.
"You asked me earlier if you still resemble your past self."
"Sorry, but I see no difference at all."
(End of Chapter)
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