"Our story ends here."
Nagato's tone was calm.
To deal with Ryosuke, he had a total of two plans.
Plan One was the triple seal of Kotoamatsukami, Chibaku Tensei, and the Totsuka Blade.
But this plan had one drawback, it required too many coordinated steps.
Pain's Six Paths, Zetsu, and Uchiha Itachi, the cooperation between these three could not have a single flaw.
Once any part had a problem, with Ryosuke's abilities, the plan would collapse in an instant.
Plan Two was the long-range saturation bombardment from six Tailed Beasts.
This was the simplest, most direct, requiring the greatest sacrifice, yet the plan with the fewest loopholes.
In form, it was also the plan that most aligned with Nagato's ideology.
The battle between Nagato and Ryosuke, to put it plainly, was a clash of beliefs between the two.
In Nagato's eyes, Ryosuke's method of changing the world was too complicated, too delicate. Just like his "Plan One," it required precise linking between every step, containing too many uncertainties.
Like a palace built of crystal suspended in the air, at first glance, translucent, dazzling, enchanting to those who looked at it, making others unconsciously immersed in it.
But placed on the scale of the entire Shinobi World, placed in the span of long time, this crystal palace would one day collapse. The broken shards would remain in the river of history forever, cutting every person in the world.
"Ryosuke, your ideal that seems to be saving the world will eventually harm the world."
"But my plan won't."
Perhaps because they stood at the border between life and death, in that instant where Ryosuke and Nagato's gazes met, their thoughts seemed to connect. They could hear each other's inner voices through that exchange of looks.
"Fear is human nature. Ryosuke, your ideal will distort, but power won't, and fear won't."
"One day in the future, the person who holds this power may become a tyrant. But he guarantees a basic level of peace. People will feel depressed, fearful, anxious… yet they will still cowardly… live."
Ryosuke calmly looked at Pain.
"To live like that… is that still called living?"
Nagato shook his head.
"Ryosuke, you were born far too privileged, with the spare energy to think about the meaning of life. You don't understand, for those living in poverty and war-torn lands…"
"To live is to live. There is no meaning. Just like right now, we are all about to die."
"Unless..."
"You will escape alone?"
The restraints of Chibaku Tensei would only take three or four more punches to break. Once the rest time for Time Stop ended, Ryosuke could use Time Stop anytime, fly down to pick up Sasuke, Oda Ieyasu, and the others, and leave safely.
But…
What about the people of Kyoto City?
Nagato's ideology was that human lives weighed lighter than feathers, a renewable resource, temporary loss traded for longer-term benefit.
So, he chose the Tailed Beast Weapon Plan.
If Ryosuke only saved those close to him, abandoning Kyoto City and the millions of civilians who chose to rely on him, then what difference would remain between him and Nagato?
One must know, Kyoto City was not some unrelated, foreign city to Ryosuke.
After the selection of the chaotic April, those who still lived in Kyoto were basically Oda Ieyasu's loyal supporters.
Many families had even migrated to Kyoto precisely because they admired Ryosuke's ideals and wanted to take part in this great undertaking.
If Ryosuke truly used Time Stop to escape, Nagato would not feel regret, on the contrary, he would die relieved.
Because Kyoto City would become a ghost lingering in Ryosuke's heart, pushing him down Nagato's path. If Ryosuke continued to walk Nagato's road…
Nagato would be ecstatic.
———
Ryosuke shifted his gaze and turned to the incoming Tailed Beast Bombs.
Nagato's guess was correct.
Ryosuke could leave, but he refused to, because he heard the breathing of the world, the fear drifting in Kyoto's air, and above this fear, an even stronger, burning trust...
Trust in Ryosuke.
This trust was incredibly heavy, not something that appeared overnight, it came from day and night of accumulated thoughts.
Whenever Ryosuke slew a powerful enemy, crushed a ninja village or a nation.
Whenever the Research Institute released a new invention that increased productivity, raised wages, and lowered prices.
Whenever hospitals developed new techniques that allowed loved ones who should have passed away to reunite again.
One incident after another, whether far or small, surrounded the lives of ordinary people.
They couldn't help but trust Ryosuke from the bottom of their hearts. That heavy trust rippled toward him, and the flame in Ryosuke's palm burned hotter than ever before.
"But… what should I do?"
In such a desperate situation, the first thing Ryosuke thought of was "Bites the Dust," but he immediately realized the problem.
He wasn't in true despair.
Just as Nagato said, Ryosuke had a chance of survival.
If he wanted to leave, he could immediately activate Time Stop, 9.9 seconds were enough to take everyone he cared about and escape the blast radius of the Tailed Beast Bombs.
Bites the Dust had extremely strict requirements for despair, otherwise, in the original, Yoshikage Kira wouldn't trigger it until the final moment, when surrounded by the protagonist group.
Ryosuke's situation, where a path to survival existed but he chose to give it up, did not fall within true despair.
Ryosuke also discovered another problem.
Even if he activated Bites the Dust and rewound an hour, with mental preparation, Kotoamatsukami and Chibaku Tensei would likely lose effect, but…
How would he deal with the six Tailed Beasts' simultaneous bombardment?
Obito wasn't stupid. He could appear anytime, anywhere. After getting beaten up twice by Ryosuke, Obito cared less about how much damage he caused, and more about how to stay alive.
'If Bites the Dust won't work, then the only thing left is to draw cards.'
Ryosuke looked at the system balance.
Black Zetsu and the Daimyō Ninja earlier had given him a lot of Soul Shards.
Now, the account total was over 24,000. As long as Ryosuke's luck wasn't catastrophically bad, 240 pulls should be enough to get one Six-Star Stand.
"Ryosuke, no."
The White Snake's voice appeared behind him.
Ryosuke glanced at the white candle-like form flowing beside him. To ensure enough time to talk, the White Snake constructed a mental illusion space.
The White Snake spread its hands, "Even if you draw a Six-Star Stand, not every Six-Star Stand has the ability to resolve the current situation."
King Crimson, Bohemian Rhapsody, Man in the Mirror, these Six-Star Stands were incredibly powerful, practically invincible, but that was Ryosuke's personal invincibility.
They couldn't protect Kyoto City.
"Unless you're lucky enough to draw 'Weather Report,' and combine it with your Rainbow Catcher, only then could you stop these Tailed Beast Bombs."
"That probability is too low. Besides, Ryosuke…"
"Haven't you always hated gambling?"
Ryosuke fell silent.
"You know the way to break this deadlock. You just don't want to say it."
The White Snake grinned, voice teasing, "It's fine. If you won't say it, I'll say it for you as your bro."
It lifted its hand, raised a thumb, and lightly tapped it to Ryosuke's forehead.
"I'll just evolve."
The moment it finished speaking, the White Snake no longer hid its aura, it burst forth.
Five-Star, Level Five peak.
If the White Snake evolved, it would become "New Moon."
The strongest Gravity-type Stand, three-kilometer radius of gravitational control, perfectly compatible with Ryosuke's mastery of the Earth's power.
With the two combined, they could absolutely resist the Tailed Beast Bombs.
Rather than waste an Ascension Star Core to gamble on an unknown Six-Star Stand, evolving the White Snake into New Moon was definitely the most stable option.
"But..."
Ryosuke was about to object when he suddenly saw the system operating on its own. It took out the Ascension Star Core and placed it on the White Snake's icon.
"What?!"
Ryosuke quickly reacted, touched his chest, and a memory disc popped out. At some unknown time, a command had been written on it, [Once Ryosuke falls into a crisis he cannot resolve, consume the Ascension Star Core and evolve the White Snake into New Moon.]
"When…"
Ryosuke suddenly remembered.
When training lesson-3, Golden Rotation, he had granted the White Snake the permission to extract his memory discs. Only then would the opportunity exist to write this command.
Now that the trial mission had begun, the command had activated, and Ryosuke could no longer stop the process.
White Snake crossed its arms, chin raised proudly, "No need to thank me. This is the trump card I left for you."
"After you slaughter them and shatter the Foundation's final hope, I figure you'll get another Ascension Star Core anyway. One in, one out, can't say your bro wasted your stuff."
Ryosuke's eyes reddened slightly, "White Snake, you son of a…"
Would he care about a damn Ascension Star Core?
"Considering this might be the last time we chat as bros,"
White Snake smiled, lifted its hand, formed a fist, and held it out to Ryosuke.
"When your dream comes true… don't forget your brother."
Ding!
The system notification appeared.
[White Snake Trial Stage.]
[Trial Difficulty: High.]
[Trial Summary: Head to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, defeat Father Pucci, and seize New Moon. Once you die, the challenge fails, and the Ascension Star Core disappears.]
Ryosuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sorrow in his eyes transformed into resolve. He raised his hand, gently bumped fists with White Snake, and said seriously, "Take care… and thank you."
The White Snake chuckled softly, "Alright, I'm off, Ryosuke…"
Its figure gradually faded, leaving only a teasing blessing, "You better win!"