Three days later, the agreed site of negotiation between Hanzo and Yahiko was nothing more than a desolate wasteland, barren and lifeless.
From the shadows, Hidan observed silently. As the infamous scene unfolded before his eyes, Hanzo now stood with Konan in his grasp, threatening Yahiko and Nagato.
Danzo, meanwhile, had already withdrawn with the Root operatives. His plot had succeeded; there was no longer any need for him to remain in Amegakure.
Hanzo's cold gaze swept over the two figures below. Yahiko's comrades had already been crushed by his men...only Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan remained.
Ding…
Hanzo flicked a shuriken to the ground before Nagato, his voice cruel.
"That red-haired brat… kill Yahiko with this. Do it, and I'll release the woman. Refuse… and you'll watch her wither before your very eyes."
Hidan's gaze shifted to Konan, who struggled in Hanzo's grasp, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. As expected of the anime world, such rare beauty!
Her mature, delicate face framed by light lavender hair, her amber eyes shaded with violet, the lilac paper flower adorning her head, and the silver stud on her lip… Konan was like a violet in full bloom, radiating quiet allure.
She shouted desperately, urging Nagato and Yahiko to abandon her and flee.
But her hands and feet were bound by chakra-sealing ropes, her body immobilized, her chakra sealed, escape impossible.
"…Nagato, kill me," Yahiko said calmly. His resolve had already been made.
Nagato's steps were heavy as he moved toward the shuriken, confusion swirling in his eyes. His lips trembled as he whispered, "…Konan…"
Then
Pfft!
Nagato's eyes went wide. Warm blood spilled across his hand as Yahiko, smiling faintly, thrust himself forward onto the weapon Nagato held.
The point pierced him cleanly.
"Live… you and Konan. No matter what. You… you are the savior of this world. If it's you… then it really can…" His words faded, his body collapsing into Nagato's arms.
"YAHIKO!!" Konan screamed hoarsely, tears streaming as her knees gave way. Her whole body shook as despair consumed her.
Nagato stood frozen, trembling violently, his left eye, visible beneath his crimson hair...stretching wide in disbelief. The horror before him seemed unreal.
"Do it!" Hanzo barked.
His Rain ninja loosed a volley of shuriken, all aimed to cut Nagato down.
Nagato's pupils contracted. His gaze hardened as he thrust out a hand.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One after another, the shuriken halted mid-air, repelled by an unseen force before crashing uselessly to the ground.
"What the—?!"
"They bounced off?!"
"What is this power?!"
Fear rippled through the Rain ninja. The incomprehensible force shook them to their core.
Nagato's body blurred. In an instant he was beside Konan. Hanzo, wary, leapt back and pressed his palm to the ground.
With a surge of chakra, explosive tags erupted from the soil, wrapping Nagato's legs in chains of paper and fire.
A blaze of yellow ignited...detonations primed to consume him whole.
At that moment, Hidan's eye twisted, the tomoe of his Eternal Mangekyō spinning.
"Kamui."
A spiraling vortex tore reality open beside Konan. In an instant, she was pulled into the dimensional rift, safe within Hidan's space.
Nagato's anguished gaze followed helplessly as she vanished.
BOOM!
The earth erupted. A storm of explosions swallowed Nagato whole.
When the dust cleared, Nagato still stood—but his legs had been blown apart.
Hanzo's eyes widened. Konan's disappearance had rattled him, but he composed himself.
Nagato, however, was beyond reason. His grief twisted into madness, his gaze locking on Hanzo with raw hatred.
From the skies, more Rain ninja descended, ready to finish the crippled boy.
But Nagato's voice thundered:
"Summoning Jutsu—Outer Path: Gedo Statue!!"
The ground split apart as a colossal, grotesque figure rose from the depths. Its roar shook the heavens, scattering the surrounding dust with sheer force.
From its chest jutted a massive black spike, which splintered into dozens of smaller stakes that impaled themselves into Nagato's back.
He cried out in pain, but the connection was made, the statue's power siphoned his chakra, binding itself to him.
The Gedo Statue reared back, its monstrous maw glowing as a sphere of seething purple chakra swirled within.
With a deafening roar, it unleashed its fury. The sphere twisted into a writhing dragon of violet flame, its eyes glowing red.
The beast surged through the battlefield, piercing Rain ninja one after another.
Their souls were ripped violently from their bodies, swallowed by the dragon as fuel.
In moments, the field was littered with corpses.
Only Hanzo remained, watching with icy calm as Nagato's roar echoed across the wasteland...no longer a cry of pain, but the birth scream of a man who would become a god.
[Author Note]📢
Hey everyone!
Just a quick update — I've started a new Naruto novel:
Naruto: From Scratch With a Template System
It's a fresh project with cleaner writing and a steadier release pace.
If you enjoyed my previous stories, feel free to check it out!
Thanks for the support 🗣️
— Arthorain