Chapter 147: Severed Finger
Sarutobi Hiruzen's departure left a brief moment of stillness between both sides of the battlefield.
In this atmosphere, neither Jiraiya nor Tobirama had any desire to continue fighting.
Tobirama furrowed his brow slightly. "Nagato, you really won't return Kinkaku and Ginkaku to me?"
Nagato scoffed coldly. "Release them from your restraints and ask them yourself—are they still yours?"
Tobirama sighed. At this point, he was beginning to suspect that Nagato might be his nephew's son, and if that were true, he felt less inclined to argue over such trivial matters.
I'll investigate properly once we leave here. If Nagato really is my brother's grandson…
Then at least Tsunade would have some family left.
Both Hashirama and Tobirama were deeply concerned for Tsunade's well-being, though Tobirama was never great at expressing it.
"Fine then, you can have them."
Without the Six Paths Tools, the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers were strong but not irreplaceable. Consider it a welcoming gift.
"Do you want me to remove the Flying Thunder God seal now?"
Nagato felt that Tobirama had clearly misunderstood something, but he wasn't interested in explaining—let alone mentioning the existence of White Zetsu cells.
"No need. A mere Flying Thunder God seal—I have my own ways to remove it."
Nagato refused to let Tobirama get close to Konan again.
"Suit yourself. Orochimaru, we're leaving." Tobirama placed a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder.
Watching Tobirama disappear, Nagato narrowed his eyes.
Flying Thunder God… truly troublesome.
He turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya-sensei, how much do you know about Flying Thunder God? Do you know how to learn it?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "Minato learned it directly from the Sealed Scroll in Konoha. The three of us, including the old man, never had the talent to master it."
"The only ones alive who know Flying Thunder God are likely Konoha's upper echelons and the Fire Shadow Village."
"…Jiraiya-sensei, aren't you considered Konoha's upper echelon?" Konan asked curiously.
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly and grinned. "The only reason I'm not listed as a missing-nin is because of Minato and Kagami's influence~"
"Besides…"
Jiraiya raised a finger and spoke seriously. "Flying Thunder God isn't an unbeatable ability. Pre-set barrier seals, large-scale attacks—all of these can counter it to some extent."
"The average Flying Thunder God user isn't nearly as fast as Minato or the Second Hokage."
"Their mobility depends on their sensory abilities. Normally, Flying Thunder God is nothing more than an advanced Body Flicker."
Nagato nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed, there was another example.
When Kakashi used Flying Thunder God, he still remained within Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will detection range.
It was just that Nagato chose not to kill him.
"What's our next move?" Jiraiya asked, instinctively assuming the role of a subordinate.
Hiruzen's final words had deeply impacted him, reinforcing his decision to stand firmly by his student's side.
Nagato turned his gaze to the still-struggling Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers and spoke coldly. "Keeping them restrained is too much trouble. To prevent Tobirama from dispelling Edo Tensei, I'm going to turn them into Six Paths of Pain."
"We'll stay here and wait. With our strength, we're guaranteed a spot."
This was already the center of the barrier—Nagato had secured a direct path to advancement.
He had no interest in slaughtering the remaining participants inside the barrier.
Or rather…
Killing them wouldn't achieve anything. It wasn't enough to make the shinobi world feel true pain.
Only through the complete restructuring of the system—just as Kagami had rebuilt Konoha and he had rebuilt the Rain Village—could real change take place.
As the battle involving Akatsuki came to a halt, other battlefields erupted into full-scale combat.
---
In the vast water battlefield, the assembled shinobi were gradually suppressing Magu Rō.
But as time passed without significant damage, a realization began to spread—one that sent a wave of despair through the group.
"It's adapting to our jutsu. The damage we deal is decreasing!"
Three ordinary strategists could equal one military genius.
And among them stood some of the shinobi world's best.
Quickly, they deduced Magu Rō's ability and devised a solution.
"We have to kill it with something before it adapts!"
"We know that, but what jutsu can kill it when even a Tailed Beast Bomb failed?!"
---
"Dust Release. Wood Release. Slashing Release!"
"Yeah, sure. Now find someone here who actually knows those techniques."
Kakuzu's face darkened. Then, he spoke.
"There's another way."
"Combined Jutsu."
"You mean…?"
Kakuzu turned to Sasori. "How much energy can your puppet withstand?"
Sasori frowned. "You're suggesting we use my puppet as a medium to channel everyone's jutsu into one massive attack?"
"No. It won't survive that."
Kakuzu sneered. "And you think this puppet is worth more than Magu Rō?"
"If we succeed, you'll get a Tailed Beast-level Human Puppet."
---
…That makes sense.
Sasori hesitated, but the temptation was real.
"Coordinating a Combined Jutsu is complicated. We haven't worked together before—there's no synergy."
"Which is why we need the puppet as a medium to regulate errors."
Kakuzu's tone was disturbingly professional. "I have extensive experience with Combined Jutsu. Tell me your chakra attributes and reserves, and I'll design an optimal plan."
"We'll fight and retreat, giving me time to calculate."
The confidence in his voice made the others believe him.
This man was even older than Iwagakure's Elder Mu, and unlike the frail, aged strategist, Kakuzu was still going strong.
His battle prowess had already proven itself.
Yagura received the message and, after a brief consideration, approved Kakuzu's plan.
They switched to a hit-and-run strategy.
Sasori sealed his giant puppet—it was too large a target.
Instead, he summoned the Third Kazekage Human Puppet.
Hovering in the air, the shinobi stood atop the puppet's massive iron wings, engaging in combat while gradually retreating.
The Third Kazekage's remains now served as a flying platform for enemy shinobi.
If the shinobi of Sunagakure saw this, they would probably vomit blood.
"The ultimate insult to the strongest Kazekage."
---
Meanwhile, Magu Rō remained focused on its designated mission.
It didn't just chase them.
It continued eliminating shinobi who thought they could hide from it.
---
Among the first priorities in any high-level battle was clearing the field.
The surrounding trees had already been flattened, creating an open battlefield.
The first casualties were Sunagakure's Anbu.
Even Hatake Sakumo's squad had taken some injuries, though none had suffered fatalities.
Dark mist from the Moryo spirit spread across the battlefield, forming a massive, serpent-like shape in the air.
A chilling, evil aura radiated from it.
Sakumo's eyes narrowed.
He had spent years collecting intel on dark creatures for Uchiha Kagami.
He knew about Moryo.
But it had always been far away. The Priestesses of the Land of Demons had insisted they could handle it.
Sakumo had respected their authority.
Now, Moryo was here.
And there was no sign of a Priestess.
"Did Miroku die?"
That didn't make sense.
Just last year, the Land of Demons' Priestess had visited Kagami.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a separate team lurked.
A team that had remained invisible since the start of the competition.
They had not engaged a single fight.
A team composed entirely of Konoha's dojutsu clans.
"Lord Genka, Lord Unkai, should we intervene?" asked Hyuga Hizashi.
The two figures in front, Uchiha Genka and Uchiha Unkai, stood with an air of absolute authority.
They weren't just ordinary Uchiha.
They were Kagami's personal guards.
They obeyed only Kagami.
Even if Kagami ordered Genka to kill his own father, he wouldn't hesitate.
"No need. Lord Kagami forbade us from letting Moryo be destroyed. Looks like it can hold its own."
Hizashi's brother, Hiashi, flinched.
"What? We're supposed to protect Moryo instead of helping Sakumo?!"
Unkai turned coldly, his Sharingan glowing.
"Do you question Lord Kagami's orders?"
"Hizashi, control your brother."
"This time, we'll let the insubordination slide."
"Next time? You'll lose a finger."
---
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