Shikamaru sprang up and appeared behind him in an instant. His hands enlarged as he used the Partial Expansion Jutsu, clamping tightly over Sai's mouth.
Sai could only let out muffled "mmph—mmph—" sounds.
Shikamaru immediately followed up, stacking his hands into seals.
Shadow Possession Jutsu.
Sai's body froze mid-struggle.
Ino hurried over and took control, bowing repeatedly with an apologetic expression.
"S-sorry!"
"I had a sudden lapse and blurted out nonsense! I really didn't mean it like that!"
Sasuke, standing nearby, felt a deep sense of discomfort.
He already found Sai—who often spoke without thinking—hard to deal with, but he never expected him to say something like that.
Naruto… likes me?!
That was absolute bullshit.
If Sasuke didn't already understand Sai's personality, he would've driven a Chidori straight through his chest without hesitation.
…Wait.
Why did he suddenly hear a familiar sound?
That unmistakable whirling noise—exactly like Naruto's.
Sasuke turned around.
Naruto was standing there, golden chakra blazing around his body. Two translucent orange chakra arms extended from his back as he compressed chakra in his palm, forming a Rasengan larger than Sai's head.
"Chōji! Move!"
"I'm gonna let this guy experience what a Rasengan feels like today!"
"How could I ever like that idiot Sasuke?!"
Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, stepping between them without hesitation.
"Calm down. Sai didn't mean it," Neji said firmly.
"He doesn't understand how to communicate properly."
"He's a shinobi who was once conditioned by Root. You know what that means."
Naruto froze.
The anger on his face faltered for a moment.
Though he was still irritated, he slowly dispersed the Rasengan, withdrew from Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and turned away, sitting down heavily in the corner as he stuffed a rice ball into his mouth.
"…I get it."
Shikamaru wiped cold sweat from his forehead, while Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji finally released their control over Sai.
Sai bowed toward Naruto again, offering a stiff apology.
After that, no one brought it up again, and they all pretended the incident had never happened.
...
Several hours later, a violent explosion from outside the camp shattered the silence.
The warning horn blared.
Everyone snapped awake as Nagato appeared at the front of the camp in an instant.
"Long-range ninjutsu units—begin suppressive bombardment!"
"Barrier and sealing squads, prepare!"
"Fire!"
Explosions echoed endlessly as large-scale ninjutsu rained down, chakra blasts streaking through the sky and crashing into the mass of White Zetsu and Impure World Reincarnation shinobi.
"Sealing Squads—move in and prioritize Edo Tensei targets!"
Hundreds of shinobi holding sealing scrolls stood behind Nagato. They formed hand seals in unison, unfurling scroll after scroll.
White sealing cloth surged forward, binding and sealing the shattered bodies of Edo Tensei ninja.
This cycle repeated until the enemy pushed to within a hundred meters of the camp.
Naruto and the jinchūriki rushed to Nagato's side. Dozens of vanguard teams stood ready to charge.
But unlike the previous day, Nagato raised a hand, stopping them. His gaze settled on Naruto and the jinchūriki.
"Everyone… please lend me your chakra."
Killer B stiffened as he stared into Nagato's eyes. The Eight-Tails inside him stirred uneasily.
"…Those eyes."
"Rinnegan?"
"But with that hair color… he should be an Uzumaki. How could he possess eyes like those?"
"Huh?" Killer B frowned. "Rinnegan? What's that—some kinda kekkei genkai?"
"It's hard to explain," Gaara said quietly.
"They're said to be the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. Just know this—those eyes are terrifyingly powerful."
"At a time like this, questioning it won't help," B said after a pause.
"He's the commander-in-chief of the First Allied Force."
At such a critical moment, no one hesitated further.
All the jinchūriki entered Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, placing their hands against Nagato's back and pouring chakra into him.
Nagato turned slightly, raising his right hand to receive the chakra.
Sealing Technique: Absorption Barrier!
A blue chakra field formed, drawing in the massive energy. The purple glow of Nagato's Rinnegan intensified, the ripples in his pupil shining brilliantly.
At the same time, his left hand slammed onto the ground.
Outer Path: King of Hell!
The earth collapsed inward, revealing a grotesque purple void. A massive, terrifying head emerged from within—wearing a tall ceremonial crown, its presence exuding death itself.
Its blood-red mouth opened wide.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of long, writhing tongues shot out, sweeping across the battlefield.
Each time a tongue passed, a transparent soul was ripped from a White Zetsu or Edo Tensei shinobi and dragged screaming into the King of Hell's mouth.
One after another.
Relentless.
Sasuke clenched his fists as he watched, eyes burning with obsession. His shoulders trembled as he muttered under his breath—so softly that only he could hear.
"…So this is it."
"The final evolution of the Sharingan… the power of the Rinnegan."
It was a pity.
He had only awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan a year ago. Even with Hashirama cells transplanted into his body, he was still far from the Eternal Mangekyō—let alone the Rinnegan that stood above it all.
Naruto stared, jaw hanging open.
"Nagato-niisan… you're this strong?!"
"Of course," Nagato replied calmly.
"Someone fit to command the Allied Shinobi Forces must surpass ordinary shinobi."
Shikamaru couldn't help but nod in admiration.
In his judgment, Nagato's strength already surpassed every Kage present—except Tsunade.
The King of Hell persisted for over a minute.
In that short time, tens of thousands of souls were harvested.
But Nagato's body had reached its limit.
Absorbing nine different chakra signatures at once, converting them, then unleashing such a technique—every cell in his body screamed in agony.
Nagato dropped to one knee, sweat streaming down his red hair and dripping from his chin.
"…Haa…"
"The rest… is up to you."
Naruto and Sasuke stepped forward at the same time.
The jinchūriki and the First Vanguard Squad formed two rows beside Nagato, blood surging, killing intent boiling, overwhelming pressure radiating from their bodies.
"Leave it to us!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Jinchūriki Unit!"
"First Vanguard Squad!"
"Charge!!!"
The jinchūriki burst forward like wild beasts, crossing dozens of meters in an instant as White Zetsu were blown apart one after another. Edo Tensei shinobi were crushed and sealed under Gaara's sand.
Sasuke erupted in lightning, his Mangekyō Sharingan blazing. A dark-purple Susanoo skeleton enveloped him, its massive arms tearing a gaping path through the enemy ranks.
"Everyone!" Sasuke roared.
"We can't fall behind Naruto and the others!"
"OOOOH!!!"
Squad after squad followed behind the jinchūriki and the vanguard, thousands of shinobi surging forward as the battlefield descended into total chaos.
...