Chapter 144 (Patreon)

Yujiro stood atop a massive formation of rock suspended high in the sky.

Konan clutched the back of his clothes tightly. It wasn’t because she wanted to, but she had little choice.

If she released him, she would either have to flatten herself against the rock and desperately search for something to hold on to or plummet from the sky.

Compared to those options, holding on to Yujiro—no matter how red her face became—was clearly preferable.

The enormous rock formation had already risen to a considerable height.

However, it had now stopped moving. Even the terrifying gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei could no longer affect the rock beneath Yujiro’s feet.

“Konan, I’m about to destroy the Deva Path. Are you going to stop me?”

Yujiro’s quiet voice reached her ears.

Konan bit her lower lip. After a brief silence, she answered softly.

“No.”

She had considered many things during their brief confrontation.

More importantly, Konan truly desired peace.

She yearned for the kind of peace Yujiro had described to her.

“I see.”

Yujiro smiled faintly. Konan had made her choice.

He then turned his attention toward the Deva Path in the distance.

The Deva Path’s expression had become exceedingly grim.

Banshō Ten’in had failed.

Shinra Tensei had failed.

Now even Chibaku Tensei, the strongest technique at Nagato’s disposal, had failed to restrain Yujiro.

For the first time in years, a profound sense of defeat arose within Nagato.

“Gravity Collapse: Hundredfold!”

Yujiro gazed coldly at the Deva Path and extended his right hand.

He had never neglected his training in gravity manipulation over the past several months.

By now, he could isolate a single target and subject only that person to the effects of Gravity Collapse.

A crushing force equivalent to one hundred times normal gravity suddenly descended upon the Deva Path.

The puppet immediately plummeted to the ground and was pinned there, completely unable to move.

“Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!”

Yujiro swept his hand forward.

A sphere of white light shot from his palm like a streak of lightning and engulfed the immobilized Deva Path.

The next instant, both the Deva Path and the rock beneath it vanished without leaving the slightest trace.

On a distant mountaintop, Nagato roared furiously.

“All six Paths of Pain have fallen!”

The moment those words left his mouth, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground beside him.

“Nagato, Yujiro is heading this way.”

After delivering the warning, Black Zetsu immediately sank back into the earth and disappeared.

“What is Madara doing?!”

Nagato roared, his gaunt face twisting with rage.

Within the Kamui dimension, Obito pulled Black Zetsu through the spatial vortex.

“Obito, are you certain we don’t need to help them?” Black Zetsu asked in its distinctive rasping voice.

“There’s no need.”

Obito smiled coldly and raised his right hand.

“The Akatsuki is nothing more than one of the tools required to carry out my plan.”

“If a tool breaks, I can simply replace it. Besides…”

Obito paused and looked toward the enormous serpent coiled a short distance behind him.

“Orochimaru is far more capable than I expected. He managed to strengthen me this much.”

Orochimaru’s true body had apparently been hiding inside Obito’s Kamui dimension all along.

The Orochimaru operating in the outside world was merely one of his snake clones.

“I’m honored by your praise, Madara-sama.”

Orochimaru smiled hoarsely, naked ambition gleaming within his serpentine eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if the other members of the Akatsuki die, but Nagato must be saved. I can strengthen him as well.”

“And naturally, I will ensure that he becomes completely obedient to us.”

“Fine.”

Obito nodded, agreeing to Orochimaru’s request.

Meanwhile, outside Nagato’s hideout, a black-clad figure landed quietly atop the mountain.

Whoosh!

A crescent of black sword light flashed through the air, slicing open the camouflaged tree in front of him.

Yujiro stepped inside.

A gaunt man with red hair immediately came into view.

Nagato’s eye sockets were deeply sunken, and madness filled his exhausted face.

Numerous black chakra receivers protruded from his back, while the rest of his body remained connected to an elaborate system of machinery.

He looked as though he would die the moment he was separated from it.

“In the end, I still underestimated you…” Nagato said hoarsely.

“But our path toward peace will not end here!”

Nagato roared as his hands rapidly formed seals.

He was prepared to stake everything on one final attack.

“Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!”

Rumble!

The ground behind Nagato split apart as the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path emerged.

Seven of the Gedo Statue’s nine eyes were already open.

Only the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails remained to be captured.

“The Gedo Statue.”

Yujiro showed no surprise.

It was only the Gedo Statue. He saw nothing about it worth fearing.

Under Nagato’s control, the statue opened its enormous mouth.

A long violet chakra dragon surged from its jaws and charged toward Yujiro.

Yujiro recognized the technique.

The moment the dragon touched someone, it could tear the victim’s soul directly from their body.

Unfortunately for Nagato, such an attack was useless against him.

After advancing to the Fourth Stage of the Limiter, Yujiro’s soul had undergone a tremendous transformation.

It had been strengthened until it became completely integrated with his physical body.

Furthermore, Yujiro had also acquired the ability to attack souls directly.

He had never been given an opportunity to test that power before.

Now, he intended to discover just how formidable it truly was.

Yujiro slowly drew his black blade and grinned.

“Attack!”

Nagato roared.

Every moment he controlled the Gedo Statue, it consumed an enormous amount of his chakra and life force.

His already gaunt face rapidly aged, and his red hair faded to white.

He looked as though he might die at any moment.

Even so, madness continued to burn within Nagato’s eyes.

Yujiro watched the violet dragon rushing toward him and smiled.

“One-Sword Style: Soul-Slaying Asura!”

With a single swing, the black blade carved a crescent-shaped arc of darkness through the air.

Yujiro calmly sheathed his sword and stood motionless.

A moment later, the enormous violet dragon released a deafening roar.

Its entire head had been severed cleanly from its neck!

“What?!”

Nagato struggled to remain conscious. When he witnessed the scene before him, the last of his strength seemed to leave his body.

“This is an attack upon the soul…” he murmured. “How could you possibly cut through it…?”

“Nothing is impossible.”

Yujiro gave him a mocking smile.

“You simply haven’t seen enough of the world. Both your perspective and your way of thinking are far too narrow.”

“Your road ends here.”

Yujiro casually waved his hand.

A bolt of black lightning tore through the air and shot toward Nagato.

It was a pure elemental attack.

This was also the first time Yujiro had used such an ability in battle. By directly manipulating the elemental energy within his body, he could release a devastating attack almost instantaneously.

Its greatest advantage was its speed.

Unlike ninjutsu, it did not require hand seals or a predetermined method of chakra manipulation. He could unleash it the moment he willed it.

For now, however, the attack remained crude and straightforward.

It lacked the versatility of ninjutsu and could not yet be freely shaped or combined into more complex techniques.

Those limitations were only temporary.

Once Yujiro advanced into the middle phase of the Fourth Stage of the Limiter and gained complete control over his psychokinetic abilities, manipulating and combining the elements would become effortless.