Chapter 193: The Battle Outside the Village

While Konoha Village dispatched forces to stop the riot, the battle far away in the Forest of Death was coming to an end.

Boom! Standing on the trembling ground, Kirito pierced Tendo, who was lying motionless on his back, with a black rod, pinning Tendo's twitching body to the earth.

Shua! Several dark spheres floated gently to Kirito's side, hovering securely behind him.

During his time in the Rain Village, due to his agreement with Jiraiya, Kirito didn't opt for a quick resolution, leading to an extended clash with the Six Paths of Pain. However, this time, without any restrictions, Kirito quickly ended the battle by combining his power with the Truth-Seeking Orbs.

He had deliberately chosen to fight the Six Paths of Pain in the Forest of Death instead of within the village. On one hand, he wanted to avoid harming innocent bystanders, and on the other, he was instinctively wary of prying eyes.

After eliminating the Six Paths, Kirito activated the Naraka Path's ability to summon the "King of Hades" and threw Tendo's body into its massive mouth for preservation.

In addition to devouring souls and discerning lies, the King of Hell, when used with the Rinnegan, could repair and preserve corpses.

This battle led Kirito to realize that the Six Paths of Pain sent by Nagato, except for Tendo, had noticeably weakened. Whether it was because Nagato himself was growing weaker or his new puppets weren't compatible remained uncertain. Either way, it signified that Nagato was running out of time, his life nearing its end. In this case, preserving Yahiko's body might prove useful one day, at least for Nagato's original body.

As the King of Hell disappeared with Yahiko's body, Kirito turned his gaze to a more intense battlefield not far away.

A large portion of the Forest of Death had been devastated. The once-solid ground was now covered in spiderweb-like fissures and craters deep enough to fit a standing adult.

In the mangled forest, two colossal figures were locked in a fierce struggle.

"Roar!" The humanoid Gedo Mazo clenched its fists and smashed them hard against Little Leopard's tough hide.

Boom! Like a hammer hitting a massive pneumatic tire, the Gedo Mazo's fist—capable of leveling mountains—bounced harmlessly off Little Leopard's tire-like skin.

Thrown off balance by the deflection, the Gedo Mazo was struck by Little Leopard's tail in the next instant, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact and triggering a large-scale quake.

This exchange had repeated many times. No matter how the Gedo Mazo clawed, bit, or pummeled Little Leopard, it simply couldn't break through its thick hide. Every time the Gedo Mazo tried to leave the forest and head toward Konoha, Little Leopard's many tails would ensnare it and drag it back.

The Gedo Mazo was trapped, entangled in the Forest of Death.

But Little Leopard had its own struggles. Its sharp teeth could barely tear open the Gedo Mazo's flesh, and even then, the wounds healed rapidly under the Gedo Mazo's regenerative chakra. The beast was as resilient as Little Leopard itself.

Moreover, both creatures possessed seemingly endless stamina. They were locked in a stalemate, neither able to outlast the other. The Gedo Mazo, without its full power, might have been at a disadvantage, but it showed no signs of fatigue.

Seeing its opponent momentarily knocked down, Little Leopard pushed its forelegs against the cracked earth and launched itself into the air. With the ground splitting beneath its massive weight, it smashed down on the Gedo Mazo.

"Roar!" The Gedo Mazo howled in pain, desperately stretching out its arms to break free.

Little Leopard, however, seized its arm with its powerful claws, opened its massive maw, and bit down hard on the Gedo Mazo's shoulder.

"Roar!!" The Gedo Mazo's agonized roar echoed through the forest. It writhed desperately, not just from the pain but also from the chakra leaking rapidly from the wounds.

Struggling to pry Little Leopard's jaws open, the Gedo Mazo kicked the enormous beast away and rolled to safety, avoiding further attacks.

The tremors and thunderous sounds of their battle could be felt even in the heart of Konoha.

Had Konoha's higher-ups not known that this was Kirito and Little Leopard's battlefield, they would have mobilized every ninja to prevent another disaster like the Nine Tails incident.

Out of trust in Kirito, Shikaku and Shizune sent only a small team of ninjas to monitor the Forest of Death, focusing their efforts on other critical matters.

In the Hokage building, Shikaku spoke to the ninja assembled before him. "According to Anbu's reports, the Six Paths of Pain have infiltrated the village, meaning Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki, is likely nearby. The beheading operation is in your hands now."

"Don't worry," Jiraiya said confidently, standing at the forefront. "This time, I won't let Nagato escape. I'll settle this."

With Kakashi away in the Land of Iron attending the Five Kage Summit with Tsunade, Jiraiya led the operation against Nagato.

"But is the village secure?" Sakura asked anxiously, glancing at the smoke and chaos outside. "Shouldn't we deal with the intruders first?"

Shizune reassured her, "Lady Tsunade anticipated this situation and prepared a plan. The village will be fine."

Even so, Shizune and Shikaku's tense expressions revealed the severity of the situation. They hadn't expected the Akatsuki to launch such an all-out assault, let alone ally with Orochimaru's forces.

Noticing their concern, Jiraiya added, "You seem short on manpower. I have a strong candidate to recommend."

"Who?" Shikaku asked, hopeful that hidden reinforcements were available.

"Naruto."

Jiraiya's suggestion made Shikaku freeze, his expression a mix of surprise and hesitation. "Master Jiraiya, the Akatsuki's target is Naruto. How can we risk letting him face them?"

"No," Jiraiya countered firmly. "You should trust Naruto. He's no longer a child. He's a ninja who carries the Will of Fire and the son of prophecy who will shape the world's destiny. His strength has far surpassed your expectations."

Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya added, "In fact, Naruto's power may now surpass even mine…"

(End of Chapter)

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