Chapter 330: This Is the End, Nine-Tails
In the midst of the intense battle, a white-haired figure suddenly leaped into the air.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
His white hair transformed into countless sharp senbon, raining down like a dense storm cloud, covering the battlefield in an instant.
Without even looking at the result, Jiraiya dashed straight toward Ōtsutsuki Shinichi.
He didn't have time to confirm whether his attack worked—Kakashi's Three-Tails was in trouble.
His chakra felt unstable, his power severely weakened.
If Jiraiya didn't intervene, Kakashi would be defeated for sure.
---
"Shinra Tensei!"
As Jiraiya's attack descended, Tendo Pain calmly raised both hands.
A surge of repulsive force erupted, easily deflecting the barrage of hair needles.
At that very moment, a cold voice rang out from behind him—
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
Minato, now in Sage Mode, had already completed his jutsu.
The Rasenshuriken spun violently, emitting a piercing whistle as it hurtled toward Tendo Pain's back.
Tendo sensed the lethal threat, his brows furrowing slightly.
But his reaction was swift.
He raised both hands once more, his voice emotionless—
"Shinra Tensei!"
Another powerful shockwave exploded outward.
The invisible force clashed violently with the Rasenshuriken, creating a deafening blast.
The sheer energy of the impact ripped apart the ground, warped the air, and illuminated the entire battlefield with a dazzling burst of light.
Minato teleported away to avoid the aftermath, appearing on a pile of rubble.
His gaze darkened as he looked toward Tendo.
The blinding light gradually faded, revealing that Tendo Pain was completely unharmed.
Minato's expression sank.
His attack had been flawless, both in timing and power, yet it had failed to break through.
But that wasn't what bothered him most.
According to Iwagakure's intelligence, Shinra Tensei had a five-second cooldown.
But Tendo had just used it twice—back-to-back.
That wasn't right.
Minato's instincts screamed that something was wrong.
His sharp blue eyes immediately flickered toward the back of the battlefield—where Nagato stood.
Had becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki further enhanced his abilities?
Was it possible that Shinra Tensei's cooldown had been reduced even further?
---
At the very rear of the battlefield, Nagato stood tall.
His solitary Rinnegan gleamed ominously.
From afar, he manipulated the Six Paths of Pain, controlling their every movement.
But he himself had yet to step into the battlefield.
Because he had another opponent to deal with.
---
ROAR!
A thunderous roar shook the battlefield.
The Nine-Tails, fully transformed, towered over the battlefield like a mountain of fury.
Golden-red chakra raged around its colossal form, swirling like a living inferno.
Its nine massive tails lashed violently, whipping up hurricane-force winds.
Atop the beast's gigantic head, Kushina lay curled up within the golden chakra, eyes shut tight—as if unconscious.
But in the depths of her mental space, she sat upon the Nine-Tails' head, her voice cold—
"Let me take control! You can't defeat Nagato on your own!"
The Nine-Tails scoffed, feeling the immense pressure from Nagato but still sneering.
"Hah! And if I didn't give you my power, you'd already be captured by now! Sit down and watch, you damn tomato!"
"You—!!"
Kushina's face flushed red with anger, her hands nearly reaching for her Adamantine Chains to tie the damn fox up again.
But she forced herself to hold back.
The battlefield was too dire.
She needed to trust the Nine-Tails this time.
That didn't stop her from puffing up her cheeks in frustration, though.
She hated that nickname.
Because of her round face and bright red hair, kids used to call her "Tomato" when she was little.
And now, of all things, this damn fox remembered it too?!
---
Outside, the Nine-Tails moved.
A massive sphere of dark chakra began forming at its mouth.
The sheer pressure of the attack made the very air tremble.
"Not a perfect Jinchūriki, yet still able to transform…"
Nagato looked up at the massive beast, his lips curling slightly.
"Did my presence force the Nine-Tails to compromise?"
But then, he chuckled.
"A pity… even the strongest Tailed Beast is nothing before the Ten-Tails."
With a mere wave of his hand, a massive, black-and-red sphere materialized above him.
It was another Tailed Beast Bomb—
But twice the size of the Nine-Tails'.
---
BOOM!
The two massive spheres collided midair, erupting into a cataclysmic explosion.
But Nagato's was stronger.
It overpowered the Nine-Tails' attack, pushing forward—
Though its trajectory had shifted slightly, causing it to detonate upon impact with a nearby ruin.
---
BOOM!!!
The impact was devastating.
A searing inferno burst forth, forming a gigantic fireball that illuminated the entire battlefield.
The shockwave ripped across the land, flattening terrain, sending debris flying for miles.
Minato, Tsunade, and Kakashi immediately erected defensive barriers, shielding themselves from the devastating blast.
Smoke and dust choked the battlefield.
---
SMASH!
As the Nine-Tails prepared to retaliate, a mysterious force suddenly slammed into its massive frame—
Sending it crashing into the ground!
Kushina and the Nine-Tails both froze in shock.
'What was that?!'
The fox tried to rise, but another invisible force struck again, sending it sprawling once more.
It was taking severe damage, yet it couldn't even see its attacker.
---
SWOOSH!
Before it could react further, black rods shot from Nagato's hand, piercing five of its tails.
At the same time, a chakra chain materialized—snaking around the Nine-Tails' neck, tightening like a noose.
A rare flicker of fear flashed in the fox's crimson eyes.
Nagato smiled.
"This is the end, Nine-Tails."
"Return to me."
---
The chains pulled, dragging the struggling Tailed Beast toward him.
The Nine-Tails fought back fiercely, its claws digging into the earth, tearing deep trenches into the ground.
But the chains would not break.
It was being forcibly sealed.
---
"KUSHINA!"
Minato's face drained of color.
Without hesitation, he teleported straight toward Nagato, aiming to strike him down before the seal could be completed.
But just as he closed in, a chilling sensation crept up his spine—
A silent, unseen force was coming for him.
With razor-sharp instincts, he ducked just in time.
SWOOSH!
A punch of invisible force swept past—so fast it nearly shattered his skull.
'That attack…!'
Minato's mind raced.
'This isn't Shinra Tensei… What kind of technique is this?!'
But before he could figure it out—
The invisible force struck again.
This time, he wasn't fast enough.
BAM!
Minato was blasted backward, slamming into a pile of rubble.
Nagato watched calmly.
"Your Sage Mode is impressive."
"But compared to my Rinnegan… you're still far too weak."
His gaze returned to the Nine-Tails.
Victory was within reach.
(End of Chapter)