Land of Demons.
Mōryō suddenly turned his head toward the sea beyond the Land of Lightning—there, he sensed the presence of a divine battle.
So, was that wretched Eight-Headed Serpent in trouble?
He decided to go see for himself. After all, it had taken considerable effort to covertly bring that pawn into play—he couldn't afford any mishaps.
But just as he reached the gates of the Land of Demons, a red-haired man in a black cloak adorned with red clouds floated silently before him. Two horns protruded from his head, Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered behind him, and in his hand, he held a monk's staff.
It was none other than the Six Paths Nagato.
"Mōryō, where do you think you're going?" Nagato questioned.
He had personally taken command of the battlefield in the Land of Demons, maintaining a delicate balance with Mōryō.
Mōryō, on the other hand, saw little point in clashing with Nagato needlessly. If he ventured out alone without assistance, the risk outweighed the reward.
Nagato, meanwhile, heeded Jiraiya's warnings—according to the Great Toad Sage, Mōryō was the most powerful of all ancient gods. Even as the new Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Nagato had to exercise extreme caution.
After all, centuries ago, Mōryō had single-handedly waged a war to enslave the entire continent of the ninja world. He had slipped past the watchful eyes of the Six Paths brothers and the Three Great Sages, seizing the opportunity to act.
He had nearly succeeded.
In the end, a truly benevolent priestess emerged. With the help of the Sage of Six Paths, she willingly sacrificed herself, merging her soul and purity into Mōryō's being.
Thus, the embodiment of absolute evil became tainted, its power greatly diminished. From that point on, it withdrew to the Land of Demons and the Land of Marshes, enacting an endless cycle of being sealed by successive generations of priestesses.
Centuries later, ignorant mortals still believed Mōryō was a demonic entity from another dimension, requiring a priestess's life to keep it at bay.
But in truth, Mōryō could have broken free long ago. The selfless priestess had long since perished, and its continued confinement was merely a game—an act of feigned weakness to pass the time.
"The new Ten-Tails Jinchūriki," Mōryō sneered, looking up at Nagato. "Do you intend to stop me?"
Though weakened, Mōryō remained one of the strongest beings on the Six Paths level. He seriously doubted this pathetic Jinchūriki could hold him back.
"Of course," Nagato replied. "You and your subordinates may remain in the Land of Demons, but you are not permitted to leave."
"And what if I insist?"
Mōryō was the embodiment of malice—he had never been one for patience. Without waiting for a response, he launched an attack.
His form was formless, bodiless—an entity of sheer terror that defied conventional containment.
But ever since the priestess had merged with him, he had gained "impurities." He had developed a defined form—a physical body.
With a body came limitations. He could be injured, his attack patterns became predictable, and his full potential was constrained.
That priestess had forever changed him.
At times, Mōryō jested that he and the priestess were now one and the same.
His physical form was a grotesque nightmare—an enormous being of deep purple and black hues, writhing with countless heads, each adorned with piercing crimson eyes.
Several of his heads lunged toward Nagato, aiming to sink their fangs into him.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible repulsive force erupted outward. The attacking heads slammed into an unseen barrier as though crashing against a solid glass wall. The momentum sent them flying backward.
No matter.
More heads surged forward. Mōryō knew the cooldown of Shinra Tensei—he had studied the Rinnegan well.
"Mokuton!"
Towering trees erupted from the ground, forming a dense forest. Each tree extended its branches like grasping tentacles, reaching for Mōryō's flying heads.
"How laughable."
One of Mōryō's heads lashed out, effortlessly leveling a vast section of the forest.
Nagato remained unfazed. With a simple motion, the Truth-Seeking Orbs behind him shot forward.
These black spheres embodied the essence of the Six Paths' power—Mōryō would not escape unscathed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seemingly unremarkable, the small black orbs unleashed devastating explosions upon impact. Each blast eclipsed the power of a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Mōryō's attacking heads were obliterated.
Yet, he remained indifferent. His true strength lay in his near-infinite regeneration—unless his core was completely annihilated, he would continue to reform.
"Interesting," Mōryō mused. "Then how about this?"
This time, he unleashed a wave of pure negative energy. Everything in its path decayed and withered—matter itself seemed to dissolve into ruin.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as if the world was dying.
"Nagato!" Konan called out, worry in her voice.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato expelled the wave of decay away from himself—but this time, he felt an unusual strain.
"Noticed it yet?"
"If this were mere repulsive force, my attack would have been ineffective."
"But the Rinnegan's repulsion is a technique—an artifice of chakra. And all things artificial… decay before me."
Mōryō's colossal body began forcing its way out of the Land of Demons, filling the very sky with its enormity.
Nagato's expression turned grim. He gathered the Ten-Tails' chakra, pressing his palms together to form a small black sphere.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Feeling the overwhelming gravitational pull, Mōryō looked up.
"Ah, the Sage's old trick. Impressive, indeed."
"But you… are too weak."
Mōryō lifted numerous heads, violently crashing them into the forming celestial body, shattering its core with brute force.
This…
For the first time, Nagato wavered.
In that instant, he understood.
He could never defeat Mōryō.
Yet, he also could not allow Mōryō to leave.
Then there was only one option—fight to the death.
The members of Akatsuki steeled themselves. But just as they prepared to engage, Mōryō… stopped.
He turned toward the distant sea.
"Tch. That fool Eight-Headed Serpent was utterly useless."
"Forget it. I'm done for today."
With that, he withdrew into the Land of Demons.
"Lord Mōryō!"
Uchiha Obito respectfully stepped forward. "I encountered someone intriguing. I wish to introduce him to you."
"Oh? And who might that be?"
A bespectacled young man with snake-like features entered, adjusting his glasses with a smirk.
"Greetings," he said smoothly. "I am Kabuto Yakushi."
"The heir of that old white snake, huh?"
Mōryō suddenly burst into laughter.
"Now, this is a surprise!"
"With you on board, we can proceed to the next phase immediately!"
"Ruling the world!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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