The Ten-Tails' husk?
Perched atop a tree, Danzo fixed his gaze on Nagato, who floated calmly above the Gedo Statue.
As if sensing Danzo's stare, Pain turned to look at him. At the same time, the Gedo Statue lowered its head, its sealed eyes seemingly locked onto Danzo as well.
"Roar..."
The trees of the forest seemed to gain a singular purpose, growing in a coordinated manner toward the Gedo Statue, attempting to bind it.
The trees wrapped around the massive figure, only to be torn apart—growing, binding, and being ripped asunder again and again.
Though the relentless vegetation managed to hinder the Gedo Statue's movements, it couldn't completely stop its attack on Danzo.
A colossal hand, large enough to blot out the sky, swung down toward him.
"Boom!"
Fragments of trees and debris flew in all directions as the massive palm cleared out a sizable section of the battlefield.
But in mere moments, the endlessly growing trees surged back, coiling around the arm that had struck the ground, binding it tightly.
"Roar..."
The forest went wild, its growth accelerating at a terrifying pace. Twisting vines and branches spiraled up the statue's legs and arms, climbing higher and higher.
The Gedo Statue, like a magnet caught in iron sand, found itself increasingly restrained. For every branch it tore apart, countless more grew to take its place, climbing relentlessly.
As the vegetation spread, covering more and more of its form, the once-struggling Gedo Statue gradually stilled. With no resistance left, the trees engulfed it even faster.
The massive figure was soon completely wrapped in a thick layer of greenery, transforming from a fearsome entity into what appeared to be a mountain covered in dense forest.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..."
A deep, rhythmic sound echoed from within the sealed Gedo Statue, reminiscent of a heartbeat.
Even from a distance, Konan and Black Zetsu could hear it clearly.
"That old man really is a threat... "
Black Zetsu cast a quick glance at the ever-calm Konan but couldn't hide the flicker of excitement in his eyes as he continued to observe the battlefield closely.
This chakra... It's a Tailed Beast.
Danzo immediately sensed that something was wrong and poured even more chakra into his jutsu.
The twisting, coiling trees that had swallowed the Gedo Statue made the covered "mountain" appear eerily distorted, as though something monstrous was incubating within.
"Roar!"
Branches and leaves were sent flying in all directions.
Like a creature hatching from its shell, the Gedo Statue emerged, unleashing a furious roar toward the sky.
Its previously withered body now appeared fuller, revitalized.
Scorching lava burst from beneath its feet, spreading outward in all directions. In a matter of moments, the once lush forest was now home to a landscape of bubbling, molten rock, resembling the crater of an erupting volcano.
The lava continued to expand, devouring the land, suppressing the rapid growth of the trees completely.
"Did I fail? The power of the Four-Tails... truly troublesome..."
Danzo quickly formed hand seals.
Sage Art: Wind Release—Tornado Tempest!
A massive storm engulfed the entire forest, ripping trees from their roots and sending countless leaves and branches spiraling into the sky.
The tornado expanded, growing wider and wider, reaching a diameter of nearly five kilometers.
The sheer force of the storm limited the visibility of the distant onlookers, but Pain's resounding roars could still be heard within.
Inside the storm, Danzo abandoned his direct confrontation with the Gedo Statue. Moving with the chaotic air currents, he maneuvered like a fish swimming through the tempest, swiftly rising into the sky.
Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!
A dazzling sphere of spinning chakra arced through the air, homing in on Pain from above.
"Boom!"
The Rasenshuriken detonated, its immense wind-based chakra explosion causing a sudden shift in the surrounding airflow.
Yet, as the dust cleared, Pain remained unharmed.
The closer an attack gets, the stronger his repulsion force?
As the first Rasenshuriken dissipated, a second one, swirling amidst the storm, struck him directly.
But just as Danzo had predicted, Pain didn't use Shinra Tensei to repel it.
Instead, he relied on the Rinnegan's chakra absorption ability, catching the Rasenshuriken with his bare hands. The massive blue sphere of wind-chakra slowly shrank as it was absorbed.
Danzo narrowed his eyes as he noticed wooden markings slowly appearing on Pain's hands.
So it works...
The Rinnegan can absorb wind chakra, but natural energy is harmful to him.
Just as he was about to press the attack—
"Whoosh... Boom!"
A barrage of lava and fire exploded around him, scattering across the sky like molten fireworks.
Below, the Gedo Statue had turned into a living artillery cannon, spitting out massive lava projectiles toward the storm above.
Danzo was forced to weave through the gusting winds, narrowly dodging the barrage.
But the intelligence he had gathered was enough.
The Gedo Statue was highly resilient, capable of wielding the power of the Tailed Beasts. Taking it down in a short period was unlikely, making an all-out attack unwise.
Pain's Rinnegan was far stronger than in the original timeline, and his chakra reserves were absurdly high.
However, his combat experience seemed immature. Or perhaps he was simply too reliant on the Rinnegan's abilities. That made him the prime target.
Within this storm, infused with his chakra, his Sage Art Rasenshuriken would almost certainly land.
This was still his battlefield.
Advantage: Danzo.
He prepared another Sage Art: Rasenshuriken, ready to strike.
Just as he was about to launch it—
A sudden force yanked at him.
Danzo immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
An instant later, the spot he had just occupied was obliterated by a lava explosion.
More swift teleports followed, his figure flickering through the storm.
Every position he had just left was promptly bombarded by the Gedo Statue's relentless attacks.
That damn thing is a real nuisance... and Pain is starting to coordinate his attacks with it.
Danzo was mildly surprised—Pain had managed to track his movements within the storm, despite the abundance of natural energy interfering with normal chakra sensing.
"Haichi, have Tsunade and the others provide some support. Don't let that monster run wild down there."
Soon, Yamanaka Haichi's voice echoed in his mind.
"Lord Danzo... The storm's range is too vast, and its penetration power is overwhelming. We can't provide support... We can't even properly sense what's happening inside."
Damn it. Even with home-field advantage, my team is useless.
Compared to Danzo, Pain was even more shocked.
Not only did this enemy know the cooldown time of his abilities...
His usually infallible chakra absorption had failed.
And his opponent's reflexes were fast enough to break free from Bansho Ten'in's pull.
This battle was proving to be far more difficult than anticipated.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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