Chapter 258: Aftermath of the Battle (Part 3)
By the time Nagato arrived at the canyon in the Land of Waterfalls, it was already close to dawn.
Ideally, Hiroto or Kayo should have been the ones to fetch Nagato to increase credibility. However, both Hiroto and Kayo were already in the crater in the Land of Waterfalls. The fastest method was naturally to launch a Heavenly Transfer Technique pod from Kumogakure directly to Nagato.
And that was how Nagato and Kushina lost their small courtyard.
In the end, Nagato chose to trust the Cloud. Firstly, he trusted Kayo and Hiroto. Secondly, he had been making a living within the Cloud's sphere of influence for a long time without trouble, which indicated the Cloud's friendly attitude. Plus, the Cloud had helped him and Kushina significantly when they were being chased.
Nagato acknowledged this debt of gratitude in his heart.
He didn't bring Kushina along. Given her condition, long-distance travel wasn't suitable, and it might attract attention from other ninja villages. Nagato departed immediately with the three Cloud ninja who came to find him.
All four were strong, so they traveled from the Land of Hot Water to the Land of Waterfalls in just half a night.
When Nagato saw the gigantic stone sphere in the crater, he was stunned.
"Ah... this..."
A sense of familiarity welled up within him.
Upon reaching the bottom of the crater, that familiarity became even more distinct.
Nagato spotted the exceptionally muscular Third Raikage from a distance. He had met him briefly on the island before. This Raikage, possessing the physique Nagato dreamed of, had left a deep impression on him.
"As expected... a physique even stronger than Sensei's. Such excellent muscles..."
The Third Raikage also sized up Nagato. He remembered this muscular kid from the island and knew there was something strange about him. However, the priority back then was to cover up the secret of the Eastern Archipelago, so he had left with the other three Kage to "drink tea."
Later, Dana had let the kid and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki go. The Third Raikage didn't question it much, trusting Dana's judgment.
"For his age, his physique isn't bad. He's clearly trained hard."
The Third Raikage nodded at Nagato. "Why wear sunglasses at night?"
Nagato rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I have some eye problems..."
"Young man, I heard from Kayo Uzumaki that you might recognize this jutsu? Tell me what you know, and you will receive a reward to your satisfaction."
The Third Raikage pointed at the giant stone sphere.
Nagato didn't act coy; this was why he came. He placed his hands on the stone sphere. It was so massive that his hands could barely feel the curvature.
After a long while, Nagato opened his eyes. "Yes. I can say it's exactly the same... It's almost as if I cast it myself..."
The Third Raikage's expression shook. He asked urgently, "Really? What is this jutsu?"
"Its name is Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation). A sealing jutsu that can seal all matter within it..."
At this moment, Kayo and Hiroto rushed over. Kayo asked anxiously, "Nagato, you're here! Is this stone sphere the same jutsu you used before?"
Nagato nodded. "It is. Even I find it hard to believe. I thought only I knew this jutsu. I tried it once, but the power was far from this level. It's unimaginable that this jutsu could cause such terrifying effects..."
The Third Raikage caught some information and asked, "Who taught you this jutsu called Chibaku Tensei?"
Nagato opened his mouth, speechless for a moment, then finally said, "I sort of realized it myself..."
The Third Raikage didn't comment on that. "Young man, can you try to undo this jutsu? My son, Yotsuki Dana, is sealed inside."
Nagato paused. So the person sealed inside was that tall brother who despised him last time.
"Ah... I'm also very curious about what happened. If we rescue Dana-Nii-san, I want to ask him who sealed him."
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Nagato placed both hands on the stone sphere, sensing carefully.
It's truly too similar. Exactly the same.
Nagato thought to himself.
It wasn't just the same jutsu; the power inside felt identical to his own Chibaku Tensei, just on a different scale.
Nagato couldn't help but wonder if he had sleepwalked here and fought someone.
"If it isn't such a ridiculous situation, then the person who cast this Chibaku Tensei must be related to the conspiracy Sensei talked about."
Chibaku Tensei was driven by a power distinct from chakra. Since this power came from his eyes, Nagato simply called it:
Pupil Power (Ocular Power).
He guided his pupil power into the stone sphere, attempting to manipulate the force within. The power inside the sphere didn't reject Nagato's pupil power at all—it was of the same origin.
Compared to the massive sphere, Nagato wasn't even an ant.
But after Nagato placed his hands on it, the colossal sphere began to tremble faintly.
"Is it... working?"
Everyone looked closely.
The surface of the sphere was no longer smooth. Debris and dirt began to fall.
Nagato shouted, "You guys better stand back!"
The surrounding Cloud members retreated a hundred meters.
More and more debris fell. Gradually, the entire stone sphere seemed to be disintegrating.
Suddenly, a massive boulder fell directly toward Nagato's head.
Nagato was about to dodge, but just before it hit, a thick, muscular arm caught the boulder steadily and tossed it aside.
The Third Raikage, who hadn't moved an inch from the start, said in a deep voice, "Don't worry. This old man will protect you. Continue."
Nagato withdrew his gaze.
That arm circumference... Is this the aura of a Raikage...?
The giant stone sphere disintegrated bit by bit. As massive amounts of debris fell away, the sphere's diameter shrank from 100 meters to about 70 meters.
Nagato began to struggle. The deeper he went, the greater the resistance, and the consumption of "pupil power" increased.
The person who cast this jutsu had a mastery and understanding of Chibaku Tensei far exceeding his own.
Finally, when the sphere shrank to 30 meters in diameter, Nagato couldn't hold on anymore. His eyes stung painfully, and he could barely keep them open.
Combined with the flying dust, Nagato had to take off his sunglasses and use Water Release to clean his eyes.
The Third Raikage glanced at him but said nothing, nor did he rush him.
"Do you need a Healing Talisman or medical ninjutsu support?"
Nagato didn't think medical ninjutsu could replenish "pupil power," so he declined the Third Raikage's offer.
After resting for a moment, Nagato stood up again and continued dismantling.
He continued to mobilize his pupil power to disintegrate the sphere. By the time the sphere was only three meters in diameter, tears were streaming down Nagato's face from the strain.
The Third Raikage watched silently, standing guard behind Nagato.
"Almost done! RELEASE!"
With Nagato's shout, the last bit of the stone sphere shattered, revealing a figure inside.
Tall and strong, hugging his knees, curled into a ball—Yotsuki Dana.
The Third Raikage ignored everything else and rushed forward to catch Dana.
"Dana? Dada! Can you hear me?"
More and more people gathered around—Anbu, Sealing Corps, Kayo, Hiroto, Yusuke Akahoshi—looking expectantly at the once tall and upright figure.
However, Yotsuki Dana gave no response. only his chest rose and fell slightly.
The Third Raikage's eyes dimmed, but he pulled himself together. Regardless, Dana was free, and he was alive.
The Third Raikage looked at Nagato and said, "Young man, on behalf of the entire Cloud Village, I thank you for your help. You will be a brother to Kumogakure forever. But since only you could undo this jutsu, we might need you to provide us with some information... When you took off your sunglasses just now, I saw your eyes... I saw them once in a mural in the ancestral hall of the Gold and Silver Brothers family... Those seem to be the eyes belonging to the legendary Sage of Six Paths..."
Seeing this, Nagato stopped hiding. He took off his dust-covered sunglasses and said, "Actually, I also have many questions I want to ask this big brother..."
The Third Raikage nodded. "Then come back to the village with me first..."