The ink-black night sky was illuminated by flashes of crimson light and streaks of lightning.
The crimson glow emanated from Killer Bee in his partial transformation into the Eight-Tails, while the lightning came from the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The surging chakra waves turned into violent gusts of wind that swept toward Nagato.
His crimson hair flowed backward as the gale rushed past him.
Nagato's expression grew slightly serious as he sensed an overwhelming pressure.
Boom!
Killer Bee crouched slightly, his posture like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain, charging straight at Nagato.
Eight crimson tails spread out behind him, swirling with an immense amount of chakra.
For a Jinchūriki, their most troublesome trait was the seemingly inexhaustible chakra.
Shinra Tensei!
Nagato raised his hand as an invisible wave of force burst forth.
Killer Bee's speed immediately slowed, though not to the point of being sent flying as before.
At that moment, a thunderous crack split the air.
The night sky suddenly brightened as dazzling lightning erupted from the Fourth Raikage.
His body moved like a streak of radiant lightning, bypassing the Shinra Tensei and appearing directly above Nagato in an instant.
The Fourth Raikage raised his right leg high in the air and brought it crashing down.
Guillotine Drop
The motion resembled a thunderous lightning axe, aiming to cleave Nagato in two.
Asura Path: Mechanical Armor!
Nagato's right arm twisted grotesquely as two mechanical arms emerged from it.
This was the technique of the Asura Path.
The lightning-infused attack descended.
The Fourth Raikage's face darkened as his right leg was caught by the mechanical arms.
But his reaction was swift.
Gathering lightning into his hand like a blade, he stabbed toward Nagato.
Shinra Tensei!
Centered around Nagato, an overwhelming repulsive force erupted.
The Fourth Raikage was sent flying backward.
He crashed into the ground, leaving behind a massive crater with a resounding boom.
However, he quickly emerged, seemingly unscathed.
The Fourth Raikage's training in taijutsu had made his body incredibly resilient.
His Lightning Release Chakra Mode not only enhanced his speed but also bolstered his attack and defense.
Nagato paid him no mind, as Killer Bee's elbow strike was already upon him.
Elbow!
Killer Bee's elbow, as sharp as a blade, was enhanced by both his Lightning Release Chakra and the protective cloak of the Eight-Tails. Its power was devastatingly destructive.
Preta Path: Chakra Absorption!
Nagato's sharp reflexes allowed him to catch Killer Bee's arm with both hands.
The immense force pushed him backward.
But as he retreated, he absorbed chakra.
"What?!"
Killer Bee's face was filled with shock.
He could feel massive amounts of chakra draining away at an alarming rate.
The protective cloak of the Eight-Tails that covered his body began to show gaps where Nagato's hands made contact.
In contrast, Nagato appeared rejuvenated.
In the original storyline, Nagato had absorbed Killer Bee's Tailed Beast Chakra to restore his youthful state.
But this time, Killer Bee wasn't fighting alone.
The Fourth Raikage leapt high into the air, layers of lightning bursting forth before concentrating in his right hand.
He brought down his hand like a blade toward Nagato.
Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!
In the original story, this technique had severed the left horn of the Eight-Tails and even injured the initial form of Madara's Susanoo.
Nagato felt a surge of danger in his heart.
He couldn't take it head-on.
Nagato reluctantly released Killer Bee.
Shinra Tensei!
The surrounding air trembled violently as a fierce gale swept toward the two attackers.
However, the Fourth Raikage was faster than Nagato had anticipated.
His handblade struck Nagato's shoulder before the repulsive force could fully take effect.
Both men were sent flying in opposite directions.
Nagato twisted his body mid-air and landed on the ground.
His brow furrowed slightly.
A tingling sensation spread from his left shoulder.
Though the force of the Slash had been diminished by the Shinra Tensei, it still left him in discomfort.
"As expected of the Rinnegan!"
The Fourth Raikage steadied himself, his gaze locked on Nagato with excitement.
Just then, a scream shattered his focus.
He turned his head and was instantly enraged.
Hovering in mid-air, Konan unleashed countless explosive tags that rained down like snowflakes.
From a distance, the ninjas of the Kumogakure could do nothing but endure the onslaught.
Time was running out.
The Fourth Raikage took a deep breath.
In the Kumogakure, only he and Killer Bee could pose a threat to Konan.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
The Fourth Raikage roared.
A massive surge of chakra burst forth, transforming into lightning that danced across his body. It quickly formed an imperceptible suit of armor covering his entire body.
This was his ultimate form.
In the original story, even the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't track his movements in this state.
His speed rivaled that of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and allowed him to evade Sasuke's Amaterasu.
"Killer Bee!"
The Fourth Raikage shouted while charging toward Nagato.
Raising his right arm, lightning flickered wildly, accompanied by the rumble of thunder in the air.
Killer Bee glanced over and immediately understood the Raikage's intent.
He surged forward, extending his right arm. Crimson light enveloped by dazzling lightning converged onto his outstretched limb.
Nagato's heart jolted.
He felt as though two streaks of thunderous light had locked onto him.
Lightning Release: Double Lariat!
A legendary secret taijutsu of the Kumogakure, renowned throughout the ninja world.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee were referred to as the "AB Combo" for a reason.
Once hit, the enemy's neck would be snapped without mercy.
Before Nagato could fully process his thoughts, the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee had already appeared before him, one in front, one behind.
So fast!
His Rinnegan could barely track their movements.
But it was enough.
Shinra Tensei!
Nagato immediately poured all his chakra outward in an instant.
This time, he didn't hold back, causing the force of Shinra Tensei to increase several times over.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee squinted their eyes in unison.
He can still enhance it?!
The immense repulsive force surged toward them both.
They immediately felt like they were at the center of a raging storm.
The Fourth Raikage's body was uncontrollably pushed back.
"Ahh!"
Killer Bee's chakra erupted once again.
The dark red chakra solidified, and faintly, the tentacles of the Eight-Tails were visible.
He threw a punch.
His muscles bulged.
The dark red chakra wrapped around his fist, tearing through the air, striking Nagato.
Boom!
Nagato's face turned pale.
He gritted his teeth and swung his arm, sending Killer Bee flying.
Nagato couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood.
His body shook, and intense pain surged through him.
If it weren't for the enhancement from Hashirama's cells and Black Zetsu, that punch would have severely injured him.
At that moment, an invisible wave rippled through the space behind him.
A ripple, like water, gently spread outward.
Nagato paused, instinctively turning his head.
What came into view was the familiar black cloak with red clouds of the Akatsuki and the crimson Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Goodbye, Nagato!"
Obito said in a rather proud tone.
Kamui!
A vortex of space formed, immediately enveloping Nagato, tearing and distorting his body.
Nagato had just used Shinra Tensei and was in the middle of a cooldown.
Additionally, he was injured and had been focusing on the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee, so he hadn't reacted in time.
Just as it seemed like Nagato was done for, a blindingly bright light river suddenly appeared.
The night sky lit up, and everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
"What?!"
Obito's face twisted with horror, his entire body feeling a chill.
Because, as he tried to pull Nagato into another space, he couldn't use his intangibility, the very state that allowed him to phase through objects.
He was in a solid state. This meant he could die!
Obito felt a threat like never before.
In that instant, the river of light enveloped him.
"Aaaaah!"
Obito screamed in agony.
His body was melting away.
The light, like sunlight, intertwined and tangled together.
Countless streams of blood flew out from his body.
Nagato blinked as the sensation of spatial distortion vanished.
"What's happening?"
The Fourth Raikage stood still, his expression one of confusion.
From the moment Obito appeared to his death, less than three seconds had passed.
He had just thought that Nagato was about to be ambushed, but in the blink of an eye, there was no trace of Obito's body left.
"That's... Shinho Aburame's technique!"
Mabui suddenly remembered something, her body stiffening.
Shinho had publicly used the Heavenly Cascade of Light technique before, so the Kumogakure had intelligence on it.
But that wasn't the point.
Why was Shinho here?
What happened to the battlefield at Otogakure?
Did those two perish?
Mabui's face grew paler.
"What did you say?!"
Killer Bee instinctively clenched his fists.
The dark red chakra around him churned violently in sync with his emotions.
He naturally knew about the Otogakure's ambush plan.
The Fourth Raikage didn't speak, but his heart sank.
It was clear that he also feared for the lives of Yugito nee, Samui, and the others.
This felt like a surreal nightmare.
The Kumogakure's top-secret tech chakra cannon, combined with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, had failed to defeat Shinho.
"Lord Hokage."
Konan let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.
But why was only his technique visible?
Where was he?
In the chaos of thousands of ninja, the atmosphere grew strange and silent.
Far in the distance.
Black Zetsu, who had witnessed everything, stood frozen in place.
What just happened?
How did Shinho suddenly appear?
The Light River was so abrupt that he didn't even react in time.
Uchiha Obito... is dead?
Black Zetsu stood motionless, unsure of what to do.
"Damn bastard!"
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out.
Black Zetsu instinctively turned his head.
Uchiha Obito, fully intact, appeared in front of him.
However, unlike before, his mask was broken, revealing his two eyes.
At this moment, Obito was holding his left eye.
"Izanagi?"
Black Zetsu couldn't help but ask.
Uchiha Obito didn't respond.
He let go of his eye.
His right eye was still the Mangekyō Sharingan, but his left eye had lost all its light.
"Where did you get that Sharingan?"
Black Zetsu confirmed that Obito had used Izanagi.
Izanagi was a forbidden technique of the Uchiha clan.
By sacrificing the sight in one's Sharingan, it could reverse any previous misfortune, including death.
In simple terms, it was a technique of resurrection.
In the original story, Obito used Izanagi to survive the attack from Konan's 600 billion explosive tags.
"You don't need to know!"
Uchiha Obito gruffly responded.
Just in case, he had implanted a regular three-tomoe Sharingan.
But he hadn't expected to lose it so easily.
While he had been confident about regaining the Rinnegan, it was Shinho who had dealt him a fatal blow.
This had left him deeply frustrated.