Watching Nagato charge at him once more, Mirai let out a helpless smile.
This guy really doesn't know when to quit.
He had already been defeated multiple times, yet he still refused to back down, insisting on fighting him again.
But did he really have the strength for this?
Jiraiya sure did a number on him. If not for that, with Nagato's personality, he wouldn't be so obsessively convinced that he was the one destined to bring peace to the shinobi world.
As Uchiha Mirai pondered, Nagato had already begun mustering all the power within him.
The chakra of the Four-Tails was forcibly drawn out.
The cells of both Senju Hashirama and the Uzumaki clan provided him with a constant flow of energy.
His Rinnegan was operating at its absolute limit.
...
Meanwhile, Tobi, exhilarated, started merging his power with Nagato's.
"Hahahaha!"
"Yes! This is the feeling!"
Tobi shouted excitedly before controlling Nagato's body to slam his hands together.
"Wood Release: True Thousand Hands!"
Nagato and Tobi desperately channeled their combined strength, and in an instant, a colossal wooden construct erupted from the ground, towering over everything.
A massive Buddha statue with its hands pressed together loomed overhead, its back adorned with countless enormous arms.
Atop the wooden construct, five wrathful-looking smaller faces emerged like guardian deities.
Though the size of this wooden colossus still fell short of Mirai's Susanoo, it was not far off.
Standing atop the wooden titan, arms crossed, Nagato looked down with exhilaration.
"Mirai, this is the power of Senju Hashirama's Wood Release!"
"With this very technique, Hashirama defeated Uchiha Madara. Today, I will do the same."
"History repeats itself!"
From this vantage point, he could see everything below—no obstacles, no barriers. Even the tallest structures looked like mere ants.
A surge of euphoria rose in Nagato's heart, as though he could destroy everything with ease.
This was his world.
After today, the shinobi world would be under his control!
...
In the distance, the watching Amegakure shinobi were filled with excitement and awe.
Their leader had mastered the power of the legendary "God of Shinobi"—Senju Hashirama. That meant Amegakure would never again be bullied by the other hidden villages!
Even Uchiha Mirai couldn't possibly withstand such overwhelming power… right?
Even Tobi himself was momentarily taken aback.
Merging his power with Nagato's had resulted in an output far beyond his expectations.
Seeing Nagato so exhilarated, Mirai twitched the corner of his mouth.
All this excitement… over a mere watered-down version of True Thousand Hands?
Was that really worth celebrating?
With a sigh, Mirai activated his chakra once more.
"It's useless. No matter how many times you try, the result will never change."
"But since you've gone to such lengths to entertain me, I suppose I should show you what true power to pacify the shinobi world looks like."
His expression grew serious.
"Sage Art: Wood Release—True Thousand Hands!"
Rumble!
The ground trembled, the skies darkened.
A far more majestic, far more massive wooden colossus rose from the earth.
In just moments, it had grown so tall that it pierced the clouds, reaching unfathomable heights.
Nagato's wooden titan, which had seemed so formidable moments ago, now appeared as nothing more than a child's toy in comparison.
"T-This… This is impossible…"
"Why… why does he possess such overwhelming power?!"
Nagato stared, dumbfounded, his face filled with disbelief.
Even after all this, he still couldn't win?
With a single movement, the giant Buddha extended one of its hands and effortlessly crushed Nagato and Tobi's wooden titan into dust.
The sheer force sent Nagato plummeting from the sky, crashing into the earth below and leaving a massive crater upon impact.
If not for Tobi's intervention, he would have died on the spot.
Even so, Nagato's internal organs had been severely damaged. His life force was rapidly fading as he lay there, staring blankly at the sky.
The defiance in his eyes was gone.
He had given everything he had, but in the end, Uchiha Mirai was simply stronger.
Maybe Konan was right.
He was never meant to be the savior of the shinobi world.
If he had realized this sooner, would Yahiko still be alive?
...
Just then, he felt Tobi withdraw from his body.
A sharp pain shot through his eyes, and his vision was swallowed by darkness.
"So… Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu were only using me all along."
His Rinnegan had been taken.
Now, he was even weaker than before.
Footsteps approached.
Recognizing the chakra, Nagato forced a bitter smile.
"Mirai… I was wrong. You're the real savior of the shinobi world."
He took a shallow breath and continued,
"Please… bury me beside Yahiko. Carry on our dream and bring true peace to this world."
Hearing Nagato's final wish, Uchiha Mirai spoke indifferently.
"If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have entertained this game for so long."
"…You call that a game?"
Nagato's voice was filled with bitterness.
To think he had fought with everything he had, while his opponent had merely been toying with him. What a joke.
He sighed, then murmured, "Sorry… I couldn't give you a good fight…"
Mirai chuckled. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You managed to amuse me, at least a little."
"I promised Konan I'd spare you."
"So… from now on, you'll follow me."
This time, Nagato didn't resist.
He had accepted reality.
Compared to himself, Mirai was far more suited to being the shinobi world's savior.
Without another word, Mirai extracted the Four-Tails, Son Goku, from Nagato's body and sealed it within himself.
As Nagato's life force dwindled, Mirai channeled a sliver of Yang Release into him.
In the next moment, vitality surged back into Nagato's body, and new eyes formed in his empty sockets.
This time, however, they were not Rinnegan—but simple, pitch-black eyes.
Feeling the changes within himself, Nagato's emotions were complicated.
Resurrected from near death… something created from nothing…
Compared to him, Mirai truly seemed like a god.
Standing up and adjusting to his new body, Nagato muttered, "Strange… My body feels so light…"
Mirai scoffed. "Without the burden of maintaining those Rinnegan, of course, you feel lighter."
Nagato froze for a moment. "Maintaining the Rinnegan?"
"What do you mean?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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