Black Zetsu nodded, and the roots surrounding his body burrowed back into the ground.
Sasori of the Red Sand wasn't in too bad of a state. His abdomen had been modified into a rope dripping with venom, and with his puppet techniques and the rope's support, he was actually holding up better than Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, had turned into the Eight-Headed Serpent. His weight and size had increased, but that only made it harder to resist the terrifying pull of Chibaku Tensei.
Kazuyama Gekkō's situation was the most stable. Tagitsuhime had already returned to his body, and the Titan Python had dissipated. Now he was staring at the black core in the sky, thinking of a solution.
"Kazuyama, don't think about it. Just let me fire a Tailed Beast Ball and shatter it!"
"That's Chibaku Tensei! Back in the day, only the Sage of Six Paths could use that technique—it's terrifying."
"The only way to break it is to destroy the core!"
Chōmei gazed at the black sphere in the sky and couldn't help but feel uneasy. This was a Six Paths sealing technique, the natural enemy of tailed beasts.
But Kazuyama only shook his head, leaving Chōmei baffled.
"Chōmei, you can't expose yourself. Unless I can take out everyone here—but obviously, I can't."
"So I'll use my own method."
With a flick of his hand, a cluster of crystals appeared. Transparent and nearly undetectable, each was engraved with the Flying Thunder God formula. A batch of coordinate crystals was ready.
"Sensei! Attack the caster!"
"Kill the circle-eyes, and the jutsu will be undone!"
"Crystal Release: Torrential Pear Blossom Needles!"
Feigning a full assault, Kazuyama glared with fury. To sell the act, he even brought Orochimaru into it.
The Eight-Headed Serpent froze for a second, then opened its mouths wide and attacked.
Who said a serpent's mouth could only spit snakes, people, or swords? Orochimaru proved otherwise—spitting fire, water, wind, even rocks.
Rocks? Kazuyama blinked. The Eight-Headed Serpent was spitting stones. Was his sensei coughing up kidney stones now? Ruthless man.
Under the hail of attacks, Nagato stepped back, not bothering with Shinra Tensei—he had only just unleashed Chibaku Tensei, and his chakra hadn't recovered.
Four Paths surged forward. A crab, an ox, and a panda joined the battlefield as summons, alongside the Animal Path, Asura Path, Human Path, and Preta Path.
They formed a living wall in front of Nagato, shattering stones, blocking wind, and absorbing water and fire. On the surface, they had successfully defended against Kazuyama and Orochimaru's assault.
But Kazuyama hadn't been aiming to hit them.
The crystals he launched transformed midair—some into insects, others into birds—and slipped around the front line, flying toward Nagato.
"Hmph. Invisible crystal attacks, is it?
Cage!"
Black Zetsu knew Kazuyama's tricks. To protect Nagato, he split the ground and raised countless vines into a cage around them.
"Tch! Annoying bastard, can't you just take the hit like a man?!
And this damned jutsu—why does it keep trying to suck me into the sky?!"
Kazuyama's expression was all impatience and rage, his body cloaked in surging Senjutsu chakra. No one could read what he was really thinking.
Orochimaru, however, shouted a warning.
"Kazuyama! Focus on dealing with that thing in the sky first!"
The Eight-Headed Serpent was already being dragged upward. Orochimaru was seriously considering ending the technique—it was too cumbersome to handle.
"Hahaha! Filthy snake!
Looks like nobody wants you here. Let me send you off!
Die!"
Sasori's furious roar echoed, and two high-pressure water jets blasted forth. Their destructive force rivaled divine weapons, tearing through the Eight-Headed Serpent's defenses.
"Damn it!"
The impact ripped through his body, and Orochimaru's face twisted in anger. For the first time in this battle, he was truly provoked.
With no choice, he released the Eight-Headed Technique. The massive serpent body dissolved, and Orochimaru reemerged amidst white smoke—only for that smoke to be sucked upward into the sky.
And then Kazuyama moved.
"It's just a ball, right?
I've got one too!
Rasengan!"
Chakra condensed in his palm, forming a perfect Rasengan. Its appearance made everyone freeze for a moment. For a technique relying solely on raw chakra, its power was nothing to scoff at.
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation, Kazuyama pushed off with both legs and shot toward the Chibaku Tensei. With gravity's pull assisting, he soared upward at incredible speed. Even Orochimaru couldn't stop him.
Nagato sneered.
"You think that little jutsu can destroy Chibaku Tensei?
Kazuyama Gekkō… you're even stupider than I thought!"
Black Zetsu frowned. Even if Senjutsu enhanced him, why would Kazuyama act so recklessly? He couldn't understand it.
As for Sasori, he was nearly giddy with laughter.
In this entire ninja world, his only true enemy was Orochimaru—and by extension, Kazuyama. Both snake-obsessed vermin, and now both within his reach. To kill them together? Nothing could please him more.
But things are rarely that simple. Especially when the opponent is Kazuyama Gekkō—the trickster among tricksters.
"Kazuyama, what are you doing?!
If you get any closer, you won't escape!"
Chōmei panicked as Kazuyama neared the core. He wanted to unleash chakra to save him, but Kazuyama held him back. For once, the giant insect couldn't make sense of his host's mind.
"Kazuyama… since when have you seen me act this crazy?
What do you think I'm really doing?"
As he drew near the center, Kazuyama suddenly grinned—a wicked, almost sinister smile. Chōmei froze.
"Chibaku Tensei, is it?
You don't really think I can't handle this jutsu, do you?"
He raised his right hand, shoving the Rasengan forward.
Everyone's eyes were locked on him. And then—
"Huh? Ugh!!!"
"Did you forget what I'm really best at?"
Nagato's crazed expression twisted as his eyes went wide.