How could this be?
The Sage of Six Paths furrowed his brows deeply. The Mōryō before him was merely a clone carrying a portion of its power, yet even his own clone was struggling against it. Did this mean that Mōryō's current strength had already surpassed his own?
And this was with Mōryō passively fused with the Priestess.
Seeing the grave expression on the Sage's face, Mōryō didn't seem intent on attacking immediately. Its crimson eyes glimmered with amusement as it taunted, "What will you do now?"
"Why don't you summon that anomaly of fate? Perhaps there's still a chance for him to defeat this clone of mine."
The Sage, of course, ignored Mōryō's coaxing. The very reason he had sent this clone was to eliminate the possibility of Deidara being lured into a trap and killed by Mōryō.
But dealing with the Mōryō before him was proving to be a significant challenge.
He had already used Planetary Devastation. Beyond that, there was only one other option. Should he really resort to it? The Sage hesitated.
Mōryō, however, wasn't about to give him time to deliberate. The malevolent and powerful creature launched another attack, this time expanding its range to include the village. The devastation was immediate, causing significant losses.
There was no more time to wait!
Mōryō's actions helped the Sage make up his mind. If he couldn't resolve this situation, Deidara—and perhaps other members of Akatsuki—wouldn't be able to resist returning. If they were killed by Mōryō, the consequences would be disastrous.
While controlling Susano'o to fend off Mōryō, the Sage brought Naruto and Sasuke to his side.
"Wha... what's going on? Old man, why are you pulling us here?" Naruto and Sasuke were both bewildered. They had just been brutally defeated moments ago, coming to terms with the reality that this level of combat was beyond their reach.
The Sage had no time to explain. He forcibly grabbed their hands and began transferring power.
"Listen carefully. If you want to save your village, you must use this power."
"When the time comes, both of you must simultaneously place your hands on that monster. Only then can you seal it completely."
The Sage intended to use the same ultimate sealing technique he had employed against his mother long ago. However, the technique required two individuals working in unison to succeed.
As for himself, while he could perform the seal alone, Mōryō would undoubtedly be on guard against this possibility. There was no way it would give him the opportunity.
"Got it!" Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a determined glance. Feeling the surging power coursing through them, they regained their confidence.
Land of Demons
"Hahahaha!"
Mōryō's maniacal laughter echoed, filled with malevolent glee and a sense of triumph, as if it had accomplished something extraordinary.
Its crimson eyes gazed toward the direction of the Land of Rain, its voice dripping with mockery.
"Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki."
"Your cleverness has backfired. In the end, you've fallen into my trap."
"You've once again dispersed your power. Now, how will you suppress the Death God and Jashin?"
"All I need to do next is incite them to break free together. My plan will be mere steps away from success!"
Some might wonder—while it was true that the Sage had dispersed part of his power, he had also sealed a portion of Mōryō's strength. Wouldn't that balance things out?
But Mōryō saw it differently. From the very beginning, it had no intention of participating in this war.
It had its own plan!
"Mōryō-sama!"
Obito and Black Zetsu appeared, summoned by Mōryō.
They bowed their heads, but their curiosity was evident. What had happened to make this ancient demon so elated?
"Do you know why I've called you here?" Mōryō's interrogative voice boomed from above as the two stood in silence.
Both shook their heads.
One of Mōryō's heads slowly lowered, its crimson eyes locking onto them. Obito could even feel its heavy breathing, and a sense of unease gripped his heart.
Suddenly, Obito's instincts screamed danger.
Something was wrong!
He tried to activate Kamui, but found his body paralyzed, controlled by another force. He couldn't move as he intended.
Mōryō lunged forward, biting down and taking Obito's left eye.
"I need your Rinnegan," it declared.
Then, it turned its gaze to Black Zetsu.
"And you, the manifestation of Kaguya's will."
Black Zetsu was horrified, but there was no escape.
"Don't bother trying. Your little tricks won't fool me—whether it's hiding your identity or anything else."
Finally, Mōryō looked outward, toward the distance.
"There lies another Rinnegan... and the Ten-Tails."
"With them, I can carry out the final step."
Secret Base
Orochimaru handed over a piece of clay. Though still pure white in color, the Perfect Clay was noticeably finer, more elastic, and more malleable to the touch.
Its explosive power was significantly enhanced, and it also possessed increased resistance to various chakra-based techniques.
In every way, it lived up to its name as the ultimate clay.
"I've resolved your issue. Can you leave now?" Orochimaru said impatiently, clearly displeased.
"And return my Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Of course," Deidara nodded. He, too, was eager to leave.
"But, Orochimaru, there are two more things I need your help with."
Orochimaru's annoyance deepened.
"Speak."
"First, give all of Yamata's snake heads to the White Snake Sage as payment for your earlier assistance."
"Second, wear this ring. If necessary, I'll need you to Edo Tensei me. As for the payment, I'll make it up to you later."
Hearing the second request, Orochimaru gave Deidara a long, calculating look. Then, surprisingly, he licked his lips and agreed.
"You've brought a new wind to the ninja world. I'll grant you this favor for free this time."
"Thanks!"
Deidara and Jiraiya dashed out. With the Perfect Clay, Deidara's strength had now reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths. His next step was to quickly support the various battlefields.
"Let's split up and head to different fronts," Jiraiya suggested.
This was the optimal plan. Both possessed top-tier strength, and their presence on any battlefield would greatly bolster their side's advantage.
After a brief moment of thought, Deidara replied, "I'll return to the village. Jiraiya-sama, you should head to the Land of Hot Water."
Despite the updates he'd received from Zabuza about Naruto and Sasuke's situation, Deidara still felt uneasy. He decided to personally settle the matter with Mōryō.
"Hmm? You're not going to support the Land of Whirlpools? Uchiha Madara is there," Jiraiya questioned.
But there was Might Guy! That battlefield was the most stable. With Guy empowered by Hashirama cells, there was no need to worry about him dying after using the Eight Gates Released Formation.
And even if he did die, it wouldn't be a big deal. Thanks to Orochimaru's scientific prowess, reviving Guy wouldn't be difficult.
In fact, even if death occurred, Edo Tensei Guy with infinite Eight Gates would be unstoppable.
After all, in the world of Naruto, death had become a temporary inconvenience thanks to Edo Tensei.
But just as Deidara and Jiraiya were about to depart, a devastating piece of news arrived.
"Deidara, Nagato... Nagato has been killed by Mōryō!"
"The Rinnegan and Ten-Tails have been taken!"
It was Konan's panicked voice.
And the bad news didn't stop there.
"Deidara, the Death God has appeared in the Land of Whirlpools!"
"Deidara, Jashin has appeared in the Land of Hot Water!"
(Here's a little spoiler: In the world of Naruto, dying doesn't seem to mean much, right? After all, resurrection has become almost routine.)
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