Boom!
An indescribable transparent light erupted from Deva Path's body, vanishing from sight in an instant.
It was an unprecedented scene. Even Jiraiya, who had already witnessed the power of [Shinra Tensei], was momentarily stunned.
For a moment, the entire world fell into absolute silence—completely soundless. Then, in the very next instant, heaven and earth changed color, and thunderous roars filled the air.
From where Deva Path stood as the epicenter, the ground was scraped clean by an invisible force, revealing bare patches of yellowish-brown earth.
No matter what buildings once stood on the land, under the invisible force of [Shinra Tensei], they were instantly reduced to rubble and then swept outward further.
And this devastation did not fade quickly—it continued raging throughout Konoha Village, threatening to engulf the entire settlement.
Swish!
Jiraiya and Tsunade, who were nearby, were instantly caught in the blast. They barely had time to react before an irresistible force slammed into them from the front, effortlessly crushing their bodies and sending them flying backward.
The air became oppressively heavy. The two who'd taken the full brunt of this attack involuntarily rolled their eyes back and struggled to breathe.
Under this single blow, Jiraiya and Tsunade felt completely powerless—like ants staring up at an elephant.
"Pfft!"
"Ah!"
They hadn't expected Pain's technique this time to be so overwhelmingly powerful. The moment they were hit, both spat out large amounts of blood and slammed into the walls behind them before tumbling further back.
Their senses blurred instantly. Suffering such intense physical trauma, they fell into a daze—utterly stunned.
The impact of Pain's technique was tremendous, but more importantly, they realized it wasn't just a single-target attack; rather, it was an ultra-wide AoE assault far beyond anything they'd anticipated.
And they weren't even specifically targeted—this was merely the standard damage dealt.
The Rinnegan... was actually this terrifying? And this wasn't even the user's original body, but instead a dead puppet manipulating the ability.
"Tsunade!"
Jiraiya didn't forget about Tsunade at this moment. As he flew backward with the force, instinctively he reached out, pulled her close, and twisted his body to shield her with his own.
It was a reflexive action. After doing all this, he felt nothing else—only watching as sky and earth flipped places, before darkness swallowed everything, accompanied by constant impacts and piercing pains from sharp or blunt objects everywhere.
In that moment, Jiraiya recalled his youth.
Back then, they hadn't yet earned the title of Sannin (Legendary Three Ninja), and once during a mission, they were surrounded by enemies. At that time, the enemy's attacks had also been unavoidable and omnipresent.
That experience—and this one—left them feeling helpless, unsure how to fight back.
Bang!
Both were buried beneath the rubble.
"Jiraiya! Jiraiya!"
After a long while, Tsunade slowly regained her senses from the chaos. She hadn't suffered serious damage from the impact—just some minor scrapes. However, the worst internal injury had already been inflicted the moment she first made contact.
But Jiraiya, who had shielded her, was in a far worse condition.
This leads to an important point that must be mentioned: ninjas, after all, are still humans with high offensive power but low defense. The shockwave they just experienced wasn't something an ordinary person could withstand. With such wide range and devastating force, it far exceeded any typical ninjutsu—even for someone like Jiraiya.
Slightly tilting her head upward, Tsunade saw Jiraiya's tightly shut eyes and deeply furrowed brows. A faint trace of worry flickered across her face.
His face was littered with wounds, blood trickling down from his forehead and over his eyebrows. His arms were also covered in injuries, blood streaming out from deep cuts that exposed muscle, making him look pitifully battered.
Despite being so severely injured, Jiraiya's arms wrapped protectively around Tsunade never loosened. He continued to shield her like a living barrier.
After calling his name a few times without response, Tsunade stopped trying.
She could feel the warmth and gentle rise of his chest—he wasn't seriously hurt, just briefly knocked out by the impact.
Moreover, buried beneath the rubble, there was no space for her to use [Monstrous Strength], making escape difficult until Jiraiya woke up.
Surprisingly calm now, she simply gazed quietly at Jiraiya's somewhat pale face, a subtle expression forming on her own.
Even in the middle of that chaos, he was still thinking of her—instinctively throwing himself in front of danger. A strange warmth stirred inside her, something she couldn't quite name.
Rumble... Rumble...
The earth continued to shake violently, and the noise outside remained intense, though it seemed to gradually move farther away. The technique's range was far greater than Tsunade had expected.
"Hmm?"
Jiraiya opened his eyes and met a pair of unusually gentle ones. He blinked, momentarily dazed.
But soon, he remembered they were still in the middle of battle. His gaze turned serious and focused.
"Hey… are you finally awake?"
...
Minato looked out through the large window with a hint of horror. Thanks to the wide opening and their elevated position, he had an expansive view of most of the village.
What a sight it was!
Minato felt his lips dry as awe filled his heart. If it weren't for years of strict self-control, he would've already let out a few choice words.
A massive cloud of dust darkened the skies, mixed with debris as it rushed toward them at terrifying speed. It wasn't aimed directly at them, but rather sweeping toward the outer edges of the village—they were just caught in its path.
"Sensei…"
Obito noticed the view outside too. He cast Minato a troubled glance, his eyes heavy with concern.
His entire body stiffened noticeably. Clearly nervous, even when facing Saitama Uchiha, he had never felt so powerless.
If this really was a ninja technique, then only a god or the legendary Sage of Six Paths could have possibly created it.
That was the only thought racing through his mind right now.
"Let's get out of here first. Go to the back of the Hokage Rock."
After a brief moment of daze, Minato's eyes regained their determination. He left those words behind before vanishing on the spot.
Obito heard his teacher's order. Though still deeply shocked, he began to act accordingly. However, as he moved, a trace of worry emerged in his mind.
Rin seemed to still be on duty at the hospital today. Hopefully nothing happens to her!
Clutching his hands tightly, Obito and other ninja hidden in the shadows quickly vanished, heading toward the Hokage Rock.
A terrifying force was ripping through the sky and hurtling toward them. In the moment they hesitated, the distance between them had already shortened again. It felt just like racing against [the Shinigami] himself—everyone understood that something extremely dangerous lay behind them, yet they kept getting chased down.
Whoosh!
Minato Namikaze appeared inside the bedroom, instantly meeting Kushina's slightly surprised gaze.
Kushina hadn't been asleep. Her stamina and strength were more than enough—she'd merely been lying in bed mostly to keep Naruto company.
The boy was still young but had stayed with Kushina based on Minato's orders before he left. Not being able to go outside made him really frustrated. It felt like punishment, which naturally made him anxious—and soon, tired and sleepy.
"Minato, you're back? What's going on outside..."
Seeing Minato after several days apart, Kushina looked genuinely happy. Upon realizing it was him entering the room, she instinctively smiled, her face lighting up beautifully.
"Don't talk yet. Let's leave first."
Minato didn't hesitate. From the window, he saw the scene spreading toward them. Earlier, it had still been far away, so its spread didn't look that fast at first. But just within the time it took for him to use the Shifting Body Technique and enter the room, the earth's tremors had become very noticeable.
"Okay."
Kushina was strong and naturally aware of the situation outdoors as well. Instantly, one hand pulled the still-sleeping Naruto into her arms.
Boom!
The noise from outside grew even louder. Remaining calm, Minato rushed over and wrapped his arms around his wife and child.
With a 'whoosh,' the three disappeared from the bedroom.
In the next instant, the house was obliterated—walls exploded, floors caved in...
[Shinra Tenjin] had engulfed the place, leveling everything flat.
...
"What the hell is this?!"
When they reappeared, Minato had already carried Kushina and Naruto to a position on the mountains behind the Hokage Rock.
As Hokage, he'd left numerous Flying Thunder God markings all over the village for convenience.
Of course, with his strong reputation and happy family life at home, he naturally wouldn't use ninjutsu in any shameful or undignified way, unlike some unscrupulous people.
Standing atop the Hokage Rock, Minato could observe the entire Konoha Village more clearly: centered around the hospital area, an invisible force was rampaging through the village destructively. After being ravaged, what remained were only yellow earth and ruins.
Those civilians, ninja, merchants, and others who had once lived here had all vanished in this devastation.
They might still be alive beneath the ruins—or they could already have been wiped out by such a Ninjutsu...
A flicker of sorrow crossed Minato's eyes. With a technique this powerful, it seemed few would have survived.
Ninja might be alright—they'd trained their bodies for years through taijutsu, making them tougher—but what about the civilians?
Though Hidden Villages relied on their ninja, it was actually the civilians who formed the foundation of the village, serving as the 'fresh blood' that kept it growing and thriving.
And now, after an attack like this, Konoha's losses were incalculably heavy.
This was likely also the first time since Konoha's foundation as a Hidden Village that enemies had breached its walls and caused such widespread destruction. While the title of "Strongest Ninja Village" wasn't that important, Konoha's status had definitely taken a hit.
Peering through the thick clouds of dust, Minato noticed a small black figure hovering at the very center.
Was that the one behind all this—the culprit responsible for such a devastating Ninjutsu?
"Minato!"
"Dad!"
At that moment, the whole world froze into silence.
Kushina, whose arm Minato had been holding, and Naruto, who had just woken up in her arms, stared blankly ahead, instinctively crying out before falling silent, their faces frozen with shock.
Especially young Naruto, who had never truly seen the real power of a jutsu—just waking up from sleep, he was completely stunned by the scene before him.
Why did the village look like this after I woke up? Is this really the power of a Ninjutsu? Could the village really not withstand an enemy assault?
Although he had known earlier that the village was under enemy attack, Naruto hadn't taken it seriously. As long as his mother was beside him, even though he felt some anxiety, he hadn't been too worried.
In his heart, Konoha was the strongest village in the world, and his father was the strongest ninja. Given enough time, nothing could stop them.
But now, Naruto's belief began to waver...
"Teacher!"
Obito Uchiha appeared beside Minato. The other ninja who had fled with him earlier were nowhere to be seen.
"Obito, take care of Naruto and Kushina."
Minato let go of Kushina's hand and stared at the dark silhouette in the sky, his lips tightening.
Boom!
The full force of [Shinra Tenjin] was finally unleashed. A powerful shockwave slammed into the cliff wall below Hokage Rock, shaking the entire mountainside.
Almost simultaneously, a stone wall rose in front of Minato, blocking the violent gusts of wind created by the impact.
"Minato!"
"Teacher!"
"Dad!"
When they heard Minato speak, the three of them tensed up and turned to face him.
"I am the Hokage!"
"When the village needs me most, I must stand up and fight!"
"The enemy is strong."
"But I'm not weak either."
Minato patted Kushina's hand firmly and gave her a determined smile.
"Then I'll go with Teacher too!"
Taking a step forward, Obito stood by Minato's side, both facing the dark figure slowly descending from the sky.
"The Akatsuki's target is Kushina. You must stay here and protect her. Now, only you can do that, right?"
Minato gazed at Obito, his tone both gentle and firm.
"Yes!" Obito replied firmly, though a flicker of hesitation remained in his eyes.
"Don't worry, just wait for me to come back. Naruto, stay with your mom and protect her well!"
After receiving his disciple's response, Minato smiled slightly at Kushina, then reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair.
Poof!
In a flash, he was gone.
"Sensei will definitely succeed. Let's stay right here and wait for him."
Obito spoke softly, but his hands were clenched tightly, appearing extremely reluctant.
"I understand. He deserves our unwavering belief."
Kushina nodded, her gaze directed toward the distance.
Actually, her strength was far from lacking either. Even without going all out, she would be a match for very few in the entire shinobi world.
The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Techniques combined with part of the Nine-Tails' power were immensely strong, though this force was difficult to control. A slight mistake might lead to disaster.
At this moment, Kushina also understood Minato's intentions. To prevent accidents and to protect her, it was indeed an appropriate decision not to allow her to appear within the enemy's sight.
Placing Naruto on the ground and holding his hand, she raised her other hand to gently touch the lower part of her abdomen.
A powerful force was raging there, but due to the existence of an immense Sealing Technique, it showed no signs of emerging.
Perhaps a time would come when she'd need to unleash it…
She prayed that day would never come.
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