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"They're getting farther and farther from the village—Naruto and Pain are both outside the walls now!"
"What's going on?!" Sakura gasped, confused.
"Looks like Pain's retreating. The Nine-Tails' power is pushing him back!"
Pain darted across the landscape at blinding speed, fleeing desperately. Behind him, the partially transformed Nine-Tails surged forward, a tidal wave of raw power chasing after him.
The beast was gaining fast—faster and faster—until it overtook Pain, racing at his side, its whole body burning with an energy like living fire. Wherever that energy touched, the world shattered into dust.
Pain suddenly leapt from a cliff, landing near the riverbank and sprinting along it, but the berserk fox was right behind, refusing to give him even a heartbeat's reprieve.
Through dense forest, Pain tore forward with supernatural precision, not so much as brushing a branch.
From afar, his true body murmured, "He's close enough now… close enough for the Deva Path."
"Planetary Devastation!"
Pressing his palms together, Pain summoned a surge of terrible chakra that rippled through the air.
Konan's voice broke sharply, "Don't! You'll destroy yourself—your body can't—"
"Quiet, Konan. I need to focus."
Between his hands, a small black sphere appeared, pulsing with eerie, otherworldly light.
It shot skyward.
The Nine-Tails roared, spewing countless crimson blasts of energy at Pain. He vaulted high, weaving between the attacks, then shouted again:
"Planetary Devastation!"
The black sphere soared higher, until it reached the very face of the sun—where it seemed to merge with it.
At once, the sky blazed white.
The earth groaned. Soil ripped free of the ground, boulders shattered loose, trees tore up by their roots, mountains cracked apart—all drawn toward the heavens.
The sphere at the center dragged everything into its pull, growing larger and larger as stone and rubble fused around it.
Pain lifted his arms high, like a priest conducting a forbidden rite.
The Nine-Tails charged him head-on. With a roar, Pain thrust out his hand, unleashing a wave of crushing repulsion. Rocks swarmed around the beast, binding it, but a crimson beam of raw power exploded from the fox's mouth, cutting through the prison and lancing toward Pain.
He braced himself, channeling monstrous strength through his arms.
BOOM!
The beam was hurled back at its source. The fox howled, blasted backward, skidding across the battlefield. When it tried to regain its footing, the boulder beneath it tore skyward, carrying it helplessly into the pull of the sphere.
Stone piled on stone, mountains collapsing, all drawn into that terrible, growing satellite above.
The Nine-Tails fought back desperately, spewing one beam after another, detonations rocking the sky. Pain shielded himself with massive slabs of rock, explosions lighting the battlefield crimson and shrouding it in choking dust.
At last, high above, a vast stone orb hung in the heavens—like a newborn moon. Its surface gleamed with an eerie radiance as rubble continued to spiral upward.
The Nine-Tails thrashed against its fate, hurling explosions at the sphere, but it was pointless—the massive core swallowed every assault like the sea drinking rain.
Far away, Nagato let out a guttural roar, blood running from his nose. More and more power surged out of him.
The sphere's pull deepened. The fox was dragged fully into its surface, buried beneath layer after layer of stone until its form was swallowed completely.
Konan stared wide-eyed. "This… this is too much. Did it have to be this extreme?"
Nagato, blood staining his lips, answered hoarsely, "It's the Nine-Tails. We can't afford to take chances. Compared to the moon the Sage of Six Paths once forged, this is nothing. What matters is that… the beast is captured."
In the Hidden Leaf
Kakashi could only stare, stunned. "The Rinnegan… its power really goes that far? Even the Nine-Tails, completely suppressed…"
He clenched his fists. "Back then, to stop the fox, even the Fourth Hokage—our teacher—gave his life."
Throughout the village, faces were frozen in awe and horror. The legendary Sage's eye was real—and its might was beyond comprehension.
Within Akatsuki
Deidara burst into manic laughter. "That's our leader! He just went and made a freaking moon! Hah! No one else could ever pull something like that off!"
Sasori's voice trembled despite himself. "Truly divine… his power is beyond the scope of any shinobi."
Kisame grinned shark-like. "So, the Nine-Tails is ours."
Itachi only watched in silence, his expression unreadable. Naruto… captured? And Sasuke… where has he gone? He wasn't seen in Konoha earlier. I'll need to investigate this… quietly.
In the shadows, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with greed. "Such perfect eyes… stronger even than the Sharingan. The Rinnegan, the eye of the Sage of Six Paths. I'll join this organization… and when the time is right, I'll take them for myself. With them, immortality's secrets will be mine."
In the World of Saint Seiya
From the Leo Palace of the Zodiac, Aiolia opened his golden eyes. "The Nine-Tails… what a terrifying beast. And that man—Pain—actually managed to subdue it."
"These warriors from other worlds… they fight like monsters. I wonder if even my Light Speed Fist could prevail against them."
His gaze hardened. "I haven't trained enough. If I can awaken another sense… ignite my Cosmo further… my strength will rise to match theirs."
Around him, the Gold Saints all watched the battle unfolding across worlds, grim-faced and troubled.
In the World of Fairy Tail
Flames roared to life around Natsu, his fists blazing. "I'm fired up now! I'd love to take on this Pain guy myself—let him taste my Dragon Slayer magic!"
A voice cut him short: "Is that so, Natsu? Why don't you try fighting me first?"
A striking figure stepped into the room. Natsu instantly deflated.
"Erza… the Titania."
Inside Naruto's mind, the world was an endless red sea, bubbling with sinister foam.
"Why… why is this happening to me?!"
Naruto stumbled toward a massive iron gate. His face was twisted with despair, confusion, rage.
On the gate, a single sealing tag read seal. Behind it loomed the Nine-Tailed Fox, its malevolent eyes locked hungrily on him.
Far above, Pain raised his voice to the heavens: "Naruto! For the sake of peace, how will you confront hatred? What is your answer?"
Naruto collapsed into the red waters, staring blankly into nothingness. "I… I don't know. It hurts. It hurts so much… I don't want this!"
The giant stone sphere cracked. Red light poured through the fractures, burning brighter and brighter.
Naruto slowly rose from the water, clutching his head. "I don't understand. What should I do? I… I don't know anything anymore…"
His voice broke into a scream. "Somebody—anybody—please save me! Tell me what to do!"
A dark whisper coiled into his mind: Destroy it all. Tear apart everything that causes you pain. Break it, burn it, end it.
"..."
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