Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

Nagato let out a soft breath.

His Animal Path clone had been entangled with Uchiha Chihaya for so long, so he naturally knew that Uchiha Sogen was still holding back. Even if he summoned the Three-Tails, it didn't mean that he was really going all out. Putting aside everything else, Uchiha Chihaya's Susanoo was so powerful.

I don't believe Uchiha Sogen is any better than Uchiha Chihaya.

He had been on guard against Uchiha Sogen's move, and at the same time, he was thinking about how to fight against Uchiha Sogen when he used the 'Complete Susanoo'. You know, when facing Uchiha Chihaya's Susanoo, the Animal Path clone could only rely on the summoning beasts he had accumulated over the years to play the piecemeal tactic.

Later, it was only through a combined surprise attack by Pain's Deva Path, Preta Path, Asura Path, and Animal Path that Uchiha Chihaya was caught off guard and defeated. Furthermore, due to Obito Uchiha's unauthorized visit, they were unable to completely eliminate him...

My thoughts have wandered a bit too far.

Returning to the question of how to counter Uchiha Sogen's complete Susanoo, Nagato pondered for a long time and realized that, given that Uchiha Sogen also possessed the Rinnegan, he really didn't have many additional means to contend with that thing.

apart from,

that.

While Susanoo was transforming, Nagato wasn't idle either. His two mechanical arms unleashed a barrage of attacks, while his hands swiftly formed hand seals. He then slammed both hands onto the cold mobility device beneath him, unleashing a series of black runes.

This is—

"Spiritual communication!"

Another enormous creature appeared in the 'narrow' cavity.

It was a huge humanoid figure in a seated position, with its hands and feet bound by black shackles. It had nine eyes, all of which were closed. Its color was the same as its body, like dead wood, and there were ten pillar-like protrusions behind it.

This time,

Amegakure has truly suffered a terrible misfortune.

The two behemoths hadn't even started fighting yet, but their mere presence had already caused devastating damage to the surrounding environment. Large swathes of rock were broken, and the already not-so-small cavity was expanded considerably, large enough to accommodate the two behemoths.

Even worse off were the Konoha members who approached to investigate.

The sudden appearance of these two enormous creatures destroyed a large area of ​​the surrounding land. If it weren't for Uchiha Shisui's lightning-fast reaction and the use of the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport everyone to a distance, there might have been three or four more enormous creatures of different colors appearing on the ground.

Of course, it wasn't just Konoha who wanted to curse their bad luck.

Black Zetsu really wanted to curse at this moment.

He had finally managed to summon a White Zetsu again, rebuild his body, and reunite with Obito Uchiha, who had escaped the bottom of the cave and arrived on the surface after using the Wood Release: Wood Human Technique. Before he could even find out what had happened down there, this series of changes came one after another.

Obito Uchiha, that slippery fellow, used 'Kamui' to escape.

He stayed behind and experienced another intense collision.

The newly recruited White Zetsu died instantly with a "splat," while Black Zetsu was forced back into liquid form, tumbling into the ruins. If it weren't for the fact that it was inconvenient to speak at this moment, and that he was afraid of attracting unnecessary attention, Black Zetsu really wanted to curse Obito Uchiha for being such a bastard. Couldn't he have taken him with him to avoid this collision?

Or, to put it another way, use the wooden dummy technique to collide with it!

Although he hadn't had a chance to hear Obito Uchiha explain what was going on, he already understood half of it just by hearing the name Uchiha Munen. When he was knocked away by the deep red Susanoo, he understood the other half.

······

On the other side.

Unnoticed by the Konoha members and Black Zetsu, Sasori, cloaked in white, was smashed to pieces—literally to pieces. His limbs were shattered, his legs were broken, his right forearm was gone, and only his thumb and forefinger remained on his left hand. Even his eyeballs and ears were worn away during the impact.

Fortunately, the white cloak was really sturdy. Although it was slightly damaged, it did not affect its ability to remain concealed.

"What terrible luck!"

Scorpion lay in the ruins, tilting his head back to feel the rainwater falling from the sky accumulating in the socket of his left eye.

As for,

Orochimaru, who was traveling with him.

Thinking of that venomous snake with its hideous smile, Scorpion felt a burning hatred, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. Even though he was now in the form of a puppet, this belated sense of dread still made him feel cold.

They had originally been sneaking towards the hollow together.

The two enormous creatures appeared very suddenly. Faced with this sudden and wide-ranging 'attack', Scorpion didn't even know where to dodge. Fortunately, his body had already been transformed into a puppet, so he wasn't directly smashed to pieces. As long as the core wasn't seriously damaged, it was just a matter of replacing some parts.

Orochimaru, who also faced this unavoidable impact, immediately turned into smoke and disappeared with a "bang".

Yes,

Orochimaru, who was acting with him, was just a shadow clone.

If it weren't for this unexpected turn of events, Sasori would have been completely unaware that Orochimaru, who was traveling with him, was actually just a shadow clone. So, was Orochimaru originally a shadow clone? Or did Orochimaru replace his real body with a shadow clone halfway through the journey?

Regardless of which is the truth

Sasori realized just how terrifying Orochimaru was!

If he were to actually fight Orochimaru, he probably wouldn't come out on top.

"Orochimaru... that damn bastard, this feeling is just too... disgusting." Sasori gritted his teeth, his battered face contorted with intense hatred and resentment. Admitting that he was inferior to that bastard Orochimaru was more painful than death!

but,

After realizing Orochimaru wasn't there

A new question arose in his mind: Where exactly is Orochimaru?

[Chapter 393. The Heretical Statue]

As the saying goes, "You can search high and low without finding it, but life is full of unexpected encounters!"

it turns out,

And just like that, it appeared right in front of me.

I wasted time exploring almost the entire area below Amegakure. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered... But I'm not afraid of the twists and turns of the road. As long as the final result is good, then all the effort and hard work will be worthwhile!

"The Demonic Statue of the Heretic!!!"

Zongxian stared at the enormous creature that appeared in his field of vision, a fiery glint flashing deep in his eyes.

"Uchiha Munen, let me show you the terrifying power of the prototype of the strongest tailed beast weapon that I want to create!"

Nagato roared.

The Demonic Statue of the Heretic

It was the prototype of the strongest tailed beast weapon he had prepared. According to his original plan, he needed to gather the power of all nine tailed beasts so that he could create a tailed beast weapon that was truly invincible in the ninja world and could destroy a country with a flick of its finger. After experiencing that unforgettable pain, peace would be born.

It was only due to the circumstances that...

This was the only time he could summon the prototype of the strongest tailed beast weapon to fight.

however,

The very next second after Nagato shouted,

The deep crimson Susanoo suddenly kicked out, stomping heavily on the abdomen of the seated Gedo Mazo. To be honest, the force of this kick could have shattered a small hill. However, the Gedo Mazo, being the shell of the Divine Tree, not only withstood the kick but also didn't leave a single footprint on its body.

It merely moved its body back a few meters again, crushing another large section of rocky land.

However, Zongxian didn't expect this kick to have any effect. He only used the Outer Path Demon Statue as a stepping stone to leap out of the hole. The area inside the hole was too narrow. If a fight really broke out, it would only be a brutal exchange of blows, with no room to maneuver or turn around.

Not to mention that Sogen's Susanoo's signature weapon is a greatsword.

It should be noted that

Different Susanoo have their own exclusive weapons. Uchiha Shisui's Susanoo wields a spiral sword, Uchiha Chihaya's Susanoo holds a naginata, and Uchiha Itachi is destined to master the two spiritual weapons, the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror.

Zongxian was envious.

after all,

Zongxian's Susanoo's signature weapon is the greatsword he's holding right now.

The so-called Ōdachi, also known as a nodachi, is a weapon whose length can rival that of a proper long polearm like a naginata. It is impossible to wield it in a narrow cavity; one can only swing it easily by jumping out.

"Roar!!!"

Just as the deep crimson Susanoo emerged from that great void,

The demonic statue of the Outer Path, which had been kicked hard, let out an angry roar.

When this thing was summoned, it was as still as a dead thing, but in fact it was not a mindless statue. Even though it had not recovered the lost power of the tailed beast, the Gedo Mazo still had invincible fighting power.

This wasn't the first time Nagato had used the power of the Gedo Mazo in battle.

once,

When Yahiko died, he had already unleashed a massacre by controlling the Gedo Mazo.

"Xiao Nan, stay away."

Nagato shouted loudly.

Beside him, Konan knew the situation was urgent. Her presence by Nagato's side would only be an extra burden. She dared not be negligent for a moment. She flapped her snow-white wings made of white paper and soared into the sky like a swan, widening the distance between herself and the Gedo Mazo.

Then,

Then lightning shot out from the ten pillar-like protrusions behind the Gedo Mazo. The thick bolt of lightning struck Susanoo, which had just stood on the ground. The force was so heavy and powerful that even Zongxian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Susanoo's armor was cracked, and it was also knocked back three steps by the impact.

In the time it takes to take three steps back,

The demonic statue of the heretic suddenly stood up.

The black shackles on his feet and hands were broken and torn apart. Like a wild beast, he crawled out of the hole using both hands and feet. The lightning on the ten pillars behind him never went out, and thick bolts of lightning kept blasting out.

Thunder sound,

The sea of ​​clouds and the land shook.

The surrounding sky and earth were illuminated by the lightning, as if it were midday in the desert of the Land of Wind when the sun was at its strongest.

"It's just an empty shell, stop making a fuss here."

Zongxian shouted out loud.

Although he couldn't even hear his own voice amidst the deafening thunder, it didn't stop Susanoo from launching a counterattack, even though the Tengu's armor was already on the verge of shattering from the continuous onslaught.

But it didn't break in the end!

It can probably withstand a few more lightning strikes!

As long as it doesn't interfere with Susanoo's attack, that's enough.

The deep crimson Susanoo gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, and the chakra within Sogen poured out like a dam bursting. Not far away, even the Three-Tails' aura seemed to weaken at this moment. Along with it, a thin layer of flames, seemingly about to be blown out by the wind or extinguished by the rain, began to wrap around the blade of the deep crimson greatsword.