CHAPTER 593: CHAPTER 81: RAZED TO THE GROUND

The five Pains gathered together, and Konan, who received the retreat orders, also arrived nearby.

"Why suddenly withdraw from Konoha? Now is the critical stage of the attack."

Konan had a vague sense of foreboding in her heart.

"I have to use that."

Chikushodo spoke, which was actually Nagato speaking.

"Huh?"

Konan was stunned for a moment, then thought of something and urgently said, "No, although your body has somewhat recovered, using that jutsu will shorten your lifespan."

"It doesn’t matter. The Nine-Tails is now in Konoha, and it’s an opportunity to capture it, and time is running out. Bai Ye can’t hold on much longer."

After Ningendo spoke, the five Pains lunged forward simultaneously, as Nagato needed to focus on controlling Heavenly Dao’s Pain.

"The power of the six is being..."

Konan’s face looked even more grim.

...

Inside Konoha.

Boom, boom, boom!

The resounding explosions were endless. The Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto was crazily attacking Su Xiao. Even after a Universal Pull from Heavenly Dao, Naruto ignored it, hell-bent on killing Su Xiao.

The light blue blade aura swept across the battlefield, slicing the roof off a house.

Su Xiao’s bare torso had several claw marks, and his Akatsuki uniform was long torn to shreds.

A short skirmish with the Six-Tails state Naruto wasn’t an issue, but over time, he wouldn’t be able to hold on.

He only had 735 points of mana left, so he had to use it sparingly, avoiding attacks where possible and conserving the energy shield for critical moments.

Su Xiao was embroiled in a heated battle, with blade auras and mini tailed beast bombs flying everywhere, while on the other side, Heavenly Dao entered God Mode...

Heavenly Dao was facing off against Tsunade, who had several Anbu standing behind her. A female Anbu whispered something to Tsunade.

"They’re retreating?"

Tsunade was surprised, and also somewhat unwilling.

"Lady Tsunade, let them retreat for now. We’ll use this time to fortify the village’s defense."

Tsunade didn’t respond, which was a tacit agreement, although doing so felt a little humiliating.

"Let me ask you one last question."

Heavenly Dao spoke, glancing at the battle on Su Xiao’s side. Realizing Su Xiao wouldn’t lose immediately, he continued, "The Chakra under your feet is meant to counter my abilities?"

At this moment, the feet of Tsunade and others were all infused with Chakra.

Tsunade didn’t speak and instead watched the battle between Su Xiao and the Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto.

"It seems you understand my abilities, but against overwhelming power, it’s all meaningless. You’ve already proven this, you self-proclaimed protagonists and dominators of the world, believing you have a long way from death."

Heavenly Dao’s Rinnegan gradually widened. He wasn’t spouting nonsense; he was preparing a jutsu that went unnoticed by Tsunade and the others.

"But your naiveté in peaceful immersion is shallow and foolish. Killing will only lead to getting killed, and hatred binds the two closely together."

Tsunade seemed unable to listen any longer and interjected, "ranting incessantly like this..."

Heavenly Dao ignored Tsunade and continued, "Every war comes with deaths on both sides, causing wounds and pain, no matter how justified its cause is. War is ugly, just like what I’m doing now."

"That’s enough." Tsunade interrupted Heavenly Dao.

"We of the great nations also bear pain; don’t make excuses to trouble us."

Tsunade clenched her fists, ready to attack.

Heavenly Dao’s Rinnegan stared at Tsunade, and her footsteps paused.

"Pathetic."

Heavenly Dao wasn’t saying Tsunade’s words were pathetic, but that the enemy hadn’t noticed he was preparing a pupil skill.

"Bai Ye, it’s time to exit."

Heavenly Dao shouted, his body beginning to float into the sky.

"Wait, Pain!"

Tsunade felt something was amiss, but Heavenly Dao ignored her.

Boom!

The Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto slapped the ground with a claw, tilting his head back, and launched a mini Tailed Beast Bomb at Su Xiao.

Su Xiao extended his palm, and a 300-point strong energy shield appeared in front of him.

With a thud, the mini Tailed Beast Bomb hit the energy shield, which glowed blue without even a single crack.

Su Xiao wiped away the blood from his chin. The Six-Tails state Naruto was too strong, and his lasting this long was partly due to luck.

In the Six-Tails state, Naruto might not even recognize his own father, yet he clung to the determination to kill Su Xiao amid a relentless onslaught of people nearby, Naruto focusing solely on Su Xiao like it was a matter of life and death.

Su Xiao moved his energy shield to his side and thrust his long knife towards Naruto’s approaching claw.

Although the Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto’s body was very strong, as long as he didn’t hit the exoskeleton, the Dragon Slash could pierce his body.

The long knife penetrated through Naruto’s claw, and Blue Steel Shadow Energy invaded his body.

"Roar!!"

The Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto let out a pained cry, as energy within him showed signs of rampaging.

With a swoosh, another Chakra tail sprouted from Naruto’s back, much to Su Xiao’s frustration. Every time the Blue Steel Shadow Energy invaded Naruto, Nine-Tails would capitalize on the moment.

The Seven-Tails state Naruto was even more dangerous. Having delayed long enough, Su Xiao gripped his knife with both hands, muscles slightly tensed, a layer of blood-red energy appearing on his body as he activated the ability of the "Minotaur Lord’s Arm Armor".

Equipment Effect: Minotaur Lord’s Rage (Active). After activating this skill, power +15 points for 10 seconds.

Note: The cooldown for Minotaur Lord’s Rage (Active) is 10 natural days.

Note: Activating Minotaur Lord’s Rage (Active) requires consuming 30% Life Value.

...

Su Xiao’s usual power attribute was 53 points, and with this 15-point bonus, his power attribute rose to 68 points.

Surging power filled Su Xiao as he gripped his knife and slammed the impaled Naruto, flinging him away.

With a whoosh, the Tailed Beast Transformation Naruto was flung ten meters into the air. But it didn’t stop there; Su Xiao wielded his knife, slashing at Naruto repeatedly, sending blade auras flying that made Naruto roar non-stop mid-air.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiao jumped onto the back of a strange bird, a summons of Chikushodo’s.

The strange bird spread its wings, shooting into the sky, as Heavenly Dao hovered above Konoha.

Tsunade watched the airborne Heavenly Dao. Su Xiao’s retreating actions made her uneasy, and the now-seventh-tailed Naruto added to the trouble.

"Let the world taste pain."

Heavenly Dao took a deep breath.

"Shinra Tensei!"

A terrifying repulsive force expanded downward from Heavenly Dao at its center, not affecting Su Xiao who was at a higher altitude.

Su Xiao, holding a cigarette in his mouth, had been preparing for just such a scenario.

From high in the sky, Su Xiao saw a yellow dot appear at the center of Konoha, which wasn’t actually a yellow dot but the ground revealed as buildings were pushed away by the repulsive force.

The yellow dot’s area quickly expanded as numerous shattered buildings were pushed to the edges of Konoha, along with Konoha’s villagers and ninjas.

"How could it be this early? This isn’t scientific."

The voice of a young girl seemed to come from somewhere, the owner of the voice buried under the building debris, with only an alabaster arm exposed.

Five seconds later, Konoha Village was no more; the once-constructed Konoha was razed to the ground.

This flattening wasn’t a metaphor but rather the actual state of Konoha.

[Notice: Konoha Village’s destruction level exceeds 70%, Main Quest: Withering Wood Lv.23 (Completed).]

[Obtained 10 x Soul Crystal (Medium).]

[Obtained 12 attribute points.]