Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 397 Konoha Crisis 6

Tsunade didn't answer Choji's question. Her gaze remained firm and resolute, as if telling Choji that this was her decision. She took a deep breath and spoke again, her voice carrying an undeniable determination: "Go now!"

Choji Akimichi's eyes widened, tears welling up, but he didn't press the matter further. He understood that Tsunade's silence had given him the answer. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran towards the former battlefield. His steps were swift, as if he wanted to vent all his sorrow and anger.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Choji Akimichi murmured softly, tears streaming down his face. His heart was filled with grief and self-reproach, but also with a strong determination. He knew he had to complete the task Kakashi had given him, no matter the cost.

He quickened his pace, his figure gradually disappearing into the distance. The battlefield was filled with smoke and blood, but he showed no fear, resolutely charging forward. He had only one belief in his heart: to rescue his father as quickly as possible.

"Kakashi-sensei, I have completed the task you assigned me!" Choji Akimichi murmured to himself, his eyes shining with determination. He proved with his actions that he had not let Kakashi down.

Tsunade, however, was filled with rage. She walked to the edge and slammed her fist against the rooftop wall, venting her anger. Her hatred for Pain had reached an uncontrollable level.

"Whoosh!" A figure, both strange and familiar, suddenly appeared on the top of the Hokage Building. The figure's rippling eyes coldly stared at Tsunade and the others, who had become wary, his face expressionless. The moment Tsunade saw him, she knew the answer: this figure was none other than Pain, the Deva Path who had just brutally murdered Kakashi Hatake. Her gaze instantly turned serious, fixing intently on the enemy before her.

The Anbu members behind Tsunade immediately sprang into action, quickly closing in on her to form a protective wall. Simultaneously, they gathered a large amount of chakra in the soles of their feet, preparing to counter any potential repulsive impact from Pain. Everyone remained highly vigilant, not daring to relax for a moment. A tense atmosphere permeated the entire scene, as if a life-or-death struggle was about to unfold.

However, Pain did not immediately launch an attack. He stood quietly, his gaze fixed firmly on Tsunade. After a moment of silence, his voice was deep and powerful, carrying an irresistible authority: "For the future peace of the ninja world, our Akatsuki organization hopes that your Konoha Village will hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This is our request, and also a test for Konoha Village. If you can meet this condition, then Konoha Village will have a chance to continue to exist. What do you think, Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade?"

His words were filled with pressure and decisiveness, making it impossible to ignore their seriousness. His gaze was fixed on Tsunade, as if awaiting her response.

"Peace? Look around! Where is the peace?" Tsunade shouted angrily, pointing at the smoke and ruins of Konoha. She now regarded Pain as a lunatic, wantonly destroying Konoha, yet coming here to talk about peace. It was utterly absurd; the Akatsuki truly lived up to its reputation as an organization composed of a bunch of madmen.

"These are necessary sacrifices for future peace. After you know and experience the pain, you will truly understand peace! This is a necessary process. Only by experiencing the same pain will you realize the importance of peace, and you great powers will not wantonly trample on other small countries, start wars and turn small countries into battlefields, and allow the ninja world to truly enter peace!" Pain's tone remained calm as he spoke to Tsunade about his philosophy of peace.

"It's not just other small countries that are suffering; we, the great powers, are enduring the same pain! You're just looking for excuses to cause destruction! Don't use peace as a pretext to cover up the destruction you've inflicted on Konoha! Bastards!" Tsunade immediately retorted, completely disagreeing with their words. With the outbreak of war, these great powers were also facing the pain of losing loved ones and comrades; everyone felt the same way.

"It seems you great powers still haven't truly experienced real suffering! You recklessly use small nations as battlefields, yet you still clamor that you've experienced the same pain—how laughable!" Pain's face was filled with disdain as he calmly recounted his words. After glancing at everyone, he continued, "Without experiencing true suffering, one cannot truly understand it. I will make you truly understand suffering, comprehend suffering, and truly comprehend suffering!"

After speaking, Pain's body began to rise rapidly into the air, his expression serious as he looked at Tsunade and the other Konoha ninja. He needed to make Konoha experience true suffering so that they would understand the Akatsuki's peace ideals and recognize that the Akatsuki would bring true peace to the ninja world.

Tsunade stared intently at Pain, watching him ascend into the sky, a sudden, intense sense of foreboding washing over her. Without hesitation, she swiftly gave chase, shouting, "What are you doing, Pain!" Her voice betrayed her anxiety and vigilance. She knew Pain's immense power and his shrouded mystery; she couldn't fathom his true purpose in this moment.

Tsunade gave chase at breakneck speed, keeping a close watch on Pain's every move. She dared not relax for a moment, lest she miss a single detail. As Pain rose higher and higher, Tsunade's unease intensified; she knew a great crisis might be imminent. However, she was not afraid; instead, she gritted her teeth, determined to fight Pain to the death.

Once Payne reached a certain height, he spoke: "Feel pain, experience pain, accept pain, understand pain. Only by truly experiencing the same pain can one truly understand pain! Those who do not know pain will not know what peace is! From this moment on, let the world feel pain!"

"Shinra Tensei!"

At this moment, an unparalleled and immense amount of chakra surged from Pain's body. This was all because Nagato, who was manipulating things from behind the scenes, had poured most of his chakra into Pain's body. Due to this powerful force, even the other six Paths of Pain completely lost control.

Nagato did this because he believed that only by letting the Konoha ninja experience the same pain he had suffered could they truly understand the meaning of peace. He firmly believed that only in this way could people recognize the cruelty of war and ultimately pursue peace.

As Pain's cold voice rang out, his chakra suddenly erupted, and the terrifying energy fluctuations distorted the air.

This attack was a culmination of Nagato's chakra. He also pushed the repulsive force rules contained within the Rinnegan to their limit.

Below, Konoha Village seemed to have encountered an apocalyptic catastrophe. Centered on Pain, the ground began to crack, houses collapsed like paper, and people fled in terror, but could not escape this powerful force.

A repulsive force surged forth from Pain's body like a tidal wave, spreading outwards. The entire Hidden Leaf Village was enveloped by this power, and everything was destroyed in an instant. Streets, houses, trees... everything was mercilessly pushed into the distance, reduced to ruins.

In just a few seconds, the once bustling Konoha Village was gone, replaced by a huge crater. Dust and smoke filled the crater, obscuring the view inside.

At the edge of the crater, the ruins of Konoha Village lay scattered everywhere, with fragments of buildings flying all over the place. The once vibrant village was now desolate and barren.

This sudden disaster plunged Konoha Village into despair. The villagers lost their homes, and the ninjas faced unprecedented challenges.

The moment Tsunade saw Pain launch his attack, a resolute glint flashed in her eyes. Without hesitation, she mobilized all the chakra in her body, even releasing the chakra she had stored in the Yin Seal for many years without reservation. This powerful chakra surged into the summoning beast, Katsuyu, like a raging torrent.

As a large amount of chakra flowed in, the slug's body began to change. Its originally soft skin became as hard as iron, and its muscle lines became more defined, as if it possessed a body of steel. At the same time, the slug's healing abilities were greatly enhanced, enabling it to heal injured ninjas more quickly and effectively.

Tsunade fought so desperately because she had keenly sensed that the opponent's attack would be extremely terrifying. However, as the Hokage of Konoha, she knew she bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the village and its ninjas. Even in the face of immense danger, she could not back down. Therefore, she resolutely poured all her power into the slug, hoping to protect more villagers and ninjas and reduce the number of attacks they would suffer.

Smoke and dust filled Konoha Village, obscuring the sky and making it impossible to see anything. The entire village had vanished, leaving only a massive crater, as if swallowed by a colossal beast. The crater was filled with shattered buildings and ruins; the once prosperous streets, houses, and shops were all gone. It was a devastating blow, a heartbreaking tragedy.

Pain's attack wiped out Konoha, the most prosperous and wealthy village in the ninja world. This village, once full of life and hope, is now nothing but desolation and death. The villagers lost their homes, the ninjas lost their battle base, and the entire ninja world lost a vital source of power.

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, the Konoha ninjas, protected by the slugs, were freed from them and were met with this apocalyptic scene.