Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 398 Konoha Crisis 7

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the Konoha ninja stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, their faces filled with disbelief. The Konoha village they had protected had completely vanished, leaving only ruins and rubble. The once bustling streets, houses, and buildings had all disappeared, replaced by scorched earth and crumbling walls.

The Konoha ninja were filled with grief and anger; they couldn't accept this cruel reality. They had made countless efforts and sacrifices to protect the village, but now it was all in vain. They felt their power was so insignificant, unable to withstand the enemy's attack.

However, they did not completely despair. They knew that the Hokage was still alive and doing his best to protect them. The Hokage's slug appeared just in time, rescuing them from danger and providing them with treatment and support. The Konoha ninja looked at the Hokage with gratitude, their eyes shining with unwavering determination. They decided to continue fighting—to rebuild Konoha, to protect their families and friends, and to uphold peace and justice.

The Hyuga clan members still remaining in Konoha Village broke free from the slug's protection and stared in disbelief at the scene before them. Even with their Byakugan, which granted them a wider field of vision, they were still terrified by what they saw. Their first priority was to quickly relay the situation to their clansmen at their training grounds. The power displayed by Pain was simply too terrifying; they needed to ensure Hyuga Kanan was prepared.

However, the Hyuga clan members in Konoha were unaware that Six Paths of Pain had suffered a severe lesson at the hands of Hyuga Kanan, and they couldn't fathom that Kanan's true strength far exceeded their comprehension. To them, Kanan's power was simply unimaginable; they could hardly fathom the existence of such power. Therefore, they were completely ignorant of Kanan's strength and unable to predict the potential threat and challenge posed by Six Paths of Pain. This led them to worry that Kanan would be at a severe disadvantage, as their complete lack of understanding of their opponent's strength and abilities prevented them from developing effective countermeasures. This ignorance became a key factor in their anxiety, as they feared that Six Paths of Pain would exploit this advantage to inflict heavy damage on their training grounds.

The people at the training grounds were shocked to learn of the Akatsuki's attack on Konoha and the heavy losses suffered. They had assumed Konoha was incredibly strong and wouldn't be easily attacked, but reality had surprised them. Realizing the urgency of the situation, the people at the training grounds immediately relayed the relevant information to Hyuga Neji and Orochimaru. Since Hyuga Kanan went into seclusion, these two had become the most powerful figures at the training grounds, so they needed to hear their opinions and advice on such crucial information.

Upon hearing the specific details, Orochimaru's face revealed a chilling killing intent. Although he outwardly maintained that he had severed all ties with Konoha, anyone who truly understood his character knew that he harbored deep feelings for the village. Moreover, Jiraiya, his childhood friend, had been killed by him. Therefore, Orochimaru decided to travel to Konoha to help the village overcome this calamity.

"Has Konoha truly been utterly destroyed? Was it Pain of the Akatsuki who did this? This is shocking! I must head to Konoha immediately to see for myself. This is also a golden opportunity to test the results of my years of training. I look forward to the battle with Pain, hoping they will bring me unprecedented challenges and excitement." Orochimaru's voice grew deeper and hoarse, revealing a chilling killing intent. Without hesitation, he unleashed his power, rapidly heading towards Konoha. His speed was incredible, like lightning traversing the mountains and forests. With his current strength, reaching Konoha at full speed would only take him a day. However, could Konoha survive that day?

The Hidden Leaf Village had completely vanished. Countless ninjas protected by Tsunade crawled out of the ruins, staring blankly at the scene before them. Tsunade also emerged from the ruins, seeing the Hidden Leaf Village, which her grandfather had built with his life's work, reduced to its current state. She could no longer suppress the rage in her heart. Even though she had exhausted most of her chakra to protect the people of the Hidden Leaf, she would never let Pain go.

With a deafening crash, a cloud of smoke billowed from the giant crater that had formed around Konoha Village. As the smoke dissipated, three enormous toads appeared in the center. Atop the head of the central toad stood a figure carrying a massive scroll. This figure was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, sent by the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, to Mount Myōboku to learn Sage Mode.

Naruto Uzumaki scanned his surroundings, a hint of confusion on his face. He turned to Shima, who had leaped onto his shoulder, and asked, "Shima, where is this place? Why didn't you summon me directly to Konoha Village?"

Shima looked at the little boy before her, her face incredibly grave. She knew Naruto Uzumaki had deep feelings for Konoha, so she decided to use a special method to help him understand his current situation.

"Naruto Uzumaki, listen carefully," Shima Sage said seriously, "You need to carefully observe your surroundings. We are currently in Konoha Village."

Upon hearing this, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes widened, and he began to carefully observe his surroundings. When he saw the five Hokage portraits carved on the stone wall in the distance, his expression turned extremely grim.

"This is Konoha?!" Naruto Uzumaki muttered in disbelief. "This really is Konoha... but why has it become like this?"

With a serious expression, Shima continued to explain, "You should know who could do such a thing to Konoha! Konoha was completely destroyed by their powerful ninjutsu."

As Pain landed, Pain of the Animal Path appeared beside him like a ghost, seemingly teleported from thin air. Immediately afterward, the other Pains appeared around them like phantoms, their figures intertwining to form a powerful battle formation. Pain of the Deva Path coldly surveyed his surroundings; he had already sensed Naruto's arrival. This news pleased him, as it meant he didn't need to personally travel to Mount Myōboku to capture him, saving him considerable trouble and time. He waited quietly, preparing for the impending battle.

Just as Pain was preparing to form his battle formation and attack Naruto, Tsunade, accompanied by her Anbu guards, appeared on the battlefield between them. Tsunade was incredibly weak and disheveled, her body trembling slightly, but her face blazed with barely suppressed rage, like a burning flame. Her eyes widened, fixed intently on Pain, filled with hatred and resolute determination.

Tsunade's anger erupted like a volcano. The Hidden Leaf Village, which she cherished, had been completely destroyed before her eyes by Pain, filling her with immense pain and rage. She gritted her teeth, enduring the weakness and pain in her body, and walked forward step by step, as if concentrating all her strength into this moment.

Her eyes were firm and resolute, without the slightest fear or hesitation. She knew that facing a powerful enemy, only courageous battle could protect everything she cherished. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood, but she was oblivious. At that moment, only one thought occupied her mind: Defeat the enemy!

"Pain, I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha! Here, I will settle this with you as Hokage!" Tsunade declared, her voice filled with fury and determination. Her eyes were resolute and sharp, as if piercing through her enemy. At this moment, she disregarded her depleted chakra; only one thought occupied her mind—to defeat this enemy who had destroyed Konoha!

Pain silently observed Tsunade before him, his expression cold and devoid of any emotion. He gazed at her intently, as if scrutinizing her resolve and courage. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "It seems you've come to understand pain a little! However, the person I'm looking for isn't you!" His voice was deep and calm, yet carried an irresistible authority.

The moment the words left his mouth, Pain, the Asura Path, hurtled towards Tsunade like lightning. His speed was so great that it was almost impossible for anyone to react. At the same time, his arms began to change, gradually transforming into incredibly sharp serrations, gleaming with a cold light, as if they could tear Tsunade to shreds at any moment.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she watched the rapidly approaching Asura Path Pain, a strong sense of crisis welling up within her. She knew that if she couldn't react in time, she might be killed in one blow by Asura Path Pain. However, the weakness emanating from her body rendered her incapable of dodging his fatal attack.

With a deafening crash, Pain's attack was about to strike Tsunade when, at the critical moment, Naruto Uzumaki, standing atop the giant toad's head, appeared before Tsunade like lightning. His Rasengan, gleaming brightly, slammed into Pain with overwhelming force, shattering him before Tsunade.

At the same time, Naruto roared, "Your target is me, isn't it! Come on, let's settle this right here!" His voice was filled with anger and determination, as if he wanted to pour all his power into this moment. This was the angrier Naruto had ever been since becoming a ninja.