Chapter 173
Though it sounded somewhat nonchalant, the truth was when Toad Sage Shima had witnessed Carnes use the Almighty Push, her world had been turned on its head.
Her perception of reality had been shaken to its core.
At the moment, she hadn't been shocked; she'd been utterly terrified.
"Huh!?"
Naruto's eyes slowly widened with astonishment as he exclaimed.
"You mean that entire desert outside the village resulted from the aftermath of a powerful jutsu?"
"That's... that's incredibly unbelievable!"
"And who is this Carnes you're talking about? How is it that so much has happened since I left the village?"
Naruto was visibly taken aback, his expression conveyed his astonishment.
"During my absence... so many interesting things took place, and I missed it all, how unlucky am I?"
It hadn't been long since he left, yet still such huge changes occurred in the village in his absence?
He knew about Akatsuki and Pain, but this Carnes character was a total mystery to him.
Why did he help the village against Pain, and what kind of power was required to use such a powerful jutsu?
Naruto couldn't help but wonder whether his jutsu was really more destructive than the Nine-Tails' power.
"Carnes, I heard, is a friend of Jiraiya'," Shima responded to Naruto's questions.
"Oh, so Carnes is a friend of Pervy Sage! To have such an incredible jutsu, he must be a powerful ninja."
"Surprisingly, Pervy Sage's taste in friends was quite reliable..."
Naruto's thoughts briefly turned to Jiraiya, and when he thought of Jiraiya's death, Naruto, who was known for his optimism, also couldn't help but feel sad.
His usually sunny disposition dimmed at the memory of his mentor's death.
Nevertheless, he quickly regained his composure.
"So, is Pain defeated or did he manage to escape?
And is the village out of danger?"
"For the time being, it seems so." Toad Sage Shima speculated
"Facing a jutsu of that magnitude and power, even Pain would find it challenging to survive, wouldn't you agree?" Shima surmised.
"I certainly hope so. It felt like we were on the brink of destruction!"
"Almost... we came nearly close to death!"
Simultaneously, in a hidden underground cave, the figure of the King of Hell stood in utter silence, it loomed ominously.
Time feels as if it has stopped within this dark cave.
With a slow and deliberate motion, the King of Hell opens his ghost-like mouth, an act that seems to echo through the cave.
From his mouth, the figures of different Paths of Pain and Konan are expelled abruptly, each one of them coming from the shadows with an aura of exhaustion and dread.
"Had we hesitated for any longer in summoning this thing, the situation could have spiraled into chaos.
Yes if our response had been even a fraction slower, things would have surely taken a dire turn."
Konan murmured, her voice trembling slightly.
Weakness spread through her entire being, and the gravity of their difficult situation casts an undeniable gloomy shadow on their faces.
All the Pain remain stoic, their expression unchanged, given that they were essentially dead bodies.
But the collective understanding of their bad situation at hand is etched in their shared silence.
Recollections of the overwhelming repulsion force they had previously encountered weigh heavily on Konan's heart, and her fear is palpable.
She was genuinely terrified of Carnes right now.
What compounded their fear was the realization that what they had experienced thus far was merely the aftermath of the collision of mighty forces, with the true cataclysm unfolding in the skies above.
The impact's force exceeded all expectations, bordering on the inconceivable.
The real magnitude of that cataclysmic power was yet to be fully unleashed.
A grave tone resonates in Konan's words as she spoke.
"Let's go, with that man here, we will definitely not be able to capture the Nine Tails, and now it will be a futile endeavor."
"Even if we were to muster all the might of Akatsuki, we may still prove unequal to the task."
A chorus of despairing sentiments follows, expressing the sentiment that giving up now is an unfathomable notion.
"No, we have worked hard for so long, we can't give up so easily!" Deva Path remarked coldly.
Nagato, the mastermind controlling Deva Path from behind, was grappling with the unfolding insanity.
"I never believed that Konoha could have such a powerful person with indomitable force," He exclaimed.
"If they truly possessed such a person, the shinobi world would have long been at peace, and no one could stand against their might."
"No, I acted too impulsively," he laments, casting a shadow of regret over the group.
"I believe that the Almighty Push was what provoked that man, so he retaliated."
"As long as we refrain from provoking him first..."
"I find it impossible to believe he'd act in Konoha's favor, absolutely impossible!" Deva Path spoke
A ray of hope surfaces as they deliberate, recognizing that provoking their adversary may have been their critical error.
Nagato, in self-reflection, still pondered.
In reality, Nagato's guess wasn't entirely wrong.
It was true that if he hadn't unleashed the Almighty Push attack and had chosen to fight a normal battle against Tsunade and her subordinates, Carnes might have opted not to intervene, as he was unaware of this particular scene.
Konan contemplates Nagato's words.
Hearing him, she furrowed her brow. Suddenly, Nagato's words began to make some sense.
If Konoha could indeed command such strength, why were they met with countless setbacks and defeats before?
Had that man been inclined to support Konoha, he would have intervened when Six Paths initially emerged, there they should have been utterly destroyed.
And in a moment of clarity, she concedes.
"Very well, we shall proceed with the plan...but it seems to be the time to reconsider our plan."
"Isn't Uzumaki Naruto on Mount Myōboku right now?
"So, we don't need to stay in Konoha Village any longer."
"Let's head straight there without delay," Konan urged.
With a newfound determination coursing through their collective resolve, all of them prepared to make their way to Mount Myōboku, as none of them wanted to face Carnes anymore who was still in Konoha.
.
.
.
Guys, if you like this story, then give it some POWER STONES and REVIEWS.
✌patreon.com/Anfractuous✌
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to 35 Advance Chapters.