Chapter 225
Upon learning that the four deceased Kage had appeared in the territory of the Wind Country, a hastily formed coalition of several other villages also mobilized to provide support—at the very least to prevent war from spilling into their own lands.
Perhaps they had forgotten that in the previous Great Ninja Wars, they had shifted the conflict to smaller nations, ones too weak to resist. Back then, they had never considered the suffering of these minor villages. This was how the small village where Nagato once lived was annihilated, planting in him a twisted concept of "peace."
After attacking Konoha and being interviewed by Zixu, Nagato had decided to continue on his own path. But now, he looked nothing like the god of peace he once claimed to be.
His eyes were shut, and he could only move with Konan's support. His body was thin and fragile, and worse, he had lost both his Rinnegan and his unique powers. In a war of this scale, what use was a man so crippled?
Though blind, Nagato could still hear the screams of war echoing in his ears. Leaning on Konan, he limped toward a destination—the City in the Sky.
Zixu had originally intended to capture Crocodile after finishing off Kozuki Oden, but he grew concerned that Hyuga Chinano might not hold out much longer. With a glance at the trembling Crocodile, Zixu simply grabbed the unconscious Kozuki Oden and turned to leave.
"And these two swords..." he muttered, picking up Oden's blades. These were supreme-grade weapons—a rare treasure among sword wielders. He was sure Haku and Zabuza would be very interested.
As Zixu made his way back, his thoughts turned to Sara, who had been hiding underground. Now that war had broken out, the puppet of Roran could finally be unleashed.
"It's a pity that Sasori is the only power source. That'll make things tricky," Zixu sighed, watching as Sara slowly moved the massive puppet toward the surface. It creaked and groaned as it rose.
"Sara! Follow me. The City will hover above. You'll use it as a flying fortress—rain hell from above," Zixu instructed as he led the puppet forward. But along the way, he encountered a surprise.
"Nagato? Konan? What are you doing here?" Zixu was stunned to see the pair limping toward him. None of the Six Paths of Pain were present, making the situation seem more dire than he'd imagined.