Naruto evolution system

Chapter 239: Ceasefire

"I see now."

Seeing Nagato's Rinnegan, Baishi suddenly understood everything.

Normally, given the speed he had just demonstrated, even if the Five Kage had been standing there, they wouldn't have been able to react in time.

But Nagato—

With the Rinnegan's enhanced perception—

He was able to neutralize Baishi's attack at the perfect moment.

As Baishi locked eyes with him, Nagato's Rinnegan glowed faintly.

Suddenly—

A powerful wave of mental energy surged into Baishi's consciousness, inducing a sharp dizziness that made his movements stagger for a moment.

However—

Level III Mental Fortitude Barrier kicked in instantly, and within a fraction of a second, Baishi's mind cleared again.

Nagato had expected a longer delay and had already reached out, preparing to use Human Path's Soul Extraction, but now—

He was forced to abort.

Seeing his opportunity, Baishi's right leg swung in a sweeping kick, aiming directly at Nagato's temple.

Feeling the air shift from the incoming strike, Nagato remained calm—

With a light tap of his wheelchair, he slid half a foot backward, dodging the kick by a hair's breadth.

Baishi reacted instantly.

Seeing his first strike miss, he switched tactics, his hand forming a blade, surging with Wind Release Chakra, and slashed diagonally at Nagato.

—SLASH!

Nagato failed to fully evade—a deep, bone-revealing wound was left across his chest.

"Nagato!"

Konan's voice was filled with alarm.

Without hesitation, she swept her arm forward, and from her paper wings, countless sheets unfolded into midair, rapidly shaping into sharp paper shuriken.

Though made of paper, these weapons—imbued with chakra—were just as deadly as real ones.

"Go!"

With a sharp command, Konan pointed forward—

The paper shuriken whirled forward like a hurricane, completely surrounding Baishi.

Having fought him already, Konan knew that her attacks wouldn't be enough to injure Baishi.

But—she didn't need to.

All she wanted was to buy time for Nagato to recover.

And—it worked.

With shuriken coming from all directions, even with his X-ray Vision and Energy Vision, Baishi was still annoyed by the constant interruptions.

Nagato, ever the experienced fighter, seized the moment to break free from Baishi's relentless pressure.

Once the offensive rhythm was broken—

Time flew by.

Five seconds later—

"Shinra Tensei!"

A powerful repulsion force exploded outward—Baishi was sent flying.

Using this opportunity—

Nagato summoned back the Six Paths of Pain.

Though Nagato could wield all Rinnegan abilities himself, his weakened body made it impossible to sustain their full power.

With the Six Paths, his abilities were split among them, but coordinated together, they could still match his full strength.

Moreover—his own safety was better ensured.

Now—

With all six standing at full strength, Baishi felt a pang of regret.

He should have destroyed them completely when he had the chance.

At the very least—he should have taken out the Naraka Path, which could revive the others.

That way, he wouldn't have to deal with a second round of battle.

But—what's done is done.

And now—

The Six Paths of Pain stood guard around Nagato and Konan.

Baishi was about to make another move, but—

Several familiar chakra signatures entered his detection range.

Pausing mid-step—

He flared his Wind Wings, propelling himself into the sky.

A silver gleam flickered in his eyes as he turned toward the northwest.

There—

Orochimaru, Zetsu, and Kakuzu were rapidly approaching.

The battlefield was close to his hideout, and their clash had been loud enough to draw attention.

With the Paths of Pain suddenly disappearing, their curiosity had been piqued.

Now, all three were headed straight for them.

While Baishi wasn't afraid of them individually—

If they teamed up with Nagato, things could become problematic.

And—this was still the border of the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth.

The battle may have already alerted the nearby border patrols.

Grass Village's forces?

They didn't matter.

But Iwagakure?

Though Iwa suffered a generational gap in strong ninja, with only Onoki holding the village together—they still had deep reserves of strength.

Not to mention—

The Five Kage Summit was taking place.

If this battle attracted the attention of all five villages—

It would be more trouble than it's worth.

Besides—

Baishi wasn't really losing anything in this fight.

He had gained combat experience, demonstrated his strength, and—most importantly—Nagato would think twice before confronting him again.

As for his abilities being exposed?

He didn't care.

What he needed was time—time to grow stronger.

At his current evolution speed, he only needed a short period before his power would rise dramatically.

And maybe—

By the time Nagato thought he had an advantage, Baishi would have another surprise waiting.

With that thought—

Baishi lost all interest in continuing the fight.

Lowering his chakra signature, he looked at Nagato and smirked mockingly—

"So? Do you still want to keep fighting?"

"Your subordinates are about to arrive..."

He glanced west, indicating Orochimaru's approaching group.

Nagato, with his Uzumaki heritage, had a strong sensory ability, amplified by the Rinnegan—

Naturally, he also detected their presence.

After a moment of silence—

Nagato spoke quietly:

"Konan… we're leaving."

Konan nodded and—without hesitation—swooped down, lifting Nagato into the air.

As they ascended—

The Six Paths of Pain never took their eyes off Baishi, as if expecting him to launch a surprise attack.

Seeing this—

Baishi shook his head and chuckled.

"Why would I kill Nagato now?"

If Nagato drew the Five Kage's attention—Baishi could operate more freely.

After all—

If all nine Tailed Beasts were in his hands, the entire ninja world would hunt him down.

Having Black Zetsu, Orochimaru, and other rogue elements chasing him was one thing—

But dealing with thousands of elite ninja from the five major villages?

Too much of a hassle.

Until he reached a level where no one could threaten him, he didn't want to provoke unnecessary problems.

"…Though, I suppose I already have enough trouble on my plate."

Even so—

The fewer distractions, the better.

That way—he could focus entirely on his evolution.

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