"If you don't want to die, then tell me everything honestly."
Asuma Sarutobi laughed angrily.
"Are these the eyes of the legendary Rinnegan? So, you're Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, aren't you?"
"I never expected to hear such naive and foolish words from you…"
The moment they saw those eyes, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji all changed expressions. Cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.
"Are those… the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths?" Ino Yamanaka asked, shivering slightly.
Akimichi Choji frowned.
"It won't be easy dealing with this guy…"
Nara Shikamaru had already begun analyzing the enemy's abilities.
"His ability seems to allow him to directly search through someone's memories and extract their soul, killing them instantly. We absolutely cannot let him touch us!"
Asuma smiled slightly.
"Then let's determine the winner with long-range Ninjutsu!"
"Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, you understand, right?"
Shikamaru nodded.
"Yeah. It's troublesome, but we have to eliminate such a dangerous enemy!"
"Choji, Ino—formation E!"
"Alright!"
The three immediately took up their positions behind Asuma.
Shikamaru stood in the middle, Choji in front, and Ino at the back.
Taking the lead, Asuma drew his Chakra Blade, which immediately became enveloped in powerful blue Chakra.
"Chakra Blade: Truth in One Word!"
Whoosh!
Infused with Wind Release Chakra, the blade was hurled forward with tremendous force. It transformed into a streak of blue light and shot straight toward the Human Path.
"Oh?"
The Human Path narrowed his eyes slightly before revealing a contemptuous smile.
With the powerful visual perception granted by the Rinnegan, he shifted his body and effortlessly dodged the attack.
However, Asuma's move had only been a feint.
The next moment, Shikamaru activated his clan's secret technique.
"Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Buzz!
A shadow instantly spread from Shikamaru's feet and covered the Human Path in the blink of an eye.
"Is this the secret technique of the Nara Clan?"
"It's nothing special."
The Human Path's body was incredibly agile, and his speed was astonishing. He easily maneuvered through the street and dodged Shikamaru's shadow once again.
"Damn it!"
"Choji!"
"Understood!"
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Choji instantly enlarged his arm and violently stretched it toward the Human Path.
The Human Path smirked mockingly. He grabbed the corpse of a recently fallen Konoha shinobi and threw it directly into Choji's enormous hand.
Choji couldn't bear to desecrate the body of one of his comrades. His massive arm immediately swung to the side, smashing into a nearby building and reducing part of it to rubble.
At that exact moment, Ino was ready.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Buzz!
Forming the necessary hand seal, Ino targeted the surrounded Human Path and unleashed the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique.
However, the moment Ino's consciousness entered the Human Path's mind, something terrifying happened.
A gigantic pair of Rinnegan appeared behind him!
"This… this…"
Shikamaru and Asuma immediately sensed the danger.
"Come back, Ino!"
Ino also realized how dangerous the situation was and immediately canceled the Mind Transfer Jutsu, forcing her consciousness back into her own body.
Even so, she was unable to withstand the immense power of the Rinnegan. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"Ino! Are you alright?" Asuma asked with a frown.
Ino endured the dizziness and unbearable pain, gritting her teeth as she shook her head.
"I'm fine…"
"His Rinnegan possesses far too much power. My Mind Transfer Jutsu can't control him!"
Seeing that Ino could still speak, Asuma knew she was not seriously injured.
He then secretly controlled his Chakra Blade and launched a surprise attack from behind the Human Path.
"Wind Release: Green Mountain Storm!"
This was Asuma Sarutobi's unique secret technique.
By infusing the Chakra Blade with Wind Release Chakra, he could control it remotely and make it move freely through the air. Its tremendous penetrating power allowed it to pierce through obstacles with ease.
Bang!
The Chakra Blade silently pierced straight through the Human Path's body.
The blade passed directly through his chest before flying back into Asuma's hand.
Choji was overjoyed.
"Excellent work, Asuma-sensei!"
The Human Path looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, unable to hide his surprise.
The wound was truly shocking, yet he had not died.
"Asuma Sarutobi…"
"I suppose I underestimated you."
Asuma was stunned.
"He's still alive?!"
"That attack should have pierced straight through his heart…"
Shikamaru, however, wasn't particularly surprised.
"After all, he's the leader of the Akatsuki. It would be strange if he could be killed that easily, wouldn't it?"
"Every member of that organization possesses incredibly strange abilities. And that's not even mentioning the Rinnegan…"
Asuma nodded.
"Shikamaru is right."
"The real battle starts now!"
"Get yourselves together!"
"Yes, Asuma-sensei!"
…
At the same time, Kurenai Yuhi was leading Team 8 in their battle against the Naraka Path.
The experienced Ino-Shika-Cho trio was trying to hold back the Asura Path, who was indiscriminately bombarding everything around him.
As for the Animal Path, it was under the command of the Hokage.
Tsunade had dispatched elite members of the Anbu to stop it.
The enormous Summoned Beasts were also being suppressed through fierce battles by members of the Hyuga Clan, Sarutobi Clan, and other powerful clans.
Although the entire village was in chaos, Konoha did not suffer the devastating losses seen in the original story.
The most important reason for this was, of course, the existence of Tsunade and the Dawn Alliance.
Konoha had never expected Pain to launch a direct assault on the village.
Because the Nine-Tails and Seven-Tails Jinchuriki were both inside the village, Konoha's defensive forces had long been strengthened to an extraordinary degree.
The guard forces, barrier units, intelligence department, Anbu, various clans, and Chunin and Jonin forces had all remained on constant alert.
The moment Tsunade recognized the enemy's situation, she quickly and systematically organized a counterattack.
Almost all of the forces under her command were deployed to the battlefield immediately.
Before long, the chaotic situation gradually stabilized.
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi also sensed the enormous disturbance taking place outside his home.
Without hesitation, he removed his bulky outer robe, revealing the tight and practical battle attire he always wore underneath.
Then he leapt through the window and landed in the street.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Come forth, Monkey King Enma!"
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke appeared, and Monkey King Enma was summoned once again.
He looked around the battlefield, and his expression immediately changed.
"Has Konoha been reduced to this state?!"
"Who is responsible for this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a deep voice.
"The leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, has personally taken action!"
"Enma, transform into the Diamond Staff!"
"Understood!"
Enma instantly transformed into a staff as hard as diamond.
Hiruzen tightly gripped it in his hand and swung it with tremendous force.
The wind roared as the staff cut through the air.
Nearby, several Anbu members were desperately trying to stop a gigantic centipede.
They used Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and various ninja tools, but they could only injure the enormous creature. They were unable to defeat it completely.
Then—
Hiruzen Sarutobi descended from the sky with a roar.
He brought the diamond-hard staff crashing down onto the giant centipede's head and followed through with tremendous force.
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion, the enormous centipede was sent flying into the air.
Its body flipped repeatedly from head to tail before crashing heavily into the ground, creating a massive crater.
For a moment, the centipede was dazed and disoriented. It struggled to stand, but its body had already become weak.
"Lord Third Hokage!"
"How… how impressive!"
"Great! We're saved!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's battle attire fluttered in the wind as he stood firmly on the ground, the now-smaller Diamond Staff in his hand.
A hint of displeasure appeared on his face.
"Yes… I really have gotten old."
In his youth, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been powerful enough to send the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox flying out of the village with a single blow!
________________________________________
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