The Deva Path could no longer remain a silent observer after a single Super Electromagnetic Cannon blast obliterated the Preta Path.
The abilities of the Six Paths of Pain were meant to function as a singular unit, coordinating through shared vision to form a shinobi squad capable of facing any foe. Previously, Nagato believed that under this combination, any enemy would eventually submit to the power of the Rinnegan.
But this blinding display of force made him suddenly realize that perhaps using the Rinnegan in the form of a divided shinobi squad was not perfect.
Deva, Human, Asura, Animal, Preta, and Naraka.
The true strength of the Rinnegan should be realized with all six abilities concentrated in one body. Otherwise, when facing an "over-limit" shinobi like the Kakashi before him, the dispersed Paths were far too easy to pick off one by one. If the Six Paths were unified, even if a technique like the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal failed, he could use Almighty Push to deflect the attack or simply utilize gravitational forces to evade.
However, this thought only flashed through Nagato's mind for an instant. He no longer had the time to refine the Paths of Pain. The Kakashi standing before him would not give him that chance.
The priority now was to use the Naraka Path to urgently repair the Preta Path. With that thought, the Naraka Path moved to retrieve the Preta Path's remains...
"Ah, so it's this one. These guys look so similar that even I have trouble telling them apart."
Cold words fell from Kakashi's lips, causing the Deva Path's expression to shift slightly.
"What? Do you think this is the extent of my power?" Deva Path challenged.
Kakashi remained unmoved by the words, replying calmly, "You're welcome to try and stop me."
As he spoke, a piece of scrap metal landed near him. Repeating the previous scene, it condensed into a coin-sized projectile at his fingertip. This time, his target was the Naraka Path. After all, no one likes dealing with an ant that keeps coming back to life. Even if you can crush it easily, it becomes tedious after a few times.
"Universal Pull!"
Facing Kakashi's mockery, the Deva Path's expression tightened. He used Universal Pull directly, attempting to snatch the coin from Kakashi's fingers. The coin trembled violently under the competing forces. Like the iron sphere between them earlier, it became a clash of raw power against power.
"Interesting," Kakashi remarked, showing no surprise. Instead, he offered a word of praise.
This only fueled the Deva Path's displeasure; Kakashi's tone sounded as if he were patronizing him. Then, Kakashi simply let go, relinquishing his control over both the iron sphere and the coin. This new power was still a bit unrefined, so he decided it was better not to use it for now.
Compared to magnetism, Kakashi was far more proficient with the blade and lightning.
As the clash of forces ended, the Deva Path noticed Kakashi's release and let out a cold sneer. "It seems your Magnet Release is only so-so. I win this round."
He was, of course, referring to the contest of strength. In his view, Kakashi's ability to control iron belonged to Magnet Release—a lineage of abilities similar to those of the Kazekage. The Third Kazekage controlled Iron Sand, the Fourth controlled Gold Dust, and the One-Trow Jinchuriki controlled sand. He assumed Kakashi's Magnet Release was the same type as the Third Kazekage's.
Kakashi had no intention of wasting words on this. He simply made a grasping motion with one hand, and a golden phantom of a blade appeared in his grip. This put Pain on high alert.
It was coming.
It was common knowledge that this Hokage's greatest specialty was his swordsmanship. At seventeen, he had once charged straight into a Hidden Cloud camp with a single blade and only eight hundred men. Now that many years had passed, to what level had this Hokage's swordsmanship ascended?
"Take your stance. Steel your nerves. Do not relax."
Kakashi's cold voice rang out. Despite being enemies, he was actually giving them a warning. Seeing Kakashi act so arrogantly, Pain felt a surge of irritation.
"My next strike is aimed at the Naraka Path," Kakashi stated flatly, holding the blade across his chest.
This guy...?! Pain's face grew solemn, his brow furrowing. To actually announce his target... it was simply...
"Here I comes."
A blinding white flash of lightning suddenly erupted! Pain's eyes widened.
Fast! So fast!
How could he be this fast?! Kakashi's silhouette had already vanished from the spot, leaving only a few lingering arcs of electricity dancing in the air where he had stood.
Is this... a Lightning Style Body Flicker?!
Having personally dealt with Hanzo of the Salamander, Pain was well aware of the "Demi-God's" capabilities. Hanzo could conduct high-speed combat using his unique Water Body Flicker, which was one of his signature moves. The Body Flicker this Fifth Hokage was using was a similar elemental variant. However, while one was Water and the other was Lightning, the sheer performance of the Lightning Body Flicker was leagues beyond the other!
The Deva Path had no time to evaluate Kakashi's speed; he immediately rushed toward the Naraka Path. As the core of the Six Paths' sustainability, the Naraka Path could not be allowed to fall.
But Kakashi was already there, standing right in front of the Naraka Path. Despite the advance warning, and despite the Naraka Path's attempt to hide, Kakashi was simply too fast. He reached the Naraka Path's face in a single heartbeat! The Human Path and Animal Path were the closest, but even they couldn't intervene in time!
"You!" The Naraka Path looked at the cold-faced man before him and tried to resist, but how could a blade already unsheathed be retracted?
The blade swung down. A golden edge that could slice through steel could easily cleave through flesh and blood. The blade cut diagonally; the Naraka Path had only managed to utter a single "You" before being split in two!
Just then, the Human Path charged in! The Human Path's ability involved soul absorption—extracting the soul upon contact. A single touch meant certain death. In some ways, the Human Path was a greater threat than the Deva Path.
Unfortunately...
"Too slow."
Kakashi spoke calmly as he faced the Human Path. The abilities were strong, but these six bodies were just made from the corpses of nobodies—not even a single Jonin among them. Perhaps Nagato had put extra effort into the Deva Path made from Yahiko's body, but as for the others...
The phantom blade, now infused with Wind Style chakra, surged with power! A torrent of gold exploded with this single strike! Using the massive reserves of chakra within his body, he delivered a full-power downward slash.
The golden wind transformed into a force that tore through everything, severing the Human Path instantly. The entire battlefield trembled under the weight of this strike! No... it wasn't just the battlefield. This single slash carved a path through half of the Hidden Rain Village! It was as if a god had taken a brush and painted a golden stroke across the map of this gloomy, iron city.
Observing the battle from afar, Black Zetsu stared intently at the scene. He knew there was no point in continuing the fight. A casual swing of a blade possessed such terrifying power; this was not a level Nagato could contend with. Nagato needed to become even stronger to face this Hokage. Zetsu had to leave—he had to take Nagato away before the Paths of Pain were completely finished.
If this continued, Nagato would die, Konan would die, and perhaps even he...
Back on the battlefield, having dealt with the Naraka and Human Paths, Kakashi turned his gaze to the remaining Paths rushing toward him: the Asura Path, the Animal Path, and the Deva Path.
The Deva Path's face showed no emotion, and Kakashi had no interest in guessing his thoughts. He simply reached out, flipped the phantom blade into a reverse grip, and pointed the tip toward the ground. The golden hue of the phantom blade was now completely replaced by an aquatic blue.
"You are strong. Even within the Hidden Leaf, you would rank in the top three."
"Regrettably, this is as far as you go."
Kakashi's words were absolute and cold. Aside from himself, Hikari, and Guy, there was no one in the current Hidden Leaf who could guarantee a victory against Pain. This was both an admission of the opponent's strength and a mark of respect.
As his voice fell, the phantom blade representing Water Style pierced the ground.
Asahi Tora: Suisō [Rising Tiger: Water Burial].
The earth shattered silently. Water, water, and more water! Countless gallons erupted from beneath the ground, forming a giant blade of water dozens of meters high that tore upward from the earth! The high-velocity flow became the sharpest edge in existence, shredding everything in its path.
It severed the Asura Path and tore the Animal Path to pieces.
When the water finally dispersed, only a massive gouge remained in the earth, a silent testament to what had just occurred. A single figure landed clumsily on the ground. The "God" who had looked down on everyone just moments ago was now in a pathetic state. His black cloak with red clouds was tattered, revealing his lean, muscular chest.
The Deva Path struggled to his feet, looking at the man walking toward him. At the moment the water blade erupted, he had used Almighty Push just in time to protect himself, avoiding the fate of the Asura and Animal Paths.
But now...
Looking at the man approaching with steady steps, even Pain had to acknowledge the strength of the enemy before him. It was a power that stood far above his own.
Again. It was happening again. Another Leaf shinobi.
Staring at the Hidden Leaf symbol on the man's collar, his mind drifted, feeling as though he had returned to years ago. To the night his parents were killed by Leaf shinobi. The same powerlessness, the same scene. Only his mother's final words echoed in his ears...
"Nagato, run!"
Run? Run?
Nagato, controlling the Paths from a distance, looked dazed.
Run?
Run!
How could I possibly run!
Again! Once again! The people of the Leaf have come to my door to kill! As a child, I was powerless to stop it, but am I still powerless now?!
Impossible!
Blood rushed to Nagato's pale face. "The Leaf..."
A low, raspy voice emerged from the Deva Path. For the first time, those Rinnegan eyes reflected an emotion called hatred. He looked at Kakashi and slammed his hands together! No matter what, he would not run again! All this pain would end today!
A pitch-black sphere formed between his hands and shot toward the sky!
Meanwhile, Konan, who was using her Dance of the Shikigami to evade Hikari's pursuit, suddenly froze. Nagato's voice reached her through their rings.
Withdraw.
She looked up at the black sphere in the sky, a look of disbelief flashing across her face. Here? In the Hidden Rain? In their home? Was Nagato really going to use that technique?
Despite the sorrow in her heart, Konan was powerless to change it. She could only transform into countless sheets of paper and scatter, attempting to lose Hikari.
Three distorted tomoe spun in Hikari's eyes. Every scrap of paper was tracked by her vision, and she quickly pinpointed Konan's true body. Growing annoyed, she surged forward in pursuit. The gap in strength between her and Konan was clear; she had been suppressing Konan from the start.
But the Dance of the Shikigami was incredibly troublesome. Even when she used Amaterasu, the opponent could simply shed the outer layer of paper to isolate the flames, escaping in the brief moment before the black fire could burn through. Hikari's Mangekyō Sharingan was not the Eternal variety. She had used it many times five hundred years ago; if she continued to use it without restraint, her eyes would eventually sink into darkness.
This was one of the reasons Kakashi tried to keep Hikari from fighting whenever possible. Hikari had no Mangekyō-wielding relatives to provide her with replacement eyes. And even if she did, she would never agree to it. Because the only person currently qualified to awaken the Sharingan—and potentially the Mangekyō—was Ichigo. Hikari would sooner die than let that happen.
Kakashi looked up at the black dot in the sky.
Chibaku Tensei [Planetary Devastation].
"Is this your final struggle?" Kakashi looked at the Deva Path.
"It is not a struggle, but the world's pain and my vengeance," Pain replied calmly. "And my hatred for the Leaf. How could you, a citizen of a Great Nation, understand the suffering of a small one?"
Pain looked at Kakashi. "Witness it. This is the power of a small nation. The power of—"
The Deva Path continued to speak, but Kakashi was no longer listening. His purpose here was to end all of this. Blinding white lightning struck toward the Deva Path, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier.
But purple lightning followed immediately after.
Almighty Push had a five-second cooldown. It was simply too long.
The Deva Path collapsed to the ground. Kakashi didn't spare him another glance, instead looking up at Hikari in the sky. Sensing his gaze, Hikari understood immediately. She flew toward him and landed at his side.
"How are you?" Kakashi asked softly.
"I'm fine," Hikari shook her head. She knew what he was asking.
Seeing her response, Kakashi didn't say more. He simply thought to himself that once the village's chakra technology advanced, they should prioritize researching Wood Style cells.
Even though the Deva Path was down, the Chibaku Tensei in the sky showed no signs of stopping. The earth trembled, and the air wailed. Under the massive gravitational pull, objects began to hover, flying toward the black dot in the sky.
A golden hue bled into Kakashi's eyes. His originally dark pupils now looked like twin spheres of molten gold. The chakra within his body merged with the surrounding natural energy, transforming into Sage Chakra.
The phantom blade rose again, lightning coiling and screaming around the blade.
Sage Art: Yang Release: White Lightning.
The phantom blade solidified. At a glance, it looked as though Kakashi was holding a bolt of lightning itself. Facing the Chibaku Tensei, Kakashi took no chances. Sage Chakra flowed through his arm, and without hesitation, he swung the blade!
A brilliant white light instantly tore through the gloom of the overcast sky. The white light cut through the rain, cut through the shadows, and cut through the final remnants of Nagato's struggle.
He could only watch silently as the black sphere shattered before his eyes, turning into dust...
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