The devastation was absolute; the mountain range that had once defined the battlefield was now a cratered wasteland, its peaks reduced to rubble, its valleys filled with the debris of a shattered landscape. Renjiro stood at the centre of the destruction, his Susanoo flickering, his EMS still spinning, his breathing heavier than it had been in years.
He had survived the Chibaku Tensei, but the cost was immense; the technique had drained nearly half his chakra reserves, and the strain of maintaining his abilities was beginning to show. Blood trickled from the corner of one eye, and his muscles screamed with exhaustion. The emerald chakra of his Susanoo pulsed weakly, its once-imposing form now cracked and flickering like a dying flame.
He looked across the wasteland. The other surviving Paths were buried beneath enormous amounts of rubble; the Preta Path was crushed, its chakra-absorbing abilities rendered useless by the weight of stone. The Human Path was buried, its soul-extraction capabilities silenced beneath tons of debris. The sealed remains of the previous Paths—the Asura Path, the Animal Path, the Naraka Path—were scattered throughout the battlefield, their bodies bound in Adamantine Chains and sealing formulas. The Deva Path slowly emerged from the destruction, its body damaged but still standing. Yahiko's corpse was battered, its form cracked and broken, its flesh torn in multiple places, but it still moved, still fought, still served its master.
Deva survived, Renjiro realised, his internal voice cold with calculation. Nagato is still controlling him. The battle isn't over. I just need to find that wierd eyed bastard.
Both fighters were visibly damaged. Renjiro's Susanoo began shrinking slightly as the strain of maintaining EMS, Susanoo, Hiraishin, Hyper-Condensed Chakra, and spatial seals simultaneously began to tax him. The emerald armour that had once been so imposing was now cracked and flickering, its edges frayed like a flag in a storm. Deva Path's movements also became slightly slower; Nagato was suffering heavily in the hidden sanctuary, his body straining under the weight of controlling the Paths across such a distance. Blood ran from Nagato's nose, and his breathing became increasingly laboured. The Rinnegan's power was immense, but it came at a cost that even its wielder could not ignore.
Renjiro dropped the Susanoo's weapon slightly, his voice carrying the weight of his demand.
"Why did you attack Konoha?" he asked, his tone flat but carrying an undercurrent of cold fury. "Was this connected to the Chūnin Exams? The Suna infiltrators?"
Deva Path refused to answer. Instead, the hollow, overlapping voice of Pain spoke of war, suffering, nations, and people who believed their pain was more important than everyone else's. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, echoing through the wasteland like a funeral dirge.
"You speak of your village as if it is the centre of the world," Pain said. "But Konoha is just another nation that believes its suffering is unique. The cycle of hatred continues because people refuse to see beyond their own pain. Your village has caused suffering across the Elemental Nations. Now you taste the same pain you have inflicted on others."
Renjiro's irritation grew, his jaw tightening.
"I'm not asking for your fucking philosophy. I'm asking why you attacked my people."
Pain remained silent, the Deva Path's Rinnegan fixed on Renjiro with an expression that was neither anger nor pity; it was the cold certainty of a man who believed he was executing divine justice.
The Deva Path suddenly raised its hand, and Shinra Tensei erupted. The repulsive force tore through the already devastated landscape, sending debris flying in all directions. Renjiro teleported away, immediately beginning to count. Five seconds. He attacked exactly as the cooldown ended, his chakra blade aimed at the Deva's throat. The Deva used Shinra Tensei again, the invisible force slamming into Renjiro's compact Susanoo and sending him skidding backwards. Renjiro teleported away, counted again, and attacked again.
The pattern repeated; Shinra Tensei, cooldown, attack, Shinra Tensei, cooldown, attack. Renjiro realised that Pain's cooldown was becoming predictable, a rhythm he could exploit. He dismissed the damaged outer portions of his Susanoo, keeping only a compact layer around himself. The fight became much faster; he combined Hiraishin, EMS prediction, taijutsu, short-range teleportation, and chakra blades. Each attack was precise, each movement calculated to maximise damage while minimising exposure.
The Deva Path countered with Shinra Tensei, Banshō Ten'in, and black receiver rods. The rods were deadly; they could disrupt chakra, paralyse, and serve as conduits for Nagato's control. Renjiro repeatedly appeared inside the Deva's five-second window, landing several blows that cracked the Deva's form further. The Deva narrowly avoided lethal strikes, its movements growing slower with each exchange.
Then the Deva suddenly used Banshō Ten'in, and Renjiro was dragged toward it. A black receiver rod was positioned behind the Deva, and Renjiro realised the trap. Instead of resisting, he allowed himself to be pulled closer, his EMS noticing something strange about the receiver. The rod wasn't simply a weapon; it was a chakra transmission conduit, a direct link to the real Nagato.
He allowed his chakra blade to collide with the black receiver. The impact caused his chakra to briefly synchronize with the receiver, and his chakra field activated. He followed the chakra signal as it travelled away from the Deva Path, through mountains, across kilometres, deeper underground. He realised where the real Nagato was; hidden in a secret sanctuary, far from the battlefield, controlling the Paths from a distance.
He deliberately didn't react. The Deva Path assumed the receiver strike was simply another attack, and Renjiro continued fighting normally. Internally, however, his entire strategy changed.
Found you.
The Deva Path launched another massive Shinra Tensei, and Renjiro recognised the exact timing. The surrounding dust and debris were blasted away, and the battlefield became completely exposed. He waited; one second, two, three, four, five. The cooldown opened.
His EMS locked onto the chakra signal he had traced. His Hiraishin formula activated, and the Deva Path realised something was wrong. Renjiro disappeared in a flash, and the Deva's Rinnegan widened slightly. Renjiro didn't teleport to another battlefield marker; he teleported directly to the source.
He materialised inside the hidden paper-tree sanctuary, his Susanoo deactivated. The atmosphere was completely different from the battlefield; paper structures surrounded him, their surfaces covered in intricate seals that glowed with a faint, ethereal light. The room was dim, lit only by the soft luminescence of the paper trees, their branches forming a canopy that seemed to absorb sound and light. The air was still, cool, and carried the faint scent of ink and old paper.
Nagato sat within the massive tree-like formation, connected to countless black receivers. His body was skeletal and exhausted, his limbs thin and frail, his face gaunt and hollow. His skin was pale, stretched tight over bones that seemed ready to break. Blood ran from his nose, and his breathing was laboured, each breath a struggle. His eyes—those terrible, piercing Rinnegan—fixed on Renjiro with an expression that was part shock, part recognition. He looked genuinely shocked that anyone had found him.
Renjiro's EMS immediately locked onto him. Nagato realised the impossible; the Jonin Commander had found him. Renjiro took one slow step forward, his voice cold and deliberate.
"So you're the one hiding behind all those corpses."
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcome
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon
Latest Chapter on Patreon: Chapter 952-Emergency Council(2)