"It seems I've come out on top after all, Master Jiraiya!"
The Deva Path suddenly said this while facing Jiraiya, causing both him and Tsunade to frown, and their battle with the enemy quickly came to a halt.
Wasn't the current situation one where they were starting to get the better of the three? So why did the enemy suddenly say something like that?
Although puzzled, neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade let their guard down. Instead, they became even more vigilant, fearing that Pain might have some trick up his sleeve. After all, the Rinnegan's powers were extremely bizarre—there could still be hidden techniques nobody knew about.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Animal Path and Preta Path swiftly rejoined the Deva Path's side, their gazes cold as they stared at Jiraiya and Tsunade.
"What in the world are you trying to pull, Nagato!"
Jiraiya raised his fists in front of his chest, unable to understand Pain's behavior at this moment, and directly demanded an explanation.
"It looks like they've either found Kushina or at least know where she is. If that's the case, they're probably planning to go there?"
Tsunade's mind worked fast, instantly reaching this conclusion and softly speaking to Jiraiya.
"That must be it."
Jiraiya noticed 'Yahiko's' expression upon hearing these words, slightly nodding his head while deep in thought.
With his nearly restored combat power working together with Tsunade's formidable close-combat skills, three mere Rinnegan puppets wouldn't be able to stop them. Even if Nagato now knew about Kushina's whereabouts, Jiraiya remained unfazed—as long as they could keep the enemy here, Kushina would be safe.
"Master, it appears you still refuse to give up, determined to stand in my way!"
The Deva Path locked eyes with Jiraiya. He noticed how the other's tense posture seemed ready to strike at any second, but his own expression barely changed—he even looked somewhat relieved.
"Jiraiya, although I don't know what exactly happened during those years you were away, no matter what, I won't allow you to continue destroying Konoha Village! Protecting everything precious to me—that is my Ninja Way, and also what I once taught all of you!"
Jiraiya stood bare-chested; his hospital robe had been destroyed during the earlier fight. His muscles weren't overly large but well-defined, covered in scars.
He looked at that familiar face—so much like Yahiko's. Slowly, he adjusted his stance. His voice was steady and resolute.
"I agree with you completely, Master, and everything I'm doing now is also to protect even greater numbers of people."
The Deva Path gradually relaxed his hands by his sides, his heels slowly lifting off the ground.
Thud!
Affected by an invisible force, his feet actually began rising from the ground, and his Akatsuki cloak started billowing outward.
"People who don't understand true sorrow will never comprehend real peace! My existence accelerates this process, guiding the world toward its truly correct path!"
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, the other two Six Paths Puppets beside the Deva Path turned into white smoke and vanished from Jiraiya's and others' sensor perception.
"Is this... a summoning jutsu pulling them away!?!"
Tsunade took a step forward, ready to charge ahead, but Jiraiya raised his arm and blocked her path.
"Be careful. The atmosphere feels off! My sensing wasn't wrong—the remaining Pain bodies have already left the village."
Jiraiya's face turned serious as he stared at Deva Path slowly rising higher into the sky. His thoughts churned violently as he tried to make sense of it all.
He didn't dare to act rashly, but a rising dread in his chest told him something terrible was about to happen.
Staring at 'Yahiko,' lines formed across Jiraiya's forehead as beads of sweat appeared unnoticed.
Meanwhile, similar events were unfolding in different parts of Konoha Village.
At Uchiha Clan headquarters—
Fugaku Uchiha used kunai to block an enemy's enormous saw blade facing him. Just as he prepared to counterattack with force, the enemy suddenly displayed a strange smile, kicked toward Fugaku, created distance, then dispersed into white smoke and vanished from his sight.
"What?"
Tightly gripping kunai, Fugaku remained highly vigilant, continuously scanning surroundings with his Sharingan for any reappearance by the vanished enemy.
"Why did he suddenly disappear? This doesn't resemble the Shifting Body Technique—it looks more like a Summoning Jutsu. Why leave so urgently? Did something happen elsewhere?"
Frowning deeply, Fugaku found himself somewhat bewildered by this sudden disappearance. He slightly lifted his head, glancing toward other directions in the village while extending his sensory perception.
"Clan Leader!"
"Lord Fugaku!"
"Has the enemy really left?"
"Why did he vanish mid-fight?"
"Lord Fugaku is truly amazing!"
...
The surrounding Uchiha ninja were equally astonished by the unexpected turn of events. While maintaining their perimeter formation, they continued exchanging comments.
"The enemy must've encountered some unforeseen situation, prompting retreat. Everyone continue patrolling and evacuating our clansmen. Report immediately upon encountering enemies—dismiss now!"
After confirming complete disappearance of the opponent, Fugaku returned kunai into his gear bag before solemnly giving instructions to fellow clan members nearby.
Though the enemy temporarily retreated, no one could predict what exactly occurred—it might bring good news or bad news. All they could do was prepare themselves.
Moreover, this battle felt incomplete and gave him sensations of being toyed with.
Whoosh!
Fugaku dashed once again toward his own residence. Mikoto and Sasuke were still at home. He needed to explain the situation quickly and move them somewhere safe.
This invasion against the village clearly represented no small matter. As captain of Konoha Security Force, he needed to return to duty quickly.
"Do you know where the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is?"
In a narrow alleyway, Naraka Path cornered a ninja. Its massive body resembled a wall blocking the exit.
"Y-Y-You... don't come closer! I d-don't k-know anything!"
Trapped by fear, the ninja's legs trembled backward but soon collided helplessly against the alley wall behind him, eyes widening in terror at the foe confronting him.
He was merely a chunin, yet both his teammates and their jonin captain had just been slain by this seemingly unremarkable enemy through some bizarre means.
As soon as a victim was seized, their tongue would uncontrollably extend outward, and they'd instantly lose consciousness and die—without a single ninjutsu involved!
He didn't want to die, so he kept running, desperate to deliver the critical intel his team leader had died to obtain. But now, he'd still been caught.
"I don't believe it!"
Naraka Path remained expressionless and triggered the Shifting Body Technique, instantly vanishing from his position and reappearing directly before the ninja.
Click!
His right hand shot forward at blinding speed, firmly locking onto the opponent's throat and slowly lifting him into the air while maintaining his unchanged expression.
"Huh... let go... of me! You damned... invader! The Konoha ninja will never forgive you!"
The moment the ninja was restrained by Naraka Path, he flipped from submission to fury, lashing out violently with both legs, no longer feigning weakness—even though it proved utterly ineffective.
Boom!
A sound seemed to echo from within the void.
Naraka Path had activated his ninjutsu, causing chakra to surge violently and lift the hem of his coat. The captured Konoha ninja appeared to have seen something terrifying, suddenly freezing completely stiff.
A gate resembling one from hell emerged behind Naraka Path, ablaze with eerie purple flames. Upon it was etched a human face and the word **Yama**, representing the King of Hell.
"I'll ask you once again—do you know where the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is?"
"Cough... cough! I don't know!"
The ninja struggled to answer the question. Due to oxygen deprivation, his face turned bright red, and his eyes bulged outward.
Swish!
Right after the words fell, an entity called 'Yama,' visible only to Naraka Path and the captured Konoha ninja, suddenly extended its tongue. It coiled around and yanked the ninja's tongue, pulling it straight into Yama's mouth behind Naraka Path.
"Crunch! Crunch!"
Yama chewed mercilessly, devouring the Konoha ninja's tongue whole.
"Ahh!!"
The Konoha ninja screamed, but the scream didn't last long before quickly fading away. His eyes became vacant, drool trickled from the corners of his mouth, and he gradually lost his breath.
"Another one who lied..."
Naraka Path murmured softly, clearly not surprised at all.
Puff!
He tossed his lifeless victim to the ground with indifference, slightly shifting his gaze toward another direction as if searching for the next target.
Anyone captured by him who lied would be killed when Yama 'ate' their tongue. Obviously, just like those before him, this Konoha ninja had also lied.
[Leaf Great Whirlwind!]
Boom!
In the midst of his distraction, Naraka Path suffered a heavy blow from behind. A green-clad figure suddenly appeared behind him and swept a powerful kick across the side of his head, instantly channeling tremendous force into his body.
Naraka Path vanished from the impact, crashing deeply into a nearby wall.
"I found you!"
The attacker touched down—none other than Guy, the Taijutsu master of Konoha. He gave his nose a quick rub with his thumb, a delighted grin spreading across his face.
"So you're the intruder this time! The duty of protecting my fellow villagers falls upon me—the Beast of Konoha, Might Guy!"
Assuming a combat stance, Guy aimed toward his enemy who had crashed into the wall, his tone completely serious.
Even before touching down, he'd taken in the scene—several Konoha ninjas lay motionless on the ground, clearly out cold. Such a crime was unforgivable.
"One more enemy shows up... and this one looks rather ridiculous."
Naraka Path pushed himself up from the broken wall, slowly rising. His whole body creaked and popped with every movement.
"Those eyes... they're strange!"
Guy noticed the enemy's eyes. He hadn't been informed about the Rinnegan, but instinctively found them oddly unsettling, so he began feeling cautious.
Usually, such unusual eyes belonged to Kekkei Genkai, like those from the Uchiha Clan or Hyuga Clan. Therefore, Guy cautiously guessed the enemy's abilities. He no longer stared directly at the eyes, shifting his gaze instead to the opponent's waist and lower limbs, observing movements below the eyes to judge the full body's actions, thereby enabling countermeasures.
It was a habit formed over years as a ninja—always stay extra careful when dealing with an unknown enemy.
Since he personally wasn't skilled in Ninjutsu, any carelessness could lead to unexpected danger. If that happened, his Taijutsu wouldn't display its full power, rendering him virtually harmless.
"Do you know where the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki is?"
Steadying himself, Naraka Path looked toward the green-clad figure ahead, not showing any anger despite having just been ambushed.
"So it's about the Tailed Beast... If you want to harm *my* comrades, you'll have to step over *my* lifeless body first—*that's* the ninja's sacred vow!"
Guy fixed his eyes on the opponent's chest, maintaining an even angle of vision that both helped him detect movement and avoided potential effects from those strange eyes.
Of course, this was merely his usual strategy under normal conditions. While in the Eight Gates state, he could practically ignore all Genjutsu and mental attacks.
"Then I'll kill you first before going after the Nine-Tails!"
Staring at the determined Guy, Naraka Path didn't seem surprised by the response. Previous Konoha ninja he'd encountered had all been equally stubborn.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rushing forward, Naraka Path attacked, and almost simultaneously, Guy moved too—in fact, slightly quicker than his foe.
Boom!
Guy's foot struck Naraka Path's jaw from below. Instantly losing balance, although Naraka attempted midair correction to maintain posture, he uncontrollably spun half a turn, leaving himself in an awkward position.
[Rising Dragon Kick!]
After kicking the enemy away, Guy raised his other knee.
Crack!
His knee smashed heavily into Naraka Path's chest, colliding with the hands he crossed defensively in front of him—a dull and heavy sound.
Phew!
Successfully landing consecutive hits, Guy exhaled sharply, stepping slightly sideways.
The Naraka Path, hit twice in succession by Guy, had initially misjudged Guy's speed and was caught off guard, but he had mostly regained his composure by the second strike. As a result, he wasn't seriously injured — he staggered as he landed and leaned against a nearby wall.
It was a narrow alleyway, not very spacious, which limited Guy's movement. As a Taijutsu specialist, this kind of tight space put him at a disadvantage.
"It seems you're a well-known ninja. Then surely you know something."
Leaning against the wall, the Naraka Path's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he felt joy. Guy's strength surpassed that of the previous ninjas he'd encountered, meaning his status within Konoha must be high, so he likely had knowledge about the Nine-Tails.
Capture him and extract information about the Nine-Tails through torture!
His eyes lit up, and soon after, both hands slowly tightened in front of his body as an odd smile appeared on his face.
"Actually managing to block my attacks so easily without even getting hurt… You're a bit tough to handle. Looks like I need to get serious!"
Guy locked eyes with the enemy, preparing to unleash the Eight Gates Release Technique, refusing to grow complacent despite his earlier advantage.
The enemy was clearly another Akatsuki member — his strength couldn't possibly be limited to what he showed outwardly. Therefore, activating the Eight Gates Release Technique was a necessary step.
As this thought arose, Guy didn't hesitate any longer. Without waiting for the opponent to retaliate, he launched the first strike himself.
[Opening Gate, open!]
[Healing Gate, open!]
[Life Gate, open!]
Right foot drawing a semicircle beside his body, Guy stabilized his lower body and instantly activated the long-prepared Eight Gates Release Technique, his vision locked onto the enemy's chest.
Immediately, Might Guy's immense presence filled the alleyway. A vortex of wind swirled beneath his feet, whipping dust around the tight space.
"Huh? Suddenly grown much stronger... This technique…"
The Naraka Path looked at Guy with a slight frown, then suddenly recalled a certain technique Saitama had previously mentioned: the Eight Gates Release Technique!
Saitama had said there was a forbidden Taijutsu technique in Konoha Village that could unleash immense power when fully mastered. The only one currently in Konoha who might have reached such a level was a man named Might Guy, so it was best to avoid direct confrontation!
"So you must be Might Guy, the one mentioned by Saitama?"
Looking at Guy's distinctive attire, the Naraka Path already had his answer in heart, growing even more vigilant, since someone carefully considered by Saitama might really possess unimaginable power.
Though at this moment he didn't seem particularly strong.
"I never expected my title, 'Blue Beast,' would already be familiar to members of the Akatsuki Organization. In this regard, I seem to have surpassed Kakashi already... Well then, now let me show you my ninja techniques!"
Guy clenched his fist, slowly raising the corners of his mouth, revealing a glimpse of his white teeth shining brightly like they were glowing.
"Here it comes! Like a sudden storm, the Blue Beast's assault shall not cease!"
Boom!
Guy instantly disappeared, immediately reappearing half a meter in front of the Naraka Path.
Naraka Path wasn't just a step behind—he looked utterly helpless against Guy's strike, sent flying with a single kick and smashing into the wall behind him.
"Ahh, dada da!"
Guy continued his assault—left foot, right leg, uppercut, lowercut…
In the span of a few heartbeats, he rained down relentless blows, sticking close to Naraka Path without letting him escape even an inch.
During this time, Naraka could only endure the beating. Any common ninja might have already lost their fighting spirit, but he was anything but ordinary.
It wasn't surprising that Guy was overpowering Naraka Path—after all, its role in the Six Paths Puppet was mostly support and intel gathering. It wasn't meant for head-on fights. Against average Jonin-level opponents, it could use Rinnegan's powers to gain the upper hand. But Guy moved too fast—fast enough that Naraka couldn't even lay a finger on him, let alone control him and activate Yama's ability.
With another powerful kick, Guy sent Naraka soaring into the air. Then, pushing off the ground, he swiftly shot upward after his airborne opponent.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Wham!
Suddenly, white bandages burst from Guy's sleeves, wrapping tightly around the helpless Naraka mid-air and locking his movements.
"Damn it! His speed has increased significantly, and so has his strength!"
Narrowing his eyes, Naraka felt the bandages tighten around his body, sealing every motion.
"Fascinating!"
He saw Guy rising above him and instantly figured out what was coming next.
[Taijutsu Ultimate Art – Reverse Lotus!]
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