"Wood-style ∙ Deep Forest Emergence!"
Compared to the previous use, which had merely been an impulsive show of irritation toward Jiraiya, this time the technique's power was truly worthy of Sora's sage body.
In an instant, enormous trees erupted from the ground. Not even houses or stone could stop their growth.
*Roar!!*
The hellhound was quickly entangled by one of the massive trees, its cries echoing through the rain-soaked air. A beast like that, which could multiply when attacked, was usually impossible to kill outright—but the trees weren't trying to kill it. They were absorbing its chakra. Slowly, relentlessly, until it dissolved into smoke.
Simultaneously, under Sora's control, the trees surged skyward with astonishing speed, just narrowly missing the evasive Yatagarasu.
"Where are you looking?"
Sora's voice rang out from above the massive avian.
*Bang!!*
His fist slammed directly into the bird's skull. The immense summoned beast plummeted, its body crashing down toward Tendo Pain.
*Bang!*
Yatagarasu vanished in a puff of smoke before it could hit him. But in the background, the King of Hell had already been summoned by the Naraka Path, devouring the shattered Shuradō and beginning the repair process.
The endless forest of towering trees continued to expand, pressing in on the Six Paths of Pain.
Tendo Pain raised his hand. "Shinra Tensei!"
A tremendous repulsive force burst outward, instantly obliterating the encroaching trees. Even Sora had to teleport to the ground to avoid being swept away.
"So... against broken abilities like that, I suppose there's no helping it. But Pain's Six Paths alone won't be able to stop me."
Within seconds of that thought, the trees surged again. Three kunai, each marked for the Flying Thunder God Technique, shot through the air toward Tendo Pain.
Three?
Pain's Rinnegan tracked all three weapons as the forest closed in—but then, suddenly, Sora threw three more. Two of the new kunai collided mid-air, shifting the trajectories of all six projectiles unpredictably.
*Swish!*
Sora vanished. He reappeared above Tendo Pain with a blue orb forming in his palm—Rasengan—and brought it crashing down.
But before the attack landed, a figure stepped in front of Tendo. A chakra-absorbing barrier rose instantly.
The Preta Path.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The five-second interval had passed. Sora was blasted away just as he was about to follow up with a punch.
"Tch. See, that's what I get for trying to show off with flashy chakra balls. Should've just punched him in the face like usual."
Sora landed hard but rolled back to his feet, irritation flashing in his eyes. The trees responded to his will again, surging toward the Preta Path.
Deep Forest Emergence was far more effective against massive or stationary targets. But when it came to smaller, agile enemies like the Six Paths, it became a test of precision and control.
*Boom!!!*
The forest reshaped the battlefield, collapsing terrain and sweeping over obstacles. Several of the paths were caught up in the twisting roots and branches.
*Swish!*
The Human Path broke free and lunged for Sora—but the tree beneath his feet flipped and coiled around him mid-charge.
*Puff!*
The constriction left the Human Path a mangled mess of meat and cloth.
At that moment, the timer hit again.
"Shinra... Tensei!"
The repulsive blast that followed was stronger than before, triggered by a frustrated and humiliated Nagato. The shockwave instantly flattened everything within a two-hundred-meter radius.
Trees splintered. Kunai were sent flying. Even the special markers of the Flying Thunder God Technique were blown far from the field.
*Swish!*
As the smoke cleared, Shuradō—repaired by the King of Hell—retrieved the destroyed bodies of the Human and Preta Paths. Once again, Naraka Path devoured them for restoration.
Watching this, Sora muttered, "Six-on-one is one thing, but reviving with hacks mid-fight? That's just cheating."
Tendo Pain shook his head. "The Six Paths of Pain are one. You cannot resist the will of God."
Sora smirked. "God this, God that. You all talk big when you've got six bodies and unlimited respawns. I don't see a god. What I see is someone having a delusion-induced identity crisis."
His eyes scanned the field. Now that all civilians had been evacuated during the earlier exchanges, the area was a true battlefield. Thanks to the chaos wrought by Wood-style and Shinra Tensei, not a single building remained.
Only raw soil. And that was all Sora needed.
"Let's at least bring back a souvenir..."
Sora formed the Seal of Si again.
"Wood-style ∙ Deep Forest Emergence!"
Massive trees exploded from the bare ground again, surging toward the remaining bodies.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Missiles fired from Shuradō exploded against the trees, flames leaping into the air—but the regenerative forest extinguished the fires almost instantly.
The trees coiled once more.
*Swish!*
*Bang!!*
Sora appeared atop Shuradō and destroyed it with a single punch. Before Shinra Tensei could retaliate, he grabbed the remains and was flung backward by the repulsion.
*Ptoo*
He spat out dirt, already healing from the minor wounds.
Reaching into his pouch, Sora pulled out a sealing scroll and captured the remains of Shuradō.
"Gotta take home some local specialties. Hope you don't mind."
Pain's eyelids twitched, the calm façade cracking ever so slightly.
The trees did not stop.
Next target: the Human Path.
Once again, it was entangled, crushed, and sealed away.
"Don't bother resisting. You're just a corpse with no pain receptors. You're not breaking free from this level of Deep Forest Emergence."
*Bang!*
Sora's punch exploded the Human Path's skull.
Sealed.
Then came the target he'd long avoided: the Animal Path.
Since the early defeat of Cerberus and Yatagarasu, Animal Path had been noticeably absent from combat. Nagato had wisely avoided further summons—after all, large beasts were easy prey for Wood-style.
…
Moments later, Sora was flung away again by another Shinra Tensei.
Didn't matter. His sage body healed in an instant.
But Pain's Six Paths?
Reduced to one.
Tendo Pain.
"You… mortal!!!"
For the first time, the so-called god's voice cracked with fury. His stoic face was contorted with emotion.
"You have enraged a god—something no mortal could ever aspire to! Prepare to witness divine wrath!"
Sora's eyes flicked toward the shattered platform behind them.
Something stirred.
A cold, dense chakra began to rise.
Sora tilted his head and spread his arms. "Oh come on. You can't rage-quit just because you're losing. How many times do you even plan on going nuclear? I'm just here to borrow a little something. No need to be so stingy."
Pain glared. "No matter what happens… even if I die… I will never let you take Yahiko's body!!!"
*****
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