His long, dark-crimson hair hung loose, and his slightly thin build made the fitted cloak he wore seem less than full. The skin exposed to the air was pale, unhealthily so, giving off a sickly impression.
His lips were pressed lightly together, and beneath the calm expression on his face lingered a trace of coldness. In his eyes, however, there was a sharp, intimidating light.
Overall, this man, about the same age as Minato, did not display the air one might associate with a "powerhouse," save for the striking radiance of the Rinnegan in his gaze.
And yet, the very first thing this frail-looking man said was enough to make many Konoha shinobi's hearts sink.
Minato was not foolish enough to ask about the Third Hokage's situation, nor did he waste time with words. Without hesitation, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique, disappearing from where he stood.
When Nagato saw Minato vanish, he showed no surprise. His target was Minato, but catching him would not be easy. If he could manage it, though, the Preta Pain's ability could disrupt Minato's chakra flow, preventing him from escaping via Flying Thunder God.
The problem was… how to catch him.
The battlefield was quiet. With only one area left where the fighting continued, Konoha no longer had to divide its forces to guard multiple fronts.
This place had become the sole main battleground. The elite gathered here, while the weaker ninja stayed clear.
Those who could remain here were all battle-hardened veterans, their gazes locked firmly on Nagato. Though the situation of the Third Hokage's squad weighed on some minds, it did not diminish the combat effectiveness they could bring forth.
"Kakashi…" Guy's eyes darkened. Though usually carefree, in battle he was nothing but solemn and focused.
Giving his all was something many did in a fight, but in Guy, this quality was absolute.
Nagato's goal was Minato, and his chakra reserves had already been greatly drained in the previous two rounds of battle. If this turned into a drawn-out fight, he would need to capture several Konoha shinobi to replenish his chakra.
From the start, he had prepared for a war of attrition. The first assault by the Six Paths of Pain on Konoha had achieved notable results. When Nagato committed them to a second attack, however, the enemy had already obtained intel on their abilities, reducing their impact.
His original plan was to repair the Six Pains only once at most. Their divided abilities simply could not compare to his true body. Since they could no longer produce results, there was no point in wasting chakra on meaningless repairs.
Now that he was here in person, he could replenish his chakra while continuing the battle.
The moment Minato vanished with the Flying Thunder God, Nagato suddenly moved, his speed startlingly fast, as he reached toward the nearest Konoha ninja.
Banshō Ten'in!
The Deva Pain's power manifested in that instant. The targeted Konoha shinobi had no way to resist and was pulled straight toward him.
In that split second, every Konoha ninja familiar with the Deva Pain's abilities felt a shock. Yet, what they saw was only the tip of the iceberg.
Meanwhile, Minato, having teleported to Kakashi's location, was greeted by the sight of a flattened forest and a severely damaged squad.
The desolate stretch of land set his nerves on edge.
Wasn't this… exactly the kind of devastation left behind by Shinra Tensei?
The squad of over five hundred, spotted earlier by Konan, had been hit without warning by Nagato's Shinra Tensei, before they could even begin fighting. The result... Some dead, many injured.
The fatalities were not many, but injuries were widespread. Fortunately, a portion of the team had reacted in time and escaped with only minor wounds.
Since the enemy was still inside the village, Minato quickly assessed the situation, exchanged a few words with Kakashi, and then teleported back.
By the time Minato returned to the village, barely five seconds later, he saw Nagato gripping a comrade by the throat.
As Minato's gaze fixed on them, the targeted shinobi went limp, utterly lifeless, drained of all chakra.
Nagato released his hold. The body hit the ground heavily, kicking up a puff of dust.
Guy appeared beside Minato in a flicker, his face grim. "He can use the earlier enemy's abilities, pulling people in from a distance and absorbing chakra."
Nagato's attack had been sudden, fast, and unnerving. When a comrade was pulled toward him, no one dared to recklessly strike for fear of harming their ally.
Hearing Guy's words, Minato's suspicions, formed after seeing the earlier devastation, were nearly confirmed.
This man was indeed the mastermind controlling the puppets. And he could use all six abilities from before. Each alone was already difficult to handle, what if all of them were combined?
Minato took a deep breath. Without a doubt, this was an opponent no less dangerous than Ye Zi. That chakra-absorbing ability was just as troublesome as Ye Zi's own.
Why was Ye Zi so highly regarded by every major hidden village? Because his solo combat power was formidable, and at the heart of that power was the ability to absorb his target's chakra and make it his own.
And this young man had the same power…
Minato did not yet know that Nagato could also wield all five chakra nature transformations. If he did, he might have felt very differently.
"The enemy can use all six of those abilities. Taijutsu specialists stay, everyone else fall back," Minato called out, directly in front of Nagato.
Even before the words fully left his lips, Nagato moved again. One Konoha jōnin was clearly not enough to replenish his chakra reserves. Minato's command was meant to reduce the number of targets, denying Nagato the chance to recover.
Nagato, however, had no intention of letting any such opportunity slip by.
At the same time, deep within the Shikkotsu Forest, where the acidic mist was at its thickest and deadly to ordinary people...
Amidst the fog that could corrode a human body with ease, Kushina slowly opened her eyes, then let out a quiet sigh. This time… she had failed again.
Inside the seal space was the world of her heart. In that space, every thought and feeling was laid bare, every word spoken to the Nine-Tails completely unhidden and sincere.
Yet the Nine-Tails would not so easily accept a human again. The hatred and loathing it had built up over the years could not be dissolved so easily.
"Failed again?" The split body of the slug summon asked softly.
Kushina smiled faintly. "Yeah… but next time, I'll succeed for sure!"
From the day she became a jinchūriki, she had accepted the Nine-Tails' existence. The Nine-Tails, however, had never accepted her.
The slug's antennae twitched slightly, its tone turning serious."Lady Kushina, Konoha is currently under attack by Akatsuki."
While Kushina was in training, she could not be disturbed. But now that her session had ended, the slug was obliged to tell her.
At those words, Kushina's face changed at once.
"Is it Ye Zi?"
The first person she thought of, someone she now regarded as an enemy, was also the one she could never quite put out of her heart.
Before the slug could answer, a feeling beyond words had already risen within her.
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Currently on Chapter 593 - When the Four Kage Crossed His Path