Outside Kiri.
A few kilometers from Kiri, deep in the mountains, there was a small inn that regularly welcomed passing caravans and travelers, keeping business steady.
In one of the inn's luxury suites, Heiyan had temporarily taken up residence with three brats to rest and recover.
At this moment, Zabuza and Kisame were lying side by side on floor mats, while Mei Terumi brought over hot water and towels to care for them.
Swish.
The sliding door to the bedroom slid open.
Heiyan canceled his transformation, no longer appearing as Obito, and instead activated his Three-Tails living armor, morphing into the Turtle Immortal.
Under the increasingly suspicious gazes of Mei and the others, Heiyan decided to speak first this time, spinning his web of deception.
He rolled out his well-crafted lie again—that he was the reclusive Turtle Immortal who, upon witnessing Kiri fall into the hands of villains and sink further into ruin, had resolved to come out of hiding to save its ninja and villagers.
As for his previous masked figure appearance, it had simply been a disguise—he had temporarily copied an enemy's abilities using Immortal Sage techniques and impersonated them.
His words left the three brats utterly flabbergasted.
Just then—
A violent explosion erupted from the direction of Kiri, the sound carrying for miles—like thunder rolling through the mountains.
Looks like it's starting now.
Thus, Heiyan told the three brats to stay put, leaving behind a Shadow Clone to guard them before stepping out.
Soon,
Heiyan arrived at Kiri's village gate. Smoke and flames burst across the village, only to be rapidly doused by the rain covering everything.
The Animal Path had summoned massive beasts—an underworld hound with three heads, a rhino, a centipede, a giant bird, and a chameleon—all rampaging through the village, destroying buildings and killing villagers indiscriminately.
After sensing around, Heiyan discovered that Madara had deployed all his Impure World Reincarnation Puppets to confront the invaders. Meanwhile, Madara himself still sat calmly on his fishing platform, monitoring the entire village's movements from the basement.
Looks like the Six Paths of Pain still aren't enough pressure for him.
Just as Heiyan spied on Madara,
Hmm, another intruder?
Inside the underground room, Madara Uchiha frowned. Using the Rain Tiger At Will Jutsu, he sensed Heiyan's arrival.
Within a crystal ball in front of him appeared the image of an old man leaning on a cane, carrying a turtle shell on his back, wearing sunglasses.
So the so-called Turtle Immortal showed up too, looking to loot while the village burns? Fine, let me use this chance to wipe you pests out in one sweep.
Madara sneered coldly, suddenly standing up and rapidly forming hand seals with both hands.
The next second—
"Roar!"
Behind Madara, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path let out a guttural roar, its blood-red maw splitting open.
As the statue's stomach writhed, a saliva-drenched, dripping-wet humanoid creature was spat onto the ground.
It was Madara's [Elephant Path], created using the Ten-Tails' cells from the statue, combined with chakra from the One-Tail, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Eight-Tails.
Under Madara's control, the [Elephant Path] slowly rose from the ground, opening its eyes. From within those Rinnegan burned an incomparably sharp and domineering aura.
This Elephant Path user was Madara's masterpiece. It not only possessed over sixty percent of Madara's original chakra, but could also display certain abilities from both the four Tailed Beasts and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
This technique was Madara's greatest trump card aside from Rinnegan—Wheel Dimension, and it was also why he felt confident in annihilating his enemies completely.
Tap tap tap.
The young Elephant Path clone of Madara strode out of the basement.
Of course, Heiyan had seen everything through the eyes of the Demonic Statue's Rinnegan.
Heiyan couldn't help but smile.
Poor Madara remained completely unaware that his Elephant Path clone, born from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, had been fully controlled by Heiyan's Parasitic Spores from head to toe. If Heiyan wished, he could turn this clone into his Puppet anytime.
However, Heiyan had no intention of acting just yet. Instead, he intended to let Madara fight against the Six Paths of Pain and have them tear each other apart like fighting dogs.
At the critical moment, he would suddenly seize control of the Elephant Path clone and strike Madara with a decisive blow.
Whoosh!
Heiyan shot into the Mist.
Not far ahead, violent chakra fluctuations erupted as someone engaged in fierce combat.
Heiyan silently approached the battlefield and discovered two opposing sides: one group consisted of several Jonin from Mist, including Ao, who had previously served as a Genin exam proctor.
The other side was a fat man dressed in an Akatsuki cloak.
It was Preta Path.
Its ability allowed him to absorb chakra and ninjutsu, mainly serving a defensive role among the Six Paths of Pain.
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!]
[Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!]
[Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!]
At this moment, several Mist Jonin performed techniques together, launching various powerful Water Release jutsu from all directions toward Preta Path, attempting to swallow him up entirely.
Victory seemed within their grasp.
Seeing their enemy unable to dodge, they felt sure of victory. Joy lit up their faces.
However—
Preta Path calmly took a horse stance, inhaled deeply, extended his hands forward, and emitted intense ocular power waves from his Rinnegan.
[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal!]
Hiss hiss hiss.
All the jutsu, when flying before Preta Path, were blocked by his hands as if falling into a bottomless pit, being completely absorbed.
"How is that possible?!"
Ao and others changed expressions drastically, shocked by this strange ability.
Next second.
Whoosh.
Preta Path launched a strong counterattack, rushing toward the nearest Mist Jonin. Taking advantage of his opponent's massive chakra consumption and reduced stamina, he knocked him down within just a few punches and kicks.
Then, under his opponent's terrified gaze, Preta Path expressionlessly grabbed his neck and lifted him high into the air.
[Rinnegan: Chakra Devouring]
As Preta Path's palm released a powerful suction force, the Mist Jonin's facial features twisted together, showing unbearable pain.
Hiss hiss hiss.
Soon, all the chakra inside his body was devoured by Preta Path, leaving him nothing but skin and bones—like a living skeleton.
Sssss.
Witnessing this scene, Ao and others felt chills run down their backs, involuntarily drawing in sharp breaths.
Their enemy not only resisted ninjutsu attacks, but could also devour their chakra for self-replenishment.
Wouldn't someone like that be like a perpetual motion machine — invincible (Wujie), defying all limits?
At this moment, the Preta Path charged toward them again.
Just as Ao and his companions were overcome with despair—
Whoosh!
A colossal ice spike, over ten meters long and several meters wide, came hurtling down from the sky, smashing straight into the Preta Path.
Hmm?
The Preta Path came to an abrupt halt, lifted its head, and as the ice spike hurtled toward it, quickly raised both hands, activating the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal again.
Hiss...hiss...
Visible to the eye, the giant ice spike melted away, as if evaporated by sunlight, soon turning into white vapor.
After absorbing the ice spike, the Preta Path turned its gaze forward.
From behind the ruins, the Immortal Sage slowly stepped out, leaning on a cane.
Swoosh!
The Preta Path launched itself again, rushing straight at the Immortal Sage. According to its sensing ability, there was an unusually powerful chakra reaction inside the opponent's body. Devouring it would greatly enhance its own combat strength.
"Protect that honorable person!"
Ao immediately shouted to his companions nearby and rushed ahead first, attempting to block the Preta Path with his own body.
Although Ao didn't know who the sage was, it was clear the old man had come to aid them — the earlier giant ice spike had unmistakably been a Ninjutsu technique conjured by him.
This old man appeared aged and frail, moving with difficulty, even needing to lean on a cane while walking. If the Preta Path got close enough, the result could be imagined.
Yet at this moment, Ao suddenly saw the Immortal Sage give him a kind smile and make a hand gesture telling him to stop, not to involve himself in this battle.
Immediately afterward, Ao witnessed another astonishing sight.
Facing the fierce charge of the Preta Path, the Immortal Sage simply took off the turtle shell on his back and threw it forward with force.
Swish!
While flying, the shell spun rapidly and simultaneously enlarged quickly. By the time it arrived before the Preta Path, its diameter had already reached ten meters.
The Preta Path assumed it was some kind of jutsu and tried to absorb it using the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal—but instead, it was struck head-on by the shell and sent flying backward hard.
Then, the Immortal Sage folded up his cane, stamped forcefully onto the ground. Boom! The battlefield cracked like lightning bolts spreading across glass.
Using the rebound force, the Immortal Sage leaped high into the air, crossed dozens of meters midair, then fell back down like a cannonball, accurately slamming his knee right into the chest of the Preta Path.
Boom!
Struck heavily, the Preta Path's limbs shot upward, its Rinnegan eyes widened dramatically—rendered incapacitated in just one blow.
"This..."
Ao and the Mist Jonin stood there, stunned beyond words, eyes wide and mouths agape. Someone who seemed nothing more than an old man relying on a cane had fought with such explosive intensity—like a war god.
Clap!
Heiyan seized the Preta Path's throat, just as it had done earlier to Yuki, one of the Mist Jonin, lifting it high into the air.
"You're asking for it."
Suddenly, the Preta Path coldly smirked mockingly. It quickly raised both hands, grabbing Heiyan's arms and repeating its trick—it activated Chakra Devouring again.
However, what neither the Preta Path nor Nagato, its controller, had anticipated was that this move had fallen right into Heiyan's trap.
"You want my chakra? Then have it—all of it."
The Immortal Sage grinned cheerfully. Instead of resisting the Preta Path's absorption, he actually increased his efforts, willingly channeling his chakra into it.
However, this was no ordinary chakra—it was Sage Chakra infused with Natural Energy.
In the original timeline, the Preta Path had ended up transformed into a stone frog after absorbing Naruto Uzumaki's deliberately released Sage Chakra, and was later destroyed by Naruto.
After all, Natural Energy is highly unstable and extremely difficult to control.
The Sage Chakra Heiyan released was inherited from Shikkotsu Forest. Its side effects differed from the Natural Energy of Mount Myoboku.
As a result, instead of becoming a stone frog, the Preta Path began to—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Its body suddenly swelled rapidly, like rising dough. At the same time, its facial features and limbs twisted and split, looking extremely strange and terrifying.
Within just a few seconds,
the Preta Path had mutated into a monster several meters tall, sprouting numerous eyes across its body—four arms and eight legs—as its cells underwent complete, uncontrolled division.
The Six Paths of Pain shared vision, ultimately controlled by Nagato behind the scenes.
Therefore, when the Preta Path was in danger, another figure in the Hidden Mist Village—the Animal Path—immediately activated the Summoning Jutsu, attempting to rescue it.
Trying to escape?
Heiyan instantly noticed their intent. Without hesitation, he threw a punch forward. A powerful gale wrapped around his iron fist as he struck the Preta Path head-on.
BOOM!
The giant Preta Path exploded instantly under the impact, shredded into countless chunks of meat.
After dealing with the Preta Path, Heiyan turned around.
With a wave of his hand, the massive turtle shell lying on the ground flew toward him through the air, shrinking before returning to his back.
One hand clasped behind his back, the Immortal Sage strode forward as if taking a leisurely stroll in the courtyard, leaning lightly on his cane beneath the respectful and grateful gazes of Ao and the others.
"I am the hermit Master Genjutsu, the Immortal Sage..."
Heiyan recited his familiar script again, pulling off a smooth deception. With such divine power on display, Ao and the others had no choice but to believe him—the Hidden Mist has always revered strength above all else.
"Your task," Heiyan instructed them, "is to evacuate as many ninja and villagers as possible from the Hidden Mist. Everyone must retreat, preserving our village's fighting strength."
Ao shouted, eyes blazing with determination. "Master, I wish to fight alongside you and defend the Hidden Mist!"
Hardly had he spoken than—BOOM!
Not far away, a colossal wooden guardian statue towering dozens of meters high appeared right in the center of the street. With dragons coiling around its arms, it engaged in fierce battle against the monstrous summoned beasts ravaging the village.
It was Hashirama who had made his move.
He had deployed the Wooden Golem Technique, personally taking on the Animal Path's summoned beasts. Wherever they clashed, buildings were flattened into ruins.
This level of battle was simply beyond what an average ninja could participate in.
Seeing this scene, Ao couldn't help but give a bitter smile, finally acknowledging the limits of his own power.
Thus, under Heiyan's command, Ao and several Jonin immediately dispersed to organize the evacuation of Kiri's villagers.
Heiyan glanced at the wooden golem in the distance but didn't move toward it—he already knew that wasn't where the real action would be.
The real battle hadn't even started yet.
With that thought, Heiyan continued walking slowly toward the Mizukage building, leaning on his cane.
On a nearby street,
Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path—half of the Six Paths of Pain—had assembled and were acting together.
A short time earlier.
When Nagato saw the [Rain Tiger at Will Jutsu] covering the sky above Mist, he confirmed two things.
First, sneaking into Mist was no longer an option; he would definitely be discovered, leaving him with no choice but to charge straight in.
Second, Madara Uchiha was truly in Mist and, like himself, was a wielder of the Rinnegan.
Therefore, Nagato devised a strategy: sending Preta Path, Asura Path, and Animal Path to attack different parts of Mist simultaneously to create large-scale chaos. Meanwhile, Human Path and Naraka Path would act around Deva Path, gathering intelligence and searching for Nagato.
Nagato also wanted to face Madara Uchiha directly and find out just how strong another Rinnegan wielder could be—he was eager to see if he himself was more powerful than Madara.
By defeating Madara Uchiha himself, he could obtain another pair of Rinnegan eyes, seize control of Mist through force, and secure total victory.
Such thoughts, though pleasant,
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>