The appearance of the Seven-Tails truly caught everyone in the Akatsuki off guard. They had originally thought that with their numerical advantage—and with the Three-Tails assisting them—
Suppressing Gekko Chizan wouldn't be too difficult.
But from the very start of the battle, Gekko Chizan went all out. First came the chaotic dance of four giant snakes, and now it was a carnival of Sage Mode and a Tailed Beast.
For a moment, the members of Akatsuki were completely stunned.
Even Kakuzu and Kabuto fell silent. After all, a jinchūriki combined with Sage Mode—how could that possibly still be considered an ordinary person?
"What the hell is going on?"
"Why can the jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast move separately?"
"Condensing a body out of chakra? How is that even possible?"
It wasn't just those in the fight who were shocked. Even Black Zetsu, hiding off to the side, was shaken.
He knew the Tailed Beasts well. He knew jinchūriki well.
He had never heard of—nor seen—any jinchūriki capable of letting their Tailed Beast act independently.
A Tailed Beast was sealed inside the jinchūriki's body. With the seal in place, how could it possibly leave the body and move on its own?
Another jinchūriki was present on the battlefield—the Three-Tails jinchūriki, the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura—who was currently in Tailed Beast form.
But after transforming, there was clearly only the Three-Tails.
Yet when they looked at Gekko Chizan—he was still there, and the Tailed Beast was there too. What the hell had happened?
The Akatsuki members were utterly shocked, but Gekko Chizan pressed the advantage.
The Titan Python surged forward with unstoppable momentum, charging straight toward Nagato and the other two through the flames.
"That damn mechanical freak! I'll take you out first!"
His target was crystal clear—the Asura Path, the one with heavy artillery capabilities.
That guy's long-range missiles were incredibly annoying. Not only were they powerful, but they just kept coming without end.
As for why he didn't prioritize the Naraka Path, it was because the Naraka Path stood firmly behind Nagato. He couldn't reach it immediately, so he chose the next best option.
"Hmph!"
"Almighty Push!"
During the charge, Nagato's Almighty Push had not yet recovered, so he could only rely on Universal Pull to respond for now.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu and Kabuto launched support attacks from both flanks.
Composite ninjutsu and Iron Sand completely covered both sides of the Titan Python.
A coordinated strike took shape instantly.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of people standing at the peak of their respective fields."
"Too bad… I'm not afraid of these attacks."
"Fly!"
At the exact moment all the attacks were about to land, Gekko Chizan vanished—along with the Titan Python.
All three were startled, but quickly realized what he had done.
"Flying Thunder God?"
"When did he place the marker?"
Nagato's Rinnegan was activated to its limit, and with the other Paths assisting in the search, he still hadn't detected any Flying Thunder God marker.
And in the next second, they found out where Chizan had flown.
"Crystal Release: Raining Needle Barrage!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The voice came from the sky. Gekko Chizan and the Titan Python had flown directly upward.
The enormous, deep-blue body blocked out the sunlight.
At the same time, a massive storm of crystal needles and raging flames descended from above.
"Damn it—when did he place a marker in the sky?"
"Preta Path!"
"Animal Path!"
Nagato spat angrily, but he wasn't without options against a technique of this level.
The Preta Path could absorb ninjutsu. The flames could be absorbed.
As for the crystal needles formed by Crystal Release, they were left to the Animal Path's summoning technique.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The panda, previously useless, finally came into play. With its hardened hide, it blocked the crystal needles falling from the sky.
As for Kakuzu and Kabuto, they relied on their respective abilities to defend themselves.
Gekko Chizan's assault wasn't over. In Sage Mode, his eyes had long since turned into serpent pupils.
Seizing the moment while his enemies were busy defending, his gaze pierced past the crowd and locked directly onto the Naraka Path in the rear.
Chakra infused with serpentine pressure and toxins struck the Naraka Path at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
"What?!"
The Naraka Path had been hiding safely in the back, but everything had happened too fast.
First, Gekko Chizan used Flying Thunder God to ascend into the sky, gaining the high ground. Then he swiftly pinpointed its position.
One Paralyzing Gaze—
And the Naraka Path's entire body went numb, unable to move.
"So his target is the Naraka Path?"
"This guy… knows my abilities that well?"
Nagato frowned deeply. He felt that Gekko Chizan's understanding of him was far too thorough.
But he had never publicly displayed all his abilities. Even if he had, who gathered that intelligence?
While Nagato was still questioning the source of the leak, Gekko Chizan had no intention of giving them time to breathe.
As doubt filled Nagato's mind, the Titan Python's massive body crashed down. With a single casual sweep of its thick tail, it sent the Preta Path flying.
It was true that the Preta Path could absorb chakra—even Sage chakra.
But how massive was the Titan Python's body?
Even if it tried to absorb it, that would take time. Not to mention the sheer strength behind that sweeping tail—
The Preta Path was blasted straight out of the battlefield. It wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
And even if it did, whether it could continue fighting was another matter.
"Not good! Kakuzu, Kabuto! Assist me!"
"Almighty Push!"
Nagato understood the terror of the Titan Python. This was a monstrous serpent capable of withstanding his Almighty Push head-on.
Kakuzu and Kabuto immediately attempted to provide support, but the situation had already slipped beyond their control.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Tagitsuhime's voice rang out like a whisper from the depths of hell.
Her attack followed instantly.
The ground was bathed in red light, and countless crimson serpents erupted from the earth.
Kakuzu and Kabuto were caught without warning, instantly entangled by the writhing red snakes.
"Heh!"
"Nice one, Tagitsuhime!"
"Naraka Path, huh? Down you go!"
With no one else interfering, even Nagato's Almighty Push wasn't something Gekko Chizan feared.
The Titan Python endured the force of Almighty Push and swallowed the Naraka Path in one gulp.
What was inside the Titan Python?
Sage chakra—and Gekko Chizan himself.
Anyone swallowed into its belly would meet a miserable end.
"Heh! Even if you're just a puppet, I'll still wipe you out completely—leave not even a speck behind!"
"Crystal Release: Requiem of the End!"
Gekko Chizan pressed one hand onto the opponent's head.
Looking at the ripple-patterned Rinnegan eyes and the black rods embedded in the body, a grin spread across his face as he circulated chakra and unleashed his ultimate Crystal Release technique.
The paralyzed Naraka Path's eyes widened.
In the next second, its body began to crystallize bit by bit.
Until it became nothing more than a crystal statue.