"The Cloud Village shinobi..."
"Perfect timing. The Two-Tails and Eight-Tails are here as well. Today, I'll reclaim all of you along with the Four-Tails."
The remaining five Paths of Pain emerged from the shadows, with the Deva Path naturally standing at the forefront.
"Stop spouting nonsense!" The Raikage tore off his white cloak, his entire body crackling with lightning—this was the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, a secret technique passed down through the generations of the Cloud Village.
Although the technique was only classified as a B-rank jutsu, its potential was immense. The Raikage was a prime example of someone who had trained to near perfection with it.
"Heavy Boulder Slam!"
The hot-tempered Raikage immediately launched a heavy attack. Concentrating the Lightning Release chakra around his elbow, he turned into a flash of lightning and closed the distance to the Deva Path in an instant.
So fast!
Nagato was momentarily stunned. Even though he was fully focused, his mind went blank for a split second, unable to react in time.
Fortunately, the distance between him and the Raikage was significant enough to give him a moment to respond. Acting on instinct, he raised his right hand.
"Almighty Push!"
The repulsive force erupted, halting the Raikage's advance just two meters in front of the Deva Path. The Raikage's face turned red, and his muscles tensed as he tried to resist the force with all his might.
But even so, he lasted less than a second before being flung backward.
"Raikage-sama!" Yugito Nii rushed to his side, only relaxing when she saw the Raikage rise from the ground unscathed.
"How pathetic! Foolish big brother! Yeah!"
"Bee! Stop rapping!" The Raikage, clearly annoyed, punched Killer Bee. Seeing the five Paths of Pain spread out into a formation, he didn't lose heart.
This repulsive force was indeed powerful, but he had confidence in his speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Asura Path fired a barrage of missiles—modern-looking weapons whose origin was a mystery.
"Flaming Mouse Ball!"
Yugito Nii immediately entered her partial Tailed Beast transformation, spitting out a massive blue flame in the shape of a mouse to intercept the missiles.
Boom!
Explosions lit up the sky, but Yugito advanced instead of retreating. Using the claws formed by her partial transformation, she swiped at the nearby Human Path.
"Universal Pull!"
A powerful suction force dragged Yugito toward the Deva Path. However, midway through her flight, the Deva Path canceled the technique. If she were pulled too close, he would have to use Almighty Push to repel her, leaving himself vulnerable during the cooldown period.
Beep!
A laser beam shot from the Asura Path's head, targeting Yugito, who had suddenly stopped mid-air. However, against a Jinchūriki protected by Tailed Beast chakra, the attack was largely ineffective.
"Now it's Killer Bee's turn!" Killer Bee also entered partial Tailed Beast transformation, revealing eight tails behind him. The oppressive aura he exuded far surpassed Yugito's.
"Bee, be careful!"
"The opponent wields the Rinnegan," the Eight-Tails warned in Killer Bee's mind.
"Headbutt of Eight Swords!"
Using the horn that had grown on his head as a weapon, Killer Bee charged ferociously at the Deva Path. Simultaneously, the Cloud Village forces surged forward, targeting the weaker Human Path, Naraka Path, and Preta Path.
But Nagato wasn't about to let them succeed.
"Almighty Push!"
A massive wave of repulsive force erupted, not only halting Killer Bee's charge but also sending the entire Cloud Village force flying.
Now's the time!
The Raikage, who had been waiting for an opening, felt his body tremble with anticipation. His white hair stood on end like sharp blades, and the Lightning Release chakra surrounding him grew even more intense.
He had entered the second stage of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
In this state, his speed reached new heights—so much so that even the legendary Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had only barely bested him using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Lightning Guillotine!"
With a loud roar, the Raikage turned his right hand into a blade and slashed straight at the Deva Path's neck. This attack was powerful enough to shatter even Susanoo—if it landed, the Deva Path would be finished.
"Universal Pull!"
Nagato, having anticipated the Raikage's assault, pulled the Preta Path in front of the Deva Path to take the hit.
The Preta Path extended both hands, immediately beginning to absorb the Lightning Release chakra surrounding the Raikage. Without the chakra's support, the Raikage's physical attacks lost much of their speed and power. Though he managed to send the Preta Path flying, the damage wasn't fatal.
Roar!
Two deafening roars echoed across the battlefield. Realizing that their opponents were stronger than expected, Yugito and Killer Bee fully transformed into their Tailed Beast forms. The two massive beasts now loomed over the battlefield, surrounding the five Paths of Pain and ready to pounce at any moment.
The Two-Tails opened its mouth wide, forming a black Tailed Beast Ball that shot toward the Pain formation with destructive force.
The Preta Path stepped forward once again, intercepting the Tailed Beast Ball and gradually absorbing it.
But this was merely a feint. The Cloud Village forces were well aware of the Pain Six Paths' abilities and would not waste their attacks.
The Eight-Tails wrapped its tentacles around itself, forming a massive spinning ball that barreled toward the enemy like a high-speed tire.
"Almighty Push!"
The Deva Path clasped its hands together, unleashing another large-scale Almighty Push. With Nagato's enhanced body, he no longer hesitated to use such high-intensity techniques.
Boom!
The Eight-Tails' spinning form rolled helplessly along the edge of the repulsive force barrier before being violently flung away.
Now's the time!
Seizing the opportunity presented by the Almighty Push's cooldown period, the Raikage moved like a bolt of lightning across the battlefield. In his second-stage Lightning Release Chakra Mode, even Nagato's Rinnegan struggled to keep up with his speed.
"Universal Pull!"
The Preta Path once again stepped in to shield the Deva Path. But this time, the Raikage's target wasn't the Preta Path—it was the Naraka Path behind it.
With a single punch, the Raikage shattered the Naraka Path and carried its remains back to his own forces for sealing.
"Now you can't revive anymore, can you?"
"Every time you use Almighty Push, you create an opening, and I can take one of your Paths."
"It won't be long before you're completely defeated," the Raikage declared confidently, his voice booming across the battlefield.
That guy... Did he reveal all the abilities of my Six Paths to the Cloud Village?
Nagato finally realized why the battle had been so difficult. The enemy had already devised countermeasures for his abilities.
As the Raikage had said, with the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails launching continuous high-intensity attacks, Nagato was forced to use Almighty Push. And each time he did, the Raikage exploited the cooldown period to strike.
It seemed like defeat was inevitable.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, three of the remaining Paths—Preta, Human, and Asura—collapsed to the ground.
The Raikage frowned. What was going on? Were they surrendering after realizing they couldn't win?
The Deva Path slowly ascended into the air.
"Even if you know my abilities, so what?"
"You know nothing of true power."
The Pain Six Paths were at their strongest not when all six were present but when their power was concentrated into the Deva Path alone.
This arrangement was merely a compromise to handle complex situations and diverse challenges—gathering intelligence, probing enemy capabilities, or dividing forces.
But now, Nagato wondered, Just how strong am I in this state?
Today, God would officially declare his presence.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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