First Second.
Fukasaku landed on Deva Path's chest, clinging with all four paws while emitting a faint aura of Sage Chakra.
Deva Path showed no reaction at all—his eyes didn't even flicker. His body remained frozen in the exact pose it had been in after being struck by Minato's Rasengan, completely wrapped and bound by pale golden talismans.
Second Two.
Fukasaku's expression turned solemn and focused, his eyes hazy. He had clearly entered a trance-like state, and his Sage Chakra was now seeping over the powerless Deva Path.
Third Second.
The previously motionless body of Deva Path suddenly began trembling. Then, a nearly transparent wave of air burst from within him, sweeping outward in all directions.
Fukasaku's calm demeanor changed instantly. Without any defense, he was blasted backward into the air.
In mid-air, the frog spewed a stream of blood down to the ground.
"Nagato! What's going on?"
Konan turned toward her companion and noticed something was off.
But the latter gave no reply, only maintaining a serious expression as the glowing patterns in his eyes deepened continuously.
It was obvious that Nagato must have encountered some trouble, so Konan refrained from asking further.
Instead, she swiftly waved her arm. A mass of white paper fragments shot out. They faintly formed into humanoid shapes midair before slicing through the paper trees used as cover and flying off into the distance.
Judging by the situation, it seemed Yahiko's retreat had been cut off, leading to a scenario so severe even Nagato couldn't handle immediately.
Therefore, she dispatched her clones to prepare for backup support.
Even though these were just clones, they weren't strong in battle, but they'd be enough to hold the rear guard.
Before coming to Konoha, Konan had prepared many things specifically for this mission—just in case a situation like this arose. She was well-equipped to deal with unpredictable circumstances like this one.
"Master Fukasaku!"
Jiraiya reacted first, quickly leaping toward where Fukasaku had landed, his face filled with anxiety.
Minato also quickly stepped away from Deva Path and warily gripped a kunai in one hand, dodging the sudden assault.
Breaking free from his own sealing technique like that? Clearly, they'd underestimated the Rinnegan's power all along.
Even in this condition, Pain was still far from an easy opponent.
Just moments ago, Jiraiya had thought their plan was executing flawlessly, yet in the end, it seemed they hadn't achieved their intended goal.
"So you're *really* set on tracking me down!"
Showing no concern for his injuries, Deva Path stared fixedly at Jiraiya and the old frog who had just landed on his shoulder.
"But not yet!"
As he spoke, he suddenly stretched out one hand toward Jiraiya. The air violently compressed, generating an immense pulling force.
Jiraiya barely started moving to dodge when he abruptly vanished from his spot, uncontrollably flying straight toward the palm of Deva Path's raised hand.
Almost simultaneously, the markings around Jiraiya's eyes and within his pupils—those characteristic signs of Sage Mode—disappeared completely.
Struck suddenly by Deva Path, he had exited Sage Mode instantaneously.
Jiraiya's expression shifted slightly.
But Fukasaku and Shima, perched on Minato's shoulders, reacted swiftly.
Fukasaku shot his tongue out like a whip, wrapping it tightly around Minato's arm.
At the same time, Shima quickly coiled herself around Jiraiya's arm.
This brought Jiraiya's forward charge to an abrupt halt, allowing him to plant both feet firmly into the ground and steady himself.
Minato also acted immediately. Taking advantage of their connection, he pulled Jiraiya away from their original position, escaping the continued gravitational pull of Deva Path.
Swoosh!
Though his attack missed, Deva Path successfully forced Jiraiya and Minato back, then instantly turned and dashed in the opposite direction.
His intention had never been to target Jiraiya at all — this sudden assault was meant only to create distance and give him a chance to escape.
Whether summoning or using another method to retreat, he needed some time and space.
And with Minato still here—master of the Flying Thunder God Technique—Nagato had to be especially cautious, fearing that even a moment's carelessness could expose his real body and lead to entanglement.
Yet despite Deva Path's efforts to break free from pursuit, to Minato's eyes, his current speed was no better than a crawling snail.
The injuries from Guy's earlier strike slowed him down. Even with Nagato continuously increasing his control, he couldn't pick up speed.
Meanwhile, after pulling Jiraiya away from the previous spot and evading Deva Path's attack, Minato vanished once more.
His transitions between the Flying Thunder God and Shifting Body Technique were fluid and natural, without a trace of awkwardness.
His figure flickered through the air as if constantly reappearing.
This time, he appeared directly in front of Deva Path. His right hand held a kunai, simply blocking Deva Path's escape route and halting his movement.
Minato was not only skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique, but also a master of the Shifting Body Technique.
Facing Minato head-on, Deva Path instinctively spun around—only to find a man and a frog standing close behind him, staring intently.
Caught between advancing and retreating, his body froze.
There would be no easy escape—this much was clear.
As for abandoning Yahiko?
Such a thought had never even entered Nagato's mind.
The last time such a "sacrifice" had occurred, it led to irreversible consequences—there was absolutely no way he would allow history to repeat itself.
Of course, Minato and Jiraiya both understood this perfectly, which is why they pursued Deva Path relentlessly.
Standing there, Minato and Jiraiya faced Deva Path with the two frogs clinging to their shoulders. The atmosphere grew strangely cold.
No one spoke a word.
Jiraiya remained silent intentionally—using quiet pressure to press against Nagato's resolve.
Nagato also stayed silent, calculating a way to retreat safely.
He had already noticed Konan creating a clone to come reinforce him, so internally, he remained calm.
...
"It seems Nagato hasn't succeeded," White Zetsu grinned, his sharp teeth glinting faintly in the dim light, giving off an unsettling edge.
"Konoha at least had it rough too. Not catching the Nine-Tails was more or less expected."
Saitama looked down at the busy village of Konoha, his gaze lingering a few seconds longer on the Uchiha district.
There lived an ordinary woman. He could only hope she'd be safe.
After all, she'd raised him with the kind of motherly devotion that deserved protection.
Judging from things on their end, the Uchiha must've handled the evacuation for regular clan members pretty well. There were practically no ninja conducting search and rescue operations in that area.
And personally, he didn't feel anxious or uneasy—just calm.
"Not getting our hands on the Nine-Tails means everything else was pointless!"
White Zetsu studied Saitama's face, trying to discern something from that tranquil expression.
Unfortunately, ever since Saitama's power surpassed their control, his thoughts had become extremely complex.
Even he and Black Zetsu could no longer penetrate his mind.
"This was more than enough. If we'd actually captured the Nine-Tails this time, I'd be worried instead. Things are moving too fast, and certain preparations still aren't complete."
Saitama stared at White Zetsu, lips slightly upturned.
"Is that so?"
White Zetsu didn't flinch, meeting Saitama's gaze directly before continuing.
"What else needs preparation? I think collecting the Tailed Beasts is already complete. We've been preparing for such a long time."
"There's always something needing preparation!"
Saitama didn't elaborate further but simply gazed at White Zetsu until the latter shifted his eyes away first.
"The Nine-Tails' jinchuriki truly has incredible power. Compared to the last time she was weakened during the Nine-Tails' release, she's grown even stronger."
White Zetsu's eyes flickered as he turned his gaze toward a red-cloaked figure.
His impression of Kushina ran deep—the last direct contact had been during her moment of greatest weakness.
That might have been the perfect opportunity, yet back then, Saitama hadn't taken advantage of it.
It was around that time Black Zetsu noticed Saitama seemed to possess independent thoughts, no longer strictly following Madara Uchiha's orders.
"Kushina, what's wrong?"
Tsunade approached Kushina's side. She had just finished examining Guy's condition and found no major issues—only requiring some recovery time.
At that moment, she noticed Kushina appeared to be looking toward the Hokage Rock.
"Nothing much. Just felt like someone was watching me earlier."
Kushina shook her head slightly, then tiredly rubbed her temples.
On hearing this, Tsunade also turned her gaze toward the Hokage Rock but found no trace of anyone. She assumed Kushina was probably just stressed after everything she'd experienced today.
"Where's Obito?"
Kushina glanced around and realized, aside from nearby shinobi who had come over, Obito—who brought them here—was gone again.
"He went to chase after Minato and the others. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Tsunade placed her hand on Kushina's shoulder, offering comfort.
"Yeah, I know!"
Kushina had witnessed Pain being sent flying by Might Guy earlier. She also knew the latter had sustained severe injuries and fled outward—his strength now likely reduced to less than a tenth of what it once was.
"Go help out over there. The casualties are heavy, and many of the wounded are in critical condition."
Tsunade tugged at Kushina.
This area had been the battlefield where Pain and Jiraiya fought earlier. Since two of the enemy's ultimate attacks originated here, the situation in this part of the village was the worst.
"All right, no problem."
Kushina bent down and gently ruffled Naruto's head as he stood quietly beside her. After offering him a warm smile, she followed Tsunade toward the wounded who had already been pulled from under the rubble and debris by the search and rescue teams.
The whole of Konoha remained in motion without pause.
Though Pain's assault left the village in unimaginable ruin,
as the First of the Hidden Villages, it was never short on resilience!
With Pain defeated, Shikaku efficiently coordinated the uninjured and lightly wounded ninjas into well-organized rescue operations.
Some people were crying, but every survivor managed a smile.
They could handle scenes like this — as members of Konoha, they possessed surprisingly strong mental resilience.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Near the edge of the village, powerful explosions suddenly erupted, loud enough to be heard across the entire village.
Many villagers paused their work and turned their eyes toward the source of the blasts.
Tsunade and Kushina exchanged glances. It seemed to be coming from the direction Jiraiya and the others had chased after the enemy.
The explosions rumbled on and on, sending waves of shockwaves rippling through the village.
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