He fled. It pursued. He was like a bird with clipped wings...
Flying high in the sky, Pain's Deva Path seemed to sense something.
Although he realized this incoming attack was incredibly powerful, it wasn't entirely unstoppable. A slight sense of relief flickered in his heart.
"Almighty Push!"
This was when experience truly came into play.
A fierce repulsive force erupted from his body, radiating outward in all directions.
The Yasaka Magatama slammed violently into the repulsive field.
After a brief moment of stalemate, it managed to pierce through the force field. The ferocious energy struck Pain directly.
The Deva Path's body was bisected by the diminished Yasaka Magatama.
...
"So, it was just a clone after all."
Itachi, witnessing this scene, wasn't too surprised.
After all, if he dared to throw the Yasaka Magatama, he was confident it had a high chance of success.
This wasn't just an ordinary Yasaka Magatama; he had secretly infused it with Sage Chakra.
A weakened Deva Path clone? What could it possibly do to block that?
Sage Chakra was an exceptionally unique energy—so much so that even Truth-Seeking Orbs couldn't dissolve it.
Relying solely on repulsive force to counter such a hybrid energy was practically impossible.
Not to mention, the Yasaka Magatama itself was an artifact gifted by the Desolate God.
...
Looking at the now-disabled Deva Path clone, Itachi was tempted to completely destroy this body. Otherwise, once the other five Paths arrived, the Deva Path could recover again.
However, sensing that the remaining five Paths were drawing closer, Itachi gave up on this enticing thought.
Konan, realizing the Deva Path was faltering, had already positioned herself in front of it. Itachi wasn't inclined to fight a woman.
It definitely wasn't because of Konan's massive stockpile of explosive tags.
Even though she hadn't prepped them in advance.
...
As she watched Itachi's figure fade into the distance, Konan's gaze grew complicated.
She hadn't expected this Blood Moon operative to be so strong—even forcing Pain to fall in battle.
As for Obito, he disappeared in a swirl of space-time distortion.
In his mind lingered the power Itachi had just displayed.
That power was something he couldn't underestimate.
However, he still hadn't figured out how to unlock such power himself.
"Could it be because I'm missing one eye?" Obito's thoughts seemed to reach a conclusion.
...
Not long after, the remaining five Paths of Pain arrived at the Deva Path's side.
Seeing the shattered body of the Deva Path, Nagato, observing through their shared vision, felt a pang of heartache.
Without hesitation, he controlled the Naraka Path to step forward.
"King of Hell: Restoration Technique!"
The King of Hell materialized behind the Naraka Path, its massive mouth opening wide. A long, arm-like purple tongue emerged and engulfed the damaged Deva Path, chewing it up.
Moments later, the previously destroyed Deva Path was restored and reappeared.
The Six Paths of Pain stood silently, staring in the direction Itachi had departed, lost in thought.
For the first time, they realized there were such powerful individuals in the shinobi world.
Someone this strong, not working for a noble cause but instead acting as a bounty hunter? If anyone heard this, they wouldn't believe it.
And the bounty? A mere 30 million ryo. Ridiculous.
...
Walking through the forest, Itachi looked somewhat unsatisfied.
His thoughts suddenly turned to the Truth-Seeking Orbs. However, creating them was an extremely complex process.
The first requirement was mastering the Six Paths Sage Technique.
Once mastered, the orbs could be crafted based on one's own chakra attributes.
However, his chakra attributes weren't complete. After using the orbs, he wouldn't be able to make more.
That was frustrating, and it left him with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.
He resolved to consult Orochimaru about how to acquire the missing chakra attributes.
As for mastering the Six Paths Sage Technique, he was halfway there. He already possessed Sage Mode—he just needed the Six Paths Power.
...
A few days later, Itachi returned to Orochimaru's hideout.
To his surprise, Orochimaru was calmly drinking tea in the hall instead of busying himself with experiments.
"Itachi, you've been gone for over a month. How did it go?"
As Itachi sat down beside him and poured himself a cup of tea, Orochimaru set down his teacup and asked softly.
---
"Not bad. Just took a stroll," Itachi replied softly after downing a cup of tea in one go.
"That's great. Young people are full of energy," Orochimaru said with a faint smile, nodding slightly in admiration.
---
"By the way, I have a question. My chakra nature isn't complete. Is there any way for me to gain all chakra natures?" Itachi pondered deeply, thinking about his Yin, Yang, Fire, Water, and Wind chakra attributes.
"Oh? Why do you want to have all chakra natures, Itachi?" Orochimaru asked, mildly intrigued.
"My chakra natures are Fire, Water, and Wind. If I can obtain Earth and Lightning, I'll be a true all-rounder," Itachi admitted calmly, explaining his thoughts.
Yin and Yang attributes are considered hidden chakra traits everyone possesses, though some are balanced in both, while others lean towards one or the other.
"As expected from you, Itachi. You strive for perfection in everything," Orochimaru remarked, clicking his tongue in appreciation.
Having all five elemental chakra natures himself, Orochimaru couldn't entirely relate to Itachi's desire.
---
"Aren't you planning to fuse with Hashirama's cells eventually? If you succeed, you might inherit Earth and Lightning attributes from them. That would fill the gaps," Orochimaru said after a brief pause, recalling the nature of Hashirama's chakra.
After all, Hashirama was known to possess all five chakra natures.
"Is that even possible?" Itachi blinked in surprise. This was news to him.
"Of course. If the fusion doesn't grant you the Earth attribute, where would Wood Release come from? Without Earth and Water as a base, Wood Release can't manifest," Orochimaru explained.
"Once you gain the Earth attribute, there's a high chance Lightning will follow. But keep in mind, it depends on the individual. Successfully merging with Hashirama's cells doesn't guarantee that you'll master the legendary Wood Release. You inherit traits differently based on compatibility."
Orochimaru's voice was calm as he elaborated, though he avoided delving too deeply.
On one hand, he doubted Itachi would grasp the intricate details. On the other, it would be a tedious explanation.
---
"How's Kakashi doing now?" Itachi asked after absorbing Orochimaru's words, feeling a slight sense of relief.
Although he'd read the original records, there were many details he couldn't recall clearly, and some parts were vague or deliberately left ambiguous.
"The transplant procedure for Hashirama's cells is already underway. Now it's up to his own fate. So far, the successful fusions under my care..." Orochimaru trailed off, casting a peculiar glance at Itachi. He chose not to continue, realizing it would only cause unnecessary concern.
Recalling Orochimaru's experiments with Hashirama's cells, Itachi felt a mix of emotions—complicated, to say the least.
"Don't worry. This time, success is inevitable. You're about to reach a new milestone," Itachi said, smiling gently as he reassured the slightly uneasy Orochimaru.