Dozens of Shadow Clones surged toward Nagato, completely surrounding him and making it impossible to distinguish the real body from the fakes.
For most people, allowing such an attack to land would be unthinkable.
When you cannot tell which enemy is real, every single strike must be intercepted. The mental strain and chakra consumption were enormous—this was precisely why Shisui was such a nightmare to deal with.
Yet even in the face of this overwhelming assault, Nagato showed no trace of panic.
Through the eyes of the Deva Path, he merely looked on with cold indifference.
The same technique again.
He slowly raised one hand and spoke calmly:
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible repulsive force erupted outward.
Shisui was blasted away instantly, several Shadow Clones shattering into smoke midair.
The Deva Path's omnidirectional repulsion formed a near-perfect defense—offense and defense combined into one.
Shisui slammed into the ground, his blood and chakra roiling violently. A dull ache spread through his body.
"Tch… what a troublesome ability."
He spat a mouthful of blood to the side. Despite his injuries, there was no panic in his eyes—only solemn focus.
Near-invulnerability. Absolute defense.
A power capable of both suppression and annihilation.
"Your strength is admirable," Pain's voice echoed, calm yet filled with authority.
"I acknowledge it. But to challenge a god with this level of power is nothing more than foolishness. Mortals cannot defeat gods."
Shisui raised his head, his gaze sharp.
"You are not a god," he said firmly.
"And I am not a god either. There is no such thing as a god. Even if one existed, they would merely be an ordinary person who gained extraordinary power."
A trace of disdain crept into his voice.
Pain's expression darkened.
"Foolish mortal… you dare deny the existence of gods?"
A flicker of anger surfaced.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
A terrifying gravitational force surged forth.
Shisui's pupils shrank as his body was violently pulled forward, instantly losing balance.
"This is… gravity?!"
He reacted immediately, plunging the Kusanagi blade in his hand into the ground.
But even the earth could not resist.
The soil tore loose, and Shisui was dragged forward once more.
"In that case," Shisui growled, eyes blazing, "let's see whether your so-called divine defense is harder than the blade in my hand!"
He used the gravitational pull to his advantage, channeling every ounce of strength into his sword.
The blade hummed.
Forged entirely from chakra metal, Shisui's Kusanagi was an exceedingly rare weapon. It could fully withstand his power—its quality even surpassed that of the legendary Kusanagi itself.
Stronger alloy compositions, refined through modern forging techniques, had been incorporated into its construction.
As Shisui closed to within five meters, a sharp killing intent enveloped the blade.
A one-meter-long arc of pure white light burst forth from its edge.
Pain's expression finally changed.
He immediately activated Shinra Tensei once more.
This time, the invisible force became visible—white streams of compressed air erupting outward.
The two forces collided head-on.
For the first time, Shinra Tensei did not immediately send Shisui flying.
Instead, the battlefield entered a brief but shocking stalemate.
Far away, Nagato—controlling Pain remotely—felt his heart tighten.
This was the first time someone had resisted Shinra Tensei head-on.
Which meant…
A god could fail.
"I will not allow anyone to interfere with my plan."
Nagato's expression turned cold.
The Deva Path's chakra output surged violently.
The balance shattered.
Shisui was hurled away once again—this time suffering far heavier injuries than before.
"Lord Shisui!"
The shinobi watching from afar cried out in alarm.
Meanwhile, the other Paths of Pain easily repelled the remaining shinobi, treating the battle like a cruel game of cat and mouse.
"This is bad…"
"Lord Shisui can't win."
"We must inform Lord Naruto—or notify the other leaders of the organization!"
Fear spread through the ranks as they realized the gravity of the situation.
At that moment, someone spoke up calmly, urging reason. Two of the shinobi immediately broke away and retreated toward the rear.
Pain did not bother to pursue them.
All six pairs of Rinnegan eyes slowly turned toward Shisui.
They were separate bodies—yet they were not separate at all.
Under that shared gaze, every movement Shisui made was laid bare.
Shisui pushed himself to his feet, a dull ache spreading through his body. He looked up at Pain. His opponent had used only Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in, yet those two techniques alone had left him nearly powerless.
He exhaled slowly and began forming hand seals.
In the next instant, five identical figures appeared before him.
Shadow Clones.
Shisui sent them forward one by one, clearly probing—testing Pain's reactions, searching for an opening.
The five-second interval had already passed, yet Pain did not immediately activate Shinra Tensei again. Even he could not rely endlessly on his strongest techniques.
Instead, he moved.
With a slight shift of his body, Pain effortlessly evaded the incoming attacks. A black chakra receiver slid out from his palm.
In a single, precise motion, he stabbed it into one of the clones.
Puff.
The clone dispersed into smoke.
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
"So his taijutsu is refined as well…"
"But that also means—he can be engaged in close combat."
Pain's movements were powerful and efficient, but in Shisui's eyes, they still fell short of monsters like Rock Lee or Might Guy.
Shisui tightened his grip on the Kusanagi in his hand.
More Shadow Clones appeared, pressing forward in waves.
The pressure Pain exerted was forcing Shisui to adapt—to evolve.
The sharp aura around him intensified, his presence becoming like that of a peerless blade drawn from its sheath.
Using Substitution Technique in tandem with Shadow Clones, Shisui repeatedly switched positions, minimizing the damage from Shinra Tensei whenever it was unleashed.
His swordsmanship grew increasingly dangerous.
Pain no longer dared to engage him carelessly at close range—the killing intent radiating from that blade promised instant death upon contact.
As the probing continued, a faint smile appeared on Shisui's face.
Five seconds.
Even if he had identified Nagato's limitation, it could not truly be called a weakness. A single mistake would still mean death.
Yet this realization made the outcome of the battle uncertain.
He could not endure many more Shinra Tensei attacks.
This battle had to end—now.
Something within Shisui shifted.
All distractions vanished.
His entire being focused on the sword in his hands.
The battlefield around them was already unrecognizable, torn apart by the aftershocks of their clash.
It was terrifying to behold.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration struck Shisui.
He froze.
The sharp aura surrounding him surged to its absolute peak.
"I have one blade," he said quietly,
"that can cut down a god."
"Ultimate Art — One-Blade Shura Slash!"
His essence, spirit, and will converged into a single strike.
A towering phantom appeared behind him, gripping an enormous blade—as though it intended to cleave heaven and earth apart.
Pain's expression changed instantly.
For the first time, he felt the presence of death.
Impossible.
Far from the battlefield, a hidden observer stiffened.
Black Zetsu.
"How can such an attack exist…" he muttered,
"…in the hands of an ordinary Uchiha?"
Pain no longer hesitated.
"Super Shinra Tensei!"
At the same moment, the blade's radiance exploded outward, extending over ten meters.
The phantom blade fell.
The two forces collided.
A deafening roar erupted as the explosion swallowed the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)
📝 Limited-Time Discount (Ends Soon): $7 → 20 Chaps
⚒️ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank You For Your Support!