Chapter 193 – Kakashi vs. Six Paths of Pain (Part 2)
There was no longer any doubt in Kakashi's mind—this was the most dangerous battle he had ever faced since becoming a shinobi.
The Six Paths of Pain weren't simply six reanimated corpses or puppets directed from afar. They were an elegant system of destruction, a flawless engine of death born from the Rinnegan's divine power. Six bodies, each with unique abilities, perfectly synchronized through a shared field of vision. They moved not as individuals, but as one—every blind spot erased, every weakness covered.
And worst of all… Nagato knew Kakashi inside and out.
He had intel.
Kakashi, on the other hand, had nothing—no understanding of his opponent's true capabilities, no experience fighting the Rinnegan. He was walking into this storm blind.
But he wasn't alone.
"Kakashi! Let's go!" Guy shouted, already leaning forward.
Where Kakashi was methodical and calculating, Guy was pure instinct and resolve. There were no complicated strategies running through his head—just one, singular mission: bring Obito home.
Leaf Hurricane!
Guy vanished in a burst of speed, the air behind him cracking. He appeared before Nagato in the blink of an eye, delivering a whirling upward kick with enough force to pulverize stone.
But then—
Thump. Thump.
A strange, echoing heartbeat vibrated through the air. The Rinnegan in Nagato's eyes shimmered—and in that instant, Guy's momentum was halted.
An invisible force exploded from Nagato's body.
BOOM!
Guy was thrown like a cannonball across the battlefield, tumbling through stone and iron.
From behind Nagato, the Asura Path stepped forward, a metallic grin splitting its unnatural face. Its arms detached and fell, revealing mechanical joints brimming with chakra.
Clack! Whirrr!
Five mini-missiles locked onto Guy's position and launched with a sharp, rising whine, spiraling through the air like hungry insects.
Still, Kakashi remained calm.
He didn't move. Didn't shout. Just narrowed his eyes.
He'll be fine.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky lit up in five thunderous bursts.
But Guy didn't fall.
Seventh Gate – Gate of Wonder: Open!!
Steam erupted from his pores in torrents, a shimmering blue aura enveloping his body like a burning flame. Guy didn't fall to the ground. He hovered.
A punch cracked the air beside him, generating shockwaves that collided with the incoming missiles—obliterating them in mid-flight with nothing but compressed force.
The force of nature that was Might Guy had just arrived.
He glared down at Nagato.
"Return the favor, or you're not a true shinobi!"
Leaf Taijutsu Secret Art – Morning Peacock!!!
Fists blurred through the air, each strike igniting friction in the atmosphere, compressing oxygen until it ignited.
From above, an inferno of blazing punches rained down, the heat so intense it dyed the skies orange. The flames roared like a living beast, crashing down on the Six Paths with explosive force.
The Preta Path stepped forward confidently, both palms extended.
Absorption Seal!
As chakra-based techniques neared, Preta Path could absorb them into oblivion. He had nullified countless jutsu with this method.
But this time—
It didn't work.
Because Morning Peacock was not ninjutsu.
It was taijutsu—raw physical force.
Too late to react.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Preta Path was engulfed. Fire poured over him in a tidal wave of heat and violence. The scent of burning flesh filled the air before the Path disintegrated, swallowed by Guy's unrelenting assault.
The flames surged onward.
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Nagato made a snap decision.
Shinra Tensei!!!
A powerful gravitational wave pulsed outward.
The Morning Peacock's storm was repelled, flames snuffed out mid-air.
But Kakashi had been waiting for just this moment.
White Fang Secret Technique – Silver Wolf Cart!!
A silver flash split through the smoke. From Kakashi's blade, a blinding arc shot forward, transforming mid-flight into the shape of a massive, gleaming wolf. Its ethereal body rippled with lethal energy as it surged toward Nagato.
At the same time—
Leaf Taijutsu Secret Art – Daytime Tiger!!!
Guy dropped low, fists gathering wind pressure with frightening precision. With a sudden strike, the air itself compressed into a roaring tiger-shaped mass and blasted forward.
A white tiger.
A silver wolf.
Both hurtling toward Nagato.
Nagato's eyes widened.
He didn't hesitate.
Super Shinra Tensei!!!
A dome of overwhelming force erupted outward.
It was as if the entire world rejected the two attacks at once.
For a moment, the tiger and the wolf held firm. The compressed power of their techniques created a visible dent in the barrier, slowing it—just slightly.
Then, the dome exploded.
KRAKOOM!!!
A shockwave devastated the battlefield.
Buildings vanished.
Stone became dust.
The very earth rippled as if struck by a meteor. Trees were torn from the ground. The black clouds above parted, flung away like curtains. For the first time in years, sunlight pierced through the skies of the Land of Rain.
BAM! BAM!
Even after performing a last-second Body Replacement Technique, both Kakashi and Guy were caught in the aftershock, sent tumbling through shattered concrete and steel.
Cough! Cough!
Blood spilled from their lips as they hit the ground, every nerve screaming.
They weren't the only ones.
Across the battlefield, Nagato also stumbled, knees nearly buckling. A thin line of blood trickled from his mouth.
All three warriors coughed in unison—their blood splattering the ruined earth beneath them.
This exchange had cost them all.
Nagato was beginning to feel it.
Facing these two masters of taijutsu was nothing like fighting chakra-reliant opponents.
The Preta Path—his key to neutralizing chakra—had been useless. The Human and Naraka Paths were too slow to handle their speed. Worse, every use of the Rinnegan brought him closer to physical collapse.
At this rate, he could no longer afford to maintain all six.
He made a silent decision.
From this point forward, only Deva, Asura, and Animal Paths would remain in play.
The rogue ninja who had lingered around the battlefield, watching from a distance, had finally reached a conclusion of their own.
We're outclassed.
The shockwave had swallowed some of them too. Many were now injured or unconscious.
Those still standing did not hesitate.
They ran.
Akatsuki's outer circle was scattering like leaves in a storm.
Nagato didn't stop them.
He had more pressing matters to consider.
He let Kakashi and Guy recover. He didn't fear a comeback.
So long as he emerged victorious, everything else could be cleaned up later.
---
On the other side of the battlefield, Kakashi slowly pushed himself to his feet, blade scraping against broken stone.
He wiped blood from his lip, eyes narrowing.
This opponent... is unlike anything I've seen.
The invisible forces of repulsion—the impossible control over the field—none of it had any direct countermeasure.
But Kakashi was used to fighting in the dark.
He wasn't about to stop now.
He glanced toward Guy. With a flick of his wrist, he began forming a series of rapid ANBU hand signs, subtle and efficient.
Guy blinked. He stared.
Then—conviction sparked in his eyes.
He nodded fiercely.
But inside?
...I have no idea what that meant.
In truth, Might Guy had long forgotten any tactical signals taught in the Academy. His sensei died early, and he'd never properly learned field code.
But he interpreted the gesture with passion:
"You're the best! Let's charge! I'll support from the left, you hit the middle!"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, sensing something wasn't quite right.
But Guy was already moving.
Charging in with full force.
Kakashi sighed and followed.
"Close enough."
The battle resumed.
Two blurs—one silver, one green—launched themselves into the storm once more.