Chapter 426: Beyond Six Paths - Galaxy
In Naruto's palm, the energy body composed of stellar particles and rotating airflow was undergoing transformation.
Performing planetary-level microscopic manipulation and macroscopic simulation. The stellar chakra from Saturn itself contained fragments of universal laws—"order," "structure," and "gravitational binding."
Particle flow control and energy compression.
Finally, what appeared in his palm was a miniature yet perfectly replicated Saturn—a magnificent creation. At its center was a stably rotating Rasengan core radiating dark golden light, while surrounding it were several clearly defined, slowly orbiting energy rings.
Each ring's rotation speed, energy properties, and even particle composition could be independently controlled. They were both "shackles" binding the core and "blades" that could be released at any moment.
Rasengan: Ringed Star—its most terrifying characteristic lay in adjustability.
Size could expand from a speck smaller than a fingernail to Saturn's true planetary scale.
Power could range from shattering rocks to destroying fully half the solar system.
Naruto quietly gazed at this miniature "star" in his palm. Even recalling his current power made him feel somewhat dazed.
Resonance with the stars... all these factors combined had pushed him into an unknown realm that even the "Six Paths" level could barely define.
And this still wasn't the end. He had one final trump card.
If Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu continued cowering in hiding... he'd have no choice but to use it to end everything.
In the instant his thoughts flashed, Naruto had already precisely adjusted the Rasengan: Ringed Star's power parameters to a critical point—sufficient to completely destroy the Six Paths of Pain's combat capabilities without affecting areas beyond or harming Konan or causing uncontrollable environmental destruction.
"That technique... Konan, leave here immediately! As far away as possible!"
Tendo Pain's voice showed obvious gravity and urgency for the first time.
As Tendo warned, the Six Paths of Pain's figures suddenly scattered, attempting to create distance in different directions at different speeds, evading that unknown technique's edge.
However, Rasengan: Ringed Star's attack pattern wasn't the concept of traditional ninjutsu's linear or area bombardment.
HUM!
The rotation speed of the energy rings around the floating miniature star suddenly skyrocketed! In the next moment, the rings didn't shoot out as a whole but erupted six streams of substantial particle flows!
These flows locked onto one retreating Pain body each the instant they appeared, tearing through the rain curtain with bizarre arcs far exceeding their movement speed, tracking them down!
"Sealing Technique Absorption!"
Among the Six Paths, the Preta Path faced the unavoidable particle flow. It abruptly stopped, crossing both arms before itself, palms outward. A semi-transparent shield capable of absorbing all chakra energy instantly deployed!
HISS...
The first particle stream struck the shield and was actually blocked and partially absorbed! The Preta Path's ability seemed to work—that violent energy flow showed signs of neutralization.
But only "seemed."
Uchiha Satsuki, who'd been standing motionless, had her Mangekyo pattern quietly flowing beneath her mask.
WHOOSH!
Silent, pitch-black flames spontaneously ignited on the particle flow's surface!
Using them as a medium, she attached a modified rule to this energy attack.
[This technique will ignore any form of energy defense and absorption.]
SQUELCH!
The Preta Path's absorption shield instantly became meaningless. That particle flow wrapped in black flames penetrated the shield without obstruction, directly piercing the Preta Path's body!
The Preta Path puppet's entire body seemed to explode from within. All chakra circuits violently destroyed, it staggered one step, then with a "thud" fell straight onto the sea surface, completely reverting to an ordinary corpse.
"Almighty Push!"
Tendo Pain didn't hesitate to aim at the particle stream attacking him, activating the strongest defensive and deflection ocular technique!
BOOM!
A powerful repulsive field erupted with Tendo at the center, forming an invisible spherical absolute defense domain! The incoming particle stream crashed violently against the repulsive field, producing dull booming sounds like massive bells colliding! The repulsive field shook violently but actually held firm against this first wave of impact—even began attempting to deflect it!
However, Rasengan: Ringed Star's attack wasn't a one-time burst. That miniature star still hovered, continuously releasing energy, replenishing consumption.
The particle stream attacking Tendo was like a waterfall with a source—the impact was continuous, each wave stronger than the last!
CRACK... CRACK...
Faint sounds of space itself shattering under the strain could be heard. Tendo's Almighty Push had activation intervals, and continuously resisting this endless, extremely high energy-level impact placed enormous burden on both Tendo as a puppet and Nagato behind him.
The repulsive field began showing visible ripples and cracks. Tendo's body also trembled slightly.
As for the remaining four Paths—Asura, Human, Animal, and Naraka—their fates were already sealed the moment Preta Path was instantly killed and Tendo fell into stalemate.
Without Preta Path's absorption ability, without Tendo's absolute repulsion, they had no means to resist these tracking particle flows that ignored conventional defenses and contained planetary-level destructive properties.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Four nearly simultaneous dull explosions!
Asura Path tried counterattacking with mechanical arms and missiles but the particle flow detonated them prematurely.
Human Path and Animal Path wanted to evade or summon panda for defense, but the tracking particle flows were faster, easily penetrating their hasty defenses and completely destroying their internal structures.
Naraka Path tried diving underwater or summoning the King of Hell, but the particle flows ignored mediums, annihilating it along with its summoning technique.
In mere moments, except for Tendo still desperately holding out, the other five Paths of Pain were completely annihilated! Their wreckage and corpses floated on the sea surface, the Rinnegan's light completely extinguished.
BOOM!
The final roar carried finality.
The particle flow finally completely crushed Tendo Pain's Almighty Push. The violent energy stream met no further resistance, instantly completely engulfing Tendo's body.
Tendo—this puppet crafted from Nagato's dear friend Yahiko's corpse—had all the chakra black rods maintaining its movement, all Rinnegan connection channels, precisely and thoroughly stripped away and destroyed.
When the energy's afterglow dispersed, what remained on the sea surface was no longer that dignified and indifferent "Divine Tendo," but merely an ordinary young man's corpse with a peaceful expression, bearing old wounds and hollow black rod punctures.
The Six Paths of Pain—completely annihilated.
The Rasengan: Ringed Star in Naruto's palm slowly dispersed. He raised his head, looking toward Konan hovering in midair, trembling slightly from shock, despair, and powerlessness.
"The battle is over."
"Now, could you please take us to see Nagato?"
This request—or rather, command—made Konan's heart suddenly constrict.
"I'll repeat myself."
Menma continued. "I won't take his life. You can choose to believe this or not. But the fact is, he's now lost his 'divine' shell and returned to being human. I want to talk with him, that's all."
"I hope you won't refuse. The only difference lies in whether the process is 'ugly.' Either you guide us respectfully, allowing this meeting to proceed in a relatively peaceful environment, or I search myself, possibly alarming Hidden Rain's villagers, ultimately forcing my way to him under potentially unpleasant circumstances."
Konan hovered in midair, her paper wings' edges slightly scattering from chaotic chakra.
What else could she do?
The Six Paths of Pain—Nagato's strongest military reliance—had been easily erased like child's play before that inconceivable power.
Nagato's real body couldn't move. If she resisted desperately, she might delay for a moment, but the outcome was certain—she would die, then they'd still find Nagato.
By then, what would Nagato face, having lost all barriers and negotiating chips?
Menma's phrase "won't take his life" became the only straw she could grasp in her despair. She could only gamble—gamble that this mysterious and powerful opponent maintained at least some credibility in this matter.
---
Deep within Hidden Rain Village, concealed among layers of pipes and steel structures, lay a secret chamber isolated from the world.
The air was damp and stagnant, permeated with a stale odor. Dim light came from several extremely low-power chakra lamps on the walls, barely outlining the room's crude and bizarre furnishings, and the... shocking figure at the center.
Dull, withered red hair like lifeless weeds hung limply over skeletal shoulders.
The body was deeply sunken into a specially made chair, yet one could see the hollow and atrophied outline beneath. Skin was pale nearly to transparency, clinging tightly to protruding bones. Pitch-black rods deeply pierced various parts of his body—both sources of pain and necessary "antennas" for transmitting chakra outward to control the Six Paths of Pain.
Uzumaki Nagato.
That youth who once possessed the Uzumaki Clan's vigorous vitality had been eroded by the Rinnegan's excessively powerful force, plus years of accumulated pain and obsession, until only a barely surviving, withered shell remained.
At the chamber's only entrance, faint light entered, accompanied by subtle, unnatural air movement sounds.
Nagato slowly raised his head, his dry eyelids struggling to open.
He's here.
The one who defeated the Six Paths of Pain, who shattered his "divine" illusion.
In Nagato's heart, there was no fear, no anger—only exhaustion and final concerns. Victory and defeat were decided. His path was severed.
At this moment, his only thought was to use his compromise to secure a thread of survival for Konan.
Footsteps echoed in the silent chamber, unhurried. The fox-masked figure, followed by another masked individual with equally powerful presence, and pale-faced Konan, appeared one by one in Nagato's blurred vision.
Menma stopped several meters from Nagato, quietly "gazing" at this fragile human completely contrary to any "divine" image.
"Nagato... it seems you no longer... consider yourself a 'god'?"
This statement held no mockery, merely an observation of current reality.
"...Yes."
Nagato admitted it, his voice hoarse and dry. "You won. I can no longer continue my path. Your objective... what is it exactly?
***
80+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces