Twelve Wood Clones! Each commanding a Susano'o, shifting it into its muscular form! Arrows notched, bows drawn, ready to fire!
Pain Deva Path: "A full frontal assault? To think he could deploy this…"
Those arrows. An omnidirectional Shinra Tensei would hit the other Pains behind me. But a focused one couldn't block them all…
FWOOSH!
As he calculated, twelve arrows left their strings, shredding the air from all six directions!
"Only this…!!!"
—SHINRA TENSEI!
Deva unleashed a repulsive force field forward, blocking the six arrows from the front and flanks!
—SUMMONING JUTSU: MULTIPLE STONE PANDA BARRIERS!
At the same instant, Animal Path urgently summoned six layers of panda-stone walls, blocking the other six!
No rest. No pause.
The Wood Clone Susano'os were already drawing their bows again!
Deva's anger spiked. "No end to it, is there?!"
SHWOOP—!!
Four of the six Paths—all except the airborne Animal Path—crouched low.
Deva leapt into the air. "HA…!!!"
—SHINRA TENSEI!
FWOOM! The repulsive force expanded in a ring, scattering the second wave of arrows!
"Even forming the arrows takes over five seconds… Not viable."
The Wood Clone Susano'os dropped their bows, drew their greatswords, and charged!
Deva landed with a light scoff. "Heh. Now this is nothing to fear."
Animal Path formed seals.
—SUMMONING JUTSU!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three Hell Crabs landed, spewing wildly!
—WATER STYLE: BUBBLE WAVE FRENZY!
An ocean of bubbles spread in all directions, hindering the Susano'os' advance!
Animal Path followed up with Amplified Summoning. Rhinos. Hellhounds. The giant three-legged crow. Centipedes. Lizards. Massive creatures charged from the front to pin them down…!
The twelve Susano'os steadied themselves in the foam, forming a battle line. Greatswords swept and cleaved through the summoned army!
KRRKT! Asura Path's three heads split open, his six arms detached at the wrists. Lasers swelled in the openings. Missiles launched from the detached limbs… Seconds later, a carpet of firepower swept the surrounding area!
FZAP-FZAP-FZAP! ZZZZZZAP! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM…!
For a moment—lasers blinded, explosions linked, summoned beasts died in puffs of white smoke. The Susano'os fared no better, disintegrating under the crossfire. Utter chaos!
This was exactly what Sasuke wanted.
Using multiple Wood Clones to wield Susano'os was a gambit. Create enough chaos, enough distraction. Find an opening.
BOOM! BOOM!
Only two of the twelve Wood Clones broke through. They rode the shattered skeletal remains of their Susano'os in a suicidal charge!
The Paths' eyes were cold, contemptuous. Deva raised both palms toward the threat.
—SHINRA TENSEI!!!
KRA-KOOOM…!!!
The force shattered the bones—and blasted the two Wood Clones back into lifeless wood!
—The Shinra Tensei cooldown window!
"Now…!!!"
CRUNCH!
From within the Paths' formation, a pale hand shot from the ground, grabbing the Hell Path's ankle!
—EARTH STYLE: HEADHUNTER JUTSU!
THUMP! Hell Path was yanked underground, only his head left exposed.
FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
But almost simultaneously, five black rods descended from above—driven down by the five other Paths—in a brutal, piercing strike!
"We anticipated you! The only flaw in this formation is the ground beneath! Using clones as bait, you'd inevitably strike from under Hell Path. You thought we were protecting him? Hell Path was the bait!!!"
CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
Five black rods pierced Hell Path's skull, driving deep into the earth.
FSSSS…!
Suddenly, black flames ignited along the rods…!!!
The Paths jolted. "An Amaterasu shadow clone…!?"
KRAKOOM!!!
The real Sasuke descended from the sky. A blade formed of magnetized iron sand in his hand. It swept down, cleanly severing the Preta Path's head.
"That five-protecting-one tactic sacrificed all mobility! I never believed a dis-ci-ple of Ji-rai-ya would do something so backwards from the start!!"
"Shit…!!!" The remaining four Paths scrambled back!
Sasuke's eyes narrowed sharply.
—KAGUTSUCHI!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The black flames left by the dying Amaterasu clone beneath the earth erupted through the ground, morphing into jagged, chaotic spears of fire that lanced in all directions!
Deva Path evaded.
Human Path and Asura Path weren't fast enough. Black flame spears pierced both their chests.
Human Path died instantly. Asura Path, being a mechanical construct, did not. With his last act, he grabbed Animal Path and hurled him with all his might toward the hole in the ceiling!
Sasuke delivered a finishing stab to Hell Path's exposed head. Then, a skeletal Susano'o hand grabbed the dying Asura Path and squeezed him into scrap metal.
Deva Path, who had retreated to the wall, watched with darkened eyes.
Sasuke's words upon landing echoed in his mind.
He knows. He knows I am Lord Jiraiya's disciple. Would Madara even tell him that?
No matter. At this point, it's kill or be killed.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Deva swung his arms. Blade-like chakra slashes cut through the pillars supporting the building.
KRRR-BOOOOM…!!!
The entire ceiling collapsed.
"Farewell."
—SUMMONING JUTSU!
The escaped Animal Path, now on the surface, formed the summoning seal!
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
Five puffs of white smoke appeared beside him.
RUMBLE…!
The distant roar of the collapsing ceiling reached them through the rain.
In the downpour, the newly-summoned Deva Path looked upon the four mangled corpses of his comrades.
"To have the Pain bodies pushed this far… A first."
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE…!!
The earth trembled. Deva and Animal Path leapt back!
What erupted from the ground was a dome—a blistering, expanding world forged from Amaterasu's black flames! The Blistering Flame Realm!
The realm consumed the four Paths' corpses and continued to grow.
Deva: "Now we'll need to find new corpses to recreate them."
Animal Path began mass-summoning creatures for the battle to come.
FWOOP!
The Flame Realm formed a hemisphere on the surface, then rapidly contracted. In the hands of the Crow Tengu Susano'o, it condensed into an arrow of black fire of unmatched scale. The bowstring drew taut, aimed at the heavens.
KRAKOOM…!!!
The explosion scorched the sky. Amegakure, land of perpetual rain, saw storm clouds form faster than ever before.
From the depths of the earth, Sasuke shot into the sky, his cursed cloak billowing, cursed wings unfurled from his back.
RRRRUMBLE…!!
Natural thunder gathered in the dark heavens above, roaring into the form of a furious Kirin. And around the Kirin… clad it in Susano'o armor!
Sasuke looked down with utter disdain upon the Animal Path, now surrounded by his summoned horde. His hand slashed down.
—TAKEMIKAZUCHI NO KAMI!
KAAAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM…!!!
No escape. Animal Path was annihilated by the divine lightning. The blast, and the shrapnel of Susano'o armor it carried with it, didn't just obliterate the summoned beasts (who hadn't yet vanished with their summoner's death). It even swept toward Deva Path, who had wisely positioned himself farther away.
—SHINRA TENSEI!!
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG…!!
An omnidirectional repulsive field deflected the deadly shards.
When it settled, only Deva Path of the Six Paths of Pain remained, fighting alone.
Deva glanced back at the forest of buildings that was Amegakure.
"Too close to home to cut loose…"
SWOOSH!
He shot toward the village outskirts.
"…" Sasuke took one last look at the tallest tower in the rain, then gave chase.
Within the Dark Chamber of the High Tower.
A gaunt, red-haired man, half-merged into a mechanical chariot, slowly brought his palms together.
Konan's face was etched with concern. "Nagato… Is it truly necessary to use that?"
Nagato's pupils were pools of shadow. "Uchiha Sasuke's combat power… I fear it may already rival the Nine-Tails."
Konan's eyes narrowed with worry. "But—"
Nagato's voice cut coldly through hers. "Konan. Silence. I must concentrate."
ZZZT…!
Between his slightly parted palms, a dark, undulating black sphere began to form.
—CHIBAKU TENSEI!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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