While the Deva Path regained its power, within the towering spire of Amegakure, Nagato relayed Sasuke's words to Konan.
Konan's expression turned severe. "Nagato, can we trust him? That 'Madara Uchiha'… it was Obito Uchiha all along."
Nagato's gaze was shadowed. "As much as I wish to deny it… the credibility is high."
Konan's eyes darkened. Yahiko was the first to suspect 'Madara.' And then Yahiko died. Could Obito have been behind that too?
"I will use Chibaku Tensei again, once the Deva Path is ready," Nagato stated.
Konan's thoughts snapped back. "You've already used Chibaku Tensei once, and a massive Shinra Tensei. Another Chibaku Tensei will drain your chakra completely—"
"It must be done," Nagato cut in, his voice firm. "Sasuke Uchiha holds many secrets. I intend to speak with him. This fight… will determine the manner of our dialogue."
Dialogue? Konan thought. His killing intent has wavered. The truth about 'Madara' has shaken him to the core.
Twenty kilometers away, on the battlefield.
The Deva Path flexed its fingers before its eyes. "Power… restored."
"Then let's finish this."
Sasuke's hands formed a seal.
—Fire Style: Grand Inferno!
WHOOSH!!!
A conflagration erupted, a sea of flame to rival Madara's own, roaring towards the Deva Path.
"The scale of a basic Fire Style… has leaped to another level!"
The Deva Path raised its hands, ready to unleash a Shinra Tensei—then hesitated.
Against him, the cooldown is fatal. Save it for the critical moment. For the first time, a Path of Pain resorted to conventional ninjutsu.
Hands flew through seals.
—Water Style: Wild Water Wave!
A torrent gushed from its mouth, transforming into a raging river that clashed head-on with the wall of fire.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "So the Paths aren't limited to Rinnegan abilities?!"
He had forgotten. Nagato had mastered all six nature transformations by age ten, a master of all mainstream jutsu. He simply never used them, finding the Rinnegan's powers far more convenient. And with the Uzumaki clan's monstrous chakra, even a basic technique unleashed through a Path carried terrifying power.
"In that case…"
Maintaining the Grand Inferno, Sasuke formed another seal.
FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!
Six Wood Clones split from his back, unfurling white cursed wings. They launched into the air as their Susano'o took on its muscular form. Six bows were drawn. Six arrows were fired, streaking over the clashing elements, straight for the Deva Path!
"Launching a suppressing fire jutsu while creating multiple Wood Clones and attacking with Susano'o… His power is on a completely different level now!"
The Deva Path separated its sealing hands—but the water from its mouth never ceased.
—Almighty Push!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG-CLANG-CLANG…!
A repulsive force field erupted, fanning out to intercept the six descending arrows. The intensified push sent them screaming back the way they came.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The arrows slammed into the airborne Susano'o. All six Wood Clones were blasted out of existence.
But the distraction weakened the Water Style. Sasuke's flames surged forward, overwhelming the river.
KA-BOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion of superheated steam erupted. The fire tore through the remaining water, coalescing into a barrage of flaming meteors.
The Deva Path cut the water jet and danced. Its body weaved and flowed, occasionally raising a chakra shield conjured by the Rinnegan to block a fireball.
The battlefield became a symphony of detonations. Smoke and ash filled the air.
Through the smoke, Sasuke shot forward, Lightning Style crackling around his shins.
The Deva Path's eyes flicked upward. The black core of Chibaku Tensei had already reached its position high above.
A faint, victorious smile touched its lips. This Chibaku Tensei is larger than the last. I don't believe you can break free this time.
SWISH!
It kicked off the ground, flipping backward to land gracefully.
—Chibaku Tensei!
Sasuke's gaze shot upward. The black gravitational seed.
"Falling for the same trick twice would be pathetic."
He had been waiting for this.
CRACK!
The crow-tengu Susano'o erupted behind him. Its massive hand scooped up the real Sasuke outside its skeleton, reared back, and hurled him skyward—straight at the forming core.
The Deva Path's composure shattered. "He… threw himself toward it!?"
"He'll destroy the core before the technique fully forms!"
The Susano'o on the ground dissolved. A new one materialized around Sasuke mid-air.
ZING!
An Amaterasu arrow, condensed to its absolute limit, pierced the heavens. It tore through the air, aimed directly at the black orb.
A second arrow followed. Then a third.
KABOOOOOOOM—!!!
Three projectiles of black flame, chasing the wind, impacted in rapid succession. The overlapping explosions disintegrated the gravitational seed in an instant.
The rocks that had just begun their ascent tumbled back to earth.
Amegakure Spire.
"Guh—ACK!" A spray of crimson erupted from Nagato's lips.
"NAGATO!" Konan cried out.
"Hah… hah… hah…" Nagato gasped, eyes wide with shock. "Chibaku Tensei… was broken."
"It's enough!" Konan pleaded. "There's no need to fight to the death!"
"No… That won't do."
Nagato's slumped frame straightened. His head lifted. Two fingers rose before his chest.
—"I represent… the Akatsuki that Yahiko founded!"
THUD.
Sasuke landed and exploded forward. Lightning gathered in his right palm, thrusting toward the Deva Path's chest.
—Almighty Push!
WHOOSH!
The overwhelming repulsive force slammed into him.
—Wood Style: Adamantine Strength!
CRUNCH!
The ground beneath Sasuke's feet cratered. Veins bulged across his body. But his legs held. Like ancient pines rooted deep within the earth, he did not budge an inch.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Sasuke roared, muscles screaming as he forced his body forward against the blurring wall of force.
The Deva Path gritted its teeth, its face contorting.
—"Don't be ridiculous… He's… withstanding it!"
BOOM!
The next instant—the rebounding repulsive force launched the Deva Path like a snapped puppet string. It shot backward, head-first into a cliff face with a sickening crunch, then was buried under an avalanche of rubble.
Sasuke was a storm of movement. His right fist clenched, coated in dark golden chakra. He drove it into the pile of rocks entombing his enemy.
—Wood Style: Adamantine Smash!
KABOOOOOOOM—!
The rubble exploded under the monstrous force. At the same time, a forest of jagged wooden spears—rivaling the scale of a Deep Forest Emergence—erupted chaotically from the point of impact, as if performing the Cutting Insertion Technique on the landscape itself.
The Deva Path, having used Earth Style: Underground Fish Projection to evade, surfaced from the ground behind Sasuke, hands clasped together.
—Universal Pull!
RUMBLE!
Gravity twisted. More boulders tore free from the wounded cliff, raining down on Sasuke below.
THUD!
The Susano'o rose, a shield against the falling mountain.
CRACK!
Sasuke burst through the shattered rock, eyes locking onto the Deva Path ascending once more.
Is he planning… another Almighty Push?
SWOOSH!
Using the dust from the fallen rocks as cover, the Susano'o loosed another massive arrow skyward.
The ascending Deva Path casually flicked a hand. A small-scale Shinra Tensei deflected the arrow, embedding it deep into the cliffside.
"Sasuke Uchiha… You escaped last time using Manda's Reverse Summoning. But Manda is dead. How will you evade this one?"
It halted its ascent halfway up the mountainside, arms spreading wide.
"And this time, I'll release it at point-blank range. No time to react. It's over!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "No. It ends with you."
POOF!
Suddenly—the 'arrow' embedded in the cliffside dissolved in a puff of white smoke. Revealing… Sasuke.
The Deva Path's Rinnegan eyes went wide. "He transformed himself… into the Susano'o's arrow!?"
"The best moment for a surprise attack is when the enemy believes victory is assured!"
Sasuke kicked off the cliff face, launching himself forward. A spiraling white sphere of chakra formed in his palm, slamming directly into the Deva Path's abdomen.
—White Spiral!
SKREEE—CRUNCH!
Spiraling wood spikes, sharp as spears, erupted from the point of contact. They pierced through the Deva Path's body in an instant, pinning it mercilessly to the rock face.
Amegakure Spire.
Nagato jolted, as if waking from a dream. "The last Path… has been defeated."
THUD.
The 'Sasuke' who had delivered the final blow turned into a lump of wood and fell to the ground.
It had been a risky gambit. Sasuke hadn't dared use his real body. A Wood Clone had used Transformation to become the arrow and be fired. If the tactic had failed, he had other cards to play. But Pain's desperation to end the fight had created an opening, rendering those backups unnecessary.
Swish.
A gentle breeze stirred at the mountain's peak. Orochimaru landed gracefully beside him, a faint smile on his lips. "The opponent for the sixth battle was the Six Paths of Pain. So, this marks the conclusion. Shall we return?"
Sasuke contemplated for a moment. "No. We've come all this way. It would be rude not to… pay our respects to the host."
Orochimaru's smile widened. "By all means. I'll wait here."
Sasuke turned. His figure blurred as he shot toward the distant silhouette of Amegakure.
He was going to meet the man who called himself a god—Nagato.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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