The lines were simple, but the chakra intensity was real. Even if this strange "divine bird" couldn't do anything else, just crashing down would cause immense damage.
Pain didn't want to be struck by such a large mass of chakra. Since the Deva Path used Yahiko's body, Nagato hoped to avoid damaging it unless absolutely necessary.
Boom!
The massive "divine bird" crashed into Pain's location, triggering a huge explosion and sending up large amounts of mud.
Nagato's attention was focused entirely on the battle. The rain that had long enveloped Amegakure had stopped when the fight began.
Though the rain had ceased, years of continuous rainfall had left the surrounding ground soaked and muddy. This kind of impact only stirred up mud, not dust.
There was no issue with visibility. Jiraiya could clearly see that Pain had perfectly dodged the divine bird's strike. That explosion was caused merely by the chakra construct slamming into the ground.
This wasn't due to Pain's agility. Rather, it was because the bird Ethan had drawn was too simplistic in shape, making its path easy to read and avoid.
"I told you, how does that even look like a phoenix?"
Strangely, Ethan didn't continue attacking. Instead, he stood still, holding the giant brush upside down, his left hand resting lightly on his hip, giving the impression of someone simply watching the show.
Just as Pain was preparing to counterattack, Ethan let out a soft sigh.
"This point."
Jiraiya didn't understand what Ethan meant until he sensed a powerful surge of chakra erupting from the explosion site. He immediately turned his gaze to the massive crater left behind by the "divine bird."
A fierce burst of chakra flared up behind Pain. A beautiful, multicolored giant bird appeared in the sky. The Divine Bird Phoenix – Ultimate Color Version – let out a clear, melodious cry and lunged toward Pain in a ferocious assault.
"Phoenixes are immortal… The one I drew isn't that exaggerated, but you can't eliminate this phoenix until its chakra is fully depleted."
Chased by the multicolored giant bird, Pain naturally heard Ethan's explanation. After a brief cooldown, he could use Shinra Tensei again. This time, he planned to go all out and blast this flashy creature away, or even destroy it completely.
Since the thing was just chakra condensed into form, dispersing it would end the attack. As for immortality? He didn't believe that nonsense.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Boom!
Another powerful explosion. The Deva Path's Shinra Tensei was an omnidirectional repulsion. Using this move also served as a deterrent, preventing Ethan from seizing an opening to strike. If that guy had any such idea, he would suffer greatly.
Pain poured considerable power into this move. Though it wasn't close to the Super Shinra Tensei that destroyed Konoha, it far surpassed his previous uses. The terrain around Pain changed completely, with the ground beneath him blasted into a shallow crater.
He turned toward where the phoenix had been. It was gone. Pain then looked back toward Ethan.
To his surprise, Ethan was still standing exactly where he had been. Not only was he completely unharmed, but there wasn't even a speck of dirt on him. How had he avoided the blast?
"Looks like I need to use that move..."
Just as Pain prepared to act, Ethan suddenly pointed behind him.
"I warned you, you know."
Pain assumed Ethan was bluffing, but the next moment, the sound of something tearing through the air came from behind. He didn't even have time to turn and look. He instinctively leapt aside, barely dodging the multicolored divine bird's renewed assault.
The sharp, ferocious claws still grazed him. Just that minor contact inflicted wounds. For ordinary people, such an attack would have been catastrophic. If Pain weren't a puppet, that arm would be useless now.
...
The divine bird circled above Ethan after returning from the assault. Ethan maintained his relaxed posture, as if still just watching a show.
"I never lie."
...
Getting back on his feet, Pain now fully understood how troublesome this bird was. He didn't hesitate any longer and immediately activated his ultimate killing move.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
He knew the bird was just a ninjutsu Ethan casually "drew." But Chibaku Tensei's power was immense. He was confident that this move could destroy both the bird and Ethan.
Massive amounts of chakra gathered in Pain's palm, condensed into a black sphere.
From a distance, it was impossible to perceive how terrifying it was, but Jiraiya, highly attuned to chakra in Sage Mode, immediately sensed the danger.
"Ethan, don't let him finish that move!"
When he saw the Divine Bird Phoenix – Ultimate Color Version, Jiraiya stopped complaining about Ethan's drawing skills. The majestic divine bird could not be dispelled. Even when scattered by Shinra Tensei, it would quickly regenerate. He knew now that Pain was in real danger.
At this point, it was as if their roles had reversed. Jiraiya was the one watching the show. However, when Pain used Chibaku Tensei, Jiraiya instinctively felt the threat it posed.
"Even though I wanted you to experience despair, I don't feel like playing anymore."
He had originally planned to let Pain use all his moves, letting him experience the frustration of throwing everything at his enemy to no avail. But doing so would waste too much time, and Ethan was already getting bored.
The large brush in his hand swung again. Unlike before, when he used several strokes to draw the phoenix, this time Ethan simply gave a casual flick. His "ink work" lingered in the air, forming what looked like a long black worm.
"Rising Dragon of Mount Lu."
The black worm twisted and curled in the air. With a dragon's roar, the simple black lines slowly transformed, turning into a bluish-green giant dragon. With its enormous jaws open, it charged at Pain alongside the multicolored divine bird.
"What should I call this move? Dragon Soaring Through the Nine Heavens, Phoenix Dancing in the Ninth Heaven?"
Having completed the technique, Ethan leaned the large brush to the side. The flame-like chakra at the brush tip had already disappeared. The brush now resembled a mop, the white tip messy from being pressed down. Ethan stood dazed beside it, as if pondering something existential.
As for Pain? He didn't even bother looking anymore, until Jiraiya walked up and patted him on the shoulder, reminding him, "Pain's been eliminated."
"Oh!"
Only then did Ethan glance over. Pain's body had completely vanished. Nearby, only the dragon and phoenix he had drawn remained, still circling mid-air.
"What about the masked guy?"
"He disappeared when Pain was in trouble."
Ethan knew Obito had most likely gone to find Nagato's real body. If nothing unexpected happened, he would probably have Nagato revive Uchiha Madara.
"Should we keep moving forward?"
"Of course."
Jiraiya still had to face Nagato in person. But judging from Ethan's tone, did moving forward even matter?
"They might have already run."
Ethan suddenly thought of this. He had assumed that, with no options left, Obito would choose to revive Uchiha Madara early. After all, Madara's strength was undeniable. If there was any hope of continuing the plan, it would be by relying on him.
But the timing for Madara's revival wasn't right. Nagato had just experienced a huge battle. In this state, he probably couldn't perform Rinne Rebirth properly.
So, to play it safe, Obito and Black and White Zetsu might have decided to evacuate. They weren't at their limit yet, and Konan certainly wouldn't let Nagato risk his life using that technique.
Jiraiya deactivated Sage Mode. Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima were still on his shoulders. If necessary, he could enter Sage Mode again at any moment, but it seemed no more battles would happen now.
"What were you thinking about just now?"
The two of them surveyed the area once more. Ethan dispelled the dragon and phoenix and slowly walked with Jiraiya toward Amegakure.
It was already evening. Amegakure, which usually experienced constant rainfall, was clear at this moment, revealing a beautiful night sky.
"I was thinking… maybe it's time for me to leave here and return to my own world."
Jiraiya knew Ethan was a god from another world. It was natural for him to want to go home.
"Are your injuries healed?"
"Almost."
It wasn't so much injuries as it was a matter of strength. The fusion between the world's rules and his body was already more than halfway complete. In fact, he could stay a bit longer and wait until his strength fully recovered before leaving.
But he had a vague sense that something was about to happen.
Was that old man looking for him? Would it be dangerous to stay here?
At Ethan's level, he couldn't ignore such sudden feelings. It was likely a kind of premonition.
"I see... So you want to clear out Akatsuki before you leave?"
Jiraiya suddenly understood why Ethan had joined him. It seemed this god from who-knows-where truly cared about Konoha. Before leaving, he wanted to eliminate threats like Akatsuki and ensure peace.
"Akatsuki is just the surface. The real threat isn't limited to Konoha."
As the two of them surveyed Amegakure, Ethan explained part of the truth to Jiraiya.
"The ones I want to kill are the real Uchiha Madara… and Black Zetsu."
One hadn't been revived yet, and the other had already fled. But if he could completely prevent Madara's resurrection and kill Black Zetsu, that would suffice.
"Will you leave once you've done all that?"
"Pretty much."
(To be continued.)