"Hmph!"
Deidara reacted extremely quickly, steering his giant clay bird into a nimble side-roll to gain altitude, narrowly avoiding the giant stone pillar that was violently rising.
Looking down at Kitsuchi's hostile and powerful strike, there was no fear in his eyes beneath his golden bangs; instead, the fire of artistic excitement ignited.
"Yeah! Taste my art! C2 Dragon!"
His hands moved rapidly, scattering a large amount of special clay like raindrops, which instantly expanded and took shape in mid-air!
In an instant, several massive dragons, far exceeding the size of the clay bird, roared into existence!
Inside the massive dragon maws, destructive chakra light gathered frantically, emitting a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble. Then, accompanied by wind pressure, they dove violently toward Kitsuchi, who had yet to regain his footing below!
Facing the clay dragons with destruction in their mouths, Kitsuchi's expression remained as steady as a towering mountain.
He took a deep breath, his muscles bulging and knotting. He poured his vast chakra into his hands without reservation, his hand seals carrying the weight of a thousand tons!
"Earth Release: Mountain Sandwich Technique!"
Boom! Boom!
Two massive hemispheres, condensed instantly from pure Earth Nature chakra, appeared out of thin air!
Their scale was so immense and their form so solid that it truly felt as if two actual mountains had been transported there. In mid-air, with the force of an overturning sea, they violently slammed together toward the diving clay dragons!
Crack!!!
A heart-wrenching sound of massive crushing and shattering suddenly exploded!
The diving clay dragons didn't even have time to spit out the explosive flames in their mouths before being ruthlessly sandwiched between these two "mountains"!
The dragons' tough clay shells shattered instantly under the pressure of absolute force!
More importantly, the terrifying explosive energy that was about to erupt was deathly suppressed by the thick, powerful Earth Nature chakra, confined within the interior of the suddenly closed spherical earthen mountain!
Thump!!!!
A low, heavy muffled sound, strong enough to shake the earth, came from inside the giant earthen sphere.
The violent explosion, which could have destroyed an entire area, was forcibly strangled and neutralized by Kitsuchi's indestructible rock power!
The clay dragons were completely reduced to dust, without even a single shockwave leaking out.
"Tch!" The excitement on Deidara's face froze instantly, replaced by gloom and surprise.
He stared intently at the slowly descending giant earthen sphere and whispered through gritted teeth.
"What a hard earthen wall! Yeah!"
...
On the battlefield of Deidara and Sasori, there weren't many complex emotions or idle talk; they went straight into the most direct combat.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
The Third Kazekage puppet floated in the air, and countless sharp Iron Sand senbon shot toward Darui like a rainstorm.
"What a drag..."
Darui complained, but his movements weren't slow at all.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
He pushed his hands forward, shooting several blue-white water-lightning beams from his palms with laser-like precision.
The beams crisscrossed, accurately shooting down and melting the incoming Iron Sand senbon in the air, making a piercing "sizzle" sound.
The beams continued unabated, shooting straight toward the Third Kazekage puppet and Sasori's main body, who was controlling it.
The tail of Sasori's Hiruko swung nimbly, blocking several beams, but the destructive power contained in the beams left scorch marks on the Hiruko's shell.
"Not a bad Ninjutsu... it has both speed and power."
Sasori's puppet-like voice rang out as more puppets were released from scrolls. Simultaneously, the Third Kazekage puppet performed hand seals, and the vast Iron Sand began to condense into more forms.
Darui's expression was grave; he knew he had to counter speed with speed and must not let the opponent fully deploy his puppet army.
...
The figure of the Yellow Flash instantly tore through the clamor of the battlefield.
Having just completed the mission to transfer the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee to a safe location, Minato had incredibly returned to the battlefield.
His speed was not much slower than the other Kage who were fighting in pairs.
At this moment, he was worthy of the name Yellow Flash!
However, when he arrived on the battlefield and saw the figure standing there.
The orange-haired figure wearing a black robe with red clouds, Tendo Pain.
At the moment of contact, Minato's eyes suddenly constricted, as if seized by an invisible force!
His gaze was firmly locked onto Pain's eyes, which were different from ordinary people's—deep purple ripples, like the mysteries of the universe's birth and death, rippling out in circles.
"Rinnegan?!"
Minato blurted out, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.
This was no ordinary pupil technique, but the supreme eye that had long since become a myth, existing only in the tales of the Sage of Six Paths!
Why would it appear on such an enemy?
Tendo Pain's cold Rinnegan were also watching Konoha's Yellow Flash.
When these eyes, and the body carrying the legacy of "Yahiko," were exposed before another outstanding disciple of Jiraiya-sensei, any disguise lost its meaning.
He spoke in a tone mixed with strange and complex emotions, even though the face belonging to Yahiko remained as stiff as a mask:
"Minato... you are indeed a disciple of Jiraiya-sensei."
The voice was flat, yet like a stone thrown into a lake, it stirred up huge waves in Minato's heart.
"Hmm?" Minato's brow furrowed, his eyes showing deep surprise. "Jiraiya-sensei?!"
He had never heard Jiraiya-sensei mention another disciple who possessed the Rinnegan!
Although he knew from records that Jiraiya had taken three students in the Land of Rain in his early years, those three Hidden Rain Village disciples should have long since perished in the cruel wars.
But dwelling on this now was pointless.
"Since you are also a disciple of Jiraiya-sensei," Minato's voice suddenly rose, carrying questioning and confusion, "why are you committing such acts?!"
The cruelty of war, the struggle for Tailed Beasts, the threat to the Village—all of these pointed to the person before him.
Tendo Pain fell into a brief silence, as if countless invisible thoughts were churning within those Rinnegan.
Perhaps because they both shared Jiraiya as a teacher, he was willing to talk with Minato for a bit longer.
After a moment, he said lowly and resolutely: "I will end this cursed world!"
"Cursed?" Minato keenly caught this exceptionally heavy word.
"That's right!" Pain's voice suddenly rose, carrying a near-desperate compassion and a cold determination.
"In this cursed world, true peace is nothing but an illusory bubble!"
People can never truly understand each other!
Hatred only continues to breed, spread, and pass on, forming an endless chain!"
He slowly raised his arm, making a gesture as if holding up a heavy, invisible object, his movements carrying a near-sacred sense of ritual.
"Only by letting all of humanity personally experience the ultimate Pain, by letting the entire world deeply understand what Pain is!
Only then can this chain of hatred be completely severed!
Only then can the world... move toward final peace!"
His words were like a cold declaration, carrying an unquestionable will.
"For this, I need the Tailed Beasts!
I need to create a 'Tailed Beast Weapon' capable of instantly destroying a nation!
By relying on the deep fear humanity will have for this boundless pain to suppress war!
I will use this pain as a guide to reshape the world order!"
"Absurd!"
Minato rebuked him sternly without hesitation.
"Peace built on fear is not true peace at all!
That is merely silence under high pressure, a breeding ground for even greater disasters! And—"
His tone was categorical.
"Jiraiya-sensei would absolutely never agree with your twisted views!"
"..." Tendo Pain's body seemed to have an extremely subtle stagnation.
Deep within the Rinnegan, an imperceptible ripple passed through.
That was the softest memory in Nagato's heart: under the dilapidated eaves of the Hidden Rain Village, Jiraiya-sensei's hearty laughter, Yahiko's hopeful words, Konan's gentle origami... fragments of warm and brief past events.
However, this ripple was instantly swallowed by a deeper and colder darkness.
In his memory, Yahiko fell into his arms, life slipping away like sand, those eyes full of trust and determination entrusting all heavy hope to him!
"It... no longer matters."
Tendo Pain's voice became bone-chillingly cold again, without a single ripple, as if the momentary emotional fluctuation just now had never happened.
"I have long since... no longer needed his approval!"
The moment the words fell, Tendo Pain's Rinnegan suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly strong fluctuation!
He suddenly widened his eyes, and a powerful and eerie force exploded outward with him at the center!
"Hum!"
Space seemed to be distorted and torn by an invisible force!
Accompanied by heart-wrenching fluctuations, five figures of different forms appeared out of thin air like ghosts, instantly surrounding Minato at the center!
They were also dressed in black robes with red clouds, also had the signature orange hair, and without exception, cold black chakra receivers were inserted into their bodies, like puppets on strings being controlled.
But all of this was far less chilling than the common feature shining in their eyes.
Six pairs! A full six pairs!
The Rinnegan, which seemed capable of seeing through the underworld!
Six pairs of indifferent and heartless gazes focused on Minato at the same time!
"How is this possible?!"
Even Minato, who was battle-hardened and had seen many storms, couldn't help but gasp at this sight, a massive wave surging in his heart!
The appearance of one Rinnegan was already the reappearance of an earth-shattering legend, and now six had appeared at once?!
Intense shock and disbelief instantly gripped his heart.
He absolutely did not believe these were six real pairs of Sage's eyes, and he made a rapid judgment in his mind.
All of this must be some kind of application beyond common sense performed by that one pair of true Rinnegan...
The strong impact brought by the sight that exceeded common sense did not make Minato lose his cool.
As Konoha's "Yellow Flash," the combat instincts honed through countless life-and-death battles instantly overrode all doubts.
"No matter what the Jutsu is, I must not fall into a passive position!"
In a flash of thought, Minato's figure disappeared from the spot without warning! The Flying Thunder God Technique was activated!
At the same time, several uniquely designed Flying Thunder God kunai were thrown in various directions by Minato.
Almost at the same instant he disappeared, the Animal Path located to his side and rear quickly performed hand seals and pressed them against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Giant smoke rose, and several massive, hideous-looking summoned beasts—the Multi-Headed Dog, the Giant Bird, and the Giant Rhino—appeared out of thin air with roars.
They instantly filled the positions where Minato might have moved, their massive bodies and violent chakra forming a highly oppressive encirclement net.
However, Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai had already acted like invisible shuttles, accurately pinning into the air above the Preta Path's head!
Tendo Pain's indifferent Rinnegan caught the subtle golden flash in the air.
Hum!
Minato, who had just emerged from the aerial teleportation point, didn't even have time to launch an attack before an irresistible, terrifying gravitational force pulled him down violently!
"Bansho Tenin!"
The powerful suction made Minato feel as if he had fallen into an invisible vortex, his body involuntarily being forced toward the center of the Six Paths of Pain on the ground!
"I've been seen through!"
Minato's heart skipped a beat, but his hands moved even faster!
Just as his body was being dragged down by gravity, his arm blurred into an afterimage, and a special three-pronged Kunai shot toward Tendo Pain's throat like a golden meteor at a tricky angle!
Tendo Pain did not interrupt Bansho Tenin, seemingly disdainful of this lethal attack.
Whoosh!
A black shadow blocked the way in front of Deva Path without warning—it was the Human Path, who had been silent!
He accurately reached out, actually attempting to grab the Flying Thunder God kunai infused with Minato's chakra!
At the same time, the Asura Path located behind Minato's landing point suddenly split open, and numerous missile launch ports emerged, with scorching chakra light instantly condensing!
"Laser-Cutting Giant Arm Rocket!"
Sizzle!
Several incredibly powerful chakra laser beams tore through the air, accurately predicting the trajectory of Minato's fall due to gravity, blocking all his possible evasion angles!
The tips of the laser beams carried the breath of destruction, piercing straight toward Minato's back!
"A double pincer attack!"
A fatal sense of crisis enveloped his heart.
Above was the Human Path intercepting the Flying Thunder God kunai, in front was the strong pull of Bansho Tenin, and behind was the Asura Path's laser cutting, powerful enough to pierce through mountain rock!
Besides that, all the Flying Thunder God kunai he had thrown should have been targeted at this moment.
The cooperation of the Six Paths of Pain was seamless, as if one will were driving six bodies, connecting their respective abilities into a fatal killing trap in an instant!
In the spark of a moment, there was no trace of panic in Minato's eyes.
"I can only take a gamble!"
At the critical moment when the Human Path's fingers were about to touch the handle of the Kunai in the air, and at the instant the Asura Path's laser beams were about to pierce his back.
Hum!!!
The golden light flashed again!
The Human Path's fingers grabbed empty air! The Asura Path's laser beams only pierced through air!
Minato's figure appeared at the end of the handle of the three-pronged Kunai he had just shot toward Tendo Pain, which was now being intercepted by the Human Path!
He even accurately tapped the handle of the Kunai with his toe to gain leverage.
Using the small gap and height difference gained from this extreme displacement, Minato, having escaped the core area of the strongest gravity, moved his hands in a blur of afterimages, and two Flying Thunder God kunai left his hands like lightning.
One shot toward the distant ground to serve as a new coordinate point, while the other, with a piercing whistle, shot straight toward the Asura Path below, whose body structure had not yet fully closed after releasing the laser beams!