Habara didn't know why Pain had appeared here, but one thing was certain: he had come for him. When it came to situations like this, planning and weighing options only mattered beforehand. The truth could only be found through confrontation.
His opponent opened with an ultimate technique, clearly intending to end things decisively with a single blow, but that seemed to underestimate Habara considerably. Although Habara hadn't maintained peak alertness throughout the journey, the fundamental vigilance of a shinobi remained. He had sensed the figure far ahead and was preparing to halt the team.
His judgment was correct, but unfortunately, they were already within the Deva Path's attack range… Shinra Tensei was a power beyond ordinary comprehension.
Still, they were caught only on the edge of the blast. Combined with Habara's protection, it wasn't enough to instantly annihilate the Konoha squad.
The forest before them was instantaneously flattened, leaving only a vast, barren crater resembling the bottom of a pot. At the crater's center stood a solitary figure.
Habara checked his momentum, spared the Deva Path only a fleeting glance, and began forming hand seals. Without looking back, he commanded, "Retreat. He's obviously targeting me; he won't pay much attention to you."
As he spoke, scorching flames erupted around him. Fueled by Habara's four-element composite ninjutsu, the surrounding forest rapidly ignited. Roiling waves of fire and surging, high-density chakra created a sufficient screen to block the Rinnegan's line of sight, creating an opportunity for his team to escape.
Since Pain had appeared, escape wouldn't be easy. Tenzo and the others couldn't possibly join the fight against Pain—that would be suicide. Given the power disparity, disengagement was the only correct choice.
"There's only one enemy, we should—" Aoba Yamashiro began the standard fodder dialogue, but Habara immediately cut him off.
"Go! I'll hold him here." After a slight pause, Habara continued, "Tell the Hokage we encountered an enemy possessing the Rinnegan. And… even if you make it back to Shadow Leaf, no backup is needed here."
Indeed, backup was unnecessary. Against certain foes, all support was futile support. Once Tenzo reported the word "Rinnegan" to the Hokage, she would naturally understand why no reinforcements should be sent.
In this situation, Tenzo grasped Habara's meaning best. He grabbed his two teammates and said without hesitation, "Let's go."
The three turned and fled. This was the greatest assistance they could provide Habara in this battle.
Seeing his teammates make the right choice brought Habara a sliver of relief. Now, only one question remained… Fight or flee?
Fleeing didn't mean running immediately, but rather buying enough time for his team to get clear before disengaging himself. The problem was, once entangled with Pain, escape wouldn't be simple for Habara either. Furthermore, there was a crucial point: since Pain had targeted him—for reasons unknown—even if Habara managed to escape this time, would Pain pursue further action?
People like this often followed a pattern: if the target runs, bomb their home. Bombing their home would draw the target out. Habara definitely didn't want the newly established stronghold wiped out… Pain's destructive capability was beyond doubt.
As for fighting… well, that meant fighting to the bitter end.
Considering their respective strengths, Habara felt it wasn't impossible. This could even be an opportunity to resolve the impending disaster facing the shinobi world once and for all. Due to the issue of "signal range," Nagato himself had to be nearby Pain. If Habara could destroy those Rinnegan, Black Zetsu's plan to resurrect his mother would naturally dissolve into nothing.
Habara held the advantages of having mastered Sage Mode and knowing Pain's abilities. But he wasn't currently at full strength. First, this was the Land of Rivers, outside Daigo's support and communication network. Second, roughly forty percent of his chakra was currently occupied dealing with the Nine-Tails; he couldn't afford to "splurge" one hundred percent.
In a mere instant, Habara made his decision. Escape was difficult, and he couldn't easily pass up this rare chance with Nagato outside Amegakure… Sixty percent of his chakra would suffice. His base chakra reserves were already immense; having slightly less wouldn't lower his peak combat potential, only marginally affect his stamina.
Just as he determined his course of action, a fierce whistling sound tore through the air. A figure burst through the wall of fire like a cannonball, ignoring everything as it hurtled straight towards him.
Habara's gaze precisely tracked the enemy. It was a bald man.
"Asura Path."
Lightning flickered around him, and his figure vanished from its original spot.
BOOM!
Almost simultaneously, the figure crashed into the ground where Habara had just stood, embedding itself forcefully like a charging bull.
Habara paid the Asura Path no mind; it possessed only physical attack capabilities and wasn't the core of the Six Paths of Pain. He charged forward.
Under Habara's control, the fire wall parted, creating a path. He rushed directly into the "pot bottom." The Asura Path struggled to its feet and began pursuing Habara's retreating figure… Habara's guess was correct; the enemy completely ignored the fleeing Konoha shinobi, focusing solely on him.
The sound of rending air came again, but this time fragmented and chaotic. Habara glanced sideways over his shoulder and saw a stream of missiles trailing flames appear mid-air… The Asura Path's weaponry and attack methods were decidedly un-ninja-like.
Habara still ignored them. While sprinting, he stomped his right foot hard on the ground. Iron-rich minerals were instantly drawn from the earth, rising to form a pitch-black wall directly behind him, blocking the enemy's attack trajectory.
A continuous series of explosions erupted, yet the defensive barrier remained unshaken.
The power core among the Six Paths of Pain was the Deva Path, but the highest priority target should be the Hell Path, as it could rapidly repair damaged Pain puppets. Attacking the enemy's respawn point first—it wasn't hard to understand… However, that was the tactic for fighting Pain.
Why was Habara fighting Pain? To find Nagato.
But as Habara crossed the fire wall and rushed into the crater, he realized things weren't as simple as he'd imagined.
A light rain drizzled down within this area, its curtain infused with chakra. This chakra severely interfered with Habara's sensory abilities, making it impossible for him to pinpoint Nagato's location.
It was Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique, used to sense and monitor the entirety of Amegakure. Its range was vast. This wasn't a technique easily circumvented, and its use here clearly wasn't for sensing, but rather to saturate the area with chakra and block Habara's perception.
Nagato's chakra was everywhere, which meant Nagato was effectively nowhere specific.
But why? Habara naturally knew Pain consisted of puppets with Nagato hidden behind them, but could Nagato possibly know that Habara knew this? Impossible.
Could Nagato be this cautious? Didn't he always proclaim himself a "God"? When a god battles a mortal, shouldn't their attitude be one of contempt and condescension? What was with this extreme caution? What was the point of hiding weaknesses?
Habara glanced up at the gathering rain clouds, then shifted his gaze to the five figures standing in a line before him. "It seems you all know quite a bit about me."
The only explanation was that Nagato feared Habara detecting the chakra link between himself and Pain, which would expose his main body. This meant Nagato knew Habara possessed powerful sensory abilities.
Alright, that wasn't entirely surprising. By now, Habara's abilities as a ninja were likely mostly exposed. He was active, somewhat famous; any village paying attention could certainly gather substantial intel on him, let alone White Zetsu, an expert in information gathering.
Unable to locate Nagato, he'd have to resort to Naruto's approach: defeat the six puppets of the Six Paths first.
The Deva Path didn't answer Habara's statement but instead asked, "Aren't you surprised to see us?"
"It's just an ambush. Common enough in the ninja world. What happens next is simple: either I kill you all, or you all kill me," Habara replied. Regardless, he wouldn't reveal anything, treating this solely as a typical shinobi interception.
Pain's aura was extraordinary; his very appearance could terrify an average ninja half to death. But Habara pretended not to notice any of these special aspects.
Eliminating the Hell Path first was the correct judgment. But now the question arose: aside from the Asura Path and the Deva Path, which of the remaining four was the Hell Path? Pain's six puppet bodies changed frequently, and they all shared orange hair, black cloaks, and expressionless faces. The Deva Path, Yahiko, was recognizable, but based on Habara's assessment, aside from the Asura Path puppet, the remaining bodies seemed to be unfamiliar individuals.
Nagato was cautious, yet also confident. The Asura Path had attacked as the vanguard, while the remaining five stood in a single line. Habara couldn't discern their roles based on positioning.
No choice then; he'd have to probe himself.
Naruto's method was Naruto's method. Habara raised his hand and, without further ado, formed a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, launching it directly at the five figures.
Such a large sphere of high-density chakra—Pain naturally understood its threat. One figure stepped forward again, opening its arms wide.
"Preta Path."
Habara instantly confirmed its identity but made no further move towards it. Instead, he spun around to meet an incoming attack. A grim, black iron armor instantly enveloped his entire body. Turning, he lunged forward, leaning into a textbook charging stance, and slammed his shoulder into the abdomen of the rushing Asura Path.
The Asura Path now sported a three-faced, six-armed form, with a tail like a broad saw blade, lined with menacing, serrated double edges, dangling behind it.
Habara's impact didn't budge his opponent, demonstrating its extraordinary strength. At such close range, the Asura Path's tail blade stabbed directly towards Habara's exposed neck.
A teeth-grinding, high-frequency screech followed. Sparks erupted from the left side of Habara's neck. However, the Asura Path's attack merely left a scratch on his full-body armor and achieved nothing else.
Facing this fully armored monstrosity, Habara took another step forward. He extended his left arm, wrapping it twice around the Asura Path's tail blade, binding it securely. Then, he pulled with immense force, closing the distance until they were practically face-to-face.
Habara had managed to somewhat restrain his opponent's movements, but the Asura Path struggled relentlessly. The scene instantly became a shower of sparks and flashes, like someone grinding a chainsaw against an anvil.
Habara was determined to see who was truly fully armored. He stomped down hard on the Asura Path's foot, pinning it. Simultaneously, his right hand, fingers extended like a knife, thrust forward, piercing the puppet's abdomen. His hand groped inside the puppet's cavity until it found a point of leverage.
With the foot pinned to the ground, his arm yanked upwards forcefully. Habara ripped the puppet clean in two.
Then, using both hands, he grabbed the Asura Path's shoulders, adopting a posture like preparing a crab, and tore again… another bisection. Even as an unfeeling puppet, the Asura Path could no longer move.
After dealing with the Asura Path, Habara swiftly used its own tail blade to skewer the fragmented pieces together. By this time, the Preta Path on the other side had completely absorbed the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
The Deva Path, Yahiko, watched Habara dismantle the Asura Path so quickly without visible surprise, merely remarking, "As expected of a renowned ninja. Your strength is quite unusual. However…"
However what? However, mortal power could ultimately not defy a god.
Habara took it as a compliment. Lifting the skewered pile of parts, he walked forward a few steps and then flung it outwards.
"Take them back."
Just then, upon seeing Habara's action, one of the five blank-faced figures in the group stepped forward, attempting to catch the Asura Path's remains.
Got you. Habara's gaze sharpened. In the blink of an eye, two black blades erupted from the ground, one in front and one behind the blank-faced figure. The blades were as wide as door panels, thin as paper, yet unbelievably sharp. One struck vertically, the other horizontally, instantly dicing the target into four pieces.
Habara was extremely cautious. Against a living ninja, one decisive blow would suffice. But Pain's puppets were corpses; only by cutting them thoroughly could he guarantee they lost mobility.
Habara had so kindly tossed back the broken toy. It stood to reason that only the one capable of repairs would move to retrieve it… Information about the individual Pain Paths was top secret; no one should know. Therefore, Nagato had no reason to employ deceptive tactics.
Thus, the second puppet Habara shredded was, naturally, the Hell Path.
Witnessing this, the Deva Path Yahiko's gaze immediately fixed intently on Habara. Was this a coincidence? No, it couldn't be. The opponent threw out bait, lured the Hell Path into action, and then precisely eliminated it. How could that possibly be coincidence?
With the Hell Path, Pain could infinitely regenerate during battle. Without it, damaged puppets had to be returned for factory repair or replacement. The Hell Path's importance was self-evident.
But how could information on Pain have possibly leaked? Orochimaru? No, Orochimaru didn't possess detailed knowledge of Pain; the full assembly hadn't revealed themselves to the Akatsuki members yet. Only the Deva Path Yahiko had been publicly active… Over the years, they had acted collectively only once: when eliminating Hanzo the Salamander.
But this man before him couldn't possibly be Hanzo the Salamander.
Only Konan knew the complete details of Pain. The masked man knew fragments. Could they have leaked the information? That seemed ludicrous.
"Why… do you… know about us?" Confused and shocked, the Deva Path Yahiko spoke haltingly, his words fragmented.
"Know about you?" Habara shook his head. "I don't know anything about you."
Especially, he thought, how your brains are wired.
"Fine. If you won't talk, we'll find out ourselves."
Habara's gaze swept over the two remaining puppets, pondering which was the Animal Path and which the Human Path. For him, the Human Path, capable of reading memories, posed the greater threat.
Just then, the Deva Path suddenly extended its arm: "Bansho Tenin!"
Even though Habara reacted with incredible speed, instantly anchoring himself to the earth with countless iron chains, he still couldn't break free from the powerful attraction. After struggling for only a few seconds, his body was pulled uncontrollably towards the Deva Path.
However, the first thing the Deva Path encountered wasn't Habara's body, but an exploding orb of mercury.
Habara's taijutsu was nothing special, but even the strongest taijutsu user facing him shouldn't let the fight get too close.
The Preta Path attempted to absorb the ninjutsu, but the razor-sharp silver threads would shred its limbs before absorption could complete. In haste, the Deva Path could only grab the nearest puppet and rapidly leap into the air.
As for the two left on the ground… unfortunately, they ended up even more fragmented than the previous two.
Knowing the intelligence and actually facing the technique in battle were two different things. Nagato had certainly heard of Habara's "Secret Technique: Mercury Lamp"—it was his signature move, after all. But experiencing it firsthand… who could have anticipated its blinding activation speed, its vast range, its near-instantaneous effect, and its devastating destructive power? As long as the Preta Path couldn't instantly neutralize the chakra Habara had infused into the mercury cluster, the Mercury Dandelion would bloom unstoppably.
"A miscalculation. He truly knows about 'Pain'."
Mid-air, the Deva Path released his grip. The two figures fell separately. The other falling figure began forming hand seals—seals Habara recognized. It was…
Summoning Technique.
This meant Habara was relatively lucky. The two Pain he had just destroyed were the Preta Path and the Human Path. Setting aside the Deva Path, the remaining Animal Path posed little threat to him.
A gigantic centipede materialized in mid-air and slammed heavily onto the ground. Amidst a cloud of dust that even the light rain couldn't suppress, the Deva Path and the Animal Path landed.
"Where is he?"
Habara's figure had vanished. Nagato's sensory abilities weren't particularly strong… at least, not befitting his Uzumaki lineage.
"Up there."
Even so, the Deva Path managed to locate Habara promptly.
At that moment, Habara had leaped high into the air and was positioned directly above the giant centipede's head. He drew back an iron bow. A flash of lightning, and a long arrow made of mercury instantly embedded itself deep within the centipede's eye, then bloomed just as it had minutes before.
The colossal summoned beast collapsed instantly, falling asleep.
But it didn't matter. The Animal Path possessed an endless supply of giant summons. As long as it continued forming seals and performing the technique, countless behemoths would arrive on this battlefield.
The Animal Path formed hand seals. Habara, meanwhile, had landed back on the ground. But the next moment, the Animal Path seemed to inexplicably lose sensation in its own hands. Then it understood what had happened… It was a familiar scene. Habara stood holding a thin mercury longsword level, its blade bent under the weight of a heavy head.
Having dealt with the summoned beast, Habara had landed and, with lightning speed, decapitated the Animal Path.
The Animal Path's body crumpled to the ground, the next Summoning Technique left uncast.
Habara turned his gaze towards the sole remaining Deva Path. "Finished the appetizers. Time for the main course?"
The Deva Path observed Habara's subtly changed appearance, sensing the potent chakra, different from before. He stated, "So this is Sage Mode."
To eliminate the final "appetizer," Habara had revealed his true maximum speed. He needed to conserve sufficient energy and chakra to deal with the Deva Path; getting bogged down fighting the Animal Path could easily become an endless struggle.
As for why he hadn't attempted a surprise attack on the Deva Path earlier, the reason was simple: the Deva Path potentially had the ability to defend against Habara's assault, whereas the Animal Path did not. Thus, he had taken the most prudent approach.
Among the Six Paths of Pain, only the Deva Path possessed power that transcended the normal standards of the shinobi world. The others, while strong, could largely be classified as "flashy." Now that Habara had disposed of the other Paths, the disadvantage for Nagato was fewer available tactics. The advantage was that he could now focus all his concentration and chakra on controlling the Deva Path.
Habara's elimination of the five Pain puppets was ultimately irrelevant to the battle's outcome. The true contest was only just beginning.
Against the Deva Path, Habara's strategy was crystal clear. He couldn't aim for a swift victory. Instead, he should aim to "wear him down." Fight slowly. Force Nagato to utilize all of the Deva Path's major techniques through manipulation, leaving no room for reserves… and certainly no leftover chakra.
Because defeating the Deva Path itself wasn't the key to the battle. The key was rendering Nagato incapable of resistance.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Habara formed hand seals. As his chakra surged, countless earthen walls suddenly erupted within the clearing created by Shinra Tensei. They formed a massive, vision-obscuring maze, concealing Habara within its center.
The Deva Path narrowed his eyes, uncertain of Habara's intentions.
Suddenly, a peculiar humming sound reached the Deva Path's ears. Simultaneously, he detected an extremely faint, almost imperceptible sound of something slicing through the air.
In that instant, he was caught in a pincer attack from two directions. On one side, a swirling orb of chakra light; on the other, a mercury arrow. The former was Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. The latter, Sage Art: Mercury Lamp. Both possessed astonishing destructive power and immense range.
Facing such a coordinated assault, without the Preta Path for absorption and the Deva Path not being known for speed, the most logical—and only—option was to repel the attacks and simultaneously clear away the obstructing maze.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Habara's two techniques were blasted away by the immense repulsive force. Concurrently, the ground was once again flattened.
There was no sign of Habara within the maze. The next moment, he burst forth from the ground. But the Deva Path seemed prepared; Habara, emerging from deep underground, was instantly "captured."
"Bansho Ten'in!"
Pulled by that force, Habara's body was flung high into the air, then slammed down heavily… only to disappear with a soft poof.
"A clone?"
Lightning flashed repeatedly, seemingly coalescing into a straight line of light. At this moment, Habara finally closed the distance and reached the Deva Path. He hadn't hidden within the "maze" earlier; instead, he had retreated beyond the range of Shinra Tensei.
As for where Shinra Tensei's range ended? Hadn't the kind Nagato already drawn a circle for him when they first encountered each other?
But as Habara arrived before the Deva Path, he saw only utter calmness reflected in his opponent's eyes.
"A little too slow…?"
Shinra Tensei had a five-second cooldown. The key to defeating the Deva Path lay within that five-second window. Habara's speed was already immense, but it seemed it still wasn't quite enough… Shinra Tensei's range was vast. If one wanted to avoid any risk whatsoever, closing the distance to the Deva Path in merely five seconds was incredibly difficult.
Some things might seem highly feasible in theory, but once put into practice, all the difficulties manifest.
After all, Habara couldn't simply block an ultimate-level Rinnegan attack with a mere shadow clone. People's physical constitutions, after all, differed greatly.
But for the Deva Path, facing such a sharp assault left no time for deliberation. Thus, his most reliable ultimate technique was naturally employed once more.
"Shinra Tensei."
Habara was instantly blasted away. Only now did he comprehend that the true power of this technique far surpassed its visual impact. He felt as if he'd been struck by a meteorite with a metallic core. The violent impact stole his breath. This solid blow felt like it had shifted his internal organs. Intense pain surged through him; he suspected severe internal bleeding… Even his armor, proclaimed to have invincible defense, couldn't withstand such an impact.
His body tumbled violently, crashing through an unknown amount of terrain, flowers, and grass before finally coming to a stop.
"Cough…" Habara removed the defensive covering from his head. Blood poured freely from his mouth and nose, like it cost nothing. The attack's power far exceeded his imagination. "Shin… Shinra Tensei… is it really that strong?"
Armor on the outside, Sage Mode on the inside, yet Habara had still suffered heavy injuries instantaneously.
He struggled twice, managing with difficulty to stand up. Through blurred vision, he looked up and saw that the previous crater had more than doubled in size.
Habara forcefully slapped his own head. Then, understanding dawned. The Deva Path hadn't just used Shinra Tensei. He had used the Super Shinra Tensei—Cho Shinra Tensei—capable of instantly obliterating all of Konoha.
Th-this… Was that really necessary? It seemed Nagato wasn't entirely without sense. When facing an enemy like Habara—strong, highly defensive, fast, and agile—once an attack opportunity presented itself, it absolutely could not be wasted. Maximum power had to be employed.
But even a move this powerful couldn't guarantee killing Habara in a single strike. Correspondingly, Nagato paid an enormous price. After using this technique, he would enter a period of weakness, rendering the Deva Path temporarily unable to use abilities like Shinra Tensei or Bansho Ten'in.
Was this a trap, or an opportunity? Habara gritted his teeth. Covered in mud, he began limping, charging once more towards the Deva Path standing in the center of the crater.
Meanwhile, hidden within the cover of the surrounding jungle somewhere nearby, Nagato's real body resided. Konan was protecting him.
"Nagato, why use such a technique? The Deva Path can no longer fight. We should retreat from here now."
Nagato's voice held no trace of weakness; instead, it carried a hint of excitement. He shook his head, saying, "It's fine. I feel exceptionally good today. That ninja is very strong. I had to seize the chance to severely injure him."
Konan opened her mouth but ultimately didn't try to dissuade Nagato further. She sensed something was slightly off about him at the moment, but couldn't pinpoint the exact problem.
Habara didn't know why Nagato was acting so recklessly, but he knew one thing for sure: the Deva Path couldn't possibly unleash another Cho Shinra Tensei anytime soon. And that was his chance.
Ignoring his injuries, his speed surged once more. As he again closed within a certain distance of the Deva Path, the Deva Path raised its arm again.
"Shinra—"
Countless particles of iron sand began to churn beneath Habara's feet. At this moment, Habara finally revealed his true strongest state. He activated his Gundam.
Sage Art: Sexagenary Cycle: Twelve Divine Generals!
A colossal black iron figure abruptly materialized. Enormous chains shot out from its body, plunging deep into the earth… No, it was more like the giant was being anchored to the planet's core.
The impact of Shinra Tensei arrived. The giant staggered back several steps, the surrounding chains pulled taut like bowstrings. However, the chains ultimately did not break, and the giant was not thrown off its feet.
The Cho Shinra Tensei had consumed too much power; consequently, this Shinra Tensei's force was weakened. Habara had actually managed to withstand it.
The chains detached one by one. Habara controlled the giant as it strode forward decisively. A massive sword materialized in its hand, and it brought the blade crashing down upon the Deva Path below.
A heavy sword lacks a sharp edge. After the strike, only a deep trench remained etched into the ground. There was no trace of the Deva Path below.
However, Habara didn't lower his guard. The Deva Path's body was unusually resilient—perhaps Yahiko had been a P.E. student. Nine-Tails-enhanced Naruto had pummeled him with a small mountain for quite some time without breaking him. Habara couldn't guarantee that a single sword strike had shattered him.
But just then, suddenly sensing something, Habara snapped his head upwards. He saw a black dot appear abruptly in the sky.
"This is… Chibaku Tensei. The Deva Path? No, it came from that direction!"
Habara keenly tracked the trajectory of the Chibaku Tensei's core. Furthermore, the technique required casting time, which the Deva Path hadn't possessed. Therefore, the only one capable of unleashing this jutsu was Nagato's main body… Nagato was in that direction.
Rocks, earth, trees—everything in the vicinity began to float uncontrollably towards the point in the sky. Habara's giant might withstand Shinra Tensei, but Chibaku Tensei was specifically designed to seal massive entities.
The giant began to rise uncontrollably. Under the effects of this ultimate sealing technique, Habara could only barely maintain the giant's form, preventing it from collapsing back into iron sand. Otherwise, he truly would be sealed… In his original calculations, he never should have allowed the Deva Path the opportunity to use Chibaku Tensei. Indeed, the Deva Path hadn't had the chance. But who could have predicted that Nagato would perform the task himself?
"Tenzo, look…"
Tenzo and the other two, rapidly approaching the border of the Land of Fire, noticed the strange phenomenon occurring behind them. It was difficult not to notice something suddenly materializing in the sky.
It looked like a moon.
The three halted. Debris from the ground far below was still rising. The object in the sky had already formed into a semi-sphere. And the thing crammed inside it… seemed somewhat familiar.
"That looks like… Jonin Habara's technique?"
They quickly understood: the thing being sealed was Habara's jutsu, and thus Habara himself.
Tenzo pressed his lips together, his expression filled with struggle and hesitation. But ultimately, rationality prevailed. "Go. We execute our mission. Bring the intelligence back… Habara will be alright. Trust him. He has never lost before."
They couldn't help. The squad turned east once more.
However, the sphere in the sky eventually coalesced completely. Habara, who had never lost, was trapped inside. After some time passed, the immense gravitational pull dissipated. The floating sphere created by Chibaku Tensei stabilized, simply hovering silently.
Would Habara willingly allow himself to be sealed? Of course not.
The giant and the iron sand remained under his control. The Sexagenary Cycle: Twelve Divine Generals hadn't collapsed; it had merely been compressed as a whole within the Chibaku Tensei. Thus, when the original gravitational force ceased, an iron pillar, like a dropper, pierced through the sphere's surface, and then a figure slid out.
Chibaku Tensei and Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei were two different things. The latter was used to seal the Ten-Tails. The former, as used by Nagato, couldn't even contain a rampaging Nine-Tails, let alone imprison a thinking Habara… He could swim through solid iron; what could Nagato possibly do? Yet, the moment Habara dropped from mid-air, he was immediately attacked.
"Bansho Ten'in!"
His figure was pulled uncontrollably towards the Deva Path. And the Deva Path now held a sharp black rod in each hand. Struggling within the Chibaku Tensei had consumed a massive amount of Habara's chakra. Now, he couldn't even maintain the close-fitting inner layer of armor he usually wore, let alone Sage Mode.
Puchi! Two black rods pierced Habara's body—one through his abdomen, the other through his chest cavity, seemingly passing through his lung.
"Cough… Can't you play fair? My chakra is practically drained, seven or eight parts gone. You've unleashed so many ultimate techniques, how do you still have this much power left?" Habara grimaced, his lips and teeth stained with blood.
He used his scant remaining chakra to guide iron sand along the wound channels into his own body, slowly extruding the black rods while simultaneously attempting to temporarily plug the severe internal injuries.
And just as he'd said, Nagato's chakra reserves were now also nearly depleted.
Habara struggled to lift his arms. Then, he suddenly cupped the Deva Path's head. With a pull from his left hand and a push outwards from his right, the Deva Path's head instantly twisted a full 180 degrees.
Clang!
The black rods, forced out of his body, fell to the ground.
Habara sucked in a deep breath, then couldn't control a violent bout of coughing.
"See? I told you… that forty-meter sword strike to the head… it did have some effect after all."
The Deva Path's body knelt on the ground, its head hanging limply down its back. Habara looked up. He noticed the rain had stopped. The sky was beginning to clear. And then… he sensed Nagato's location.
Habara remained silent for a moment. Ultimately, he didn't let this opportunity pass.
A quarter of an hour later, he climbed onto a large, camouflaged tree.
"Just as I thought, only two people. The one with incredibly weak chakra must be Nagato. The other is Konan."
The number of enemies was as expected. Habara hesitated no longer. He continued upwards, entering a disguised cave opening, and saw the two individuals within.
"Those eyes of yours… they are the source of all misfortune. If you destroy those eyes, perhaps we can avoid a fight to the death," Habara said, looking at Nagato, who could barely be called human anymore.
He wasn't spouting nonsense, nor was he attempting any Talk-no-Jutsu. He simply needed to catch his breath… His current condition was truly terrible. Every second he could recover counted.
"Heh… hehe… Hahahaha… Ninja of Konoha. Blindly confident ninja are often ninja close to death. Can you understand that?"
Nagato's face was deathly pale, yet he seemed not to have given up, apparently believing he still held the upper hand. However, allowing someone like Habara to reach his main body—didn't that equate to death?
Even if Habara was in a wretched state now, with little chakra remaining, could Konan truly guarantee she could stop him?
Habara felt somewhat baffled. He didn't know why Nagato's red hair, plastered to his forehead with sweat, looked as crimson as blood. The shadow cast by his emaciated body stretched long, incredibly long, extending to some unknown destination.
At this point, Nagato had no inclination to investigate how the Pain intelligence had leaked. Regardless, the fate of anyone who knew that information was already sealed. Today's operation had gone poorly, but it was all worth it. This ninja named Habara wasn't just powerful; he knew far too much—so much that he absolutely had to die.
The sooner he was eliminated, the less harm he could cause. Otherwise, he could potentially have an immeasurable impact on Akatsuki's plans.
"Where do you think you are right now?" Konan spoke up. Nagato was somewhat incoherent at the moment, so it was best to keep him from talking too much.
"Where?" Habara didn't understand the meaning. Weren't they just in the Land of Rivers?
However, the next instant, a chakra chain shot out from Habara's blind spot, piercing directly into his right shoulder… The chakra chain looked disturbingly familiar, just like Kushina Uzumaki's Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Konan slowly formed hand seals. Sheets of paper fluttered down around them. The camouflaged tree revealed its true form—an appearance utterly unexpected by Habara…
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path…"
The Gedo Mazo wasn't inherently difficult to deal with. It was merely the empty husk of the Ten-Tails, possessing no special powers of its own. The crucial prerequisite, however, was maintaining a certain distance, not getting too close. Otherwise, the statue itself became sufficiently dangerous.
Konan had asked where he was. The answer: within the cupped palms of the Gedo Mazo.
The chain pierced into Habara's body, and he felt his very form begin to destabilize, threatening to revert to his Mimic White-Scaled Serpent chakra-creature state. Gritting his teeth, with a flash of silver light, he severed his own right arm entirely.
A miscalculation. This place was a trap. Could Nagato's plotting run this deep? In that moment, Habara felt Nagato enveloped in shadow. A sudden epiphany struck him… Black Zetsu?
He thought he saw a pair of eyes within that black shadow.
If the Gedo Mazo was here, Habara should have sensed it beforehand. Yet, somehow, it had evaded his perception. He had been consistently cautious, but his caution had failed him.
The Gedo Mazo was a powerful weapon, but historically, Nagato had struggled to control it. Today, however, he wielded it with effortless ease, as if it were an extension of his own limbs. For Nagato, controlling the Gedo Mazo was typically like being constipated: no effort yielded no results; careful effort risked getting stuck or causing bleeding; excessive effort led to prolapse. But today felt like diarrhea—everything flowed smoothly.
The Gedo Mazo was the Ten-Tails' empty shell. Black Zetsu was a fragment of Kaguya's—the Ten-Tails'—consciousness. It was obvious: Black Zetsu, acting as a conduit, had somehow enhanced the connection between Nagato and the Gedo Mazo.
Habara's action was decisive, yet it was already too late. A dragon formed of chakra lunged towards him. He dodged hastily but was still grazed by it. His remaining chakra instantly vanished by more than half. Then, more chakra chains pierced through his body.
He realized he was about to face the worst possible ending.
His strength was being siphoned away. Memories began to surge. If he were to summarize his life in this world, Habara felt he had accomplished many things, but far more remained undone. It should be a life filled with regrets.
Puchi! Puchi!
Over ten black rods pierced his body once more. The intense, sharp pain jolted Habara awake from his reminiscence. Seeing his end was imminent, Habara suddenly felt a strange sense of resignation. Looking at his own miserable state, he thought the manner of death sounded rather undignified… On such-and-such date, so-and-so died via 'mobile toilet.' It sounded like drowning after falling into a latrine.
Blood drained from his body. He could no longer remain standing. The next moment, he fell backward onto the palm of the Gedo Mazo.
Gazing up at the clearing sky overhead, Habara suddenly wondered: if a friend were here beside him now to witness his end, what final words should he leave behind? "Farewell." "My friend." "Go back to your books." "Enjoy your chair." "Plant your trees." "Watch them grow." "If more people…" "Valued home and friendship…" "Above gold…" "Then this world would surely be a better place."
A pity, such a pity. In the end, Habara felt regret for two things.
First, he had no friend who could return to a "Shire."
Second, ultimately, he couldn't die gallantly like a hero. At the very, very end, he still had to engage in an ugly struggle.
Habara's gaze seemed to lose focus, as if he no longer had the strength to resist. But just then, his left hand slammed down fiercely. Then, with his last ounce of strength, he clenched his fist.
A cluster of silver light shot towards the heavens. It instantly transformed into a colossal silver blade, slashing diagonally across the Gedo Mazo's torso with incomparable momentum. It severed the Demonic Statue's hands and shoulders, shaving off half of its head.
Amidst the Gedo Mazo's shriek, the mercury dandelion, glinting with cold light, bloomed once more.
Habara clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles trembling uncontrollably. If only this final Mercury Lamp could begin to spin—whether it was a demon left over from millennia past or an ambition poised to swallow the world—all would be shredded to pieces in this instant.
However…
"Shinra Tensei!"
Habara's broken body was flung away once more.
The post-rain afternoon sky was an exceptionally clear, transparent blue. Habara's fading pupils gazed upon this pristine clarity. The final scenery froze just like that…
"It's already so late… even the moon is out…"