Meanwhile, Sasuke and Kakashi's fight with Shuradō (Asura Path) had reached a fever pitch.
Both moved at blistering speed, circling for angles and striking for openings—any ordinary jōnin would've been face-down already.
But Asura Path was no slouch.
After trying a salvo of arm-cannons and failing to pin them, he instantly shifted tactics. His head twitched—and then two more faces unfolded at the sides. He shrugged off his outer shell to reveal six arms. Three faces and six arms—no, three faces, six arms indeed.
A long serrated sawblade jutted from his back—gleaming, vicious.
Sasuke didn't flinch and darted in again—only for six mechanical fists to hammer out in a flurry, keeping him at bay. Kakashi tried to slip behind for a backstab, but the huge back-saw swept across, cutting him off cold.
"Sasuke, careful—that saw is nasty!"
Kakashi called the warning, then sprinted wide again, peppering shuriken to harass while his mind raced for a plan.
Sasuke wasn't in the mood to overthink. He snapped into Shunshin Gen'ei (Body Flicker Afterimage)—seven mirages ringed Asura Path and rushed in.
Asura Path smashed a fist through one charging Sasuke—straight through an afterimage. He instantly rotated the back-saw in a wide sweep, clipping three more Sasukes—still illusions.
As he hesitated, the Sasuke he'd just "punched" blurred into the real one. Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Kusanagi Sword) flashed—one of Asura Path's arms clattered to the ground.
But Asura Path pounced on the opening—one forearm popped free from its socket, ignited, and rocketed forward like a flaming fist. It blasted the unprepared Sasuke and hurled him back. The other afterimages winked out.
Kakashi slid in front to catch him. "You okay, Sasuke? He's tougher than he looks—don't rush it."
Sasuke rose with a dust-pat, voice edged with urgency. "Natsuki's definitely holding down the strongest Pains—maybe multiple at once. I can't waste time here. I'm taking this one down and going to help!"
To Sasuke, Natsuki had helped him too much already. The only way to repay that debt was to get there fast—even if it meant helping Tenten or Shino instead, it was still paying Natsuki back.
Kakashi understood; he wanted the enemy dropped quickly too. "What's your play? I'll cover."
"No more thinking—I'm going straight in!"
Sasuke surged at Asura Path—White Fang Blade Style snapping like lightning as he traded blow for blow with those piston fists. Kakashi didn't ask questions—he shadowed the rhythm, striking whenever an opening showed. Teacher and student in full sync actually pressed Asura Path back—victory looked inches away.
Asura Path's patience snapped—his skull split open.
A brutal charge built in the blooming cranium—one shot to take them both with him.
Boom! A swath of buildings vanished—Asura Path's head-mounted laser was monstrous.
He froze.
Sasuke and Kakashi still stood before him—sheltered inside a towering, blue skeletal guardian, untouched.
Susanoo (Avatar of the Tempestuous God).
Sasuke opened his mouth to gloat—then saw fractures spidering across his Susanoo's ribs. His face went dark.
He hadn't expected that cranial laser to be that strong. It had nearly shattered Susanoo—if not for the guard, he and Kakashi would've been boxed and bagged. He'd gotten cocky—awaken Mangekyō Sharingan and suddenly think you're invincible? Reality begged to differ.
"Bastard—try this!"
Sasuke drove Susanoo's massive fist down. The blow mangled Asura Path's body, twisting metal and bone into scrap.
Asura Path hit the ground and stopped moving.
Just as Sasuke and Kakashi advanced to finish it, a puff—vanished. Summoned away.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Animal Path must've pulled him out. We find them—now. If Naraka Path repairs him, we just wasted all of that!"
"He'll be where Natsuki is."
Sasuke felt it in his bones—Natsuki was trading with multiple Pains. They had to move—immediately.
They didn't run around blind. They checked with the battlefield intel team and quickly got the lay of the land. Learning that Natsuki was soloing Tendō (Deva Path), Jigokudō (Naraka Path), and Chikushōdō (Animal Path), both of them just nodded—"figures."
They got the coordinates and sprinted.
They knew Animal Path had likely warped Asura Path over to be patched by Naraka Path—pure hassle.
Elsewhere, Genma, Raido, and Iwashi were still dancing with Ningendō (Human Path). The trio weren't the strongest individually, but their teamwork kept them alive this long against a nightmare opponent—that alone was impressive.
The real danger was Tamashii Chakushutsu (Soul Extraction)—Ningendō could rip your soul out and read your memories.
Get your head grabbed and it's game over.
"Where's the jinchūriki? Talk! Or I'll rip it out of you!" Ningendō snarled, making the three swallow hard.
They didn't flinch, still holding the line.
Suddenly the ground swelled—massive trees erupted and whipped toward Ningendō, forcing him to hop back.
"Yamato! Support's here!" the three cheered.
Yamato arrived with three ANBU and helped box the Human Path in.
"Yamato, status on everyone else?" Genma asked.
"Relax," Yamato had fresh updates. "Every enemy's engaged by strong allies. No one's won decisively yet, but the enemy hasn't broken through either."
"Good."
Raido exhaled. "What about Natsuki? If there's ever a time for him to go big, it's now."
Yamato's tone turned weighty. "Natsuki's alone against Deva, Naraka, and Animal Paths. Word is, the Asura Path that Kakashi-senpai and Sasuke just dropped was summoned over by Animal Path and will likely be repaired by Naraka—meaning Natsuki may be facing four Pains."
…One man vs. four Pains?
Even for a show-stealer, that's pushing it.
Genma didn't know whether to worry or feel proud. "That kid… shouldering the heaviest load all by himself!"
(End of Chapter)
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