The Kages seated here sensed something was off, and the ninja serving as their guards were equally alert. They stepped forward to stand beside their own Kage.
They didn't know whose presence caused this vague sense of danger, so they all remained wary of each other.
There were precedents in history where enemies used peace talks as a cover to draw out enemy commanders for ambushes.
All at once, the air turned tense—triggered only by an unexplained sense of looming danger.
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted and swelled louder and louder. Everyone widened their eyes and looked up because a monstrous energy fluctuation had appeared above them.
By this time, they had already pinpointed the source of the crisis.
The threat came from above!
Crash!
Wave after wave of lightning poured down from the skies, instantly piercing through the floors before surging even lower.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Lightning rapidly engulfed the Five Kages and others located on the lowest level.
Thunderous Retribution—a fate no one had anticipated.
...
"Shikaku, they've confirmed the enemy count—one through seven!"
Inoichi maintained his usual calm demeanor while quickly relaying the current intelligence. These reports were obtained via barrier techniques and Mind-based Secret Arts from shinobi who'd already engaged the enemy.
"Six again, huh? So it is as expected..."
Seated quietly, Shikaku kept silent while supporting his chin with one hand, deep in thought.
"The enemies are extremely powerful. Even a typical jonin would be hard-pressed to hold an edge against them. Our losses have already been considerable! We need to notify Minato as soon as possible. The Uchiha faction has already begun moving."
Inoichi looked at his comrade's face, voicing his opinion.
"I understand. By the way..."
BOOM!
Just as Shikaku was about to continue speaking, an explosion erupted on the platform outside headquarters, sending dust billowing into the air and shattering every window nearby.
"Let's go check it out!"
They exchanged glances, somewhat surprised.
This was the Hokage Building—the most heavily protected place in all Konoha. How could the enemy actually fight their way here?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before they could reach the scene, countless Anbu operatives had already surrounded the area, encircling the recently disruptive intruders right in the center.
"Pain?"
Standing outside the perimeter, Shikaku observed the enemy's appearance with an uncertain tone.
Though the intelligence had already been gathered, he hadn't seen them personally yet, so naturally he couldn't recognize them immediately.
However, those strange black rods sticking from the enemies' faces closely resembled the 'Pain' Jiraiya-sama had previously killed—there shouldn't be any mistake.
With messy hair and a permanently furrowed brow, the Human Path remained indifferent toward the Konoha ninja surrounding him.
Hearing someone speak, he turned his gaze toward the one asking—Shikaku.
"Where is the Nine-Tails?"
Without a word, the Human Path addressed Shikaku Nara, who appeared to be the leader. His tone was icy, carrying a challenging undertone.
"It seems impossible to communicate. Let's capture him first!"
Shikaku frowned while thoughts of previously acquired useful intelligence quickly flashed through his mind. These Pain bodies were actually puppets. The true enemy had always been hiding behind them!
Whoosh!
At Inoichi's gesture, nearby ninja could no longer hold back and sprang into action.
In an instant, many ninjutsu formed a torrential downpour of attacks that surrounded the Human Path at the center.
Drip... drip... drip... echoed in the silence.
The Human Path showed no surprise at his enemies' reaction and retaliated just as swiftly. His feet rapidly intertwined mid-air, dodging surrounding techniques while charging toward the nearest ninja.
His speed was tremendous. He evaded most techniques entirely with minimal damage taken—only splash effects or wide-range ninjutsu managed to somewhat hinder his movements and positioning, though their impact remained limited.
Crack!
The Human Path lunged before an Anbu ninja. The Anbu never expected the enemy to break through such heavy technique coverage so quickly. He drew his kunai to block, but his opponent moved even quicker.
The Human Path crouched low, approaching the Anbu's front before explosively driving his knee into his opponent's abdomen.
At this moment, speed equaled power!
Struck by the knee, the Anbu flew backward into the air, kunai flying from his hands to land on the ground below.
Snap!
The Human Path kept advancing, grabbing the Anbu's head in advance with practiced ease.
Swoosh!
As the Anbu was caught by the Human Path, he visibly lost all vitality in an instant, his face rapidly aging and paling...
The Human Path's ability involved brain invasion and soul extraction!
This power was monstrous—against weaker opponents, it meant almost instant execution!
Of course, he needed to make physical contact with his enemy first.
Just now, the Anbu's soul had been instantly extracted.
Thud!
Once it finished its brief flight through the air, the soulless body crashed onto the ground.
"Dead?"
Observing how the ninja fell instantly after being touched by Pain, Shikaku Nara narrowed his eyes, mind racing with thoughts.
Clearly, this enemy wasn't mentioned in Jiraiya-sama's prior intelligence report.
Could this be one of the two unknown enemies?
Was this perhaps the one possessing the ability to resurrect other Pain bodies—instant death and resurrection?
At this point, Shikaku Nara didn't hesitate to imagine the enemy's capabilities might be even greater than perceived. After all, possessing the Rinnegan already made them formidable. Their abilities might require imaginative speculation to prepare mentally for the upcoming combat.
Swoosh!
After defeating one ninja, the Human Path continued charging toward nearby opponents, using the same method to successively eliminate several close-range ninja instantly. All died in similar fashion, one after another.
His eyes scanned the battlefield before locking onto another ninja. The Human Path swiftly advanced toward his new target.
Boom!
What awaited him was a massive fireball nearly seven or eight meters in diameter. The Konoha ninja had already realized how powerful this enemy was — anyone who got too close would be instantly killed. Naturally, they wouldn't allow him to approach freely, opting instead to use a ninjutsu to drive him back.
The fireball scorched the air as it hovered a few centimeters off the ground, shooting straight toward the Human Path and leaving charred black marks on the yellowish-brown stone pavement.
Peng da!
The Human Path's movements were fluid and precise. He forcefully pushed off the ground with his feet and leaped high into the air, the fireball passing right beneath him.
Ninjutsu wasn't like a guided missile capable of locking onto a target and adjusting its trajectory mid-flight to chase down an enemy.
The attack whizzed past as the Human Path evaded effortlessly.
Whoosh!
Still midair, the Human Path swung his right hand toward the ninja who had launched the ninjutsu. A pitch-black rod shot out from the wide sleeve of his robe, slicing through the air.
Slicing sound!
"Ahh!"
The ninja let out a scream after being pierced through the shoulder. Though he tried his best to dodge, he still took the hit.
As soon as the Black Rod struck him, he felt his chakra become completely chaotic inside his body — as if something was interfering with its flow. This caused a flicker of panic within him.
On the other side, the moment the Human Path landed, he didn't even pause to absorb the impact. Instead, he immediately sprang forward, rushing straight to the injured ninja.
First, he grabbed the black rod and forcefully drove it deeper into his opponent's body, piercing through him until it emerged from near his shoulder blade. Then, with his other hand, he clamped onto the man's throat and slowly lifted him up.
Crack!
A crisp snapping sound rang out as the ninja's neck broke. His head went limp, tilting lifelessly to the side. Without hesitation, the Human Path flung the corpse aside like garbage.
Hiss!
The remaining Konoha ninja inhaled sharply through their teeth. Their enemy was truly formidable — in the blink of an eye, he had wiped out several ninja, including powerful jonin, all while looking incredibly calm and unhurried.
Although every one of them, as loyal shinobi of the Leaf Village, was prepared to give their lives for their home, dying like this still left them feeling overwhelmed and deeply disturbed.
Therefore, rather than continuing to attack, they exchanged glances, as though deep in thought about what to do next.
"Shikaku!"
Inoichi turned to Shikaku Nara, who stood beside him with furrowed brows. Shikaku nodded slightly, understanding that now it was their turn to step in.
"Yeah."
Shikaku gave a firm nod before stepping slightly sideways, positioning himself behind a nearby ninja. Behind him loomed the tall Hokage Building; its shadow fully covered the area.
[Ninjutsu: Mind Body Switch Technique!]
Responding to Shikaku's signal, Inoichi slowly formed a hand seal with both hands, directing it at Pain.
Boom!
The Human Path abruptly froze in place, while Inoichi's own body suddenly went limp, leaning against a nearby comrade. That ninja, seemingly ready beforehand, supported Inoichi's collapsing frame.
"Huh?"
Far outside the walls of Konoha, Nagato suddenly froze. He felt a slight loss of control over the Human Path — another person's consciousness was invading its body, attempting to seize command.
"Hehehe..."
Unfazed, the Rinnegan emitted a faint glow as a much stronger mental force surged into the Human Path's body, ruthlessly attacking the intruding consciousness within.
"Phew!"
Blood dripped from Inoichi's lips, but he didn't open his eyes immediately because his spirit had yet to return to his body. He knew he had to hold on just a little longer, so Shikaku could get his move in.
[Ninjutsu - Shadow Imitation Technique!]
Almost at the same moment Inoichi released the Yamanaka secret technique, Shikaku also activated his own ninjutsu.
His shadow first expanded dramatically before twisting and extending toward Pain's now-rigid body, left vulnerable by Inoichi's mental intrusion.
Zzzzt.
The extended shadow connected with Pain's shadow, then perfectly fused together.
Clutching his ninja seals tightly, Shikaku wore a serious expression while sensing the opponent's resistance.
"Phew!"
Inoichi spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning pale before slowly opening his eyes.
His gaze looked dimmed — clearly, he had suffered significant damage during the mental clash with Pain.
Still, thanks to his deep mastery of the Yamanaka mental techniques and his naturally formidable mental strength, he wasn't severely affected overall. With some rest and the Yamanaka clan's special remedies, he should recover completely.
"He's not inside the village. Couldn't trace an exact location!"
This was the first thing Inoichi said after opening his eyes. Hearing this, Shikaku — who had already activated his technique and temporarily controlled Pain — frowned even more deeply.
Originally, Inoichi had two goals for mentally infiltrating Pain's body: one was to create ideal conditions for Shikaku to use his Shadow Imitation Technique; the second was to track down the real mastermind behind Pain using his powerful mental abilities.
But clearly, the first objective was achieved successfully, while the second failed.
The good news, however, was that he confirmed the enemy wasn't currently inside the village.
That was the valuable intel he'd managed to pull out through sheer willpower.
Meanwhile, the hidden adversary also sensed that the enemy wasn't inside the village. When realizing Inoichi was trying to locate him through reverse invasion, the foe directly amplified their mental force, attempting to crush Inoichi's consciousness entirely. Fortunately, Inoichi retreated in time, and his strong mental cultivation allowed him to avoid serious injury — at least retaining full consciousness.
"If that's the case... trouble. Even you couldn't determine the enemy's location! Looks like finding the person behind through such methods is quite impractical!"
Shikaku crossed his hands in front of his chest, his tone heavy.
Previously, during the dissection of the 'Pain' brought back by Jiraiya, Konoha's ninja discovered that those Black Rods functioned as transceivers, capable of both receiving and transmitting signals. That was why Inoichi developed the idea of using mind-based secret arts for reverse positioning.
Over there, the controlled Human Path began to struggle against Shikaku's grip.
However, Shikaku's control was exceptionally strong. Although he kept struggling, the Human Path couldn't move even half a step and remained pinned in place by Shikaku's Shadow Imitation Technique.
"This is your final choice?"
Realizing resistance was futile for now, the Human Path stopped struggling and fixed a cold stare on Inoichi, who had just attacked his mind, and Nara Shikaku, who was binding him with his Shadow Imitation Technique.
"Pain, Konoha isn't a place for Akatsuki to run wild! No matter what your goal is, we'll stop you!"
Maintaining his jutsu, Shikaku spoke clearly and firmly to the Human Path.
His tone was resolute, and his actions were equally decisive.
[Hmph.]
The Human Path looked at Konoha's ninja and gave a cold chuckle. "My mission is to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Pain won't leave until that objective is achieved!"
"There's no choice."
Shikaku knew reasoning with the enemy was pointless, but right now, he needed to buy time. Reinforcements would soon arrive, and together they could eliminate this Pain.
Inoichi stood nearby, visibly drained, along with several other remaining ninja, all keeping a wary eye on the restrained Pain.
They didn't rashly attack, fearing it might provoke the enemy. After all, the opponent's expression had remained calm throughout, and they all understood that Shikaku was merely stalling.
"No, it wasn't me who started this war—war has always existed. You've simply chosen to ignore it."
The Human Path locked eyes with Shikaku and slowly raised his arm, clearly exerting great effort.
"Damn it! I'm about to lose control!"
Shikaku's face darkened. His hands, clasped in front of his chest, trembled violently, and sweat dripping from his chin soaked the stone beneath him.
"Your country is too large, so naturally you must protect your national interests through battles against other major nations. Otherwise, your nation, village, and people will suffer."
The Human Path continued speaking calmly before pausing briefly.
"But it's we smaller countries that become battlegrounds for your wars. Every time conflict erupts, my homeland descends into ruin, with famine spreading across the land and the people starving..."
"After countless wars, the great nations remain untouched, while our small countries are left with endless suffering."
His voice was calm and indifferent, yet Shikaku's frown deepened further, and his trembling grew more intense.
What Pain said wasn't wrong—it was the harsh truth.
These were simply the survival strategies among nations.
With differing positions came different beliefs.
From Konoha's perspective, Shikaku and others naturally wished to minimize their own losses. Sacrificing the interests of others seemed perfectly normal to them.
However, at this moment Pain was the one being harmed by Konoha or other great ninja villages. It only made sense that he wanted to turn the tables on those who had hurt him.
"You should have shown yourselves to be great nations, reaching out your hands toward the weak. Yet you see yourselves as heroes of the world, distancing from slaughter and chaos, believing that you're walking on the path of peace while consciously or subconsciously oppressing the weak. Therefore, you are nothing but mediocre talents chasing peace!"
"All we've ever gotten from the past is death, suffering, and pain!"
"Now it's your turn to face war firsthand!"
"Not good! Attack now!"
Shikaku's eyes suddenly widened. His extending shadow abruptly snapped in the middle—the speed with which Pain broke free exceeded his expectations.
The Human Path had broken free from Shikaku's control and regained its freedom of movement.
[Boom!]
It rushed forward rapidly, seizing an enemy ninja's throat before the man could even react.
[Crack.]
Twisting another ninja's neck once again, the Human Path continued its assault.
"Lightning Release: Electrification Technique!"
A ninja launched a ninjutsu toward the advancing Pain—lightning surged from his mouth, striking the ground and spreading outward in waves of electric currents.
[Zap...zap...]
Electricity surged across the ground, emitting shrill crackling sounds.
"Hmph! Naive!"
The Human Path hurled a Black Rod into the electrified floor. Then he sprang up, using it to vault past the lightning technique and charged forward again.
[Crack.]
He grabbed the ninja's head firmly, five fingers piercing tightly into the top of the opponent's skull.
"Ahh!"
The ninja screamed helplessly, completely powerless to resist. His pupils constricted wildly before his vision blurred and he collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
His soul had been extracted by the Human Path—he died instantly!
[Whoosh! Whoosh!]
Meanwhile, Shikaku's shadow attacks extended forth again from below, twisting along the floor like a black serpent crawling forward.
After having been caught once, the Human Path naturally wouldn't fall for the same trick again. He swiftly evaded, constantly shifting positions while maneuvering tactically.
Moreover, he wasn't simply dodging—he was gradually closing in on both Shikaku and Inoichi, who were standing together nearby.
Judging by the situation, these two must be the highest-ranking leaders present. Capturing them and extracting their knowledge would likely reveal the exact location of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
This was the Human Path's plan. Finding the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki quickly was his most urgent goal right now. As for destroying Konoha, there'd be plenty of time for that later—he didn't need to rush things.
"Expansion Jutsu!"
Seeing the enemy rushing toward him, Inoichi was just about to form hand seals and forcefully activate a secret art when a familiar voice rang out behind the enemy—a comrade of his had arrived: Choza Akimichi!
[Boom!]
With the sound came a massive arm stretching from afar, grabbing directly toward the Human Path, who was evading Shikaku's shadow attacks.
[Thud!]
The first strike missed, smashing a massive crater into the floor, while the Human Path leapt high, dodging sideways.
[Ninjutsu - Mind Body Disturbance Technique!]
Seizing the chance while Pain hung momentarily in midair, Yamanaka Inoichi, disregarding his earlier wounds, unleashed the secret technique.
"Hm?"
The Human Path's body jerked midair—clearly affected by Yamanaka Inoichi's technique, causing a brief disruption in its mental link with Nagato.
"Now! Choza!"
Shikaku's shadow immediately followed Inoichi's move, capturing the Human Path's shadow and amplifying that split-second delay.
At the same time, he shouted toward Choza. Years of camaraderie meant no need for extra words.
"Got it!"
Choza rushed over, his arms enlarging drastically as he slammed them down on the enemy just before landing.
One hand from the left, one from the right—trapping the Human Path between them, seemingly about to crush him flat.
Thanks to Inoichi's and Shikaku's support, the enemy's movements were sluggish and restricted, unable to dodge at full speed.
Boom!
Choza's palms smashed together with a loud impact, pinning the Human Path firmly between them.
"Did we get him?"
Shikaku's shadow lost its target and automatically retracted; Inoichi's face turned even paler, his steps unsteady.
"Hm? Something's wrong!"
Seeing Choza's abnormal expression, Inoichi—who had started relaxing slightly—became alert again.
Leaning slightly against Shikaku to maintain balance, his eyes looked dim and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His initial invasion into Pain's mind had already left him weakened when he was ambushed from behind by an unseen force.
And just now, to coordinate with Shikaku and Choza's assault, he used his mental technique again, causing a buzzing sensation inside his head.
"Watch out! The enemy isn't dead yet!"
Over there, Choza's face had flushed red, his previously enlarged arms showing visible muscle strain.
Pshhh!
A black rod pierced through Choza's palm, bursting out from the back of his hand, blood spraying everywhere.
Whoosh!
Visibly, Choza's Partial Transformation technique was disrupted; his arms shrunk back to normal size, retracting, both backs of his hands now bleeding holes.
"What!?"
Shikaku and Inoichi couldn't believe Pain actually blocked Choza's attack.
After all, the power of his Partial Transformation easily rivaled even Tsunade-sama's Monster Strength Fist—but here, Pain actually stopped it using just his hands and two black rods!
But really, while unexpected, it wasn't entirely surprising.
Each of the Six Paths Puppets had been specially modified by Nagato, each possessing not only one ability granted by the Rinnegan but also an incredibly resilient body—built to withstand immense force!
Swoosh!
Inoichi glimpsed the dark-cloaked figure rushing toward them—he knew Pain was coming straight for him and Shikaku.
If Pain got close enough, they'd be in serious danger.
The enemy's instant-kill technique still puzzled him, so without hesitation, he shoved Shikaku aside.
Smack!
A hand clamped down hard on his head, and then a Black Rod shot from the side, piercing through his left knee.
Thud!
Inoichi collapsed to his knees, while Human Path stood calmly behind him, gripping the crown of his head.
"Inoichi!"
Choza leapt over, and Shikaku, snapping out of his earlier trance, sat on the ground watching Inoichi being restrained by Pain.
[Mind Layer Submersion Technique!]
Human Path firmly gripped Inoichi's head, activating the power granted by the Rinnegan.
"Ahh!"
Inoichi let out a pained cry, his eyes completely rolling back, his body involuntarily slumping forward.
"So that's where she was!"
Though Inoichi himself was an elite Jonin proficient in Mind-based Secret Arts, against the Rinnegan's forced mind-reading technique, he had absolutely no chance of resistance.
The deeply hidden intel about Kushina buried within his mind was instantly extracted, including her current location.
Thump!
Once the required intel was extracted, Human Path grabbed upward at the top of Inoichi's head, causing Inoichi to immediately lose his breath and collapse lifelessly to the ground.
His soul had been extracted.
"Inoichi!"
Choza shouted furiously again, then both his hands enlarged—one clenched into a fist swinging toward Human Path, while the other transformed into an open palm pulling the fallen Inoichi toward him.
Bang!
The blow missed—Human Path swiftly evaded, and the impact crashed into the ground, leaving yet another gaping crater.
"I'll spare you for now."
At the moment of turning around, Human Path glanced back before dashing off in another direction—the capture of the Nine-Tails remained the top priority!
Far away, a group of ninja leapt across rooftops, rushing toward them for backup.
Originally they were stationed as guards at the Hokage Building, but due to intensifying battles nearby threatening civilian lives, Shikaku had sent them out.
They hadn't expected an attack on the Hokage Building itself by Pain right at this time.
"Shikaku… Inoichi…"
Holding onto Inoichi, Choza, his eyes slightly red, looked toward the visibly exhausted Shikaku.
"Hmm."
As the village's highest leader currently, Shikaku knew that even if emotional, he could not easily show it, which might spread negativity among his subordinates.
From the moment Pain grabbed Inoichi's head, he had predicted what would follow.
This mysterious Pain seemed to possess the ability to extract souls and forcibly read minds—an insight into this battle that Shikaku had deduced through tiny clues.
And for that jutsu, physical contact appeared necessary.
"Go find someone to handle Inoichi first—we must rush to Kushina's aid! There's danger there: I promised Minato to keep Kushina safe when he left for his mission!"
Shikaku still clearly remembered what Human Path had said moments ago. He must have located Kushina's whereabouts within Inoichi's mind, which explained why he abandoned further combat here and moved straight toward his real target!
"Alright!"
Choza placed Inoichi on the floor and walked over to Shikaku, his face showing clear anger as his eyes burned with crimson intensity.
Whoosh!
A group of ninja finally arrived, landing beside Shikaku and the others.
"Kage's Aide Shikaku!"
One ANBU member wearing a mask first scanned the dead comrades around him before pausing briefly at Inoichi, then spoke directly to Shikaku.
"Leave one person to deal with this. Everyone else, follow me for reinforcement!"
With a gloomy expression, Shikaku immediately rushed off in the direction the Human Path had taken.
...
Boom!
An astonishing number of missiles shot straight into the sky, then scattered in all directions like fireworks bursting mid-air.
The surrounding buildings were instantly destroyed, flames rapidly spreading everywhere while many people hurried out of their homes.
"What kind of person is this!?"
Fugaku Uchiha was walking home when he suddenly heard an explosion nearby, and soon after, the blast zone spread directly into the Uchiha clan compound.
Before Minato Namikaze left, Fugaku had been warned that enemies might take advantage of the situation to attack Konoha. All members of the Uchiha Security Force needed to remain alert and ensure no damage occurred.
Just minutes ago, he received a message from ANBU—enemies had invaded Konoha—and he'd ordered members of the Security Force to head elsewhere for support.
Seeing this opening, he decided to make a quick stop home to check on Mikoto and little Sasuke.
Thankfully it was the weekend; otherwise, if Sasuke had been at school, it would've been a real problem.
Along the way, he passed many Uchiha clan ninja rushing for assistance.
Just as he entered the Uchiha clan compound, a powerful explosion startled him.
He slightly lifted his head to look—many Uchiha ninja who had also heard the explosion were already heading toward its source.
Remembering this was the Uchiha clan compound, he changed course himself and rushed over.
"It must be the intruders mentioned in the intelligence report. How dare they come to the Uchiha clan grounds to cause destruction!"
Fugaku clenched his fists tightly—were they really underestimating him, the Uchiha Clan Head?
His speed increased. On his calm face, two glimmers of scarlet burned with fiery intensity, and an indescribable aura filled the air around him.
"Clan Head!"
When Fugaku arrived at the scene, some Uchiha ninja had already engaged the enemy in battle ahead of him.
But the situation looked grim—the Uchiha ninja lay sprawled on the ground, severely injured, some even missing limbs entirely.
"Step back! Leave the enemy to me!"
Fugaku stood firm, his gaze hinting at concealed fury. These fallen ninja on the ground were elite warriors cultivated through painstaking efforts by the clan. Though none had died outright, losing arms or legs clearly ended their careers as ninjas forever.
"Be careful, Clan Head! The enemy can fire an extremely powerful bomb from within its body. It resembles a puppet from Sunagakure, but lacks chakra threads!"
One ninja landed beside Fugaku, briefly explained the enemy details, then cautiously turned his attention toward the opponent.
"Looks like we've got quite the important figure here. Perfect—I was just looking for someone like you!"
Asura Path glanced at the ninja surrounding him, a cruel smile spreading across his face. He completely disregarded those around him and locked eyes with Fugaku Uchiha, who stood at the front of the crowd.
"Do you know where the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is?"
Asura stared at Fugaku, clearly the leader, raising his left hand and pointing directly at him with a tone that carried a clear threat.
"Akatsuki member, huh? So you're after the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki while Minato's away? I wonder if Saitama Uchiha came along this time?"
Fugaku frowned, saying nothing as the three ink-black tomoe in his eyes began to rotate.
"Not talking?"
Asura bared his white teeth into a grin, which looked especially menacing against his bald head dotted only with a few backward-pointing spikes.
"Then die!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, slits opened on his raised left arm, ejecting small objects resembling mini-missiles. Propelled by exhaust trails, they shot straight toward Fugaku and the other Uchiha ninja.
"Scatter!"
Fugaku leaped sideways to dodge, keeping his Sharingan fixed on the enemy, anticipating any follow-up moves.
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
The Uchiha ninja surrounding had already witnessed Asura's bomb power before, so they quickly retreated far away, leaving the battlefield solely to Fugaku.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The missiles exploded, flames shooting high into the sky, once again destroying the surrounding buildings until they collapsed into ruins.
Swish!
From the smoky debris, a figure suddenly burst out—it was Fugaku Uchiha, his face dark with anger.
"Cursed bastard! Daring to destroy the Uchiha family's home!"
Fugaku was fast and agile, dodging left and right to avoid the next missile barrage from Asura while closing the distance between them.
Punch!
He kicked hard, slamming his foot into the enemy's cheek before they could react.
Asura's face twisted in pain; his body helplessly flew sideways, creating a sonic boom through the air.
Boom!
He crashed into a pile of rubble he himself had created moments ago, vanishing from Fugaku's sight.
[Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!]
Without pausing after sending his opponent flying, Fugaku remained rooted in place, rapidly forming hand seals before aiming his mouth toward the direction where the enemy had been sent hurtling.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
Even before the dust had time to settle, Fugaku launched another attack, covering a wide area.
Countless small fireballs spewed from his mouth like a meteor shower raining down upon the spot where Asura had landed.
On his way here, Fugaku had learned that the civilian members of the clan nearby had already been evacuated earlier when other ninja fought off the enemy. Therefore, now that the battle had begun, he held nothing back, unleashing full firepower immediately, attempting to eliminate the enemy as soon as possible.
"Has he been defeated?"
"Not sure. It's hard to see clearly."
"It's been a while since our clan leader last fought… and yet he's still got it!"
"Exactly!"
Outside the battlefield, Uchiha ninja stood in quiet conversation while remaining vigilant, eyes locked on the smoke-rising ruins, their grips tightening around their weapons.
"Huh? Not dead yet?"
From Fugaku's perspective, a blurry figure emerged from deep within the rubble, walking forward with an awkward gait.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Before he could clearly see the figure, numerous missiles trailing sparks shot through the dust, flying straight toward him.
Pap! Pap! Pap!
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. He quickly dashed aside, evading the incoming missiles — each one landing a beat too late, exactly where Fugaku had been standing.
The power was great, but if it didn't hit, it was completely useless!
"This is slightly troublesome, but I'll deal with you first!"
Shura Path had already walked out of the ruins. His black cloak adorned with red clouds was tattered all over, likely due to Fugaku's earlier jutsu. Yet his exposed skin showed almost no damage — only slightly scorched.
"Members of Saitama's clan don't seem all that impressive. Your jutsu doesn't even hurt when it hits."
Shura Path spoke in a low voice, looking at Fugaku with disdain.
"I actually got looked down upon."
Fugaku blinked in surprise at first, then curled his lips into a cold sneer.
It had been so long since he personally took action — had the shinobi world forgotten about him?
That title "Cruel Eye" — it wasn't handed out lightly!
Thinking this, Fugaku slowly assumed an offensive posture, feet spreading apart, glaring fiercely at his enemy.
Swish!
The area around Shura Path's arm split open, revealing a saw-like weapon extending outward.
The weapon looked exaggerated — definitely not a standard ninja tool.
Tak!
Shura Path stamped onto the ground, vanishing from sight.
When he reappeared, he already stood directly behind Fugaku.
"Clan Leader, watch out!"
One of the outer ninja spotted the enemy behind their leader, the deadly weapon already raised overhead, ready to slash downward the next second.
Ding!
Fugaku drew a kunai, turning at the last second before the saw struck, managing to block.
The kunai collided with the saw-blade's serrated edge, sending countless sparks flying.
Swish!
The two separated!
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu]
As head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku naturally excelled in Fire Release techniques.
It was a common technique known across the Shinobi World — the Great Fireball Jutsu — yet he unleashed it with incredible power.
With one hand near his mouth, liquid-like flames poured from his lips, condensing ahead into a fireball over ten meters wide before soaring forward.
Boom!
Shura switched arms — another launcher opening in his limb, firing a barrage of missiles that met the fireball midair, triggering a deafening explosion.
Countless flames scattered like fiery rain.
Ding!
Fugaku charged again, clashing up close with Shura, who also chose melee combat. Kunai and saw met once more.
However, this time the Asura Path's overwhelming power finally came into play. The moment they clashed, Tu Yi completely overpowered Fugaku, forcing his weapon straight toward Fugaku's chest.
Ssssh!
The saw blade suddenly spun violently the instant it neared Fugaku's chest. Taken by surprise, Fugaku was struck, leaving a deep, bloodied gash across his torso.
Crash!
Fugaku sprang backward, planting a powerful kick against the side of his opponent's saw and using the recoil to send himself flying away.
"Clan Head!"
Seeing Fugaku injured, many Uchiha ninja took a step forward in alarm but stopped immediately at his gesture.
"It looks like I'll have to reveal some true techniques now — otherwise I'd be too embarrassed to lead as clan head!"
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