"It seems you've chosen a difficult start, Nagato!"
Jiraiya stared at the Deva Path, as if he could see Nagato hiding in the shadows behind 'Yahiko's' eyes.
"Invading Konoha is even worse than your decision to gather the Tailed Beasts!"
As Jiraiya spoke, the entire village of Konoha was in an uproar—Hokage Building, Uchiha Clan Compound, even the Hospital...
Seeing this familiar village under attack left him in a terrible mood, though fortunately the village had strong foundations. Despite the enemy being someone as powerful as Pain, order was gradually being restored without descending into complete chaos.
Seeing his former teacher filled with disappointment, Pain remained silent.
"The entire Shinobi World is resisting Akatsuki. Even now, do you still believe your actions represent justice? Just like last time when you talked about bringing peace to the world, Nagato?"
Jiraiya never could forget those bonds formed between master and student. He was simply that kind of person—one who valued relationships deeply, and those very qualities often ended up hurting him. Like when Orochimaru defected, or now facing Nagato...
"Justice? Do you still believe in something so childish, Master Jiraiya? After all these years, are you still naively clinging onto justice? I guess that's just like you."
The Deva Path looked at Jiraiya with a cold expression, yet his tone fluctuated strangely.
"Shouldn't we believe in it, Nagato? This is the lifestyle everyone chooses."
Jiraiya said solemnly.
"Fine then."
The corner of Deva Path's mouth lifted slightly, clearly showing some contempt toward Jiraiya's words.
"Justice means something different to everyone. But perhaps what we believe isn't really important anymore, is it?"
"You cling to your own justice while I follow my own laws. We're both merely caught up in cycles of vengeance disguised as justice. And the root cause? Nothing more than oppression from powerful nations and the struggles of the weak..."
"But this concept of justice is flawed because localized justice only breeds new hatred. Just like how the prosperity of great nations rests upon the suffering of small ones. When will this endless cycle of vengeance finally end?"
Deva extended both arms slowly until his hands met in front of his chest, wearing a calm expression.
"So allow me to end it all!"
"I founded a secret organization to break free from this endless cycle of vengeance, and have obtained power capable of destroying entire countries in an instant."
"Only when this hollow world feels real agony can fear be used to crush war, and lead this broken world to peace at last!"
"You're still as stubborn as ever. It seems there's no way to make you face reality!"
Jiraiya maintained his guard, carefully listening to every word Nagato spoke before finally giving a bitter smile.
"No, the one refusing to face reality is you, Master Jiraiya. Born anew from pain, I am no longer deceived by surface appearances. What I see now... is the truth beneath it all!"
Clink!
A pitch-black rod slid from within the sleeve of Deva Path's robe and he tightly gripped it in his palm. Jiraiya's eyebrows rose sharply as he took his stance.
"Obstinate fool! Then go stand in a corner and cool off!"
Tsunade burst forward and threw a punch at Deva Path.
She couldn't stand listening to this guy's delusional philosophy any longer. A person completely lost in his own world, pretending to be asleep, could never be woken by others.
If you really wanted to get through to someone like that, there was only one way: punch him awake and make him face reality!
Boom!
Deva Path didn't move at all, maintaining his earlier posture as he watched Tsunade attack with indifferent eyes. The Rinnegan suddenly flickered with a faint glow.
Bang!
Half a meter in front of Deva Path, it felt as if an invisible barrier blocked Tsunade's strike, simultaneously counteracting with immense force. Her Monster Strength Fist had absolutely no suppressing effect.
Whoosh!
Tsunade rebounded backward. A wall of compressed air blasted straight into her face, hurling her backward without control. Her body twisted midair, spinning helplessly as she lost balance.
With a single counterattack, Tsunade was thrown back. Then, Pain launched its next move.
The Preta Path, positioned behind Deva Path, immediately launched into the air, pursuing Tsunade mid-flight. He bent his arm sharply, driving his elbow toward Tsunade who was still flying backward from the earlier impact.
Preta Path had the strongest close-combat skills among Pain's Paths and could trade blows with Tsunade for several rounds. Plus, Deva Path and Animal Path stood ready to support him, giving him plenty of confidence in battle.
Midair, watching her enemies coordinate seamlessly for a consecutive attack, Tsunade forcibly twisted her spinning body. She clenched her right fist again.
However, midair meant limited power generation, so her expression darkened.
While planning retaliation, Tsunade began rapidly analyzing in her mind.
Her previous punch had absolutely no effect on the enemy—instead, she'd been heavily counterattacked, her arm now slightly numb.
This must be what Jiraiya warned me about—the invisible deflecting force?
Talk about a pain in the neck! Can it really reflect *any* attack back?
Luckily it has a cooldown, or else it'd be unstoppable.
Tsunade stared at Pain while silently calculating the timing inside her heart.
By then, Preta Path had already flown upward, coming extremely close. The black rod on his face was clearly visible.
Before Tsunade even reacted, a 'shoo' sound rang out—as someone dashed between her and the enemy.
It was Jiraiya!
With both arms raised blocking, he intercepted Preta Path's elbow strike. Simultaneously swinging his leg like a scorpion's tail, he aimed straight at the opponent's lower abdomen.
Poom!
That kicked leg landed heavily on Preta Path, forcing him backward.
Clap-clap-clap.
"Are you okay?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade landed steadily together, stepping back several paces to create distance from their enemies.
"Hmm."
Tsunade gave Jiraiya a quick nod and returned her sharp eyes to Pain.
"This time I'll lead the attack—you cover me!"
Jiraiya didn't waste time—no sooner did he finish speaking than he charged forward.
Bang!
Jiraiya rushed toward Preta Path, throwing a punch that crashed into the enemy's chest with a deep, resonating noise.
"I'm here!"
"Jiraiya heard the voice from behind and instinctively dodged sideways, cutting off Preta Path's escape route.
Tsunade appeared almost the instant he vacated his original position.
She clenched her fist, a faint chakra glow flickering over her knuckles as the air around her fist shimmered with dense, glowing energy.
This punch represented Tsunade's full power!
There was no need to continue probing attacks. She had just fought Preta Path and already gained preliminary understanding of the enemy's capabilities.
'Trouble!'
Deva Path descended from the rooftop, his black rod emanating subtle light.
[Needle Jizo!]
Jiraiya noticed Yahiko preparing to intervene, his hair instantly hardening and elongating, countless white needles shooting in that direction.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Deva Path swung his rod, parrying Jiraiya's ninjutsu techniques, though his steps to support Preta Path slowed accordingly.
'Die!'
Tsunade locked eyes on Preta Path, her fist accelerating further.
Unable to dodge, Preta Path crossed both arms before his chest, attempting to block Tsunade's attack.
But he underestimated the Monster Strength Fist's power!
Boom!
Tsunade's fist cleanly snapped two forearm bones of Preta Path before continuing its momentum to smash into his chest.
Crack!
A series of bone-breaking sounds made Preta Path's expression turn even more grotesque, his body flying backward like struck by a train.
While still midair, blood already splattered across the earth below.
Though merely a Six Paths Puppet, its body did contain something equivalent to blood.
Pak! Pak! Pak!
Tumbling through the air repeatedly, Preta Path finally crashed into a distant house.
His chest bore a large gaping hole, resembling a trumpet vine flower, ostentatiously exposed.
Clearly, after Tsunade's single strike, he had lost all mobility, becoming lifeless scrap.
...
Thump!
Hidan swung his scythe in a wide arc, but missed B entirely, merely cleaving the ground and leaving a long gash.
Dap.
Kirabi leaped high, then kicked downward, landing directly upon Hidan's chest.
With a 'Thud-Bam!' sound, the arrogant Hidan was immediately kicked back with no chance for reversal.
Hidan slammed onto the ground, his back scraping along the surface while sliding a considerable distance, finally stopping not far from Kakuzu's feet.
'Yo~ pathetic Akatsuki~ so this is really all you've got? Guess I shouldn't have expected much from you~'
Kirabi landed, pointing at the fallen Hidan with one finger, keeping up his awkward rhythm while taunting him.
'Seems you're no match for him, Hidan!'
Kakuzu frowned while observing their target, discovering the enemy's speed had truly been fast, movements extremely straightforward and decisive without any unnecessary actions.
As expected, this Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was no ordinary opponent.
'Phew! Damned bastard dared looking down on me!'
Hidan quickly stood up, gripping his weapon tightly with his right hand, spitting out red saliva while showing visible frustration."
After all, he'd been killed in an instant and seemed to have no ability to fight back at all!
Swoosh!
Hidan charged again. Though his opponent was strong, he showed no fear.
This brute of a close combat fighter might be dealing consistent damage, but if he could land a hit on the body and get some blood—even for a moment—the battle would turn around!
"Oh? So you're still not discouraged? Looks like that previous lesson wasn't enough for you! Ha! Then let's get serious now!"
B pushed up the sunglasses on his nose bridge with one hand, watching Hidan rushing straight toward him.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The seven swords pierced into his back flew into the air under the influence of chakra, like petals tossed into the sky, scattering into a cluster.
[Wild Dance of Blades]!
He tilted his head toward the sky, then contorted his body into a bizarre stance. The swords flying into the air landed on him, held tightly by various parts of his body.
"Hm? Such a strange fighting method?"
Kakuzu showed visible surprise, looking at the target standing on one leg, each armpit, mouth, waist, knee bend, and other areas gripping a weapon.
"Now that's some freaky fighting style—it's like watching a weapon-wielding octopus come alive."
Sasori gave his opinion too, clearly showing great interest in B's swordsmanship.
"You arrogant son of a bitch—howling's all you know! Die already!"
Hidan squatted low, grasped the long handle of the Three-Sided Sickle with both hands, and swung it horizontally at B's waist.
Unfazed, B flipped forward on the spot, dodging Hidan's attack, and immediately appeared behind him.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
"Little fool, fly! Fly like colorful butterflies! B is right here!"
B growled from behind Hidan, then spun off on one foot toward him in an offensive rush.
As he continuously moved different parts of his body, the weapons gripped by those parts opened their fangs and bit viciously toward Hidan.
Zzip! Zzip! Zzip!
Hidan couldn't react in time; barely halfway through turning around, countless wounds erupted across his body, leaving many scars.
The cuts weren't deep, but blood sprayed out like crazy, drenching his clothes in seconds.
"Ha! You moron!"
Finished with the combo, B hopped back on one leg, weapon still clamped in his teeth, hurling insults all the way.
"This is tricky—it's definitely not a conventional fighting style; it's hard to predict!"
Even after all his years of combat experience, Kakuzu had never seen someone fight by clinging weapons all over their body like that. Just by watching what happened to Hidan moments ago, he still couldn't figure out B's fighting pattern.
"Hiss!"
A narrow gash had also been carved across Hidan's face; blood flowed from the exposed muscle and quickly covered half his face in a short time, making him look utterly terrifying.
Glop! Blood streamed down his face—he licked it up with a sick grin.
With a wild grin spreading across his face, Hidan locked eyes with the one-legged B nearby, sticking out his tongue to catch the warm blood trickling from his lips. His gaze darkened.
"You bastard!"
"You've pissed me off! Die screaming — Lord Jashin welcomes you!"
Hidan charged again, fearlessly.
Though the wounds stung, they were nothing to him. Instead, they stirred that sliver of darkness deep inside, making him reckless and wild.
"Jashin~ oh yeah, he's actually a weird follower of Jashin~"
B leaned forward, balancing on a single leg like it was nothing — holding an impossible tilt. His move completely overshadowed any dance step a heavenly king could pull; incredibly hard to pull off.
Swish swish swish!
This time Hidan came in aggressively, striking nonstop in a seamless flow, forcing B into temporary retreat.
But soon, B caught the perfect opening for a counterattack.
"The battle's started~ Let's unleash even greater power~ Oh yeah!"
Clang!
With a snap of his head, the weapon in his mouth deflected Hidan's scythe. Almost instantly, his body spun like a gyroscope, rotating from directly in front of Hidan to his side and slightly behind.
Blades tucked between various parts of his body unleashed incredible force at this moment, savagely tearing into Hidan's flesh.
For Hidan, B was simply too strong — he had no chance of winning!
Rip!
Hidan's eyes widened as sharp pain shot through half his body. The clothes on that side shredded into pieces, sliced densely like by multiple blades before scattering onto the ground.
Boom!
Biting through the pain wracking his body, Hidan twisted for a counterattack with a reverse grip — but immediately took another hit to his back.
A powerful knee smashed straight into his lower back, violently transmitting the full impact. He couldn't withstand these strikes at all. Mid-twist, his body was sent flying forward before completing the motion.
WHAM!
Even as he got blasted backward, Hidan didn't let up the assault.
He forced himself to move, whipping his weapon behind him while barely gripping the end of the shaft with his left hand.
"Futile strike~ Last-ditch defiance~"
Seeing the gap was way too short, B sneered at Hidan's effort.
But in the next instant, the scythe suddenly changed. The long handle split apart, transforming into a Three-Section Staff.
Now with extended reach, Hidan's weapon could strike B using the force he exerted.
Ding dong!
Despite the sudden change, B wasn't an ordinary fighter. Twisting swiftly, he blocked Hidan's weapon with two blades positioned at different angles.
"Not bad."
Smiling faintly, B felt highly satisfied with his own response. His movement was graceful yet spontaneous, expressing explosive power while subtly showcasing his speed and reaction advantage.
[Earth Release - Earth Spear Jutsu!]
Just as B successfully countered Hidan's attack and mentally celebrated, Kakuzu, who had been watching all along, finally made his move!
Hidan's strength clearly wasn't enough to test the enemy. He'd been taking hit after hit without landing a single solid blow — wasting precious time!
Kakuzu wasted no time. He seized the moment and struck before his target could react!
As for underhanded tactics like ambushes—he used them without hesitation!
A cat's color doesn't matter if it catches mice. Whether it's stealth or strength, any move that wins is a good one!
"Damn! The enraged enemy actually chose to attack from behind!"
When B noticed Kakuzu, the latter's fist was already just half a meter from his back.
Such proximity clearly left no room for evasion.
Zzzap!
A surge of red chakra erupted from B's back. It quickly adhered to him, forming a simple protective vest.
This was the best defensive measure he could create in such short time.
Boom!
Kakuzu's [Full-Power Strike] landed squarely on B's back. The tremendous force tore through the initial layer of chakra and pierced right through the white ninja armor he wore.
Screech!
B crashed onto the ground, sliding forward with friction, leaving a trail of marks across the battlefield.
Weapons tucked into various parts of his body scattered everywhere. B's face slammed into the dirt, arms pinned beneath him, looking heavily wounded.
Kakuzu's Full-Power Strike was no joke—not something even a caught-off-guard B could shrug off easily.
Pfft! Still the strongest, huh, Kakuzu?
Hidan gripped the handle and yanked back his scythe with a frown—no trace of that idiot's blood on it.
Watch out! The enemy hasn't been finished off yet!
Kakuzu glared at his target, his face darkening. His fists tightened so hard they seemed ready to snap. Preparing for another assault, he certainly didn't think the enemy had been defeated so easily!
Whoosh!
Almost immediately after he spoke, the seemingly fallen B launched straight toward them. His objective? Hidan, who stood closer and was weaker with correspondingly lower vigilance.
Boom!
Hidan's eyes widened in disbelief. His grip loosened instantly on the Three-sided Sickle, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Swoosh!
Like a cannonball, he got blasted in the chest by B's sudden attack, flying past Kakuzu toward Sasori.
His chest bore a massive bleeding hole—blood and organs spilled out from this devastating blow.
You guys really pissed me off! F***ing get that?!
Standing exactly where Hidan had been, B's voice carried anger. He stared at the retreating Kakuzu while gradually surrounding himself with an aura of red chakra.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>