"Naive! The splitting dog isn't…"
The long-haired Animal Path started to speak, only to realize that the torn-apart pieces of the splitting dog had somehow been frozen solid in ice.
"Who are you? How do you know our intel?!"
The Asura Path, Human Path, Preta Path, Naraka Path, and Deva Path stepped forward in unison.
Their synchronized voices echoed from six mouths, adding an eerie vibe to the scene.
"Hehe, take a guess~"
Sakura shook a kunai out from her summoning scroll, wrapping it with a scroll marked with a cherry blossom emblem.
Facing a coordinated ninja group like Pain, she needed to keep Flying Thunder God ready at all times to avoid surprises.
"No need. I'll rip what I want from your memories!"
The Animal Path sliced their palm, activating another summoning jutsu.
A bizarre bird with an oval-shaped beak screeched, dropping a barrage of pale green sticky bombs.
Orange light burst from the bombs, the rising heat collapsing inward before they expanded.
"Hm! Mr. Gamaken!"
"Got it!"
Sakura stepped back as a massive bowl-shaped shield slammed down in front of them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions engulfed the entire area, and five figures charged into the smoke.
Sakura looked up, her Observation Haki catching several blades slicing toward her head at high speed.
Asura Path!
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She ducked low, her hands flying through seals.
—Ninja Art: Water Wall!
High-speed swirling water formed an iron-like defense. In a place like the Rain Country, using Water Release was chakra-efficient, so Sakura expanded the barrier to envelop Gamaken too.
The moment the water wall rose, clanging sounds rang out from outside, blocking several explosions.
But beyond the water wall…
The towering Preta Path Pain aimed at the technique, raising both arms.
"Sealing Technique Absorption!"
A transparent film rapidly formed, sucking in the spinning water wall upon contact.
Endless chakra was drained from the jutsu, turning the raging vortex into plain water.
Seeing an opening, the other Pains prepared to rush in. The Animal Path, riding a chameleon, moved to ambush Sakura.
"Summoning, ninjutsu absorption, repulsion, internal weapons… some impressive abilities!"
A deep, weathered voice suddenly rang out, halting the Pains' advance.
"Little Jiraiya, you idiot, couldn't you call us from somewhere safer?"
"Don't be like that~ The kid's got his reasons, Ma."
Emerging from the water, braving the shockwaves, was a near-humanoid toad.
On his shoulders stood two toads, fused with his body via Sage Art: Amphibian Technique.
"Sorry, Boss, Big Sis!"
Jiraiya spread his knees and leaped, sending ripples across the calm water.
His chakra-fueled sensory jutsu extended, locking onto the Pains within the battlefield.
"I'm late, Sakura!"
"And Gamaken, you can head back!"
In Sage Mode, Jiraiya radiated an oddly serene aura. His chakra felt like it was wrapped in a thick oil film, making him blurry in Sakura's senses.
"Oh, Pa, look at that!"
Fukasaku, fused to Jiraiya's shoulder, whispered excitedly.
"Look at what?"
Shima, puzzled, turned her head.
"Over there, over there! The new Shikkotsu Forest contractor the Great Lord mentioned!"
At Fukasaku's words, Shima's eyes widened, staring straight at Sakura.
"Elders, now's not the time for chit-chat!"
"Let's do this!"
Jiraiya's warning flashed through their minds via their connection.
"Oh, let me go first!"
Fukasaku took the lead, spitting out a python-like tongue that whipped toward the distant chameleon.
So fast!
The Animal Path's Pain didn't have time to command the chameleon before Fukasaku's tongue wrapped around it.
Warts on the tongue writhed, spraying acid mist that forced the invisible chameleon to reveal itself.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Sakura formed seals, gathering massive chakra in her chest. The expelled water collapsed into a blade and shot out.
It sliced through the chameleon, tearing its rotting flesh and exploding with a boom.
"Nice, a decisive kid!"
Fukasaku retracted his tongue, praising her.
"My turn!"
Jiraiya, with the two sages, charged from the side, gathering chakra in his hand to form a massive orb.
Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!
Boom!
The chakra, transformed into fine, needle-like strands, spun wildly inside the Animal Path's body.
It obliterated the body and carved a massive crater in the ground.
"One down!"
Jiraiya formed seals and turned, but the Animal Path, now with a gaping hole in its stomach, raised its hand, a black rod shooting toward his head.
Fukasaku's senses caught the attack first, his Tongue Binding Technique wrapping around the Pain and spraying acid mist.
Shima opened her mouth, unleashing Sage Art: Toad Confrontation Chant, sending rippling soundwaves forward.
Despite being restrained by the sages' techniques, the black rod didn't stop, reaching Jiraiya's nose in a blink.
"Trouble, Little Jiraiya!"
"Flying Thunder God: Second Step!"
A kunai shot out, its chakra connecting through space to the cherry blossom mark on its handle.
In that instant, light tore through space. A pale hand crossed hundreds of meters, landing on Jiraiya's back.
"Shift!"
Breaking through space twice, burning massive chakra to teleport with someone in quick succession, Sakura pulled Jiraiya out of the deadly strike, flickering hundreds of meters away.
"Huff… huff!"
Sweat slid down Sakura's forehead. Adrenaline surged from the rescue, making her heart race.
"Teacher Jiraiya, you can't be that careless—it makes my job harder!"
She pulled a Flying Thunder God kunai from her pouch and slipped it into Jiraiya's hand.
"Ah, my bad."
Jiraiya gave a knowing look, tucking the kunai away.
Sakura knew it was a matter of intel disparity.
She'd shared as much about Pain as she could with Jiraiya, but the battlefield changed too fast. There was no time for a detailed lecture, and rushed intel could get distorted—it couldn't be helped.
Ahead, the Naraka Path's King of Hell vanished, and the Animal Path, just destroyed by Jiraiya, reappeared fully restored.
The Deva Path led the Asura, Animal, and Preta Paths to surround them again, while the Naraka and Human Paths faded, concealing themselves.
"Restoration, offense, intel, defense, summoning… it's like a complete ninja squad…"
Jiraiya keenly felt the gap between them, his mind racing.
"Sakura, any more intel?"
"Nope, that's all Itachi gave me!"
Sakura's face was grim as she shook her head.
"Then let's retreat and report to the village for further investigation!"
Jiraiya formed seals, bit his finger, and slammed his hand into the air, summoning Gamabunta.
A deep blue toad rose from the lake, opening its mouth to reveal a passage to its stomach.
Jiraiya stepped one foot inside, turning back to say:
"Yahiko, whatever happened to you, I'll find out!"
"No escape!"
The Asura Path snapped its arm, revealing a mass of cannon barrels.
Flesh tore as chakra surged, transforming into missiles that roared toward them with fiery tails.
The Animal Path slapped the air, summoning a Hell Crab, then amplified it to unleash Water Release: Foam Chaos Wave.
The inland lake of the Hidden Rain turned into a sea of foam, washing away Sakura's Flying Thunder God marks.
The Deva Path flung three black rods, repulsion exploding the air in front, the Yin-Yang Release constructs chasing like maggots.
"Wow, so enthusiastic!"
"But guys who cling too much aren't exactly charming!"
Sakura appeared in the path of all attacks, her supreme blade, Ace, humming softly.
Conqueror's Haki roared from the void, black lightning swelling and erupting!
Faint cherry-pink arcs wrapped around Ace, flickering like a worn-out lightbulb.
Inheriting Roger's swordsmanship, Sakura swung with all her might!
Wild Imperial Soul—!
Clang!!!
The searing force within the blade erupted, forming a slashing wave that raged outward!
With raw violence, it tore through the foam sea, shattered the missiles, and crushed Pain's black rods.
But no matter how fierce the slash, it couldn't breach the Deva Path's repulsion wall that blocked all ninjutsu and taijutsu!
Amid the churning lake's relentless shockwaves, the King of Hell's shadow burst through the water.
Its maw opened, and two figures shot out—one stabbing a black rod through Sakura's chest, the other grabbing her head from behind.
"Your weird sensory ninjutsu can't detect the King of Hell's isolation, can it?"
The Naraka Path's cold gaze swept over, its black rod extending.
"You dared defy the will of a god. This is your fate—Mind Layer Dive!"
Under the Rinnegan's power, the Human Path's spirit pierced into Sakura's soul, seeking her memories.
Before her, endless illusions rose—soul-crushing silence and cold, an eternal fall.
Like a true hell, it dragged at her soul, eroding her sanity, pulling her into an abyss with no return.
As Pain's consciousness delved deeper, at the bottom of her soul, he saw… a giant golden egg?
[Warning! Foreign mental intrusion detected. Expel: Yes/No]
"No, partner, I'll handle this one myself!"
A clear voice rang out in the darkness, a pink-haired girl with a smile approaching.
The Human Path froze, unable to move.
"Pain… no, maybe I should call you Nagato!"
Countless emotions churned in the girl's soul, but her movements didn't falter—her consciousness grew sharper, her eyes brighter!
"Such a shame we met too soon!"
—I'm not your match right now, and I'm thrilled to admit this defeat.
But this is not my downfall!
In her emerald eyes, a blazing will surged silently.
All emotions were consumed and burned by this will, coalescing into a force that could set the world ablaze.
Only pure, unyielding battle intent remained, forming a weapon through chakra that pierced toward the emaciated man in the Hidden Rain's depths, his body riddled with black rods.
Before him materialized a colossal giant, its spear howling, its axe ringing. A spiraling black-and-pink shockwave slashed out.
"Ah!"
All six Pains reeled from the Haki's impact, their connection disrupted.
The Animal and Asura Paths, chasing Jiraiya, lost control and sank into the lake.
Sakura's chakra tracked Jiraiya through space-time sensing, and in the next second, a gentle flash of space-time lifted her body.
As she vanished, her eyes dipped slightly.
She looked at the furious Pain on the water's surface.
Sensing the rage and killing intent in those purple Rinnegan eyes, her blood-streaked, delicate face broke into a smile.
"No rush, my enemy. I'll return from hell."
"And when I do, let's be joyful enemies again!"
Whoosh!
Pink light exploded, the Naraka Path's black rod piercing the Human Path's body, and the Human Path's hand crushed the Naraka Path's neck.
Amid the chaotic scene, another voice, filled with rage, echoed endlessly.
"Sakura Haruno!!!"