Nagato pondered for a moment, then silently followed Naruto.
If the other party was willing to fight one-on-one, there was no need to drag innocent civilians into it. The Ten-Tails Plan would inevitably cause casualties—but minimizing deaths was still better than turning everything into a slaughterhouse.
Before long, the two arrived at a deserted bay, surrounded by sand and sea.
Naruto glanced around and nodded.
"How about here? No spies, no interruptions… just a clean fight between us."
Compared to Naruto's relaxed attitude, Nagato looked far more serious.
From the moment they met, he had been on the back foot. Naruto knew too much—his identity, the Nine-Tails, even Akatsuki's plans. That kind of information gap was dangerous as hell.
Does he even know about the Six Paths of Pain?
Nagato didn't wait to find out.
He raised his hand.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The repulsive force exploded outward, compressing the air into visible ripples. The shockwave slammed into Naruto head-on, blasting him dozens of meters back, his feet carving deep trenches into the sand.
Naruto steadied himself, rubbing his chest—
—and then grinned.
"Now that's more like it."
He tapped into Kurama's chakra. A red tailed-beast cloak wrapped around his body, boiling with power. In the next instant, he shot forward like a cannonball, closing the distance in a blink.
Pain calmly raised his hand again.
"Shinra Tensei."
This time, Naruto was only pushed back a few meters before instantly recovering. He twisted mid-air and charged again, a swirling sphere forming in his palm.
"Rasengan!"
Just as he slammed it down—
The Preta Path appeared from the shadows and absorbed the attack completely.
At the same moment, Pain pulled out a black receiver rod and aimed for Naruto's limbs—
—but a chakra tail whipped out, knocking it aside.
Nagato immediately switched tactics and widened the distance.
Hidden in the distance, his expression darkened.
This is my first time fighting a Jinchūriki… and this guy is a nightmare.
The boost in speed and strength alone was bad enough—but even Shinra Tensei was being partially resisted. And while the Preta Path could absorb ninjutsu, it was useless against raw physical attacks.
Naruto also frowned slightly.
That absorption ability is annoying as hell. Without Sage Mode, most ninjutsu are basically useless against it.
After a brief pause—
Round two began.
The Animal Path summoned a massive army of creatures. Giant beasts, each over ten meters tall, burst out from the forest and surrounded Naruto from all sides.
Naruto looked around.
"…Really? Ganging up on me now?"
He smirked.
With the speed granted by Kurama's cloak, he weaved effortlessly through their attacks. At the same time, his hands flashed through seals.
"Wind Release: Tornado Technique!"
"Wind Release: Sickle Weasel!"
A massive tornado erupted, tearing through the battlefield. The weaker summons were instantly shredded and hurled into the sea like trash.
Within seconds, most of the army was wiped out—leaving only a few of those annoying splitting dogs.
Every time they were hit, they multiplied.
"…Great. Infinite dog glitch."
Naruto clicked his tongue, then shot into the air, carried by the wind.
A massive sphere formed in his hand—
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
He hurled it down.
The explosion lit up the sky like a second sun. The remaining summons were obliterated, and the ground below collapsed into a massive crater, seawater rushing in to fill it.
Even with the Preta Path absorbing part of the damage, the pressure was insane.
Hidden away, Nagato's expression turned grim.
He's stronger than Hanzo…
Two or three Paths wouldn't be enough.
I'll need all Six Paths to take him down.
...
Meanwhile—Company Street.
Both Kumogakure and Iwagakure jōnin were listening to their subordinates' reports.
Their mission was the same—evaluate Uzushio Village's strength.
If weak? Annex it.
If strong? Negotiate and use it to counter Konohagakure.
"Sir, Uzushio Village didn't take us seriously at all. Their leader kicked us out directly. Also… we saw members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure. They might be backed by the Hidden Mist."
The Kumogakure jōnin's face changed.
If it were just some random village, he could handle it. But if Kirigakure was involved, things got complicated fast.
Then—
A blinding light flashed outside.
The entire building shook violently.
The jōnin's expression darkened. He instantly used Body Flicker and appeared on the rooftop, sensing the chakra in the distance.
His face turned pale.
This isn't a natural disaster… this is a fight.
And not just any fight.
The scale of chakra alone screamed Kage-level.
Worse—
If one side was this strong, the opponent had to be just as terrifying.
What the hell is happening in the Land of Waves…?
At that moment, Shisui Uchiha appeared beside him.
"Foreign ninja," Shisui said coldly, Sharingan spinning, "you're coming with the Uzushio Village Enforcement Team."
The jōnin stiffened.
He wanted to refuse—
—but after seeing that Sharingan, he swallowed his pride and nodded.
Kirigakure… Uchiha… and now this level of battle…
The waters here are deep as hell.
I just hope I make it out alive…
On the other side, the Iwagakure jōnin ran into Zabuza Momochi and the Uchiha forces—and made the same decision.
No arguments.
No resistance.
Because far away, that terrifying clash of chakra was still shaking the land—
A reminder that in this place…
Even jōnin were just small fish trying not to get eaten.
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