"How can it be so big?!"
Konan, standing on the giant bird above, was astonished as she saw the unbelievably massive summon below. Her small mouth was slightly open in shock. She never imagined that Shishou's summon could not only enlarge itself to such an extent but also armor itself. This was completely beyond her understanding of summoning beasts.
Sharing her thoughts was Uchiha Obito, who was hiding in the shadows, observing the battle.
"So, he still has such a trump card hidden..."
From his vantage point, Obito's eyes gleamed as he watched Shishou's summon. With his Mangekyō Sharingan, Obito was not lacking in methods to deal with giant summoning beasts. However, seeing such a unique summon as Shishou's Nightmare Tapir, which could enlarge and armor itself, made him contemplate how to acquire it for himself.
Regarding the mission to recruit Shishou into the Akatsuki, Obito wasn't very optimistic. Someone with Flying Thunder God technique could escape at any moment.
"But why is he wearing that mask?" Obito murmured to himself, puzzled by the mask Shishou wore on his face.
Beside Konan, the Deva Path of Pain looked at the giant summon with a calm expression. To him, even a massive summon like this was merely a larger beast in the presence of a god.
"Roar!!!"
The Nightmare Tapir let out a loud bellow, charging towards the downed giant summons.
Shishou, not missing a beat, formed hand seals and executed a jutsu he had long wanted to use.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The sheer scale of the jutsu, combined with Shishou's immense chakra reserves and mastery of fire nature transformation, made the attack rival Uchiha Madara's. With the wind from the Nightmare Tapir's jutsu amplifying it, the flames transformed into a sea of fire, engulfing everything in its path, including the chameleon hiding the Animal Path.
"This is apocalyptic..."
From afar, several Sand Village ninja stationed near Sand Dune City watched in horror as the inferno raged. The heat was palpable even from kilometers away. All they could do was pray that the mysterious individual wielding such destructive power would not turn their attention toward the city.
Within Sand Dune City, the townspeople were already being evacuated under the city lord's orders.
"To wield such powerful fire techniques... How strong is he?"
On the giant bird, Konan maintained a calm exterior, but her mind was racing. Shishou's overwhelming display of power made her increasingly worried about Nagato's safety.
"This bastard, how much power has he been hiding?!" Obito clenched his teeth in frustration. This level of fire jutsu was beyond even his capabilities.
"Obito, as an Uchiha, how do you feel about this?" The half-face of the White Zetsu head chuckled.
"Shut up!" Obito snarled, shoving the White Zetsu head back into his Kamui dimension.
"Well, Obito..." The Spiraled Zetsu began to speak but fell silent under Obito's glare.
Back on the battlefield, Shishou felt a surge of satisfaction. Sometimes, straightforward brute force was the best solution.
The summoned beasts conjured by the Animal Path were reduced to ashes one by one. Yet, standing within the flames, the Animal Path and the Preta Path remained unharmed, the latter absorbing the surrounding fire.
Ten minutes later, as the flames dissipated, the desert sand glistened with glassy shards created by the intense heat.
With a loud crash, the Animal Path slammed their hands on the ground, summoning four more figures: Deva Path, Asura Path, Naraka Path, and Human Path.
Facing these formidable adversaries, Shishou grew serious. While the other Paths were threats, the Deva Path, with Yahiko's body, was particularly dangerous.
In the original story, Konoha was decimated before Naruto finally got the chance to take down the Deva Path.
The Asura Path's head split open, revealing a laser cannon aimed directly at the Nightmare Tapir.
A laser cannon... really?
Seeing the impending attack, Shishou snapped his fingers, releasing the summon. He knew the laser cannon's power would be immense, given its long charging time.
With the summon gone, the Asura Path halted its attack, standing down.
"Your power is immense," the Deva Path began, stepping forward. "But against a god, your efforts are futile."
Shishou could only think of one word: "Chuunibyou."
"Missile Barrage!"
The Asura Path extended its arm, launching a volley of missiles at Shishou. Simultaneously, the Deva Path raised its hand toward him.
"Universal Pull!"
Just as Shishou moved to dodge, he felt an invisible force yanking him towards the incoming missiles.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted. In the next instant, Shishou appeared at a safe distance, having used the Flying Thunder God technique to escape.
"Flying Thunder God..." The Deva Path muttered, recognizing the jutsu.
Realizing the difficulty of capturing someone with Shishou's abilities, Pain remained silent.
Shishou glanced back at the explosion site, relieved he had a way to counter Universal Pull. Facing all six Paths of Pain alone was no small feat.
Furthermore, Nagato's real body was hidden somewhere, ready to deplete Shishou's stamina through attrition.
His eyes turned to the giant bird in the sky, where Konan stood vigilant. It was highly likely that Nagato's real body was hidden there.
Despite this, Shishou had the Flying Thunder God to ensure his safety. With that assurance, he decided to test his enhanced abilities after gaining the power of Hashirama.
With this thought, Shishou extended vines from his back, which intertwined to form five wooden clones identical to him.
"One-on-one, six-on-six. Let's make it fair."
With a calm demeanor, Shishou and his clones faced the Six Paths of Pain.
The wind howled through the desert, causing the Akatsuki's robes to flutter noisily.
Suddenly, the Asura Path's arm opened again, launching another missile barrage at Shishou and his clones.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosion marked the beginning of an all-out clash. Shishou lunged toward the Deva Path, while his clones targeted the remaining five Paths.
A fierce battle of strength and skill was about to unfold.