**Chapter 129: Out on the Offensive**
Explosions continued to ring out, with plumes of smoke filling the sky. Despite the impressive display, the shadow clones dodged and moved skillfully, taking little damage.
"Deidara, fall back," the scorpion-clad man ordered, looking up at the sky where two figures were engaged in battle.
Deidara, the blonde with a high ponytail, protested angrily, "I haven't finished dealing with that guy yet!"
"Fool!" Scorpion berated him, "The purpose of the shadow clones has been achieved. They've delayed us long enough."
"Naruto's real body will arrive soon. Do you want to face him alone?"
Deidara clenched his fists in frustration but reluctantly descended on his clay bird.
As he turned, he noticed the golden clone remaining in the sky, watching them coldly without further pursuit.
"This guy really means to keep us trapped in the Land of Rain!" Deidara grumbled as he landed. "If it weren't for this damned weather, I would have finished him already."
Scorpion glanced at him disdainfully, "That's just one shadow clone. Who knows how many he has left on the border?"
Deidara remained silent, tightening his fists. Despite being called a "genius" since childhood, he was struggling even against just one of Naruto's shadow clones.
"Report to the leader," Scorpion said slowly.
Inside the village of Rain, the tension was palpable.
"So even you guys can't get past his shadow clones," Kisame said, his tone unnervingly calm. "This is getting troublesome."
"He's managed to trap us in the Land of Rain with just himself."
"It's unacceptable to stay here indefinitely," Deidara shouted, his earlier bravado replaced by frustration. "This is like being imprisoned."
The others remained silent, leaving the youngest member to probe the leader's stance.
The orange-haired man, Pain, remained impassive. "Although the Kyūbi Jinchūriki has disrupted our plans..."
"Now that it's come to this," he continued, "we should press on and crush everything in our path."
Konan looked at him.
"The Kyūbi Jinchūriki is strong, but he's only human," Pain declared coldly. "He cannot compare to a god!"
"Let the world taste the pain now," he proclaimed.
Deidara whispered, "Does that mean the leader will take action himself?"
Pain did not respond directly but scanned the area. "Konan, you stay behind."
"The village needs you."
Konan shook her head resolutely. "I'm fine leaving the village."
"It seems we have a new player," Itachi said, "The Kyūbi Jinchūriki is resistant to illusions, so I may not be of much help."
Pain glanced at him. "Then Itachi, stay here and guard the village. The rest of us will proceed."
At the temporary residence, Jiraiya and Naruto watched from a distance, though nothing was visible or audible.
"What's happening over there?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled.
"There are two people trying to leave the Land of Rain without my permission," Naruto said calmly. "The shadow clones have stopped them."
Jiraiya's concern grew. "Aren't you going to go after them?"
"The shadow clones have them blocked. If they can't break through, they'll just retreat," Naruto explained.
Jiraiya nodded, his expression serious. "They're close to losing their patience."
Naruto smiled. His greatest gain from his years in Soul Society was "patience"—time and lifespan were not luxuries to him.
He resumed his experiment with Jiraiya assisting. Although Jiraiya wasn't very familiar with "human experiments," he had deep knowledge of ninjutsu.
As predicted, within an hour, several powerful chakra signatures approached.
"Jiraiya-sensei, they're here," Naruto said, stopping his experiment once more to wash his hands.
Jiraiya's face grew somber. He rushed outside as a group of figures approached from the Land of Rain.
At the forefront was an orange-haired man with a high ponytail, followed by four others: three men and one woman.
"Konan!" Jiraiya exclaimed, recognizing one of them.
The blue-haired woman looked at him with surprise. "Jiraiya-sensei, it's unexpected to see you here."
"Has Konoha come to help?" she asked.
"No," Jiraiya shook his head. "I only came because 'Rain Village' and 'Rinnegan' reminded me of you all. I didn't expect to find you here."
He then turned to the orange-haired man in the center. "Since Konan is here, you must be Nagato?"
"You've changed a lot, but those eyes…" Jiraiya continued, "Where's Yahiko?"
"It seems your understanding has become obsolete," the orange-haired man replied. "Our goal is the Kyūbi Jinchūriki."
"Even if you're my enemy," he added coldly, "I won't hesitate to kill you."
"Leave now."
Jiraiya shook his head. "You should know Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's son."
"And I'm his teacher," Jiraiya continued firmly. "I can't stand by while you harm my student's child."
The orange-haired man raised his hand. "Is that so, Jiraiya-sensei?"
"It's a pity you're my enemy."
As they spoke, the door to the room behind them opened again. Naruto emerged from inside.
"Jiraiya-sensei, he's not really your student," Naruto said. "This is just a puppet."
Jiraiya looked back in surprise. "No real body, huh? Even after leaving the village, he still hides?"
The orange-haired man spoke up, "A remarkable sense of perception. Can you even discern the states of life and death?"
"However, defeating you with this form won't be an issue." He formed hand seals.
White smoke erupted as five figures emerged. They shared the same orange hair and had black piercings embedded in their faces, just like the man before them.
"Naruto Uzumaki, you will regret not fleeing when you sensed my presence," one of the summoned figures declared. "Now you have no chance to escape."
Jiraiya was stunned. He stared at the speaking figure.
"Yahiko?" he asked, his voice trembling. "You're the leader of the Akatsuki?"
"Why does the Rinnegan belong to you?"
"Yahiko is dead," the orange-haired man said. "Before you is 'God' Pain!"
Jiraiya clenched his teeth. "What happened to you all?"
"Naruto," Jiraiya said, "remember your thoughts from earlier?"
Naruto looked at him. Jiraiya didn't understand what Naruto meant, referring to his earlier intention to gather intelligence in the Rain Village.
"These six are all puppets created from corpses," Naruto said softly. "But the control method is not through chakra threads. Notice the black material on their faces?"
"When he performs the summoning technique, that black material vibrates, receiving chakra from afar."
Jiraiya understood immediately. "So Nagato controls them from a distance?"
"I see," he said. "I'll leave this to you."
He vanished in an instant.
"Not so fast!" Konan interjected, extending her paper to form barriers to stop Jiraiya.
Just then, a burst of red flames flashed.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" The paper barriers were blown apart as flames spread, filling the area with black smoke.
Konan turned around.
Her eyes glowed with golden light, filling her vision.
"You're my opponent," Naruto said, blocking her path. "Let Jiraiya-sensei do what he needs to do."
Pain said, "It's fine, Konan. There are others in the village."
"Not just Itachi, but also someone claiming to be 'Uchiha Madara.'"
"If the real Rinnegan user isn't here, and Uchiha Itachi isn't, is it just you?" Naruto asked, his gaze sweeping over them. "No Uchiha Madara?"
Pain's tone wavered slightly. "You seem to know quite a bit."
"Even his existence…" he trailed off. "I'll capture you and take you to meet him."
"Attack!"
As soon as Pain finished speaking, Konan leapt forward, her paper transformed into sharp spikes, piercing through the air.
Naruto extended his hand, catching her attack between his fingers.
"No matter how hard you try," Naruto said, "your attacks won't reach me."
"I haven't fought seriously in a while," he continued, "so let me see what the Rinnegan can do."
He formed hand seals, pulling back the scattered shadow clones along the border.
His aura surged, causing a tremendous pressure.
Deidara was startled. "What is this feeling?"
His body felt suddenly heavy.
Scorpion's puppets groaned under the strain, creaking ominously.
Kisame, cautious, didn't draw his sword but formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Wave."
A massive torrent of water erupted, engulfing the area in an instant.
Naruto immediately leapt into the air.
Pain, Konan, and the others also ascended, with Konan spreading her paper wings and Deidara riding on his clay bird.
The remaining five puppets floated slowly in the water.
On the other side, two figures leapt from the forest, soaring through the air, and were caught by Naruto, one on each shoulder.
---
**Chapter 130: Shikai and the Six Paths**
Naruto looked down as Kisame unleashed a massive amount of chakra, creating a large, hemispherical water pool in the forest.
His appearance also changed. The shark-like features on Kisame's body evolved further. The chakra from his sword mingled with his own, giving him an even more pronounced fish-like appearance with fish fins on his head and scales on his arms.
Despite this transformation, Kisame didn't seem intent on fighting, instead swimming freely in the water, releasing his malice without reservation.
The Five Paths of Pain floated up from the water.
Scorpion jumped off his large bird, landing on the water's surface. He tore off his cloak, revealing his body and a giant puppet face on his back, from which a scorpion tail emerged like a tongue.
Their chakra surged wildly.
The first to act were the Puppets of Pain.
One of them performed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu."
From the smoke that appeared, a peculiar yet small amount of chakra was mobilized.
The tallest puppet raised its hand.
Using the smoke from the summoning technique as cover, its arm mechanized, splitting open to reveal several launch ports. Missiles flew out, trailing flames and piercing through the smoke.
Naruto clasped his hands together.
"Vajra Lock!"
Dozens of chains erupted from behind him, heading towards the missiles.
They flew quickly, but Naruto's chains were evidently faster.
The missiles and chains collided.
At that moment, Pain raised both hands.
His right hand aimed at the chains and his left hand aimed at Naruto.
The technique was executed.
Naruto's eyes widened.
The chains were twisted by a peculiar force, skimming past the missiles.
Naruto's body was pulled towards the opposite direction.
The chakra shockwave caused invisible clashes, stirring small gusts of wind.
Pain was startled.
This was the first time using "Shinra Tensei" had been so difficult.
It felt like pulling someone stuck in a swamp.
It required more chakra than usual to drag Naruto.
The objective was achieved!
Naruto was pulled towards the missiles.
But the pulling speed was too slow.
It allowed the blonde youth to react calmly, extending his hand and discarding the incantation.
"Hadō #1: Shō."
A strong air current collided, preemptively exploding the missiles before they could reach him, only causing some smoke and flames that singed his clothes.
The Akatsuki's offensive continued.
As smoke began to clear, several summoning beasts leaped up to attack.
Crabs, bulls, and a three-headed dog.
Each had black iron rods stuck in their heads, manipulated by Pain.
The الذيول التسعة on Naruto's right shoulder roared.
"Be careful!" Naruto warned.
But the الذيول التسعة had already grown large, slamming down with a claw.
These summoning beasts were insignificant to top-tier tailed beasts.
They were crushed instantly under the pressure of chakra and the الذيول التسعة' body.
The remaining summoning beasts, protected by techniques, sustained fatal injuries before the smoke cleared.
Only the three-headed dog remained, turned into minced meat.
From the bloody remains, several smaller one-headed dogs emerged, each with a couple of clay spiders on their heads.
Deidara clicked his tongue, forming hand seals with his fingers and muttering, "Boom!"
The clay spiders swelled and burst into white light.
The الذيول التسعة' pupils expanded.
Only then did Naruto's previous warning make sense.
Flames, smoke, and swirling air pushed the الذيول التسعة off balance, causing its chakra beneath it to scatter.
The huge body fell.
Kisame grinned menacingly, leaping like a swordfish.
Naruto reached out and pressed on his abdomen.
The Four Symbols Seal twisted, swallowing the two الذيول التسعة completely, then releasing them immediately.
The Yin and Yang الذيول التسعة reappeared on his shoulders.
"Damn it!" the Yang الذيول التسعة growled. "Setting a trap among summoning beasts, so cunning and treacherous."
Naruto smirked.
The Yin الذيول التسعة whispered, "You're just too foolish."
The two argued.
The Akatsuki's assault continued.
Apart from Kisame, the only non-flying opponent, Scorpion, removed his mask.
With his lower face covered, he appeared human.
But fully exposed, his puppet marks were too obvious.
His jaw, resembling a door, fell away, revealing a massive iron tube from which numerous poisoned needles shot out.
Naruto made no attempt to dodge.
The needles were unable to penetrate his defenses.
"Scorpion, you're quite a disappointment," Deidara jeered. "Indeed, art is explosion."
"That soft attack of yours is no art," Scorpion retorted.
At that moment, an invisible chakra approached.
Naruto drew his sword and slashed.
Blood spurted and white smoke billowed from an invisible summoning beast.
As it vanished, a puppet wielding a black iron rod struck down on Naruto.
Under Naruto's sensory ability, this wasn't really a surprise attack.
However, the weapon in the puppet's hand...
What was this?
It had a similar aura to the "Rinnegan," but was not quite the same.
Like a degraded, incomplete version.
But even a flawed piece of the "Six Paths Sage's Power" possessed power beyond the mundane.
The blade clashed with the الذيول التسعة, creating sparks, but did no damage.
Perhaps due to being a puppet or needing chakra control.
The puppet wielding the weapon had sparse martial arts skills and was defeated after a few exchanges.
A flash of red light.
The puppet's right arm and the black rod it held were cut off and sank into the water.
At that moment—
The puppet that had launched missiles bent over, exposing its inner mechanical workings.
Chakra gathered and soon, a laser shot out.
The two fists "puffed" and split from the wrists, spraying jets of air as they arced through the air and circled around.
Naruto raised his hand.
"Hadō #39: Enkōsen."
The laser collided, creating ripples and dispersing.
The fists also came flying, wrapped in centipede-like clay.
The two الذيول التسعة turned and focused, opening their mouths to form a small tailed beast ball.
They shot out, colliding with the fists, causing the clay to explode.
But amidst the smoke, two palm-sized birds fluttered through.
The الذيول التسعة were startled.
Naruto reacted swiftly, catching them in his hand.
Deidara watched eagerly, "Let them explode!"
He hoped to see a scene of flying arms, but it didn't happen.
Naruto opened his hand, revealing a scroll that sealed the two clay birds.
"Summoning? Sealing?" Deidara gasped. "When did he do that?"
How could he perform these two techniques in the blink of an eye?
Naruto didn't respond.
Another wave of attacks came.
Sand flowed and solidified into sharp spikes from all directions.
Gaara's "Sand Jutsu."
Naruto's sensory scan detected new chakra near Scorpion.
It was a humanoid puppet, the source of the sand jutsu.
A bloodline limit puppet?
Naruto evaded instantly, with the sand flow chasing but unable to catch him due to its slow speed.
Pain raised his hand.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The peculiar pulling force appeared again.
Naruto's steps faltered.
Sand flowed in.
Two tailed beast balls, large in scale, formed in the mouths of the الذيول التسعة and were fired, hitting the sand flow and dispersing the chakra within.
In that moment, Naruto seized the opportunity, raising his hand and abandoning the incantation.
"Hadō #54: Haien."
A purple flame disc shot out, spinning rapidly and slicing towards Pain.
At the last moment, a puppet with only one arm stepped in.
It bit its finger and performed hand seals on the water's surface.
"Summoning Jutsu."
A massive stone panda appeared, blocking the flames.
The impact shattered the stone, but the flames continued to burn, scorching the dismembered puppet.
The flames surged, burning it black.
Even the "chakra receivers" were instantly destroyed.
One puppet's combat power was lost.
But the next second, another puppet waved, and purple flames ignited on the water's surface.
Naruto was surprised, lowering his head.
"Soul Power."
Did the Rinnegan have the ability to control souls?
A colossal head emerged from the flames.
Purple all over, with "Rinnegan" eyes, and a large hat marked with "King" on it.
The head opened its mouth.
A tongue-like appendage reached out, wrapping the severely damaged puppet and swallowing it.
The soul power seemed to repair and restore it.
Scorpion continued to control the puppet, with sand flowing.
Deidara waited for the chance, mixing clay bombs into the sand.
Tendo occasionally manipulated "gravity" to interfere.
"الذيول التسعة, I'll borrow your power," Naruto whispered, focusing on Pain, "Be serious against these eyes."
The الذيول التسعة complied.
Naruto reached for his second sword.
Reciting the release words.
From the "الذيول التسعة" and "Asura," a connected power surged, intertwining and radiating golden light, with four arms emerging.
"His aura has grown again!" Deidara gritted his teeth, and his flying height dropped slightly.
Konan flapped her wings, retreating a few steps.
"Do we need another form?" the Yang الذيول التسعة asked.
The Yin الذيول التسعة' eyes shone brightly.
Is this... Shikai?
It felt like its power was somewhat enhanced under the "Asura's" boost.
Naruto shook his head. "To deal with them, it's better to aim smaller."
"
Borrowing the Tailed Beast's power?" Pain commented, his tone still indifferent, "An interesting display."
Naruto didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield.
The main attackers from the Akatsuki were Pain, the puppet with missile-launching mechanisms, and Deidara.
Scorpion was causing interference and providing support.
Kisame was waiting to approach the surface.
The most critical point was that three people had yet to act.
Konan with her "Paper Jutsu," and a fat man, and a puppet with waist-length hair.
What were they planning?
"Wow, that move is so cool!" Deidara exclaimed, mixed with admiration, "How did you do it?"
"Storing power in the blade beforehand."
"And turning chakra into extra hands?"
Naruto didn't answer.
He simply clasped his hands together as golden chains lashed out.
**Chapter 131: The Soul Extraction Technique**
The golden chains danced, heading toward the three who hadn't yet made a move.
The purple-faced head spewed out.
The puppet that had been swallowed was now completely repaired in a short time, including the arm that had been severed, all restored in an instant.
He immediately performed the summoning technique.
The crab, chameleon, and bull, injured by the الذيول التسعة, were summoned again, blocking the way for the three at the back.
Pain raised his hand, and the power of the Rinnegan erupted.
"Shinra Tensei."
The repulsive force surged, throwing them away.
The sand waterfall pursued, the river churned, and the inner clay exploded in bursts, with little impact, creating "boiling" bubbles in the sand waves, filling the air with smoke.
Deidara shouted with excitement, clearly enjoying this state.
Naruto contemplated.
The six puppets represented almost every tactical aspect: summoning, attacking, assisting, and even healing.
So, the remaining two were most likely for sealing and defense?
They hadn't been used yet, probably to create an information gap and deliver a fatal blow?
If that's the case—
Naruto's gaze turned to the purple-faced puppet.
Just a glance made them extremely nervous.
Deidara waved his hand, and the mouth on his palm busily expelled several bird-shaped clay constructs, which flew and landed on the summoned beasts.
Even Sasori manipulated his puppets to protect with sand.
A flash of golden light.
The summoned puppets shook their hands and hurled black rods.
But Naruto used his Shunpo, appearing behind Sasori.
"Sasori-sama, be careful!" Deidara exclaimed in shock.
As he spoke, Naruto's hand pierced through the outer puppet, reaching for the inner body.
A metal piece like a scorpion's tail stabbed toward Naruto.
But he ignored it.
"To think your first target is me," Sasori was surprised.
"Working with that blonde brat, using the smoke to hide the poison," Naruto whispered, stirring inside the puppet, "You think I wouldn't notice such tricks?"
He spat out.
Golden chakra enveloped a thick, purple "liquid," expelled from his body.
Sasori's poison techniques were much subtler than this.
Sasori's emotions fluctuated wildly.
Deidara screamed.
"I've seen many who modified their bodies," Naruto grasped something, "But you're the first to completely abandon a human body and choose to fix yourself in a lifeless object."
"And the dumbest one too."
The outer puppet cracked open.
Revealing what was inside—a young man with a youthful appearance, red hair, and a handsome face.
Several mechanisms inside his body triggered, binding Naruto's arm, chakra lines interlacing with the golden light.
But it offered no real obstruction.
Naruto tightly gripped the core marked with "Sasori."
"This is... eternal art," the red-haired young man spoke calmly, despite his fatal injury.
Naruto softly said, "Art is best appreciated, not used in battle."
He exerted force, pulling out the core.
The red-haired body instantly lost all ability to move.
Sasori of the Red Sand was dead.
"Sasori-sama!" Deidara shouted, gritting his teeth, reaching for his waist, and swinging forcefully.
"Secret Technique, C3."
The clay transformed into a humanoid shape.
Pain raised his hand.
"Shinra Tensei."
The repulsive force propelled it downwards at an accelerated speed.
In the water, Kisame finally found an opportunity.
"Water Style: Five Sharks."
Along with himself, six sharks leaped from the deep water, attacking.
Naruto was prepared. Chakra surged violently in his descending hands.
"Binding Path No. 73: Mountain Crystal."
A blue triangular crystal instantly appeared, enveloping his body.
Explosions, collisions, and chakra impacts, mixing fire and water, produced steam amidst the smoke.
But even their combined assault.
Didn't inflict significant damage on the "Mountain Crystal," only dirtying two faces.
Deidara's eyes widened in disbelief.
After mastering the "Secret Technique," he had never encountered such an indestructible object before.
Was the quantity insufficient?
Naruto emerged from it.
Ignoring Kisame, who had no aerial attack capability and was useless in this battlefield.
He Shunpo'd to Deidara's front.
Pain raised his hand.
"Bansho Tenin!"
Attempting to pull Naruto away.
The Naruto after "Shikai" was entirely different from before.
The gravitational pull was rejected by the powerful chakra.
It was not enough to shake Naruto, with the الذيول التسعة and Naruto's chakra further amplified by Asura.
Naruto swung his blade.
Deidara opened his mouth, clay substitutes erupted.
But golden chains swept from the side, affecting the clay substitute despite Pain's interference, dropping from the bird, "splashing" into the water.
The substitute's evasion tactic failed.
The high ponytailed boy grinned, "I've already said, Sasori-sama's art is worthless."
"But."
"Only I can deny his art!"
"Explode for me!"
With his voice.
A loud explosion occurred.
But this time, the explosion's origin was not inside Naruto as he had envisioned but rather a golden chain wrapped in chakra from behind him.
Sucked away by Pain's gravitational pull, his own technique didn't harm him.
"That red-haired guy's poison gas couldn't enter my body," the blade pierced his chest as Naruto softly said, "Why would you think?"
"That such an obvious chakra bomb would be absorbed without any defense?"
Deidara gritted his teeth.
"I won't let you look down on my techniques." Using his last ounce of strength, he clasped his hands together, "If that's the case…"
"Let your death be the greatest praise to my art!"
"I will create the greatest art!"
This was his final technique.
"C0: Self-Destruct."
Above the blade's insertion point on his left chest, a large mouth appeared, biting into the clay.
Chakra fluctuated, turning his body semi-transparent, with flesh and bones entwined by "black lines" from the mouth in his chest, life force greedily devoured.
The condensed "chakra" emitted an astounding energy fluctuation.
Pain moved forward, shielding his puppets and Konan.
Naruto did not dodge but extended his hand, pressing it against Deidara's chest.
"Four Symbols Seal."
The runes unfolded, the spell engraved.
Dense runes sealed the "black chakra," cutting off its interaction with the outside world.
Deidara looked down.
Naruto withdrew the blade, reached in from the wound, and grasped the black substance.
"I don't mean to disparage your art," he spoke calmly, sealing the substance again with another "Four Symbols Seal," not targeting Deidara but the substance itself, "Both the puppets and your explosions are quite interesting."
"But art."
"Is better suited to a place outside the battlefield."
He pulled out the substance, carefully sealed it, and stored it in a scroll.
Deidara fell as the clay birds disappeared, his body sinking into the water like Sasori's.
"Now that the two troublesome individuals are dealt with," Naruto turned to look, "Next is—"
Pain instantly appeared in front of Konan.
The summoned beasts, mechanical puppets, and even the previously unused fat puppet all moved to protect her.
Naruto's target was
The purple-faced large-headed puppet with only the black rods to guard it.
This puppet, capable of healing "puppets," was the one that needed to be destroyed most.
Shunpo'd forward.
The purple-faced large-headed puppet suddenly spoke, asking in a nonsensical manner, "Naruto Uzumaki, what is your secret?"
"To tell you—" Naruto began to answer.
But he stopped abruptly, his gaze incredulous, staring at the purple-faced large-headed puppet.
"So quickly aware?" Pain murmured, "You truly are the الذيول التسعة Jinchuriki."
"Your tactical aim is commendable."
"But who told you that thing only has the effect of healing puppets?"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
Inside the purple-faced large head, energies surged, akin to the power found in the body of the "Death God" earlier.
Natural energy, soul power, and chakra.
But its existence was more vivid than the "Death God."
The earlier question, after his response, had summoned a surge of "natural energy" similar to that from Hidan and the "Real Waterfall."
It was an embodiment of a near "rule" force.
After refusing to answer, the "rule" manipulated his body, making him want to stick out his tongue.
Was this Rinnegan-controlled thing also a deity once?
Naruto gritted his teeth, countering the chakra, soul energy, and this "natural energy" to the extreme.
The summoned puppet swung its black rod.
Naruto ignored it.
The two الذيول التسعة turned back, opening their mouths wide, and Tailed Beast Bombs formed.
Two black rods pierced, not having blades, but easily penetrated the Tailed Beast's body.
"Naruto!" the Yang الذيول التسعة exclaimed, "Be careful!"
"This thing suppresses chakra."
It did not finish speaking.
Two more black rods pierced into Naruto's body.
This object, a degraded version of the "Oda Balls," possessed similar properties. It could be inserted into the body, immediately blocking and disrupting the chakra pathways around the black rods.
His tongue uncontrollably extended.
The King of Hell opened its mouth, releasing a purple tongue-like arm.
Another puppet with long hair, which had remained motionless, approached Naruto.
"Naruto Uzumaki, you are a formidable ninja," Pain said, as the
long-haired puppet placed its hand on Naruto's head, "To make Akatsuki pay such a heavy price."
"But."
"Humans are ultimately humans, unable to challenge the majesty of gods."
"Farewell."
"Feel endless pain in hell."
The long-haired puppet's hand, with soul power surging, grasped Naruto's soul through his body.
Pain was stunned.
This was one of the Rinnegan's abilities, known as "Soul Extraction," capable of drawing out the opponent's soul. However, the extraction speed was related to the strength of the opponent's chakra.
Naruto's chakra was incredibly strong, so the extraction should have been slow.
But now, it felt abnormally fast, even easier than a Chunin.
**Chapter 132: Man and God**
What troubled Pain was not just the abnormal speed of extraction.
The black, viscous substance leaking from Naruto's body.
This was a phenomenon that had never occurred before.
He looked up.
Despite it being daytime, the sky suddenly darkened as if tainted by these substances.
A feeling of unease arose.
Not because of the "aura" from Naruto becoming stronger, but an innate sense of crisis, as if encountering a natural enemy.
This was a sensation he hadn't experienced since evolving into a "god."
Extracting this person's soul might not be a good thing.
As he pondered this, the long-haired puppet had already stretched out its hand, fully pulling Naruto's soul from his body.
Konan's eyes widened in disbelief.
The soul—
Was completely different from any soul extracted by the Human Path before.
When Pain used this technique before, the souls extracted were deep purple and mixed with chakra, almost indistinguishable.
But Naruto's soul retained his appearance and even his attire.
The black Death God robe and white cloak.
In the presence of everyone, Naruto's soul, now completely separate from his body, was not manipulated by the Human Path.
"Let me handle it from here," Naruto said softly, grabbing the long-haired puppet's wrist, "You can step back."
The remaining half of the soul quickly emerged from the corpse.
The golden-haired body, no longer supported, fell downward.
The two الذيول التسعة leaped onto the soul's shoulder.
Naruto extended his hand.
Golden chains flew and wrapped around his physical body, sealing it in a scroll.
"What is this?" Pain was finally moved, incredulous.
"Reviving the dead" was understandable to him.
The Rinnegan had the ability to bring the dead back to life.
But a soul, after death, still possessing such immense power.
This was something he could not comprehend.
Naruto looked down, examining himself: "If you consider yourself a god at this level,"
"Then I am undoubtedly"
"Death God, Naruto Uzumaki."
He swung his blade.
The black viscous liquid, like a tangible substance, boiled and extended into the sky, making the world appear distorted.
Pressure followed.
The Rinnegan puppets were squeezed, making creaking noises.
Konan's face turned pale.
Kisame in the water also had his smile freeze, his swimming speed suddenly reduced.
This pressure was more massive and clearer than any he had felt before.
Naruto looked across the water surface to the ground below.
The power of the "Six Paths Sage" was extraordinarily clear to him at this moment.
But unlike when capturing other souls, it did not attack him without hesitation.
Instead, it remained hidden, observing.
When Naruto first fought the "Six Paths Sage."
The Seekers of Truth easily shattered his chakra but could not immediately destroy his "soul power."
He realized that chakra and soul were two entirely different forces.
Naruto didn't know the technique for separating soul from body.
There was such a technique in the Soul Society.
Ginjo Kugo had mastered it.
As the captain, it was troublesome to go to the real world. He had only been there twice for missions, never used "pluses," so he never learned such seemingly "trivial" things.
During his time in the ninja world, he researched it, but it wasn't as urgent compared to other matters.
And now.
The hypothesis was confirmed.
Naruto turned his wrist: "As a thank you to you, let me show you this power."
He slashed his blade.
The summoned puppet raised its black rod to block.
Sparks flew.
The black rod remained intact, but the puppet's body could not withstand the pressure. Regardless of the spiritual pressure or the more powerful force, it was beyond its capacity.
Pain was astonished.
After separating from his body, Naruto's strength was not diminished; instead, it had become stronger.
"Surprised, are you?" Naruto said with pleasure, piercing through the summoned puppet, slicing it in half, "Even I didn't realize it."
"The strength of the Uzumaki clan's body is already several times stronger than an ordinary ninja."
"But"
"Compared to my soul's strength, it still falls short."
In the physical state, chakra and soul power were primarily dominated by chakra. Although it was still unclear why he could use "death god" powers with chakra as a medium, this "transformation" was an unintended weakening.
In the spiritual state.
Though chakra still existed within the soul, using "death god" powers was completely led by soul power.
Without that layer of "transformation" weakening, spiritual pressure was fully released.
The purple-faced head wobbled, extending a "hand-like" tongue.
Natural energy, driven by chakra, tried to connect with the "rule power" adapted earlier.
"Shut your mouth!" Naruto commanded, smashing with spiritual pressure.
The purple-faced head was held by an invisible hand, its jaws tightly shut.
Its "soul power" and "natural energy," controlled by chakra, were like a small river crashing into the sea, quickly disappearing.
Even the puppet in front of it weakened and knelt on the water surface.
Pain felt a heavy weight on his heart.
Using the "Human Path" was indeed a terrible decision.
But who could have imagined
That a person's "body" could be a constraint on their power.
Naruto turned to look at Konan.
She was flying at the edge of the battlefield, maintaining hand seals.
Pain's protection of her was not only out of camaraderie.
Could this technique decide the outcome of the battle?
He raised his hand, chanting.
"Stars and beast bones scattered across the sky!"
"Spire, red crystal, iron wheels."
"Movement is wind, stillness is void."
Spiritual pressure gathered in his palm, with golden lightning crackling, disturbing the airflow, trembling the void, and spreading uneven marks.
Such great power!
The residual wind alone caused ripples on the water surface as if it were splitting.
Konan flapped her wings, trying to escape.
Golden chains surged, binding her body.
She dispelled the hand seals she had maintained, trying to use other paper jutsu.
The chains also bound her chakra.
"The sound of long spears clashing fills the void city!" Naruto completed the final chant.
The lightning solidified.
On his shoulders, the two الذيول التسعة also gathered chakra, targeting the same goal as Naruto.
"Way of Destruction No. 63: Thunder Roar Cannon."
Straight lightning shot forth.
Tailed Beast Balls also shot out, twisting into spirals around the lightning.
Konan struggled fiercely.
But her power was like ants trying to move a mountain, unable to budge an inch.
Pain raised his hand: "Let me show you the true power of a god."
"No, that technique..." Konan realized something.
But her plea could not stop the chakra explosion at that moment.
Naruto glanced sideways.
The "Rinnegan" burst with unparalleled power.
The chakra from the puppets was also extracted.
All gathered in Pain alone.
"Super Shinra Tensei."
From his palm, a repulsive force exploded, propelling outward.
"Thunder Roar Cannon" and "Tailed Beast Balls" were forcibly redirected, heading towards the distance.
But the power of this technique was even greater.
Naruto's body was uncontrollable, being blasted away.
The water sphere in Kisame's domain was affected by the residual wave, cutting off a large portion.
Even in the direction towards the Fire Country, within a radius of several tens of kilometers, everything was flattened by the repulsive force, trees uprooted, hills leveled.
This one technique altered the terrain completely.
From forested hills.
To flat wasteland.
In the Rain Country, Rain Village.
Two men with Sharingan stood on the "Pain Statue," watching the distant battlefield.
"Truly astonishing ability," said the masked man, "The name of god is well deserved."
"Will the الذيول التسعة Jinchuriki survive such a technique?" Uchiha Itachi asked calmly.
The masked man shook his head: "Who knows."
"Someone is coming," Uchiha Itachi looked down at a Rain Ninja, "Hiding in the shadows."
"It must be Jiraiya."
The masked Uchiha remained silent.
"Should we stop him?" Uchiha Itachi asked.
The masked Uchiha shook his head: "Wait a little longer."
He felt uneasy.
The fact that the "Rinnegan" was forced to unleash such power made him feel that "Naruto Uzumaki" might not easily die under this technique.
"Let him meet Nagato."
Most of Akatsuki's forces were diverted to deal with "Naruto."
There were a few Anbu guarding, but their abilities were insufficient to detect Jiraiya.
After a lengthy search.
Ninjas controlled by Jiraiya with "Toad Shadow Manipulation" entered a room.
It was empty, without lights, completely dark.
Jiraiya could see.
On a large life support device, a bony figure was embedded, with numerous black rods piercing his back.
He had red hair, and his eyes were slightly purple, with rippling circles.
"Jiraiya-sensei, since you're here, you might as well come out," Nagato said, tilting his head, looking at the blackness on the ground.
Jiraiya stepped out from the shadows, his expression serious: "Nagato, it's really you!"
Nagato spoke weakly: "I didn't expect Jiraiya-sensei to come here."
"But even if you came, what then."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth: "What kind of changes have you undergone."
"To make you do such things."
Nagato replied calmly: "It's all because of war."
"Many people have died here, including Yahiko."
"The pain made me grow."
"It allowed me to transform from a human into a god."
"Jiraiya-sensei, are you trying to stop a god with a mere human body?"
**Chapter 133: You Are Too Weak**
The air surged!
Naruto was blasted several meters away, only managing to stop in mid-air after the wave subsided.
The two الذيول التسعة fared even worse, their strength almost entirely channeled into Naruto. They barely managed to cling to his shoulders with their claws and tails to avoid being blown away.
"Naruto, you should have restrained your spiritual pressure earlier," the Yang الذيول التسعة complained.
Both foxes bared their teeth. They hadn't been able to fly, and their teeth had nearly gone numb from holding onto Naruto's shoulders, though he had remained unharmed.
Naruto didn't respond.
He expanded his senses.
Several kilometers away, Karin's presence was clear and stable, unperturbed by the impact, as she was moving away from the "battlefield."
He sighed with relief and used Shunpo to return.
"Nothing happened?" Pain asked.
Naruto smiled. "Quite an exaggerated technique."
"You flattened everything within several kilometers."
Pain coldly raised his hand. "This is the power of a god."
"You think that's praise?" Naruto chuckled, shaking his head.
Pain's raised hand paused.
"If this attack had been more focused, it might have hurt me," Naruto said softly, sensing the energy within the puppet on the opposite side.
Life, soul, chakra—
Almost all had been exhausted.
The receivers emitted a resonant hum, with chakra transmission intermittent.
"You're no longer capable of fighting," Naruto raised his blade. "An attack of this magnitude has already depleted you."
"Then it's over."
Purple-blue hair flew in, sharply interrupting, "Not so fast!"
In response, a storm of paper shurikens surged, the wind sharp and slicing through the air.
The Yin الذيول التسعة used its tail to swat them away.
"You intend to stop me?" Naruto asked.
Konan raised a hand. "Pain bought me this much time."
"Let me show you my technique!"
Chakra mobilized.
"God's Origami Jutsu."
Nearby trees, rocks, and even parts of Kisame's water sphere crumbled like paper, swirling around Naruto, gathering into a sphere.
These weren't ordinary white papers.
"Explosive Tags."
Konan drew all her chakra, though a trace of doubt appeared in her eyes.
The technique seemed too easy to execute.
Compared to the speed of Scorpion and Deidara, it had been effortless.
Another thought emerged.
The influence of Pain's technique made her wonder if he was not as unaffected as he claimed.
"This is my strongest secret technique," Konan said softly, her tone resolute. "Originally, I prepared six billion explosive tags."
"But."
"Since you refused to enter Amegakure, my efforts seemed wasted."
"In the time just now, I only used one billion tags, but it should be enough."
"Be buried!"
She uttered softly, clenching her fist.
But no explosion occurred, and she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.
Konan looked down. A golden blade had pierced her heart from behind.
"Is this all you had prepared from the start of the battle?" Naruto's tone was disappointed. "I expected something as interesting as the Rinnegan."
Konan turned, catching a glimpse of Naruto's half-face.
"You realize now."
"My abilities exceed your understanding."
"And yet you use such conventional tactics."
Pain's voice choked, no longer cold but struggling and angry. "You bastard!"
"Even killing Konan."
Naruto withdrew his blade.
Konan's purple-blue body fell.
"May you meet again in the Pure Land," he murmured, using Shunpo to advance and strike at Pain.
The mechanical puppet countered, chakra surging, its black-and-red robe tearing. Like Naruto, it sprouted six arms, further dividing into two faces on the sides of its head.
It slashed, each arm transforming into a different weapon.
Its back sprouted serrated "long tongues" like Scorpion's.
"Showy," Naruto commented.
He parried with two blades, severing the arms, and the remaining two hands clasped together. Golden chains danced, tightly binding the mechanical puppet.
Another hand covered its head.
Skipping the incantation.
"Way of Destruction No. 31: Red Fire Cannon."
Red light burst, spewing from his palm.
It obliterated the puppet.
The firepower slightly diminished but continued unabated, charging toward Pain.
The remaining puppet, which had been passive, finally moved.
It appeared in front of Pain, raising its hands.
The "Red Fire Cannon" hit it.
No explosion, no flames.
The red fireball pushed the puppet backward, almost forcing Pain back.
But during this process, it gradually diminished.
Naruto observed, intrigued.
This ability reminded him of the Truth-Seeking Balls.
But its manifestation seemed even stronger, possibly due to the Rinnegan?
Able to absorb energy, both chakra and soul power.
Of course, absorbing "soul power" was a heavy burden for the puppet, burning its palms and exposing the bones.
Energy was absorbed.
What about slashing?
Naruto abandoned the puppet, using Shunpo to move forward and slash.
The remaining two puppets flanked him.
Even with numerical superiority,
They were still under control and their chakra not fully restored.
With a few swift cuts, these puppets lost their combat ability and fell into the water.
The water pool was now empty, Kisame had vanished.
Naruto sensed the chakra escaping into the distance and asked, "Who's going after him?"
"Let me take a turn," the Yin الذيول التسعة said, looking at Naruto, "It was the other me before."
"Now it's my turn."
The Yang الذيول التسعة nodded.
The Yin الذيول التسعة immediately dove downward, expanding rapidly, and slammed its paw into the ground.
"Truly astonishing," Pain said, raising his hands. "Since I evolved into a god, you are the first to push me to such a state."
"But it ends here."
He brought his palms close, but did not clasp them.
The "Rinnegan's" power surged.
A black sphere, the size of a walnut, gradually emerged.
"Have you heard of the Sage of Six Paths' legend?" Pain asked, raising the question.
Naruto did not answer, continuing to strike.
"The moon was created by the Sage of Six Paths."
"He used this technique."
Pain threw the black sphere.
It floated in the air, expanding in the wind.
Similar to "Universal Pull," but the black sphere's "gravity" far exceeded that technique.
Naruto's body was pulled, unable to advance.
Pain looked up, channeling all chakra through his Rinnegan to accelerate the formation of this technique.
The gravity roared, tearing apart the ground, pulling soil and rocks together around the black sphere.
Naruto was drawn in, along with those stones.
Kisame, who had not escaped far, the Yin الذيول التسعة chasing him, and the fallen corpses,
All became part of the "sphere."
Only Karin, who had escaped far enough during the "Chou Shinra Tensei," was not within the sphere's range.
The golden body was trapped under massive rocks, her face slowly covered by small fragments.
The two locked eyes.
Pain raised his hands, calling out loudly.
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
"Feel pain, think about pain, accept pain."
"And then, understand pain!"
"Deva Path's Outer Path: Chibaku Tensei!"
With the final words, Naruto's eyes were filled with debris.
Within a ten-kilometer radius, a colossal crater was formed.
Above it.
A stone sphere, about six to seven kilometers in diameter, floated.
Naruto Uzumaki was sealed inside.
In Amegakure.
In the dimly lit room.
"Naruto Uzumaki is a powerful opponent," Nagato said softly, looking at Jiraiya, who was lying on the ground, covered in black rods and suppressed by the Rinnegan's power. "He almost reached the limits of what a human can achieve."
"But he is still far from a god."
Jiraiya, shocked, asked, "You killed Naruto?"
"Only sealed him," Nagato shook his head, his tone heavy. "In contrast, he."
"Killed Konan."
Jiraiya froze, lost in thought.
The image of the purple-blue-haired girl gradually surfaced.
Nagato sighed. "Jiraiya-sensei, accept your fate."
"Gods are inviolable."
Jiraiya closed his eyes, remaining silent.
On the Pain Statue in Amegakure.
"It seems the battle has ended," Itachi Uchiha said, staring at the stone sphere with a heavy tone. "The leader has captured the الذيول التسعة."
"Incredible power."
"Ninjas have reached such a level."
The masked Uchiha turned and began to leave, softly saying, "Those are the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
"Let's go."
"We need to deal with Jiraiya before it becomes a problem for Nagato."
Before he could finish his words,
A violent energy fluctuation spread, even from this distance, creating a "sense" of strong wind, sending shivers down their spines.
The masked Uchiha quickly turned around.
Itachi Uchiha looked too, astonished.
The stone sphere, formed by the "Rinnegan's" power, began to violently shake, an inner force trembling.
In the next moment, the stone shattered into fragments, raining down.
Golden light burst.
Nine tails pierced through the sphere, emerging.
Followed by a blade.
A massive, red blade, far larger than usual, only a giant could wield, sharp and mighty, it pierced through the stone sphere.
After piercing through, the blade continued forward with unstoppable force, piercing Pain's body.