Only the Deva Path remained among the Six Paths of Pain, hovering alone in the sky.
Although the Deva Path possessed strong combat capabilities, its most powerful move, the Almighty Push, required a five-second cooldown. It could only rely on chakra rods and Universal Pull to fight between uses, presenting significant strengths and notable limitations.
Originally, the Deva Path's full potential was only realized when working in conjunction with the other paths of Pain. When fighting solo, its power fell below that of an average Kage-level ninja, and even ordinary skilled fighters who deciphered its fighting patterns could potentially defeat it.
The outcome of the battle seemed decided. Unless Nagato resorted to a massively destructive Almighty Push or the creation of a Planetary Devastation within Amegakure—a highly unlikely choice given the collateral damage—he was left with few options.
Even a large-scale Almighty Push wouldn't be particularly effective against a single powerful adversary. And as for the Planetary Devastation, it would have trouble keeping up with Shin's speed.
Shin looked up at the floating Deva Path. Although the power of his Dark-Dark Fruit gave him gravitational abilities, they didn't grant true flight. To fly, he would have to rely on the Munch-Munch Fruit to transform his body further.
With the Third Gate of the Eight Gates Formation open and his immense physical strength, Shin didn't need sophisticated techniques to move through the air. With a single mighty leap, he shot up like a rocket.
The Deva Path's expression remained stoic as it prepared another Almighty Push. But Shin extended his hands, a thick black mist flowing forth to counter the attack. The mist swallowed the Almighty Push and engulfed the Deva Path entirely.
Upon landing, Shin waved his hand, and the Deva Path's lifeless body was cast aside.
"Alright, Jiraiya. Now's your chance to talk to him!" Shin grinned. "I doubt he'll still call himself a god after this."
Jiraiya smiled bitterly while Nagato, observing from afar, coughed with irritation. Konan, by his side, nervously patted his back, trying to calm him.
While Jiraiya conversed with the Deva Path, Shin moved away, releasing his Observation Haki, carefully sensing the chakra fluctuations throughout Amegakure.
Shin's mastery of observation haki was pivotal in his rise to power in the Drum Kingdom. The technique he'd learned from a doctor emphasized acute internal perception, making it exceptionally effective for observing bodily functions. It had also proven valuable in refining his Munch-Munch Fruit and enhancing his physical transformations.
However, his Haki was tuned for precision rather than range. Although effective in close combat, it didn't excel in long-distance detection. Even with his current proficiency—comparable to that of an emperor's deputy—his search radius remained around eight to nine hundred meters, modest compared to the two to three-kilometer range that some of the Four Emperors' officers could manage.
Despite this, the precision was advantageous. Shin could faintly detect the unique chakra resonance emitted by the black rods embedded in the Deva Path.
"That direction… The distance is uncertain, but it shouldn't be more than a dozen kilometers," he muttered. "Nagato couldn't have concealed himself too far. Finding him shouldn't be challenging even with my limited range."
He glanced at Jiraiya, who had just been blasted back by an Almighty Push. Clearly, the conversation hadn't gone well.
With a faint pop, the Deva Path was suddenly summoned away by Nagato.
"What happened, Jiraiya? That was over quick," Shin asked, bemused.
Jiraiya got to his feet, shaking his head with a rueful smile. The Almighty Push hadn't inflicted much damage, but the conversation hadn't progressed.
"I was hoping he'd relinquish the Gedo Statue and the Rinnegan, but he refused."
Shin rolled his eyes. "The Rinnegan is the foundation of his belief that he's a god, and the Gedo Statue is the cornerstone of his world-peace plan. Asking him to give them up is like asking him to rip out his own heart. No wonder he refused."
"But his life is at risk!" Jiraiya argued passionately. "The Gedo Statue and the Rinnegan draw upon Nagato's vitality!"
"Some people don't fear death, Jiraiya. To Nagato, death probably seems insignificant in comparison."
Nagato was, without question, the most idealistic of those who had fallen under the influence of a mastermind behind the scenes in the shinobi world.
Characters like Black Zetsu and Kaguya Otsutsuki sought destruction on a global scale. After his tragic loss, Obito seemed more bent on annihilation than peace. Uchiha Madara, the mastermind, viewed himself as a divine figure detached from human concerns.
While Nagato appeared godlike, his self-proclaimed divinity was more about maintaining an air of mystique. If he looked in a mirror and saw his frail body, he'd likely question his divine status.
With his body's fragility, he probably wouldn't live past forty even without combat. The continuous use of the Rinnegan and Gedo Statue would hasten his end, ensuring he died once his plan was realized.
Did Nagato not understand this? Likely, he did. In his mind, his death was a necessary sacrifice for world peace.
Though misguided, his intentions were arguably closer to achieving peace than Obito's or Madara's ever were.
In a way, his ideal of creating a superweapon to enforce peace wasn't entirely dissimilar to Senju Hashirama's distribution of the tailed beasts to maintain balance.
"So what now?" Jiraiya asked, his voice anxious. "He escaped, and I don't know when or if we'll find them again."
"Leave that to me," Shin said confidently. "Escaping from me isn't that simple."
Jiraiya looked at him, his face etched with uncertainty. "And what do you plan to do when you find him?"
Shin gave him a steady look. "Don't worry. For your sake, I'll limit myself to confiscating his tools of destruction."
"Tools of destruction?" Jiraiya echoed, momentarily confused. "You mean the Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue?"
Shin's expression was calm. "Yes, though I doubt I'll need his permission."
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