"Shinra Tensei!"
On the battlefield, the Deva Path pressed his palms together, summoning an invisible repulsive barrier that enveloped him.
Countless bolts of lightning descended, crashing against the spot where the Deva Path stood. They struck something unseen, ricocheting away as if repelled by an invisible force. Through the blinding flashes of lightning, a faint ring-shaped barrier could be seen encasing him tightly.
"Let's see how long your Shinra Tensei can hold!" Akira smirked coldly at the sight. He scoffed at Nagato's lack of mastery over his Rinnegan techniques—he'd only sent three Paths to the field. Here in the terrain of Amegakure, even if all six Pains came at him, Akira would face them head-on!
This fight… it's all in my favor!
"Not good!"
Feeling the growing intensity of the lightning, Nagato's heart sank. His Rinnegan flared, and he sent a surge of potent chakra through his unseen link to the Deva Path.
"Hah!"
The Deva Path's eyes widened, and a burst of terrifying repulsive force erupted from him, expanding the Shinra Tensei barrier to create a brief, ten-meter-wide safe zone, forcing the dense lightning strikes away.
"Interesting…" Akira muttered, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
Crackle…
In the next instant, the sky erupted in chaos, as lightning cascaded down from the clouds like a torrential waterfall of electricity.
"What the…? How is he able to control natural lightning with such precision?" In a distant cave, Nagato's brow furrowed in a sweat.
With no time to dwell on it, he sent more chakra to the Deva Path—this body, Yahiko's body, could not be lost!
"Haa…!"
Within the barrier, the Deva Path's expression twisted, as if under extreme strain. The unending river of lightning clashed against his Shinra Tensei, compressing the repulsive field to a two-meter radius.
Thin streams of lightning pierced through, striking the Deva Path's black-and-red Akatsuki cloak and scorching it with charred marks.
As smoke rose from his form, Deva's Rinnegan flared wider, and a more powerful wave of repulsion surged outward. The river of lightning shattered, splintering into countless arcs of electricity, which dispersed into the skies.
Taking advantage of this brief reprieve, the Deva Path dashed forward at his highest speed, pushing to escape the radius of the lightning storm. He knew he had to break out of this thunderous assault, or he'd be slowly worn down.
Seeing this, Akira extended a finger, directing another bolt to streak down from the clouds, unleashing another wave of relentless lightning strikes that doggedly pursued the Deva Path.
Barely evading the strikes, the Deva Path struggled to withstand the barrage.
Meanwhile, the Animal Path dared not enter the lightning zone, hovering anxiously at its edge. It abandoned its pursuit of Aburame Shiga and Hyuga Kaori—the Deva Path's safety had taken precedence.
A few kilometers away, Obito, his single Sharingan gleaming red, watched the thundercloud-covered battlefield. His gaze flickered with unease as he observed the endless lightning strikes converging upon the battlefield.
Even with Madara's teachings, Obito had rarely encountered such a vast, awe-inspiring ninjutsu.
"This technique… he's harnessing nature itself. Even if Uchiha Madara were here, he'd have no choice but to withstand it," Obito muttered gravely.
In this rare alignment of natural forces, his own Kamui could protect him, but others were less fortunate. The speed of lightning was among nature's fastest forces. Avoiding it was nearly impossible.
"Looks like the Deva Path Nagato created is finished," murmured Black Zetsu. "Obito, it's too late to intervene now. Lightning moves even faster than your Kamui."
"It's too soon to say that," Obito replied coldly. "Remember, Nagato can still summon the Gedo Statue. With it having absorbed the Six-Tails, it should withstand this level of attack."
"Heh…" Black Zetsu chuckled darkly. "This kind of attack could never destroy the Gedo Statue—it doesn't even come close!"
Obito cast a sidelong glance at Black Zetsu. "The Gedo Statue is essential for becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchuuriki. It's the key to the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I don't want it damaged."
"Don't worry," Black Zetsu replied confidently. "At most, this would only leave the Gedo Statue with minor damage. Once we capture more tailed beasts, it'll restore itself."
"This Uchiha Akira is not to be underestimated. I'll have to find a chance to eliminate him," Obito's gaze filled with icy resolve.
Back on the battlefield, the sky stirred as another transformation unfolded.
Lightning surged in torrents, as if preparing for something ominous. The storm's radiance filled the battlefield as enormous bolts crashed down around the Deva Path.
Tendo's Akatsuki cloak had been scorched away, leaving his upper body bare, his orange hair singed black.
Within the lightning field, countless bolts rained down like divine swords.
His only hope was to rely on instinct, predicting the strikes before they fell. Reacting after the lightning had already descended was impossible—the speed was almost half that of light, and no shinobi could evade it at that point.
"Yahiko's body… I can't lose it here…" Nagato's heart sank as he noticed the gathering storm above. He realized this was the enemy's ultimate technique.
From above, thunder rumbled. Amid the flashing lightning, a colossal sword began to form—a blade forged of pure lightning, barely visible yet teeming with destructive energy. As it absorbed more and more lightning, it swelled in size before compressing, then expanding again as it continued to feed on the storm.
After this cycle repeated a few times, the gigantic sword loomed, emitting an aura of utter annihilation as it towered over the battlefield, radiating its power across the heavens and earth.
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