At this moment, Konan, Sasori, and the Deva Path surrounded Uchiha Itachi from three sides—left, right, and center. Each of them launched their respective attacks simultaneously.
Boom!
The next second, their combined attacks collided, creating an earth-shattering explosion!
The already shattered ground, damaged earlier by Shinra Tensei, quaked violently once again, splitting open into a massive crater.
"Is it over?"
The Deva Path's gaze remained locked on the dust-covered center of the battlefield.
"Just make sure the body isn't damaged," Sasori muttered anxiously.
Suddenly—
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
The haunting cries of crows echoed from within the smoke. Then, hundreds of crows burst out from the inferno, their black wings cutting through the air.
"He still has the strength to counterattack?"
Nagato's expression darkened. A mere Uchiha Itachi had cost him so much time and even exposed crucial information.
"But no matter how many tricks you have—"
The Deva Path's lifeless face tilted slightly, and he raised his right hand.
"They're futile!"
He intended to use Bansho Ten'in to gather the crows in one spot and obliterate them.
(T/N: Banshō Ten'in is a technique that manipulates attractive force to pull matter towards the user at will.)
High above, one of the crows flew toward Konan. Frowning, she formed several paper shuriken, intending to dispatch the insolent bird.
"Impossible! A Mangekyo Sharingan!"
For the first time, a flicker of fear crossed Konan's usually calm face, her voice trembling.
The crow turned mid-air, revealing a Mangekyo Sharingan in its other eye!
Kotoamatsukami!
The crow let out an eerie screech, its Mangekyo rapidly spinning. Konan, caught in its gaze, froze. In an instant, her expression turned dazed before regaining clarity.
"Bansho Ten'in!"
A black sphere of energy glowed in the Deva Path's palm, pulling the entire murder of crows toward him. Once gathered, he crushed them into nothingness.
A few surviving crows flapped furiously, retreating as fast as possible.
The Deva Path turned toward Konan, hovering in mid-air. The unusual screech from the crow earlier had made him worry for her. However, Konan appeared completely normal, and Nagato felt a wave of relief.
Meanwhile, the scattered crows began to reassemble mid-air, fusing into a battered Itachi. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Seeing him, the Deva Path, Sasori, and a now-calm Orochimaru approached the fallen figure.
Itachi lay in a pool of blood. His black cloak, adorned with red clouds, was shredded from the relentless attacks. Wounds covered his entire body, and his empty eye sockets oozed dark blood—a ghastly sight.
"Itachi, this is the end," the Deva Path declared emotionlessly, raising his hands to unleash another Shinra Tensei to finish the job.
"Leader, wait! Don't destroy his body—I need it!" Sasori urgently interrupted.
The Deva Path paused. Forcing members to improve their abilities aligned with Akatsuki's goals. He dismissed the Shinra Tensei and instead formed a black chakra rod in his right hand.
If the body must remain intact, a simpler method would suffice. With deliberate steps, the Deva Path approached the bloodied Itachi.
"Itachi, farewell."
The Deva Path raised the black rod high, aiming for Itachi's heart.
Suddenly—
"Dance of the Shikigami!"
Konan's cold voice echoed, followed by an astonishing sight.
The vast battlefield began to shift. What seemed like solid ground tore apart, revealing layers of paper. The fissure expanded, exposing countless sheets, some laced with explosive tags.
In a flash, the papers enveloped Itachi's body, whisking him away. At the same time, the Deva Path, Sasori, and Orochimaru found themselves surrounded by a minefield of explosive tags!
Orochimaru, who had been toying with the stolen Sharingan, finally stopped smiling. He had no desire for his newly acquired Mangekyo to be obliterated.
"Konan, what are you doing?!"
The Deva Path's voice boomed.
Hovering mid-air in her paper form, Konan offered no reply. She was already under the control of Kotoamatsukami.
Originally, this terrain had been disguised by Konan's secret technique to prevent Itachi from escaping. But now, the elaborate trap was turning against them.
"She's under a genjutsu!" Orochimaru's expression soured. He began contemplating using Reverse Summoning to protect the Mangekyo Sharingan hidden within a summoned snake's belly.
"How is that possible? Both of Itachi's eyes are already in your hands! How could he cast a genjutsu?" the Deva Path questioned in disbelief.
"It's Shisui Uchiha's eye!" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Danzo Shimura seized one of Shisui's Mangekyo, but the other must have been entrusted to Itachi!"
The Deva Path's face twisted in frustration. Orochimaru's failure to disclose such critical information had left them unprepared, leading to this predicament.
Before he could confront Orochimaru, Konan launched her attack.
"Detonate!"
Her voice rang out as she activated the explosive tags. The camouflaged battlefield erupted into chaos.
Orochimaru, having secured the Mangekyo Sharingan, prepared to flee. Sasori, controlling the Third Kazekage puppet, released a massive wave of Iron Sand in an attempt to shield himself. The Deva Path, as Nagato's most valuable puppet, ceased all movements, seemingly in deep conversation.
Moments later, the three regained their composure.
A distortion in space appeared, and from the swirling black vortex emerged a figure clad in a spiral-patterned mask.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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