Far away in the Rain Village.
Nagato had gone completely numb.
The young Uchiha before him was clearly much weaker in combat than that old Uchiha, but why was he overcome by such a profound sense of powerlessness?
That was right! At this moment, he was focusing on three things at once!
The Deva Path was accompanying Konan at the Chunin Exams in the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Animal Path had summoned six Summoning Animals to fight Obito.
As for the remaining Human Path, Hell Path, Asura Path, and Preta Path, they were battling Uchiha Setsuna.
If he had not been dividing his attention three ways, he felt that relying on just four Paths would have been enough to take down that old Uchiha bastard.
"Damn it!"
Nagato felt utterly miserable.
"Why?"
An expression of anger and despair appeared on Nagato's face, and his voice was filled with unwillingness and confusion.
He widened his eyes and stared straight ahead, as though he wanted to see through the void and find the reason for the pain tormenting him.
"Why did it have to be at this moment?"
He repeated the words, his voice growing louder and carrying an uncontrollable fury.
His fists clenched tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. Blood trickled between his fingers, but he seemed unable to feel the pain.
"If the Hidden Leaf hadn't suddenly insisted that we take part in the Chunin Exams, how could I have separated the Deva Path from the other Paths?"
"If I hadn't been worried that someone might sabotage our plan, how could I have advanced the Tailed Beast capture plan?"
A trace of regret flashed through his eyes. He had already realized that his decisions might have caused a series of irreversible consequences.
"Why did it have to be