Full-Force Strike

Deva Path was speechless, responding to Tsunade's fury with a cold glance. He couldn't tell if there was something wrong with her brain or if she simply looked down on him. He felt a strong urge to pull out a mirror and let this old hag see exactly what she looked like right now.

At this moment, the diamond-shaped mark on Tsunade's forehead had long since vanished.

To protect the Konoha ninja and ensure they survived the recent Shinra Tensei, the Chakra within Tsunade's body had been all but exhausted. Standing before the Pains, her legs were trembling uncontrollably, and she was gasping for air.

She was clearly at the end of her rope, barely able to stand, yet she still dared to foolishly jump out and risk her life against Pain? Nagato felt there was something wrong with her head.

Tsunade glared at the five Pains before her, showing no fear. Using every ounce of her remaining strength, she roared, "I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha! You have trampled upon the treasures and dreams left behind by our predecessors, and I will never forgive you!"

Her furious tone, her clenched fists, her dauntless posture, and her imposing opening statement made it clear to anyone that Tsunade was not lacking in what one might call resolve. But sometimes, resolve cannot put food on the table; if resolve were useful, what would be the point of strength?

"Is that so?" Deva Path replied with near-contempt, "Your courage is commendable!"

In his heart, he felt that behavior like Tsunade's was no different from throwing one's life away—the kind of "noob" player in a game who deserved to be banned. If the entire Senju clan had this kind of temper, it was no wonder they had gone extinct in the Shinobi World.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Animal Path did not hesitate; after weaving hand signs, she slammed her hands onto the ground. Billowing white mist rose up, and two massive summoning beasts, a Rhino and a Bull, were summoned forth.

As soon as the two beasts appeared, they trampled the ground and charged out of the white smoke, rumbling like two war chariots as they rushed toward Tsunade.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

After summoning the Rhino and the Bull, Animal Path continued the technique without pause.

In the rising white mist, a Cerberus with a pair of small wings and a Yatagarasu with legs on its back were also summoned by her, their ferocious eyes fixed on Tsunade.

After finishing the summoning, Animal Path didn't even spare Tsunade a glance.

She leaped up onto the back of the Yatagarasu and was carried into the air, using the Rinnegan's shared vision to monitor the situation around the battlefield from above.

Unlike the original Nagato, the current Nagato did not feel there was any need for Animal Path to remain on the front lines waving her little fists after completing her summons.

Meanwhile, the Cerberus summoned by Animal Path opened its massive maw, stepped out of the smoke, and let out an imposing roar in front of the four Pains before charging toward Tsunade behind the Rhino and the Bull.

The three summoning beasts charged in an inverted triangle formation, like three war chariots running at full speed; wherever they passed, the earth rumbled and yellow sand billowed.

And their target was nothing more than an old hag who couldn't even stand steady.

Nagato felt his strategy was rock solid; he was certain to collect the head Tsunade had delivered to him.

At this moment, Tsunade's figure looked so fragile compared to the massive bodies of the charging summoning beasts.

She tried to extract the Chakra within her, but a wave of weakness immediately surged through her body. After a bout of dizziness, her footing faltered, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Is this the end?

Tsunade thought to herself. A look of unwillingness appeared in her eyes, and memories from the past involuntarily flooded her mind.

The Rhino and the Bull before her clearly had no sentimental thoughts. While charging, they lowered their heads, revealing cold, gleaming horns. Even the sharpest tip of those horns was as large as Tsunade herself.

In this situation, almost anyone could foresee the outcome of Tsunade being impaled by the summoning beasts.

"Lord Hokage!"

The Anbu member following Tsunade reached her side. He hurriedly pushed the stubborn Tsunade away, wove hand signs, and leaped toward the charging summoning beasts.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

As expected of an elite following the Hokage, he completed the hand signs for the ninjutsu almost instantly in such an emergency. A sharp blade of wind was spat from his mouth, cutting through the air as it slashed toward the legs of the Rhino and the Bull.

Seeing this from afar, a cold light flickered in Nagato's Rinnegan.

The summoning beasts used by Animal Path were, of course, his own; each one had a Black Receiver embedded in it to receive his Chakra.

Under Nagato's control, the Rhino and the Bull suddenly leaped into the air, clearing the wind blade that was slicing parallel to the ground, and then, like two mountains of flesh, they smashed directly toward Tsunade behind the Anbu.

There was no need for additional means of attack; the sheer weight of these two beasts alone was enough to crush Tsunade into a pulp.

"Found you!"

"Over here!"

At the moment of crisis, loud roars erupted from the distance, followed by the sound of wind being torn apart as massive creatures leaped into the air.

Nagato frowned and very decisively ordered Human Path, Preta Path, and Deva Path to also charge toward Tsunade.

Subsequently, Animal Path in the air used the Summoning Jutsu again, calling forth a Lizard with the ability to turn invisible.

The Lizard swallowed Naraka Path and vanished from the spot.

Even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses its full strength. Unlike the Nagato of the past who liked to show off, the current Nagato knew very well how terrifying Konoha's overall combat power was. Therefore, even when facing a weakened Tsunade, he would strike with full force, because in such times and under such circumstances, the events occurring every single second had a decisive impact on the future of the war.

On the battlefield, the massive summoning beasts leaped into the air with heavy pressure, casting large shadows on the ground like two mountains of flesh.

Just as the Konoha Anbu saw the ferocious face of the Cerberus blocked behind the Rhino and the Bull, three more shadows appeared on the ground before him. Three giant toads, equal in size, descended from the sky with weapons in hand, blocking the three summoning beasts of Pain.

They were Gamabunta wielding a short blade, Gamaken holding a steel fork covered in spikes, and Gamahiro wielding dual blades.

Human Path, Deva Path, and Preta Path bypassed the battlefield where the six summoning beasts were locked in combat and charged toward Tsunade.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

At this moment, the small but clever Gamakichi saw through Pain's intentions and directly used the Summoning Jutsu to summon Naruto.

"Thanks, Gamakichi! You're a lifesaver!"

Naruto was overjoyed. He stepped onto the ground and appeared in front of the three Pains in an instant, causing Nagato to frown.

In truth, under these circumstances, sending the Deva Path—which lacked recovery abilities—to feed kills to Naruto in his Sage Mode would have been the most logical choice, but that was, after all, the corpse of Yahiko.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Human Path as he charged toward Naruto in Sage Mode, only to be sent flying by a single punch from Naruto, his face caving in as he spun like a top in the air before collapsing onto the ground.

"Sage Art! Frog Call!"

Fukasaku and Shima, who were by Naruto's side, were small in stature but capable of using Senjutsu. Both performed hand seals and leaped into the air, emitting waves of sound from their mouths that forced the Deva Path and the Preta Path, who were caught in the sonic range, to halt their advance.

The Preta Path stood before the Deva Path; although it could not absorb sound-based attacks, it prevented the Deva Path behind it from losing its mobility.

"Toads from Mount Myoboku! You keep interfering in the conflicts of humans; sooner or later, I will wipe out your toad nest!"

The Deva Path stood behind the Preta Path, his eyes turning cold as he spoke the words Nagato wanted to say.

"That remains to be seen, if you even have the ability to do so!"

Naruto was incensed. After taking out the Human Path with a single punch, he continued his assault toward the Deva Path, only to see the Deva Path before him coldly extend a finger and point toward the rear of the chaotic summon battle.

There, backed by an invisible Lizard that no one had noticed, stood the Naraka Path. In each hand, he held a captive: the Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade Senju, and the Anbu member who had just stepped forward to protect her. He cast a mocking glance at Naruto, who stared at him in a daze.

The invisible Lizard opened its mouth and swallowed the Naraka Path and Tsunade whole; as for the Anbu member, the Naraka Path drove a Black Receiver into him before tossing him aside.

By the time the Naraka Path reappeared, he was already standing behind the Deva Path.

"Things always happen suddenly, and the reasons are only discovered after the fact."

The Deva Path took Tsunade from the hands of the Naraka Path, slammed her onto the ground without a hint of mercy, and then pierced her hands, arms, and thighs with Black Receivers.

Tsunade lay prone on the ground, her limbs twitching as bright red blood pooled into a river beneath her, yet she gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Seeing this, Naruto was so enraged that his face twisted in fury: "Who exactly are you?!! Why would you do something like this?!!"

He roared at the Deva Path, his voice of interrogation echoing across the entire battlefield.