Full-Power Assault

Deva Path was at a loss for words. He gave Tsunade's fury a cold, indifferent glance. He couldn't tell whether she had something wrong with her head or simply looked down on him. He really wanted to pull out a mirror and let that old woman Tsunade take a look at what she looked like right now.

Tsunade's diamond-shaped forehead mark was already gone.

To protect Konoha's ninja and help them survive Shinra Tensei, the Chakra in Tsunade's body had nearly run out. Standing before the Pains, her legs trembled uncontrollably, and she panted heavily.

She was clearly at death's door and could barely stand, yet she'd foolishly jumped out to fight Pain to the death? Nagato thought there was something wrong with Tsunade's head.

Tsunade glared at the five Pains before her without a trace of fear. Gathering all her strength, she shouted, "I am the Fifth Hokage of Konoha! You've trampled on the treasures and dreams left behind by our predecessors. I will never forgive you!"

Her angry tone, her clenched fists and fearless expression, and her forceful opening words made it clear at a glance that Tsunade certainly wasn't lacking in what people called resolve. But sometimes, resolve really couldn't put food on the table. If resolve was all you needed, what was the point of strength?

"Is that so?" Deva Path replied with near-contempt. "Admirable courage!"

He thought that what Tsunade was doing was no different from feeding herself to the enemy. She was the kind of hopeless player who deserved to get banned for throwing the game. If everyone in the Senju clan had been this reckless, it was no wonder they'd died out in the Shinobi World.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Without hesitation, Animal Path formed Hand Seals and slapped her palms against the ground. Billowing clouds of white smoke rose, and two enormous summoned beasts—a Rhino and a Bull—appeared.

As soon as they appeared, the two beasts charged out of the smoke, pounding the ground with all four hooves. Like a pair of chariots, they rumbled toward Tsunade.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

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

More white smoke billowed up. The Cerberus, with a pair of small wings, and the Yatagarasu, with two legs sprouting from its back, appeared at her summons. They fixed their savage eyes on Tsunade.

After using the Summoning Technique, Animal Path didn't even spare Tsunade a glance.

She leaped onto the Yatagarasu's back and rode it into the sky. Using the Rinnegan's shared field of vision, she monitored the area around the battlefield from above.

Unlike the original Nagato, this Nagato didn't think Animal Path needed to stay on the front lines and wave her little fists around after using the Summoning Technique.

Meanwhile, the Cerberus summoned by Animal Path bared its jaws and emerged from the smoke. Standing before the four Pains, it let out a mighty roar, then charged after the Rhino and Bull toward Tsunade.

The three summoned beasts charged in an inverted triangular formation, like three chariots racing at full speed. The earth thundered beneath them, and yellow sand billowed wherever they went.

And their target was nothing more than an old woman who could barely stand.

Nagato thought his strategy was foolproof. He was going to claim the kill Tsunade had handed him.

Compared to the enormous bodies of the summoned beasts thundering toward her, Tsunade looked so fragile.

She tried to draw Chakra from within herself, but a wave of weakness immediately washed over her. Her head spun, and her legs gave way; she nearly fell to the ground.

Is this where it ends?

Tsunade thought so, a look of unwillingness in her eyes. Memories from the past rose involuntarily in her mind.

But the Rhino and Bull before her clearly weren't feeling sentimental. As they charged, they lowered their heads and revealed their gleaming horns. The sharpest tips alone were as large as Tsunade herself.

In this situation, almost anyone could foresee the outcome: Tsunade would be impaled by the summoned beasts.

"Lord Hokage!"

The Anbu who had been accompanying Tsunade rushed to her side. He quickly shoved the stubborn Tsunade out of the way, formed Hand Seals, and leaped toward the charging summoned beasts alone.

"Wind Release: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

As expected of an elite who served the Hokage. Even in such a desperate situation, he completed the Hand Seals almost instantly. A sharp blade of wind burst from his mouth, cut through the air, and slashed toward the Rhino and Bull's legs.

Far away, Nagato saw this, and a cold glint flashed in his Rinnegan.

The summoned beasts Animal Path used were also his. Every one of them had a Black Receiver embedded in it to receive his Chakra.

Under Nagato's control, the Rhino and Bull abruptly leaped into the air, clearing the wind blade as it swept toward them parallel to the ground. Then, like two mountains of flesh, they dropped straight toward Tsunade, behind the Anbu.

There was no need for any additional attack. The sheer weight of these two summoned beasts was enough to crush Tsunade into a pulp.

"Found them!"

"Over here!"

At the critical moment, a series of massive shouts rang out in the distance, followed by the hurricane-like whoosh of huge figures leaping into the air.

Nagato frowned and decisively sent Human Path, Preta Path, and Deva Path toward Tsunade as well.

Then, Animal Path used the Summoning Technique again from the air, calling forth a Lizard with the ability to turn invisible.

The Lizard swallowed Naraka Path and disappeared from the spot.

Even a lion needed to use all its strength to catch a rabbit. Unlike the old Nagato, who had enjoyed showing off, the current Nagato knew exactly how formidable Konoha was as a whole. So even against a weakened Tsunade, he would give it everything he had. At a time like this, in a situation like this, every second of the battle could have a decisive impact on what came next.

On the battlefield, the enormous summoned beasts leaped into the air, bringing a crushing sense of oppression. Like two mountains of flesh, they cast huge shadows over the ground.

The Konoha Anbu had only just caught sight of the Cerberus's savage face behind the Rhino and Bull when three more shadows appeared on the ground before him. Three enormous toads, each every bit as huge as the others, descended from above with weapons in hand, blocking Pain's three summoned beasts.

They were Gamabunta, swinging a single sword; Gamaken, wielding a steel trident bristling with spikes; and Gamahiro, who used two swords.

Human Path, Deva Path, and Preta Path skirted the battlefield where the six summoned beasts clashed and charged toward Tsunade.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

At that moment, the small but clever Gamakichi saw through Pain's intentions. He immediately used the Summoning Technique to summon Naruto.

"Thanks, Gamakichi! You really helped me out!"

Naruto was overjoyed. His feet touched the ground, and in an instant, he appeared before the three Pains, making Nagato frown.

Actually, in this situation, it would have been most sensible to send Deva Path, who couldn't recover, to die against Naruto in Sage Mode. But that was Yahiko's corpse, after all.

At the thought, a cold glint flashed through Human Path's eyes. He charged at Naruto in Sage Mode, but Naruto quickly punched him away. Human Path's face was twisted out of shape as he spun through the air like a top before crashing to the ground.

"Sage Art: Frog Call!"

The two toads accompanying Naruto, Fukasaku and Shima, were small, but they could use Senjutsu. They formed Hand Seals together and leaped into the air, sending out wave after wave of sound. Deva Path and Preta Path, caught in the sound waves, had no choice but to stop.

Preta Path stepped in front of Deva Path. Although he couldn't absorb sound-based attacks, he kept Deva Path behind him from losing his ability to move.

"Toads from Mount Myoboku! You keep interfering in the conflicts of humans. One day, I'll wipe out your toad den!"

Standing behind Preta Path, Deva Path's eyes turned cold as he voiced what Nagato wanted to say.

"You'll have to see if you're capable of it!"

Naruto flew into a rage. After killing Human Path with a single punch, he continued toward Deva Path, only to see Deva Path coolly point a finger at him, then gesture toward the rear of the battlefield where the summoned beasts were fighting.

There, with an invisible Lizard at his back, stood Naraka Path. He held the Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade Senju, in one hand and the Anbu who had just tried to protect her in the other. He looked at Naruto with a mocking expression as Naruto stared at him in shock.

The invisible Lizard opened its mouth and swallowed Naraka Path and Tsunade. As for the Anbu, Naraka Path had impaled him with a Black Receiver before tossing him aside.

When Naraka Path appeared again, he was already behind Deva Path.

"Things always happen suddenly. It's only afterward that you realize why."

Deva Path took Tsunade from Naraka Path and mercilessly slammed her into the ground. Then he used Black Receivers to pierce her hands, arms, and legs.

Tsunade lay face-down on the ground, her limbs twitching. Bright red blood pooled beneath her, but she gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound.

But when Naruto saw this, his face twisted with fury. "Who are you, really?!! Why would you do something like this?!!"

He roared at Deva Path in anger, his furious challenge echoing across the entire battlefield.