Bansho Ten'in

"Yahiko, Konan, get out of the way!"

Having just blocked a Water Dragon Bullet, the Shinra Tensei was still in its cooldown period; facing Hanzo's sure-kill strike, he had no choice but to dodge.

"So that ability cannot be used indefinitely..."

Although Hanzo's attack had missed again, he had gained crucial intelligence: that ability to repel all attacks was not without its limits.

"Water Style: Water Corridor."

The Land of Rain could essentially be considered the home turf for Water Style ninjutsu, and a massive amount of water waves surged from all directions to surround the members of the Akatsuki.

"Water Style: Water Blade."

Guided by his chakra, the surrounding rainwater gathered in Hanzo's hand to form a long blade, which he then hurled toward Nagato.

"Let's see how you block this one." As he spoke, Hanzo's figure vanished into the water mist.

"Quick, retreat! We can't hold them off!"

"There are more and more Rain Ninja; we can't beat them, run!"

Faced with the onslaught of the Rain Ninja and Hanzo, some Akatsuki members finally buckled under the pressure and began fleeing toward the rear. In the face of the threat of death, they could no longer concern themselves with the Mist Ninja lurking nearby.

Watching the deserters draw closer, Raiga Kurosuki said with disdain, "You lot are making things very difficult for me. Wouldn't it be better to just die obediently?"

As an elite ninja of Kirigakure, he despised deserters on the battlefield above all else.

"Since that's the case, I have no choice but to act."

Raiga Kurosuki drew his weapons, the Kiba, from his back and waited for the growing crowd of deserters to approach.

Kiba: Twin blades, the fastest blades imbued with lightning. These blades possess the special effect of being both offensive and defensive, and can generate and attract lightning to unleash even greater power.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Ball."

A massive amount of lightning chakra surged from the tips of the Kiba, forming a thunder ball the size of a man in front of Raiga Kurosuki.

"Go."

As the thunder ball was violently launched, it instantly tore into the ranks of the fleeing Akatsuki members.

"Ahhhhh!"

"My legs, my legs are gone!"

The moment the ordinary ninja came into contact with the thunder ball, they were scorched black by the electricity, losing all moisture and life.

A few who dodged the direct hit suffered permanent damage to other parts of their bodies; lying on the ground and wailing in agony, it was hard to say whether they were lucky or unlucky.

"Yahiko, what should I do..."

On one side were the subordinates being slaughtered by Raiga Kurosuki, and on the other was Hanzo's lethal attack, yet Nagato only had one chance to use his Shinra Tensei.

"Shinra Tensei."

After weighing his options, Nagato ultimately chose to prioritize neutralizing Hanzo's attack.

Just as Nagato caught his breath, a biting killing intent appeared behind him.

"This is the chance." Hanzo suddenly appeared from behind, his sickle slashing toward Nagato's neck.

"Don't you dare!" At the critical moment, Yahiko appeared in time, using a kunai to deflect the trajectory of Hanzo's attack, the sickle grazing past Nagato's collar.

"I... I almost... died." Having just brushed past the Grim Reaper, Nagato remained trapped in a state of overwhelming fear.

Ever since he awakened the Rinnegan and Jiraiya told him these were the eyes of a god, Nagato had been determined to change the world in the name of a god; he had never imagined death could be so close.

At this moment, Konan, concerned for their safety, also moved closer and unleashed the strongest ninjutsu she had mastered.

"Dance of the Shikigami."

A long spear made of paper sheets thrust rapidly toward Hanzo, who had missed his strike, catching him off guard.

"I hit him!" Seeing the spear pierce through Hanzo's body, Konan was about to clench her fists in excitement when she realized that Hanzo had turned into a puddle of water, scattering at her feet.

"Oh no, it's a Water Clone! That means the real Hanzo is... urgh..." Before Konan could finish her sentence, a sickle pierced through her back, emerging from her abdomen.

"Konan!"

Seeing Konan suffer a grievous wound from Hanzo, Yahiko and Nagato ran toward her like madmen.

"Multiple Shuriken!"

"Bansho Ten'in!"

First, Yahiko used shuriken to force Hanzo back from behind Konan, then Nagato activated the power of the Rinnegan again, pulling Konan toward him.

"Ko-Konan, are you alright?"

"Konan, you're going to be fine."

At this moment, blood was flowing ceaselessly from the wound on Konan's waist and abdomen, and her consciousness was fading. Just as she tried to say something to Yahiko and Nagato, fresh blood bubbled up from her throat.

"Konan, I won't let you die." In desperation, a massive amount of chakra flowed through Nagato's hands toward Konan's wound. The abundant vitality unique to the Uzumaki Clan poured into the injury, and combined with the Yang release properties of the Rinnegan, Konan's wound actually began to heal visibly.

By the time Nagato was drenched in sweat and on the verge of collapse, he had finally rescued Konan from the brink of death.

"Konan... you're okay now..." Nagato gasped for air; the effort of the rescue had nearly drained him dry, and even the color of his hair had faded significantly.

"Nagato, take Konan and find a chance to leave first; I will cover your retreat." By now, Yahiko had clearly seen the selfish nature of Hanzo, realizing that cooperating with him had been a foolish choice. All he wanted now was to escort his two dearest friends to safety.

"What a touching scene... and what heaven-defying power. That only makes you all the more deserving of death."

Having been lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect moment, Hanzo would not let this opportunity slip by. He reappeared behind Nagato, his blood-stained sickle slashing ruthlessly toward him.

"Nagato, watch out!"

"Squelch!"

The scene of Nagato being drenched in blood that Hanzo had imagined did not come to pass. At the critical moment, Yahiko lunged forward, placing his own chest between Hanzo and Nagato.

"Yahiko! No!"

Having witnessed his closest companion, the one he relied on for survival, have his body pierced by Hanzo's sickle, Nagato's emotions spiraled into madness.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Under Nagato's sudden outburst, Hanzo could not dodge the power of the Rinnegan this time. Struck by the Shinra Tensei, Hanzo was sent flying, knocking aside several Rain Ninja along the way before finally slamming into the nearby mountainside.

"Yahiko, hold on, I will save you." After repelling Hanzo, Nagato frantically fumbled over Yahiko's body while once again channeling the chakra within him, attempting to replicate the method he had used to save Konan.

"Nagato, don't waste your chakra..."

Yahiko saw Nagato's desperation and wanted to stop him, as he did not want both of his friends to lose their chance to escape because they were trying to save him.

"Yahiko, don't worry, I can do it." Nagato comforted him while increasing the output of chakra from his hands; this time, he could even feel his own life force draining away rapidly.

"Cough, cough... Did you really think I would make the same mistake twice?" Having crawled out from the mountainside, Hanzo witnessed the familiar scene, yet a mocking sneer played upon his lips.