I dusted off my pants and tilted my head to look at the sky.
The ANBU girl still stood in front of me, panting heavily.
A low rumble of thunder came from the black smoke in the distance.
Rumble.
The sound was deeper than anything we had heard earlier.
The dark clouds that had only just dispersed rapidly gathered overhead again.
"Sen, what did you just say, brat? You're quitting?"
Tsunade strode through the muddy water and punched a charred log beside her.
The wood cracked under her fist, sending sparks flying.
"The Akatsuki is attacking us, and you're abandoning your post?"
I curled my lip and pointed skyward with a look of disgust.
"Lady, look up there. Those guys have put themselves back together."
As soon as I finished speaking, three dark figures dropped from the clouds above the crater.
Deva Path Pain, Naraka Path, and the Preta Path I had just crushed.
The enormous head of the King of Hell faintly appeared in the air.
The King of Hell chewed, then spat out Asura Path's parts.
Asura Path landed and snapped back into shape with a few clicks.
"Great. With a respawn fountain sitting right here, why the hell bother fighting?"
I rolled my eyes and let out a weary breath.
"Every one I kill comes right back. Even a workhorse doesn't have it this rough."
Deva Path Pain stared at me, his purple Rinnegan filled with icy menace.
"Sen Senju, a god does not stop after a single defeat."
"Konoha is destined to become scorched earth, to welcome a new peace."
His voice was as hollow as ever, but the situation was looking bad.
The chakra around him had indeed weakened. The strain was clearly considerable.
Nagato's real body could not hold out much longer. He was