The curtain of rain was pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a bizarre vacuum. Neji floated in the air, his gray robe stirring slightly in the motionless atmosphere as he calmly watched Nagato and Konan, completely exposed below.
Nagato's gaunt body trembled violently with shock and fury. His body, studded with black rods, struggled to straighten atop the machine, and his Rinnegan erupted with intense unwillingness and humiliation. Papers whirled wildly around Konan, transforming into countless sharp paper shuriken and Explosive Tags. Like a mother beast protecting her young, she stood firmly before Nagato.
"Hyuga Clan Neji! What exactly do you want?!" Nagato's voice was hoarse, filled with incredulous rage. His opponent possessed the power to easily destroy his hiding place, yet had not immediately dealt a killing blow. That made him feel the humiliation of being toyed with.
Neji did not answer. His gaze passed over Konan and settled directly on Nagato, as if assessing a tool. Thoughts raced through his mind. The threat of the Ōtsutsuki Clan hangs overhead like a blade. By my strength alone, I will eventually be unable to hold everything up. The Ninja World needs pressure, needs whetstones, needs more strong individuals forged under the oppression of life and death. Nagato, Obito Uchiha, you "geniuses" drowning in your own pain are the first whetstones I have chosen. Force you, squeeze you dry—either break through your limits in despair, or... become nourishment for other strong people.
Naturally, he would not speak those thoughts aloud.
He merely said flatly, his voice devoid of the slightest warmth, "Show me everything you have, Nagato. Let me see what those Rinnegan of yours can do besides bring pain to the world."
Before he finished speaking, the sound of air tearing came from every direction!
The Asura Path launched