A Critical Moment!

But faced with this sudden turn of events, A unexpectedly did not fly into a rage this time!

His eyes were merely terrifyingly cold... He threw away the Preta Path's mangled upper body, cloaked himself in lightning armor, and charged straight at Pain's Human Path!

On the mountaintop, Nagato said gravely, "Everything depends on this one move!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Deva Path, Animal Path, and Naraka Path leaped down into the valley!

Deva Path Pain... descended directly in front of the Human Path!

Dodai's expression changed drastically. "What... there are more than three enemies!!!"

—Lightning Plow!

Boom!!! A's fist came hurtling toward him... In the past, the only person who could evade this move was his archrival, the man known as the Yellow Flash!

Deva Path Pain naturally could not dodge it, but he could knock it away!

His eyes suddenly widened!

—Shinra Tensei!!!

Whoosh!!!

Under that incomparably powerful repulsive force, A was instantly blasted backward...!!

Dodai was horrified. "What kind of ability is that!?"

"AAAH!!" Even as he was being pushed back, A's eyes flew open in fury.

"Don't underestimate the Raikage!!!!"

With a roar, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode advanced even further, and A's hair stood straight up like spikes!

"That advanced state is something Lord Raikage only just mastered. The burden is enormous—has he actually been pushed this far!!!"

Boom!!! A shattered the ground beneath his feet, abruptly halting his retreat. He even showed signs of advancing against the force field!!

The Deva Path's pupils trembled as he thought in alarm, In this state, the explosive power of his taijutsu is no weaker than Naruto's when he erupted into six tails!

But that forward momentum ultimately could not be maintained...

"What a shame. You have no tail that can be driven into the ground to anchor your body like a stake. So no matter how strong you are, you cannot withstand Shinra Tensei!"

Boom!!

This brief clash ended with A being blasted away and smashing headfirst into a distant mountainside!!

Boom!

At last... the coffin buried deep underground was raised to the surface by the Moving Earth Core!

The Deva Path controlled the force field and lifted that heavy coffin!

Pain Rin rode the Yata Crow as she swooped down from the sky!

"He wants to use that bird to carry away the previous generation's coffin!!!"

"We absolutely cannot let that happen!!!"

Without waiting for Dodai's command, the Hidden Cloud Village shinobi had already charged forward without regard for their lives!!!

They knew full well... that this was an enemy even the Raikage could not confront head-on!

They had already cast aside all thoughts of life and death...!

The Deva Path watched them solemnly, showing no contempt for their insignificant strength.

Because they were all worthy of respect!

While controlling objects with the force field, he could not use Shinra Tensei or Banshō Ten'in.

The Deva Path leaped aside, evading the incoming kunai and shuriken!

But immediately afterward, the Hidden Cloud Village shinobi who had leaped high into the air swung their ninja blades at him!

"This is getting a little troublesome..."

The Deva Path twisted his body with all his strength, evading the slash coming down at him, then forcefully raised his palm!

Whoosh! The coffin rose several meters into the air. Pain Rin's Yata Crow circled low to the ground and successfully caught it!

The Hidden Cloud Village shinobi shifted their stances and swung their blades at him again!!

"At last..."

Having cast off his burden, the Deva Path faced them calmly and spread his arms wide!!

—Shinra Tensei!

"AAAH...!!"

The overwhelming repulsive force... blasted every approaching Hidden Cloud Village shinobi away. At the same time, the dust kicked up by the force obscured everyone's vision!!

Crackle!!!

At that exact moment, a black lightning panther descended from the sky at incredible speed... and bit down on the Deva Path's body!!!

Crackle...!!! Black arcs of electricity spread across the Deva Path's entire body, rendering him unable to move!!

"Black Lightning Release..." The Deva Path turned his gaze.

In the distance stood a dark-skinned, white-haired youth with the characters for "lightning" and "water" on his left and right shoulders respectively, glaring viciously at him with sharp eyes!

"The Third Raikage is the man I respect most. How could I allow you to disturb his peace after death!"

A smile curled across the Deva Path's lips. "I see..."

That youth was Darui, and he had used the secret technique personally passed down by the Third Raikage... Lightning Release: Black Panther!

"That technique of yours that repels all enemies and ninjutsu is indeed incredibly troublesome, but your body is completely paralyzed now. You can't use it anymore. You can only let others do as they please with you!"

Darui calmly glanced at the blonde, fair-skinned girl beside him. "Samui, I'll leave him to you!!"

"Understood!!"

Samui gripped her ninja blade and charged toward the immobile Deva Path Pain...!

Crack!

But suddenly... Darui's expression changed drastically. He felt a pair of invisible hands firmly restraining him from behind!

"Who is it...!?"

Whoosh! The Camouflage Concealment Technique was undone, and Pain's Preta Path, who should have been dead beyond any doubt, revealed himself. Darui's pupils shook violently. "Th-this is impossible. Y-you were already taken out by Lord Raikage..."

In the distance, Pain's Naraka Path withdrew the King of Hell and muttered, "This Preta Path that can use the Camouflage Concealment Technique is actually quite useful."

The Preta Path shed his arrogant demeanor from when he faced the Raikage and smiled. "Darui, I admire spirited young people like you. You are the future hope of Amegakure. Follow me. I will never let you become 'trash'!"

Whoosh!

The Preta Path instantly devoured Darui's chakra...!!

"N-no... Bad... S-stop, Samui, stop!" Darui went limp and collapsed into the Preta Path's arms!!

Snap!!

The Black Panther restraining the Deva Path collapsed as its caster lost consciousness!!

Whoosh!!!

He evaded Samui's blade, and a Black Rod dropping from his sleeve stabbed into Samui's completely unguarded lower abdomen!!

"Ugh, aaaah...!!"

In an instant... the powerful chakra impact flooding into her body caused Samui to lose consciousness immediately!

Looking at her completely flat chest, he smiled. "It seems... she has considerable potential for cultivation."

His smile faded. He glanced into the distance and raised his palm.

—Banshō Ten'in!

Beside Dodai... C was dragged over by the gravitational force!!!

"Lord Dodai!"

"Damn it!!!"

A rubber rope created from the Lava Release in Dodai's palm shot toward C!!

Pain's Human Path flashed forward, driving a Black Rod into it. The rubber rope instantly melted into the ground...

C was seized by the Deva Path. The mere force radiating from his gaze caused C to faint!

Konan asked, "Are you going to turn those three children into Pain?"

Nagato smiled. "That sounds like a good option too, but letting them live may be more meaningful. After we take Amegakure back from Hanzo, we will need to cultivate some fresh forces as well, won't we?"

Konan glanced at him sideways. "So you had already considered things that far ahead."

Boom!!!!

Explosive lightning blasted apart the boulders pinning him down. A looked up and saw the Yata Crow carrying his father's coffin into the sky...!!!

Boom...!!! A kicked off the rocks and soared into the air!!

The next moment... he had leaped to a height even Pain Rin had to look up at!!!

Behind her mask, Pain Rin's gaze trembled. I was careless. I nearly forgot that this man... possesses strength comparable to the Yellow Flash!

Among all ninja techniques, only speed was invincible. In the shinobi world, that could also be called an absolute truth!

Terrifying Lightning Release chakra gathered around A's foot as he brought it down with horrifying pressure!!

"Even if I smash my old man's body to pieces, I absolutely will not let him fall into your hands!!!!"

—Righteous Lightning Fury Axe!!!

And just then, at this critical moment...!!!