Pain invaded!

Inside Ye Chuan's small house in Konoha.

Sitting cross-legged, Ye Chuan suddenly opened his eyes, his black gaze deep and cold.

Boom-rumble!!!

Almost at the same instant, a violent explosion rang out from the center of the village, and the ground began shaking violently!

"They're here..."

There was no surprise in Ye Chuan's eyes, only an icy calm.

He rose instantly and grasped Wado Ichimonji, which stood beside him.

Pain had invaded! This divine judgment that would sweep across all of Konoha had finally begun!

His figure flashed as he pushed Soru to its limit, rushing out of the house in an instant.

With a few Geppo steps against the air, he reached the highest rooftop nearby and spread his Observation Haki without restraint!

As far as he could see, all of Konoha had already descended into flames and chaos!

Animal Path's summoned beasts, each with a different appearance, were wantonly destroying the streets as terrified civilians fled in every direction.

Meanwhile, several figures in peculiar clothing appeared throughout the village, efficiently slaughtering ninja and searching for information.

The scene resembled hell on earth!

Ye Chuan's gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield and soon locked onto a target.

On a relatively wide street, a figure with long orange hair held a Konoha Chunin in the air by the throat with one hand.

"Talk! Where is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki?! And the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito-which part of the village is she in?!"

Preta Path demanded in a voice devoid of emotion.

"I-I don't know..." The Konoha Chunin struggled desperately.

"Useless trash." Preta Path's eyes were icy. He tightened his grip slightly, seemingly about to snap the man's neck.

Just then-

"Your opponent is me."

A calm voice rang out.

Preta Path abruptly looked up. A black-haired youth had appeared at some point on a rooftop a short distance in front of him, holding a pure white Tachi and watching him with an indifferent gaze.

"Oh? Another Konoha Ninja come to die?"

Looking at Ye Chuan, Preta Path revealed a mocking smile.

He never turned down food that delivered itself to him.

Ye Chuan wasted no words. His answer was action.

He drew a deep breath and poured pure Armament Haki into Wado Ichimonji without restraint, once again coating its blade in deep black!

"Slash!"

Shing-!!!

An immense, intensely condensed black Sword Aura cleaved straight down at Preta Path!

Faced with this seemingly world-destroying strike, Preta Path only smiled more broadly!

To him, this was undoubtedly an immensely powerful energy-based Ninjutsu!

And his ability as Preta Path was precisely to absorb all Ninjutsu!

"Perfect! Just what I needed to replenish my chakra!"

He extended both hands and activated Sealing Technique: Absorption Seal, preparing to absorb this powerful "Ninjutsu" completely!

Yet when the pitch-black Sword Aura actually touched his palms, Preta Path's smile froze instantly, replaced by boundless horror!

"Th-this isn't Ninjutsu?! This is... pure force?!"

What he sensed was not chakra energy that could be absorbed, but pure physical force!

He could not absorb it at all!

"Oh no!"

Terrified out of his wits, Preta Path desperately tried to block or dodge!

But it was already too late!

Boom-!!!

With overwhelming force, the pitch-black Sword Aura instantly crushed the defense he had hastily mustered, then slammed into his body!

As though struck by a speeding train, Preta Path screamed and flew backward uncontrollably.

He smashed through several houses in succession before finally being buried deep beneath the collapsed rubble, his fate unknown!

[Host detected defeating powerful enemy, Pain's Preta Path...]

[Overall assessment... Inheritance Experience +1,200 points!]

[Current Inheritance Progress: 95.1%]

"One down."

Ye Chuan calmly withdrew his gaze.

His Observation Haki sensed two powerful presences rapidly approaching from two different directions nearby!

They were Human Path and Asura Path! They had clearly been drawn over by the tremendous commotion!

Almost simultaneously, a laser beam and dozens of small rockets came at Ye Chuan from two directions, blanketing his position! These were Asura Path's ranged attacks!

"Suppressing fire?" Ye Chuan's eyes turned cold.

His figure flickered as he activated Soru, instantly leaving a string of afterimages and easily evading the laser beam.

At the same time, Wado Ichimonji swept through his hand like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves!

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Blade light flashed! With incredible precision, he slashed apart every incoming rocket in midair, setting them off like a dazzling display of fireworks!

Immediately afterward, Ye Chuan locked onto Asura Path, whose entire body was covered in weapons!

Geppo! Soru!

His figure changed direction in midair like a phantom, instantly crossing dozens of meters to appear before Asura Path!

"So fast!" Startled, Asura Path immediately raised his arm, intending to fire a more powerful Chakra Cannon!

But Ye Chuan's blade was faster!

Blue lightning flashed across Wado Ichimonji and vanished!

Rip! Blade light flashed, and Asura Path's weapon-covered mechanical arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder!

"Aaargh!"

Before Asura Path could react further, Ye Chuan reversed his blade. Its edge, coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, precisely sliced through his neck, completely separating his head from his body!

An instant kill! Another of the Six Paths of Pain had been eliminated in a flash!

[Host detected defeating powerful enemy, Pain's Asura Path...]

[Overall assessment... Inheritance Experience +1,000 points!]

[Current Inheritance Progress: 95.8%]

"One more..."

Ye Chuan turned his gaze toward Human Path, who had just arrived nearby.

Seeing his companions cut down so easily, Human Path's eyes also filled with horror!

He knew this youth before him was certainly not someone he could handle alone!

Without hesitation, he immediately turned, intending to use the Rinnegan's shared vision to regroup with the other Pains!

"Trying to run?" Ye Chuan snorted coldly, and his figure vanished again.

Relying on speed far beyond his opponent's, Ye Chuan caught up with Human Path in just a few moves.

Then, with a few clean, decisive slashes, he completely cut down this Pain who specialized in extracting souls!

[Host detected defeating powerful enemy, Pain's Human Path...]

[Overall assessment... Inheritance Experience +1,000 points!]

[Current Inheritance Progress: 96.5%]

In less than a minute, Ye Chuan alone had defeated Preta Path, Asura Path, and Human Path of the Six Paths of Pain in succession!

"So... so strong!"

"Incredible! He took down three monsters in one go!"

The nearby Konoha Ninja, who had been struggling to hold out, were all dumbfounded by the sight.

Ye Chuan's powerful performance undoubtedly gave those despairing ninja a much-needed boost!