Tsunade's special operations unit had been deployed.
Their mission: take down the most dangerous enemy from the intel—Deva Path Pain.
The team was also prepared to handle any unexpected threats.
Most of the squad consisted of elite ANBU operatives, but among them stood familiar faces—Morino Ibiki, a master of psychological warfare, and Shikamaru Nara, representing the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation.
The reports claimed that Pain's abilities could repel any ninjutsu. But surely, even he couldn't stop something like the Shadow Possession Technique… right?
---
Elsewhere, Animal Path Pain had begun summoning an army of monstrous creatures to wreak havoc across the village.
A massive armored rhino.
A multi-headed dog that split apart each time it was struck.
An enormous, camouflaged monitor lizard.
A giant centipede with razor-sharp pincers.
A massive bird soaring above the rooftops.
Destruction spread as the creatures tore through Konoha.
---
In a small attic, Human Path Pain found himself surrounded.
Kiba and his mother, Tsume Inuzuka, stood at the front, backed by more members of the Inuzuka clan.
Despite Pain's impressive close-combat abilities, he was clearly outmatched.
With a confident smirk, Tsume lunged forward.
"He's weak! Let's take him down!"
Kiba grinned.
"Should we capture him alive?"
Tsume let out a bold laugh.
"Hah! Only because we're that strong does he seem weak! Either way, let's put him down first!"
But then, Human Path Pain suddenly smiled.
A deep rumble echoed through the attic.
Cracks spread across the ceiling. The entire building trembled.
Kiba's eyes widened.
"What the—?"
Before he could finish, the entire roof was ripped away.
A towering centipede loomed over them, its head pushing through the debris.
Human Path Pain leaped onto its back.
Kiba growled.
"Oh no, you're not getting away!"
"Fang Over Fang!"
He and Akamaru spun into a whirling drill, shooting straight toward Pain.
But Pain didn't even flinch. Instead, he guided the centipede's head upward, using its massive shell as a shield.
Kiba and Akamaru struck the creature's hardened exoskeleton with full force. Sparks flew as they drilled into it, but the shell was too thick.
Finally, after a few seconds, they managed to pierce the surface—green liquid oozed out.
Tsume landed beside Kiba, panting.
"Damn… that thing's tough! We barely scratched it!"
---
On the other side of Konoha, Hell Path Pain encountered a team of Konoha ninjas.
Among them were sensory and reconnaissance specialists from the Hyuga Clan, their Byakugan active and scanning the battlefield.
Unlike the other Paths, Hell Path Pain was not built for direct combat. His main ability was summoning the King of Hell, which allowed him to restore fallen Paths or interrogate enemies. His offensive power, however, was limited.
Facing this squad of skilled Konoha shinobi, he was at a disadvantage.
Neji and another Hyuga member exchanged glances before striking in unison.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
Two invisible chakra blasts shot through the air, aimed directly at Pain.
With the keen perception of the Rinnegan, he sensed the attack and dodged at the last moment.
But the Konoha team didn't stop there.
A shinobi weaved hand signs rapidly, taking a deep breath before exhaling a massive fireball.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Another ninja followed up with a wind jutsu, reinforcing the flames.
"Wind Style: Gale Surge!"
The combined techniques intensified the blaze, sending a roaring inferno toward Pain.
Meanwhile, a third shinobi activated a specialized weapon—a half-moon-shaped launcher with hidden shuriken mechanisms.
Pulling the trigger, he unleashed a storm of spinning blades, filling the air with steel.
Pain was now trapped, with attacks closing in from every direction.
He remained expressionless.
"No other choice."
The next moment, the combined fire, wind, and projectiles struck him head-on.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, shaking the ground. A thick mushroom cloud of smoke and dust billowed into the sky.
The Konoha team held their positions, watching the destruction carefully.
"Did we get him?" one of the ninjas asked.
As the smoke began to clear, a crater was all that remained.
But there was no sign of Pain's body.
Even if he had been destroyed, there should have been some remains.
Neji activated his Byakugan, scanning the area.
"No… he escaped."
The realization settled over the squad.
Pain was still out there.
---
Not far away, Animal Path Pain pressed his hand into the air.
Poof!
In a cloud of smoke, Hell Path Pain appeared beside him.
Animal Path spoke in a calm, detached tone.
"Konoha was more prepared than expected. We shouldn't spread out too much."
---
At the Root Headquarters, Danzo and his forces were locked in battle with Asura Path Pain.
Danzo narrowed his eyes at the monstrous figure before him—three heads, six arms, and an arsenal of built-in weapons.
"This one is a problem."
With its immense firepower and relentless missile attacks, Asura Path was overwhelming Root's forces. Several operatives had already fallen.
A sinister grin stretched across Pain's face as his hands split open, revealing multiple missiles.
The Root ninjas tensed.
"Here it comes!"
Just as expected, the next second, a barrage of missiles shot toward Danzo.
The Root shinobi immediately formed hand seals.
"Wind Style: Blade Gale!"
"Wind Style: Severing Wind!"
Cutting gusts of wind slashed through the missiles, detonating them midair. Explosions lit up the battlefield like fireworks.
But Asura Path used the distraction to charge forward.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked.
A ninja with purple markings on his bare chest burst out from below, striking at close range.
Asura Path barely dodged, but his right arm was grazed.
Immediately, a necrotic purple hue spread across his arm.
"Poison?"
Danzo smirked.
"Good work, Torune."
The masked Root ninja, Torune Aburame, nodded.
His body was laced with nano-sized venomous insects, capable of breaking down cells on contact. A single touch was lethal.
Asura Path frowned. Though his body was more machine than human, it still required some organic components to function. And now, those parts were rotting away.
But he had one more move to play.
Fixing his gaze on Danzo, Asura Path lunged straight at him.
Danzo's eyes widened.
"Prepare for his final attack!"
Asura Path detached his wrist, launching it like a missile-fist aimed at Danzo.
"Master Danzo, watch out!"
A Root ninja threw himself in front of the attack, taking the full brunt of the impact.
BOOM!
The loyal operative was sent flying, crashing into a wall and coughing up blood.
Danzo, shielded by the sacrifice, barely avoided injury.
But the attack wasn't over.
Asura Path grabbed his own arm, reshaping it into a cannon-like barrel.
A bright glow began forming inside.
"He's charging a high-energy attack!"
"Asura Cannon!"
The arm-mounted weapon fired a devastating laser.
Danzo had no time to hesitate.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A thick stone barrier rose between him and the incoming blast.
It wasn't enough.
The laser pierced straight through, hitting Danzo square in the chest.
BOOM!
A powerful explosion engulfed the area in fire and smoke.
Asura Path stood motionless, his body now fully consumed by Torune's poison.
Satisfied, he collapsed and vanished.
The remaining Root operatives stood frozen, staring into the thick smoke where Danzo had been.
Was he still alive?
_________
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