Moments ago, at the northern border, Rin Nohara sat inside a small tent. She was posted there and tasked to report anything suspicious that the enemy might attempt.
While she was waiting, a messenger holding a sealed letter entered.
"It's from the four lords," he said.
Rin quickly stood and took the letter. After unfolding it and reading the contents, her expression darkened. The intel indicated that someone was watching these grounds and trying to gather information.
If this was true, that meant this was a spy. Yet they weren't sure if it was the enemy or not.
While yes, they were in a time of war, that didn't mean that opposing nations couldn't still be trying to infiltrate their country.
"Gather all the sensory types," Rin ordered with urgency. "We need to find out who's out there."
Half an hour later.
Somewhere far, behind a tree, a figure was watching the tent. His eyes glinted behind glasses, and he grinned as he observed things.
"I just need to get a little closer to see what Arthur's been up to," the man whispered to himself.
Then suddenly, a woman cloaked in white landed softly on the ground behind him. It was Rin, and she had her hood pulled down, hiding her features.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded in a sharp tone.
"Looks like my cover's blown," the spy said nonchalantly, raising his hands.
"Answer my questions!"
"Hmm… Nothing in particular."
Rin readied herself by shifting into a fighting stance as she said, "That's funny. We were never told of someone like you who was going to be in this war."
The spy kept his hands up as to show he meant no harm. "I'm not surprised since I'm not really part of the Akatsuki."
She studied him with suspicion. Because this spy, whom she recognized immediately, was none other than Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto was indeed a double agent who'd worked for Sasori and others, but last she'd heard, he was supposed to be in the Sound Village.
"Then what are you doing here?" she asked again.
"I figured I'd stop by after hearing about this war," he said, slowly lowering his hands. "And quite frankly, I'm quite impressed at how it's turning out."
"Stop playing games and tell me the real reason you're here!" Rin said, swiping her arm.
"Honestly, I came to warn you about the Akatsuki's planned assault."
"As if I'm going to believe a rat like you."
"Harsh," Kabuto said, offering a small smile. "You don't have to believe if you don't want to. Just know that all Rain Village forces are to be gathered by the west border for an all-out attack. I'm only telling you this because I want the Akatsuki to lose."
That made her pause. If true, it meant Arthur's forces had to prepare just as much. A breach like that could weaken the entire country.
"I should take you down now and torture you for coming here," she disregarded.
"As much as I'd like to see you try, I trust that you'll deliver my message to Arthur."
As he turned to leave, Rin called out to ask why he was siding against the Akatsuki. He adjusted his glasses and answered, "I guess you don't know yet. I'm sure Arthur probably figured it out, though."
Then he vanished, leaving her with more questions than answers.
What did Arthur know that she didn't?
It was immediately after this event that Rin reported to the four lords of Kabuto's involvement. Hoshikaze was therefore forced to bring back his strongest forces from battle and to guard the western borders instead.
There was a chance that Kabuto might have been lying, but the four lords knew that character well enough for him not to make such rash decisions.
An entire week followed after these things.
Because of Kisame's assault, the Bird Country had suffered more losses than they wanted. Yet their defenses held thanks to the information Kabuto relayed.
It hadn't even been a day, and there were indeed Rain shinobi trying to gather in the western borders. Ryugetsu was casting up a strong barrier there that kept the enemy at bay. That led the Rain shinobi to instead camp along the western borders, watching and waiting.
Thanks to the country's defenses, the closest they could come was about three miles. Any closer, and the clones or the country's barriers would respond instantly, destroying anything that tried to breach that line.
Unless someone was as covert as Zetsu, infiltration was nearly impossible.
The Akatsuki seemed to have gained ground, and the battle was dragging longer than anyone expected. That meant that conflict was no longer just skirmishes but a drawn-out struggle with no clear victor.
Inside the throne room, Hoshikaze, Ryugetsu, Kaito, and John stood in front of the empty throne. Lars stood just a few feet from them.
"You are to go to their village," Hoshikaze said.
"And dismantle their resources," Ryugetsu added.
"I'm sure you know why we're sending you alone," Kaito commented.
"We believe your skills can get in and out without compromises," John finished.
Lars understood perfectly.
During the day he had first met Rin; the clones were interested in how Lars managed to slip into the Rain Village. Lars himself had only used the basics of techniques to do so, prompting the clones to send him there again.
"I'll return as soon as possible," Lars quietly said, turning to leave.
As he disappeared from view, John looked at the others and asked, "What do you suppose Kabuto's involvement in all of this is again?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Hoshikaze answered.
"He's lost Orochimaru," Ryugetsu added.
"And now he's using his status as a double agent to thwart the Akatsuki," Kaito confirmed.
"Then surely," John finished, "he'll begin collecting DNA much earlier once this is over."
"Agreed," Ryugetsu obliged.
"What will he do with Orochimaru's killer?" Kaito wondered aloud.
"Is that not also obvious?" Hoshikaze answered.
"He will utterly hunt Jasper down," John confirmed.
The group knew all too well that Orochimaru had been defeated by Jasper. After all, there were many Flying raijin marks scattered during the moment of their confrontation.
That information was not relayed to the others of the country on account of Arthur's disappearance. As for Kabuto, it was plausible to believe that he would enact revenge on Jasper or the Leaf Village after the war.
• • •
Elsewhere, Lars moved through enemy lines.
Invading the village was easy for him when all he had to do was evade patrols and stay hidden. And all he had was one goal: find the armoury and destroy it.
The last time he'd been here, it was as a nomad, unnoticed. Now, during a war, it was more dangerous.
Who knew if Zetsu was lurking?
Nonetheless, he managed to arrive at the south side of the village. The armoury itself was hidden behind a cluster of storage tents and wooden crates. It wasn't heavily guarded, but he kept to the shadows.
It was then that he heard movement close by. By the time he knew it, three kunai streaked toward him. He reacted instantly by leaping backward. The kunai missed him narrowly, embedding in the ground.
When he turned, his eyes narrowed upon recognizing the figure standing before him: Pain!
The leader of the Akatsuki's assault was standing with a calm face as his cold Rinnegan eyes stared Lars down.
"We knew he would send someone here eventually," Pain said, referring to Arthur.
"I'm honoured to be in the midst of the leader of the Akatsuki."
"Hmph," Pain scoffed, raising his palm. "Almighty push!"
A small wave of force shot as Lars crossed his arms. It struck him like a wall before knocking him backward. Lars tumbled, then caught himself, steadying with a breath.
He had known all about the Deva Path's gravitational pull and push techniques, but trying to defend against it was another story.
"You're persistent," Pain said, slowly approaching his enemy. "I'll be sure you don't leave here alive."
Lars stood tall, refusing to show weakness. "I'd like to see you try."
"See it then," Pain said without offering a smile before dashing forward.
The moment Pain closed the distance, Lars turned and delivered a high kick that connected with Pain's shoulders. The Akatsuki leader was sent smashing to the ground almost instantly.
Before Lars could capitalize, he sensed another presence approaching rapidly. He quickly turned around, only to see another Six Paths heading his way.
From the newcomer's appearance, it was the Animal Path.
Lars ducked a punch from him and countered with an uppercut. While the Animal Path was still in the air, Lars followed up with three rapid punches. Then, with a swift kick, he sent the Path stumbling backward.
Suddenly, Lars's eyes flashed as if sensing someone else approaching.
As expected, the Preta Path just arrived, attempting to slam his fists from above. Lars managed to flip in the air by twisting his body to avoid the attack. At his peak, he sent a bolt of lightning, which was instantly absorbed.
Landing gracefully, he soon spotted the Naraka Path standing alongside the other Paths that had just arrived. Now all Six Paths were present.
The problem was, the Deva Path was standing tall and fully healed. Even though Lars excelled in taijutsu, as long as Nagato could continually heal his Six Paths, this fight could indefinitely drag on.
"I see he picked the right warrior for this," the Deva Path relayed. "We'll take you seriously then."
Lars was going to respond, but suddenly, the Deva Path raised his arm, and a powerful shockwave rippled outward. Lars didn't hesitate to charge to the left.
Having escaped, he then ran towards. But the other Paths scattered away, leaving only the Deva Path. When he closed the distance, his fist collided with the Path's palm, creating an explosive force.
"Not bad," Lars said.
Then, boom! Lars blocked an incoming knee from the Asura Path. To prevent himself from being caught in their assault, he delivered a spin kick that hit the Asura Path's midsection, knocking him back.
Lars's fist connected with the Deva Path's jaw, momentarily stunning him. Seizing the opportunity, Lars delivered a spinning kick aimed at the Deva Path's midsection, knocking him back. He then tried to jump away, but the Animal Path came from nowhere and grabbed Lars by the ankles.
"You're too slow," Pain said, drawing forth a black rod.
Lars quickly used his other leg to kick off the Animal Path just as Pain swiped. While he managed to escape, he felt a sudden shock coursing through his legs.
The black rod was no ordinary weapon. The clones had warned Lars about it; the rod could nullify chakra and even stun one's movements. If Lars wasn't careful, his time in this world could end quickly.
"Summoning jutsu!" the Animal Path said, smacking his palm on the ground.
When the puff cloud settled, a giant, green, snake-tailed chameleon was revealed.
Lars carefully tracked the massive creature. Its body had immediately camouflaged against the rocky terrain by blending into the environment so completely that it was almost invisible. But he had learned to read the faint disturbances—the faint shift in the air—that told him where it was hiding.
The creature burst from its hiding spot and lunged toward him with its long, snake-like tail. But he dodged just in time, feeling the rush of air as it narrowly missed. Its claws then slashed through the air, aiming for his chest, but he sidestepped all of its advances.
The chameleon hissed in frustration.
Its tongue then flicked out again, trying to latch onto his leg, but he leapt onto a nearby wall and used his momentum to gain some height. From this vantage point, he could see the other Paths creating a formation in tandem.
Lars didn't hesitate to shoot three bolts of lightning at the Naraka, Deva, and Human Paths. As he expected, the Deva Path deflected the bolts, but the other Paths were hit directly, immobilizing them.
His priority was clear: take down the Naraka Path first to gain leverage. The Human Path, capable of devouring his soul, also had to be eliminated immediately.
After his attack, Lars spotted the Preta Path approaching from the right, while from the left came the Asura Path. He decided to strike the Asura Path first, so he blocked a punch from the Preta Path and then used his right leg to deliver a powerful double kick to the Asura Path.
As he attempted to push the Preta Path away, he was suddenly pulled by an invisible force emanating from the Deva Path that drew him straight into the mouth of the chameleon.
The creature managed to devour him whole, but at that moment, its eyes widened as a streak of electricity burst from inside it.
The other Paths watched in awe as dazzling fireworks tore through the creature from the inside out.
"He's beginning to annoy us," Pain said.
Once Lars' technique subsided, he was caught off guard when the Preta Path grabbed him from behind. Lars knew better than to underestimate this Path—it could drain his chakra at an alarming rate.
Instead of relying on a technique, he attempted a backflip but was immediately kicked by the Human Path. He managed to skid across the ground and recover, only to be thrown off balance again by a gravitational pull from the Deva Path.
He opened his palm, aiming to shoot a bolt of lightning at the Deva Path, but the Preta Path stepped in front of him and absorbed the attack, fueling Lars's anger.
"Summoning jutsu!"
Just then, a massive bison materialized, towering over Lars as if to stomp him into the ground. He hadn't even seen the Animal Path summon this creature.
As the bison lifted up its legs, Lars dodged just in time but was then struck by a blast from the Asura Path. The attack dealt a critical blow, leaving him weary and questioning whether he could continue fighting the Six Paths.
No, he couldn't be defeated so easily—not when he still had a mission to complete.
Summoning his resolve, he clapped his hands together, causing lightning to cascade over his entire body. His movements became faster and sharper, ready to unleash his signature combo.
"Time to die," Lars said, looking at the Deva Path.
He then dashed forward and closed the distance rapidly on the Path. Before anyone could see, he launched a relentless 10-hit combo that the other Paths couldn't follow. They watched in stunned silence as the Deva Path was swiftly defeated. But their surprise quickly turned to calculation because Lars's chakra was drained.
The Asura Path unleashed a volley of missiles, all striking their target and causing Lars to stagger. From within the smoke, the Human Path then appeared and seized him by the throat. Lars aimed a kick at the Path's neck, but the Preta Path intervened and caught it before quickly draining Lars's chakra.
There was no way to substitute or recover from this.
And then, the worst happened: Lars saw his soul being ripped from his body.
"It's over," he heard the Deva Path relay. When Lars looked, he saw that the Naraka Path had already healed that Path. Now Lars was certain: he was no match for the Rinnegan's might. "You put up a fair fight…"
"I…"
But Lars couldn't finish his words; both his chakra and soul were being sucked away.
"Seeing how strong you were," Pain added, "your death will be crippling to his forces…"
As the Preta Path continued its relentless drain, Lars's strength waned. His vision blurred, and a cold dread settled over him. The world around him seemed to slow, and the sounds were dulling into a hum.
The feeling of his own soul being torn from his body was like an icy grip tightening around his very essence.
Despite his desperate struggles, the Preta Path's grip remained unyielding until all of his soul was siphoned from him, leaving nothing behind but his empty body.
"We've got him," the Human Path relayed.
In the far distance from this fight, the four clones all raised their heads. They had each sensed the same thing: Lars, their most powerful fighter in this country, was killed.