Wherever the eye focuses, black flames that never extinguish ignite, this is Amaterasu, hailed as the strongest fire-style jutsu.
It requires no hand seals and emits no chakra fluctuations when activated. With a simple gaze, black flames erupt silently on the target's body, making it a near-impossible technique to defend against.
Unless one is aware of Amaterasu beforehand, there's almost no way to block it. But once its mechanics are known, the chances of countering it increase significantly.
Such is the importance of intel in ninja combat.
The black flames of Amaterasu not only cannot be extinguished, but also burn at terrifying temperatures.
Seeing Deva Pain engulfed in black fire, Nagato frowned deeply and canceled Banshō Ten'in. Preta Pain, previously floating in midair, fell to the ground as the corpses stuck to his body were shaken off and scattered.
After landing, Preta Pain turned and moved toward Deva Pain.
"Don't go near him." Itachi covered his right eye, blood trailing from his palm down his cheek. The flames of Amaterasu are eternal and must not be touched lightly. His warning was simple and direct, so as not to give away the jutsu's secret to the enemy.
Hearing Itachi's words, Minato, Guy, and Shisui, who were closest to Deva Pain, immediately halted.
Even though Minato and Guy didn't know what the black flames were, they didn't take the warning lightly. However, that didn't mean they stood idly by.
Now that Banshō Ten'in had been canceled and Preta Pain had fallen, Guy moved quickly to switch targets and attack him instead. Being a taijutsu user, he had a clear advantage against Preta Pain, who could absorb ninjutsu and chakra.
Seeing Guy charge at Preta Pain, Minato's gaze swept rapidly between Deva Pain and Preta Pain. Preta Pain's ability was troublesome, but with a Flying Thunder God kunai embedded in him, Minato could support Guy at any time.
If his suspicions were correct, both Deva and Preta Pain were likely puppets.
Neither of them had reacted when struck with kunai earlier. Now, even while engulfed in black flames, Deva Pain showed no expression at all, more like an unfeeling puppet.
Following that line of thinking, it was likely that all six enemies attacking the village were puppets, and the real enemy was the one controlling them from behind the scenes.
In other words, even if these six Rinnegan-wielders were destroyed, they could not let down their guard.
Minato and Guy each came to their conclusions. Shisui, meanwhile, continued to watch Deva Pain carefully. Even Itachi wasn't certain whether Amaterasu alone would be enough to take him down.
As Guy approached Preta Pain, the surrounding Konoha ninja also regrouped and moved to attack alongside him.
After several rounds of combat, both enemies' abilities were mostly understood: Preta Pain could absorb ninjutsu and chakra, while Deva Pain could use repulsion and telekinetic control.
When facing Deva Pain, group attacks were inadvisable, but against Preta Pain, there was no such concern.
Guy charged across the devastated ground, kicking up a long trail of smoke and dust as he closed in on Preta Pain. At that moment, a wave of repulsive force burst from Deva's Pain body, forcibly shaking off the black flames.
The flames, shaped like black lotus blossoms, scattered across the ground and continued to burn... rootless, yet undying.
Nagato had used only minimal force to repel Amaterasu, so as not to waste chakra. But regardless of the power used, once Shinra Tensei is activated, there's always a five-second cooldown.
So long as that weakness remained hidden, Nagato only needed to avoid combat for five seconds to prevent discovery.
Watching Deva Pain so effortlessly shake off Amaterasu, Itachi's heart sank.
The feeling was akin to using up all your mana to cast a 10,000-damage spell, only to hit the enemy for just 1.
That was the crushing disappointment Itachi felt.
Mangekyō Sharingan abilities have limited usage. Each use brings the user one step closer to blindness. These powerful dojutsu must be used with care, unless…
But right now, fighting for Konoha, Itachi didn't hesitate. He used Amaterasu at the best possible moment and even though it landed, its effect was pitiful.
After repelling the flames, Deva Pain's cloak was badly burned, revealing much of his body. His pale skin had suffered severe burns.
Even though the flames were shaken off quickly, the burns remained. Yet despite this pain, Deva's Pain expression didn't change at all.
Seeing this, both Minato and Shisui grew tense. Deva Pain wasn't just strange in power, his behavior was also bizarre and unsettling.
"Itachi, are you okay?" Shisui asked quickly.
"I'm fine," Itachi replied with a firm nod.
"Good. Cover me."
Shisui drew his short sword and rushed toward the scorched, nearly naked Deva Pain.
Rip...! His Sharingan spun and morphed into the Mangekyō, resembling Ye Zi's pattern closely.
Meanwhile, Guy had closed the distance to Preta Pain.
Dynamic Entry!
Guy suddenly leapt high into the air. The power he had built up during his sprint was channeled into his right leg. With a flying front kick, he slammed it into Preta Pain's stomach.
The kick landed with such force that his foot sank deep into Preta Pain's bulging gut, launching him like a cannonball through the air.
Guy's expression was solemn. He didn't hold back. Planting a foot into the ground with immense force, the ground cracked beneath him.
Using that rebound force, Guy turned into a streak of red and green, chasing after the airborne Preta Pain.
The surrounding Konoha ninja stopped in awe. Even Minato paused, stunned by Guy's sudden burst of power.
At that moment, Guy had opened the Third Gate, turning his skin crimson. This state greatly amplified his speed and power without damaging his body, making it the most practical gate for combat.
After catching up to the airborne Preta Pain, Guy twisted his waist and delivered a powerful spinning kick straight to Preta Pain's chin.
Boom!
The impact distorted Preta Pain's entire face and altered his trajectory, launching him straight into the sky.
Every Konoha shinobi, whether in the fight or watching from afar—stared, dumbfounded.
The taijutsu Guy was displaying shattered their understanding of human limits. None of them, no matter how hard they trained, could achieve this level.
The Eight Gates Technique allows taijutsu specialists to multiply their power tenfold, even dozens of times. But the training required is brutal beyond imagination. In the entire Leaf Village, only Guy had mastered it to such a degree.
Even Ye Zi, who trained relentlessly and only slept four hours a night, couldn't match Guy's physique. And even if Ye Zi learned the Eight Gates, it was unlikely he could reach Guy's level.
Only someone like him, who trained day after day with extreme intensity, could mold such a perfect body and fully master and utilize the Eight Gates.
Even Kakashi, who never slacked in his own training and once asked Guy to teach him the Eight Gates, had to give up when he realized his body couldn't handle it.
Some techniques, in a way, are simply meant for certain people.
And with such extreme training conditions, the results naturally command deep respect.
Seeing Guy explode with radiant power, Minato smiled faintly. Even though he could now assist Guy, he chose not to, because he believed that under Guy's overwhelming offensive, Preta Painstood no chance of surviving.
So, he decisively shifted his focus back to Deva Pain.
At that moment, as Guy sent Preta Pain flying into the air, he planted both feet firmly on the ground, then launched himself upward again, closing the distance with the stunned and unresponsive Preta Pain.
In midair, Guy leapt above him.
With a low, powerful shout, Guy delivered a devastating downward kick, slamming his heel into Preta Pain's head.
Boom! A thunderous crash.
Within a second of the impact, Preta Pain had already crashed to the ground with another resounding bang.
His slightly chubby body was buried deep into the earth, completely lifeless.
Guy landed smoothly, his entire body glowing red from the opened gate, not even the slightest out of breath, his victorious stance particularly dazzling.
This was likely the first time Guy had ever displayed such incredible taijutsu strength in front of his comrades, leaving them momentarily stunned.
While Preta Pain was being taken down, Shisui had launched his own attack against Deva Pain using his Kotoamatsukami.
The most powerful genjutsu, cast invisibly through the eyes, pierced straight into Deva Pain's mind. But the result… was awkward silence.
Kotoamatsukami had no effect on Deva Pain.
Nagato sensed the illusory energy of the technique, but Deva Pain was only a puppet under his control. Kotoamatsukami's influence could not reach Nagato through it.
After using the technique, sharp pain erupted in Shisui's eyes. Like Itachi, blood streamed down from his eye sockets.
Seeing the genjutsu fail, Shisui suppressed his shock and the physical toll from using it. He prepared to use Body Flicker to get behind Deva Pain and finish him with the Dance of the Sun Halo covered blade.
However, before he could act, Deva Pain activated Banshō Ten'in.
"Huh?" Shisui's body was suddenly immobilized, then yanked forward by a powerful, invisible force, flying straight toward Deva Pain at alarming speed.
Deva Pain raised his left hand, a sharp black chakra rod forming in his palm, poised to stab as soon as Shisui reached him.
They hadn't been far apart to begin with. Under the pull of Banshō Ten'in, Shisui would reach him in under two seconds.
Itachi was the closest and wanted to help, but couldn't.
Tsukuyomi had a limited casting range, and Amaterasu was not only ineffective against Deva Pain, but also risked harming Shisui in this situation.
He was utterly helpless.
The other Konoha ninja were farther away and equally powerless.
At the same moment Guy defeated Preta Pain, Shisui, because of Kotoamatsukami's failure, found himself in grave danger.
If anyone could rescue him in time, it was Minato, using the Flying Thunder God Technique. But that required a space-time mark.
In truth, this situation was the perfect opportunity for Minato.
While the other Konoha ninja were filled with anxiety, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Minato's lips.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
In an instant, he crossed 800 meters and appeared above Shisui, who was flying toward Deva Pain.
Nagato's expression changed immediately, but Deva Pain had already made his move, stabbing forward with the black rod.
Minato appeared right next to Shisui, who breathed a little easier upon seeing him.
At that precise moment, Minato placed one hand on Shisui and the other on Deva Pain's wrist, it was perfectly timed.
Whoosh!
As he marked Deva Pain's hand with a space-time seal, he teleported Shisui away, causing Deva Pain's strike to miss entirely.
This moment proved that Banshō Ten'in's pull could not override Minato's Flying Thunder God technique.
Deva Pain missed, but Minato wasn't finished. The moment he left a mark, the tide of the battle was effectively sealed.
After teleporting Shisui to safety, Minato instantly reappeared above Deva Pain's outstretched arm, just as it had fully extended after the thrust.
This rapid back-and-forth teleportation could break an enemy's rhythm entirely, leaving them vulnerable.
Nagato had guessed Minato used Flying Thunder God to reach Shisui because Shisui was carrying a marked kunai.
That was incorrect, but not entirely wrong.
Minato hadn't given Shisui a marked kunai. Long before the battle began, with Shisui's consent, he had planted a Flying Thunder God mark directly on him. Not just Shisui, even all of Minato's ANBU guards carried these marks.
The fact that Minato placed these marks was a reflection of deep mutual trust.
So when Minato teleported away with Shisui, Nagato assumed his only goal was the rescue. In that split-second, he failed to realize that Minato had also placed a seal on Deva Pain.
From the moment Deva Pain's arm shifted from bent to fully extended, the action took mere fractions of a second, akin to a master swordsman thrusting a blade.
Yet within that tiny sliver of time, Minato flawlessly marked Deva Pain, rescued Shisui, and then seamlessly returned to strike.
When Minato reappeared in front of Deva Pain, Nagato hadn't anticipated it. And though he could still react, Shinra Tensei was on cooldown, just one second from recovery.
As for Minato, now that he had planted the seal, he no longer needed to worry about Shinra Tensei. Without hesitation, he closed in.
Wind Release: Rasengan!
Infused with Wind-natured chakra, the Sage-style Rasengan transformed into a spinning mass of raw energy, like a demonic wind shuriken, and slammed into Deva Pain.
In that moment, Minato had one question...
"Why didn't Deva Pain use his repulsion ability?"
There was no time to ponder it.
With another teleport, Minato reappeared beside Shisui, while the Wind Rasengan exploded in a surge of energy, completely engulfing Deva Pain.
Within the giant tree, Nagato exhaled softly.
"I'm all wiped out."
He thought silently, and prepared to recall the Six Paths of Pain.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 585 - The Three Mangekyō Sharingans