"This guy..."
Staring at Bai Ye, who stood in the distance wielding Ryūjin Jakka, Pain's expression darkened.
From their earlier exchanges, it was evident that neither the Animal Path nor the Preta Path posed any threat to Bai Ye.
At the same time, Obito and White Zetsu, who had been observing the battle from afar, widened their eyes in shock.
"What is this guy's origin? How can he possess such power?" Obito muttered in disbelief.
Though he had never witnessed the true strength of Uchiha Madara or the First Hokage, he was confident that he could stand his ground against them. These two were legendary figures, the very pinnacle of power in the ninja world.
Yet, the man before him—this mysterious figure who seemingly emerged from nowhere—possessed strength on an entirely different level.
Even with all his confidence, Obito couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"This guy has been hiding his strength all along. And for me, the greatest intelligence operative in the ninja world, to have failed to uncover anything about him... this is an embarrassment," he admitted.
From a distance, Black Zetsu's expression turned grim, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"No... strength like this should only belong to those from Mother's world. Could he be here to find her? If so, this is bad—very bad."
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, Tsunade and the others, though not close to the battlefield, could see enormous pillars of fire piercing the sky.
Even from afar, the sheer magnitude of the flames sent shivers down their spines.
"If that fire were to descend upon Konoha, the entire village would be reduced to ashes," a Konoha shinobi stammered.
"If our enemy is truly this powerful... then how are we supposed to fight? It would be suicide."
"No, that's not the enemy," Tsunade corrected, her expression grave.
She had seen Bai Ye fight before. She knew firsthand of his incredible fire-style techniques.
"That man... could it really be him?"
Her words sent another wave of shock through the Konoha shinobi—especially Kakashi and the other Jonin.
They had always known Bai Ye was strong, but just how strong was unclear.
After all, he looked so young—only in his twenties.
How much power could someone so young possibly wield?
Yet, if Tsunade claimed those infernos came from Bai Ye...
The intense heat from the distant flames only reinforced the realization—Bai Ye was on an entirely different level.
Even the Professor, the so-called strongest Hokage, the Third, likely wouldn't stand a chance.
"If Lord Bai Ye is that strong, then surely he'll be able to defeat the enemy!" one of the shinobi exclaimed excitedly.
"Not necessarily," Tsunade warned, her voice steady but serious. "The opponent isn't weak either. And they have the Rinnegan."
The moment those words left her lips, the shinobi gasped in unison.
"The Rinnegan?!"
The very mention of the legendary eye technique sent chills down their spines.
Boom!
Suddenly, another explosion erupted from the battlefield, signaling that the fierce battle was still ongoing.
Tsunade wasted no time. "We need to move. Let's go!"
The Battlefield
Bai Ye swung Ryūjin Jakka, sending a scorching flame slash straight at the Deva Path.
In response, Pain channeled an enormous amount of chakra from Nagato, funneling it through the chakra rods embedded in his body.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A powerful repulsive force exploded outward, dispersing the incoming flames.
"Not bad," Bai Ye remarked, his expression unbothered.
Pain was considered one of the strongest figures in the early days of the ninja world—if he couldn't even block a casual attack, that would have been disappointing.
However, Nagato, who had been continuously supplying chakra, was beginning to struggle.
Each time he repelled Bai Ye's attacks, he expended an enormous amount of chakra.
Though he was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, blessed with a massive chakra reserve, it wasn't infinite.
Worse, his body was already in poor condition.
At this rate, the continuous chakra consumption would push him beyond his limits.
Nearby, Konan's face was filled with worry.
"Nagato, this isn't worth it! Let someone else handle capturing the Nine-Tails!"
She didn't want to see him push himself to death.
"It doesn't matter," Nagato gritted his teeth. "Destroying Konoha is more important. Only through pain will they understand true suffering."
Ignoring Konan's pleas, he poured even more chakra into the Six Paths of Pain.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Pain activated Universal Pull, forcefully dragging Bai Ye toward him.
Caught in the gravitational pull, Bai Ye's body was yanked forward.
Seeing this, Pain's eyes gleamed with an opportunity.
A black chakra rod materialized in his hand.
This was a weapon crafted from Yin-Yang Release, sharp and durable—one that had already claimed the life of Jiraiya.
As Bai Ye neared, Pain thrust the chakra rod straight for his heart.
But the next moment—
Bai Ye vanished.
"What?!"
Pain's face twisted in shock.
Only then did he realize—Bai Ye had never been pulled in at all.
That meant...
Pain's eyes darted behind him.
Sure enough, Bai Ye had reappeared—right in front of the remaining five Paths of Pain.
"Torch!"
The moment Bai Ye uttered the word, an immense fire tornado erupted, engulfing the five remaining Paths.
The intense flames devoured them instantly, leaving not even ashes behind.
Pain's pupils shrank in rage.
"You b*****d! Die!!"
Fueled by fury, Nagato pushed his body even harder, pouring everything he had into one final attack.
Pain's body lifted into the air.
From the distance, Tsunade and the others saw his ascent and felt an overwhelming sense of dread.
"What... is that?"
Even without knowing what was coming, they could tell—it was something terrible.
White Zetsu smirked. "Oh? He's going all out. Maybe we should back off for safety."
Obito scoffed. "Hmph. He can't touch me anyway."
Meanwhile, Bai Ye remained unmoved, standing calmly with Ryūjin Jakka in hand, as if waiting for Pain to make his move.
Nagato, seeing this through the Deva Path, clenched his fists in rage.
"You dare look down on me?!"
Summoning every last ounce of chakra, Pain's voice roared across the battlefield:
"Super Shinra Tensei!"