Nagato's Rinnegan flickered with a cold light. The Animal Path immediately began its Summoning Technique. Giant Multi-Headed Dog, Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon, Giant Drill-Beaked Bird, Giant Ox, Giant Panda—five summoned beasts appeared at once. There should have been a Giant Crustacean as well, but it had already been destroyed in the previous battle and was left lying discarded.
Seeing the five summoned beasts take the field, Kazuyama Gekkō curled his lip in disdain. The serpents from Ryūchi Cave were no match for these pitiful creatures.
"Hmph! More reinforcements?"
"This time it's the Rinnegan?"
"I'll slaughter you all!"
The Giant Multi-Headed Dog, though large, was still no match for Kazuyama's fury. It charged straight at Kinrin, snapping its jaws to bite. Already seething with rage, Kinrin couldn't stand this. With a swift strike of her cobra tail, she sent the beast crashing to the ground, its immense size no defense against the strike.
But at the same time, the Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon and the Giant Ox lunged forward, wrapping around Kinrin. The Giant Drill-Beaked Bird was engaged in aerial combat with Yulín. The Panda, due to its size, couldn't even participate.
"Seirin, how long are you going to stand there?"
"Where's your venom?"
Kinrin, though not afraid of a fight, was now facing three summoned beasts alone, and it was starting to annoy her. Especially that filthy dog—every time it was struck, it seemed to grow another head. Ridiculous! Was this even a real creature?
"Shut up! Can't you see I'm busy?"
Seirin snapped back. She really was occupied. The puppets that had been tying up Kinrin were now heading straight for her, bypassing her deadly Medusa. Layers of Iron Sand began to pile up, turning Seirin's previously calm situation into a tense standoff.
The least combat-skilled of the four sisters, Seirin had to rely on the venom of the bamboo-leaf green snake to attack. As for her true form... it was essentially a weakling, just a slightly larger snake with little fighting ability.
With Nagato's summoned beasts helping, Tobi and Kakuzu could now focus on one snake. Tobi went after Seirin, while Kakuzu targeted Korin. In a flash, all four serpents on the field were blocked, and the remaining giant sea serpents had long been wiped out by the previous battle. Normal snakes couldn't survive such intense combat.
"Kazuyama, enough!"
"Shall we act now?"
Kazuyama Gekkō had been itching to fight for a while, his blood—predator blood—boiling with excitement. As a serpent, the instinct to hunt was natural!
"I've been waiting long enough!"
"Let's begin! Let my Titan Python take center stage!"
Tagitsuhime stayed silent, channeling the newly gathered natural energy, which she infused into Kazuyama through the Coiling Serpent Technique. Immediately, the energy surged through him, wild and uncontrollable.
"Alright then. Since you're all here, let's make it a proper fight."
"You Akatsuki members must have the same idea."
"But Nagato, don't forget—I'm the one who named Akatsuki in the first place!"
"So, hand him back to me!"
Kazuyama Gekkō's voice was laced with murderous intent, a byproduct of his Sage Mode. In the next instant, indigo chakra gathered and formed into the enormous Titan Python.
"Hmph! Kazuyama Gekkō."
"The name 'Akatsuki' symbolizes the dawn of a new day! It wasn't your creation!"
"Prepare to die!"
Nagato made the first move. All of his clones, including himself—except for the Hell Path—sprang into action. The Deva Path's powers were the most formidable, with techniques like Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in as deadly weapons. But when facing Kazuyama Gekkō, Nagato dared not hold back. He understood the danger Kazuyama posed. At this moment, only the giant azure serpent had appeared—the massive red one was still absent.
"Hahahaha! Come at me! Let's see what you've got!"
Kazuyama Gekkō let out a loud howl from within the Titan Python. Its massive form shifted, and the earth trembled as the serpent began to move. As soon as the Titan Python appeared, the four Kinrin sisters also howled to the heavens. At that moment, their assault became even fiercer.
Kinrin pushed the Giant Ox aside with a powerful slam, her tail once more sending the Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon flying. Seirin unleashed a toxic mist, blasting through all the puppets and sending them reeling.
"Hmph, Kazuyama Gekkō, die!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato unleashed a devastating Shinra Tensei, its shockwaves targeting the Titan Python. Kazuyama Gekkō's grin widened as he watched, his arrogance clear.
"Do you really think I fear you?"
"Break!"
The Titan Python didn't attempt to dodge. It charged head-on into the shockwaves. The impact of Shinra Tensei collided with the Titan Python's powerful body, sending shockwaves that shattered trees and rocks in the surrounding area.
"Fire Release: Flame Dragon Roar!"
Battles were never one-on-one. A massive fire dragon suddenly appeared, lunging toward the Titan Python, its fiery jaws snapping. The intense heat was so overwhelming that Kazuyama Gekkō momentarily froze.
"Tsk, Kazuyama Gekkō. Now that you're here, you won't be leaving so easily."
"Fire Release: Fire Meteor!"
Before the fire dragon could disappear, a barrage of fireballs erupted, hammering the Titan Python one after another. The pitch-black Susanoo appeared in front of the Titan Python, and Muren Uchiha activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, glaring with murderous intent as he blocked the serpent's path.
"Hmph. So everyone's here now."
"Let's fight!"
"Let's see if your Akatsuki can hold me back, or if I'll wipe you all out and walk away!"
"Fire Release! Great Fire Annihilation!"
Oh, you think this is about fire? Anyone can play with it! The Titan Python opened its massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of flames. Kazuyama Gekkō's chakra reserves were vast—one single Fire Release technique was enough to overpower Muren Uchiha's. This caused flames to sweep across half the island.
"Pfft, Fire Release is that powerful?"
"I have to admit, Kazuyama Gekkō, you've got some strength."
"Too bad, relying on just this technique won't be enough to defeat me!"
"No Distance! Fire Release, Fire Meteor!"
If Fire Release couldn't cut it, then he'd amplify it with another technique. The activation of the dōjutsu instantly closed the gap between the fireballs and Kazuyama Gekkō. One by one, they exploded on the Titan Python's face. The crimson flames completely obscured Kazuyama Gekkō's vision.
"Ugh, annoying dōjutsu!"
Just as Kazuyama Gekkō was growing increasingly irritated by the flames, another unexpected enemy appeared.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
"A snake, huh? Watch me replicate you!"
A massive mirror appeared out of nowhere, and in the next instant, Kinrin's reflection stepped out of the mirror. The two collided, and the impact left the real Kinrin stunned.