"You're Natsume?"
Deva Path Pain glanced over, asking in a calm tone.
As for Kaguya otsutsuki, he completely disregarded her presence.
According to his sensory perception, she was just an ordinary Jonin—not worth paying attention to.
"I am."
Natsume replied with a smile. "Welcome to Konoha, leader of Akatsuki."
"You know who I am?"
Internally, Deva Path Pain began to wonder who among Akatsuki could be a spy.
Only members had seen his true face before—no one else had.
Therefore, the only explanation was that there was a traitor among them.
Kakuzu, however, showed no reaction.
It didn't concern him.
Obito Uchiha hesitated slightly at those words.
His mind turned to Itachi Uchiha.
Could it be that he secretly informed Konoha?
"I've heard something about you," Natsume said calmly. "I wonder why you've come to Konoha. Are you here for the tailed beasts?"
Deva Path Pain wasn't taken aback by the question.
Previously, three tailed beasts had already been captured.
Their goal must have been detected.
Deva Path Pain nodded slightly.
At the same time, a trace of confusion crossed his mind.
This Hokage really seemed overly confident.
But soon, he would understand what divine power truly meant.
"I suppose you won't tell me where the Nine-Tails is," Deva Path Pain said flatly. "But no matter. I'll find it myself. And make you feel the pain of losing Konoha."
"I'm looking forward to it," Natsume smiled.
For some reason, witnessing Nagato's composed demeanor made him even more eager to see the moment he finally cracked.
Deva Path Pain slightly frowned.
This guy actually seemed more confident than he was.
Utterly arrogant.
Thinking thus, he raised his hand.
[Universal Pull]!
His Rinnegan trembled.
Centered on Deva Path Pain, tremendous suction force erupted outward.
The powerful pressure forced Kakuzu and Obito Uchiha behind him to retreat backward.
Especially the latter, staring at the Rinnegan, eyes burning with intense desire.
According to the plan, the Rinnegan would belong to him soon enough.
At that time, his wish could finally be fulfilled.
However, prior to that, there was something important he needed to confirm.
Rin Nohara.
Obito Uchiha had personally come to Konoha because White Zetsu reported detecting a female ninja whose appearance was almost identical to Rin Nohara's.
Moreover, she was often seen with Kakashi Hatake.
This made Obito Uchiha unable to believe it easily, so he wanted to confirm it personally.
Originally intending to come alone, he had suffered several major defeats under Wood Release techniques, which made him cautious.
Fortunately, since Akatsuki's operation was beginning, he followed along in time.
[Universal Pull], one of the powers of the Rinnegan, could generate immense suction force.
Yet Natsume didn't budge an inch.
Deva Path Pain paused briefly—this was the first time encountering such a situation.
Instinctively, he increased the chakra output.
Besides Natsume's outfit flapping violently in the wind, there was absolutely no effect.
What's going on?
A flicker of confusion crossed Deva Path Pain's face.
Obito Uchiha's pupils constricted—he found it equally unbelievable.
He knew the power of [Universal Pull] all too well.
Not even he himself would dare to take the attack head-on.
But Natsume not only took it head-on, he did so effortlessly, as if it were an ordinary ninja technique.
Obito Uchiha frowned.
His lone visible eye narrowed as his Mangekyo Sharingan quietly activated.
He found this troublesome.
Natsume was the Sixth Hokage—their greatest enemy—and they had to eliminate him at any cost.
Suddenly, Deva Path Pain turned his right hand and pulled in a massive boulder from the roadside, hurling it toward Natsume and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
The boulder was massive, its shadow engulfing both of them entirely.
Natsume clapped his hands together and entered Sage Mode.
[Sage Art: Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!]
Two rows of wooden walls rose from both sides and bent inward, forming a barrier.
The stone crashed down and shattered instantly.
Deva Path Pain showed no sign of surprise whatsoever. He thrust his right hand forward.
[Shinra Tensei!]
An invisible force rippled outward.
From his position straight to Natsume, dust and debris lifted into the air, hurtling together toward the wooden wall.
A deafening explosion erupted.
In the original story, Shinra Tensei had a glorious record.
It had repelled the Lightning Cutter, the Human Bullet Tank, and even the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Its sheer power was immense.
Yet as the smoke cleared, the wooden wall remained intact.
Deva Path Pain couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock.
How could a seemingly ordinary Wood Release technique withstand his Shinra Tensei?
Natsume dismissed the wooden wall.
His Wood Release abilities had evolved alongside his Sage Body, surpassing even those of Hashirama Senju.
This was all thanks to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
In effect, he had become half-Otsutsuki.
His vitality was so extraordinary, it bordered on extraterrestrial.
Deva Path Pain was simply no match for him.
Just then, Asura Path's head cracked open, revealing the internal cannon inside.
Among the Six Paths of Pain, Asura Path was purely a killing machine.
Every part of his body was a weapon.
Conceptually similar to Sasori's human puppets.
A concentrated laser beam shot forth, aimed directly at Natsume.
In the original story, that very cannon had severely injured Han, the Jinchūriki of the Six-Tails.
At the same time, Human Path and Preta Path blurred into motion, vanishing from view.
One could extract souls; the other could absorb chakra.
Contact meant either death or grievous injury.
Realizing that Deva Path Pain's attack had failed, Nagato swiftly deployed the remaining members of the Six Paths of Pain.
Only Animal Path and Naraka Path had yet to be deployed.
Chapter Not Completed Yet!!!
The former specialized in Summoning Jutsu while the latter focused on intelligence gathering and revival.
They weren't particularly useful in a fight like this.
The laser beam closed the distance in an instant.
Natsume casually raised his hand.
Chakra coalesced into a wall of water before him.
At his level, he no longer needed hand seals.
In fact, during Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's era, there were no hand seals.
They were later developed to better regulate chakra control.
The laser struck the water wall, causing countless ripples.
Human Path and Preta Path blurred into motion, vanishing from view.
They reappeared instantly—one to Natsume's left, the other to his right—massive arms extending toward his shoulders.
[Sage Art: Chakra-Enhanced Strength!]
Natsume clenched his fists and unleashed a flurry of punches.
The air cracked with sharp sonic booms.
The Human Path and Preta Path flew backward through the air before crashing to the ground, shattering on impact.
Deva Path Pain stood frozen in shock.
Natsume had barely withdrawn his hand when he sensed warped space behind him.
Kamui.
Obito Uchiha appeared.
[Wood Release: Spikes!]
Branches erupted from within his right arm, shooting straight toward Natsume.
Natsume turned around. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan blazed to life.
[Tsukiyo-no-Mikoto!]
A powerful domain spread outward.
The fast-growing wooden branches slowed dramatically.
Shock flooded Obito's face.
His body dissolved into an illusion and vanished instantly.
"How do you have a Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Obito reappeared nearby, unable to stop himself from asking, "Who exactly are you?"
Mangekyo Sharingan was an eye ability unique to the Uchiha clan.
An outsider could never possibly possess one.
Unless it was a special case like that of Kakashi Hatake.
But aside from Obito Uchiha himself, who would just hand over their Mangekyo Sharingan to someone else?
No, there was another possibility.
Obito recalled that night of the clan's extermination.
There had once been a Wood Release expert back then.
But if he really was Natsume, wouldn't that mean he'd merely been a mere child back then?
Absolutely impossible!
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