The Six Paths of Pain had received intel from Zetsu.
Nagato wasted no time.
The chase began.
The Asura Path was assigned to track down Kurotsuchi, ensuring that no loose ends remained. But in doing so, it revealed its location.
Meanwhile, Naruto had broken through the barrier and escaped using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Nagato assumed that, as before, Naruto would simply run.
After all, with the Flying Thunder God unrestricted by barriers and Naruto's near-endless chakra reserves, it was nearly impossible for anyone to kill him—unless he chose to fight.
But to Nagato's surprise, instead of fleeing with the two girls, Naruto attacked.
A smirk formed on Nagato's lips.
"Delivering yourself to me?" he mused. "How amusing."
Yet, a vague sense of unease settled in his chest.
Through his Rinnegan's shared vision, he saw a disturbance ahead.
A golden streak tore through the sky.
At first, he thought it was a strong gust of wind. But as it approached, Nagato's eyes widened.
That was not the wind.
Nor was it ninjutsu.
It was a person—moving at a speed that defied the normal limits of the Body Flicker Technique.
The figure was enveloped in golden light, lightning crackling around his form. His bristling hair shone like fire in the sun, and an overwhelming pressure radiated from him.
What is this?!
Nagato had never seen such a transformation before.
From above, Naruto spotted the Six Paths of Pain.
All grouped together?
"How convenient," Naruto muttered.
He quickly formed a seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A swarm of golden clones materialized in the sky.
At least thirty of them.
Nagato remained calm.
"Shadow clones?" he mused. "Quantity doesn't determine victory in a battle of this level."
But then, his expression shifted.
He watched as all thirty clones raised a hand toward the sky.
A dazzling light flared.
Each clone held an enormous Rasengan—twice the size of a house.
A synchronized, overwhelming assault.
Nagato's eyes narrowed.
The Six Paths of Pain scattered in an instant.
But the attack was too fast.
Too powerful.
Too dense.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A rain of massive Rasengan slammed into the battlefield.
The ground shook violently. Shockwaves expanded in every direction, blasting sand and debris into the air.
For a moment, the entire Gobi Desert was consumed by an explosion of light and destruction.
When the dust settled, only two figures remained standing.
The Deva Path—floating in the air.
And the Preta Path, which had managed to absorb enough chakra to survive.
The others?
Gone.
Scattered.
Destroyed.
The Preta Path barely had time to react before a golden blur descended from the sky.
BOOM!
A devastating fist crushed the Preta Path into the earth. The ground collapsed beneath the impact.
The Preta Path...
Offline.
Naruto pulled his fist from the wreckage and looked up.
His golden eyes locked onto the Deva Path.
The final opponent.
From above, the Deva Path raised a hand and pointed.
"Almighty Pu—"
He never finished his sentence.
Naruto's shadow disappeared.
The Deva Path hovered in midair, scanning his surroundings.
A glint of gold flashed at the edge of his vision.
Without hesitation, he switched techniques.
"Shinra Tensei!"
BANG!
A powerful repulsive force slammed into Naruto, sending him flying backward.
He crossed his arms in front of him, absorbing most of the impact, but his body still felt the strain.
The pain faded quickly, thanks to his Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines.
But Nagato had questions.
"What... are you?" the Deva Path asked.
This was the first time since creating the Six Paths that Nagato had been overwhelmed.
And crushed.
Naruto didn't bother answering.
He knew the cooldown on Shinra Tensei.
A brief five-second window.
Naruto didn't waste time.
A single Flying Thunder God Kunai shot forward.
It flew toward the Deva Path—fast, but not faster than Naruto himself.
Nagato raised a hand to block the kunai.
But the instant he touched it—
Flash.
A golden streak appeared in front of him.
"Rasengan."
Naruto slammed the attack directly into the Deva Path's face.
The Rinnegan shattered.
The chakra rods embedding its body were dislodged.
Before the Deva Path could recover, Naruto spun and delivered a devastating kick to the chest.
His Lightning Armor and Ultra-Light Rock Technique made him unbelievably fast.
Speed—converted into raw power.
The Deva Path's body became a shooting star, crashing into the desert floor.
But Naruto wasn't finished.
A giant Rasenshuriken formed in his hand.
He threw it.
Seconds later—
BOOM.
The explosion signaled the end.
The Deva Path…
Offline.
Searching for the Puppeteer
Naruto exhaled and activated Kagura's Mind Eye.
His sensory perception extended far beyond Nagato's normal range.
And yet—
No trace of the real body.
Naruto frowned.
"Impossible."
Was Nagato really controlling them from outside his detection range?
He refused to believe it.
He pushed his senses to the limit—scanning deeper, searching for any faint trace of the Rinnegan's chakra signature.
Nothing.
Silence.
Meanwhile—A Hidden Cave
Nagato sat in his chamber, eyes wide.
Pain surged through his body.
Blood trickled from his lips.
His frail hands trembled.
"This... this is impossible," he whispered.
His breathing grew ragged as the backlash of the Six Paths' destruction overwhelmed him.
Konan knelt beside him, concern etched into her face.
"Nagato! Are you alright?" she asked urgently.
Nagato coughed, his body shaking.
"Yahiko… he's gone."
Konan fell silent.
She did not answer.
Nagato clenched his fists.
"Konan, reinforce the barrier," he ordered.
He was certain that Naruto was searching for him.
If the barrier weakened, their location would be exposed.
Konan hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
But inside…
She was terrified.
"Nagato… please, hold on," she murmured. "I don't want to lose you too…"
Nagato did not hear her.
His mind was racing.
"Pain's Six Paths were annihilated in moments. How do I fight an enemy this powerful?"
His grip on the armrest tightened.
"Perhaps… it's time to unite the full power of the Rinnegan into one body."
A Quiet Victory
Back in the sky, Naruto hovered silently.
He murmured to himself, "So I can't find him for now?"
He closed his eyes, processing the situation.
"Must be hidden behind a strong barrier."
Then, he smirked.
"Doesn't matter."
He knew Akatsuki's general location now.
He just needed to pay them a visit.
Kurama's voice rumbled in his mind.
"Naruto… your power is growing beyond even my understanding."
Naruto simply smiled.
He didn't need to explain.
It was inevitable.
With his system, his dual bloodlines, and Kurama's chakra—
Naruto was already far beyond the Super Kage level.
And if Pain was merely a "Super Kage Gatekeeper"…
Then overwhelming him this quickly was only natural.
To be continued…
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