Evenly matched means I win.
After some polite invitations, all the spies operating in the Land of Waves were "invited" to the office for tea—an offer they couldn't refuse.
It wasn't that rogue ninjas sought to stir trouble; rather, they were all subdued by Shisui Uchiha. With his Mangekyō Sharingan and mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, Shisui was a force beyond ordinary shinobi, effortlessly crushing any signs of resistance.
As he exited the office, Shisui sensed two overwhelming chakra signatures clashing in the distance and let out a soft sigh.
From the broader perspective of the ninja world, his power upheld order, yet even with the Mangekyō, he was far from an equal to these two.
Their strength eclipsed the legendary Sannin and surpassed the Five Kage who governed the shinobi world.
In a way, the outcome of this battle would reshape the world's balance, and all Shisui could do was stand unwaveringly behind Lord Mianma.
At that moment, Zabuza Momochi also stepped out, noticing the distant shockwaves. He turned to Shisui and asked, "Shisui, who is stronger—Lord Mianma or the leader of the Akatsuki? What will be the outcome of this battle?"
As a newly anointed member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Zabuza understood spies and the art of power.
The reason he had abandoned resistance wasn't due to his own weakness but rather the sheer, suffocating pressure of the chakra erupting in the distance. He was merely a tiger borrowing the majesty of a dragon.
Shisui gazed ahead and responded in a calm yet firm tone, "Lord Mianma will never lose. Regardless of the outcome, after this battle, his name and that of the Akatsuki leader will resound across the entire shinobi world."
Zabuza hesitated briefly before nodding.
Judging by the number of spies sipping tea in the office, today's events were fated to spread across the nations, possibly shifting the current power structure.
However, Kirigakure's role in all this was less than honorable—it would be best if fewer people knew about it.
Withdrawing his gaze, Shisui told Zabuza, "Don't overthink it. Get back to work. We may be serving tea, but the most dangerous guest remains unaccounted for."
After a pause, Shisui added, "Tell Haku to stay alert. That guest has an unhealthy interest in Kekkei Genkai."
Zabuza smirked. "Relax, I had Haku hide long ago. His strength isn't insignificant—he can hold his own against Jōnin."
Shisui sighed, shaking his head, before continuing his patrol.
---
Orochimaru, the very guest Shisui had in mind, had already left the district.
Compared to Ice Release and the Sharingan, he was far more intrigued by the clash between Mianma and Pain. If both sustained injuries, an opportunity to claim the Rinnegan might arise.
He had long coveted the fabled eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths.
Suddenly, a powerful shockwave from Shinra Tensei sent Orochimaru tumbling.
As he stood up, his golden eyes burned with a manic hunger.
The stronger the Rinnegan, the more valuable it was for his research—perhaps even holding the ultimate key to ninjutsu itself.
As he crept closer, both Naruto and Nagato, their sensory abilities heightened to the maximum, noticed his presence and, in silent agreement, unleashed ninjutsu into the forest.
They wanted a battle, not interference.
Orochimaru dodged wind blades, crushing boulders, and waves of repelling force—only to be met with missiles and lasers from Asura Path.
At first, he dismissed it as unfortunate positioning, but realization dawned—he had entered their sensory range, and they were both actively targeting him.
With no choice, Orochimaru retreated, slipping into the shadows between stone formations. For now, he would bide his time.
Neither Uzumaki Mianma nor Pain was an opponent he could face directly.
Unless he utilized the forbidden technique still in development, but that was unstable, carrying risks of severe backlash. More experiments were required.
---
Naruto vs. Nagato
Sensing Orochimaru's chakra signature fade, Naruto dodged a swift strike from the Human Path. Smirking, he turned to Deva Path and remarked, "Guess we both agree that scavengers don't get to reap the rewards."
"…"
Nagato remained silent, focusing on controlling his Six Paths.
Now deploying all six, he began suppressing Naruto's movements, carefully maneuvering him into position. If he could create the right opening, Chibaku Tensei would ensure total victory.
Yet, an unease lingered—Naruto hadn't revealed his full power. It was as if he was deliberately waiting for the Chibaku Tensei to be cast.
As Pain's bodies hemmed Naruto into a tight perimeter, Nagato abandoned control of the remaining five, focusing entirely on Deva Path. He raised his hand, releasing a small, dense black sphere into the sky.
The moment the sphere manifested, Naruto's grin widened.
His chakra resonated with Kurama's, and in an instant, he entered full Tailed Beast Mode, forming a massive Tailed Beast Bomb aimed directly at the black sphere.
With an earth-shaking explosion, the gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei shattered, and Naruto emerged, shedding the full beast form to don the ominous Dark Kurama Mode—his figure wreathed in an eerie, nightmarish chakra cloak.
His aura was darker, more menacing than even the Six Paths of Pain.
"So this is the power of the Rinnegan? And yet, with all this strength, you still cling to your plan of collecting tailed beasts? Tell me, Nagato—are you truly this naive?"
Deva Path remained impassive, but Nagato's expression behind the scenes darkened.
Even with the full might of the Rinnegan, he had failed to subdue Naruto. Weren't these the very same eyes once possessed by the Sage of Six Paths? Wasn't he, Pain, meant to bring salvation?
Naruto advanced, voice dripping with scorn. "I heard they call you a god in Amegakure. But if even 'God' is no match for me, then your title holds as much weight as Hanzo's old 'Demi-God'—nothing but an empty name."
Nagato's hands clenched.
Yet, he forced Pain to reply with composure.
"Uzumaki Mianma… I may not be able to defeat you, but neither can you bypass Pain's defenses. We are at an impasse."
Naruto halted, gazing at Deva Path.
Nagato was correct—Pain couldn't defeat him, and he couldn't entirely bypass Pain's abilities either.
Without Sage Mode, he couldn't counter the Preta Path's chakra absorption, and physical strikes were nullified by Deva Path's Shinra Tensei. They were, indeed, evenly matched.
And yet, Naruto's smirk grew.
"I can't defeat you," he admitted, "but your entire plan is now meaningless. The ninja world will soon learn that two warriors have emerged—both equal to, if not beyond, the Five Kage. And one of them seeks the tailed beasts."
Naruto twirled a discarded black receiver, his gaze cutting toward Nagato's hidden location.
"So tell me, Nagato—when every hidden village scrambles to protect their Jinchūriki, will the Akatsuki persist in its fruitless hunt? Or will you finally abandon this farce and restore what Akatsuki was meant to be?"
Silence stretched between them.
For the first time, Nagato found himself unable to respond.
Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters