Flames engulfed the sky, turning the entire surrounding area into a sea of fire.
"Pointless resistance," Pain muttered, his eyes narrowing.
The raging flames around him were suddenly blown away.
Tss... Tss Tss...
The fire was pushed aside, dissipating into steam as it met a massive wall of water.
From below, the view of Konoha's sky was dominated by a gigantic sphere of water, covering nearly the entire village. At its very center, enveloped in thick steam, was a smaller, white sphere—Pain was trapped within it.
On the village's outer walls, Mei Terumi appeared, leading a squad of Water Release users.
"I never thought the day would come when I'd be fighting for Konoha," she remarked. "Still, Kisame really outdid himself. Now, it's our turn..."
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!
Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!
...
Massive amounts of water erupted, forming four vortex-like columns that further expanded the water sphere.
Shinra Tensei.
The enormous water sphere trembled, rippling under the impact of Pain's repelling force. The disturbance lasted for a long moment before the waves finally settled.
"It worked!" someone exclaimed. "As long as the sphere's radius exceeds the force of his repulsion, we can restrict his movement."
Deep within the mountains behind the Hokage Rock, Shikaku observed the scene before turning to Inoichi, who sat with his eyes shut in deep concentration.
"It's time."
High in the sky, Deidara, riding on his clay bird, received the signal. His face lit up with excitement as he formed a hand seal.
A loud shout echoed through the battlefield:
"Art... is the death of gods!"
Inside the massive water sphere, dozens of enormous white clay sharks swam swiftly toward the center.
Boom!
A muffled explosion reverberated underwater, its brilliance visible even from below. As shockwaves spread, the colossal sphere of water swelled and contracted rapidly before finally reaching its limit and bursting apart.
Summoning Jutsu!
Mei pressed her hands to the ground, summoning a battered shark. From within its torn belly, two arms reached out, tearing it open from the inside. Kisame, half-transformed into a shark, emerged, his body covered in fluid.
"Are you okay?" Mei asked.
"I'm fine," Kisame responded nonchalantly, completely unfazed by the disdain in the Mizukage's eyes. Instead, he looked up excitedly at the dissipating water screen above them.
Below, Konoha's shinobi sprang into action, unleashing jutsu to manage the aftermath.
Earth Release: Open Earth Rising Excavation!
Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!
The cascading water streamed into massive trenches that had been prepared in advance, quickly forming a vast lake at the village's perimeter.
Before long, Konoha looked like a flooded land.
Yet, everyone's eyes were fixed on the sky—where Pain still floated, seemingly unscathed save for his slightly disheveled appearance.
"How... how is this possible?!" Deidara muttered in disbelief. "I poured my heart and soul into that explosion! Damn it..."
Explosions underwater were exponentially more destructive than those in open air. He had worked tirelessly to craft this attack, its power rivaling even his ultimate art—yet, Pain stood unharmed.
Pain's cold gaze swept over the battlefield below.
"This meaningless game... ends now."
A small black sphere floated upward from his hand, rising into the sky.
The ground began to tremble.
The remnants of the water curtain, not yet fully settled, were lifted into the air once more.
High above, Deidara felt an eerie force pulling at him. His clay bird flapped furiously but failed to move forward even an inch.
"Tch...!" Gritting his teeth, he formed a seal.
Boom!Boom!
Deidara detonated his clay, using the shockwaves to propel himself away from the black sphere. Meanwhile, the shinobi below also felt the pull—buildings, trees, and even people were being lifted skyward.
"Focus your attacks on the core!" Itachi shouted.
His Susanoo formed instantly, hurling the Yasaka Magatama toward the black sphere. At the same time, Fugaku's Susanoo entered its third stage, extending its palms forward as blood trickled from his eyes.
(T/N: Yasaka Magatama acts in a similar manner to that of a shuriken when thrown by Susanoo — rapidly spinning towards the intended target)
Susanoo
A purple energy sphere shot forth, closely following the Yasaka Magatama. Meanwhile, Inoichi relayed the message telepathically to all nearby shinobi:
Scorch Release: Heaven's Blaze!
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Jutsu!
...
A series of deafening explosions rocked the battlefield. The floating debris—water, stone, trees—was instantly reduced to ashes.
A slug crawled onto Fugaku's shoulder, emitting a soft green glow.
"Your eyes have sustained severe damage. If this continues, you'll go blind."
"So this is the cursed fate of these eyes... forever consumed by darkness." Fugaku exhaled. "I understand."
High above, Deidara, now clinging to the foot of a smaller clay bird, was slowly descending. He glanced at Pain, not far away, and forced an awkward smile.
"Leader, this is a misunderstanding—"
"Traitor."
A black rod shot toward him.
With no choice, Deidara let go of his bird and triggered an explosion, using the force to evade the attack. He plummeted, shouting in alarm.
He reached into his pouch—empty.
"Shit... I'm out of clay..."
Am I really going to die from falling? The first artist to fall to his death...
The old man would laugh himself to death if he knew.
"Whoosh!"
A shadow flashed through the air, catching Deidara mid-fall.
"Are you hurt? Can you still fight?"
The voice was deep and confident, the embrace solid and warm. Deidara froze for a moment.
"Damn it! Let go of me! That bastard Pain needs to learn the price of disrespecting art!"
Jiraiya, his face adorned with his signature toad markings, grinned as he watched the feisty artist struggle in his grip.
"Itachi really does bring home some interesting friends."
He turned his gaze upward, locking eyes with Pain.
"Two Sages... Looks like it's our turn now."
...
Meanwhile, below, Kakuzu and Biwa Juzo stood watching the chaotic battlefield. Despite their efforts with Water Release and Deidara's explosives, Pain remained unscathed.
"Maybe we should retreat," Juzo muttered.
Though he had wanted to aid Itachi, this battle was clearly out of his league.
Kakuzu hesitated. He had only agreed to help Itachi deal with this internal Akatsuki issue, but now...
"The Hokage has issued an order," an arriving Anbu agent interrupted. "Assist in repelling Pain, and the bounty increases to five hundred million ryo."
Kakuzu turned to Juzo, his eyes gleaming with newfound motivation.
"Listen, kid. A true shinobi never backs down. The more you fight the strong, the longer you'll live."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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