Chapter 158

Kakashi turned his gaze towards Carnes, his expression serious yet polite.

"Carnes-san, I still have some important matters to attend to. Please forgive me for leaving first."

Carnes inclined his head, understanding Kakashi's urgency.

"Are you heading back to Tsunade?"

"Yes," Kakashi affirmed, determined in his voice.

"I must report the situation here to Lord Hokage."

Carnes contemplated for a moment and offered a suggestion.

"I have no pressing matters at the moment. How about we go together?"

Kakashi welcomed the idea with a nod and took the lead, with Chōji following closely behind.

Kakashi felt a sense of relief as for him, Carnes' willingness to communicate was a promising development.

It was reassuring for him, given the thick fog that surrounded Carnes, whose strength was nothing short of overwhelming.

Even though Carnes had reached out to help him and fought with Pain severely injuring him, Kakshi still felt a little sense of uneasiness around Carnes.

A few minutes later, they reached the roof of the Hokage building, where Tsunade had summoned Katsuyu with the Summoning Technique.

The giant slug was divided into numerous smaller parts, each tending to the wounded ninjas scattered throughout the village.

Upon Kakashi and Chōji's arrival, they immediately briefed Tsunade on the situation.

As Tsunade treated Kakashi, she listened intently to their report. Her brows furrowed in concern when they described the abilities of the Deva Path.

"Can manipulate attraction and repulsion force, even deflecting all ninjutsu attacks? Does it have any weakness?" Tsunade inquired, her concern evident.

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed.

"However, we believe it requires a five-second cooldown after each use."

"Such immense power, with such a brief window of vulnerability."

The Anbu ninjas present couldn't help but feel uneasy, as they exchanged anxious glances.

Kakashi, realizing the gravity of the situation, added,

"That Pain is exceptionally strong. Chōji, his son and I, barely held our own, we were nearly decimated."

"But it was thanks to Carnes-san and Demiurge's intervention that we managed to eliminate one of the Pain, while the other one escaped."

Tsunade's frown deepened. It appeared that Jiraiya had placed his trust wisely; it was well-placed. As, Carnes's strength was not one to be underestimated.

Tsunade's appreciation and regard for Carnes grew substantially, even more now since he had helped them in such dire situations.

In fact, if she had witnessed the confrontation with her own eyes, her thinking wouldn't have been as simple as just paying attention to it.

The moment of sheer horror that would have gripped her.

Tsunade turned her gaze towards Carnes, her expression solemn as she said, "Thank you for your help."

Carnes responded with a casual wave of his hand, seemingly disinterested.

To him, it was just another mundane task, much like how ordinary people would absentmindedly crush an ant when they were bored.

But in reality, for anybody else, it would be an understatement to describe it as effortless.

Tsunade sensed Carnes' losing interest and forced a smile.

"Regardless, your intervention saved the village from significant losses.... So, for that I am grateful to you."

Carnes interrupted her, his tone nonchalant. "This is just getting started."

He casually lounged by the railing, resting his chin on his right hand. His deep, indifferent gaze observed everything unfolding in Konoha Village.

For Carnes, this was like enjoying a spectacle during his travels. He had no qualms about watching a show.

Seeing that Carnes had no intention of engaging in conversation, Tsunade took charge.

"Spread this news quickly through Katsuyu to everyone!"

"Understood!"

"Tsunade-sama," the burly Choji spoke up with a heavy heart.

"Konohamaru fought two enemies to protect Kakashi-sensei. Except for us, the entire squad should have been wiped out..."

Suppressing her emotions, Tsunade urgently instructed, "Get him to the hospital immediately; there's still time to save him!"

Choji's was momentarily taken aback as his eyes widened in surprise, then they were filled with hope.

Meanwhile, Carnes, still leaning on the railing, had lazily closed one eye, and the other was on the verge of doing the same.

....

The Deva Path had temporarily fled, rendering this scene seemingly somewhat anticlimactic and pointless.

The remaining Paths of Pain, while formidable against ordinary ninjas, appeared inept when faced against truly strong opponents.

The Hell Path, in particular, had suffered serious injuries from Konohamaru's surprise attack, leaving Carnes visibly uninterested in different Paths of Pain.

Demiurge, with that ever-present, eerie grin etched upon his mouth, stood as motionless as a stake driven deep into the ground.

His true intentions remained a mystery to all who saw him.

.....

Meanwhile, within a concealed building nestled in the shadows, Deva Path had painstakingly repaired his damaged arm.

Within the confines of the dimly lit room, a flurry of sheets of paper danced in the air, slowly forming the distinctive figure of Konan.

A contemplative silence hung in the room, broken only by Konan's musings.

Her voice echoed with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Is there truly someone out there capable of inflicting such damage upon you, leaving you in such a vulnerable state?"

"Could there be such a formidable adversary with unparalleled strength residing in the Konoha village?"

Deva Path's visage remained stoic, but beneath the facade, his words betrayed an undercurrent of fear and astonishment.

She paused, her eyes narrowing in thought.

"No, they cannot be someone from Konoha Village. If this person indeed hails from Konoha, then the very foundations of the ninja world are at risk of upheaval. This adversary is nothing short of a monstrous force."

Konan's intrigue deepened as she pressed further.

"Furthermore, their abilities transcend any techniques I have ever encountered."

"In terms of physical powers, they possess an unbelievable might that even the legendary Eight Inner Gates would struggle to match. This level of power..."

...

In truth, Pain was oblivious to the existence of Carnes, and the concept of the Eight Inner Gates was also entirely foreign to him.

Little did he know that if the genuine Eight Inner Gates were unleashed in all their glory, even the combined forces of the six Pains would find themselves overpowered and obliterated, reduced to mere ashes.

Such a cataclysmic release would invariably claim the life of the user, leaving behind only the lifeless husks of the six paths.

Unknown to them, a formidable force far beyond his comprehension had entered their world, setting in motion a chain of events that would forever alter the course of their destiny.

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