Chapter 126: The Battle Escalates

Endless wasteland.

Kakashi ran swiftly, his breath steady but strained. He glanced up at the sky—only a few scattered clouds, soft sunlight, and a gentle breeze.

Under different circumstances, it would have been a pleasant day.

But Kakashi had no time to enjoy the weather. The relentless pace of battle had left him exhausted and drenched in sweat. With every step, droplets fell from his brow, disappearing into the dry earth beneath him.

Eventually, he came to a stop, taking a deep breath.

Ahead, the wasteland stretched endlessly, a deep trench carving through the ground like a scar running to the horizon.

He swallowed, his throat parched.

"If I've made it this far… I'm about halfway there."

---

Konoha Village

Amidst the wreckage, Shikamaru struggled to push away the debris pinning him down.

Choji rushed over, grabbing hold and pulling him free.

Shikamaru staggered to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His gaze locked onto Deva Path, standing in the ruins with cold, unshaken composure.

Choji immediately stepped in front of him.

"Shikamaru! Are you okay?"

Shikamaru wiped his mouth, still watching their enemy closely.

"Yeah… not dead yet. But his abilities are insane."

He took a steadying breath.

"Alright—stick to the plan."

Nearby, Ino was already relaying his orders through sensory transmission.

The two white-robed ANBU exchanged glances and swiftly moved to flank Deva Path.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Choji split off, blending into the remaining troops.

This forced Deva Path to lose direct sight of Shikamaru, preventing him from using his gravitational pull on him again.

Watching their movements, Deva Path's expression turned cold.

"They think I'll sit back and wait?"

He took a step forward—then vanished.

With a burst of speed, he shot straight toward the Konoha forces.

But before he could reach them—

Morino Ibiki stepped into his path.

Scarred, expression calm, hands still tucked into his pockets.

Unmoved.

Deva Path didn't hesitate—he formed a black chakra rod and launched it straight at him.

Ibiki barely reacted, tilting his head to the side to let it whistle past him.

Then, in the same motion, he spun and delivered a sharp side kick.

Deva Path easily caught his leg mid-air, blocking it with his bare hand.

With his free hand, he formed another chakra rod and thrust it forward.

Ibiki couldn't dodge this one.

SHK—

The rod pierced straight through his torso.

Blood dripped down the black stake.

Yet—Ibiki only grinned.

"Hah… guess what?"

Deva Path's eyes narrowed.

"I'm just bait."

POOF!

Ibiki's body exploded into a cloud of smoke.

A clone.

Not far away, the real Ibiki completed a hand seal.

"Summoning Jutsu – Grief and Darkness!"

From the ground beneath Deva Path, a massive, toy-like lucky cat split open, revealing a hollow chamber inside.

Before he could react—

The cat's two halves snapped shut, sealing him inside.

"We got him!"

Konoha's forces wasted no time. Kunai with explosive tags rained down on the massive cat, sticking to its surface.

But then—

Cracks began to spread across its body.

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"NOW! DETONATE THEM!"

The kunai barely had time to settle when—

BOOM.

The lucky cat exploded from the inside out before the explosive tags could even ignite.

A massive shockwave ripped through the air, launching the kunai back at the Konoha shinobi.

Before they could react—

The explosive tags detonated.

A chain of violent explosions tore through the battlefield.

The explosion's shockwave, fueled by repulsive force, sent flames and debris blasting outward in all directions.

But this time, the Konoha forces were prepared. They had positioned themselves far enough away based on their previous encounter.

No one was caught in the blast.

As the dust settled, Deva Path stood unscathed, completely unaffected by the destruction around him.

But at that moment—

The white-robed ANBU, who had prepared their seals in advance, sprang into action.

"Lightning Release – Sixteen Pillar Binding!"

BOOM!

Sixteen massive stone pillars erupted from the ground, encircling Deva Path in a tight formation.

Arcs of lightning danced between them, creating an electrified barrier.

Deva Path's body stiffened as the lightning coursed through him, momentarily paralyzing him.

His expression remained calm.

"So… they set up a trap, waiting for the cooldown of my abilities."

For the first time, he had no choice but to wait.

One second… two seconds…

But Konoha didn't wait.

The ANBU unleashed their attacks immediately.

"Earth Release – Falling Boulder!"

"Wind Release – Blade Gale!"

"Fire Release – Great Fireball!"

Three seconds…

A massive boulder plummeted from above, aimed straight at Deva Path.

Three razor-sharp wind blades followed, slicing through the air.

And behind them, a roaring fireball surged forward, ready to consume everything in its path.

Too fast.

Deva Path frowned.

"I won't make it in time—"

WHOOSH—

In an instant—

He vanished.

The three attacks slammed into the ground, erupting in a massive explosion of dust and debris.

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"He disappeared?!"

He immediately turned to Ino.

"Ino—where is he?!"

Ino's eyes were sharp, scanning with her sensory abilities.

But after a moment, she shook her head.

"I can't find him. He's completely out of range."

Shikamaru clenched his fists.

"Did he escape? A teleportation jutsu?"

He thought quickly.

"If he retreated, that means he can't use his ability continuously. He needs time before he can do it again."

In the distance, the sound of intense battle raged on.

Shikamaru looked toward the chaos.

"For now, let's move! We'll reinforce the nearest squad!"

The Konoha forces immediately rushed forward, ready to turn the tide of battle.

-----

Across the battlefield, a massive multi-headed dog rampaged, now split into six snarling heads.

"Hinata! Watch out!"

Kiba's urgent voice rang out as a missile hurtled straight toward Hinata.

She barely turned in time—the projectile was already upon her.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

A blast of chakra shot forward, striking the missile midair. It veered off course before exploding at a safe distance.

Hinata stared at the flames, her breath unsteady. Then, she turned toward the source of the technique.

Her father, Hiashi Hyuga, stood nearby, watching her with a stern gaze.

"Hinata! Focus! Don't lose concentration!"

Hinata flinched at his tone, shrinking slightly before nodding determinedly.

"Yes, Father!"

Hiashi frowned.

"She's still too soft for battle..."

Before he could dwell on it, a piercing screech shattered the air.

His eyes snapped up—a monstrous bird soared overhead.

Nearby, other gigantic summoned creatures wreaked havoc:

The undying split-dog tore through anything in its path.

A massive centipede crashed forward, its body crushing everything beneath it.

A towering crustacean-like monster clashed with Konoha's forces.

A giant crab-like creature swung its claws, scattering ninjas.

And above them all, four figures in black cloaks with red clouds stood.

The Animal Path commanded the monstrous bird from the sky, providing aerial support.

The Human Path stood atop the centipede's head, tearing through Konoha's ranks. From time to time, it would grab a ninja—extracting their soul for information.

With every mind it read, the invasion became even deadlier.

It learned that Tsunade had returned.

It uncovered Konoha's troop deployments.

It even gained insight into Konoha's knowledge of their abilities.

Meanwhile, the Hell Path stood ominously, summoning the King of Hell to pass judgment on captured ninjas.

The Asura Path, newly repaired, unleashed relentless missile barrages, each explosion rocking the battlefield.

The chaos was overwhelming.

Konoha's forces—including the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans—had joined together, but they were barely holding their ground.

Then—another summoning.

BOOM!

A new figure appeared atop the giant bird.

Deva Path.

With a single glance, he absorbed all the intelligence shared by the Human Path.

He now knew the Shikamaru-led squad was an elite unit—a direct counter to him.

But he wasn't concerned.

Standing high above the battlefield, his voice was calm yet merciless.

"Then let's start here. Let Konoha know true pain."

And with that, he leaped from the bird.

Straight into the densest cluster of Konoha's forces.

"Look! Something's falling from the sky!"

"Stay on guard!"

"It's him—Pain!"

Some noticed too late. Others were too caught up in battle to react.

But none of it mattered anymore.

Because he had already landed.

With an outstretched hand, his voice rang cold and absolute:

"Almighty Push."

For a split second, everything was silent.

Then—

ZWWWWWOOOOOOM—BOOM!

An unimaginable force erupted outward.

The very air distorted, the ground buckled and cracked, and a shockwave of destruction spread in all directions.

A massive crater replaced what had once been Konoha's frontline.

The ninja stationed there?

Gone.

Some were buried beneath the earth, others flung into the air, their fates unknown.

A sensory ninja watching from afar could only stare in horror.

"Deva Path…" His voice trembled.

"He's here."

---

At Konoha's command center, Yamanaka Inoichi's face grew tense as he processed the latest intel.

"Report! Lady Tsunade! Deva Path Pain has appeared on Battlefield C!"

His voice carried urgency.

"It seems that the female Pain can summon the others—she's the link between them!"

Tsunade's fists clenched, her expression darkening.

"Immediately relay intel on each of their abilities to all units!"

She paused for a moment, then issued another command.

"Tell Shikamaru to move to Battlefield C for support!"

____________

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