Kitazawa was not surprised by Nagato's answer.
At this stage, it was impossible for him to be swayed by Talk no Jutsu.
In the original story, the prerequisite for him to be moved by Naruto's Talk was that he had first been thoroughly beaten.
"Since that's the case, let's talk about something you are interested in."
Kitazawa said with a faint smile. "The terrain here is open and very suitable for a spar. If you defeat me, I will hand over the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails."
"You are quite sensible." Deva Path Pain spoke in a calm and indifferent tone.
"But if you lose, the Akatsuki Organization will join Konoha Village," Kitazawa added.
"God does not lose." Deva Path Pain said with absolute confidence.
"After you." Kitazawa stopped talking and raised his hand.
Flaming Arrow Warhead! The first to attack was not Deva Path Pain, but the Asura Path.
The Asura Path was essentially a puppet, its entire body modified into mechanical weapons.
He detached his wrist and pulled out a string of missiles from inside his arm. The missiles shot into the sky, all locked onto Kitazawa.
In the original story, the Asura Path had used this very technique to destroy a large number of houses in Konoha Village.
Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Jutsu! Kitazawa clapped his hands together.
A massive lightning-infused water dragon roared forward and collided with the incoming missiles.
Boom! The missiles exploded midair, and the lightning dragon shattered into fragments of light.
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound came from behind Kitazawa. A giant chameleon suddenly appeared and bit down toward him.
It was the chameleon summoned by the Animal Path.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
Kitazawa turned around and threw a punch.
His fist first smashed into the chameleon's teeth, shattering them instantly, and then drove into the inside of its mouth.
The overwhelming force erupted like a storm, sending the massive creature flying backward.
Chakra Absorption! The Preta Path rushed toward Kitazawa from behind at extreme speed.
He raised both hands and grabbed for Kitazawa's shoulders.
A powerful suction force burst from his palms, causing the Chakra within Kitazawa's body to churn violently.
Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique! Kitazawa vanished on the spot.
The Preta Path's attack missed.
The Asura Path immediately launched a tracking missile toward the leaves Kitazawa had transformed into.
Summoning Technique: Giant Crustacean!
The Animal Path slapped the ground and summoned an enormous crab.
The moment Kitazawa reappeared, the missile had already reached him.
Water Release: Wild Bubble Wave!
At the same time, the Giant Crustacean spewed out a large amount of foam, sealing off Kitazawa's surroundings.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence! Kitazawa clapped his hands again.
The entire desert trembled violently. Countless trees burst forth from the sand, forming a dense forest in the blink of an eye.
Branches surged, and vines shot upward like spears, piercing through the incoming homing missile.
The missile exploded with a dull roar.
The Chakra shockwaves from the explosion were completely blocked by the layers of branches and vines.
The surrounding foam was also pierced and scattered.
As the branches and vines attacked the Six Paths of Pain, Deva Path Pain finally raised his hand.
Shinra Tensei!
An invisible repulsive force spread outward in all directions. All the branches and vines rushing toward him were blasted away.
Asura Attack!
The top of the Asura Path's head split open, firing a powerful laser beam.
In an instant, the forest near him was engulfed and completely destroyed amid a thunderous explosion.
"Wood Release is only so-so."
Deva Path Pain said as he looked at the large clearing created in the forest by his and the Asura Path's combined attack.
Kitazawa clapped his hands once more. The destroyed forest grew wildly again, and the clearing was quickly filled with newly sprouted trees.
Banshō Ten'in! Deva Path Pain stopped focusing on the forest.
In his view, Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence did not possess enough killing power; its only troublesome aspect was its regeneration.
A powerful, attractive force erupted and bound Kitazawa. His body was pulled forward uncontrollably toward Deva Path Pain.
Flying Thunder God Technique! Kitazawa disappeared without warning.
Deva Path Pain's eyes narrowed as he subconsciously scanned his surroundings.
Kitazawa appeared atop the chameleon's head.
Earlier, when he had struck it with Chakra Enhanced Strength, he had secretly left a Flying Thunder God mark inside its mouth.
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!
Kitazawa clapped his hands.
A seed sprouted rapidly and transformed into a giant Wood Dragon with a long hooked nose and thorns covering its body.
The moment the Wood Dragon appeared, it coiled tightly around the chameleon, crushing it until it exploded in a spray of blood.
Without pausing, it charged straight toward the Giant Crustacean.
Water Release: Wild Bubble Wave!
The Giant Crustacean repeated its previous tactic, spewing a large amount of bubbles. But the Wood Dragon ignored the bubbles entirely.
Shinra Tensei! Deva Path Pain frowned slightly and raised his hand again.
A terrifying repulsive force surged toward the Wood Dragon.
The Wood Dragon's body paused and stiffened momentarily, but in less than a second, it lashed out with its tail and grabbed the Giant Crustacean.
Deva Path Pain could not help but feel a flicker of shock. However, his reaction was swift.
He immediately had the Animal Path summon the Giant Multi-Headed Dog.
The Giant Multi-Headed Dog was different from other summoning beasts. It possessed the ability to multiply upon being struck.
If it were knocked down, it would split into two, and each clone also retained the same ability.
In theory, as long as the Animal Path remained alive, the Giant Multi-Headed Dog could divide endlessly.
Kitazawa was fully aware of this intelligence. The moment the Giant Multi-Headed Dog appeared, he arrived directly in front of the Animal Path.
Yin-Yang Rasengan! Kitazawa raised both hands.
Yin Release: Rasengan merged with Yang Release: Rasengan, forming a massive Yin-Yang Rasengan that radiated terrifying power.
But at that critical moment, the Preta Path stepped in front of the Animal Path.
Blocking Technique Absorption Seal!
The Preta Path raised both hands, forming an invisible shield. The shield trembled as it began absorbing the Yin-Yang Rasengan.
Soul Extraction!
Seeing Kitazawa locked in a stalemate with the Preta Path, the Human Path suddenly raised his hand and lunged forward to seize him.
The moment he made contact, he would be able to rip out Kitazawa's soul.
Flying Thunder God Technique! Kitazawa vanished once more without warning.
Both the Human Path and the Preta Path grasped nothing but empty air.
Shinra Tensei!
Deva Path Pain lifted both hands.
With him at the center, a violent, repulsive force burst outward in all directions, sweeping across the battlefield as an indiscriminate attack.
Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!
The instant Kitazawa reappeared, a towering wall of ice rose before him, sealing off the space ahead.
The repulsive force slammed into the ice wall. With a sharp crack, fissures spread rapidly across its surface.
Flaming Arrow of Amazing Ability!
The Asura Path raised his right arm. His right fist shot out like a cannon shell.
The ice wall shattered completely, and the detached fist continued hurtling toward Kitazawa.
Chakra Enhanced Strength! Kitazawa threw a punch.
The incoming fist was smashed away mid-air. It arced upward, circled once, and reattached itself neatly to the Asura Path's wrist.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Kitazawa had been waiting precisely for this moment.
During the clash, he had already carved a Flying Thunder God Mark onto the Asura Path's right fist.
Lightning Release: Double Chidori!
Kitazawa appeared directly in front of the Asura Path.
Brilliant lightning flared from both his hands, forming twin blades of crackling thunder that stabbed straight into the Asura Path's torso.
The lightning spread violently, engulfing his entire body.
Boom!
The Asura Path's body turned pitch-black and lifeless, completely losing function.
"How troublesome." Deva Path Pain had been unable to react in time.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was simply too fast. Yet he did not feel sorrow over the loss of the Asura Path.
When a Path was destroyed, its Chakra would return to him. The Six Paths of Pain were at their strongest when unified.
In the original story, the Super Shinra Tensei that annihilated Konoha had only been possible after gathering the Chakra of all Six Paths.
Moreover, the Naraka Path's King of Hell—Samsara Resurrection—could repair any fallen Path.
The instant the Asura Path fell, Deva Path Pain raised his hand again. Banshō Tenin!
A powerful, attractive force seized Kitazawa.
Flying Thunder God Technique! Kitazawa reappeared atop the Wood Dragon's head.
At this moment, the Wood Dragon was locked in battle with the Giant Multi-Headed Dog.
Under the Wood Dragon's relentless assault, the Giant Multi-Headed Dog had already split into more than twenty clones in less than a minute.
Kitazawa's gaze shifted to Deva Path Pain. He brought his hands together.
Yang Release Chakra Mode!
Sage Mode!
His body trembled as Chakra surged explosively. Black eye-shadow markings formed around his eyes.
Deva Path Pain's pupils shrank sharply.
The sense of threat emanating from Kitazawa spiked instantly. For the first time, an intense warning rang in his mind.
"Sage Mode?" He thought of Jiraiya.
His expression grew far more serious.
Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation! Kitazawa waved his hand casually.
The desert trembled.
The sand itself came alive, twisting into thick ropes that bound all the Giant Multi-Headed Dogs tightly in place.
Freed from obstruction, the Wood Dragon roared forward toward Deva Path Pain.
Shinra Tensei! Deva Path Pain's Rinnegan flared.
A far stronger repulsive force than before exploded outward.
The Wood Dragon's advance slowed drastically.
Kitazawa ignored Deva Path Pain for the moment and turned his eyes toward the Naraka Path.
He was currently repairing the fallen Asura Path.
Sage Art: Rasengan!
Kitazawa used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before him in an instant.
Massive Chakra condensed, spinning, and compressing into a giant blue sphere.
With the amplification of Sage Mode, the Sage Art: Rasengan far surpassed the power of a normal Rasengan.
Deva Path Pain was pinned down by the Wood Dragon and could not move freely. He hurriedly ordered the Preta Path to intercept.
But he was one step too late.
The Sage Art: Rasengan slammed into the Naraka Path. He was shattered into pieces instantly.
The Naraka Path possessed neither offensive nor defensive ability. Among the Six Paths, his role was purely support and restoration.
Chakra Absorption!
The Preta Path had no time to rage over the Naraka Path's destruction. He lunged forward and grabbed at Kitazawa without hesitation.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow as a thought crossed his mind. He turned and deliberately channeled Senjutsu Chakra into the Preta Path.
The Preta Path froze briefly.
Though he did not understand why Kitazawa was allowing it, he instinctively activated Chakra Absorption.
Kitazawa smiled faintly.
Nagato knew of Sage Mode, but he had never mastered it.
In the original story, the Preta Path had transformed into a frog stone statue after absorbing Uzumaki Naruto's Senjutsu Chakra.
"Something's wrong!" Deva Path Pain suddenly realized the danger.
He urgently ordered the Preta Path to cease absorption. But it was too late.
The Preta Path's absorption ability was overwhelming. In an instant, he had drawn in a massive amount of Senjutsu Chakra.
Natural Energy spiraled out of control within his body. In the blink of an eye, he hardened into stone. A motionless statue.
With the Preta Path gone, Deva Path Pain's expression shifted slightly.
At this point, only he, the Human Path, and the Animal Path remained among the Six Paths of Pain.
Summoning Technique! The Animal Path slapped the ground once more.
Three massive Summoning Beasts burst forth from the smoke.
The Giant Drill-Beaked Bird shrieked as it took to the sky. The Giant Ox lowered its horns and charged. The Giant Panda dropped heavily onto the sand like a fortress.
The moment they appeared, they rushed toward the Wood Dragon and entangled it in fierce combat.
Deva Path Pain immediately turned his attention back to Kitazawa.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken! Kitazawa raised his hand without hesitation.
Vast amounts of Wind Release Chakra surged outward like raging tides. Violent air currents radiated from him, whipping the battlefield into a storm.
The wind howled.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal shuriken-shaped Rasengan formed above his head, spinning with terrifying sharpness.
Kitazawa hurled it forward.
A sense of extreme danger surged through Deva Path Pain's mind.
He shot straight into the sky, attempting to evade the incoming Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
At the same time, the Human Path and the Animal Path scattered in opposite directions.
Tenjōtōtsuki! Kitazawa activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Seizing the instant, his gaze locked onto the Human Path.
Nagato, wielding the Rinnegan, could normally evade the Tenjōtōtsuki's mark.
After all, the Rinnegan stood above the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. But now, the Rinnegan's power was divided among three bodies.
Moreover, Nagato had no knowledge of Tenjōtōtsuki.
Coupled with the Human Path's urgent need to dodge the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, Kitazawa succeeded in an instant.
Kitazawa appeared behind the Human Path and struck without mercy. Sage Art: Rasengan!
Boom! The Human Path exploded into fragments.
From mid-air, Deva Path Pain witnessed this scene, shock and fury flashing across his face.
Without hesitation, he reclaimed the remaining Chakra from the Animal Path.
The Six Paths unified as one. His Chakra surged to its peak.
Super Shinra Tensei!
A catastrophic, repulsive force cascaded downward like a divine tempest. In an instant, the sky darkened.
Wood Release: Wood Human Technique! Kitazawa formed hand seals immediately.
Terrifying Chakra fluctuations erupted upward. The desert shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
A colossal wooden arhat, towering over a hundred meters high, rose from beneath the sands.
Its immense weight caused the desert floor to sink, sand erupting in all directions. Kitazawa stood upon the bridge of the wooden arhat's nose, gazing up at the heavens.
The invisible repulsive force descended like crushing ripples.
The wooden arhat responded simply. It lifted both arms, spreading its enormous palms to shield Kitazawa.
Wood Release: Hobi Technique!
After a brief thought, Kitazawa summoned an additional wooden shield.
The next instant, the overwhelming repulsive force collided with the wooden shield and the wooden human.
A deafening explosion shook the heavens. A storm of sand and destruction blasted outward from the impact point.
The desert trembled once again.
The wooden arhat sank deeper into the earth. But it did not fall.
"Impossible!" Deva Path Pain stared in disbelief at the wooden arhat that still stood firm.
Kitazawa remained calm.
In the original story, Senju Hashirama's Wood Release: Wood Human Technique caught a Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball with one hand.
It was a supreme Wood Release technique, capable of both overwhelming offense and absolute defense.
Not to mention, he had layered Wood Release: Hobi Technique over it.
Deva Path Pain's expression darkened as he formed hand seals once more. As a god, he would not accept defeat.
Planetary Devastation(Chibaku Tensei)!
If Super Almighty Push embodied pure destruction, then Planetary Devastation combined that destruction with terrifying sealing power.
A small black sphere floated above Deva Path Pain's head. When it stabilized in the air, it erupted with immense gravitational force.
Everything—sand, debris, and even the trees summoned by Kitazawa—was drawn toward it.
The black sphere became like a miniature black hole, devouring earth and sky alike.
Kitazawa felt his body being dragged upward against his will. Without hesitation, he drew the Rising Dragon Bow.
World-Extinction Arrow!
He could have escaped using the Flying Thunder God Technique. But there was no need.
He knew the weakness of Planetary Devastation lay in that single black sphere.
The bowstring snapped forward. A Yin Release Arrow streaked toward the sphere in the sky.
The immense gravitational pull accelerated it instead. In an instant, the Yin Release Arrow was drawn directly before the core.
Boom! Boundless Chakra detonated from within the arrow.
A cataclysmic explosion erupted.
The World-Extinction Arrow, possessing power rivaling a Tailed Beast Ball, unleashed a force capable of tearing mountains apart.
Planetary Devastation was swallowed in the blast.
In the original story, the reincarnated Nagato required Killer Bee's Tailed Beast Ball, Naruto's Rasenshuriken, and Uchiha Itachi's Yasaka Magatama combined to break Planetary Devastation.
But this Nagato was far weaker than his Edo Tensei self.
In a distant oasis, Nagato suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
After consecutively using Super Shinra Tensei and Planetary Devastation, his body could no longer withstand the massive Chakra drain.
Konan's face filled with shock. Tasked with guarding Nagato's true body, she could not see the battle directly.
But seeing him spit blood, it was clear Kitazawa had gained the advantage.
This was the first time she had seen Nagato in such a miserable state. Since awakening the Rinnegan, he had been invincible—like a god crushing all before him.
"I am a god! I will not lose!" Nagato ignored Konan and roared, his expression twisted.
In the distance, Deva Path Pain let out a furious cry and formed hand seals once again.
Summoning Technique! The earth and sky shook violently.
From thick smoke emerged a monstrous figure, even larger than the wooden arhat. Humanoid in shape, with nine eyes upon its face, its skin resembled withered wood.
Ten pillar-like protrusions extended from its back.
The Gedo Mazo, the empty shell of the Ten-Tails.
Only when united with all nine Tailed Beasts could it become the complete Ten-Tails.
The current Gedo Mazo was incomplete, missing the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails. At best, it was one-third of its true form.
Phantom Dragon!
The instant it appeared, the Gedo Mazo opened its mouth and spat out a massive dragon formed of Chakra.
The dragon shot forward like a binding chain.
The wooden arhat immediately reached out and seized it. An overwhelming force surged through the battlefield.
The wooden arhat was dragged forward against its will.
Kitazawa immediately understood the Gedo Mazo's intention. It sought to devour the wooden arhat.
As the former Ten-Tails, it possessed the ability to swallow all Chakra.
"Do you see? This is the power of a god!" Deva Path Pain floated high in the air, arms spread wide, his voice echoing across the desert.
Having his Super Shinra Tensei and Planetary Devastation broken one after another had wounded his pride.
He needed to reclaim his dignity. He needed to prove that he was still that invincible god.
"The power of a god?" Kitazawa smiled faintly.
"It seems it's time to show my full strength." Deva Path Pain's expression froze instantly.
What did that mean? This… still wasn't his full strength? Impossible.
Deva Path Pain stared fixedly at Kitazawa, refusing to believe it.
Yin Seal: Release!
Senju Chakra Mode!
Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!
Chakra as vast and surging as an ocean erupted from Kitazawa's body.
Centered on him, a violent storm formed out of nowhere. But in the next instant, the storm itself was torn apart.
The sky darkened. Deva Path Pain instinctively looked up.
It wasn't that the sky had changed. It was that an enormous thousand-armed Kannon statue had risen, blotting out the heavens.
"This… what is this?"
Deva Path Pain's pupils trembled as he stared at the thousand-armed Kannon statue, whose size rivaled the Gedo Mazo.
At that moment, his worldview shattered.
The Gedo Mazo was the shell of the Ten-Tails. How could there exist a thousand-armed Kannon statue capable of standing equal to it?
"What's the use of being big?!" Deva Path Pain snarled.
He immediately commanded the Gedo Mazo to charge forward.
The thousand-armed Kannon statue extended countless palms.
The Gedo Mazo slammed into them. A deafening boom resounded as overwhelming air currents exploded outward.
But to Deva Path Pain's shock, the thousand-armed Kannon statue held firm. No matter how the Gedo Mazo strained, it could not advance even an inch.
"How is this possible?" Deva Path Pain's mind went blank.
At that very moment, the thousand arms began to move.
Tailed Beast Ball!
Sensing deadly danger, Deva Path Pain immediately unleashed the Gedo Mazo's strongest attack.
The Gedo Mazo raised its head and opened its mouth. A pitch-black sphere condensed to the extreme formed before it.
Chakra currents spiraled violently. The wind and clouds churned. Terrifying power gathered within.
Top Transformed Buddha!
Perfect Susanoo!
Kitazawa's expression did not change as he faced the Tailed Beast Ball.
A solemn aura rapidly enveloped the thousand-armed Kannon statue. In the blink of an eye, it was clad in majestic armor.
Then, the thousand-armed Kannon statue clenched its fists and struck downward.
Each fist was the size of a Tailed Beast. A thousand fists descended like an endless rain of divine punishment.
Deva Path Pain felt as if his entire vision was swallowed by fists. Though merely a puppet body, he felt suffocated.
The Tailed Beast Ball collided first.
For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to freeze. Then a violent tide of Chakra erupted outward in visible waves.
But before it could spread, countless fists crushed down upon it.
The Tailed Beast Ball shattered.
The Gedo Mazo was engulfed from head to toe in an endless barrage. A shrill scream tore through the battlefield.
Shinra Tensei! Deva Path Pain instinctively raised his hand.
But the repulsive force was meaningless. He was struck directly by a massive fist and blasted away.
The Gedo Mazo collapsed heavily onto the desert. Its tremendous body triggered a colossal sandstorm.
Endless grains of sand spiraled wildly into the sky.
For dozens of kilometers, the terrain was reshaped. The desert sank inward, forming a vast, bottomless crater.
Kitazawa shook his head lightly. This Nagato still couldn't let him fully enjoy the fight.
---
At a distant oasis, Nagato suddenly coughed up a large pool of blood.
His face turned deathly pale. All strength left his body as he collapsed.
"Nagato?!" Konan rushed forward instinctively and caught him.
Looking at the utterly weakened Nagato, shock filled her heart. The invincible Nagato… had lost?
Did Kitazawa truly win? Kitazawa's figure appeared in her mind, and she froze momentarily.
"I… I am clearly a god…" Nagato gasped, his voice weak and trembling.
Resentment filled his face.
But even more than resentment, there was disbelief. He, who proclaimed himself a god, had been defeated so utterly.
"Can we talk now?" Kitazawa appeared before them in an instant.
Konan bore a Flying Thunder God Mark, allowing him to arrive immediately.
Nagato's expression changed drastically at the sight of him. For the first time since Yahiko's death, fear crept into his heart.
Konan looked at Kitazawa, her eyes pleading.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you." Kitazawa smiled faintly. "Don't forget the bet we made."
Nagato's pupils trembled.
If he lost, the Akatsuki Organization would join Konoha Village. For a moment, his emotions were extremely complicated.