Whoosh!
A terrifying repulsive force generated intense wind pressure. Naruto crouched low, digging his feet into the ground with all his might. He held on for less than two seconds before being sent skidding backward, carving a deep furrow in the earth.
The Cerberus Hellhound, which he had just split into six with his fox tails, pounced on the fallen boy again, sharp fangs and claws flashing in the moonlight. At the same time, Asura Path Sasuke leaped high into the air. His chest mechanism snapped open, revealing a pitch-black hole that began to gather a blinding, blue-white light.
A terrifying laser cannon streaked through the air, aiming for Naruto.
Boom!
Smoke billowed, but within it, twelve fully formed hellhounds were revealed.
"Is it over?" Pain murmured.
Immediately, crimson chakra arms coiled around the hellhounds and hurled them into the sky. Simultaneously, a rapidly spinning shuriken-like projectile shot toward Pain's face, accompanied by Naruto's roar.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
"A fine technique, but useless against me." Pain didn't raise a hand; his eyes merely narrowed slightly. The massive Rasenshuriken was instantly deflected into the air by the repulsive force.
"Gone?"
After the Rasenshuriken vanished, Naruto disappeared with it.
"To the right." Through the vision of the other five Paths, Pain turned his head sharply.
He saw Naruto with six tails, the spinning Rasenshuriken already hurtling toward his head.
"The tails have multiplied, and their strength is terrifying," the Deva Path analyzed calmly.
Just as the Rasenshuriken was about to strike, Sakura—the Animal Path—stepped in front of Pain to shield him.
"Sakura!"
Naruto hesitated, unwilling to strike a comrade. He quickly deflected the Rasenshuriken, launching it harmlessly into the air.
Pain didn't miss the opening. His hand rose.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Whoosh!
Massive repulsive force, accompanied by wind pressure, swept out once more. Naruto, already prepared, plunged his six fox tails deep into the ground.
"Hold on!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The terrifying force channeled straight into the earth. The ground behind him instantly cracked and collapsed, sinking hundreds of meters away.
"Six tails blocked Shinra Tensei?!"
Pain's expression shifted to genuine shock. He remembered that Menma had blocked it with eight tails. But before he could dwell on it, the rebound of the technique sent his body flying backward uncontrollably.
"Not enough! Give me more!"
Naruto's voice rang out again. As Pain flew backward through midair, he saw Naruto appear above him—now with seven tails.
"Seven tails!"
"If this keeps up, even I…"
Nagato had planned to use the Five Paths to break Naruto's will and capture him. But clearly, Menma had anticipated the boy's terrifying strength. That was why he'd devised a plan specifically to break him.
"I have no choice but to follow Menma's plan."
Looking up at the Rasenshuriken hurtling toward him again, Pain didn't try to repel it this time. Instead, once the Rasenshuriken touched him and began to form a massive, spinning sphere of light, he used Universal Pull to pull the surrounding stones, enveloping himself in a defensive barrier.
After several seconds of violent cutting, the sphere slowly dissipated. Pain was revealed, half-buried in the ground, lying motionless on his back.
"It worked!" Naruto's spirits soared.
He quickly turned to look at Jiraiya, Sasuke, and the others in the distance. The five figures who had been knocked away and then controlled were now standing still, their faces filled with confusion and contemplation. In the distance, the dozen split-type hounds dissipated into smoke with a series of sharp bangs as the summoning ended.
"Finally… I finally rescued you all…"
Tears of joy blurred Naruto's vision, streaming down his cheeks. The five moved toward him.
"Hmph, Naruto. I never thought the guy who defeated me would lose to you. Must've been luck," Sasuke said first, wearing the same smug expression Naruto remembered.
"I never expected you to get this strong in just a few days, even defeating a monster like that," Sakura added, her face filled with admiration—exactly what Naruto wanted to hear.
"Hahaha! Little Naruto, you've grown into a reliable man we can finally lean on!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, scratching the back of his head.
"As expected of my star student," Iruka Umino said, beaming. "Seeing you grow like this, I can hold my head high even when I see the Fourth Hokage…"
"See my father?" Naruto wiped his eyes, confused.
Before he could ask further, Jiraiya interrupted, patting his head. "Ho ho! You actually controlled the Nine-Tails' chakra and defeated Pain!"
"You're amazing, Naruto! I'm so proud of you!"
Then Jiraiya's expression turned serious. "But don't get arrogant. You still need to keep working hard. I believe in you—I believe you can change this shinobi world and bring peace."
"Perverted Sage, I will!" Naruto's sorrow turned to joy. He laughed heartily and nodded vigorously.
Then, noticing the black rods embedded in the faces of the five, he said, "Come on, let's go find Granny Tsunade. She can remove these nails for you. It looks kind of cool, but it's gotta hurt, believe it!"
He grabbed Jiraiya's arm, trying to pull him forward, but the man didn't budge.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Seeing the reluctance on their faces, Naruto felt a sudden chill. "Come on! After we get you to Granny Tsunade, I still need to deal with the other Akatsuki members, dattebayo!"
He pulled Jiraiya with all his might, but the man stayed rooted. His reluctance had turned to sorrow.
"Naruto, I'm sorry…"
"These black rods are controllers, linked to our lives. If we pull them off, we die. If we don't, the people behind Akatsuki will keep controlling us."
"What?!" Naruto froze. Shock, anger, and disbelief washed over him as he pulled Jiraiya again. "Impossible! Granny Tsunade must have a way! She's the strongest medical ninja! There's definitely a way—believe it!"
"Don't be like this, Naruto," Jiraiya said softly, shaking his head with a sad smile. "I know Tsunade's abilities. I know our situation. We can't make her suffer and blame herself."
As he spoke, a tear rolled down his cheek.
"Naruto, do you remember the first ninjutsu I taught you?"
"The Rasengan!" Naruto's eyes filled with tears again.
"Can the Rasengan free us from this control?"
"No," Jiraiya said, still smiling as he shook his head. He extended his hand, reluctance and sorrow heavy in his eyes. "I just wanted to see you use it one last time…"
"Come on. Use the Rasengan on us."
---