Chapter 30

While Naruto was filling the returned Hokage on the situation, Deidara had come across the Animal Path, who was on top a bird summons. The explosion release users wasted no time attempting to pepper the Path with his explosive creations but the bird was agile in the air and avoided direct damage. The two flew above the trees and frustrated sat in for the once dead shinobi, so much so he forwent any offense, only focusing on speed to close the distance. Once he did he leapt off the clay bird and using his body exploded in the air. It took out the bird but the Animal Path jumped off its summon right before impact and landed on a multi headed dog.

When Deidara reformed, he continued to lay explosive after explosive but it only increased the dog's power as it grew more and more heads. The Animal Path summoned another animal, a Rhino to accompany the dog as they tried to keep Deidara occupied, at least until the Human Path could arrive, as it was rapidly approaching.

The animals were dealing damage while the dog absorbed all of Deidara's offense, much to his annoyance. The bomb enthusiast started to flood the area with his C4 explosives and watched as not even the Dog summons could handle it. The Animal Path, too, had succumbed but the area of effect was limited and the Human Path had not been infected and managed to remove the Edo's soul before it could explode again. However, the Path did not avoid the wood spike that pierced its head.

The Deva Path looked as the Asura Path lay headless. The Samehada interrupted the chakra receivers long enough for Kisame to cleave its head off. Until that point, the former Kiri Swordsman's attacks had been rendered ineffective, the Preta Path absorbing all he could muster while Deva and Asura retaliated. He immediately pushed the sword away from the undead ninja. Kisame started weaving hand signs again for another suiton jutsu, his [Water Shark Bomb] and just like times previous it was absorbed but Preta was kicked back by the Shodai Hokage.

"[Almighty Push]" the Deva Path said, avoiding the attack of the second Hokage as he sent the man out of the lagoon. Kisame followed suit, now pressing the attack, having abandoned his ninjutsu. It was clear the man wasn't as good in unarmed combat as the Deva Path managed to stab him several times with the chakra rod. The Nidaime returned and the pair were attacking in tandem, starting to overwhelm the Path. The Deva Path performed his jutsu again, repelling the suiton masters as, through their shared vision, he saw the Preta Path get its face caved in by the Shodai.

"Five seconds." The Nidaime said but the Deva Path didn't react. All three Edo Tensei started peppering the lone path with various water jutsu, managing to dodge most of them until he was cornered and had to perform the [Almighty Push] again. As soon as he did, the three ninja were on him. He was getting attacked from multiple sides, blocking two strikes left him open for a third. The attacks were relentless and the Path was growing increasingly frustrated. A hard left straight from Kisame sent him flying back but he welcomed the space. Skidding out of the lagoon, onto dry land the Deva Path performed his most powerful technique. "[Chibaku Tensei]".

The surrounding area became overturned as the extreme pull of the gravity technique took hold. Each ninja tried to fight the attractive force but couldn't and soon each were entombed into a small satellite. The chakra use was straining enough that Nagato faltered, causing a short disconnection from his path. He recovered and made his way toward Orochimaru and Naruto at least where he'd assume they'd be.

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Orochimaru and Naruto saw the moon like object being created and how their remaining Edo Tensei were encased within. They didn't know how many more paths were left but they did know they would be on their way. Neither were in perfect shape, Orochimaru had expelled a good bit of chakra with the summoning and restoring herself. Naruto's leg healed, mostly, but he still didn't have his full mobility. They were low on time and needed a strategy.

"You should leave." The Uzumaki said. "He wants me alive so I may be able to buy some time for reinforcements to arrive."

"If they haven't arrived already it means something is happening within the village."

"Still doesn't change, he only wants to kill one of us."

"Immediately, he only wants to kill one of us immediately."

"I have faith you'd come rescue me."

"Flattery at a time like this? Kukuku, I may blush."

"I take that to mean you aren't leaving?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm not leaving so get ready."

Naruto wasted no more time trying to convince her to leave, instead he began centering himself. He didn't have a foolproof way to utilize the Kyuubi's chakra but he'd found success in not thinking about it as a matter of control but an experience to endure. Similar to a surfer's relationship to the wave. The metaphor became something of a mantra and as Naruto delved deep into the chakra core he reminded himself to embrace the wave, to be one with it. He repeated it over and over as he drew more and more of the Kyuubi's chakra out, going out of the zero tailed state to form an initial cloak. One tail became two, 'embrace the wave, embrace the wave' he thought as two became three and he stopped pulling.

'{{Must you repeat that insipid phrase every time you abuse my power?}}'

'Jermaine?'

'{{You know good damn well my name is not Jermaine!}}'

'I'm kinda busy here and if you'd just tell me your name I wouldn't have to guess, Jiro.'

The Kyuubi scoffed and said nothing more, ending the conversation just in time for the Deva Path to arrive, alone. He pulled both Konoha ninja toward him, grabbing each by the neck and slamming them down. Naruto swatted the hand away with a tail, Orochimaru turned into mud while the real kunoichi darted toward Pein from his flank, Kusanagi gleaming in the sunlight. He let go of Naruto and created a chakra rod to meet the legendary sword. The rod was cleaved in two but it halted its momentum enough to spin away from the next swipe.

He grabbed Naruto's wrist, narrowly avoiding a [Rasengan] and tossing the boy away. He repelled Orochimaru when she attempted to attack his blind side and she slammed into a tree. The jinchuuriki was back, taking furious swipes but Pein defended the attack, kicking Naruto in the stomach in response and then hitting him in the jaw. He didn't expect the jinchuuriki to absorb the blow, nor to grab his arm and proceeding to kick the Rinnegan wielder in the ribs. Pein was taken off his feet due to the force, which was amplified by a pair of [Great Breakthrough Jutsu] performed by teacher and student. Pein landed, feet first on a tree and kicked off.

Orochimaru performed the [Hidden Shadow Snake Hands Jutsu] planning to stall his charge but Pein avoided them and continued forward. There was a clang of sword against chakra rod. Pein attempting several thrusts while Orochimaru would deflect them or dodge. Pein overcommitted on one such attack and the Snake Sannin rotated away from the attacking arm, swirling the Kusanagi behind her back before bringing it up aiming to slash at his face. He quicking repelled her again but sent a chakra rod toward in as well. Naruto swatted the rod and reengaged.

His body was able to handle this much of the Kyuubi's chakra for long and he felt his body starting to give under the strain, which made keeping calm and centered exponentially more difficult. He charged, ignoring the pain, trying his best to land a significant strike on Pein. But he was outmatched and Pein began to batter him, punching combinations connecting to Naruto's face before he was knocked away again and found his stomach pierced with a chakra rod, ending his bijuu cloak. He then repeated the tactic Naruto interfered with as Orochimaru charged at him again. Without her student to block the rod, she too found herself impaled by Pein's weapon.

The Path didn't show it but he was inwardly relieved. He could feel the Edo Tensei trying to break free and he had been pushed harder than he expected. He walked over to the Uzumaki, in a different lifetime someone he may have looked at as family but now a means to an end. The boy, battered and bleeding, his left eye swollen shut and barely hanging on to consciousness. He picked him up by his neck, making sure not to do anymore damage.

"This may mean very little to you but your sacrifice will bring about a lasting peace." He said as he darted off with the boy, the Snake Sannin helpless to stop him. "It's unfortunate, had the Kyuubi been sealed into some else, I could have used someone of your talents. I get why she betrayed us for you." He saw the boy's lone functioning eye widen. "You didn't know? Had I agreed to find a way to keep you alive after the extraction she wouldn't have left. But I'm a God and I don't make deals."

"Y-you're no more a God than I am a giant." Naruto struggled to say.

"You don't need to believe me, your opinion doesn't matter." Naruto really detested this smug prick and wanted nothing more than to shut him up permanently; however, the rod in his gut made molding chakra near impossible. Suddenly, Naruto felt the grip around his neck tighten as Pein began moving faster but after a minute, the Path simply collapsed as if its strings had been cut. Naruto lost the battle for his consciousness as he laid on the forest floor.

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"Nagato." Konan spoke. She rarely used that name, the name of a weak boy too afraid of his own power and content to lean on his friends. The name of a failure, naive to the truths of this world. He'd cast off that name and all the weaknesses attached to it but for her, his one remaining friend, he'd still acknowledge it as she was there before he transcended into the God of this miserable world.

"What is it, Konan?"

"Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, Sasori. All dead, all defeated going after the same target. Konoha knows and thanks to Orochimaru, the jinchuuriki was prepared to face them. I have no doubt he'd be similarly prepared for Kakuzu and Hidan. Add to that, we have an epidemic that affects only our shinobi. In mission mortality rates are rising, some are even getting sick from training. I don't see these as coincidences."

"Neither do I. They could have done this thinking it would soften me up, make me easier to kill."

"Or Konoha is planning an all out invasion, one our people are not prepared for."

"Sacrifices are necessary, Konan. You couldn't expect that sacrifice would be on everyone but us."

"Sacrifices that led to something better. We are no longer hidden. At least one major village knows our plans and have all but crippled our efforts. It would be safe to assume Suna knows. Iwa hasn't looked into our real motives because we're too valuable but they could. Maybe this is a sign we should rethink our plan."

"No. This is the only way."

"According to who? This isn't even our plan, it's his. Some stranger that came to us claiming to be Madara Uchiha. We wanted to save Ame, remember? And have we? Are their lives better now than under Hanzo? Are they happy under the protection of a God?"

"Ame, in the grand scheme doesn't matter. I have to be able to shed these attachments; borders only limit us, allow us to see other people as somehow fundamentally unlike us, an outgroup. It may have been Madara's plan but it has a greater chance of working than Jiraiya's way. He preached understanding to us and then trained the most prolific killer in modern shinobi history."

"Would you sacrifice even me?"

"No one is immune from this, not even me."

If Konan was dismayed by his answer she didn't show it. "You may be fine with the potential losses but what about the reality that an invasion puts the entire plan at risk, Nagato, they may be able to even kill you. Not any single Konoha ninja but all three Sannin have returned and they have several Jounin of note. If you die the plan dies with you."

"Then, we stop the invasion from ever happening."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"By giving Konoha something else to focus on. First, we'll take the jinchuuriki as they won't be expecting me to come for him personally. Then we'll release the boy's lineage. I'm sure Iwa would love to be able to torture the Yellow Flash's son. That'll spark a war but we'll be a minor concern compared to Iwa. And if Iwa gets involved, Kumo will too just for the chance to topple Konoha."

"You want to start another great ninja war? I thought the point of this was to end all the wars."

"It was but I can't do that if we don't get the jinchuuriki. War is great for producing S-rank ninja and missing ninja that become disillusioned. The villages will be too depleted to stop us once we refill our ranks. I'll contact Kakuzu and Hidan for a special assignment, we leave for Konoha in three days." The Deva Path left, Nagato having voiced his thoughts on the matter.

Konan's face was as emotionless as ever but inside she was a storm of emotions. She finally saw it, saw how lost her last friend was. They were no longer fighting for the same goals they once shared, Yahiko's will. Nagato essentially died with his best friend, she reasoned, and she'd been enabling a husk of a man with too much power and too few connections to the world. He'd plunge the world into chaos, create countless orphans like them, lost and starving but with no Jiraiya to aid them. It broke her inside, the thoughts of what she was going to do but it was time for her to stop being a mere supporting player.