Chapter 65: Embarrassment of a God

Shin and Jiraiya had finally made their way into the heart of Rain Village.

"It's finally here," Shin murmured, gazing into the distance as a small black dot appeared in the sky. His sensory abilities picked up the presence of several other powerful chakras with a chilling, lifeless quality—the remaining Paths of Pain.

Before Shin could act, Jiraiya stepped forward, trembling as he took in the figure before him. "Nagato… is that you?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

Deva Path Pain's eyes shifted toward Jiraiya, devoid of warmth. "Nagato is no more," he replied in a hollow voice. "I am the god who will create a new world."

Shin grimaced, unable to suppress a shiver of secondhand embarrassment. "Alright, that's a bit much, don't you think? Doesn't it feel strange to talk like that? Just hearing it makes me cringe."

Controlling Pain's form from afar, Nagato bristled at Shin's mockery. He raised a hand without another word, and the air thickened with power.

"Almighty Push!"

The repelling force clashed with a wave of thick black mist Shin conjured, the two powers nullifying each other instantly. Shin watched with interest. "So, repulsion and attraction cancel each other out?" he murmured to himself. The Dark-Dark Fruit's ability granted him the ability of attraction and absorption, putting him in a unique position against Pain's techniques.

The concept of attraction and absorption made most elemental jutsu nearly ineffective against Shin. When faced with dark fruits' sheer pull and absorption, jutsus like fire, wind, and lightning were trivial.

Jiraiya, realizing how quickly things had escalated, shot a look at Shin. "Wait! I still have questions for Nagato—"

Shin didn't look back. "You'll have to save your questions for when we find his true body," he said. "Do you think he'll answer you right now?"

Even as Shin spoke, the remaining Paths of Pain had already sprung into action. Human Path, Asura Path, and Preta Path launched themselves at the duo, while Animal Path began summoning monstrous creatures to the battlefield.

Shin scoffed, meeting the attackers with a surge of black mist. Preta Path positioned itself to absorb the black mist, but its attempt backfired. The dark energy engulfed Preta Path momentarily, condensing it into a black dot and reducing its body to nothing.

From his hiding place, Nagato's eyes widened in shock. His strongest shield had been obliterated in an instant. "What… is that?" he murmured. "It doesn't feel like chakra… it's like he's manipulating darkness itself."

Nagato had a faint awareness of the dark void swallowing Preta Path. Though the connection faded quickly, what he sensed left him deeply unsettled.

"Damn it. There's not even a body left to resurrect."

A sense of unease crept over Nagato as the cooldown on Almighty Push elapsed. With renewed determination, he unleashed a far stronger repulsive force.

Shin watched calmly, then raised his hands, conjuring an even denser cloud of black mist. The two forces clashed, but the dark energy quickly overwhelmed Pain's Almighty Push, swallowing the repulsion entirely.

Nagato could not allow Deva Path Pain to be defeated, but with a strong impact, Deva Path Pain was pushed back and forced to retreat.

Shin paid no mind and turned his attention to something else—a chameleon that had been attempting to strike him under the cover of invisibility. With a swift punch, the creature collapsed to the ground, its head reduced to pulp.

"This is taking too long," Shin muttered, a determined look crossing his face. "I need to get serious."

"Eight Inner Gates—open!"

In an instant, his speed increased to an astonishing level, his movements almost imperceptible as he struck with overwhelming force. The loud impact sent Asura Path flying, its body obliterated.

Nagato's eyes widened further, the impossibility of Shin's speed and strength striking him with disbelief. "This speed… this power… How is it possible?"

Yet, regardless of Nagato's amazement, the battle raged on without mercy. Within moments, Shin had struck down each remaining Path of Pain, reducing them to little more than a red mist. Only Deva Path Pain, still hovering above, remained.

"This… is the Eight Inner Gates, isn't it?" Jiraiya said, looking at Shin in astonishment. He recognized the technique's power but was taken aback by Shin's calm, controlled appearance.

Shin shrugged, barely winded. "I'm only using the Third Gate. If I opened more, I'd have a harder time containing it."

Jiraiya was left speechless. 'He can wipe out the Paths of Pain with just three gates? If he goes all the way to Six or Seven, wouldn't he be able to crush even Madara Uchiha?'

From his hiding place, Nagato could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. The words he had spoken with so much conviction—calling himself a god—now felt hollow and painfully embarrassing. He had proclaimed himself the creator of a new world, only to be quickly decimated.

It was a humiliating feeling, akin to Loki declaring himself a god, only to be tossed aside by the Hulk. For once, Nagato's pale, sickly complexion was tinged with red.

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