As the Human Path, Naraka Path, Preta Path, Asura Path, and Animal Path of Pain emerged one after another.
Delta's expression also turned somewhat grave.
"So quickly calling for backup?"
Jigen countered, "Those aren't his allies; they're puppets he controls directly!"
To simultaneously manipulate six bodies – the sheer mental fortitude required is immense!
Even Delta couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration for Nagato.
If Amado could modify this guy, the scientific ninja tools he could wield would be even more formidable.
After all, mental power of this caliber is exceptionally rare!
"While your scientific ninja tools are impressive, ultimately, they rely on external power!"
"You simply don't grasp the essence of ninja combat!"
With that, Human Path Pain and Asura Path Pain launched their attack.
The two figures moved with incredible speed.
They closed the distance in an instant, appearing before Delta in the blink of an eye.
A punch and a kick landed before Delta could fully react.
The massive black bird of the summoning jutsu descended from above.
Its exceptionally long beak, like a colossal scythe, slashed down towards Delta.
Meanwhile, the Preta Path and Animal Path Pains, coordinating with the Asura and Human Paths, nearly overwhelmed Delta.
A series of explosions and roars echoed.
Ten seconds into the battle, white paper snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
Accompanying the paper's descent, Konan's form materialized from countless individual sheets.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass here? Now that you've come, don't even think about leaving!"
Jigen cast an indifferent glance at Konan. Her techniques might look flashy, but to him, they were merely aesthetically pleasing and ultimately ineffective.
"Wait! Konan, hold on."
Deva Path Pain spoke from below, one hand gripping the struggling Delta.
Activating Almighty Push, he pulled Delta directly into his grasp.
A black rod pierced Delta's body.
She writhed, attempting to break free from Deva Path Pain's hold.
But it was futile. The black rod suppressed her chakra, yet she showed no sign of fear.
"Aren't you afraid to die?"
"You bastard, let me go! Just you wait! I'll grind you under my heel!"
"I'll make you regret this"
Crack!
Nagato abruptly twisted her neck, casually tossing Delta aside.
He looked up at Jigen.
"Your scientific ninja tools may be powerful, but they're only on the level of a Jonin!"
Hearing this, Jigen smiled. "Is that so?"
Nagato was about to have Deva Path Pain continue speaking when he suddenly turned his head. He saw Delta slowly rise, pull out the black rod, snap her neck back into place, and take a breath.
She glared at him, her eyes blazing. "Damn you! How dare you try to break my neck, you deserve to die!"
"Enough!"
Jigen's sharp command cut through Delta's anger.
She looked deflated.
Was this guy really just going to let it go?
"You might think her strength is unremarkable, but that's because she lacks significant techniques!"
"However, killing her isn't as straightforward as you might believe."
Nagato looked at Jigen, momentarily taken aback.
Even with her neck twisted, she could still...
"For example, this!"
Crack!
Jigen suddenly moved, surprisingly swift, and with a single blast, obliterated most of Delta's body.
In that instant, Nagato couldn't discern how Jigen had moved, how he had descended from the sky so rapidly, or how he had launched the attack.
A flicker of fear crossed Nagato's eyes.
But what was even more astonishing was that Delta's body seemed to coalesce from nothing.
Rapidly reforming.
"Leader, what are you doing? Why did you attack me?"
Jigen replied, "Just a demonstration!"
"Even for a demonstration, did you really need to blow away half my body?"
"That was terrible!..." Delta grumbled, pouting slightly.
The 'demonstration' indeed surprised both Nagato and Konan.
Someone whose body had been almost completely destroyed could actually regenerate in the blink of an eye.
Such an ability was truly unexpected.
Cooperation!
Nagato met Jigen's gaze.
This was the other party's objective.
To form an alliance with his organization.
If Nagato had previously dismissed the idea as pointless, this display made him reconsider. This kind of cooperation could be entirely different.
With this thought, Nagato seemed to have finally made his decision.
"I find myself very interested in your previous proposal!"
A smile spread across Jigen's face.
"Excellent! A pleasure doing business with you!"
"Rest assured, we will provide all the assistance we can with your goals and offer you all the necessary support in this era!"
With these words, Jigen approached Deva Path Pain, the apparent leader of the two groups.
Face to face, they extended their hands.
Their hands clasped gently.
At this moment, everything was about to change again.
The chaotic era was about to become even more terrifying.
From the ninja era, the most formidable organization of ninjas, the Akatsuki.
United with the new era's organization wielding cutting-edge scientific ninja tools, Kara.
The alliance between these two entities signified the perfect fusion of ninjutsu and science.
And at that very moment, outside Konoha Village, Naruto, having located Indra and Asura, was leading the Konoha ninja.
They had anticipated a fierce confrontation between the two legendary figures.
Instead, they found Indra and Asura sitting peacefully by the river.
They appeared to be engaged in a calm discussion, their demeanor far from hostile.
In fact, Indra no longer held any real desire for Ninshu.
He had been manipulated by Black Zetsu in the past, fueling his jealousy.
Arriving in this era, Black Zetsu observed Sasuke.
He simply uttered, "He won," without further intervention, focused solely on his own continued growth.
In that instant, Indra found clarity. Wasn't he the same kind of person as Sasuke?
Did anything else truly matter?
Ninshu had never been his primary concern. His father's approval was the only thing he truly sought.
And his father's decision to entrust Ninshu to Asura wasn't a judgment of his worth, but rather an acknowledgment of Asura's suitability for managing it.
His father still held him in high regard.
Understanding this, Indra no longer had any reason to fight Asura.
Their current conversation revolved around Indra asking Asura for his father's true feelings towards him.
Asura's response was simple:
"Father's opinion of you has never wavered!"
"You are a genius, his most cherished son!"
Indra's very act of creating seals for the benefit of Ninshu had already earned him not only praise from the Sage of Six Paths but also deep respect from countless Ninshu practitioners.
This answer was sufficient.
Indra smiled...
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin