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The three men scattered in different directions as the water dragon surged toward them. The Third Mizukage, however, leveraged the impact force of the water dragon crashing into the ground to land safely.
By then, the Three-Tails had reverted to Yagura's human form, lying motionless on the ground.
A furious roar erupted from The Third Mizukage, echoing through the cliffs.
Standing atop the mountain peak, Midorima peered downward, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
And it wasn't just him—even Jiraiya, one of the legendary "Sannin," had been effortlessly defeated during his first encounter with Pain.
In the original timeline, the Akatsuki members accompanying Tobi were Konan and the Deva Path. Konan was manageable, but against the Deva Path, Midorima stood no chance.
Moreover, Tobi had already awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan. That alone placed Midorima at an overwhelming disadvantage. A single misstep could trap him in a genjutsu, reducing him to a puppet.
This was the tyranny of bloodline superiority.
Even with his [Cell Laboratory], the support from his "golden finger" paled in comparison to the immediate, devastating power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Then again, upon reflection, there was little point in Tobi using genjutsu on him. Killing him outright would be far more efficient.
By the time The Third Mizukage reached the base of the mountain, he had descended into a frenzied state. He launched a Water Dragon Bullet at one of the enemies, who retaliated with a Great Fireball Technique, its force rivaling that of the water dragon.
The collision of the two techniques reverberated through the air, forcing Midorima to cover his ears. Just then, a faint trickling sound came from behind him. He spun around—only to see a serpentine stream of water lunging at him.
Abandoning all dignity, Midorima rolled aside, narrowly evading the attack. But before he could recover, a dark shadow flashed before his eyes—a gleaming kunai materialized inches from his face. He caught it mid-air, but searing pain shot through his palm as blood seeped between his fingers, dripping onto his face.
His assailant pressed down, intent on driving the kunai through Midorima's throat. In desperation, Midorima kicked upward, striking the man's groin. The momentary stagger allowed him to wrench free. Simultaneously, chakra enveloped his left hand, healing the wound.
"Igawa, the Third and Fourth are being ambushed down there, and instead of helping, you're here ambushing me? Are you out of your mind?" Midorima snarled.
"Hah! Don't tell me you've forgotten what happened a year ago, Asachi Midorima. I've been waiting to kill you myself," Igawa spat, clutching his crotch, his face twisted in agony—or was it fury?
"If you want to kill me, do it later! If we delay any longer, both Kage will die!" Midorima urged.
"Relax, the Kage won't die. That was part of the plan. The only one dying today is you!" Igawa's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Plan? What do you mean?" Midorima's fists clenched. "You're working with them? You led them here?"
"What do you think?" Igawa hurled several kunai at Midorima. "I want revenge. I want to survive. I want to become the Mizukage! Is that too much to ask?"
Dodging the kunai, Midorima reached into his pocket—only to find it empty. Not a single weapon left. In that split second of distraction, a water bullet shot toward him.
"Die! Die! Die!"
One water bullet after another rained down as Igawa descended into madness, expending chakra recklessly in a relentless barrage, aiming to overwhelm Midorima before finishing him off.
But Midorima had no intention of prolonging this fight.
Below, the two Mizukage were still holding their ground. Even if Yagura had been taken down, he refused to believe Obito, Konan, and the Deva Path had emerged unscathed. The Third Mizukage, despite his amnesia, still retained his chakra and jutsu. With Midorima's support, they could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
And even if the two Mizukage were outmatched, Midorima could retreat to Kirigakure and rally the village.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Mei Terumī, and Ao—they could still turn the tide.
Kirigakure might lag behind Konoha in strength, but with the entire village mobilized, they stood a chance against Obito's trio. After all, not all Six Paths of Pain were present. Victory wasn't impossible.
Any option was better than wasting time with Igawa.
As Igawa unleashed his Water Shotgun assault, Midorima charged straight at him, lightning-style chakra crackling around his body.
"Lightning Rush!"
Midorima transformed into a streak of lightning, closing the distance in an instant.
"Water Wall!" Igawa bellowed. A towering barrier of water erupted from the ground, aiming to block Midorima's path—but the lightning zigzagged past him.
"Was I not the target?"
Only then did Igawa realize Midorima had no intention of fighting him.
"Is he trying to escape and call for help?"
His mind buzzed as cold dread crawled down his spine. He lunged to intercept, but it was too late.
Just as Midorima was about to break free, thousands of sheets of paper descended from above, forming an impenetrable wall before him—followed by a deafening explosion.
The blast hurled Midorima backward. After tumbling across the ground, he plummeted from the cliff. High above, Konan hovered with wings of paper, an "angel" presiding over his fall.
"You're not leaving. Not today," her voice echoed.
The drop wasn't fatal—a mere hundred meters—but the impact alone could cripple him.
The explosion had already left Midorima's chest burning as if split open, his body scorched in multiple places. To mitigate the fall, he channeled Wind Release to slow his descent.
Konan saw through his plan. A barrage of Paper Shuriken rained down, forcing Midorima to evade. He dared not deflect them—for all he knew, they could be explosive tags. Konan had done it before.
At the last second, Midorima countered with Water Shotgun, intercepting the shuriken before landing heavily on the ground.
The masked man—undoubtedly Uchiha Obito—stood alongside the Deva Path, clad in the signature black cloak with red clouds, his orange hair cropped short.
Obito, the Deva Path, and Konan… This was an overwhelmingly powerful lineup.
And on his side?
Yagura was down. The Third Mizukage's attempts to break free had failed. Midorima himself was now under Konan's watch.
No—Igawa had survived the fall too. Now Midorima had two enemies to face.
The true despair, however, was the realization that Igawa's involvement meant the enemy had prepared for every contingency.
Waiting for Kirigakure's reinforcements? Unlikely to come in time.
In the worst-case scenario, even escape might be impossible.
"Kid, today's the day you die," Igawa sneered.
"Even if I die, I'm taking you with me," Midorima shot back, his gaze icy.
He had made up his mind. Even if there was no way out, he would ensure Igawa died first.