The adamantine chains danced, lunging toward the three who had yet to make a move.
But—
The purple-faced head puppet spat something out.
The puppet it had swallowed earlier was now completely restored in a short time, including the previously severed arm, which had been reattached in an instant.
Upon reappearing, it immediately activated a summoning technique.
The crab, chameleon, and bull that had been crushed by the Nine Tails were summoned once more, blocking the way before the final three.
Pain raised his hand, the power of the Rinnegan surging.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The repulsive force surged forward, blasting the beasts away again.
A wave of sand surged after them, the river swelled, and the clay inside erupted in bursts. Though the power wasn't great, it stirred up bubbles that resembled boiling amidst the sand waves, filling the air with the stench of gunpowder.
Deidara shouted in excitement. He clearly enjoyed this chaos.
Naruto pondered silently.
Summoning, offense, support, even healing—these six puppets showcased nearly all aspects of combat.
So, the remaining two were likely sealing and defense types?
They hadn't acted yet—probably to create an information gap and then deliver a fatal blow?
If that's the case—
Naruto's eyes locked onto the purple-faced puppet.
Just a glance made them tense up.
Deidara waved, and the mouths on his palms spat out several clay birds, which landed on the summoned beasts.
Even Sasori manipulated his puppet, shielding himself with sand.
A flash of golden light.
The summoning puppet flicked its hands, launching black rods.
But Naruto used Shunpo (Flash Step), suddenly appearing behind Sasori.
"Sasori-sama, watch out!" Deidara cried in alarm.
At the same time—
Crack! Naruto's hand pierced the outer puppet shell, reaching for the true body inside.
The ghost-faced puppet's stinger, like a scorpion's tail, jabbed at him.
Naruto ignored it.
"You chose me as your first target..." Sasori was surprised.
"You coordinated with that blond brat to hide poison in the smoke," Naruto said softly, his hand stirring inside the puppet. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice such a trick?"
He exhaled.
Golden chakra enveloped a thick, purple liquid expelled from his body.
Compared to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's poison techniques, this was nothing.
Sasori's emotions fluctuated wildly.
Deidara cried out in shock.
"I've seen many who modified their own bodies," Naruto gripped something, "but you're the first who completely abandoned your human form to live inside a dead object."
"And the dumbest one."
The outer puppet shattered.
Revealed inside—was a youthful-looking man with red hair and delicate features.
From his body, several mechanisms triggered, clamping Naruto's arm. Chakra threads interwove with the golden light.
But they posed no resistance.
Naruto gripped the core marked with the word "Sasori."
"This is... eternal art," the red-haired boy spoke calmly, even with his fatal point in Naruto's grasp.
Naruto murmured, "Art should be appreciated, not used for battle."
He pulled.
The core was yanked out.
Sasori's body immediately lost all mobility.
The Akatsuki's "Sasori of the Red Sand" was dead.
"Sasori-sama!" Deidara shouted furiously, grabbing his waist and hurling something forcefully.
"Secret Technique: C3."
The clay shaped into a humanoid form.
Pain waved his hand downward.
"Shinra Tensei."
The repulsive force accelerated its descent.
In the water, Kisame finally found his chance.
"Water Style: Five Feeding Sharks!"
Including himself, six sharks leapt from the deep, lunging at Naruto.
Naruto was prepared. His arms hung low as chakra surged.
"Bakudō #73: Tozan Shō."
A blue inverted triangular crystal appeared, encasing his body.
Explosions, impacts, chakra assaults—fire and water fused, releasing a cloud of steamy smoke mixed with gunpowder.
Yet even with their full-power attacks—
They barely scratched the crystal, only staining two of its faces.
Deidara's eyes widened in disbelief.
This was—
Even after mastering his secret technique, this was the first time he encountered something so indestructible.
Still not enough power?
Naruto stepped out from the crystal.
He ignored Kisame—someone with no aerial attack capability had no use on this battlefield.
He flashed before Deidara.
Pain raised his hand.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
He tried to pull Naruto away.
But—
Naruto after Shikai was a completely different being than before Shikai.
The gravity was repelled by his immense chakra.
Pain could no longer affect him—Naruto, enhanced by the Nine Tails and Ashura's power, had become immovable.
Naruto swung his blade.
Deidara opened his mouth, launching a clay substitute.
But a golden chain swept from the side. Even affected by Pain's gravity, it chose the widest attack range and still caught the clay substitute, knocking it from its bird and into the water.
The substitution tactic failed.
The high-ponytailed youth, however, grinned.
"I always said Sasori-sama's art was trash."
"But—"
"I'm the only one allowed to insult it!"
"Now blow it all up!"
As he shouted—
BOOM!
But this time, the explosion wasn't inside Naruto.
It erupted behind Deidara—where a golden chakra chain, pulled by Pain's gravity, had intercepted the bomb.
"That red-haired guy's poison couldn't get into me," Naruto whispered as his blade pierced Deidara's chest. "Why would you think—"
"Such a visible chakra bomb could enter me unguarded?"
Deidara clenched his teeth.
Nothing... had worked!
"You're not allowed to mock my art," he hissed, bringing his hands together. "If that's the case—"
"Then your death will be the greatest praise of my art!"
"I'll create the ultimate masterpiece!"
This was his final move.
C0 – Self-Destruct.
Above the blade in his chest, a mouth opened on his chest and bit down on clay.
Chakra surged. His body turned semi-transparent. Blood, bone, and flesh were wrapped in black lines originating from the mouth, draining his life.
The concentrated chakra emitted an overwhelming energy.
Pain stepped forward, shielding his remaining puppets and Konan.
Naruto didn't dodge. He simply pressed a hand to Deidara's chest.
"Four Symbols Seal."
Symbols spread out, sealing techniques inscribed.
The dense array of markings cut off the black chakra from interacting with the outside world.
Deidara looked down.
Naruto withdrew his blade, then plunged his hand into the wound, gripping the black mass.
"I never meant to insult your art," he said calmly. Another "Four Symbols Seal" formed—not on Deidara, but on the black chakra mass itself. "Whether it's puppets or your explosions, they're quite interesting."
"But if it's art—"
"It's best kept away from the battlefield."
He yanked it out, sealed it again, and stored it in a scroll.
Beneath Deidara—
The clay birds dispersed, his body fell, sinking into the water alongside Sasori's.
"Now that the troublesome duo is gone," Naruto turned, "it's time for—"
Pain flashed before Konan.
Summoned beasts, mechanical puppets, even the chubby puppet who had yet to act all moved to shield her.
But—
Naruto's real target was—
The purple-faced large head puppet, guarded by only one other.
The one capable of healing puppets—this was the biggest threat.
He stepped forward.
Suddenly, the purple-faced puppet spoke, out of nowhere: "Uzumaki Naruto, what is your secret?"
"You want to know?" Naruto began to reply.
He only said three words, then froze, staring at the puppet in disbelief.
"You realized it so quickly?" Pain said quietly. "You truly are the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki."
"Your tactical insight is impressive."
"But who told you that puppet only has healing abilities?"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
Within the purple-faced puppet surged a power similar to the "Shinigami" puppet seen earlier.
Natural energy, soul power, and chakra.
But its presence was even more vivid than the Shinigami.
Just now, upon trying to answer, he felt a surge of natural energy akin to the "True Waterfall" or Hidan's curse—something akin to a "law."
When he refused to answer, that law twisted his body, compelling his tongue to spill out.
This puppet, controlled by the Rinnegan—
Was it once a god?
Naruto resisted with all his chakra, soul energy, and natural energy.
The summoning puppet swung its black rod.
Naruto ignored it.
The two Nine-Tails turned, opened their mouths, and began forming Tailed Beast Bombs.
But—
Two black rods stabbed into the tailed beasts, easily piercing them despite being blunt.
"Naruto!" Yang-Kurama shouted. "Careful!"
"These things can suppress chakra—"
He didn't finish.
Two more rods stabbed into Naruto.
These rods, degraded versions of Truth-Seeking Orbs, had similar properties. While they didn't show it before, once inserted into the body, they sealed nearby chakra points and disrupted chakra flow.
Naruto's tongue extended uncontrollably.
The Enma puppet opened its mouth, releasing a purple tongue-like arm.
Then, the long-haired puppet—who had done nothing until now—approached Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you are a powerful shinobi," Pain said. The puppet placed its hand on Naruto's head. "You forced Akatsuki to pay a terrible price."
"But—"
"Humans are still humans. They cannot challenge the might of gods."
"This is goodbye."
"Feel endless pain in hell."
Soul power surged from the long-haired puppet's hand, reaching into Naruto, grasping his soul.
Pain was stunned.
This was a Rinnegan ability: Soul Extraction, capable of pulling out a target's soul. The speed depended on the opponent's chakra.
Naruto's chakra was immense—it should be hard to extract.
But now, it felt too easy, even easier than pulling a genin's soul.
(End of Chapter)