After the Deva Path Pain descended onto the battlefield, he coldly surveyed his surroundings, his gaze finally settling on the demonized Tanjiro, 'Upper Rank One,' who lay not far away, charred and smoking under the sunlight.
Without any intent to negotiate, the Deva Path slowly extended his right hand toward 'Upper Rank One.' With a whoosh, Tanjiro's body seemed to be seized by an invisible force, uncontrollably hurtling toward the Deva Path.
"Is this Akatsuki reinforcements?!"
"What kind of technique is that!?"
"What's with his eyes?!"
Witnessing this, the surrounding Hidden Sand shinobi were filled with shock and uncertainty!
The Deva Path's entrance was nothing short of staggering. With a single move, he effortlessly repelled both 'Upper Rank One' and the Fourth Kazekage, exuding overwhelming presence!
Coupled with his unmistakably distinctive 'Rinnegan,' the Hidden Sand shinobi hesitated, none daring to act rashly.
Nearby, seeing the Deva Path take action, Hoshigaki Kisame let out a relieved chuckle. "The leader himself showed up? Looks like our job's done!"
Among the Akatsuki members, there was an almost mystical confidence in the Deva Path.
The 'Rinnegan' was the legendary eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, the most mythical and mysterious dojutsu Bloodline Limit in the entire shinobi world.
A leader possessing these Sage's eyes was naturally invincible!
Itachi's gaze also lingered on the Deva Path.
This figure was the reason he didn't dare easily return to the village. He knew that only by completely severing ties with the Hidden Leaf could he hope to uncover information about the 'Rinnegan.'
He had a gut feeling that this man with the Sage's eyes might one day bring a catastrophic calamity to the Hidden Leaf!
Clearly, at this point in time, neither Itachi nor Kisame knew that the Deva Path was merely a puppet controlled by Nagato through black rods.
The true leader of the Akatsuki was not the figure before them!
Soon, the demonized Tanjiro was pulled to the Deva Path by 'Almighty Pull.'
Under the dawn's light, his body was completely charred, the kanji for 'Upper Rank One' in his eyes beginning to blur.
Yet he didn't give up. The moment he landed, he pushed off the ground, thrusting his sword toward the Deva Path.
This strike was unexpected, swift, and precise, but the Deva Path showed no trace of panic. His expression remained as impassive as ever. Just as the sword's tip was mere centimeters from his throat, he lightly waved his hand, and Tanjiro was sent flying once more, crashing heavily into the ground.
The Deva Path then took deliberate steps, slowly approaching.
The Hidden Sand shinobi exchanged uneasy glances.
They had experienced the terror of 'Upper Rank One' firsthand. Even the Fourth Kazekage, with his Magnet Release and control over gold dust, had suffered at their hands.
Yet, this fearsome, godlike 'Upper Rank One' was like a toy in the hands of this newly arrived Akatsuki member, manipulated at will.
"Those eyes… I feel like I've heard about them somewhere."
Chiyo, the Hidden Sand elder, instructed her subordinates to evacuate the injured Fourth Kazekage while racking her brain to recall memories of the Sage's eyes.
As an elder of one of the five great shinobi villages, she had handled more classified intelligence over decades than even the Fourth Kazekage.
However, the Sage's eyes were less classified intelligence and more akin to a legendary tale in the shinobi world, so she hadn't paid it much mind. As a result, she couldn't immediately recall which ancient text had mentioned them.
Yūra quietly approached Chiyo. "What do we do now?"
With the Fourth Kazekage injured, command of the Hidden Sand forces naturally fell to Chiyo, the elder.
Chiyo reined in her wandering thoughts and, after a moment's consideration, said, "The Akatsuki's intense confrontation with 'Upper Rank One' is an opportunity for us—one we can't let slip!"
Yūra glanced at the Deva Path, steadily advancing toward 'Upper Rank One.' "But the Akatsuki clearly has the upper hand now, and with the Fourth injured, if we don't retreat while we can, I'm worried we'll be in trouble."
Chiyo hesitated at Yūra's words.
Her concerns weren't baseless.
In shinobi battles, victory wasn't determined solely by numbers. For instance, the Third Raikage had once held off ten thousand Hidden Stone shinobi single-handedly.
During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Minato Namikaze, with his 'Flying Thunder God Technique,' became a force capable of turning the tide of an entire battle, earning immense renown and the Hokage title.
Thus, while the Hidden Sand forces appeared to hold an overwhelming numerical advantage, they might not be a match for the Akatsuki if it came to a fight.
At that moment, Chiyo's brow suddenly furrowed. "I remember now—those swirling, vortex-like eyes are the legendary Sage of the Six Paths' Eyes of the Sage!"
Yūra blinked. "The Eyes of the Sage?"
Chiyo wasted no time, pointing directly at the Deva Path. "That man possesses the Sage of the Six Paths' Eyes!"
"What!?"
Not only Yūra but also the nearby Hidden Sand shinobi who overheard were utterly shocked!
"Send for help! Request aid from all nearby shinobi forces of the five great villages! Tell them a figure suspected to be the Akatsuki's leader has appeared!"
Chiyo's decision was swift and resolute.
In her view, as long as the Akatsuki's goal was to collect the tailed beasts, reconciliation with the five great villages was impossible. Whether the fight came sooner or later, it was inevitable. Better to strike now, while the Akatsuki was locked in fierce combat with the 'Upper Ranks,' to deal a crippling blow.
Her recollection of the ancient texts solidified her resolve to seize this chance to eliminate the Akatsuki threat entirely. She knew better than anyone that if the legendary Eyes of the Sage truly existed, they were a supreme dojutsu surpassing all known Bloodline Limit dojutsu in the shinobi world!
Coupling that with the Akatsuki's ambition to gather all the tailed beasts, a chilling dread gripped her.
The Eyes of the Sage were already an immensely powerful dojutsu. If the Akatsuki acquired all the tailed beasts as well, would there be any place left for the five great villages in the shinobi world?
At that point, it wouldn't be a question of whether the five great villages would spare the Akatsuki—it would be whether the Akatsuki would spare them.
After a brief moment of shock, Yūra snapped to attention, realizing the gravity of the situation. She nodded immediately. "I'll arrange it right away!"
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
And so, a flurry of Hidden Sand communication shinobi and messenger hawks took flight, illuminated by the distress signals blooming in the sky, racing in all directions to summon any possible reinforcements for their side.