I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

”So... you’ve betrayed us, haven’t you?”

Pain spoke flatly, his real body, Nagato, already shifting position to find a better vantage point.

Even if Obito wasn’t the real Madara, Nagato didn’t underestimate him, if he weren’t powerful, Nagato would never have partnered with him to begin with.

Obito looked at Pain’s cold expression and felt a wave of helplessness.

It was as if he’d oversold the lie back then, Nagato wasn’t even open to explanation anymore. In his eyes, Obito’s truth was simply betrayal.

Still, Obito didn’t give up.

”This isn’t betrayal, it’s awakening. Nagato, don’t keep repeating mistakes. War will only deepen the world’s pain.”

Pain’s expression didn’t change, but a sneer pulled at his lips.

”And that’s exactly what I seek. In this world, plagued by betrayal, peace can only be born through pain.”

”Even you, the one who began this plan, betrayed it. If you can, anyone can. This world is rotten.”

Obito was speechless.

”It wasn’t Hanzo alone who killed Yahiko,” he said next.

”It was Konoha’s Danzo. He sent his Root agents to manipulate Hanzo, made him believe Akatsuki was a threat to his rule. So they trapped you and tried to kill you all.”

Nagato’s eyes flickered. This was news to him.

Danzo? He hadn’t known a Leaf Shinobi was involved. He engraved the name in his heart, an enemy to avenge Yahiko and Akatsuki.

But then, Obito deflated that vengeance.

”Danzo died during the Nine-Tails’ assault on Konoha, I killed him. Hanzo? We already took care of him together.”

Nagato fell silent.

”If anyone is left to blame... it’s me.”

Obito’s voice grew low.

”When your comrades heard about the ambush, they came to help. But they never made it. I intercepted them with Zetsu, we killed them all.”

BOOM!

A fierce wave of chakra erupted from Nagato. The once-still forest shook with violent winds and explosions rippling across the ground.

”So it was you...”

Pain’s voice turned glacial.

”I should have known. You appeared at just the right moment.”

”If you want to beat me up, go ahead, I won’t fight back,” Obito said.

”But if you’re trying to kill me, I won’t just lie down. I still have sins to atone for. Once I’m done, if you still want to kill me, I’ll accept it.”

Pain gave no reply.

”Shinra Tensei!”

With a raised hand, he unleashed a crushing repulsive force.

But Obito was ready. He immediately activated Kamui, slipping his body into the other dimension.

BOOM!!

The repulsion tore through the air, flattening trees and shredding the forest, but Obito stood untouched, not even his cloak ruffled.

”Bansho Ten’in!”

Nagato tried a gravitational pull, but again, Obito phased through it effortlessly.

”As I thought... troublesome,”

Nagato muttered.

He had long suspected Obito’s intangibility had limitations. He and Konan had secretly collected intel for years. There had to be a catch, no ninjutsu was perfect. Maybe it couldn’t be used continuously, or had other restrictions.

Nagato unsealed several scrolls, summoning the rest of the Six Paths of Pain, who rushed to his side.

Obito frowned.

”Nagato, stop this. If Yahiko knew you were trying to start another Great Ninja War, would he be proud?”

But even as he spoke, Asura Path lunged forward, punching toward him.

Obito phased.

Asura Path’s cybernetic fist passed through him like a ghost.

It didn’t give up, launching a storm of high-speed punches, but every one phased through Obito.

Then Human Path appeared behind him, hand reaching for Obito’s soul.

But again, intangible.

Animal Path stood beside Deva Path. He did not act.

Preta Path, a large, heavy-set Pain, stood in front of Deva Path as a chakra and ninjutsu shield.

Naraka Path, the oldest-looking, stayed far in the rear, ready to resurrect the others if needed.

Obito scanned them all.

”All six... Nagasawa was right. This is all of them.”

He realized, Nagato intends to kill me. I can’t hold back if I want to survive, let alone report this intel.

Asura and Human Paths continued their futile attacks, but Nagato stayed calm, observing and timing.

Meanwhile, Obito analyzed too, mapping roles and capabilities.

First eliminate Naraka Path, the healer. Then target Deva.

He moved.

In a blur, he sidestepped the attacks, grabbed Asura Path, and sucked him into Kamui.

If he’d still had only one eye, this would’ve been too slow. But now, with both Mangekyō, absorption speed had drastically improved.

Pain was momentarily stunned.

By the time Human Path reacted, Obito had already backed off.

Can Kamui’s dimension cut off the Rinnegan’s control signal?

Obito pondered.

Since Kamui sends parts of his body to another dimension, attacks phase through. But now, he’d sent another entity entirely. Would it sever Nagato’s link?

He didn’t know. But better not to risk it.

Still, removing the most offensive Pain from battle was a win.

I’ll fight without relying on intangibility for now, he decided.

”Bansho Ten’in!”

Deva Path pulled at him again.

”Kamui!”

This time, Obito didn’t dodge.

His chakra flared, eyes spinning wildly. The very space around Deva Path distorted,

Nagato sensed danger. He stopped the pull and had Deva leap into the air, other Pains scattering.

But dual Kamui was not so easy to escape.

The area twisted violently, Preta Path was torn apart, losing half its body.

Animal Path lost an arm.

Only Deva Path and Naraka Path escaped unscathed.

Preta Path collapsed.

Down to four.

Nagato’s face grew serious.

Obito was overwhelmingly powerful. Without using Gedo Art of Rinne Rebirth to regain his legs, Nagato wasn’t confident he could win.

But he wasn’t angry. All Pains, except Yahiko’s body (Deva), were expendable.

But why hasn’t he used his phasing since? Is there a limit?

Nagato wondered. He sent the remaining Pains to press the attack.

Animal Path summoned monstrous beasts, a towering crab, a triple-headed hellhound, and a razor-beaked black bird.

But Obito wasn’t afraid.

”Susanoo!”

His chakra exploded in a sea of blue light, a massive armored half-torso samurai rising into the trees.

Nearby, townsfolk saw the colossal beasts, the explosions, the glowing warrior.

”What’s happening?! Are we being attacked?!”

To them, this was myth-level power.

Obito conjured three massive chakra shuriken, hurling them at the summons.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The crab exploded under the first.

But the hellhound took two and didn’t die, instead, it grew a third head and charged again.

”Shinra Tensei!”

Deva Path struck again, repelling Susanoo with enough force to stagger even the armored giant.

From above, the bird swooped in, its beak nearly piercing Susanoo, until Obito cut it down with one strike.

Nagato frowned.

That Shinra Tensei had used a lot of chakra, and barely made a dent.

Still, Naraka Path had finished reviving Preta, who stood again.

But Nagato was done playing games.

He called Konan to manage Hikari-gakure, then moved himself.

The Pains collapsed, chakra severed. The summons vanished.

Obito’s eyes narrowed.

It’s coming...

The real Nagato, wielder of all the Rinnegan’s powers, the Outer Path, was about to step into battle.

The real fight was just beginning.