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Midorima was well aware of the strength of these individuals.
The Third Mizukage, now like a cornered beast, was being restrained by The Deva Path and Obito. Meanwhile, Konan and Igawa were more than enough to deal with him.
Ever since crossing into this world, Midorima had been trying to avoid the Akatsuki. Yet, in the end, he still ended up facing them.
Igawa had fallen from the cliff, sustaining injuries—particularly his right arm, which had fractured after multiple collisions with the rocky terrain. This severely affected his ability to perform hand seals efficiently.
Konan, taking advantage of the high ground, launched a near-indiscriminate assault.
Countless paper shuriken rained down from above, most targeting Midorima, but a few also struck Igawa.
"You crazy woman! At least aim properly!" Igawa snarled in frustration.
His injured right hand already made forming hand seals difficult, and now Konan's attacks kept interrupting him. What infuriated him even more was how Midorima deliberately closed the distance between them, causing Konan's wide-range attacks to nearly hit him multiple times.
Konan remained expressionless.
She only cared about her comrades. As for traitors like Igawa—who had betrayed their own village and sided with others—there was no reason to believe they wouldn't betray Akatsuki in the future.
If they were going to eliminate him sooner or later, a few years earlier made little difference.
Besides, controlling Kirigakure didn't require puppets. One Mizukage was enough.
"Konan, leave him to me. Stay on high ground and monitor the surroundings. Don't let any of these three escape!"
Hearing that voice, Midorima's heart tightened.
It was The Deva Path, The Deva Path of the Six Paths of Pain!
The next moment, he felt an overwhelming gravitational pull dragging him toward The Deva Path, as if he were metal drawn to a magnet.
Damn it—Universal Pull!
Midorima completely lost control of his body, unable to even adjust his posture. He could only watch helplessly as he crashed into The Deva Path's outstretched palm.
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips as he was sent flying six or seven meters, his body feeling as though it had been shattered.
Igawa's eyes widened in shock.
He had personally witnessed Midorima's strength during the Chunin Exams.
Ameyuri Ringo, hailed as a shinobi with the potential to join the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had been defeated by Midorima. Yet now, he couldn't even withstand a single strike from The Deva Path.
Igawa knew he was slightly stronger than Midorima, but not by much.
This wasn't a battle—it was a massacre.
For a moment, he even wondered if these three could truly destroy Kirigakure on their own.
"You… never stood a chance," The Deva Path stated coldly.
"I know… I'm no match for you right now," Midorima spat out a mouthful of blood. "But what I never expected was that in a fight with such an overwhelming disadvantage, you'd still resort to sneak attacks. Not just once, but twice. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Hiding in the shadows, never showing your true faces, doing underhanded things—it suits you perfectly."
If the situation weren't so dire, Midorima would have loved to curse out the entire Akatsuki.
Even at full strength, he wasn't The Deva Path's match right now. Worse, he had chased after The Third Mizukage in such a hurry that he didn't even have explosive tags, let alone kunai or shuriken. Relying on tools was impossible.
Konan and The Deva Path had no sense of honor.
He had been fighting Igawa when Konan ambushed him from behind.
The Deva Path was even worse—while Igawa and Konan teamed up against him, The Deva Path had used Universal Pull, catching him completely off guard. That single palm strike had shattered his ribs, and the pain in his chest was unbearable.
There was no exaggeration—he had already lost.
Konan's cold gaze fixed on him. "Does the process matter? Only the result is important."
"Hypocrites like you, who stab people in the dark, have the nerve to talk about 'results'?" Midorima sneered.
"We're not the only ones who work in the shadows," Konan replied.
"Sneak attacks are one thing, but don't pretend you're fighting for some grand cause. If you can't even act openly, what great things do you expect to achieve? Or is this exactly what you want?"
"What do you know?!" Konan's voice sharpened.
"Nothing. But I do know that allying with scum like Igawa tells me everything I need to know about you." Midorima grinned through bloody teeth.
"What's wrong with working with me?!" Igawa snapped. "I'm ANBU—sneaking around is my job!"
"The Mizukage should see what you've become," Midorima said coldly.
"He might get the chance. You? Try watching from the afterlife." Igawa suppressed his rage.
Why waste breath on a dead man?
"Sorry, but in the next world, you won't even be worth noticing."
"Enough nonsense! Kill him!" Igawa pointed at Midorima.
"Are you giving me orders?" The Deva Path's voice was icy.
Igawa stiffened. "N-No, of course not! I-I meant… please deal with him."
The Deva Path snorted before extending his palm toward Midorima once more.
"Universal Pull!"
As Midorima formed hand seals, his body was yanked forward uncontrollably, hurtling toward The Deva Path's grasp.
Igawa smirked, the humiliation from earlier momentarily forgotten.
"Let's see you survive this!" he laughed.
Just two meters away from The Deva Path, Midorima completed his hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"
Chakra-infused water surged around him, morphing into the shape of a massive shark. Propelled by the force of Universal Pull, the watery beast lunged at The Deva Path with terrifying speed.
"Almighty Push!"
A devastating shockwave erupted from The Deva Path, expanding outward in a circular blast.
Midorima had expected this, but there was nothing he could do.
This was the power of the Rinnegan.
The repulsive force struck him like a tidal wave, reversing his momentum mid-flight and sending him crashing backward.
Blood gushed from his throat as his body was flung over ten meters away.
"The Deva Path, you went too far… You knocked my opponent away too," Obito remarked, glancing into the distance.
He had been on the verge of defeating The Third Mizukage when Almighty Push sent the old man flying as well.
Under the cover of night, visibility was already poor at a distance. Now, tracking their targets would be even harder.
"Besides, with that move, Kirigakure's missing-nin will be here soon," Obito warned. "Finish this quickly."
"Understood."
The Deva Path acknowledged, preparing to deliver the final blow to Midorima—when suddenly, the sound of crashing waves filled the air.
Turning sharply, he saw a tsunami-like surge of water flooding the wasteland.
Igawa, caught off guard by the shockwave earlier, had slammed into a boulder, nearly losing consciousness.
Now, as he opened his eyes, a towering wall of water loomed over him.
His blood ran cold.