Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 395 Konoha Crisis 4

Pain stood rooted to the spot, his figure frozen like a statue, his gaze coldly fixed on the Konoha ninja who had been blasted away. His face remained expressionless, as if none of this concerned him. Pain knew perfectly well that ninjas of this caliber posed no threat whatsoever; even getting close to him was a pipe dream. In his eyes, these Konoha ninjas were nothing more than ants, insignificant and unworthy.

However, in the next instant, Pain was stunned by the actions of the Konoha ninja. The two burly Konoha ninjas who had been knocked away swiftly reached out and grabbed a chain hidden in the ground. Using the momentum of their attack, they instantly pulled the chain up. At the same time, the chain leaped from the ground like a nimble snake, accurately locking onto Pain. In the blink of an eye, Pain was tightly bound by the chain, unable to move an inch.

The Konoha ninja's attack was far from over. The instant Pain was bound, two enormous spheres hurtled towards him at incredible speed. This was the Akimichi clan's ninjutsu, "Human Bomber"! Simultaneously, Kakashi Hatake emerged from the ground nearby. It turned out that the chains were a backup plan Kakashi had secretly left on the ground. The moment the reinforcements arrived, Kakashi had already begun setting up this trap, aiming to create an opportunity for the arriving reinforcements to attack Pain.

The two enormous spheres, carrying a devastating aura, approached the bound Pain at incredible speed. Simultaneously, the surrounding Konoha ninja rose to their feet, launching a new wave of attacks on Pain without hesitation. Their eyes were resolute, filled with a thirst for victory and fury towards their enemy. However, just when everyone thought they were about to strike Pain, his face remained unchanged. Instead, a subtle smile curled at the corners of his mouth. This delicate change in expression immediately alerted Kakashi Hatake and Choza Akimichi. As experienced ninjas, they keenly sensed this anomaly. Almost simultaneously, they realized that this attack was unlikely to succeed and might even bring unexpected danger to their side.

Just as the surging repulsive force was about to strike Choji Akimichi, Choza Akimichi rushed forward with astonishing speed, shielding his son. His eyes were firm and resolute, as if he wanted to keep all danger at bay. At the same time, Kakashi Hatake reacted quickly, forming hand seals and unleashing a powerful ninjutsu to protect them.

With a deafening roar, all the Konoha ninjas in the vicinity were instantly routed, and even the surrounding terrain shifted. Kakashi Hatake, however, wasted no time assessing the situation; his immediate priority was to seize this opportunity and deliver a fatal blow to Pain.

Kakashi Hatake's hand was enveloped in raging lightning, his entire arm transformed into a sharp longsword. The blade shimmered with dazzling lightning, as if it could tear the very fabric of space apart. The raging lightning power converged at the tip of the blade, forming a sharp lightning blade that emanated a chilling aura.

With a swift movement, Kakashi Hatake charged towards Pain like a bolt of lightning. His speed was so great that he was almost impossible to catch. This was Kakashi Hatake's signature move—Lightning Blade! This technique was renowned for its astonishing speed and powerful attack, and had struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies.

However, just as Kakashi Hatake was about to succeed, a battered figure suddenly appeared behind Pain. Though broken and mangled, the figure radiated an unwavering determination. Without hesitation, it met Kakashi's final attack head-on, using its own body to block the sharp Lightning Blade.

Just then, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of Kakashi Hatake, blocking his fatal blow to Pain. Kakashi looked closely and realized that the newcomer was none other than Pain, the Asura Path, who had been previously destroyed by the Konoha support ninja!

"Damn it..." Kakashi cursed inwardly, but his hands didn't falter. He pulled out the hand that pierced through the mechanical Pain, and with his other hand, he brandished a kunai, charging towards Pain. But Pain was incredibly fast, making no attempt to dodge Kakashi's attack, instead raising his palm towards Kakashi.

"Not good!" Kakashi Hatake's heart sank, realizing the situation was dire. He quickly used ninjutsu to try and dodge Pain's next attack. But Pain's attacks were extremely fast, giving Kakashi Hatake no chance to dodge.

The entire area surrounding Kakashi Hatake was enveloped in Pain's attacks, leaving no room to dodge and only allowing him to be struck hard. The entire area was blasted apart, sending up clouds of dust.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Kakashi Hatake coughed up blood, his body buried in the ruins. He looked up at Pain, his eyes filled with anger and resentment. But he was already severely injured and could no longer fight Pain.

Pain stood rooted to the spot, his gaze coldly fixed on the fallen Kakashi Hatake in the distance, showing no intention of approaching. Kakashi's attack had instilled fear and wariness in him; he hadn't expected to be nearly defeated by such a surprising move. If it weren't for Mechanical Pain's timely intervention to block the fatal blow, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Now, seeing Kakashi's disheveled state, Pain was filled with suspicion, unsure if this was another trap. To ensure his safety, Pain chose the safest approach—a long-range attack. He casually pulled a long nail from the rubble, held it between his fingers, and aimed it at Kakashi's exposed head. With a sharp whooshing sound, the nail pierced the air with astonishing speed, striking Kakashi directly in the skull. Seeing Kakashi's head droop, Pain finally felt relieved, turned, and left the scene to continue his search for Naruto Uzumaki.

On the entire battlefield, only Choji Akimichi survived. He had been shielded from Pain's ferocious attack by his father's body. Looking at his father lying lifeless beside him, tears streamed down his face. Then, after looking around, he realized there was no one else alive. Seeing his lifeless comrades around him, he witnessed the horrors of war for the first time.

Choji Akimichi was completely panicked, as if he had lost all ability to think. His heart was overwhelmed by endless sorrow, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He could only helplessly lie beside his father, sobbing loudly, trying to release the pain and helplessness in his heart. However, faced with such a sudden blow, he truly did not know what to do next.

His mind was a mess, his thoughts tangled like a jumbled tangle. He wanted to find answers, but felt at a loss. His father's departure left him feeling utterly alone and lost, as if the whole world had turned gray and lifeless. He didn't know how to face the days to come, nor how to escape this immense grief.

At this moment, Choji Akimichi needs time to calm his emotions and rediscover his courage and strength. Perhaps he can find his father's teachings and encouragement in his memories, thus strengthening his resolve to move forward. In any case, he must learn to accept reality and bravely face life's challenges. Only in this way can he gradually emerge from the shadows and find his own path again.

Choji Akimichi knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, his heart filled with grief and despair. Just then, a firm and serious voice reached his ears: "Now is not the time to cry. What you need to do now is to immediately report the information you have gathered to the Hokage. Don't let your father's sacrifice be in vain!"

The sound, like a thunderclap, instantly jolted Choji Akimichi from his grief. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze following the direction of the sound. There he saw Kakashi Hatake, his body half-buried in the rubble, his face pale, but his eyes revealing unparalleled resilience and determination.

Kakashi struggled to lift his head, staring intently at Choji Akimichi, and continued, "Choji, pull yourself together! You are a ninja of Konoha, bearing important responsibilities. Your father sacrificed his life for valuable information; we cannot let his sacrifice be in vain. Go quickly and tell the Hokage everything that has happened here, so they can prepare a response."

A flicker of hesitation and fear crossed Choji Akimichi's eyes, but he was quickly moved by Kakashi's words. He forcefully wiped away his tears, stood up, and clenched his fists tightly. He knew he had to be strong and complete the mission his father had left unfinished.

"I understand, Kakashi-sensei. I'll pass the information on to the Hokage. But what about you? I'll come right now and get you to the medical department for treatment." Choji Akimichi's voice trembled slightly, but it was filled with determination. He took a deep breath, turned, and ran towards the village, silently vowing to avenge his father.

"No! I want to save you!" Choji Akimichi said through tears. He knew what Kakashi Hatake meant, but he couldn't watch Kakashi die like that. He wanted to use his medical ninjutsu to heal Kakashi, and he would never give up even if there was only a sliver of hope.

“Choji… listen to me…” Kakashi Hatake said weakly, “My body can’t take any more damage… even if you save me, I can’t fight anymore… and what we need most right now is information… you must tell the Hokage what happened here as soon as possible… and tell them to prepare… this is our last chance…”