Chapter Thirty-Three: Battle Against the Heavenly Path Pain

... The battle between Orochimaru and Pain was ferocious. At first glance, it seemed easy for Orochimaru to take down the five Pains besides the Deva Path, but this success rested on his knowledge of Pain's abilities. Without that advantage, the fight would have been far more arduous.

In his memories before his reincarnation, Pain once attacked the Hidden Leaf Village; it was only at the cost of many lives that the village learned of Pain’s powers. Now, all that intelligence had been turned into Orochimaru’s edge. Achieving such results was inevitable.

Orochimaru gazed at the Deva Path. Now, the true contest was about to begin.

As the core of the Six Paths of Pain, the Deva Path possessed the might to destroy an entire nation. Even with the other five Paths gone, he alone still represented the very peak of combat strength. The rest served merely in support roles. Only the Deva Path wielded overwhelming power in direct confrontation.

The Deva Path stared at Orochimaru, expressionless. “You seem to know my abilities well.”

Orochimaru smiled faintly. He knew more than just Pain’s powers; he understood Pain’s origins, his upbringing, even the secret of those eyes. Orochimaru knew so much—far more than Pain could imagine.

But Orochimaru had no interest in sharing such knowledge. He had only two goals: to obtain the Rinnegan, and to test his latest experimental results. With just the Deva Path remaining, it was time to fully savor this battle.

The Deva Path extended his hand once more, fingers splayed toward Orochimaru. “I admit you are strong, but this is the end for you—Planetary Devastation!”

With that, the Deva Path attempted to finish Orochimaru in a single move. Orochimaru was seized by invisible force and lifted into the sky, as all the matter in a wide radius was drawn toward him, coalescing around his form. A vast crater opened in the ground as every rock and scrap of earth clung to Orochimaru, forming a colossal sphere in midair.

Inside, the pressure was immense. Without a robust body, one would be crushed; without enough destructive power, one would be trapped and suffocated. This jutsu, said to be cast by the Sage of Six Paths himself, had once created the moon.

“At last,” Orochimaru murmured, his eyes sharpening. He had long awaited this technique, eager to see if his current body could break free from such a prison.

“Transformation: Eight-Headed Serpent Mode!”
“Transformation: Cursed Seal Mode!”

“Transformation: Serpent Sage Mode!”
“Transformation: Rashomon Sage Mode!”

...

Eight-Headed Serpent Mode and Cursed Seal Mode were powers Orochimaru had long possessed. Once unleashed, he would become a gigantic, eight-headed serpent, every movement radiating formidable strength. The Cursed Seal Mode layered black markings across the serpent’s flesh.

With a hiss, the white serpent instantly darkened to a sinister gray, exuding an aura of evil. This was the nature of the Cursed Seal’s power—born of darkness and malice.

Now, the effects of Serpent Sage Mode began to manifest as well. Scales emerged along the serpent’s gray body, cold and impenetrable, while dragon horns sprouted atop each of the eight heads.

Orochimaru had once been able to use Serpent Sage Mode, but his body back then was far too frail; even using it cautiously would have limited him to three years’ longevity. Let alone transforming fully—such a feat would have destroyed him.

So he had never dared to use it. But now, such risks were gone. Not only that, he could stack multiple modes together!

With a thunderous impact, Rashomon Sage Mode activated—an even more advanced and powerful form than Serpent Sage Mode. Only the White Snake Sage had ever mastered the perfect version; anyone else’s would always be inferior. Yet now, Orochimaru’s Rashomon Sage Mode rivaled the White Snake Sage’s own, much like the First Hokage’s Sage Mode—free from constraints, activated at will as long as stamina endured.

A bestial roar erupted. The transformation’s effects were clear: the gray, dragon-like, eight-headed serpent was now etched with even more intricate, profound markings. All sixteen eyes glowed crimson, and the entire body pulsed with a wild, purple energy—Chakra forged by all the modes combined.

By now, the earth sphere had grown enormous, hovering overhead like a meteor about to strike. The pressure inside was now terrifying.

Suddenly, with a crack, a fissure split the sphere. A serpent’s tail, wreathed in purple chakra, burst forth.

Cracks multiplied, spider-webbing across the surface, and with a deafening crash, the massive sphere—like some fallen star—exploded.

Orochimaru, in his eight-headed, multi-mode form, shattered the sphere and floated in the sky.

Then, cloaked in raging purple chakra, he shot toward the Deva Path like a streak of violet lightning.

“What!” the Deva Path exclaimed. Having just used Planetary Devastation, he was unable to unleash any other jutsu; they were still on cooldown. But with Orochimaru charging at him, Pain had no choice but to recklessly burn his own life force, forcing himself to use another technique.

“Almighty... Push!”

A thunderous blast slowed Orochimaru’s approach, but failed to knock him away. The longer the Almighty Push was charged, the greater its power; this hurried use simply lacked the force to repel the rampaging, multi-mode, purple eight-headed serpent.

“It seems I have no choice but to use that technique!” Pain still had one ultimate move left, but using it would make a tremendous commotion, and would cost him everything—afterward, regardless of victory or defeat, he’d have nothing left.

But without it, he was no match for Orochimaru.

The arrow was on the string; it could not be stayed. He acted.

In a flash, the Deva Path formed seals, slammed his palm to the ground, and shouted, “Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!”

In the instant Orochimaru lunged for him, a massive demonic statue materialized before the Deva Path, slamming into Orochimaru and sending him flying.

This was the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—the husk of the Ten-Tails, already containing the chakra of the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails! Its strength was insurmountable.

The purple eight-headed serpent was hurled away, demolishing row upon row of buildings; half the Sound Village was destroyed. Yet Orochimaru suffered little harm, and rose with a furious roar.

He charged again, undaunted despite being dwarfed by the demonic statue.

...

Meanwhile, the summoning of the Demonic Statue caused a minor earthquake in the Hidden Rain Village. The statue had stood as a landmark within the village, and its sudden disappearance triggered the collapse of surrounding buildings.

A girl with pale blue-violet hair, busy with paperwork in her room, was startled by the tremor. Rushing outside, she saw the spot where the statue once stood was now empty.

Only Nagato could control the Demonic Statue. Her eyes widened; she knew Nagato was in grave danger.