Scarlet ducked, dodging the high-pressure torrent of water shot at him by the large crab summon. He then sensed the presence of something sneaking up him. He leapt into the air, just as the Chameleon lashed out its long tongue towards him. Scarlet performed the Tiger hand seal and neared it to his mouth, he blew on the tip of his fingers, unleashing multiple fire*.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"

Chikushodo hid behind the Panda summon. The unmoving helper took the attack head on before it dispelled back to its realm. THe female path slammed down her hands, summoning out yet another summon. "Kuychiose no Jutsu!"

A Rhino appeared and charged forward, trying to hit the Fire-user and his clone, but they kept on jumping away. Scarlet landed down and placed his fingers on his chin, trying to think of a way to dispel the summons. He and his clone quickly substituted with a random rock as the crab summon once more spewing out high-pressured torrents.

The Scarlet clone performed through hand seals, a shimmering glass appearing in front of the original. Scarlet clone suddenly appeared next the Chameleon.

"Katon: Tenrō!"

The clone's hand glowed crimson and slammed it against the Chameleon. The large green creature screamed out in agony as markings began to cover its body. The Rhino quickly charged forward with the intent on smashing the clone . The clone quickly jumped back and weaved through more hand seals and ended in the Tiger seal. He then blew at the tip.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A widespread stream of fire spewed out from the clone's mouth. The Rhino flinched in pain at the extreme heat it felt. A shrill sound neared the Scarlet clone, making him flinch, but not unwavering. Unfortunately for him, the Eight Span Bird dropped down on him and drilled his body to the ground.

The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, making the Eight Span Bird soar back into the sky. The Rhino quickly shaked off the heat and recovered, making Scarlet click his tongue inannoyance.

"Crap. I didn't think my clone would dispel that quickly. I could summon out more, but that would be just wasting chakra. I need a new plan. First, let's take out that Chameleon."

Scarlet formed the Tiger seal. He smiled and shouted out, "Kai!"

The markings on the Chameleon glowed red and it began to burn its body. Chikushodo looked alarmed and ordered the Crab to douse out the green summon. But before it could do so, multiple kunais with exploding tags attached it rained down on the summon. Scarlet formed the Tiger seal and activated the tags, the tags activating and causing a huge explosion, which made a huge dust cloud, blinding Chikushodo's vision.

Scarlet performed the Tiger seal and performed the Shunshin no Jutsu. In a swilf of fire, he vanished away from the battlefield.

The silver-haired shinobi, apart from Kakashi, slid back and swung his sword, releasing an electric arc. Ningendo merely jumped up to dodge it with ease. Midnight sneered and jumped up to meet with the path. He channeled Raiton chakra into his blade and slashed through the male path.

Midnight flicked off the blood and gruntedd. "That was almost too easy."

To his surprise, Ningendo sprung up behind him and managed to disarm him. Midnight clicked his in annoyance at the corpse. He engaged into a Taijutsu fight with the mind-reader. Midnight growled and threw a punch. Ningendo caught it. He reared back his hand stabbed it into Midnight's chest, making him gasp.

Ningendo pulled the hand out, his soul with it. Ningendo chuckled a bit, before his eyes widened in shock. He quickly tried to return the soul back, but Midnight errupted into a discharge of electricity, shocking Ningendo.

The Kenjutsu Master picked up his blade once more and narrowed his eye at the Human path. "Why is it so weak? The only jutsu that i have ever observed from him is the Kyūkon no Jutsu."

The blade began to crackle with electrictiy, the chirping of birds could almost be heard from the blade. Midnight raised it and disappeared in a blur, before he appeared in front of Ningendo. The two met eye to eye, while Midnight bisected the soul stealer. Midnight twirled his blade and sheathed back, causing the two separate halves to explode in a violent current of electrictiy, effectively frying the corpse.

Midnight stood up and looked back at corpse before using the Shunshin no Jutsu to help his comrades.

Crimson ducked to dodge a missile arm coming at him. "Mokuton: Shinra Banshō!" He performed the Ram seal, causing multiple tendrils of wood to entangle on Shurado. Crimson reared his fist, stone began to cover it before he slammed against the wall, piercing and hitting the Asura path.

The multi-armed walking weapon quickly recovered and took off one of his arms, detaching it to reveal a cluster of segmented missiles. He aims it at Crimson and fires.The Earth-user quickly reacted and punched the ground, a long wall of rock rising. Crimson hid behind it, while he was being barraged by missiles. "Got to think, what's the best way to kill him?"

Before he could think any further, a long and mettallic serrated blade pierced through the wall, slicing through a bit of Crimson's hair. The dark-skinned shinobi clicked his tongue and submerged underground.

Shurado finally had enough and blew up the wall, but showed no Crimson. He looked around and felt something in his chest and saw Crimson's huge fist embedded in it. Crimson smirked, but that soon turned into a flinch of pain as multiple blades began to stab his arm from the inside. To the Asura Path's surprise, Crimson disappeared in a crumble of dirt, revealing that it was a mud clone that had pierced him.

"Konoha Gōriki Senpū!"

Shurado was met with a spinning back kick. The force of the kick was so hard, it severed off a few limbs and sent the walking weapon flying. Crimson cheered and quickly used Shunshin no Jutsu away to think of a plan, but to his shock, he saw Scarlet and Midnight appear at the same time as him.

"Guys? What are you two doing here?"

Midnight looked at him and raised his eyebrow. "How about you Crimson? I never pegged you for the one to retreat. I just recently beat mine. The Human Path is very weak."

Crimson and Sacrlet then spoke in the same time. "We both retreated to come with a plan to beat the path we were fighting." The two looked at each other surprised. "Oh you thought of that too? Nice one!" And the two friends high fived each other and chuckled.

Midnight looked at the two and slapped his face into his hand. "Ugh! We are facing powerful enemies that managed to kill off Jiraiya-sensei! I don't need you two goofing off like a bunch of children that need to be babysat!"

Both men flinched and apologized to Midnight. The Kenjutsu user massaged his temples and thought of a plan.

*X

Chikushodo's face remained impassive. She slammed her on the ground again, summoning out the Eight Span Bird. The giant bird shrieked out and began flapping its wings, the smoke clearing. To the female path's confusion, a lightning spear pierced her chest.

"Chidori Eiso!"

She slightly turned her head, seeing Midnight's hand outstretched, the lightning spear coming from there. Midnight sneered and quickly charged forward. He unsheathed his blade and bisected the female path in one clean sweep. Midnight flicked off the blood and went to call for Scarlet, only to his confusion, the body began to turn pale, before it fluttered into a flurry of paper.

"Paper clones? But that's impossible. Konan's nowhere near Konoha!"


Chikushodo dropped down and slammed her hand again, this time summoning out the king of the Monkey Summons, holding his staff. The female path stared into the white-haired ninja's eyes, speaking.

"Do not underestimate us, wretch."

Midnight clicked his tongue, twirling his blade around as it crackled with Raiton chakra. The Monkey King summon enlarged its staff and settled into a charging position. Midnight narrowed his eyes and charged at the summon with a battle cry.

Shurado looked all over, trying to locate his opponent. He looked above and noticed something spinning that was coming down on him. The spinning object stopped, revealing Crimson, and drop kicked Shurado on the head, which slammed the path hard to the ground, cracking the surface.


Scarlet, from the air, weaved through hand seals and neared his fingers to his mouth, spewing out a large dragon made of fire.

"Katon: Goryuuka no Jutsu!"

Shurado noticed the jutsu and quickly propelled himself with the mechanisms he was outfitted with, making him fly. Scarlet landed nearby Crimson. The two looked at the flying Pain path's head opening, alarming the duo.

"The Asura Path never did that, right?"

Crimson was speechless, as the head was completely opened, revealing a cannon-like weapon. Shurado reared down its head and fired off a blast of chakr towards the duo. Crimson managed to snap out of his stupor and nudged Scarlet. "Scar, can you slow it down? I need to prepare a jutsu that'll keep us safe."

Scarlet nodded and summoned out a clone. He clasped his clone by the shoulder and tossed him towards Shurado. The clone saluted the two and took the attack head on, slowing it down by a bit. Crimson ran in front of Scarlet and bit his thumb, making it bleed. He clapped his hands before slamming it down on the ground, a summoning matrix appearing.

"Kuychiose: Sanjū Rashōmon!"


Three gates aligned rose from the ground, menacing faces adorned on the doors. The attack hit and only managed to destroy one, and dent the second. Crimson jumped up the gates and clotheslined Shurado. Crimson started to spin before he dropped down Shurado, and landed on his stomach. Crimson jumped and covered both of his hands in earth. He started to spin fast. So fast that he looked like a drill. Crimson landed on Shurado and began punching him rapidly. The speed was so high, the punches caused friction, making his rock-covered arm looked like it was lava.

Crimson punched Shurado one last time, the cover on his arms falling. The Taijutsu expert smirked and jumped off Shurado. The Asura Path looked at the sky, seeing Scarlet in the air.

"Yōton: Shakugaryūgan no Jutsu!"

Scarlet expled a large amount of lava towards Shurado. The lava quickly solidified, turning into molten boulders. The attack hit Shurado with tremendous force, sending a large shockwave. Every molten boulder hit Shurado, completely obliterating everypiece of him.

Crimson looked at Scarlet, who just landed besides him. The Taijutsu expert looked behind him, seeing Midnight fighting Chikushodo.

"Come on, let's help Midnight out."

Scarlet nodded

*X

Midnight held up his blade, blocking the staff. He quickly pushed him down and prepared to stab him, but the Monkey King rolled over and ran at him again. The two began exchanging strikes with their weapons, sparks flying off from the clashes. The Monkey King looked at Midnight with those soulless Rinnegan eyes, unnerving him a bit.

"Pain does not know limits, does he? It's quite satisfactory that he doesn't have control over the Sannin Summons."

Midnight quickly reared slightly and twirled his sword over the staff before he slashed it upward, disarming the staff from the Monkey King. Midnight took kquick advantage and slashed the Monkey King over his chest and sent him flying up. The Monkey King fell onto the ground and dispelled.

Chikushodo appeared and grabbed Midnight, making him gasp and drop his sword. The female path looked at the struggling Kenjutsu Master and lifted him into the air, the Eight Span Bird behind her, waiting for its master's command.

"You and your friends have been a thorn to us since you infiltrated Ame with Jiraiya-sensei. Prepare for imminent pain."

She raised her hand to signal the bird, but marking appeared around her body, alarming her. Scarlet, with Crimson smirked.

"Kai!"

Fire erupted from her body, as Chikushodo dropped Midnight down. She screamed in pain as her body and cloak began to burn down. She fell onto her knees as the bird dispelled and her body roasted.

Midnight sighed and wiped of a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"Thanks for the assist. But the fight isn't over. Come on, let's help our friends."

Scarlet and Crimson nodded. The three of them then rushed off to help their friends.