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Lissa: Alright, the combatants are set, and we've run the data through every possibility. Let's end this debate once and for all.

Zephyr: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!

--

To those who lived in villages and towns outside of the walls of the Empire, life was harsh and unforgiving. The sudden appearance of a horde of Danger Beasts, the constant danger of bandits and raiders who were more than happy to pillage and violate any civilization they came across, and life constantly marred and torn by war left the lands dark.

In the lives of these people existed a shining beacon of hope in the form of the Capital City, the hopes of finding a new life fresh in the minds of all... But those who lived in the capital knew the truth. The real monsters weren't the danger beasts who roamed the wilds... it was the men who ruled the empire.

Well, mostly the men... and one woman more fearsome than them all.

The double doors to the main hall flew open, a troupe of soldiers entering accompanied by a massive steel cage being pulled behind them. Leading the soldiers was a group of seven people, each with a distinct appearance to them.

A muscular man whose face was obscured by a black-and-white mask, carrying a flamethrower...
A young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and a white robe...
A man with glasses, black hair with a white streak, and a lab coat...
A happy-looking girl with ginger hair and a military uniform...
A girl with a black schoolgirl's outfit, black hair, and a katana...
A boy with blue hair and a blue outfit to match, carrying a black short sword...

And leading the six, dragging the cage by its chain along with the contents inside... A single woman. She was tall and voluptuous, with a white uniform that showed off much of her chest, revealing a black mark on it. A white cap rested on her head, with long blue hair that flowed down to below her waist. A sheathed rapier hung at her side, and the gaze of her piercing blue eyes could kill. She dragged the massive metal box by herself, before tossing the chain to the floor... and smiling confidently up at the green-haired child sitting before her.

"General!" The boy, the Emperor, smiled, speaking with a surprisingly formal tone. "I trust you succeeded in your task?"

General Esdeath, the strongest woman in the empire, smirked and stepped to the side. "See for yourself, emperor. The danger beast hosts were no trouble at all!"

She presented the cage, which held two figures inside it bound by chains made of ice. One was a red-haired young man in a red robe, with a beige tactical best on his back and the broken remnants of a large gourd that was still freshly leaking sand. The other was a woman with long blonde hair and a black-and-gray outfit, collapsed on the floor of the cage. The man had a haunted, almost broken gaze, appearing as if he had just lost everything in his life, while the Woman was completely unconscious and covered in blood, seemingly on death's door.

The Emperor smiled and nodded, as a large, overweight man with wild white hair and a beard stepped out from behind the throne, laughing. "A good job as always, General Esdeath! And to you to, My emperor, for your expert strategies in organizing this attack!"

"You were right, Emperor." Esdeath reported. "These two can transform into Danger Beasts and more. That boy-" She pointed at the male prisoner. "Can manipulate sand without the use of a teigu, and the girl can manipulate her body... not unlike the Rakshasa, if I might add."

"They'll be useful assets to the empire." The Emperor raised his staff. "General! Making them loyal to our empire is something I leave to you!"

"Of course, my lord." The general bowed, smirking. "Take them away," She ordered to the flamethrower-carrying man, who nodded and responded "Yes Ma'am!", before unlocking the cage, taking out the two, and carting them off deeper into the castle. What possible tortures that the two Jinchuriki were facing were something that would be known only to a select few... and would be an absolute nightmare for them to experience.

"Well," The overweight man, Prime Minister Honest, began. "If that's all, I believe another expedition to this so-called 'ninja world' is imminent, yes? If our intelligence is true, there's no less than NINE of these 'Jinchuriki' over there! What do you think, Empe-"

He was interrupted by a bright purple glow as a magic circle appeared on the floor, a yin-yang symbol set in the middle of it. In a flash of purple light, a man with darkened skin and wild purple hair materialized into the room. He had a black headband with a pair of small horns on him, as well as an x-shaped mark on his face, like a scar. Esdeath inwardly scowled at his appearance. "...Syura." Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "I'm assuming you brought news?"

"Of course." The leader of Wild Hunt smirked. "Run. Kurome." He motioned towards the blonde man and the black-haired girl. "Remember those two black-robed ninjas you encountered?"

"What of them?" Run, one of the Empire's Jaegers led by Esdeath herself, crossed his arms, an expression of distaste visible on his face at being scolded by the son of the Prime Minister.

"They're from an organization called the Akatsuki. I thought it would be... prudent to let you know that, considering that they have six of the seven remaining Jinchuriki."

That shocked everyone in the room.

"What? That many!?" Wave, the blue-haired boy, actually took a step back.

"Yep. And guess what? Now that they know about you... they're preparing to go to war with us!" Syura smirked and laughed at the plight of the Jaegers, leading to Honest looking at Esdeath with disapproval. "Well, it seems your job wasn't done as well as you claimed."

Honest was expecting this to intimidate the general... but to his surprise, she actually smiled.

"Quite the contrary, Prime Minister... this is the best outcome that I could have hoped for."

Esdeath held an arm out as she explained. "With this 'Akatsuki' preparing to battle our empire, we have no reason to not crush them under our boots. I've seen the power of these supposed ninja villages firsthand, and I've seen the level of skill that their fighters have. If we conquer the Ninja World and add them to our own might, then no force in all of creation could ever hope to stop us. This empire will reign for thousands of years with their power on our side!"

"You're a genius, general!" To the Minister's dissatisfaction, the Emperor grinned widely and clapped his hands together. "It's settled then! At this moment, I hereby declare war on the Ninja World!"

The ice queen smirked. "Well, then. I suppose we'll just have to wipe out the Akatsuki... and crush anybody who dares stand in our way."

(Amegakure)

Pain stood at the top of the Akatsuki's tower, accompanied by Konan, the masked man Tobi, and a man whose skin was part jet-black and part pale white, a massive plant-like growth covering most of his body.

"I can see a ship approaching the shore," Tobi spoke, his voice far deeper and more serious than the bumbling fool that he typically made himself out to be to his comrades. "It appears to only be carrying 21 individuals... though they are all quite powerful."

"I can assume that these are the best fighters that they have to offer..." Pain nodded. "It was wise to gather all of us."

He turned to the plant-man. "Zetsu. I'm trusting you to gather information on our new foes."

"Of course, master..." Zetsu spoke, without moving. "Though I have to warn you, they'll kill us quite fast if we're spotted...", the other half of his body spoke. The flytrap closed around them as they seemingly began to meld into the ground, disappearing without a trace soon after. Pain then turned to Tobi. "They have two of the three final Jinchuriki."

"Yes. The one-tail and the two-tails. We can deal with them shortly... and then, the Uzumaki boy will be next."

The sharp-eyed Tobi could almost detect a twitch in Pain's eye at the mention of the name Uzumaki... Almost.

"Good, good... Then the akatsuki will have their victory."

--

The empire fighters arrived at the edge of the lake separating them from the city, Esdeath leading them. The Ice General looked up at the tall buildings of the city, and smirked. "If Syura is correct, there are ten enemies in total."

"Then we outnumber them over two to one. This should be easy!" Seryu Ubiquitous tightened her gauntlets as the small plush dog she was carrying barked in response.

"Don't get cocky. They were able to secure the Jinchuriki much like we were." Esdeath warned her subordinate, who huffed and looked away. "If there are only nine of them, then clearly they're powerful."

Esdeath pressed a hand into the ground... as it glowed with a pale blue light. A large white wave of energy surged across the ground, shooting into the lake and reaching all the way to the edge. Wherever it touched, the water of the lake froze, turning into solid azure ice, forming a perfect pathway across the lake.

"The Three Beasts will be responsible for locating the enemy. Coerce citizens into revealing their location if you must." Esdeath ordered the three black-garbed soldiers: A massive blonde man with large black horns, a smaller blonde boy with a pointed tail and tiny horns, and an elderly man with swept gray hair and a mustache.

"Of course, Milady." Liver, the older man, bowed to Esdeath. "It will be done with haste."

The three beasts all bowed to her and leapt onto the platform, taking off into the city.

"Rakshasa. Try to locate the Jinchuriki. Don't engage unless necessary, and report back with whatever information you can find."

"Yes, General!" The four Rakshasa demons, made up of a massive man with a black beard and oddly-colored eyes, a scantily-clad woman with tanned skin and spiky blonde hair, an asian woman with long robes and black hair, and a pale-skinned man with dark eyes and loose, greasy blue hair, all nodded and took off along the icy bridge.

"The Wild Hunt, I trust you with locating the headquarters of Akatsuki and sabotaging their operations." She ordered, before stopping and turning towards the Syura. "And Don't forget your objective. If you deviate from it to pursue your disgusting habits... you will not return to the empire."

Syura gulped, the nerves also showing on the rest of his team: An overweight man dressed in a clown suit and makeup, a man with unkempt black hair, a kimono, and a long katana, a man with a lecherous grin and black hair that stuck out to either side, a happy-looking girl with pink hair and a bright outfit, and a young girl with blonde hair, a blue dress, and tiny fangs.

"...As you wish."

Syura scowled as the glowing circle of his Teigu appeared under his team, and with a flash of purple, they all vanished, appearing deeper into the city.

"And as for the rest of you..."

Esdeath pointed her rapier at the city. "Eliminate the Akatsuki. I'll take care of the leader."

The Jaegers all saluted before either running across the bridge or, in Run's case, actually taking to the skies, as a pair of discs floating behind him summoned a pair of feathery wings that allowed him to fly across.

A platform of ice formed below Esdeath, lifting her into the air before shooting into the city.

-0-0-0-0-

The glacier came to a stop in the middle of the street. As Esdeath stepped off of it, her mouth curled into a smug grin as she looked up at the woman floating before her, one with blue hair, amber eyes, and a paper flower in her hair. Konan, the Akatsuki's angel of death, was positioned in the air between the general and the rest of Amegakure, supported by wings made of paper.

"Am I to take it you're some sort of second in command?" Esdeath called up at the girl. "You obviously aren't the leader."

"You are correct," Konan nodded stoically. "My lord is preparing himself to do battle with you. I hope that you're aware that we do not plan to leave any survivors."

"Good... Neither do we. I suppose I'll start with you."

Esdeath suddenly leaped into the air, unfurling her rapier from its sheath in an instant, poised to pierce Konan for her neck. The kunoichi's eyes widened as her paper wings curled in preparation to take the blow-

*CLANG*

Before Esdeath's blade could destroy her windpipe, a figure in the same black cloak as her dashed between the two women, parrying Esdeath's blade with a Kunai. The general only saw a rush of black cloth and orange hair before she fell back to the ground, landing on all fours like a cat. As she stood back up, she saw the mystery assailant.

A man stood before her, with orange hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a black cloak with red cloud designs on it that obscured his entire body from the neck down, as well as a headband that had four vertical lines on it, a large slash cutting through them are. Odder, perhaps, were the multiple black piercings lining his face on his cheeks, forehead, and under his eyes... eyes that were a deep purple in hue, irises replaced by dark circles that radiated outwards in a ripple fashion.

"Yes... you're much more of the leader type." The general looked him over. "So, who are you, then?"

"My name... is Pain." The shinobi stated in a deep male voice, staring down at Esdeath without a hint of any feelings or emotion in his face. "You must be General Esdeath."

"The same."

"You've taken something that belongs to us. Bring back the two Jinchuriki that you've stolen, and this conflict need not continue."

"Oh?" Esdeath tilted her head. "And what will you do with these so-called tailed beasts once you've collected the whole set?"

"I have no need to explain myself to you..." Pain almost smiled, "But if you're so curious... I am going to use the power of the nine Bijuu in order to create world peace through force. Inside these beasts is a power that can wipe out an entire nation. Hundreds of thousands dead..." His eyes briefly reflected a lifetime of pain behind his words... something that Esdeath caught on to. "In one fell swoop."

"Oh? How interesting..." Esdeath's grip on her rapier tightened. "In that case, I'm afraid I won't be handing anything over today... nothing but swift death. You had your chance to surrender," she readied herself, "And now you get to entertain me."

"Hm... As you wish." Pain clasped his two hands together. "But, Esdeath... by the end of this battle, you will know the meaning of true pain."

Esdeath immediately lunged forward, aiming to behead the shinobi in one swift strike and end the battle in that instant. As she lunged, a black sigil appeared on the ground under Pain.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive cloud of smoke burst out of the circle, obscuring Pain completely, and Esdeath stopped herself before she rushed into the cloud. She wasn't stupid... there was no point in rushing in to fight a completely unknown opponent, especially one with at least some level of skill. After all, he had been fast enough to intercept her strike against the girl... so he might end up being fun.

Esdeath's thoughts were cut short as a massive red pincer shot out of the smoke like a rocket. Esdeath swing her rapier upwards on reflex, deflecting the blow, but the force behind it sent her flying back. She re-balanced herself in midair, landing on the ground as the smoke cloud cleared, revealing a massive crustacean-like beast, a gaping abyss in its maw and a black spike stuck through its body.

"So, you can summon danger beasts to your side," She smiled as she looked the beast up and down. "Impressive... but a waste of time!"

As the crab bore down on her with its pincer, Esdeath, to Pain's surprise, caught the massive claw in her bare hands. "Hmph. Water release: Wild Bubble Jutsu!" Pain clapped his hands together once more, commanding the crab, whose maw opened and released a forceful wave of bubbles. Esdeath's eyes widened, and she flipped back before leaping high into the air, above the tsunami of bubbles. Even despite its innocuous appearance, something told her the wave was more deadly than it seemed.

The crab's eight legs clung to a nearby building as it skittered upwards, punching and swiping after Esdeath, who seemingly defied gravity as she hit the side of the same skyscraper, running up it with enough speed to avoid falling. As she reached the roof, she kicked off the stone surface, flipping around in mid-air as the Crab chased her.

SHING

With one slice, the crustacean's massive pincer was severed, falling to the ground below and leaving a crater where it fell. It let out a screech of agony as Pain grimaced. She was stronger than she appeared...

"Summoning Jutsu!" he prepared another summon as Esdeath could no longer hide her bloodthirsty grin, her rapier becoming a blur of silver streaks that crossed over every inch of the Crab's body. For one moment, nothing happened... but as Esdeath sheathed her rapier, its shell broke and the crab fell into pieces, going every which way from the shearing force of Esdeath's blade.

Twisting her sword downwards to face Pain's forehead, she fell like a comet, stabbing like an angel of death-

WHAM!

But before she could strike him, an invisible force slammed into her side. She was rocketed into a building, cracking the stone and becoming embedded in it, spread-eagled. As she pulled herself out, her eyes fell upon the massive beast that shimmered into vision.

A massive chameleon stood before her now, two spikes embedded through its crest and the same purple eyes that Pain himself bore. Most notably, its tail was that of a giant snake, with the same eye coloration. Esdeath didn't bother quipping against this one, instead opting to push off the wall and launch herself towards the lizard.

As she expected, the snake tail lashed out at her, fangs bared. With a smirk and a twirl, however, one of said fangs was promptly sliced off, leaving it to recoil in pain. The lizard scampered back just fast enough to avoid Esdeath's sword, lashing out at her with its tongue. The general could only smile as she casually sidestepped the sticky extremity, but instead of slicing through it entirely, she merely jabbed it with the tip of her sword, eliciting a screech of discomfort.

"You really should send out a better beast, Pain," Esdeath taunted her foe. "I might actually have to start trying."

Lashing out in fear and anger, the Chameleon's snake tail lunged at her, but then... rather than attacking, she simply glared. Her eyes seemed to glow red like a demon, and the snake actually stopped in its tracks right before her.

With a small leap and a stomp of her foot, the snake was crushed into the ground, eyes bulging out from the sheer pressure of her stomp. "What a stupid animal, thinking it stood a chance against me..." Esdeath shook her head, and with another stomp and a gruesome popping sound, the rinnegan eyes burst from their sockets, a shower of purple blood accompanying them.

In its panic to get away from her, the Chameleon actually tore off its own snake tail, quickly becoming invisible again. "Don't think you can hide from me..." the general smirked as, in a blur of motion, she appeared right before the chameleon's face despite not being able to see it. "I can smell your fear."

SHLICK

She jabbed her rapier in one of the monster's eyes, the beast letting out another agonized hiss... and with another flick of her sword, the metal cut right through its brain, ending its life in an instant. Blood leaked from its mouth as its camouflage spazzed out, briefly flashing multiple colors before returning to its normal green as its brain activity faded.

Esdeath landed, turning to pain. "Come now... I know you can do better than that, can't you?"

"You have no idea what I'm capable of..." Pain retorted. With a flick of his wrist, a long black rod sprouted from his sleeve, the end tapered like a blade. "That's more like it!" Esdeath brandished her sword, and the two lunged at each other.

One instant, Pain and Esdeath were both clearly visible. In the next, they had turned into blue-and-orange blurs, accompanied by showers of sparks and the sound of metal clanging against metal.

On one hand, Esdeath was an absolute monster of a swordsman, a completely offensive style pressing every advantage she came across in a show of aggression and force that would be able to terrify even armies. On the other hand, Pain was a completely different kind of beast. Every move that he made was calculated, angled perfectly and precisely to parry every one of Esdeath's blows.

"You're skilled... and fast too!" The general couldn't help but compliment her opponent, Stopping his counterattack by holding her rapier up horizontally, producing another spark shower and a loud clang on impact. "But I can tell you're holding out on me... and I've only just begun to fight!"

With that statement, she flipped into the air as the water where she had been standing just moments before began to crystallize. Pain's eyes flickered down... Then widened, the ninja just barely flipping out of the way as a spear of ice thrust out from the puddle. Pain was impressed by the speed... If he hadn't moved in that instant, he would have been killed instantly...

Pain landed on the ground several meters away. "Your kekkei genkai is impressive... The ability to control ice without a single hand seal..." He mused as Esdeath crossed her arms.

"Kekkei genkai... I suppose you could call it a blood technique, couldn't you..." She chuckled. "I gained this power after drinking the blood of a demon. The others went insane and killed themselves from the sheer power... but I was stronger than them all."

"Well... we shall see how that strength holds up."

The summoning circle once more appeared in the ground below Pain, but before he could activate it, the ground fragmented and split as a massive chunk of ice shot up from it. The circle was disrupted, preventing Pain from finishing the Jutsu and forcing him back on the defensive. With another wave of her hand, the ice chunk rapidly split apart into dozens of floating daggers, all of which flew towards the Shinobi.

Pain pulled out a pair of black rods, and in a flurry of motion, shattered every projectile that would have otherwise struck him as the cloud of remaining ice shards all embedded themselves into the ground behind him. This is troublesome... he thought to himself as he turned tail, leaping to the side of the building and running up it as if gravity had no hold on him. I won't be able to use my summoning jutsu with her constant interference. Which means I have no choice... I'll have to reveal more paths.

A platform made of ice formed under Esdeath's boots, which quickly began to rise against the building's surface, tearing through pipes and anything else that was unlucky enough to be sticking out from the wall. "You can't run away, you know!" Esdeath taunted, firing off a pair of icy swords at the Shinobi, who spun to deflect them just before reaching the roof. He had to act quickly.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palms into the ground as the summoning circle formed. A second later, the general leaped up to meet him, Sword poised...

But in a puff of smoke and a rush of motion...

Two more shinobi appeared and stopped her with twin chakra rods.

Esdeath's eyes widened and she leapt back, landing at the edge of the roof as the figures landed beside pain. The first one was notably similar in appearance to him, albeit female, with long orange hair parted down the middle but bearing the same face piercing and purple-colored eyes. The second was a massive man, bald and with a thick neck, piercing in his skull as well as his face... but an identical pair of eyes towards the other two.

"So, that's your secret." Esdeath immediately picked up on what was going on. "The great Pain, leader of the Akatsuki... is more than one individual."

"Though my bodies are separate..." The tall, bald man began in a voice identical to the first body.

"...My will is as one," The woman spoke in turn, in a voice of her own.

"Now, General Esdeath..." A summoning circle appeared under the 'main' body. "How will you fare fighting a mere half of our number? Let's find out."

In a puff of smoke, a massive dog that towered over the four appeared, bearing the eyes of the Rinnegan and a massive black spike, like a horn, stuck through its jaw. At the same time, the massive bald man, the Asura Path, pointed his hand forward as it transformed into a steel cannon. On the other side, the long-haired woman, the Human Path, simply got into a fighting stance with open palms.

A tense moment passed... before they all moved at once.

The Asura Path fired a massive laser from his arm cannon that Esdeath jumped over. As she rose into the air, the Human Path leaped up to meet her, hand outstretched in an attempt to grab the General's face. With a graceful twist, she avoided the attack, leaving a slice on her midsection in the process. As Esdeath landed, the massive hound bore down on her, but with a wave of her hand, a fist made of ice sprung up from the ground, striking it and knocking it off of the building.

After the crab and lizard, it was obvious that a single ice attack wouldn't keep it down for long, but she had larger things to worry about than a simple danger beast. The human and animal path closed in on her, wielding bare fists and chakra rods alike. As they advanced, Esdeath summoned a ring of ice stakes, sending them out in all directions.

The three paths leaped over them, the Asura Path firing another beam from his cannon, but the general was far too fast for a simple attack like that to stop her. She quickly rolled to the side, under the human path in time to avoid her palm strike. Clearly, this one wanted to grab her... though she wasn't sure of its ability, it was something she should avoid until she knew exactly what she was up against.

Before either of the more melee-focused paths could attack her, she swung her rapier, a wall of ice forming between her and the paths. As the Human Path's fist and the Animal Path's black receiver struck it, they merely bounced off, barely chipping the wall.

The two backed off, allowing the Asura Path to take charge. He reached for one hand, actually pulling it off of his own wrist like a child ripping a piece off of their favorite toy. But rather than the hand simply popping off of the socket, it slid outward to reveal a metal wire connecting it to the arm... a wire that also happened to be covered with segmented missiles.

Esdeath's eyes widened as the Asura Path smirked, dozens of tiny missiles all popping off at the same time. They quickly righted themselves in midair, all pointed at the wall of ice with a very clear intention. Well, two can play at that game.

Esdeath rocketed upwards, supported by a massive ice pillar, and the heat-seeking missiles changed their trajectory to match. At the same time, she swung her rapier, a group of ice spikes forming around her.

"Weissschnabel."

Each of the spikes shot down with pinpoint accuracy, intercepting the missiles as they came. With every impact, a sizable explosion was formed that often knocked its fellow missiles out of their paths if it didn't trigger a chain reaction. Though the explosions destroyed the midsection of the pillar, she nonetheless neutralized every single one of them.

"She's a troublesome one..." Pain thought to himself as the three paths looked up at the General towering above them. "I suppose I'll have to use all of my bodies, then."

Esdeath hopped off of her pillar as it began to fall, reshaping the rapidly-descending ice chunks into a ramp that she could slide down. At the same time, her eyes flicked around to multiple things at once:

The rinnegan-eyed dog reaching the top of the building, now sporting a second head.

The Asura Path's fist beginning to glow orange.

The Animal Path preparing another summon.

and the Human Path running up the ice ramp.

An attack on four fronts... Good, she smirked. This ought to be fun.

She brandished her rapier as she slid down the ramp, the human path rapidly approaching. Once more, it reached out to grab onto her face, but in a blur of motion, she suddenly appeared behind it. An instant later, in a shower of blood, its hands were severed, flying off their arms. The path looked surprised, but as Esdeath spun once more to take her head off, it suddenly ducked. It wasn't any reflexive action either... it was as though Pain knew exactly where she was going to strike.

Esdeath swung again, and the handless path instead leapt over her rapier. "So you can see in all directions, can you?" Esdeath flexed her muscles, as a cage of ice formed around it in all directions. "I'll just have to attack from them, then."

In another shower of blood, dozens of ice spikes pierced the human path, leading to it coughing up blood and going limp, suspended in midair by the icy cage. Esdeath continued her assault as the Asura Path's fist once again flew off its hinges, this time attached to what seemed to be a large rocket. An ice wall quickly formed between Esdeath and the fist, but it smashed through with little issue. That wall, however, knocked it off its trajectory just enough for the general to dodge around it.

The Animal Path's dog let out a roar, barrelling towards her like a bullet train. With a smirk and a spike of ice, it was promptly impaled right through the left skull, leaving the right head to yip in pain. Rather than trying to break out, its body began to rapidly morph and twist, separating into no less than three distinct dogs, identical in appearance.

"So you can duplicate to avoid injury, can you? I'll just have to kill you all at once then!"

The three of them quickly surrounded her, all pouncing with her fangs bared. Rather than cower or perform any defensive actions, Esdeath simply snapped her fingers. In an instant, the three dogs were frozen solid in massive ice sculptures... and as she held her fist out and clenched it tightly, they shattered into dust, completely erasing them from sight as they were reduced to tiny bits in the air.

Before she could strike either of the two remaining paths, however, something hard and fast hit her from behind... The Asura Path's fist, as if controlled by magnetism, had come flying back to hit her and return to the arm of its wielder. Despite the impact, she didn't seem any worse for wear, and instead stood back up to her full height.

It was too late for her to stop the Animal Path, however, as three puffs of smoke rose obscured it from vision. This time, however, the general wasn't deterred; rather, she continued her lunge, aiming to stop the path in its tracks and cut off the source of the summons. She could still sense its killing intent, and she spun her blade...

But, to her surprise, she stopped mid-lunge, suspended in midair by an unknown force. As the smoke began to clear, she saw the silhouette of a fourth path standing before her... and with a flick of its wrist, she was sent flying through her own icy constructs, falling off the building's edge.

Esdeath righted herself in midair, alarm bells ringing in her head for the first time. Another one... and there were three puffs of smoke, which meant...

She was cut off from her thoughts as the Asura path leapt off the building after her, reaching to its own cloak and shedding it. What it revealed was a massive giant of a man, with no less than six arms on its body and three faces on its head. A large, wide "tail", like a sawblade, unfurled behind it as it hit the ground with a crater.

As the general rose to her feet once more, the Asura Path sprouted multiple weapons from its fists: Blades, cannons, and saws alike. It lunged, and Esdeath prepared herself for the attack, stamping the ground and sending a wave of ice out at the path. With a quick SHING, the shinobi tore through the ice, slicing it in two with a single blade, then quickly aimed and fired one of its cannons.

"Grauhorn!"

A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground, propelling Esdeath upwards to avoid the blast, and with another flex, a second pillar sprouted from the side of the first one. It slammed into the Asura Path, who quickly clambered over the side before it could be smashed into the wall, but before it could continue running towards her, ice crawled up around its legs, pinning it in place.

Esdeath hopped off the vertical pillar as it fell, clearly with the aim of crushing the asura path... but to her surprise, its skull actually popped open, revealing the hollow entrance to a cannon. A blue blast shot from it, pulverizing the ice into nothingness with a loud BANG.

The general landed several dozen meters away, then looked up as no less than five figures hopped down from the top of the building, joining the Asura Path. "General Esdeath," The one in front spoke, "Your skill is admirable... but you are only a human."

"And what does that make you, then?" Esdeath narrowed her eyes, looking up at the figures.

The Human path, hair flowing in the wind and injuries seemingly fully recovered from...

The Animal path, none the worse for wear and looking stern...

The Asura path, stepping over to join its brethren...

A stocky man with orange hair, slicked back and held there by his headband...

A taller man with a rough-looking face and three longer piercings that stuck up from his ears...

And in front of them all, a younger-looking man, with hair that stuck up like grass and an aura about him that clearly indicated him to be the leader of this group.

"Now you face the six paths of pain," the one in front, the speaker, looked down at her sternly. "We are the leader of the Akatsuki. Through the power of the nine tailed beasts, we will create peace in this world by force."

"It's a shame..." Esdeath readied herself. "My empire would have been aligned with you... But If I'm being perfectly honest, I much prefer it when my prey tries to fight back. I do love a good fight~"

"Then know this, Esdeath."

The six paths all got into fighting stances. "You stand before God, Esdeath. And by the end of this day..."

"You will know true pain."

To be continued...

Description
Lissa: Alright, the combatants are set, and we've run the data through every possibility. Let's end this debate once and for all.

Zephyr: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!

--

To those who lived in villages and towns outside of the walls of the Empire, life was harsh and unforgiving. The sudden appearance of a horde of Danger Beasts, the constant danger of bandits and raiders who were more than happy to pillage and violate any civilization they came across, and life constantly marred and torn by war left the lands dark.

In the lives of these people existed a shining beacon of hope in the form of the Capital City, the hopes of finding a new life fresh in the minds of all... But those who lived in the capital knew the truth. The real monsters weren't the danger beasts who roamed the wilds... it was the men who ruled the empire.

Well, mostly the men... and one woman more fearsome than them all.

The double doors to the main hall flew open, a troupe of soldiers entering accompanied by a massive steel cage being pulled behind them. Leading the soldiers was a group of seven people, each with a distinct appearance to them.

A muscular man whose face was obscured by a black-and-white mask, carrying a flamethrower...
A young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and a white robe...
A man with glasses, black hair with a white streak, and a lab coat...
A happy-looking girl with ginger hair and a military uniform...
A girl with a black schoolgirl's outfit, black hair, and a katana...
A boy with blue hair and a blue outfit to match, carrying a black short sword...

And leading the six, dragging the cage by its chain along with the contents inside... A single woman. She was tall and voluptuous, with a white uniform that showed off much of her chest, revealing a black mark on it. A white cap rested on her head, with long blue hair that flowed down to below her waist. A sheathed rapier hung at her side, and the gaze of her piercing blue eyes could kill. She dragged the massive metal box by herself, before tossing the chain to the floor... and smiling confidently up at the green-haired child sitting before her.

"General!" The boy, the Emperor, smiled, speaking with a surprisingly formal tone. "I trust you succeeded in your task?"

General Esdeath, the strongest woman in the empire, smirked and stepped to the side. "See for yourself, emperor. The danger beast hosts were no trouble at all!"

She presented the cage, which held two figures inside it bound by chains made of ice. One was a red-haired young man in a red robe, with a beige tactical best on his back and the broken remnants of a large gourd that was still freshly leaking sand. The other was a woman with long blonde hair and a black-and-gray outfit, collapsed on the floor of the cage. The man had a haunted, almost broken gaze, appearing as if he had just lost everything in his life, while the Woman was completely unconscious and covered in blood, seemingly on death's door.

The Emperor smiled and nodded, as a large, overweight man with wild white hair and a beard stepped out from behind the throne, laughing. "A good job as always, General Esdeath! And to you to, My emperor, for your expert strategies in organizing this attack!"

"You were right, Emperor." Esdeath reported. "These two can transform into Danger Beasts and more. That boy-" She pointed at the male prisoner. "Can manipulate sand without the use of a teigu, and the girl can manipulate her body... not unlike the Rakshasa, if I might add."

"They'll be useful assets to the empire." The Emperor raised his staff. "General! Making them loyal to our empire is something I leave to you!"

"Of course, my lord." The general bowed, smirking. "Take them away," She ordered to the flamethrower-carrying man, who nodded and responded "Yes Ma'am!", before unlocking the cage, taking out the two, and carting them off deeper into the castle. What possible tortures that the two Jinchuriki were facing were something that would be known only to a select few... and would be an absolute nightmare for them to experience.

"Well," The overweight man, Prime Minister Honest, began. "If that's all, I believe another expedition to this so-called 'ninja world' is imminent, yes? If our intelligence is true, there's no less than NINE of these 'Jinchuriki' over there! What do you think, Empe-"

He was interrupted by a bright purple glow as a magic circle appeared on the floor, a yin-yang symbol set in the middle of it. In a flash of purple light, a man with darkened skin and wild purple hair materialized into the room. He had a black headband with a pair of small horns on him, as well as an x-shaped mark on his face, like a scar. Esdeath inwardly scowled at his appearance. "...Syura." Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "I'm assuming you brought news?"

"Of course." The leader of Wild Hunt smirked. "Run. Kurome." He motioned towards the blonde man and the black-haired girl. "Remember those two black-robed ninjas you encountered?"

"What of them?" Run, one of the Empire's Jaegers led by Esdeath herself, crossed his arms, an expression of distaste visible on his face at being scolded by the son of the Prime Minister.

"They're from an organization called the Akatsuki. I thought it would be... prudent to let you know that, considering that they have six of the seven remaining Jinchuriki."

That shocked everyone in the room.

"What? That many!?" Wave, the blue-haired boy, actually took a step back.

"Yep. And guess what? Now that they know about you... they're preparing to go to war with us!" Syura smirked and laughed at the plight of the Jaegers, leading to Honest looking at Esdeath with disapproval. "Well, it seems your job wasn't done as well as you claimed."

Honest was expecting this to intimidate the general... but to his surprise, she actually smiled.

"Quite the contrary, Prime Minister... this is the best outcome that I could have hoped for."

Esdeath held an arm out as she explained. "With this 'Akatsuki' preparing to battle our empire, we have no reason to not crush them under our boots. I've seen the power of these supposed ninja villages firsthand, and I've seen the level of skill that their fighters have. If we conquer the Ninja World and add them to our own might, then no force in all of creation could ever hope to stop us. This empire will reign for thousands of years with their power on our side!"

"You're a genius, general!" To the Minister's dissatisfaction, the Emperor grinned widely and clapped his hands together. "It's settled then! At this moment, I hereby declare war on the Ninja World!"

The ice queen smirked. "Well, then. I suppose we'll just have to wipe out the Akatsuki... and crush anybody who dares stand in our way."

(Amegakure)

Pain stood at the top of the Akatsuki's tower, accompanied by Konan, the masked man Tobi, and a man whose skin was part jet-black and part pale white, a massive plant-like growth covering most of his body.

"I can see a ship approaching the shore," Tobi spoke, his voice far deeper and more serious than the bumbling fool that he typically made himself out to be to his comrades. "It appears to only be carrying 21 individuals... though they are all quite powerful."

"I can assume that these are the best fighters that they have to offer..." Pain nodded. "It was wise to gather all of us."

He turned to the plant-man. "Zetsu. I'm trusting you to gather information on our new foes."

"Of course, master..." Zetsu spoke, without moving. "Though I have to warn you, they'll kill us quite fast if we're spotted...", the other half of his body spoke. The flytrap closed around them as they seemingly began to meld into the ground, disappearing without a trace soon after. Pain then turned to Tobi. "They have two of the three final Jinchuriki."

"Yes. The one-tail and the two-tails. We can deal with them shortly... and then, the Uzumaki boy will be next."

The sharp-eyed Tobi could almost detect a twitch in Pain's eye at the mention of the name Uzumaki... Almost.

"Good, good... Then the akatsuki will have their victory."

--

The empire fighters arrived at the edge of the lake separating them from the city, Esdeath leading them. The Ice General looked up at the tall buildings of the city, and smirked. "If Syura is correct, there are ten enemies in total."

"Then we outnumber them over two to one. This should be easy!" Seryu Ubiquitous tightened her gauntlets as the small plush dog she was carrying barked in response.

"Don't get cocky. They were able to secure the Jinchuriki much like we were." Esdeath warned her subordinate, who huffed and looked away. "If there are only nine of them, then clearly they're powerful."

Esdeath pressed a hand into the ground... as it glowed with a pale blue light. A large white wave of energy surged across the ground, shooting into the lake and reaching all the way to the edge. Wherever it touched, the water of the lake froze, turning into solid azure ice, forming a perfect pathway across the lake.

"The Three Beasts will be responsible for locating the enemy. Coerce citizens into revealing their location if you must." Esdeath ordered the three black-garbed soldiers: A massive blonde man with large black horns, a smaller blonde boy with a pointed tail and tiny horns, and an elderly man with swept gray hair and a mustache.

"Of course, Milady." Liver, the older man, bowed to Esdeath. "It will be done with haste."

The three beasts all bowed to her and leapt onto the platform, taking off into the city.

"Rakshasa. Try to locate the Jinchuriki. Don't engage unless necessary, and report back with whatever information you can find."

"Yes, General!" The four Rakshasa demons, made up of a massive man with a black beard and oddly-colored eyes, a scantily-clad woman with tanned skin and spiky blonde hair, an asian woman with long robes and black hair, and a pale-skinned man with dark eyes and loose, greasy blue hair, all nodded and took off along the icy bridge.

"The Wild Hunt, I trust you with locating the headquarters of Akatsuki and sabotaging their operations." She ordered, before stopping and turning towards the Syura. "And Don't forget your objective. If you deviate from it to pursue your disgusting habits... you will not return to the empire."

Syura gulped, the nerves also showing on the rest of his team: An overweight man dressed in a clown suit and makeup, a man with unkempt black hair, a kimono, and a long katana, a man with a lecherous grin and black hair that stuck out to either side, a happy-looking girl with pink hair and a bright outfit, and a young girl with blonde hair, a blue dress, and tiny fangs.

"...As you wish."

Syura scowled as the glowing circle of his Teigu appeared under his team, and with a flash of purple, they all vanished, appearing deeper into the city.

"And as for the rest of you..."

Esdeath pointed her rapier at the city. "Eliminate the Akatsuki. I'll take care of the leader."

The Jaegers all saluted before either running across the bridge or, in Run's case, actually taking to the skies, as a pair of discs floating behind him summoned a pair of feathery wings that allowed him to fly across.

A platform of ice formed below Esdeath, lifting her into the air before shooting into the city.

-0-0-0-0-

The glacier came to a stop in the middle of the street. As Esdeath stepped off of it, her mouth curled into a smug grin as she looked up at the woman floating before her, one with blue hair, amber eyes, and a paper flower in her hair. Konan, the Akatsuki's angel of death, was positioned in the air between the general and the rest of Amegakure, supported by wings made of paper.

"Am I to take it you're some sort of second in command?" Esdeath called up at the girl. "You obviously aren't the leader."

"You are correct," Konan nodded stoically. "My lord is preparing himself to do battle with you. I hope that you're aware that we do not plan to leave any survivors."

"Good... Neither do we. I suppose I'll start with you."

Esdeath suddenly leaped into the air, unfurling her rapier from its sheath in an instant, poised to pierce Konan for her neck. The kunoichi's eyes widened as her paper wings curled in preparation to take the blow-

*CLANG*

Before Esdeath's blade could destroy her windpipe, a figure in the same black cloak as her dashed between the two women, parrying Esdeath's blade with a Kunai. The general only saw a rush of black cloth and orange hair before she fell back to the ground, landing on all fours like a cat. As she stood back up, she saw the mystery assailant.

A man stood before her, with orange hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a black cloak with red cloud designs on it that obscured his entire body from the neck down, as well as a headband that had four vertical lines on it, a large slash cutting through them are. Odder, perhaps, were the multiple black piercings lining his face on his cheeks, forehead, and under his eyes... eyes that were a deep purple in hue, irises replaced by dark circles that radiated outwards in a ripple fashion.

"Yes... you're much more of the leader type." The general looked him over. "So, who are you, then?"

"My name... is Pain." The shinobi stated in a deep male voice, staring down at Esdeath without a hint of any feelings or emotion in his face. "You must be General Esdeath."

"The same."

"You've taken something that belongs to us. Bring back the two Jinchuriki that you've stolen, and this conflict need not continue."

"Oh?" Esdeath tilted her head. "And what will you do with these so-called tailed beasts once you've collected the whole set?"

"I have no need to explain myself to you..." Pain almost smiled, "But if you're so curious... I am going to use the power of the nine Bijuu in order to create world peace through force. Inside these beasts is a power that can wipe out an entire nation. Hundreds of thousands dead..." His eyes briefly reflected a lifetime of pain behind his words... something that Esdeath caught on to. "In one fell swoop."

"Oh? How interesting..." Esdeath's grip on her rapier tightened. "In that case, I'm afraid I won't be handing anything over today... nothing but swift death. You had your chance to surrender," she readied herself, "And now you get to entertain me."

"Hm... As you wish." Pain clasped his two hands together. "But, Esdeath... by the end of this battle, you will know the meaning of true pain."

Esdeath immediately lunged forward, aiming to behead the shinobi in one swift strike and end the battle in that instant. As she lunged, a black sigil appeared on the ground under Pain.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive cloud of smoke burst out of the circle, obscuring Pain completely, and Esdeath stopped herself before she rushed into the cloud. She wasn't stupid... there was no point in rushing in to fight a completely unknown opponent, especially one with at least some level of skill. After all, he had been fast enough to intercept her strike against the girl... so he might end up being fun.

Esdeath's thoughts were cut short as a massive red pincer shot out of the smoke like a rocket. Esdeath swing her rapier upwards on reflex, deflecting the blow, but the force behind it sent her flying back. She re-balanced herself in midair, landing on the ground as the smoke cloud cleared, revealing a massive crustacean-like beast, a gaping abyss in its maw and a black spike stuck through its body.

"So, you can summon danger beasts to your side," She smiled as she looked the beast up and down. "Impressive... but a waste of time!"

As the crab bore down on her with its pincer, Esdeath, to Pain's surprise, caught the massive claw in her bare hands. "Hmph. Water release: Wild Bubble Jutsu!" Pain clapped his hands together once more, commanding the crab, whose maw opened and released a forceful wave of bubbles. Esdeath's eyes widened, and she flipped back before leaping high into the air, above the tsunami of bubbles. Even despite its innocuous appearance, something told her the wave was more deadly than it seemed.

The crab's eight legs clung to a nearby building as it skittered upwards, punching and swiping after Esdeath, who seemingly defied gravity as she hit the side of the same skyscraper, running up it with enough speed to avoid falling. As she reached the roof, she kicked off the stone surface, flipping around in mid-air as the Crab chased her.

SHING

With one slice, the crustacean's massive pincer was severed, falling to the ground below and leaving a crater where it fell. It let out a screech of agony as Pain grimaced. She was stronger than she appeared...

"Summoning Jutsu!" he prepared another summon as Esdeath could no longer hide her bloodthirsty grin, her rapier becoming a blur of silver streaks that crossed over every inch of the Crab's body. For one moment, nothing happened... but as Esdeath sheathed her rapier, its shell broke and the crab fell into pieces, going every which way from the shearing force of Esdeath's blade.

Twisting her sword downwards to face Pain's forehead, she fell like a comet, stabbing like an angel of death-

WHAM!

But before she could strike him, an invisible force slammed into her side. She was rocketed into a building, cracking the stone and becoming embedded in it, spread-eagled. As she pulled herself out, her eyes fell upon the massive beast that shimmered into vision.

A massive chameleon stood before her now, two spikes embedded through its crest and the same purple eyes that Pain himself bore. Most notably, its tail was that of a giant snake, with the same eye coloration. Esdeath didn't bother quipping against this one, instead opting to push off the wall and launch herself towards the lizard.

As she expected, the snake tail lashed out at her, fangs bared. With a smirk and a twirl, however, one of said fangs was promptly sliced off, leaving it to recoil in pain. The lizard scampered back just fast enough to avoid Esdeath's sword, lashing out at her with its tongue. The general could only smile as she casually sidestepped the sticky extremity, but instead of slicing through it entirely, she merely jabbed it with the tip of her sword, eliciting a screech of discomfort.

"You really should send out a better beast, Pain," Esdeath taunted her foe. "I might actually have to start trying."

Lashing out in fear and anger, the Chameleon's snake tail lunged at her, but then... rather than attacking, she simply glared. Her eyes seemed to glow red like a demon, and the snake actually stopped in its tracks right before her.

With a small leap and a stomp of her foot, the snake was crushed into the ground, eyes bulging out from the sheer pressure of her stomp. "What a stupid animal, thinking it stood a chance against me..." Esdeath shook her head, and with another stomp and a gruesome popping sound, the rinnegan eyes burst from their sockets, a shower of purple blood accompanying them.

In its panic to get away from her, the Chameleon actually tore off its own snake tail, quickly becoming invisible again. "Don't think you can hide from me..." the general smirked as, in a blur of motion, she appeared right before the chameleon's face despite not being able to see it. "I can smell your fear."

SHLICK

She jabbed her rapier in one of the monster's eyes, the beast letting out another agonized hiss... and with another flick of her sword, the metal cut right through its brain, ending its life in an instant. Blood leaked from its mouth as its camouflage spazzed out, briefly flashing multiple colors before returning to its normal green as its brain activity faded.

Esdeath landed, turning to pain. "Come now... I know you can do better than that, can't you?"

"You have no idea what I'm capable of..." Pain retorted. With a flick of his wrist, a long black rod sprouted from his sleeve, the end tapered like a blade. "That's more like it!" Esdeath brandished her sword, and the two lunged at each other.

One instant, Pain and Esdeath were both clearly visible. In the next, they had turned into blue-and-orange blurs, accompanied by showers of sparks and the sound of metal clanging against metal.

On one hand, Esdeath was an absolute monster of a swordsman, a completely offensive style pressing every advantage she came across in a show of aggression and force that would be able to terrify even armies. On the other hand, Pain was a completely different kind of beast. Every move that he made was calculated, angled perfectly and precisely to parry every one of Esdeath's blows.

"You're skilled... and fast too!" The general couldn't help but compliment her opponent, Stopping his counterattack by holding her rapier up horizontally, producing another spark shower and a loud clang on impact. "But I can tell you're holding out on me... and I've only just begun to fight!"

With that statement, she flipped into the air as the water where she had been standing just moments before began to crystallize. Pain's eyes flickered down... Then widened, the ninja just barely flipping out of the way as a spear of ice thrust out from the puddle. Pain was impressed by the speed... If he hadn't moved in that instant, he would have been killed instantly...

Pain landed on the ground several meters away. "Your kekkei genkai is impressive... The ability to control ice without a single hand seal..." He mused as Esdeath crossed her arms.

"Kekkei genkai... I suppose you could call it a blood technique, couldn't you..." She chuckled. "I gained this power after drinking the blood of a demon. The others went insane and killed themselves from the sheer power... but I was stronger than them all."

"Well... we shall see how that strength holds up."

The summoning circle once more appeared in the ground below Pain, but before he could activate it, the ground fragmented and split as a massive chunk of ice shot up from it. The circle was disrupted, preventing Pain from finishing the Jutsu and forcing him back on the defensive. With another wave of her hand, the ice chunk rapidly split apart into dozens of floating daggers, all of which flew towards the Shinobi.

Pain pulled out a pair of black rods, and in a flurry of motion, shattered every projectile that would have otherwise struck him as the cloud of remaining ice shards all embedded themselves into the ground behind him. This is troublesome... he thought to himself as he turned tail, leaping to the side of the building and running up it as if gravity had no hold on him. I won't be able to use my summoning jutsu with her constant interference. Which means I have no choice... I'll have to reveal more paths.

A platform made of ice formed under Esdeath's boots, which quickly began to rise against the building's surface, tearing through pipes and anything else that was unlucky enough to be sticking out from the wall. "You can't run away, you know!" Esdeath taunted, firing off a pair of icy swords at the Shinobi, who spun to deflect them just before reaching the roof. He had to act quickly.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palms into the ground as the summoning circle formed. A second later, the general leaped up to meet him, Sword poised...

But in a puff of smoke and a rush of motion...

Two more shinobi appeared and stopped her with twin chakra rods.

Esdeath's eyes widened and she leapt back, landing at the edge of the roof as the figures landed beside pain. The first one was notably similar in appearance to him, albeit female, with long orange hair parted down the middle but bearing the same face piercing and purple-colored eyes. The second was a massive man, bald and with a thick neck, piercing in his skull as well as his face... but an identical pair of eyes towards the other two.

"So, that's your secret." Esdeath immediately picked up on what was going on. "The great Pain, leader of the Akatsuki... is more than one individual."

"Though my bodies are separate..." The tall, bald man began in a voice identical to the first body.

"...My will is as one," The woman spoke in turn, in a voice of her own.

"Now, General Esdeath..." A summoning circle appeared under the 'main' body. "How will you fare fighting a mere half of our number? Let's find out."

In a puff of smoke, a massive dog that towered over the four appeared, bearing the eyes of the Rinnegan and a massive black spike, like a horn, stuck through its jaw. At the same time, the massive bald man, the Asura Path, pointed his hand forward as it transformed into a steel cannon. On the other side, the long-haired woman, the Human Path, simply got into a fighting stance with open palms.

A tense moment passed... before they all moved at once.

The Asura Path fired a massive laser from his arm cannon that Esdeath jumped over. As she rose into the air, the Human Path leaped up to meet her, hand outstretched in an attempt to grab the General's face. With a graceful twist, she avoided the attack, leaving a slice on her midsection in the process. As Esdeath landed, the massive hound bore down on her, but with a wave of her hand, a fist made of ice sprung up from the ground, striking it and knocking it off of the building.

After the crab and lizard, it was obvious that a single ice attack wouldn't keep it down for long, but she had larger things to worry about than a simple danger beast. The human and animal path closed in on her, wielding bare fists and chakra rods alike. As they advanced, Esdeath summoned a ring of ice stakes, sending them out in all directions.

The three paths leaped over them, the Asura Path firing another beam from his cannon, but the general was far too fast for a simple attack like that to stop her. She quickly rolled to the side, under the human path in time to avoid her palm strike. Clearly, this one wanted to grab her... though she wasn't sure of its ability, it was something she should avoid until she knew exactly what she was up against.

Before either of the more melee-focused paths could attack her, she swung her rapier, a wall of ice forming between her and the paths. As the Human Path's fist and the Animal Path's black receiver struck it, they merely bounced off, barely chipping the wall.

The two backed off, allowing the Asura Path to take charge. He reached for one hand, actually pulling it off of his own wrist like a child ripping a piece off of their favorite toy. But rather than the hand simply popping off of the socket, it slid outward to reveal a metal wire connecting it to the arm... a wire that also happened to be covered with segmented missiles.

Esdeath's eyes widened as the Asura Path smirked, dozens of tiny missiles all popping off at the same time. They quickly righted themselves in midair, all pointed at the wall of ice with a very clear intention. Well, two can play at that game.

Esdeath rocketed upwards, supported by a massive ice pillar, and the heat-seeking missiles changed their trajectory to match. At the same time, she swung her rapier, a group of ice spikes forming around her.

"Weissschnabel."

Each of the spikes shot down with pinpoint accuracy, intercepting the missiles as they came. With every impact, a sizable explosion was formed that often knocked its fellow missiles out of their paths if it didn't trigger a chain reaction. Though the explosions destroyed the midsection of the pillar, she nonetheless neutralized every single one of them.

"She's a troublesome one..." Pain thought to himself as the three paths looked up at the General towering above them. "I suppose I'll have to use all of my bodies, then."

Esdeath hopped off of her pillar as it began to fall, reshaping the rapidly-descending ice chunks into a ramp that she could slide down. At the same time, her eyes flicked around to multiple things at once:

The rinnegan-eyed dog reaching the top of the building, now sporting a second head.

The Asura Path's fist beginning to glow orange.

The Animal Path preparing another summon.

and the Human Path running up the ice ramp.

An attack on four fronts... Good, she smirked. This ought to be fun.

She brandished her rapier as she slid down the ramp, the human path rapidly approaching. Once more, it reached out to grab onto her face, but in a blur of motion, she suddenly appeared behind it. An instant later, in a shower of blood, its hands were severed, flying off their arms. The path looked surprised, but as Esdeath spun once more to take her head off, it suddenly ducked. It wasn't any reflexive action either... it was as though Pain knew exactly where she was going to strike.

Esdeath swung again, and the handless path instead leapt over her rapier. "So you can see in all directions, can you?" Esdeath flexed her muscles, as a cage of ice formed around it in all directions. "I'll just have to attack from them, then."

In another shower of blood, dozens of ice spikes pierced the human path, leading to it coughing up blood and going limp, suspended in midair by the icy cage. Esdeath continued her assault as the Asura Path's fist once again flew off its hinges, this time attached to what seemed to be a large rocket. An ice wall quickly formed between Esdeath and the fist, but it smashed through with little issue. That wall, however, knocked it off its trajectory just enough for the general to dodge around it.

The Animal Path's dog let out a roar, barrelling towards her like a bullet train. With a smirk and a spike of ice, it was promptly impaled right through the left skull, leaving the right head to yip in pain. Rather than trying to break out, its body began to rapidly morph and twist, separating into no less than three distinct dogs, identical in appearance.

"So you can duplicate to avoid injury, can you? I'll just have to kill you all at once then!"

The three of them quickly surrounded her, all pouncing with her fangs bared. Rather than cower or perform any defensive actions, Esdeath simply snapped her fingers. In an instant, the three dogs were frozen solid in massive ice sculptures... and as she held her fist out and clenched it tightly, they shattered into dust, completely erasing them from sight as they were reduced to tiny bits in the air.

Before she could strike either of the two remaining paths, however, something hard and fast hit her from behind... The Asura Path's fist, as if controlled by magnetism, had come flying back to hit her and return to the arm of its wielder. Despite the impact, she didn't seem any worse for wear, and instead stood back up to her full height.

It was too late for her to stop the Animal Path, however, as three puffs of smoke rose obscured it from vision. This time, however, the general wasn't deterred; rather, she continued her lunge, aiming to stop the path in its tracks and cut off the source of the summons. She could still sense its killing intent, and she spun her blade...

But, to her surprise, she stopped mid-lunge, suspended in midair by an unknown force. As the smoke began to clear, she saw the silhouette of a fourth path standing before her... and with a flick of its wrist, she was sent flying through her own icy constructs, falling off the building's edge.

Esdeath righted herself in midair, alarm bells ringing in her head for the first time. Another one... and there were three puffs of smoke, which meant...

She was cut off from her thoughts as the Asura path leapt off the building after her, reaching to its own cloak and shedding it. What it revealed was a massive giant of a man, with no less than six arms on its body and three faces on its head. A large, wide "tail", like a sawblade, unfurled behind it as it hit the ground with a crater.

As the general rose to her feet once more, the Asura Path sprouted multiple weapons from its fists: Blades, cannons, and saws alike. It lunged, and Esdeath prepared herself for the attack, stamping the ground and sending a wave of ice out at the path. With a quick SHING, the shinobi tore through the ice, slicing it in two with a single blade, then quickly aimed and fired one of its cannons.

"Grauhorn!"

A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground, propelling Esdeath upwards to avoid the blast, and with another flex, a second pillar sprouted from the side of the first one. It slammed into the Asura Path, who quickly clambered over the side before it could be smashed into the wall, but before it could continue running towards her, ice crawled up around its legs, pinning it in place.

Esdeath hopped off the vertical pillar as it fell, clearly with the aim of crushing the asura path... but to her surprise, its skull actually popped open, revealing the hollow entrance to a cannon. A blue blast shot from it, pulverizing the ice into nothingness with a loud BANG.

The general landed several dozen meters away, then looked up as no less than five figures hopped down from the top of the building, joining the Asura Path. "General Esdeath," The one in front spoke, "Your skill is admirable... but you are only a human."

"And what does that make you, then?" Esdeath narrowed her eyes, looking up at the figures.

The Human path, hair flowing in the wind and injuries seemingly fully recovered from...

The Animal path, none the worse for wear and looking stern...

The Asura path, stepping over to join its brethren...

A stocky man with orange hair, slicked back and held there by his headband...

A taller man with a rough-looking face and three longer piercings that stuck up from his ears...

And in front of them all, a younger-looking man, with hair that stuck up like grass and an aura about him that clearly indicated him to be the leader of this group.

"Now you face the six paths of pain," the one in front, the speaker, looked down at her sternly. "We are the leader of the Akatsuki. Through the power of the nine tailed beasts, we will create peace in this world by force."

"It's a shame..." Esdeath readied herself. "My empire would have been aligned with you... But If I'm being perfectly honest, I much prefer it when my prey tries to fight back. I do love a good fight~"

"Then know this, Esdeath."

The six paths all got into fighting stances. "You stand before God, Esdeath. And by the end of this day..."

"You will know true pain."

To be continued...