Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 47: Know Pain: Part One

All Namiko could see was destruction.

This was worse than when Orochimaru attacked during the Chuunin Exams. Houses and businesses all around were destroyed, and rubble was everywhere. Civilians and even shinobi were trying to escape the blasts in the onslaught, but some weren't so lucky causing her to cringe as she felt another chakra stagnate, signaling a life that had been ended too soon.

Another missile-like impact struck a nearby building, raining debris around them. Sasuke had his Sharingan actively scanning for another glimpse of the familiar Akatsuki robes. "Do you sense Pain near us?"

"The closest one of the six chakras to the right, then about one hundred meters ahead," Namiko shouted as they turned down an alley.

Just as they turned, Sasuke grabbed her arm, yanking her back behind him as a giant centipede emerged between buildings, heading straight for them. "Stay put," he commanded as he charged up Chidori in his hand. The screech of his jutsu rang out as Sasuke easily struck down the hideous creature.

Namiko stood still for a moment, staring at the body of the beast. 'How did I not sense that?!'

They continued toward the chakra signature. Sasuke led Namiko, pressing her lightly against a nearby building as they approached, dropping his voice to a whisper, "You need to stay here and out of sight."

She opened her mouth to argue but he cut off anything she was about to say, "Right now, you and the twins are the most important thing here, not to mention Pain is actively hunting you and Naruto. Use your Sealing Chains if you need to."

"Just promise me you'll stay safe," she said as he quickly kissed her forehead.

He gave her a cocky smirk. "This gives me an excuse to go all-out with my Mangekyo Sharingan."

Sasuke stood amidst the ruins of the once bustling village square, his Sharingan blazing as he faced down the Animal Path. Its cold, emotionless eyes bore into him, and the massive creature it had just summoned—a giant, multi-headed dog—growled menacingly at the Uchiha.

Namiko, hidden behind the crumbling remnants of a stone wall, watched with bated breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of fear and awe at the power emanating from Sasuke. She wanted to fight alongside him, but she knew she had to stay back. Her chakra control was a mess and they couldn't afford to risk her getting injured—not with the twins growing inside her. Besides, Sasuke had made it clear that he wanted to handle this fight alone.

"Sasuke..." she whispered, her voice trembling with concern as she unconsciously laid her hand over her stomach.

The Animal Path raised its hand again before slamming it into the ground, and with a sudden burst of chakra, another creature appeared—a massive bird, its wings flaring wide as it launched itself into the sky. The beast shrieked as it circled above, staying well out of reach of his attacks.

Sasuke's gaze flickered briefly toward the direction where Namiko was hiding to make sure she hadn't moved from her spot. He then returned his full attention to the dog summon. The Sharingan in his eyes morphed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, the unique pattern spinning as he prepared to unleash one of his most powerful techniques. "I'm going to enjoy taking you down."

The ground shook as the multi-headed dog charged at Sasuke, its many heads snapping and snarling. In a blur of movement, Sasuke dodged, reappearing several feet away in a crouched position. The dog crashed into the ground where he had been standing, its heads turning to track him.

The air around Sasuke grew heavy as he activated the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. "Amaterasu!" he called out, his voice cold and determined.

Black flames burst from his eye and engulfed the dog in an instant. The creature howled in agony, its heads writhing and thrashing as the inextinguishable flames consumed it. Sasuke didn't so much as blink as the beast disintegrated into ashes before him.

The Animal Path watched, expressionless, as its summon was obliterated. But before it could react further, Sasuke's gaze snapped toward it. Another burst of Amaterasu flames erupted, this time targeting the Path itself. The black flames licked at the figure's cloak, burning through it effortlessly.

Pain's puppet tried to evade, but it was too late. The Amaterasu spread rapidly, searing through the Path's defenses. The Animal Path staggered, its body burning until nothing remained.

Namiko exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Sasuke stood amidst the destruction, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. The intensity in his eyes slowly faded as the Mangekyo Sharingan reverted to its normal three-tomoe state.

She stepped out from behind the wall, her legs a little shaky as she approached him. "Sasuke..." Her voice was soft, filled with both relief and concern.

He turned to her, his expression softening as she came closer. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she touched his face. "Your eye…you're bleeding…"

"I'm fine. It's just part of the Mangekyo," Sasuke murmured, his voice a low whisper. "But we need to stay alert. There could be more of them close by."

Namiko nodded as she refocused on her chakra sensing. "Naruto seems to have shifted into using senjutsu and heading toward Kakashi-sensei. I think sensei must have overused his Sharingan because he's pretty low on chakra."

"They'll be fine. Where's the next closest Pain?"

"Not far from here." She closed her eyes, trying to shut out all the distractions around her. "Ebisu-sensei and Konohamaru are fighting one of the Pains and…" Her eyes opened wide in panic. "Ebisu is injured and Konohamaru is using a shadow clone to try and fight Pain. Follow me!" She took off without warning down a row of buildings, Sasuke close on her heels.

Kakashi was cornered, his chakra reserves dwindling as he tried to fend off both the Asura Path, with its cyborg-like body, and the Deva Path's overwhelming gravitational abilities.

The Asura Path charged, its mechanical arms extending in a flurry of strikes. Kakashi's Sharingan tracked each movement, but exhaustion slowed him. He barely deflected the attack with a kunai, staggering back as the Deva Path raised its hand to unleash another Almighty Push that would obliterate the buildings left around them.

Just before the attack landed, a familiar voice rang out from above. "Kakashi-sensei, I'm here!"

In an instant, Naruto, in full Sage Mode, descended from above, slamming into the Asura Path with a force that caused its arm to shatter into pieces. His vibrant red cloak billowed in the wind, his eyes sharp with the power of the toads.

Naruto's entrance caught the Deva Path off guard, momentarily halting his attack. Kakashi, panting, looked up in surprise, relieved but concerned. "Naruto...you shouldn't be here," Kakashi said, his voice strained.

Naruto's gaze didn't leave Pain. His eyes burned with determination as he clenched his fists. "Yeah, well, I'm not letting this village fall!" Naruto replied, his voice steady. "Time to see if this training was all worth it."

Without wasting a second, Naruto charged toward the Deva Path. In Sage Mode, he was faster, stronger, and more precise. The Asura Path attempted to fire a missile, but Naruto dodged effortlessly, leaping into the air and delivering a devastating punch that shattered the rest of the Asura Path's mechanical body.

"So, you've decided to show yourself," the Deva Path said, his voice cold and emotionless. "But you will learn that resistance is futile."

Naruto landed and glared at the Deva Path, his anger simmering. Memories of Jiraiya's death flooded his mind, and he could feel Kurama's chakra stirring within him, but he kept his emotions in check. Sage Mode heightened his senses, allowing him to remain calm and focused.

"You're not going to get away with this. I'll protect everyone!" Naruto declared, his fists tightening.

The Deva Path raised its hand once again, preparing for another Almighty Push, but this time, Naruto was ready. Before the Deva Path could unleash its power, Naruto formed a Rasengan in each hand, channeling Sage chakra into them.

"Take this! Twin Rasengan!"

Naruto blitzed forward, moving so fast that the Deva Path struggled to react. With one Rasengan, he slammed into the Deva Path's outstretched arm, disrupting its ability to control gravity momentarily. The second Rasengan followed up, smashing into its chest and sending it flying into the ruins of a nearby building.

Kakashi, watching in awe, took the opportunity to recover and stood beside Naruto, eyes fixed on the rubble.

"Impressive as always, Naruto. But don't let your guard down," Kakashi warned.

Before they could relax, the rubble shifted, and the Deva Path emerged, though damaged. Naruto clenched his fists, ready to charge again. "Kakashi-sensei, you need to get out of here and leave this to me."

"Excuse me," piped up the small, polite voice of Katsuyu, "Tsunade-sama has requested you take me. I have intel and can help with healing."

"She's right. You can use her to communicate with us if you need help." Kakashi eyed his student.

Naruto grinned over his shoulder as he tucked Katsuyu's smallest form under his collar. "I'll be fine, sensei. Just go help with the evacuation."

Kakashi nodded and leaped away. 'Naruto, you really have grown. And right now, you're the only one who has a chance against Pain. You're Konoha's only hope. Jiraiya would be proud…'

While Kakashi and Naruto had been facing off against the Asura and Deva Paths, another teacher and student faced off against a different Path. Ebisu had tried to draw the attention away from his student, but Konohamaru bravely stood firm against the Naraka Path to save his teacher when Ebisu was knocked unconscious.

Konohamaru was held by the neck against the wall of a crumbling building. Behind the Naraka Path, a monstrous face with a mouth large enough to swallow several people appeared. 'Naruto-nii, I hope I can make you proud.'

Konohamaru disappeared in a puff of smoke as two more came from behind the Naraka Path, yelling, "Rasengan!" They slammed the Naraka Path into the wall, raining dust and debris all over the area.

"I'm a genin honored with the name of this village. My surname is Sarutobi, given name Konohamaru! You will remember me!" he shouted as he stared at Pain.

The Naraka Path raised an arm to call forth the King of Hell again when his arm burst into black flame. "Amaterasu!" shouted Sasuke, who stood atop a nearby rooftop, his Sharingan spinning into the eternal Mangekyo. His eyes locked onto the Naraka Path; his expression was unreadable but filled with determination. The Naraka Path tried to extinguish the black flames, but it was futile. Sasuke manipulated Amaterasu into consuming the entity in an instant.

"Sasuke!" Konohamaru gasped in relief, his eyes wide with awe.

Sasuke jumped down, landing gracefully beside him. "It's over, you can take a break," he said, his tone calm but serious as the Naraka Path disintegrated into nothingness, leaving no trace behind.

Before Konohamaru could fully comprehend what had just happened, Namiko appeared beside him, her presence instantly calming. "Konohamaru, are you okay?" she asked as she checked him over.

Konohamaru nodded quickly, the fear in his heart easing as he looked up at her. "I'm fine, Namiko-nee! But Ebisu-sensei..."

Namiko placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He's going to be okay. We'll get him to Sakura. But let me seal up any active bleeding first." She offered a reassuring smile at the boy, her chakra flaring subtly as she checked Ebisu's injuries. With a quick application of medical ninjutsu, she stabilized him, making sure he was out of immediate danger.

Sasuke's gaze softened as he watched Namiko tend to Konohamaru and Ebisu. He could sense her chakra, steady and comforting, something he found grounding amidst the chaos. Namiko glanced up at Sasuke, their eyes meeting briefly as she smiled at him.

Sasuke turned to Konohamaru, his voice more gentle than usual. "We need to get you both to safety."

Konohamaru's eyes sparkled with determination. "I want to help too! I'm not a kid anymore!"

Namiko smiled warmly at him, her hand ruffling his hair. "And you've done a great job, Konohamaru. But right now, we need to evacuate and get everyone to safety."

Konohamaru looked at her, then at Sasuke, and nodded reluctantly. "Okay… but next time, I'll be the one to take him down."

"Next time." Sasuke's lips quirked into a small smile. "Namiko, is there anyone else in the area?"

She shook her head. "Not in the immediate area. Most people seem to be evacuating to the tunnels or being transported to the hospital, which is of course where we need to go."

With that, Sasuke and Konohamaru braced Ebisu between them, and they began to move toward the safe zone, while Namiko continued to scan and ensure there were no other threats in the area.

As they walked, Namiko kept a watchful eye on Konohamaru, her thoughts briefly drifting to the twins she was carrying. She couldn't help but feel a pull of protectiveness for the boy beside her. Konohamaru reminded her so much of Naruto when they were younger—brave, headstrong, and full of potential.

"Don't worry, Konohamaru," she said softly. "You're an amazing shinobi and one day, you'll make a good Hokage, after Naruto of course," she added with a wink.

"Really?!" Konohamaru's face lit up with pride at her words, and he walked a little taller beside her, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. "Do ya think Naruto-nii would be proud of my Rasengan?"

Namiko's eyes crinkled as she laughed. "He most definitely will be! You'll have to tell him all about it once this is over."

Sasuke walked silently beside Namiko, on high alert for any enemies. 'Only she could be positive during a time like this. She eased Konohamaru's fears without a problem, even though I can tell she's just as nervous as he was. She'll be an excellent mother.' His eyes flicked to her stomach briefly, his expression unreadable, but as she met his eyes, she could sense the silent promise he made to her—to protect their future and the future of the village, no matter what.

"I'm going to end this with my new jutsu!" Naruto stared, narrowing his eyes at the Deva Path as two more joined his side.

"Thank you for sparing me the trouble of hunting you down. I see you've become a Sage by acquiring the same jutsu as Jiraiya-sensei."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. "Jiraiya-sensei?"

"I too learned from Jiraiya. He was also once my teacher," explained the Deva Path, "We are sibling disciples, you and I…students of the same master. We ought to be able to understand each other. Our master desired peace."

"Just shut the hell up already!" shouted Naruto as he brought his hand over his head holding Rasenshuriken. "Everything you've done here, all this destruction? What part of all this is peaceful?"

"You cannot see the forest through the trees. You're not able to comprehend the true meaning of peace or what I'm trying to accomplish." The Deva Path's cold, emotionless eyes gazed back. "Just let yourself be captured. Surrender, and your death will lead to peace. If you don't want to surrender, I could always go after the other jinchuriki…I only need one of you."

"I already told you," said Naruto, pulling back his arm and launching the Rasenshuriken, "shut the hell up!"

The chakra hurtled toward the Paths of Pain at high speed, but the Human Path stepped in front of the other two, taking the full force of Naruto's attack and ripping it into pieces.

"Hey," whispered Naruto to Katsuyu who was tucked under his collar, "can you pass a message to my sister?"

They had just set down Ebisu in the hospital to be seen by Sakura when the Katsuyu closest to Namiko spoke up, "Namiko, Naruto asks that you stay hidden and, if need be, use your Sealing Chains as a shield."

Namiko's brow furrowed as she focused her chakra sensing. Her breathing sped up as panic started to set in. "Is he facing against Pain by himself? Is he crazy?! I've got to go help—"

"Namiko," said Sakura and Sasuke in unison before trading looks.

"You can't and you know it. You need to stay here where it's safe." Sasuke placed his hand on Namiko's upper arm, rubbing it gently. The distressed look on her face nearly broke his heart and he sighed in defeat. "I'll go help him."

Katsuyu spoke up again, "No, Naruto asks that no one get involved and that everyone else remains at a safe distance from the fight, including you, Sasuke."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell not?"

Katsuyu paused as she relayed the message to Naruto before stating the response, "He says you promised him you would protect his sister. No matter what."

"It seems you're starting to slow down. All that Sage Jutsu is dwindling after that last move of yours."

'He knows my timer is almost out; I can only keep Sage Jutsu going for so long and I didn't have time to make my clones at Mount Myoboku this morning like I had planned.' Naruto paused to think, but the Preta Path grabbed him, locking his arms behind his back, sucking the rest of his Sage Jutsu from his body. His eyes lost the markings of a Toad Sage, but they only strengthened the determination within. "Why do all of this? Haven't you already got your revenge?"

The Deva Path stayed nearby, but still out of reach for Naruto. "This is but a drop in the bucket. This is for peace. A peace that can only obtained through pain."

"This is not peace! This is terror!" Naruto shouted, his anger rising as the Preta Path drained his chakra. "I won't let you get away with this."

"Oh, but I already have," declared the Deva Path as he began to rise into the air, far out of reach.

'Whatever he's about to do, is going to be bad. There's no way to stop whatever is coming.' Naruto stilled to gather nature chakra and he could feel the Preta Path behind him turning to stone. "Katsuyu, tell everyone to brace. This is about to get ugly."

"Almighty Push."

A/N: I know, I'm evil to leave the chapter there, but if I kept going, this would end up being a massive chapter.
Thank you all for being so supportive and encouraging. I appreciate it more than you know. My Multiple Sclerosis has flared up and so I've been struggling more than normal to have the energy and brain power to write. Hopefully, this passes soon and I'm back to normal.
Anyway, I'll see you all next week as we find out just how this will end!
Love, Eriisu

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