If they could have captured her from the beginning, they would have. But they hadn't dared.
The Ten-Tails' chakra was too valuable—too volatile. If they damaged it or caused it to dissipate, there would be no way to replenish it. That was the only reason Nagato and Obito had chosen to subdue rather than destroy.
Now, watching Hinata resist the combined might of Akatsuki with sheer will and skill, Nagato realized they could wait no longer.
This was Amegakure—and large-scale destruction was forbidden. Even so, they would have to act.
"Shinra Tensei won't suffice... very well. Heavenly Attraction!"
The Deva Path raised its hand.
At that moment, Hinata had just sent Hidan flying, dodged a sweeping kick from Kisame, and was about to counterattack Konan when the gravitational force suddenly shifted.
Her body lurched violently forward.
"What—?" Hinata's eyes widened as her feet slid across the wet ground. The pull was overwhelming—dragging her directly toward Tendo Pain.
She quickly reacted, forcing her chakra into her hair. Her long locks grew wildly, anchoring themselves into the ground like living roots, trying to resist the pull.
The Asura Path and Human Path lunged forward. Their enormous summoned beasts roared as they emerged from the mist, surrounding her on both sides.
The Asura Path transformed—its body splitting into a three-headed, six-armed form, each arm wielding a different weapon. It struck first.
Hinata countered, her hands and chakra-infused hair moving as one. Sparks flew where chakra met steel. Without her Ten-Tails Chakra Mode, she would've been torn apart instantly.
The Human Path darted in from the left, while the Animal Path's summons lunged from the right. The Deva Path's gravitational field pressed harder, constraining her movement.
The Human Path's hand clamped onto Hinata's shoulder. She froze—the sensation was chilling, as though something deep within her was being torn away.
Her body trembled violently.
"Not good!"
Gathering what little strength she could, Hinata spun—chakra flaring outward.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven—"
But this time, she added something new—one of her newly awakened Tenseigan abilities.
"Repulsion!"
The explosion was deafening.
A blinding wave of energy radiated outward from Hinata's body. The Human Path, Asura Path, and the summoned beasts were all thrown back, ripped apart by the massive repulsive force.
The Human Path smashed into an iron pillar, bones cracking audibly before collapsing, motionless.
The Asura Path slammed into a building wall, half its limbs shattered beyond repair.
The summoned creature howled before dissolving completely into smoke.
The modified Rotation—amplified by Repulsion—had become a devastating new form of Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, both destructive and absolute.
…
Hinata exhaled heavily, her chest heaving. "What… was that?" she murmured, still in disbelief. Her Byakugan focused on the fallen Human Path, who was no longer moving.
Across the battlefield, Nagato narrowed his eyes.
"As I thought," he muttered under his breath. "Attraction and repulsion… she's gained abilities close to the Rinnegan."
He pressed his hands together, pouring out a vast amount of chakra.
"Universal Pull!"
Hinata's anchoring hair ripped free from the earth as she was dragged forward again—faster, stronger this time. The distance between her and the Deva Path closed to five meters in a blink.
Hinata's body tensed. She drew in a deep breath.
"Ten Divine Void Strikes!"
The air vibrated with the release of power. The Ten Gods Vacuum Strike wasn't just an offensive technique—it was a perfect balance of offense and defense. At this range, Hinata was certain she could inflict serious damage.
But before her attack connected, the Preta Path stepped in front of Deva, arms wide.
The chakra fists crashed into an invisible field and were absorbed completely.
Hinata's eyes widened in shock.
"Chakra absorption…!"
Her reaction was instantaneous. She flipped backward midair, stepped off the Preta Path's face, and vaulted over him.
In one fluid motion, she spun upside down—head facing the ground, feet to the sky—and unleashed a double Twin Lion Fist, aiming for the back of his head.
The Preta Path tilted, narrowly dodging. Hinata landed lightly, rolled to the side, and evaded a chakra rod that pierced the ground where she'd stood.
She glanced up sharply at the Deva Path. "How…? He dodged the blind spot?"
Her Byakugan flickered—something was wrong. The Hell Path had moved, dragging the Human and Asura Paths closer. She couldn't see what it was doing, but her instincts screamed danger.
"Give up," Nagato's voice echoed coldly through the rain. "You can't escape. Don't waste any more chakra."
Hinata's answer was firm and unwavering. "I have a family—a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, and my entire clan. I will not die here!"
Her voice, soft but resolute, cut through the storm.
…
Under ordinary circumstances, Hinata's combat ranking would place her between Chūnin and Special Jōnin. Against opponents like the Akatsuki, that level of strength would mean instant death.
But Hinata was no ordinary ninja.
Her past life as an assassin had forged her through countless battles of life and death. She'd learned to read movements, manipulate rhythm, and exploit every opening. That experience, combined with the Ten-Tails' chakra, gave her the power to stand toe-to-toe with the world's most dangerous shinobi.
…
In Ten-Tails Chakra Mode, Hinata's strength had risen to an entirely new level. Her speed, reflexes, and power all surged dramatically, allowing her to face multiple Akatsuki members head-on.
Yet, even with that immense power coursing through her, Hinata never forgot one thing—their trump card.
She knew her limits.
Itachi Uchiha could defeat a shinobi as skilled as Kakashi with a single glance. A man like Kisame, partnered with someone of Itachi's caliber, was certainly no less dangerous.
Every one of these opponents had their own forbidden techniques—devastating, unpredictable, and often self-destructive. Whether they burned their users or their surroundings, one fact remained: forbidden jutsu were unknown, and the unknown was the most terrifying weapon in battle.
Hinata believed she could hold her own through sheer skill and mastery of taijutsu. But if one of those forbidden techniques entered the equation, she knew the outcome.
She would die.
That was why Nagato and Obito couldn't comprehend her next move. Why was she still fighting instead of retreating? Why risk everything now?
They didn't know about her newest weapon—
Yomotsu Hirasaka, the space-time ninjutsu she had just mastered.
…
The battle dragged on for several long minutes. Hinata was surrounded—Deva Path, Preta Path, Kisame, Konan, and Deidara closed in from all sides. Her Ten-Tails Chakra Cloak shimmered under the rain, deflecting countless attacks.
That faint, translucent layer of chakra was astonishingly durable—it absorbed explosions, blades, and elemental strikes like armor forged from divinity itself.
Hinata sensed her chakra output fluctuating. She exhaled softly. It's time to leave.
But just as she prepared to act, Obito stepped in.
Her Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist passed through his head harmlessly. His body rippled like smoke as he countered—stretching out his hand, from which a tree of black thorns erupted.
At the same moment, Deva Path used Universal Pull, yanking Hinata's movements off balance.
The Preta Path seized the opportunity, grabbing Hinata's long hair and absorbing a surge of her chakra. For a brief instant, the Ten-Tails' chakra cloak flickered—and that single flicker exposed a small, vulnerable spot: the tip of her nose.
Shhkk!
The thorns pierced her skin, drawing blood.
A shallow wound—nothing serious. It would heal instantly under the Ten-Tails' regeneration. Hinata ignored the sting, slammed her elbow backward, and struck the Preta Path in the face, sending him sprawling.
But Obito's intent had already been achieved.
The single drop of blood had fallen—right into Hidan's waiting hands.
"Kakaka… finally!"
Hidan's eyes glowed with manic delight as he dipped his finger into Hinata's blood. He crouched down, drawing a ritual circle on the wet ground, muttering his forbidden prayer.
"Jashin-sama, bear witness… DEATH POSSESSION BLOOD!"
He plunged a spear into his thigh.
Hinata's scream tore through the storm as blood erupted from her right leg.
Hidan laughed, twisting the spear. "This pain—how does it feel, Byakugan Princess!?"
He stabbed again. Each strike he inflicted upon himself mirrored onto Hinata—every cut, every tear, every drop of blood.
Her chakra cloak flickered violently. She staggered, falling to her knees as agony tore through her limbs.
In an instant, the tide had turned.
A single drop of blood had sealed her fate.