Pain vs. Kakashi

Kakashi's opening Lightning Cutter fails when Pain's Rinnegan breaks his concentration, and a Shinra Tensei hurls him into the rubble. He counters with a lightning beast, only for the Asura Path to intercept, then Bansho Ten'in drags him onto its blade. The impaled figure proves to be a lightning clone as the true Kakashi rejoins the fight with reinforcements: Choji, Choza and Shito of the Akimichi line, plus three other Leaf shinobi. Their combined size techniques press both Paths, but the Deva Path repels and kills the trio of newcomers.

Realising the Deva Path needs roughly five seconds to recover between blasts, Kakashi times his strikes to that window, yet the still-mobile Asura Path keeps shielding its ally. He binds Pain with a hidden chain so the Akimichi can crush him, though Choza saves Choji with his own body when the repulsion strikes again.

Sensing Kakashi is no clone this time, the Deva Path fires a nail into his head and departs, unaware Choji survives. Mourning his fallen father, Choji is told by a barely living Kakashi to grieve later and rush the Deva Path's abilities to Tsunade, who is healing the wounded through Katsuyu. As Choji flees, the Asura Path launches a missile at him, and Kakashi burns the last of his chakra to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan and warp the projectile away with Kamui, the same trick he had used on the earlier nail. He then dies of his injuries, hoping to meet Obito, Rin and Minato, but instead greets his own father Sakumo, who asks to hear his story.

Katsuyu informs Tsunade of Kakashi's death, and she halts her healing to vent her grief. After Choji hands over the profile of the Deva Path, Tsunade tells him Choza still lives and must be taken to the hospital, then walks off without answering his question about Kakashi.

Episode 159 of Naruto: Shippuden is part of the Pain's Assault arc and adapts chapters 420 through 425 along with 427. It debuted in Japan on 6 May 2010 and in English on 8 January 2013. A trivia note points out that Ino is drawn without her elbow warmers in one shot. The opening theme is A World That Was Transparent and the ending theme is Bicycle.