"From now on, let the world feel pain!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
The orange-haired man hovering in midair gave a low shout. A dazzling light flashed at the center of Konoha, and like a massive object plunging into a still lake, it flattened the village's buildings at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In less than half a minute, the vast village of Konoha had been reduced to broken walls and ruins.
"What... happened...?"
"That's impossible. How could anyone do something like this?"
"That power is way too great!"
"A god! That's a god!"
The villagers of Konoha who had survived by sheer luck pushed aside the stones and debris covering them. The moment they stood up, they were dumbstruck.
The village they had lived in for so many years had been razed to the ground. For many of them, it was the first time in their lives that they had seen Ninjutsu of such power!
Those who crawled out of the ruins saw the scene and collapsed back onto the ground just as they stood, their pupils gradually losing focus.
An attack of such power was beyond an ordinary person. Pain had destroyed not only a village, but also most people's confidence in winning this battle.
Deva Path Pain floated in midair, looking at Konoha, which he had flattened in an instant. There was not a flicker of emotion on his rigid face. He lowered his head and scanned the land, then his gaze suddenly sharpened.
Across the exposed expanse of Konoha, one small building stood out in particular, for every other building had been reduced to dust by his Shinra Tensei just now.
Only this small building still stood amid the ruins, completely unharmed!
Four large characters were written on the curtain over the entrance: Ichiraku Ramen!
"Can't even eat a bowl of ramen in peace. How annoying!"
The voice, tinged with anger, came from the Ichiraku Ramen stand. It did not sound loud, yet it strangely rang throughout Konoha.
In front of him, Teuchi, the ramen shop's owner, had been forced to hide behind the counter by the shockwave. Only upon hearing the slightly angry voice did he slowly poke his head out.
Surprise appeared on Teuchi's face as he looked at the young man sitting upright before him. When the shockwave hit, he had not felt the slightest impact, but the deafening noise in his ears had indeed proved that it had happened.
Teuchi was just an ordinary person, not even a ninja. Naturally, he could not possibly have withstood an impact of that magnitude. There was only one possibility: the young man in front of him had blocked the shockwave!
"Sir, are you... all right?"
Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, asked the young man.
Han Yu looked at the ramen before him, now covered in dust, and sighed softly. He took a few coins from his pocket and laid them out on the counter, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face.
"Sorry for the trouble, but please make me another bowl of ramen. I'll be right back."
Without waiting for Teuchi or Ayame to reply, Han Yu stood up and walked outside.
"This damned system, couldn't it have sent me here a little earlier? All I wanted was a bowl of ramen. Was that too much to ask? Did someone have to interrupt even that?"
Han Yu muttered to himself. This time, he had come to the world of Naruto on a mission, but the first thing he did was not think about how to complete it. Instead, he found a ramen shop.
Naruto Uzumaki had eaten this ramen for most of his life, and Han Yu was very curious about its taste, so he had immediately sought out the shop.
And now look what had happened. He had only just arrived in the world of Naruto, and he had already run into one of Konoha's major events: the Six Paths of Pain invading Konoha.
The noodles were still hot, but he had not even gotten a bite. He had only just smelled them before they were covered in dust. How could he not be angry?
His appearance attracted the attention of many people.
Han Yu paid no heed to their gazes. He looked up at Deva Path Pain, who faced the sun like a god, and a trace of displeasure appeared on his handsome face.
In his previous life, Han Yu had been a superfan of movies, comics, and anime, and he had loved Naruto a great deal.
The Six Paths of Pain had not only killed one of his favorite characters, Jiraiya, but had also destroyed all of Konoha single-handedly.
That was my youth! How could you just destroy it as you pleased?!
He turned and looked around. That familiar blond spiky head had not returned, and of the people present, only Han Yu himself could stop Pain now.
"Hmph, you dared interrupt my noodles. Die!"
Han Yu, who had been standing on the ground, suddenly vanished from where he stood.
"What incredible speed! I'm afraid it's no slower than Minato's or that old fellow the Fourth Raikage's!"
Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, could not help crying out when she saw this.
The "Minato" and "Fourth Raikage" she spoke of were the ninja with the most outstanding movement speeds in the Shinobi World: Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage A.
Pain, in the sky, also noticed Han Yu's disappearance and turned his head, searching the ground for him. Just then, a teasing voice sounded behind him.
"How many floors do I have to carry a bag of rice?"
Pain had barely managed to turn his head a fraction when he felt a tremendous impact strike his back.
In the sky, Pain became a "shooting star," plummeting from above and slamming into the ground, delivering a second blow to the already devastated Konoha.
Han Yu scratched his head awkwardly. He had not expected that. Fortunately, the damage covered only a small area; Pain had merely sunk some distance into the ground.
With his hands in his pockets, Han Yu landed lightly on the ground under the horrified gazes of the crowd. He brushed some dust off himself and looked toward the deep crater nearby. Pain lay inside it, unable even to stand for the moment.
The dense cracks spreading around him like a spiderweb showed just how terrifyingly powerful Han Yu's punch had been.
"Hey, Fifth Hokage, how about we make a deal? I'll take care of this guy for you, and you give me a few things."
Instead of continuing his attack, Han Yu turned his head and called out in a certain direction.
Hearing him call to her, Fifth Hokage Tsunade emerged from the rubble. After keeping a safe distance from Han Yu, she sized him up.
There was nothing remarkable about Han Yu, nor did he give off any awe-inspiring impression. Looking at the smile on his face gave one a light, breezy feeling, like being bathed in a spring breeze.
Seeing such a person standing there, no one could have imagined that he was the one who had casually sent Pain flying just after Pain destroyed Konoha.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Tsunade did not let down her guard. She gathered the little chakra she had left in her hands and feet, ready to attack or retreat at any moment.
The young man before her had truly bizarre methods.
He was outrageously powerful!
"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that I want your..."
"Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Technique!"
Hiss!
Everyone present sucked in a sharp breath. Couldn't he stop pausing like that when he spoke?!
That pause had changed the meaning entirely! Without the second half, they really would have thought Han Yu had some strange idea in mind, though they had that same idea too...
What should I do? Should I agree to his terms?
Tsunade frowned deeply in thought. The current situation left her with very few choices.
We obviously can't handle this Pain, yet this man can suppress him. He really does seem to be our best option right now. There's no telling when Naruto will return, either. But he actually wants my Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Technique. Those aren't things I can just give away.
Tsunade wanted to gather chakra and prepare to fight at any moment, but she had already shared her chakra with her summoned creature Katsuyu to protect Konoha's villagers. The chakra left in her body could bring her up to the level of an ordinary Jonin at most.
If she wanted to fight Han Yu, then at least with her current strength, she was nowhere near strong enough.
Watching Tsunade's expression change again and again, Han Yu was in no hurry for an answer. Instead, he hummed an unfamiliar tune and waited comfortably for her reply.
Suddenly, Han Yu's leisurely gaze turned sharp. Under Tsunade's somewhat puzzled stare, he spoke in a cold shout.
"I don't believe I said you could move!"
He gave a cold snort. Deva Path Pain, who had been about to get up and give Han Yu a knock on the head, felt as though an invisible hill were pressing down on him.
The ground around him suddenly burst apart. Pain's body sank much farther into the earth, unable to move.
Tsunade's lips parted slightly, but there was no longer any trace of shock on her face. She was beyond mere astonishment.
"With just a few words, he made Pain unable to move. Who on earth is this man?!"