This time, the two facing off were Orochimaru and Pain.
Neither of them backed down, locked in a fierce confrontation.
Pain possessed the Rinnegan, a legendary Sage Eye that gave him not only strength but also immense confidence.
Since Pain's death, he has taken on the mantle of Akatsuki, effortlessly defeating Hanzō, who was known as a demigod.
It rises to prominence like a protagonist with a lucky aura.
If Orochimaru hadn't interfered, his development would indeed have been that of a chosen one.
He gathered a group of powerful figures, and if he hadn't been labeled as a villain, he could have fought all the way to the finale.
As for being redeemed through Talk no Jutsu by the chosen one of the plane, that can only be described as a plot device killing off.
If villains are so fragile, then what's the point of being a villain?
Every time Naruto succeeds with his Talk no Jutsu, it's because he first defeats his opponent. A dying man's words are always kind.
Orochimaru's unwavering stance was naturally backed by solid foundations.
Although they hadn't traveled through time when they first met Pain and his companions, they still had an impression of the three little guys.
Now, after all these years, he has to bow down to this junior. He Kakuzu fought Kakuzu, let alone this Legendary Three Ninjas.
They invited him to join the organization in a friendly manner, but they also wanted to subdue him with strength like everyone else. Doesn't Orochimaru have any dignity?
After all this time in the underworld, he still can't earn any respect? Is Orochimaru really that much of a failure?
Moreover, he is indeed not afraid of Pain, but if he did that, the two sides would probably fall out completely.
Orochimaru's full strength would also be exposed. Orochimaru dared to do this mutually destructive scenario, but Pain might not.
He's gambling now, betting that the other side won't dare to break off relations and create such a formidable enemy for no reason!
Pain is arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone, while Orochimaru is a mad dog who bites anyone he encounters, regardless of whether they are the Child of Prophecy.
Orochimaru has never lacked this kind of ruthlessness. He's willing to risk everything to bring down the emperor. Anyway, you're a puppet and I'm just a clone, so who's afraid of who?
Between the main villain in the early stages and the main villain in the middle stages, who do you think should bow down?
Just as the two were on the verge of exchanging barbs, and it seemed like a clash of titans was about to unfold.
"Oh dear... why get so angry?"
The space around Pain suddenly distorted, and in the blink of an eye, a black-robed figure appeared out of thin air!
At the same time, a strangely shaped pitcher plant, resembling a human, sprouted from the ground on the other side of Pain.
The two uninvited guests who suddenly appeared were none other than Obito and Zetsu, the most deeply hidden bosses of the Akatsuki.
However, Obito was completely shrouded in a black robe at this moment, and even his one eye was not visible.
"Is this a plan to outnumber the enemy?"
Orochimaru observed the two men with great interest, seemingly oblivious to the current situation and completely unaware of being ganged up on.
If Obito and Zetsu join the fight, Orochimaru probably won't fare well. Pain alone is troublesome enough, let alone Obito, who is also skilled in Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Add to that his elusive and unpredictable nature, and this guy is even harder to kill than Orochimaru. The only way to kill him is to target his physical body, and even then, it's only by sealing him away.
"Orochimaru, we warmly welcome you to join us, but we must understand your intentions in joining the Akatsuki!"
He still spoke up. As the true mastermind behind Akatsuki, he didn't want a ticking time bomb to be constantly buried within the organization.
It would be fine for an ordinary person, but he knew a little about Orochimaru.
Judging from his performance just now, this guy's strength is enough to rival Pain, even if it's just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps he has some unknown trump card that he can use to fight him.
As for joining forces with Pain and Zetsu to kill Orochimaru, Obito carefully examined Orochimaru from beneath Obito black robes.
Sensing the fleeting killing intent emanating from Obito, Orochimaru instead crossed his arms and looked at him with an arrogant and defiant air, exuding the aura of a villain.
"I joined Akatsuki just to have a stable place to do research. As far as I know, the lives of people in the Amegakure seem to be worthless. I think they are good research material!"
Orochimaru then looked at Pain and continued:
"On the other hand, I need Akatsuki to help me deal with the assassinations coming from all sides. Akatsuki is probably a mercenary organization, right? Are you guys also interested in my head?"
These two reasons may not sound very compelling, but they are indeed problems he will face or will soon face.
Since Pain took control of the Amegakure, the population has gradually decreased, either due to internal strife or because the population was used by him for research and to create the Six Paths Puppet.
Since that's the case, why doesn't Orochimaru get involved? You guys don't even cherish your own people, why should I, an outsider, come here to be a saint?
The second reason is equally reasonable. If he knew in advance that he would be facing off against someone, he should either join them or fight them now, so that no one would bother him after he defected!
"I see! In this world, harmony is paramount. How about we leave this matter here?"
Obito suppressed his killing intent. He knew that Orochimaru was troublesome because not only was he a good fighter, but he also had countless ways to escape.
The proverb "If you try to kill a snake, you'll only get hurt in return" perfectly describes Orochimaru, a shameless snake.
Since his appearance, it's clear that Orochimaru is somewhat wary of him, but this is accompanied by madness.
Since there's still some apprehension, then it's not a complete mad dog, which leaves room for maneuver. He wouldn't mind playing peacemaker for now.
"The Akatsuki needs obedient people. I hope you can tone it down a bit!"
At this moment, Jue suddenly spoke up, but as soon as he finished speaking, an incredibly powerful force of gravity acted on him.
The next moment, the spot where he was standing collapsed and caved in, and his entire body was blasted into the ground.
"Um?"
The sudden turn of events once again made the atmosphere in the room tense and tense.
Pain and Obito both raised their eyebrows slightly, looking at Orochimaru's slowly descending fingers with some surprise in their eyes.
Orochimaru dared to attack them in front of the two of them; he's a lawless madman.
"I will naturally do my best to fulfill the tasks assigned by the organization, but I also hope that the organization can meet my research needs."
Orochimaru once again revealed his signature villainous smile. Among the three major villains in the early, middle, and late stages of the story, Orochimaru was undoubtedly the most imposing.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Obito turned to look at Pain, whose expression was blank.
He is still the official leader of the Akatsuki. He only needs to grasp the general direction. For now, he still needs to respect Pain's opinion.
He himself would be happy to see Orochimaru join the organization, but judging from the current situation, Orochimaru and Pain don't seem to get along very well.
In that case, he could try to win over Orochimaru. While Orochimaru and Pain appeared to be of one mind, Orochimaru was merely a pawn in Pain's game.
"I hope it's as you say, otherwise... hmph!"
After remaining silent for a long time, Pain finally spoke, delivering the final blow!
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was very unhappy at this moment, but since Obito, he didn't mind giving him face.
Moreover, Orochimaru has also made a move against Zetsu, so neither side is in a good position, and it won't be so easy to win over Orochimaru.
"The Akatsuki has always respected the strong, and we welcome you to join us!"
Before he could finish speaking, Obito's body twisted and disappeared in the blink of an eye, managing to put on a show in front of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, who resurfaced, showed no signs of injury. He glanced at Pain, before disappearing back into the ground.
"I offended the big boss as soon as I joined the company, I have such a bad temper!"
Orochimaru chuckled and shook his head, slowly following Pain's footsteps.
You can make things difficult for me, but that doesn't stop me from flipping the table.
Orochimaru is never a coward, and besides, his joining Akatsuki is only temporary, so there's no need for him to be subservient and obsequious!