"Konoha has such an outstanding young ninja... What a pity that he died at such a young age."
The First Hokage's gaze swept around before actually settling on Yuhara's (corpse). Of course, he didn't know Yuhara, so was this some inexplicable instinct? Or simply keen observation?
At first, the situation had been seven against one, but suddenly it had become three against seven. Konan's brows furrowed tightly. Normally, before the Rinnegan, there was no difference between seven enemies and one. Yet at this moment, Konan felt an enormous threat from the enemy... Someone as utterly despairing as her had originally been like a stubborn stone drifting aimlessly through a cold, dead universe. In a daze, she had somehow plunged straight toward a blazing sun.
When the scorching flames of light enveloped her, when her life was truly threatened, even someone who genuinely longed for death could rediscover their desire to live at such a moment.
"Pain, those two are..." Konan asked the Deva Path.
Since their identities had already been exposed, there was no need for her to keep pretending.
"They should be the long-dead First Hokage of Konoha, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It should be Orochimaru's doing... If I remember correctly, Konoha has a Forbidden Technique called Impure World Reincarnation. It brings the dead back to the living world to fight."
Nagato, hidden behind the others, couldn't help frowning. To be honest, he hadn't anticipated this variable. Orochimaru's judgment had certainly made rebellion a foreseeable possibility, but in his estimation, what consequences could Orochimaru's betrayal possibly cause? By now, Orochimaru's strength was insignificant to him.
Yet he had still underestimated Orochimaru. Even if Orochimaru's strength couldn't contend with the Rinnegan, humans had brains. When someone like Orochimaru fully utilized his initiative, the destruction he caused