The Land of Earth's border.
Ōnoki floated atop a towering cliff, his eyes half-closed as if resting.
Below the cliff stood his personal guard, Akatsuchi, arms crossed as he warily scanned their surroundings.
"They're here."
At that moment, Ōnoki suddenly opened his cloudy eyes and raised his head slightly.
High above, an orange-haired figure wearing an Akatsuki Cloak descended from the sky.
"Who... are you?" Ōnoki frowned as he got a good look at the newcomer. The man's hair, eyes, and black rods were identical to those of the Akatsuki member he had met before, but his face was completely different!
"I am Pain!"
The brand-new Deva Path Pain spoke without expression. "Third Tsuchikage, let's get down to business. What kind of commission could require you to come in person?"
"This commission is very important, so I need to confirm your identity first," Ōnoki said cautiously.
"Hmph."
The Deva Path Pain raised a hand. "Shinra Tensei!"
Boom...
A moderate repulsive force spread from his palm, making Ōnoki's hair and clothes flap in the wind.
That's the feeling... Having confirmed his identity, Ōnoki immediately said, "This mission is simple. First, create a border conflict between the Land of Grass and my Land of Earth. Once I send a ninja army into the Land of Grass, you'll lead the Akatsuki into the Land of Fire and draw the Konoha Ninja's attention!"
The Deva Path Pain fell silent. After a while, he said, "You want to occupy the Land of Grass?"
"More precisely, we'll do what Kumogakure did," Ōnoki replied.
The Deva Path Pain understood. "So you want to attack the Land of Fire from both sides, together with the Cloud Ninja army. It seems the Shinobi World is about to become unsettled... The Akatsuki will accept the mission, but as for the