Clown

Three days passed quickly.

Taiichi and his two companions had been searching the target area for a full day.

Unfortunately, whether it was because the Akatsuki were too well hidden or Taiichi and his group simply didn't find their location, they couldn't find any trace of them.

"Taiichi, is your intuition correct? We've searched this place three times already, and there's nowhere to hide."

Tsunade was getting anxious. Three days was too long, and she was very worried about whether the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was still alive.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm; having weathered many storms, he was unconcerned about this setback.

Although the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki is important, he is not from Konoha after all. It would be best if he could be saved, but it doesn't matter if he can't.

In any case Akatsuki will eventually be destroyed by Konoha, so the sacrifice of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki along the way won't make a difference.

This is the mindset of old-school politicians: they never care about the gains or losses of individual tasks, and human lives are just a number in their eyes.

Taiichi looked at the yellowish-brown expanse before him and was quite surprised. In the past few days, they had used every means at their disposal, including not only visual searching but also Chakra Perception and Soul Vision, but they still couldn't find it.

Taiichi had already begun to suspect that the Akatsuki might have indeed transferred the mark after it was discovered.

If that's the case, then they really have no way to deal with it.

This shows that Taiichi you understand them, they won't teleport again since they've already destroyed his Flying Thunder God Mark. This is the arrogance of a strong person towards their own strength.

Taiichi couldn't help but scratch his head, looking innocently at Tsunade, unsure how to explain.

Tsunade, annoyed by what she saw, punched the mountain wall beside her, the powerful force creating a deep crater in the wall.

"Those rats are really good at hiding. We've searched the entire valley and underground; do you think they can hide in the sky?"

Taiichi stared at the deep crater created by Tsunade's punch, her words echoing in his mind, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

These guys might actually be in the sky.

They kept staring down, but no one said the Akatsuki could only hide down there.

Taiichi looked up and scanned the surroundings, his gaze quickly locking onto a mountain peak not far away.

This mountain peak is estimated to be over 3,000 meters high, and its steep slopes lack even a large platform, which is why it has been overlooked by Taiichi others.

But if a cave were carved out high up in this mountain, wouldn't that be perfect for evading all their previous Scout?

Taiichi Hand Seals, his eyes once again covered by soul flames, and all life in his vision transformed into Soul Flame.

Looking further afield and upwards, various sizes of Soul Flame also emerged from that mountain.

Taiichi made no attempt to discern anything, his gaze continuing to rise as the Soul Flame dwindled.

Finally, near the summit, several exceptionally large clusters of Soul Flame entered Taiichi.

"Found it!"

Taiichi pointed to the location of the mountaintop.

"They're right there. We've been overlooking those high peaks; they're hiding there."

Body Flicker the target was confirmed, Taiichi and the others rushed towards the mountain without hesitation.

Inside the cave at the top of the mountain.

Suddenly, Zetsu opened his eyes and said quite casually, "Taichi Matsushita has spotted us and is on his way."

"Ha, we discovered it too late; the seal has already broken."

As these words fell, another eye on the forehead of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path slowly opened.

"It's a pity that this body is just an illusion, otherwise I really want to have another match with Taichi Matsushita and see if he has improved in the past two years."

The speaker exuded an aura of malevolence; even if he were merely a phantom, he would inspire disgust at first glance.

He is indeed Moryo, but he is not using the White Zetsu's body now, but rather one-fifth of his own body.

For the past two years, he has been living in the world in human form, and has gradually figured out a way to use his power that is different from his demon form.

He felt that his strength was different from before, and even with only one-fifth of his physical body, he dared to clash with Taichi Matsushita again.

"You can leave now. If you want to fight, there will be plenty of opportunities later. This time, let me test Taichi Matsushita's current level."

What?"

Obito looked at Pain with surprise, puzzled by his initiative. Was he planning to avenge them?

He didn't believe the other party would have such intentions.

However, since Pain wanted to stay, he wasn't in a hurry to retreat.

Only----

"You, with your Phantom Lantern Body Technique, are still capable of fighting?"

Pain didn't say anything, and with a flash, he arrived at the innermost part of the cave.

There is an unconscious Rock Ninja lying on the ground here.

The other members of Akatsuki also remained, all watching Pain with curiosity, wondering what methods he used to fight from a distance.

Pain approached the Iwa Rock Ninja, Hand Seals, and then pressed his hand against the Rock Ninja's chest, pouring a large amount of Chakra into his body.

The unconscious Rock Ninja in agony, struggling desperately with his hands and feet, but his body seemed to be held down by an inexplicable force, and he could only twist slightly.

As Chakra was poured in, the Rock Ninja's appearance changed at a speed visible to the naked eye. When Pain's Phantom Lantern Body Technique flickered a few times and disappeared, the original Rock Ninja had been completely transformed into a brand new Pain.

"Ha, I never knew such Ninjutsu existed in the world. It's truly amazing."

Blood Crow stroked his chin, clicking his tongue in admiration.

This wasn't just Blood Crow's thought; everyone else shared the same admiration. As for whether the Ninjutsu was cruel, or whether the Rock Ninja sacrificed were innocent, those were completely outside their consideration.

The newly reborn Pain got up, stretched his arms and legs, and adjusted to his new body. Then, he formed a hand Ram Seal with one hand, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path disappeared from the spot with a "bang".

"Everyone, those who need to leave can leave now. Taichi Matsushita is about to arrive."

Everyone looked towards the cave entrance, and then the Phantom Lantern Body Technique disappeared into the cave one after another.

Just as the last person left, a loud "boom" resounded, and the thick rock wall seemed to be exploded, scattering debris inwards.

Immediately afterwards, a gust of wind rushed in from the outside, carrying the dust and rocks out of the cave.

Taiichi was the first to step into the cave, where he saw Pain, and the Obito two who possessed the Rinnegan.

Looking around the entire cave, in the deepest part, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki lay limply on the ground, showing no signs of life.

"Am I still too late?"

Taiichi frowned and sighed softly.

At this moment, Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Taiichi into the cave. After a quick glance, they roughly guessed the situation, and then both of them focused their attention on Pain.

This was also the first time they had ever seen a real Rinnegan.

How should I put it?

It wasn't as amazing as I had imagined.

It seems to be even inferior to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade looked puzzled, but no one could answer their questions at that moment.

Taiichi Pain up and down, a sense of disharmony lingering in his heart.

"Pain, it's been a long time. How dare you appear before me alone this time?"

Taiichi was very direct. Since he had doubts, he simply challenged his opponent and believed that his opponent would provide the answer.

"Hmph, Taichi Matsushita, two years have passed, and you're still so foolish. This corrupt world should have been torn down and rebuilt long ago, but all your current actions are only delaying the arrival of a new world."

Unexpectedly, Pain didn't respond, but instead used his persuasive skills on Taiichi.

This completely baffled Taiichi. Could this guy be trying to recruit him?

Reality is often quite absurd. Two years of development allowed Nagato to make significant progress in the application of the Rinnegan, and the power of this Sage Eye gave him boundless confidence.

"Taichi Matsushita, with your abilities, you shouldn't continue living such a mediocre life in this world. Come to me and let's create a world of lasting peace together."

Before Taiichi could respond, Tsunade, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore.

"Someone like you dares to talk about creating a new world? Jiraiya must have been blind to save scum like you."

Enraged, Tsunade on the ground, and with a loud crash, the earth shattered into pieces. She crouched down, picked up the largest piece, and hurled it at Pain with all her might.

This action was less of an attack and more of a venting of frustration.

A hint of disdain flashed in Pain's eyes. He stretched out one hand, but made no move.

The boulder in the air crashed into a wall of air, shattering instantly and rebounding back towards Tsunade.

Pain made a silent show of bravado, but Taiichi seized the opportunity.

The instant after Shinra Tensei was released, Taiichi Flying Thunder God vanished from the spot.

"Watch out!" Obito, who was watching from the sidelines, instinctively called out a warning.

Pain realized something was wrong the instant he made his move; he shouldn't have rashly used his ultimate technique, Taichi Matsushita on the other side knew his moves.

Sure enough, the next moment, Taiichi appeared behind Pain, his fist brimming with Chakra Enhanced Strength, and he slammed it down towards Pain's back.

Just as Taiichi's fist touched Pain's robes, a cold smile curled at the corner of Pain's mouth.

The next moment, another repulsive force suddenly spread out from Pain's center.

Taiichi felt his fist hit an iron wall as he threw the punch. The strong shock made his fist hurt, and the surging force that followed slammed into him, sending him flying and crashing into the stone wall behind him.

"Taichi Matsushita, underestimating others is your biggest mistake today."

Pain reached out and grabbed, a Black Receiver forming in his hand. Before Taiichi could react, Pain hurled the Black Receiver away.

One, two, three, four.

In the blink of an eye, four Black Receiver were plunged into Taiichi's limbs, pinning him to the stone wall.

Daiju's face was somewhat dazed; the situation on the scene had changed too quickly for him to react, and it seemed that Taichi Matsushita was about to die.

Tsunade was even more devastated; her lips parted slightly, her eyes filled with horror, and tears were already welling up in them.

Taiichi, pinned to the stone wall by four Black Receiver, struggled to lift his head and opened his mouth as if to say something more.

"Bang."

A puff of white smoke flashed by, and Taiichi on the stone wall vanished into thin air, leaving behind a crowd of people with wide-eyed stares.

"Haha, you've really improved a lot. You can actually unleash Shinra Tensei twice in a row. That's beyond my expectations."

Taiichi's voice came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Pain's face darkened. He knew he had been Taichi Matsushita again. What was even more pathetic was that he had seemed a little too smug just now. Now, he realized that Matsushita Taichi was nothing but a Clown.

The Rinnegan spun around as Pain desperately searched for Taiichi's location. Everyone in the cave was doing the same; an unknown being was simply too terrifying.

Obito was already starting to regret staying to watch the spectacle. Pain might be really strong, but this wasn't his true form, and who knew how much of his power he could unleash?

Obito gestured behind his back, indicating that the two should be ready to evacuate at any time.

The next moment, Taiichi's figure suddenly appeared behind Zetsu, his Chakra Light Blade gleaming, and he slashed down at Zetsu's black side.

Black Zetsu was truly terrified at this moment, cursing Taiichi for being shameless while trying his best to twist and dodge.

Just as the blade was about to strike, the black half seemed to wriggle to the other side like liquid.

With a swift slash, Taiichi severed half of Jue's chest and an arm.

Before the screams could even be heard, the heavily injured Zetsu and Suikazan Fuguki were sucked into another dimension by Obito.

"I can't believe it!"

Taiichi, also taken aback by Jue's amazing move.

But it was only for a moment; he immediately came to his senses, turned around, and waved his hand to block Pain's sudden attack.

Even so, he still had time to talk to Pain.

"This isn't your real body, is it? You didn't even use half your original power, and you failed to destroy my Shadow Clone with a single Shinra Tensei? You..."

"You didn't really come here just to win me over, did you?"

Taiichi's words were like the most merciless mockery, causing Pain's anger to soar.

His attacks became increasingly fierce, but unfortunately, he was no match for Taiichi in terms of Taijutsu. During another break in Shinra Tensei, Taiichi's Light Blade pierced his heart.

Pain looked down at the Light Blade on his chest, then looked up at Taiichi again.

"You've won again, Taichi Matsushita, but don't be too happy yet. The tide is turning, and you can't stop it."

After saying that, Pain fell silent. The corpse that Taiichi was carrying changed back to its original Rock Ninja form.

Taiichi frowned, not understanding what Pain meant. These guys who wanted to rebuild the world were usually madmen, and ordinary people simply couldn't understand their thinking.

"Taiichi, come here quickly."

Behind him, Tsunade's voice rang out. Taiichi turned around and saw her squatting beside the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, her hands glowing green as she performed emergency treatment.

"Could it be... he's not dead yet?"

Taiichi appeared beside Tsunade and reached out to touch the little girl's forehead.

He actually still had a breath left.

Without needing to say anything more, Taiichi knew what Tsunade meant by calling him.

Of Jinchuriki Tailed Beast were extracted, there is only one case of one who was saved: Kushina.

Kushina's survival was thanks to Taiichi.

Sealing Jutsu: Dyad Seal.

A Yin-Yang formation took shape under Taiichi, and as the palm pressed down, it imprinted itself on the little girl's abdomen.

In her perception, the little girl's dwindling life force was gradually stabilizing, and with Tsunade's continued treatment, it was even showing a gradual upward trend.

The little girl's life was saved, but what followed was truly a headache.