"Gods fear nothing. Since this friend has come to visit our village, we, as hosts, must go out to welcome them."
Pain said with a smile, his eyes revealing an indescribable majesty.
Standing beside him, Uchiha Itachi nodded, a glimmer of approval flashing through his deep Sharingan.
"Indeed, Pain. As hosts, we should show our guests the respect they are due."
His voice was low and powerful, as if every word contained boundless wisdom.
Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "Heh, welcoming guests is my specialty. Let me give them an unforgettable greeting!"
His tone was cunning, as if he were already plotting some mischief in his mind.
Konan shook her head slightly and said with a smile: "Kisame, you should restrain yourself. We aren't here to scare our guests." Her voice was soft and warm, like a spring breeze brushing against the heart.
"Exactly, Kisame, don't go causing trouble for us." Juzo chimed in, his eyes revealing a steady and reliable temperament.
Pain nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group. "However, this guest does not seem very polite. In that case, to treat them with courtesy, I shall go first. You all wait here for me."
Inside the head of the Susanoo, a dark and mysterious space seemed to isolate itself from the chaos of the outside world.
Liuli floated in this void, her eyes revealing a cynical, mocking look.
She looked around, seemingly knowing everything about this place, having already used her Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan to spot Pain and the others.
"Yo? Is this the Akatsuki organization from the original story having a team fight?" Liuli's tone carried a hint of banter; she didn't seem to take this battle very seriously.
After all, in her eyes, the Akatsuki of this period was far from its peak.
Liuli frowned slightly and continued: "But Orochimaru has only just defected at this point, and the roster isn't even full. You tell me how to fight this?"
Her words revealed a disdain for the current state of Akatsuki, as if this battle held no challenge for her at all.
However, Liuli did not know that it was precisely this incompleteness of the Akatsuki that made this battle full of possibilities and variables.
Every member was a unique existence, and their power and wisdom would play a crucial role in the battle.
In this dark space, Liuli's figure gradually began to blur.
Her banter and mockery seemed to become a part of this space, merging with the surrounding blue chakra energy.
Pain performed the Body Flicker Technique, his figure moving as fast as the wind, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived near Liuli. He slowly raised his head, and what met his gaze was a towering, magnificent Susanoo, dozens of meters high, standing firm like a mountain.
Pain's brow furrowed deeply; he felt the powerful chakra energy radiating from the Susanoo—a power so great it had already exceeded his expectations.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for you for a long time." Liuli's voice rang in Pain's ears.
She deactivated the armor of the Susanoo.
Pain stared at Liuli, unable to help but feel a sense of doubt.
"I have never heard of you in the ninja world, and you possess both the Rinnegan and an unusual Mangekyou?"
Pain's tone carried a hint of surprise and confusion; his gaze was fixed tightly on Liuli, as if trying to find an answer from her.
Liuli smiled faintly; she knew her identity was indeed a mystery in the ninja world. She did not answer Pain's question directly, but instead slowly raised her head, looking toward the dilapidated Amegakure.
"The ninja world is vast, and anything can happen. Just because you don't know me doesn't mean I don't exist." Liuli's voice was low and powerful, as if every word contained an indescribable strength.
She looked at Pain with a firm gaze and continued: "I came looking for your Akatsuki organization. I've heard much about your reputation—collecting Tailed Beasts, striving for world peace, and that mysterious Eye of the Moon plan."
Listening to Liuli's words, Pain felt a slight shock in his heart. He hadn't expected the Liuli before him to know so much about the Akatsuki.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and then spoke slowly: "Oh? You know quite a lot about our Akatsuki."
Liuli smiled faintly and said: "Since I dared to come find you, I naturally know something about you. I know that the members of your Akatsuki are all powerful ninjas, each with their own specialties and unique techniques. And your goal is to collect all the Tailed Beasts to achieve world peace."
Pain nodded and said: "That is correct. Our goal is indeed to collect all the Tailed Beasts to achieve world peace. However, this process is not easy; we must face countless challenges and difficulties."
"I didn't come here to listen to your boring philosophy; I came to take revenge on your Akatsuki, and to have some fun while I'm at it." Liuli crossed her arms, looking extremely arrogant.
Pain frowned slightly; he hadn't expected this Liuli to be so arrogant, and to be talking about taking revenge on the Akatsuki.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt and vigilance, but he didn't show it, instead asking indifferently: "Revenge? It seems our Akatsuki has never offended you."
"Your strength is not to be underestimated, otherwise this place of mine would still be in good condition ten minutes ago."
Liuli sneered and said: "How many people has your Akatsuki offended? You stop at nothing to achieve your goals, even harming the innocent. Isn't that common knowledge?"
"Then it seems you are an enemy?" Pain's voice froze in the air, and a murderous atmosphere began to permeate the area.
His eyes became sharp, as if he could pierce through all falsehoods and disguises. He stared intently at Liuli, waiting for her answer.
Liuli met Pain's gaze without fear, and said coldly: "That's right, an enemy. Though perhaps we might be some kind of friends in the future."
Liuli made the first move, using her six-tomoe Rinnegan to flash instantly to Pain's side. In that instant, the air seemed to be torn apart by her speed, forming a blinding crack.
On her right hand, the Chidori had already taken shape, flashing with a dazzling light, as if it were about to swallow everything around it.
Her gaze was cold, fixed on Pain's heart; her next move would be to pierce his heart directly and end this battle.
"Nani?" Pain exclaimed. He hadn't expected Liuli's speed to be so fast, nor had he expected her to launch an attack so decisively.
He instantly felt an unprecedented sense of crisis, as if his life and death were in the palm of Liuli's hand.
However, Pain was, after all, the leader of the Akatsuki, and his strength was unfathomable.
Just as Liuli was about to pierce his heart, he tilted his body slightly, dodging the lethal strike.
At the same time, his left hand shot out, grabbing Liuli's wrist to prevent her from continuing her assault.
A flash of surprise crossed Liuli's eyes; she had not expected Pain to react so quickly.
However, she did not give up, instead using the force of Pain gripping her wrist to spin around, breaking free from his restraint while simultaneously kicking toward his chest.
Pain frowned, sensing the immense power contained within Liuli's kick.
Not daring to be careless, he retreated rapidly while weaving hand seals to unleash his ninjutsu.
"Banshō Ten'in!" Pain shouted in a low voice. As he finished his seals, an invisible force erupted from his body, sweeping toward Liuli. This was one of the ocular powers of the Rinnegan, capable of manipulating gravity to pull surrounding objects toward the user; it was one of Pain's signature techniques.
Yet, facing Pain's Banshō Ten'in, Liuli showed not a hint of fear.
She looked at Pain coldly, a disdainful smile curling her lips as she said, "How dare you use the ocular power of a common Rinnegan against the ocular power of the Six Paths Rinnegan?"
No sooner had Liuli finished speaking than a brilliant radiance erupted from her eyes.
That was the power of the Six Paths Rinnegan, far more potent and mysterious than a standard Rinnegan.
Under the influence of this power, Pain's Banshō Ten'in instantly lost its effect, as if neutralized by an invisible force.
"What?! It failed?!" Pain exclaimed, shocked that Liuli possessed such formidable ocular power.
He felt his own Rinnegan appear so insignificant and powerless before Liuli's Six Paths Rinnegan, a realization that stirred a flicker of fear within him.
"To think you could actually wound me; this is truly unexpected." Pain's voice was deep and resonant. "However, that does not mean you can defeat me. The power I possess far exceeds your imagination."
Liuli frowned slightly, sensing the powerful aura radiating from Pain and knowing this battle would not be so simple.
Pain took a deep breath, then wove hand seals to launch another attack.
This time, he did not use the ocular power of the Rinnegan, but instead channeled his own chakra to unleash a powerful ninjutsu.
In an instant, the entire sky turned dim, as if shrouded by an invisible force.
Liuli felt a jolt in her heart; she knew this was Pain's trump card and that she had to handle it with caution.
"Feel pain. Before a god, all is futile. You indeed possess a Rinnegan I have never seen before, but you have never seen what the true power of the Rinnegan is like."
Liuli's mouth twitched slightly; knowing Pain was beyond reason, she couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Super-Shinra Tensei!" Pain roared, slamming his palms together as an invisible force erupted from him as the epicenter.
This power was violent and overwhelming, as if it intended to annihilate everything in the vicinity. The air vibrated intensely under the force, forming terrifying vortexes of airflow that spiraled wildly outward.
Feeling the horror of this power, Liuli's eyes shimmered with a brilliant light.
"Susanoo!" Liuli shouted, her Six Paths Rinnegan spinning rapidly as a majestic power erupted from her body.
Under the influence of this force, a massive figure gradually emerged behind Liuli—the silhouette of the Susanoo.
As Liuli's shout faded, the figure of the Susanoo became increasingly clear.
Standing hundreds of meters tall, its entire body was covered in thick armor, radiating an indescribable majesty and dominance.
Its eyes glowed with a brilliant light, as if capable of piercing through all illusions and disguises.
Watching the Susanoo behind Liuli, Pain could not help but feel a surge of fear.
He sensed the power and mystery of this entity, knowing he had to proceed with extreme caution.
The Complete Body Susanoo, an armored giant imbued with the power of the Six Paths, displayed unparalleled might under Liuli's control. The Shinra Tensei failed instantly before this power, as fragile as paper, and was reflected back toward Pain.
Pain's expression changed drastically as he felt the force of the rebound, which struck him like a massive mountain and sent him flying backward. His body traced a long arc through the air before slamming heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"As expected, a formidable foe!" Pain struggled to stand, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; he had clearly sustained significant injuries from the impact.
However, there was no fear in his eyes, only fanaticism and the will to fight.
Liuli did not give Pain much time to catch his breath; she controlled the Complete Body Susanoo and launched another fierce attack.
The armored giant, hundreds of meters tall, stood on the battlefield like a mountain, every movement threatening to cause earth-shattering tremors.
Pain gritted his teeth, knowing he had to give his all to withstand Liuli's assault.
Just then, the Complete Body Susanoo reached him.
Its massive fist descended toward his head like a small mountain, carrying the momentum of world-ending destruction. Pain was startled, but it was already too late to dodge.
"Bang!" A deafening boom echoed as Pain was smashed deep into the ground by the fist of the Complete Body Susanoo.
His body felt as if it were falling apart, racked with intense pain, yet he endured it and struggled to rise from the earth.
Liuli did not stop there; she continued to control the Complete Body Susanoo to unleash relentless attacks. Each strike left Pain feeling a sense of dread, as if he could be completely obliterated at any moment.
"My pain is far greater than yours!" Pain's voice echoed across the battlefield as he dodged the latest punch from the Susanoo, demonstrating his exceptional combat skills and reaction speed.
His opponent had no intention of letting up, and Liuli sneered, preparing to use her Amenotejikara.
At that moment, Liuli glanced over and saw a bag of rice she had just bought from an old woman, and she decided to use it to teach Pain a profound lesson.
"Pain, is it? A bag of rice, is it? Feel this, is it?" Liuli muttered to herself, quickly activating Amenotejikara to send the bag of rice flying toward Pain.
Under Liuli's control, the bag of rice flew with the speed of a cannonball, carrying intense momentum and power.
Seeing this, Pain was taken aback. He realized that under the influence of Liuli's Amenotejikara, this bag of rice had become a lethal weapon.
He dared not be careless, quickly adjusting his state to prepare for the attack of this sack of rice.
However, Liuli did not stop her assault there. She continued to activate Amenotejikara, causing surrounding objects to fly toward Pain one after another.
Under Liuli's control, these objects seemed to possess a life of their own, nimbly dodging Pain's defenses while seeking opportunities to strike.
Facing this sudden onslaught, Pain felt somewhat flustered.
He dodged the attacks of these objects incessantly while searching for a chance to counterattack.
"Enough, the game ends here. Kirin!" Liuli spat out these words coldly.
Dark clouds began to thicken in the sky, and thunder rumbled loudly. Bolts of lightning darted through the clouds like angry dragons searching for prey. Liuli's gaze grew increasingly sharp; she knew now was the perfect moment to unleash Kirin.
Pain looked up at the sky, which resembled hell itself, and shouted, "Animal Path, Preta Path, Asura Path."
"Kirin!" Liuli roared, forcefully channeling the chakra within her into the clouds above.
In an instant, the entire sky seemed to be detonated by Liuli's power, and a massive bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking directly at the dodging Pain on the ground.
The power of this lightning was so immense it felt as if it would tear the entire world asunder.
The dust on the ground was instantly blown away, forming a massive dust storm.