His overall strength was no less than Nagato's own, even with the Rinnegan.
Originally, Nagato had intended to recruit Lie Yang to counterbalance Madara, the Masked Man lurking behind the Akatsuki Organization.
But now, he had abandoned that idea entirely.
Lie Yang was not a pawn he could use.
Nor was he a companion he could keep in check.
He would eventually become a threat.
He had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
Beside him, Konan sensed Nagato's killing intent and realized that he had already made his decision.
After a moment of silence, she asked softly.
"Nagato, are you going to act ahead of schedule?"
Nagato slowly closed his eyes.
"My body can still withstand the strain."
"Dealing with him now is better than waiting until he truly comes into his own."
Konan looked at him and ultimately chose to trust him, giving her tacit approval.
Lie Yang's gaze settled on Pain.
Those Rinnegan were still turning slowly, rings of purple ripples spreading outward as though they could draw a person's consciousness into them.
But to Lie Yang, the abnormalities surrounding Pain went far beyond the Rinnegan themselves.
A dense surge of fortune was spreading from the depths of Pain's destiny.
Scarlet shone through its deep yellow, so heavy that it had almost solidified.
Beyond that fortune, a faint layer of calamity aura coiled around him, as though countless tributaries of fate had converged to push Pain toward a position destined to affect the entire Shinobi World.
Lie Yang observed him quietly for a moment.
This destiny was already beyond that of an ordinary genius.
If the Shinobi World continued along its original course, Pain truly had a strong chance of bringing the entire world under his control.
At least in the current era, with Kage Level powerhouses