From the air, Ren saw the falling rocks and knew that the battle was almost over.
Nagato is not Madara after all; it is quite remarkable that he has developed the Rinnegan to this extent.
The immense strain and the emotional blow he suffered caused Pain to lose his ability to remain levitated, and he began to fall toward the ground.
The battle is over; it's time for Ren to make his choice.
Should we stop now and pretend to be exhausted, or continue towards Nagato's main body?
That's right, although Ren has also expended a lot of energy, he is far from being completely drained.
Putting aside Ren's own growth over the past few years, this target alone is much simpler than the Hidden Cloud Village's original camp.
Today's goal is not only small, but also inherently sarcastic, so Ren doesn't need to consciously control it too much.
Feeling his own condition, Ren felt that one more round wouldn't be a problem.
Before Pain could even hit the ground, Ren, after a brief moment of thought, flew swiftly in the direction he had sensed earlier.
Ren ultimately decided to go and meet Nagato's true form, lest Nagato think he was nothing special and that his failure was merely due to carelessness.
To conquer a city is inferior to to conquer its heart; to kill someone is to destroy their spirit!
Deva Path Pain looked in the direction Ren was flying, and Nagato knew he had been exposed, combined with the strange feeling he had sensed earlier.
Nagato also guessed that it was some kind of powerful sensory technique belonging to Ren.
Inside a low-lying cave, Ren saw three figures.
Aside from the Animal Path and Human Path who managed to escape, what remains is Nagato's true form, located in the middle.
The cave entrance was simply camouflaged, making the cave appear very dark.
Everyone present possessed Dōjutsu, allowing them to see each other clearly. However, Ren still seemed a little uncomfortable, as a large lamp floated above his head, illuminating the cave.
Nagato was no different from what Ren had imagined. He thought Nagato's legs were withered, his bare upper body was extremely thin, and his hair was gray. Only his eyes were bright and piercing, full of a sense of oppression.
"So you're the mastermind behind Akatsuki, aren't you? I don't care what your relationship is with Amegakure, and I can even ignore the fact that you took in our Konoha missing-nin!"
Upon arriving at the cave, Ren immediately made a bold statement, primarily to establish his persona.
"No matter how many missing-nin you take in, it doesn't change the fact that you're just a bunch of losers huddling together for warmth, barely surviving in the Shinobi World!"
Ren tried hard to recall Madara's tone and expression, as well as Uchiha Sasuke's irritating gaze, and said to Nagato with disdain.
Then Ren abruptly changed the subject, his tone filled with the arrogance of someone in a superior position towards someone in a subordinate position.
"However, the Akatsuki's wanton interference in wars between small countries and their disruption of the Shinobi World's peace has shown me a very bad sign. Konoha doesn't care if you fight to the death among yourselves. Today is just a warning to make you realize your place. Konoha can tolerate small-scale conflicts, but that doesn't mean you can destroy the peace of the Shinobi World at will!"
After briefly explaining the reasons for his behavior today, Ren continued in a commanding tone.
"That female ninja from earlier must be someone important to you, right? Don't worry, Konoha won't deal with her carelessly. She'll return to Amegakure unharmed afterward. This is just a lesson. The overall trend of peace in the Shinobi World cannot be broken, understand?"
Upon hearing that Konan's life was not in danger, Nagato, who had felt like the sky had fallen, finally came to his senses.
Ren had heard Nagato's previous words, but hadn't thought about them at all. Now, recalling them, she was filled with rage, but she still managed to suppress her anger and ask a crucial question.
Why don't you kill me?
"We have no grudge against each other, why would I kill a weakling like you?"
Nagato almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but thankfully managed to hold it in. However, he couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating.
To think that I, who always considered myself a god, was actually seen as weak by a mere mortal!
Even though Rinnegan and his body was deathly Nagato, his face was slightly flushed.
However, Nagato did not give up hope. With the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, he believed that given time, he would definitely be able to surpass Ren.
Although being ignored was humiliating, Nagato still acknowledged Ren's kindness.
Nagato, whose mind was not complicated, immediately spoke.
"Is that so? One day I will be stronger than you, and then I will spare your life!"
Ren's expression grew even more disdainful.
"A loser's promise is worthless. As long as you don't disrupt the peace of the Shinobi World, what you think is completely irrelevant!"
Ren deliberately brought up the topic of peace in the Shinobi World again, which made Nagato grasp the key point in Ren's previous words.
Peace?
Hearing these words from the mouth of a Konoha Hokage, Nagato felt utterly ironic!
Looking back on his past, Nagato realized that both the loss of his parents and the loss of his comrades were caused by the Konoha Ninja.
Every darkest moment in the Shinobi World has been caused by a great power like yours instigating wars and bringing incurable pain to the world.
This attitude of ignoring the suffering of small countries is truly filled with the arrogance of a great power.
Unable to accept Ren's attitude, Nagato shouted loudly.
"Peace!? You understand absolutely nothing!"