Amegakure, at the top of a towering spire.
Pain stood at the edge of the tower, rain sliding down his pale cheeks and dripping from his chin into the abyss below.
He wore a black cloak, its red cloud patterns flickering in and out of view through the rain. Saturated with moisture, the fabric clung to his body.
His Rinnegan reflected the gray sky and the endless curtain of rain.
Zetsu emerged halfway from the ground, his white body standing out starkly in the gloom.
"Lord Madara, Lord Pain, the intelligence has been confirmed. The Five Kage have gathered in the Leaf Village, and the Chunin Ninja Exams are underway.
Konoha is heavily guarded, but quite a few of my spores have already infiltrated it.
The locations of the other Tailed Beasts have been confirmed."
Pain slowly turned to look at Zetsu.
"The Five Kage have gathered in the Leaf Village to attend the Chunin Ninja Exams."
Pain's voice was hollow and calm, yet carried a trace of elusive mockery.
"Heh, the Leaf Village is as overbearing as ever. They're using this to flaunt their supremacy over the Ninja World, letting everyone see how powerful they are.
Has the reputation the First Hokage earned with his fists now come to depend on tricks like this?"
He paused, his voice abruptly turning cold:
"Good. This is an opportunity-an opportunity to collect the Tailed Beasts in one fell swoop."
Obito straightened up on the stone pillar and looked at Pain without a word.
His Sharingan shifted slightly behind the hole in his mask, reflecting Pain's back.
Pain raised his right hand, holding his index and middle fingers together in front of his face.
An invisible pulse of chakra spread from his body, rippling outward and activating the ring on his finger.
The