The main gate of Konoha.
"Dude, do you think the Akatsuki will really come to the village to capture Naruto? It's almost dark."
"In my opinion, this is precisely Xiao's conspiracy; they want to take advantage of the darkness to act."
"That makes sense. In any case, whoever comes, they'll have to get past us first," said Kotetsu Hagane.
With a worried Izumo Kamizuki said, "It's best not to come, otherwise the village might suffer."
This duo appears to be gatekeepers, but they occasionally take on side jobs, such as serving as Chunin Examiners or helping the Lord Hokage organize documents.
They can go on missions in emergencies, their combat effectiveness is unquestionable, Jonin after a few years.
"Huh? Someone's here!"
"Who is it...?"
Because it was nearing dusk, the light wasn't very good, and one could only vaguely see the black robe with red clouds on it.
"That's it, judging by the clothes, it's definitely someone from Xiao. Quickly notify the village."
"Hmph, how arrogant! They actually plan to storm the village right from the gate. I'll show them what I'm capable of."
After giving the signal, the two men each drew a large sword and stood ready. But as the other approached, they saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Both of them started to panic.
"Lord Danzo... Danzo."
"How is this possible? How could Danzo become a member of Akatsuki!"
Others might not recognize Danzo, but those two were the gatekeepers; no one knew the villagers better than them.
Danzo's face was cold, his steps firm and powerful. He walked up to the two of them, his deathly gaze filled with disdain, sending chills down their spines.
That look in his eyes, it's so perfect.
" Danzo, what is this...?"
"Is Naruto Uzumaki in the village?" Danzo asked.
Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki subconsciously shook their heads. No one in Konoha was unafraid of Danzo. Even though he had disappeared for so long, no one dared to ask him a single question.
I never thought about resisting or anything like that; I answered whatever was asked.
Where did you go?
"I don't know. Only the Fifth Hokage and Lord Jiraiya know about this," Kotetsu Hagane replied honestly.
" Jiraiya the village, huh? Hmph, it's been a long time."
Danzo sneered, and a black rod emerged from each of his palms, which he then thrust down at the two gatekeepers of Konoha.
Pfft!
" Danzo, you..."
" Danzo? You've mistaken me for someone else. I am Pain, a god."
Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki collapsed to the ground, lifeless. They were intimidated by Danzo's remaining power and dared not resist even though they knew he was dangerous.
It was caused by the psychological oppression resulting from decades of high-pressure rule.
Tap... tap... tap...
Five figures emerged from the woods on both sides of the road, following Danzo as they strode into Konoha Ninja Village.
As the last member of the Asura Path passed through the gate, the serrated tail hidden in his robe suddenly shot out, slicing a white snake lying on the lintel in two.
Tick-tock... tick-tock
The severed snake body, with blood spilling out, dripped onto the ground, a striking sight.
Because Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki sent the signal immediately, the defense forces in Konoha were already aware of the enemy invasion.
The tense and oppressive atmosphere instantly became palpable.
" Lord Jiraiya, we've discovered that members of Akatsuki have entered the village."
"It's finally here."
Jiraiya stood up from his chair and quickly said, "Pass the word down to prepare for battle. Also, send the intelligence to Tsunade."
"Hi."
Just then, a sharp bird cry came from the sky, and through the window, a bird with a huge beak flew over the village.
Boom boom boom...
Bird eggs thrown by birds destroyed the village's houses and buildings, Konoha ninjas left behind immediately gathered there.
The Animal Path summoned Hellhound, Bullfighting Bull, Centipede, and Eight-Span Bird to wreak havoc in the village, covering the rest of the people's search for intelligence. They quickly confirmed once again that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not in the village.
"They don't know Naruto's whereabouts, your actions are doomed to failure." Jiraiya appeared on the rooftop next to them.
"It's been a long time, Jiraiya- sensei."
"Hmm? The Rinnegan! It really was you, Nagato... No, you're Yahiko. Did you steal Nagato's eyes?"
Jiraiya was shocked. After so many years, he couldn't quite remember, but he had suspected the leader of Akatsuki back in Amegakure.
That guy is already dead.
"What exactly is going on? Why did you start this war? You, who come from the Land of Rain, should understand the horrors of war better than anyone else."
"At this point, is it still necessary to preach? The Five Great Nations once brought war to a small country like the Land of Rain, and now they are just passing on the tragedy in reverse."
"If you don't want too many people to die, just hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the war will stop."
"What exactly is Akatsuki's purpose in collecting the Tailed Beast? There's no need to hide it anymore, right?"
Jiraiya avoided answering the question and instead began asking for information.
Deva Path Pain replied, "Manufacture the ultimate war weapon, completely monopolize the war market, and lease it to both sides of the war, so that they can experience the terror of war."
Only those who deeply understand suffering truly yearn for peace.
'This child has completely gone astray,' Jiraiya thought to himself.
The survival tips he taught the three little ones in this chaotic world weren't meant to make them terrorists, but rather to change the Land of Rain from within.
"Listen, your thinking is extremely dangerous. Peace should be achieved through communication, not war..."
"Please stop your naive ideas," Deva Path Pain suddenly snapped.
It would be better if this weren't mentioned, because bringing it up infuriates him. Yahiko brought disaster upon himself by practicing such foolish ideas.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Several tracking missiles were fired simultaneously at Jiraiya's body, Asura Path had somehow gotten close and launched a missile attack.
While they were talking, Pain secretly gathered the people nearby.
Boom boom boom...
Jiraiya was being chased by tracking missiles, but that wasn't the end of it. The most dangerous attack came from the sky by the Eight-Span Bird, leaving him nowhere to hide.
However, he was soon cornered by the hellhound, the Eight-Span Bird, and the bull.
"What's going on? Another person with the Rinnegan has arrived."
Jiraiya's mind was in turmoil. On the surface, he was being chased by several summoned beasts, but in reality, he was taking the opportunity to gather intelligence and conduct tactical analysis.
"Let's deal with these summoned beasts first, then Summoning Technique."
A wisp of white smoke drifted by, and Gamaken, wielding a fork and shield, appeared at Jiraiya's feet. Gamabunta's size was too large to be suitable for fighting in the village, Gamaken was more effective in this kind of battle environment.
" Lord Jiraiya."
"You hold them off for me, I'll deal with the caster."
"Understood." Gamaken may look clumsy, but he's actually quite agile and can easily take on several summoned beasts on his own.
Having successfully escaped Jiraiya rushed straight at Deva Path Pain, intending to capture him.
Shinra Tensei!
Thud...
A powerful repulsive force erupted from Deva Path Pain, instantly sending Jiraiya flying even though he was prepared for a counterattack.
Anyone unfamiliar with the intelligence would suffer a major setback upon their first encounter with Pain.
Jiraiya crawled out of the collapsed house, looking completely bewildered. "Was that... the power of the Rinnegan?"
No one could suddenly unleash such a bizarre attack without Hand Seals; it was beyond the imagination of ordinary ninjas.
Jiraiya, with his limited knowledge, couldn't understand it.
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet
Three raging dragon-shaped flames erupt from the sky, attacking the target simultaneously from the left, center, and right, renowned for their ultra-high temperature and wide-area destructive power.
Faced with such a powerful Fire Release, Deva Path Pain still extended his right hand and activated Shinra Tensei to create an absolute domain that kept the flames out.
" Ninjutsu can be deflected?" Jiraiya's eyes widened.
Buzz...
The flap on Asura Path's head was opened, and white Chakra light gathered, unleashing a laser cannon.
boom!
A terrifying explosion engulfed Jiraiya's body, and the surrounding buildings were destroyed by the laser cannon's bombardment.
"It's Shadow Clone, isn't it?"
Pain didn't think that Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya that bad; he was definitely hiding somewhere.
The Rinnegan scanned the surroundings and, sure enough, found the other person hiding inside the collapsed house with their hands clasped together. In other words, the person who appeared at that time was a clone.
Asura Path unleashed a black staff from his right hand and charged towards Jiraiya's hiding place.
The saw teeth pierced through the gravel, Jiraiya, realizing he had been discovered, had no choice but to flee.
After running two steps, he suddenly felt a suction force generated out of nowhere, and his body involuntarily flew towards the direction of Deva Path Pain.
At this moment, the serrated tail behind Asura Path was already poised to strike.
"Ninja Technique: Needle Hell"
By infusing Chakra into their hair to harden it, they manipulate their hair to attack enemies.
Pain ignored the attacking hair, his gaze fixed on Jiraiya's hands. "Even at this point, you haven't let go. What kind of technique are you preparing?"
Ding ding ding...
A giant stone Panda stood in front of Deva Path Pain, blocking all of Jiraiya's attacks.
"Impossible, I clearly didn't Hand Seals, how could it have been summoned..."
Jiraiya quickly scanned the area before noticing a figure standing on a rooftop not far away, with the same orange hair and the same Rinnegan.
Is it him?
In the instant he was stunned, his body was suddenly bound tightly by invisible ropes.
Looking up, a giant chameleon appeared from the void, and the so-called rope was the chameleon's tongue.
"Got you!"
Asura Path leaped into the air, wielding a black staff, and launched a fatal blow at Jiraiya's body.
"This is bad!"
At this moment Jiraiya's limbs and hair were tightly bound, and he could not move.
boom...
A huge boulder flew from afar, instantly sending the Asura Path flying. A blonde, busty woman wearing a green robe strode up to him in a few steps.
He kicked the chameleon.
Bang!
"Ouch!" the chameleon screamed in agony. The power of Heavenly Foot of Pain was beyond imagination, smashing its entire body to pieces.
A wisp of white smoke appeared, and the Summoning Technique was automatically dispelled.
"You've finally arrived, Tsunade."
"They rushed over as soon as they received the news. Is this guy Pain, the leader of Akatsuki? Those eyes are..."
"Yes, the Rinnegan, the most mysterious of the three legendary dojutsu," Jiraiya explained.
"It's the legendary eye! I never thought it actually existed."
"My opponent's abilities are terrifying; I'm ashamed to admit... he was once my student."
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with surprise, not knowing what to say. How many strange people had he encountered while searching for the Child of Prophecy all day long?
"These things are irrelevant now; let's deal with him first."
Deva Path Pain was not surprised by Tsunade's appearance and calmly said, " Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Then he turned to look at the corner of a house. "And you, Orochimaru, you've been observing from the shadows for so long, come out."
" Orochimaru?!" Tsunade and Jiraiya surprised to see Orochimaru in the village.
"Heh... you found out, Chief!"
Orochimaru slowly emerged from his hiding place, still addressing himself as such despite having left Akatsuki.
"Hmph, the person who kept talking about severing ties seems to be protecting their own village now. Your stance is certainly fickle."
"Protecting the village? I've never thought about that. I just want to see the true power of the Rinnegan," Orochimaru explained.
"At this point, there's no point in saying all this."
Pain showed no concern for Orochimaru's intentions, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. " The Legendary Sannin, during the Second Shinobi World War, in the Land of Rain... truly an arrangement of fate."
Hanzō fought against the Sannin back then, and today he will fight against Sannin again as the leader of Amegakure.
The only difference is that the location has changed to Konoha.