Kitagawa Minamoto's words plunged the scene into silence.
Tsunade and Shizune stared at Pain and his group in disbelief. Even the Fourth Raikage, who would have loved nothing more than to crush the shinobi from Konohagakure, was stunned by what he had just heard.
Jiraiya and Kakashi, despite knowing that the Akatsuki's plans were terrifying, hadn't imagined they could be this extreme.
For now, though, they held their tongues. Changing the world required methods, and they wanted to understand what this organization truly intended.
"Hiss... How did this brat end up behind me?!"
Suddenly, the Fourth Raikage seemed to realize something. He turned to Kitagawa Minamoto in disbelief, a chilling thought crossing his mind.
Could this little bastard have left a Flying Thunder God mark on him?
"What nonsense are you spouting, brat?"
Pain frowned, but before he could say anything, Minamoto interrupted him.
"Am I wrong? I remember you always talking about changing the world and creating peace, right?"
Pain frowned but nodded slightly. Minamoto immediately followed up.
"But human nature is inherently greedy. Wherever there are people, there will be conflict.
So, isn't the simplest solution to eliminate all living beings in this world?
Wouldn't that ensure no more disputes ever arise?"
"..."
Pain didn't respond, but his hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Tsunade shot a glare at Jiraiya and Kakashi, her expression saying everything without words.
"Or do you have another plan?"
Minamoto stroked his chin as if he had just had an epiphany.
"For example, randomly wiping out half the population of the ninja world?
After all, the resources of the ninja world are limited, but human reproduction is limitless.
Doing this would ensure long-term development for the ninja world, provide sufficient resources for the remaining half, and instill fear in them.
Wouldn't the world become peaceful then?"
"..."
Pain felt his fists hardening. What kind of twisted logic was this? Were they really that extreme?
And yet, Minamoto seemed completely unbothered. Tilting his head, he asked softly.
"Or do you have another idea to achieve your so-called transformation?"
"Of course..."
Pain almost instinctively responded but stopped abruptly.
His fists tightened further as he stared coldly at Minamoto and the others, his voice icy.
"But don't think you can extract information from me.
You should focus on surviving first."
Pain no longer wanted to waste words with Minamoto.
Originally, he had considered discussing the righteousness of their path with Jiraiya before engaging in a master-disciple battle.
But now, he didn't want to say another word.
His Chakra began to surge, though his mind was still preoccupied with one thought.
"That guy pretending to be Uchiha Madara—what's his connection to this brat? Did they fight?"
Pain had long suspected, even confirmed, the true identity of that masked man.
He wasn't stupid. Some things were better left unspoken; mutual exploitation was their current normal.
"Is he about to make a move?"
Minamoto raised an eyebrow and suddenly grinned.
"Speaking of which, you followed us here as soon as we arrived in the Land of Waterfalls.
Based on what you've done in the Hidden Mist, Hidden Stone, and even Konohagakure,
your goal this time—is it to assassinate the Fourth Raikage?"
"?"
"And earlier, I noticed your comrades infiltrating the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Their target doesn't seem simple either, so..."
"Shut up!"
Pain didn't want to waste another word on Minamoto.
If this brat continued, who knew how things would spiral out of control?
In an instant, Pain's figure blurred, appearing before Minamoto with a black rod in hand, stabbing toward him!
"Careful!"
Even Jiraiya hadn't expected Pain to attack so suddenly.
He was still processing Minamoto's earlier words when he instinctively moved to intervene.
But Kisame's Water Release exploded forth.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
A powerful surge of Chakra erupted, creating an endless flood that transformed the area into a massive lake.
Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Tsunade quickly evaded, as did the Fourth Raikage and Shizune.
"Are they here to kill me?"
The Fourth Raikage's eyes flickered.
He didn't know whose words to believe, but now wasn't the time for such considerations.
Everyone was already fighting!
"Tch, it's you again."
Kisame sneered as he faced Jiraiya.
"Whatever. It's all the same.
This time, you won't be so lucky."
"Don't block my way, shark-face."
Jiraiya wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.
He wanted to confront Yahiko, not waste time here!
"Tsunade-sama, what an honor to meet you."
On the other side, Itachi Uchiha, though tense, greeted Tsunade politely.
"What a nuisance. An Uchiha?"
Tsunade felt annoyed. She wasn't particularly eager to join this battle, knowing her own limitations.
Fortunately, Kakashi was by her side.
"That's Itachi Uchiha—the one who slaughtered his clan.
But judging from the situation earlier, there's another one.
Be careful of that guy!"
"Kakashi!"
Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, his Sharingan flared, and he immediately shouted a warning to Tsunade while retreating.
As he leapt away, he saw Obito Uchiha emerge from Kamui's Dimension, swinging a chain toward him!
"Obito!"
Kakashi recognized him instantly but felt something was off.
Not only was Obito's demeanor strange, but his appearance was also unusual.
Though he wore a mask, part of it was missing, his clothes were torn, and one arm was exposed.
Moreover, that arm looked... problematic.
"White... transplanted?"
Dodging swiftly, Kakashi muttered to himself before frowning and speaking.
"So, Minamoto encountered you in the Hidden Waterfall Village.
What's your goal?"
"My goal?"
Obito almost laughed in anger, recalling his brief encounter with Minamoto in the village.
For the first time, he realized someone could be this shameless!
That bastard had impersonated him to stir up trouble and then brazenly framed him.
Not only that, but Minamoto had used such despicable tactics, making Obito loathe him to the core!
"Instead of asking about my goal, let's talk about yours.
You're a useless trash, Kakashi."
"?"
"Only someone as worthless as you could train such a shameless disciple!"
"..."
"I'd like to see if that shameless bastard will mourn you after you die!"
"..."
Watching the increasingly unhinged Obito, Kakashi sighed inwardly.
He didn't know what had happened, but he suspected Minamoto had done something extraordinary again.
After all, it was rare to see Obito this enraged.
"Has the battle fully started?"
Minamoto wasn't surprised to find himself targeted by Pain.
After all, his highly provocative words were enough to break anyone's composure.
"I wonder how Obito is doing. And Tsunade..."
Dodging Pain's attacks, Minamoto couldn't help but muse.
Tsunade was likely still struggling with her hemophobia.
To Minamoto, her condition seemed more psychological than physical.
Having witnessed her most beloved people lying in pools of blood twice, those gruesome scenes had become her nightmare.
The sight of blood immediately triggered those memories, plunging her into despair and rendering her unable to fight effectively.
"And you dare to daydream while fighting me?"
Pain's voice suddenly rang out, his black rod stabbing toward Minamoto again.
"How do you know I'm daydreaming?"
Minamoto raised an eyebrow.
In the next instant, his aura changed dramatically.
Red markings appeared around his eyes, and his sclera turned white!
"Is this... that special state?"
Pain immediately recalled intelligence reports and Jiraiya's teachings.
"So, you've mastered Jiraiya-sensei's Sage Mode.
But it's useless because..."
As Minamoto flashed forward, his White Fang short blade glowing with purple lightning, Pain's power erupted.
"Against these eyes, you have no chance of winning!"
In an instant, Minamoto felt a powerful repulsive force surrounding him.
"Shinra Tensei?"
Understanding the situation, Minamoto was flung backward by the force.
At the same time, he rapidly formed hand seals, his Chakra surging violently.
"Sage Art: Great Fireball Technique!"
The moment Shinra Tensei subsided, Minamoto's Fire Release was complete.
A massive fireball hurtled toward Pain.
Pain snorted, leaping backward even though his body wasn't vulnerable to Fire Release.
Despite his invulnerability, he didn't want Yahiko's body to be hit unnecessarily.
At that moment, countless kunai shot through the flames.
"Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Seeing this, Pain immediately understood.
After encountering Minamoto so many times, the Akatsuki knew his tactics well.
If he dared to confront them, he must have come prepared!
Watching the dense barrage of kunai, Pain leapt back, ready for Minamoto's next move.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage, momentarily unbothered, turned to Shizune.
"What's Konohagakure playing at?"
"I don't know."
Shizune shook her head, equally confused.
"But Fourth Raikage-sama, if they really are here to kill you, we'll protect you."
"..."
The Fourth Raikage clenched his fist.
Kill me?
Are you sure you didn't hire them yourselves?!
Before he could voice his doubts, a sharp crackling sound of electricity filled the air.
Zzzzzz—
Accompanied by the sound was a deafening explosion!
Turning his head, the Fourth Raikage's jaw tightened as he saw Minamoto using—
"That's my technique?!"
(End of Chapter)
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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