A Tailed Beast Ball surged through the air with tremendous force, instantly arriving before Saitama.
Although Three-Tails was massive, the Tailed Beast Ball it launched appeared almost small by comparison. Yet as it approached Saitama, the visual contrast grew shockingly intense.
Its dark purple hue gave the projectile an eerie beauty, and its semi-transparent form resembled a black hole, drawing every gaze with mesmerizing intensity.
Saitama slightly raised his head, revealing his eyes.
That terrifying crimson gaze grew sharper under the arcs of electricity swirling around his body.
He swiftly reached into the ninja tool pouch on his waist, pulling out two Flying Thunder God Kunai.
The Tailed Beast Ball approached rapidly—several times larger than Saitama himself—and carried immense pressure. As it sliced through the air, it carved a deep trench into the ground straight toward him.
Something like a Tailed Beast Ball held incredible power.
Even for Saitama in his current form, it demanded serious attention.
One moment of carelessness could spell disaster and end in total defeat.
In short, there was absolutely no room for error when facing a Tailed Beast Ball!
At the moment, the only Ninjutsu techniques Saitama had mastered that could neutralize a Tailed Beast Ball were the Flying Thunder God and Wood Release.
From past-life memories, he recalled how Minato Namikaze once used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport Nine-Tails' fired Tailed Beast Ball far away from Konoha Village, sparing the entire village from destruction.
During Hashirama Senju's legendary battle against Madara Uchiha, Wood Release was also used to counter the Nine-Tails controlled by Madara, batting its Tailed Beast Balls away like a ping-pong ball.
However, the level of Wood Release Saitama currently commanded wasn't sufficient to block the Tailed Beast Ball now launched by Yagura.
Then, the only option left was the Flying Thunder God!
As soon as he sensed Yagura preparing the Tailed Beast Ball, Saitama knew he would have to rely on the Flying Thunder God technique—it was simply the most reliable method.
Therefore, he immediately retrieved his specially prepared Flying Thunder God Kunai.
These blades looked no different from regular kunai—simple and unadorned—but they bore his own Flying Thunder God Jutsu Seal.
Swish!
The moment Saitama drew the weapons, he flung them forward.
Lightning arced across each blade—this electric energy served as both propulsion and stabilization for their flight.
One kunai flew straight toward Yagura while another zipped at even greater speed behind Saitama, vanishing from sight in an instant.
When the Tailed Beast Ball approached within several meters of Saitama, Yagura stabilized his backward momentum, withdrew his head into his turtle shell, and his grotesque armor began swelling outward, encasing his entire body in thick layers of protection.
Right before the explosion, tiny fracture-like cracks appeared on the surface of the ball, radiating brilliant light like a crystal orb about to shatter.
Blistering heat poured forth, wild and uncontrollable.
Standing mere feet away, Saitama didn't flinch or even consider stepping back.
Instead, right before the Tailed Beast Ball exploded, he charged straight toward it, a calm, fearless expression etched across his face.
Crackling lightning surged across his hands, forming a crackling energy shield.
Before any of the Tailed Beast Ball's explosive force could escape from its core, both the ball and Saitama standing beside it vanished from sight in an instant.
Yagura stared in shock at the sudden disappearance of the Tailed Beast Ball, streams of chakra surging through his body as he became instantly alert.
Following the familiar chakra signature, his gaze slowly shifted toward the distance.
Did the enemy use that previously used Space–Time Ninjutsu to teleport his Tailed Beast Ball away?
In an instant, Yagura caught sight of a kunai flying from where Saitama had just stood.
The kunai wasn't moving particularly fast, already beginning to descend slightly.
Yet he recognized the aura on that kunai—the enemy chakra.
"Is this his weapon?"
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a figure appeared near the kunai and reaches out, catching it just before it hit the ground.
A wave of electric energy surged outward, causing the kunai to emit a brief flash of bright light.
Saitama held the kunai tightly, his head slightly lowered so that his face remained hidden.
All of this happened within an instant—less than a single second.
[Boom!]
In the next moment, the Tailed Beast Ball exploded. A deafening roar, a wave of oppressive pressure, and violent chakra erupted into the air.
From far to near, rows of trees were instantly consumed by the blast, reduced entirely to ashes.
What had been a green landscape began turning yellow.
And the yellow continued spreading outward, as though the earth itself had been flipped over, revealing its primal layers.
Saitama's clothes flapped violently under the force of the shockwave, producing a howling sound.
The distant explosion rose up behind him like a storm.
"That Space–Time Ninjutsu? He directly teleported the Tailed Beast Ball away?"
High in the sky, Konan narrowed her eyes. Her body was already surrounded by white paper petals, forming a perfect defensive shield.
Originally constructed as protection against the Tailed Beast Ball's explosion, now it only served to block the shockwaves coming from the blast in the distance.
From her view, the explosion spanned a vast area. The raging chakra carried a sense of utter destruction, making her feel as if she were staring face-to-face with something terrifying.
A mushroom cloud rapidly rose into the sky from the blast, clearly visible against the thick yellow smoke blanketing the air.
This Tailed Beast Ball still fell short of what she'd imagined, but even so, it was undoubtedly a strategic-level attack—an impressive feat for a jutsu unleashed under the Tailed Beast state.
Perhaps due to Yagura's insufficient preparation, Konan believed the Tailed Beast Ball could have packed an even greater punch.
Keeping her altitude, Konan stared at the blast site, puzzled by what she saw.
That kind of effort—teleporting the Tailed Beast Ball—seemed unnecessary, almost like more trouble than it was worth.
Wouldn't it have been better to just move yourself out of range instead?
Such an approach had indeed been the most effective and safest way to handle the situation.
Yet Saitama still chose to take the Tailed Beast Ball along with him rather than simply escaping on his own.
Puzzled though she was, Konan knew Saitama wouldn't act against his own interests. Her confusion stemmed solely from not understanding what he was thinking at that moment.
Still, none of that mattered anymore. Konan slowly shifted her gaze back toward the figure standing before Yagura—one who did not even glance back at the explosion.
On the other side, the Mist ninja erected defenses, hiding behind walls of earth and barriers of water.
Truthfully, they had already moved quite far away from the battlefield where Yagura and Saitama fought.
Because of Yagura's Full Tailed Beast Transformation, they had deliberately distanced themselves while fighting Konan, to avoid being accidentally harmed by Yagura in this state.
Moreover, Saitama had used the Flying Thunder God technique to redirect the Tailed Beast Ball. As a result, the distance had increased further, reducing the blast's impact even more.
They watched the enemy reappear, completely unscathed, right in front of Yagura.
After glancing at each other, their expressions turned heavy.
No enemy had ever shaken their morale like this one.
If even Lord Yagura's powerful attack couldn't harm this foe, what chance did ordinary ninja like them stand?
After Tailed Beast Transformation, Yagura's face was no longer visible—his entire body, including his eyes, was covered in thick, jagged scales.
But at this moment, Saitama thought he detected a flicker of surprise in Yagura's eyes, hidden behind those heavy layers of armor.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
This was the sound of rushing air currents from the explosion behind them, mixed with the deep, heavy breathing of Yagura directly ahead.
Saitama stood less than ten meters from Yagura. But with the beast's massive form, the distance meant nothing.
For either of them, closing the gap for an attack would take only an instant.
"You really are something else. It's been a long time since someone with your abilities appeared in the Shinobi World, Saitama Uchiha!"
Yagura spoke, his tone growing colder as killing intent surged forth, intertwining with the chakra of the Tailed Beasts swirling continuously around his massive body.
Indeed, Saitama's earlier maneuver redirecting the Tailed Beast Ball had shaken him.
Mastery of both strength and skill—it wasn't just a matter of Space-Time Ninjutsu.
"With such power, why are you set on subjugating all the Tailed Beasts and shattering the peace among the Hidden Villages?"
Yagura's voice sank as he firmly planted all four limbs into the ground, pressing deeply into it.
"What's the point of all this?"
Saitama glanced at the serious Yagura and hesitated slightly, without answering immediately.
...
In Amegakure Village,
Pain gave a slight nod as he looked at Sasori, who had already returned, and the shattered remains of the Wooden Cocoon beneath him.
With his Hiruko puppet destroyed, Sasori temporarily maintained his youthful human appearance.
"Leader," Sasori said, "I've always been curious about your motives and goals. At this point, could you explain them in detail?"
Sasori's expression was solemn as he sat there openly, directly raising his question to Pain.
This was very unlike his usual quiet self. Perhaps certain events had stirred some thoughts within him.
When he first joined the organization, Pain had briefly mentioned Akatsuki's ultimate goal.
At that time, Sasori hadn't really cared. Joining Akatsuki was merely for convenience and due to pressing circumstances back then.
But as time passed, seeing some of the things Pain had done, Sasori began feeling a certain resonance within himself.
Combined with Akatsuki's ultimate objective, Sasori had come to understand some of Pain's true thoughts.
"Born in Sunagakure, you must be quite familiar with the Land of Rain?"
Pain gazed at Sasori, his Rinnegan eyes filled with coldness. Yet for just an instant while speaking, a flicker of emotion had flashed through them.
He didn't answer Sasori's question directly—instead, he countered with a question of his own.
"The battlefield of great nations."
Sasori casually smacked his hand against the wooden cocoon beneath him before responding to the leader's counter-question.
"Ever since I can remember, this country has been overshadowed by powerful nations. Everyone lived in fear because they didn't know what tomorrow would bring—they saw no hope, powerless to control their own fates. From a very young age, I lived a wandering life, constantly hiding here and there, barely clinging to survival."
Pain spoke calmly, showing no emotional fluctuations, as if simply narrating a trivial matter.
But Sasori didn't see it that way. When you lose all hope about something, human emotion ceases entirely.
All that's left is this eerie, unnatural calm no one else can understand.
He himself had once experienced such a state—it was also the biggest factor that led him down his current path.
"That kind of life ruled constantly by fear isn't this nation's future! That's why I wanted to change it—to free this land from oppression."
"You should also know about Amegakure Village's former ruler, right?"
Pain changed the topic, looking at Sasori who was now staring intently at him.
"Hanzo Sanshouo, the semi-god."
"Right, exactly him. I originally believed he would become the savior of Amegakure Village, even of the entire country, considering he had grown up under those exact conditions himself. But in reality, he didn't accomplish what everyone hoped—he failed to remove the heavy stone crushing both village and nation. Worse still, after freeing himself from oppression, he chose to assist the oppressors, turning against his own people."
"He betrayed us precisely when we were striving for our future, being one of us originally."
"Struggle means bloodshed—that's what we all knew, and none of us were afraid of it."
"But he blocked our resistance against those great powers under the guise of doing what was best for us—because they were too powerful, and hope felt too distant."
"Sasori, do you know something?"
"This entire nation has been weeping!!!"
"Ever since I inherited the mantle from Hanzo, I've always known what I needed to do—and I've longed to act on it!"
"That's the scream from countless souls at the bottom of society—our demand for freedom and equality! This isn't just about peace!"
"Until now, this has been the unshakable rule of the Shinobi World," Pain's voice wavered slightly as chakra currents swirled around his body. Dust from the battlefield spiraled upward, suspending itself in midair like a swirling vortex.
"Small nations have never had a voice — this is an eternal truth of the Shinobi World."
Kankuro understood Ame's awkward position within the Shinobi World. He knew that the Land of Rain had always served as a buffer zone, constantly caught between the territorial struggles of Wind, Earth, and Fire countries.
"Just because things have always been this way, does that justify it?"
"We've been oppressed, exploited of our rightful interests, our spirits and willpower constantly eroded away. This is not what I wish to see!"
"I will lead the Land of Rain toward that long-anticipated utopia. I will bring hope to all small hidden villages similarly oppressed throughout this world!"
"I will accomplish the great feat of changing this world. Since this world needs revolution, what's wrong with me leading it?"
Pain stared at Sasori, noticing the subtle shift in his expression. Though his own face remained cold and indifferent, excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Truly unexpected reasoning. Could it be... your initial motivation actually strikes me as somewhat noble?"
Sasori's tone carried genuine surprise.
"After enduring so much oppression, someone's bound to rise up. It's the natural course of any era. Although sometimes everything seems so far out of reach, haven't we gradually pulled things in our direction through our own efforts?"
"One of my comrades sacrificed his life on this path, so I will continue forward, carrying his dream!"
"This time, I will make those great nations witness my wrath. We ninja, whom they've never even bothered to acknowledge, still possess powerful unity and decisive action!"
"Gathering the Tailed Beasts is merely our first step. I'll use the very weapons those great nations once wielded against us to teach them a harsh lesson! This is an age of transformation, and I shall stand at its forefront, directing everything!"
"For the sake of achieving these goals, I fear nothing!"
"I will return upon those great nations the pain they've inflicted on me — tenfold!"
"From this moment forward, let the great nations experience true suffering. Only when overwhelmed by more intense suffering can peace truly take root!"
"They will drown in the fury of us oppressed ones. The torment they feel will originate precisely from the torment we've endured!"
Sasori rose to his feet. Under the influence of a strange force field, the Wooden Cocoon slowly drifted toward Pain.
Surprisingly, he found himself agreeing — albeit partially — with Pain's words.
However, he wasn't born into Amegakure. He couldn't understand that suffocating sense of perpetual oppression from mighty nations — the humiliating helplessness of being forced onto one's knees again and again, compelled to swallow filth while declaring it delicious.
Still, after listening to the leader's speech, he felt that pursuing this endeavor might prove quite entertaining.
According to Pain's vision, the ultimate outcome would be a tranquil Shinobi World where everyone, having experienced suffering and tyranny, would cherish the hard-won peace.
Peace was exactly what he himself had wished to see during childhood.
Back then, before all that madness began — before the white-haired ninja came, murdered his parents, and left him orphaned — he had been just a cherished child.
"I'll go back first. This battle drained many of my resources. I need time to repair myself."
Sasori turned and walked away.
Pain watched the approaching Wooden Cocoon, sensing the Jinchuriki and Tailed Beast sealed within. His gaze slowly changed.
This was his weapon to defy the great powers, the machine that would fulfill his dream.
The oppression from those great nations had gone on long enough—he longed to shatter it. Sometimes, sacrifices were necessary for progress.
Just like sacrificing his own strength, or achieving lasting peace, or even creating a world where every class is treated equally!
...
"Because this world is built on lies!"
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