As the battle erupted, the shinobi of Konoha were clearly caught off guard.
At the same time, Yoruha had already activated the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. His clones were dispatched to every corner of Konoha. Some were assigned to inform his family and close friends of the attack. Everything moved according to the plan they'd prepared in advance.
Inside the Hokage Building.
Tsunade stared out at the thick smoke rising from the distance, her expression grim, a fierce determination settling over her face.
"They're finally here," she muttered.
But to attack Konoha so openly and arrogantly? They were seriously underestimating the village.
"Silently, alert the ANBU. Have them notify all departments—initiate the defensive plan we've rehearsed the last few days!"
"Slug! Dispatch all clones to the battlefield. Prioritize evacuation and healing of the injured!"
Tsunade barked her orders without hesitation. Konoha had been preparing for this scenario for days.
And Tsunade firmly believed—Konoha could and would overcome the so-called Six Paths of Pain.
"Paper Tree? Where the hell is this thing?"
Just a minute earlier, Yoruha had already left Konoha. If his memory was correct, the Paper Tree—Nagato's hiding place—should be somewhere on the tallest mountain near the village.
After all, Nagato needed to remotely control the Six Paths of Pain through his chakra-transmitting black rods. His real body couldn't be too far from the action. And from a high vantage point, chakra signals would transmit more efficiently.
Still, locating him wouldn't be easy.
"This mountain's huge and I've only got ten minutes. Who knows exactly where Nagato's hiding…" Yoruha's eyes narrowed.
He had once left a Flying Thunder God seal on Konan—but now, he couldn't sense it at all.
That only meant one thing—Nagato had cracked the technique.
He really was a pawn worthy of Uchiha Madara's interest. Talented, dangerous, and resourceful in ninjutsu.
To be honest, Yoruha didn't really want to complete a system sign-in mission at such a critical time.
But knowing how stingy the system usually was, a timed mission like this—during such a high-stakes moment—had to come with a big reward.
And with the major players behind the scenes soon to emerge, Yoruha couldn't afford to miss any chance to grow stronger.
If he could locate Nagato's real body now, he could strike at the source—and stop the invasion at its root.
But finding him in time was another matter entirely.
Meanwhile, under Tsunade's command, Konoha had already organized a strong counteroffensive.
Their response strategy was sharp and focused.
The Animal Path, Asura Path, and Preta Path (Hungry Ghost) were being suppressed by Konoha's elite forces.
But the Human Path, Naraka Path, and Deva Path had broken through deeper into the heart of the village.
Using soul-reading, the Human Path had already confirmed—Naruto wasn't in Konoha.
"So they've moved him to Mount Myōboku... trying to hide him with the toads, are they?" Nagato murmured, expression calm and cold.
In his mind, he was God.
What were the Five Great Shinobi Nations or the Three Sacred Grounds? Mere tools. Peasants. Names for people to hide behind.
"Let's retreat, Nagato," Konan urged gently, gazing at his frail form. "The Nine-Tails isn't here. There's no reason to push your body further."
The Rinnegan was a fearsome power—but it had devoured Nagato's life force over the years, leaving him gaunt and skeletal.
Konan hated seeing him like this. Power came with a price—and she believed that price should be spent where it mattered most.
"Retreat? Impossible," Nagato's voice turned bitter. "Even if the Nine-Tails isn't here... I will make Konoha suffer. Especially Yoruha!"
His anger had never faded.
He hadn't forgotten the shame Yoruha had brought upon them. And now, it was time for divine retribution.
"But your body—" Konan began again, sighing with concern.
Power could corrupt. That's what Konan had seen happen to him.
Suddenly, Nagato's expression twisted into a grin.
"Hah... a summoned beast just found Yoruha's girlfriend and sister in the hills outside the village!"
"I'll send the Deva Path to kill them. Let Yoruha know the agony of losing his loved ones!"
Though he was laughing, it was a chilling, hollow sound.
And then—
Konan's expression shifted.
"No—Yoruha's found us! He's flying this way!"
High above the mountain, wings of wind unfurled behind Yoruha as he soared toward the looming Paper Tree.
He had to admit—it was not easy completing this mission.
If Konan had withdrawn the paper technique suddenly or used it offensively, the entire sign-in task could've been ruined.
He needed to stall. Just long enough to claim the reward—then he'd act.
Landing outside the Paper Tree's entrance, Yoruha let out a slow breath and forced himself to calm down.
Even as Deva Path was bombarding the village, he couldn't afford to panic.
He had to play the long game—for Konoha's survival.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
He tapped politely on the tree's door.
"Come in," Konan's surprised voice called from within.
She hadn't expected such… courtesy?
Yoruha stepped into the tree.
And at that exact moment—the system activated.
Ding!
"Host has arrived at the designated sign-in location. Sign-in process initiated."
"Countdown: 10 seconds."
At the same time, Nagato performed a reverse summoning technique—calling the Hungry Ghost, Asura, and Naraka Paths to the tree.
Konan stood protectively in front of him.
"Yoruha," Nagato said darkly. "I didn't expect you to find me so quickly. I'll admit—you're strong."
"But it's too late."
"I was going to kill your sister and girlfriend first. Let you taste the pain of loss."
"But now that you're here—I'll make the entire village suffer instead!"
His words were sharp and vengeful, dripping with hatred.
But Yoruha didn't respond.
Instead, his clones in Konoha were disappearing one by one in bursts of white smoke—transmitting vital battlefield updates back to him.
Five seconds left.
Yoruha's fists clenched. He was running out of time.
But he still believed it would work out.
After all, Deva Path always makes a grand declaration before unleashing the Super Shinra Tensei.
And as they say—pride comes before the fall.
That was what Yoruha was counting on.