"Hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
Pain's voice echoed across the battlefield, cold and emotionless, as though he were issuing an order to an insignificant subordinate rather than confronting an enemy.
Shisui steadied himself after the brief setback. His eyes flashed crimson as the three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.
In the next instant, his figure split into dozens of afterimages, all charging forward simultaneously.
The twenty jōnin he brought with him were no spectators. They moved in perfect coordination, launching a barrage of ninjutsu toward the remaining Paths of Pain.
"You want me to hand over Naruto?" Shisui shouted.
"That's a pipe dream!"
His katana swept forward.
A faint three-foot blade aura burst from the edge of the sword. For a moment, it was as if the very world had changed color under that slash.
Even Pain's expression shifted slightly.
Several of the Paths leapt backward at once. The ground split apart, a deep gully carved cleanly through the earth.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Without pause, Shisui formed a single hand seal. A massive fire dragon roared into existence, surging forward as scorching heat flooded the battlefield.
At that moment, the Preta Path appeared directly in front of the flames.
He extended one hand.
The fire dragon rapidly shrank, its form collapsing inward as its chakra was forcibly drawn away, swallowed by an invisible pull.
This was the Preta Path's ability—chakra absorption, capable of nullifying nearly all ninjutsu.
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
"So it can absorb chakra… Is this truly the power of the Rinnegan?"
In just one exchange, he had already identified the Preta Path's function.
Six bodies… six different abilities.
The realization sent a chill through him.
The Rinnegan really is abnormal.
Shisui didn't hesitate. He unleashed six more fire techniques in rapid succession, his Sharingan flashing as he wove subtle genjutsu into the attacks.
Moments later, the chakra was absorbed once again. The flames dispersed into nothing, like drifting smoke.
Shisui frowned.
It wasn't the absorption that troubled him.
It was the fact that his genjutsu hadn't taken effect at all.
Are they immune to genjutsu?
Or is my level insufficient?
There was no time to hesitate.
Shisui directly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
The pressure radiating from these enemies was immense.
The previous exchanges had taken place in the blink of an eye. Only now had the rest of his squad fully engaged.
The Animal Path raised its hands, summoning multiple creatures in succession. Each summoned beast carried an aura no weaker than that of a jōnin.
His gaze swept indifferently over Shisui's subordinates—as if they weren't twenty elite shinobi, but twenty fresh academy graduates.
The remaining Paths moved with frightening agility, evading attacks effortlessly.
Throughout it all, the Deva Path stood motionless, observing everything with detached indifference.
Shisui closed the distance in a flash.
His sword came down in a clean, decisive arc.
The Deva Path tilted his body slightly.
The blade passed just beside his face, white light flashing along its edge.
"Feel the pain.
Shinra Tensei."
A terrifying repulsive force erupted outward.
Shisui cursed inwardly, immediately bringing his sword horizontally in front of him.
Boom!
His body was smashed into the ground, dust and debris exploding into the air.
"I have witnessed countless deaths," Pain said calmly as Shisui struggled back to his feet.
"Their pain has shaped me. Only by understanding pain can ignorant children grow into adults."
Shisui's brows knitted tightly.
Pain continued, his voice unwavering.
"Through infinite suffering, I have transcended mortality. I have become a god."
That condescending tone made Shisui's expression darken further.
In Naruto's words, this wasn't enlightenment—it was a sickness that needed to be cured.
Shisui steadied his breathing and finally spoke.
"…What is your true goal?"
Shisui had also cultivated martial arts alongside his ninjutsu. His physical body was far stronger than before.
Otherwise, that Shinra Tensei alone would have inflicted serious damage.
"To bring peace to this world," Pain's voice echoed coldly, "the world must first experience pain. The Great Nations wage war without restraint, so I will make them taste the pain of war itself."
"Only when the world feels true pain will it no longer dare to wage war so easily. We will collect the Tailed Beasts and create weapons capable of destroying an entire country in an instant."
"Peace born from pain—only through shared suffering can this world be guided toward stability."
Pain's words reverberated across the battlefield.
Shisui felt his scalp prickle.
Strangely enough, there seemed to be a twisted logic behind those words.
But in the next moment, Shisui shook his head sharply and looked at Pain again.
Another soul destroyed by war…
This idea of forcing the world to feel pain would only plunge the people into even deeper fear.
That was not peace.
Weapons of deterrence would only make people live under constant threat. Even if war stopped, fear would never disappear.
"You've fallen into a delusion," Shisui said firmly. "This method can never bring peace. Deterrence only forces people to live in fear."
He looked at Pain with a trace of emotion.
This man reminded him of Itachi—someone who had gone too far, trapped by his own extreme ideals.
Their understanding of peace was built entirely around themselves.
Unlike them, Shisui had someone who had pulled him back.
True peace could not be achieved through fear or oppression.
Military deterrence could only maintain a fragile calm for a time. People would still live beneath the shadow of destruction, their lives unchanged.
The absence of war did not mean peace had been achieved.
Shisui sought something greater.
A world where the people of the ninja world could live better lives—where happiness itself became the foundation of peace.
That was true peace.
"If you truly want peace," Shisui said earnestly, "then join our organization. We have clear policies and a clear direction. Only we can lead this world toward genuine peace."
Pain's expression did not change.
"Enough," he said coldly. "Your so-called justice is meaningless to me. You wage war, you attack the Five Great Nations—and you call that peace?"
"All I see is blood. All I see is pain."
"If you are willing to join us and help the world feel pain, then I will show you what true peace really is."
In Pain's heart, there was only one truth.
His own.
"Heh."
Shisui almost laughed in anger.
Why was he arguing with a madman?
A lunatic didn't need persuasion.
He needed treatment.
And in Naruto's words—
A good beating usually fixes it.
Shisui abandoned all idle thoughts.
In that instant, he became like a blade drawn from its sheath.
His aura surged violently, climbing to its absolute peak.
Any blood spilled today would become part of the foundation upon which peace was built.
When the surrounding shinobi looked toward Shisui, a sharp pain stabbed at their eyes.
Shisui held his sword horizontally.
His presence soared.
In the next moment, his figure split apart into dozens of clones, crossing and weaving through the battlefield in a chaotic pattern, making it impossible to distinguish illusion from reality.
The battle escalated.
...
TN:
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