"Sky Country? The one that once launched an assault against the Five Great Ninja Villages? Arrogant fools."
Black Zetsu's tone was cold, his voice hoarse.
Beside him, White Zetsu laughed heartily, his face full of excitement.
"Exactly! That very same country! You remember, don't you? You even forged a declaration of war to the five daimyōs and the five ninja villages in Hyūga Shigeo's name, pretending he was one of their people. Who would've thought? He actually became their leader for real! Looks like, in his eyes, our organization isn't even worth as much as a tiny nation!"
"That's only because he still doesn't understand the purpose of our organization," said Uchiha Obito, disguised under the mask of "Uchiha Madara," his voice icy.
White Zetsu grinned wider. "Even if he did, so what? He has a way out."
His smile was bright, but his heart burned with impatience. For two years, he had scoured the world for Hyūga Shigeo's whereabouts, finding nothing but false trails. Finally, he gave up the search—only for Shigeo to reappear the moment they stopped looking.
And with his reappearance came excitement that boiled White Zetsu's blood. That man carried within him the power of seven tailed beasts' jinchūriki. With him inside Akatsuki, merging the bijū into the Jūbi (Ten-Tails) would be effortless. Their plan would advance faster than ever.
"Then we'll just cut off his escape route," a calm but authoritative voice said suddenly.
All eyes turned upward.
Bathed in the light filtering through the gloom, six figures stood high above—each with yellow hair, clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds, metallic piercings embedded all over their bodies. Their presence was sharp, cold, and steeped in darkness.
Pain had spoken.
Among the gathered members stood Orochimaru. His brow furrowed slightly.
Hyūga Shigeo… Hyūga Shigeo…
After saving the old man and his grandson, Shigeo left some money and prepared to depart.
Unexpectedly, the boy ran after him, bowing despite his injuries.
"I know you're Hyūga Shigeo! You're my idol! Please, take me as your disciple! I'll do anything to get stronger!"
"Why do you want to learn ninjutsu?" Shigeo asked quietly. For someone without chakra, training as a ninja was harsh, often a lifetime's struggle with no guarantee of success.
But this child was only seven or eight. He still had infinite potential.
"I want to live. I want to protect my grandfather. I want to be strong!" The boy's voice trembled with emotion.
Their thin frames and ragged clothes spoke volumes of their hardship.
"Do you know about Nanmoku Village?" Shigeo asked.
Both shook their heads.
"Come with me. I might not be your teacher, but since you two stood beside me in the face of those assassins, I'll give you a chance. Everything will begin at the Ninja Academy. Remember—once you enter my village, betrayal is forbidden. If you betray… you die."
His tone turned cold, killing intent flickering in his eyes.
The pair tensed, nodding vigorously.
"Understood, sir! We'll never betray you!"
So Shigeo, who had planned to return to Nanmoku Country later, took the two and set out ahead of schedule.
After passing through the barrier and reef guard posts, they switched to a small boat bound for Nanmoku Country.
The old man and the boy sat together, eyes wide with wonder. Outside the foggy barrier, visibility was poor—but as they sailed deeper, the view grew clear.
"Grandpa! I'm really going to school! If Dad were here, he'd be so happy!" The boy's face glowed with excitement as he gazed at the distant islands.
His grandfather smiled warmly and patted his head. "From now on, this is our home. Learn well, protect our land, and make me proud."
"Un!" The boy nodded firmly.
Their tiny boat glided toward Nanmoku City.
But on the same sea route, another ship cruised alongside them.
Shigeo yawned lazily, resting against the rail. Absentmindedly, he glanced toward the neighboring vessel—and froze.
Six men stood there, staring directly at him.
Uniform yellow hair.
Strange black piercings across their faces.
Black cloaks with red clouds.
The Six Paths of Pain.
For an instant, Shigeo's mind went blank. Every hair on his body stood on end. His jaw dropped.
What the hell…? Six Paths of Pain? Here?
And they were moving straight through the only entrance to Nanmoku Country—the guarded sea route within the barrier.
Three hundred nautical miles of reef sentries, and not one alarm?
Then again, it was the Six Paths of Pain—no ordinary guards could have raised the alarm against them.
His gaze sharpened. His small boat, propelled by Fūton (Wind Release) chakra, sailed forward. On the other side, the six figures kept pace, their cold eyes fixed ahead.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" Shigeo finally shouted.
The six remained expressionless.
Then, as one, they slowly turned their heads forward.
Through the thinning mist, the towering outline of Nanmoku City became faintly visible.
Their target… was Nanmoku City.
Shigeo's body tensed. In the next instant, he leapt skyward from the boat, spewing a massive stream of Katon (Fire Release) flames toward the Six Paths.
Good thing I came back with the old man and the boy. If I'd waited for the summoning signal, Nanmoku City might already be gone.
The Asura Path (Shuradō) Pain stepped forward, landing on the sea surface, while the other five continued toward the city.
"I know what you're after. But you won't succeed."
When persuasion fails, Akatsuki's method is simple—destroy everything the target holds dear until they have no choice but to join.
"Feel pain. Only through pain can you glimpse Akatsuki's dawn."
The Asura Path's expression twisted into a feral grin.
From his bald head, six black bolts glinted under the faint light. His Rinnegan eyes locked onto Shigeo as he lunged forward.
He was enormous, built for brute strength. In the future, this very Path would crush Jiraiya's arm in an instant.
Shigeo couldn't let him touch him—not even once.
"Jagged Assault!"
The Pain's attack missed, but his fingers snapped open, launching countless black serrated blades from his arm straight toward Shigeo.
If those hit, his body would be torn to ribbons.
Shigeo flashed aside, avoiding the deadly barrage. But the next moment, the Pain gave him no time to think.
"Blazing Barrage!"
A volley of fiery projectiles shot from the Pain's back like homing missiles, arcing through the fog, chasing Shigeo's movements relentlessly.
"Crystal Release: Shield!"
On the ocean, Magnet Release was difficult—the iron sand too scattered to gather.
But Suiton (Water Release), Hyōton (Ice Release), and Shōton (Crystal Release) were perfect for maritime battle.
(End of Chapter)
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