Nagato, gaunt as a corpse, stared into the distance with his Rinnegan. A chilling aura surrounded him.
"Of course he came to save the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki. If he'd been delayed here, that Fu would have died for sure."
Konan's hand brushed her chest, feeling the black rod buried there. She wanted to tell him that she had traded herself for Amegakure's safety—but she couldn't.
If she spoke, Nagato would go to settle accounts with Shigeo, and in that battle, only one of them could survive.
And when that happened, she wouldn't be able to protect him—or the Rain Village.
She nodded softly and looked down at the rain-soaked city below. Since Shigeo hadn't summoned her to Monin Village yet, she would spend what time she could at Nagato's side.
"Tomorrow," Nagato said, feeling the damp air, "we go to Konoha. To capture the Nine-Tails."
…
The Six Paths of Pain descended upon Konoha. The village was thrown into chaos.
Because Shigeo had saved Fu, Akatsuki's plans had been delayed by half a year.
Even so, Naruto Uzumaki had not yet returned from his training—after all, the entire timeline had shifted forward by two years.
For Konoha, it was a disaster.
Without Naruto to reason with Nagato, Konoha could only suffer.
Even in the original events, Naruto's arrival had not spared the village entirely—but at least the casualties had been fewer.
Without him, Pain might very well have annihilated every soul in Konoha.
Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, led the defense herself. Kakashi had once gone to Amegakure to investigate Akatsuki, but they still knew little.
Now, as the Six Paths of Pain appeared, Konoha was helpless.
The battle raged.
Tendō Pain fought the elite jōnin head-on.
Chikushōdō summoned monstrous beasts that rampaged through the streets.
Ningendō tore souls from bodies and used Shinsei Sen (Mind Layer Dive) to locate the Nine-Tails.
Shuradō attacked physically with overwhelming mechanical power.
Gakidō absorbed chakra from every resisting shinobi.
And Jigokudō summoned the King of Hell to restore the others, undoing every sacrifice the defenders made.
The Six Paths moved like gods.
Konoha wept. The village could barely breathe beneath their might.
Tsunade had summoned Katsuyu to heal the wounded, but even the Slug Sage's healing could not keep up.
For every Pain destroyed, Jigokudō restored another.
The courage of Konoha's shinobi was swallowed by despair.
Minute by minute, the slaughter deepened.
Explosions shook the streets; every passing second cost another life.
The once-peaceful village was now a war zone.
Ayame and her father, Teuchi, fled toward the shelter as massive summons trampled through the ruins and explosions echoed across the village.
"What do we do?" Teuchi gasped. "In so little time, the whole village has turned to rubble!"
Even as a civilian, he could see it clearly—Konoha's shinobi stood no chance.
"I have a way," Ayame said. "Father, go to the shelter. I need the Fifth Hokage's permission first."
Before he could stop her, she ran toward the Hokage building.
Teuchi could only flee alone.
Dodging debris, Ayame crept through alleys until she spotted Shizune in the distance.
But before she could call out, a black-cloaked figure with red clouds appeared—one of Pain's bodies.
He hurled an explosive tag. The blast sent everyone scattering.
When the smoke cleared, the Human Path Pain was behind Shizune, gripping her by the neck.
Ino, Inoichi, and several ANBU, disoriented by the explosion, turned to see her caught—but too late.
The Rinnegan glowed. He had already learned where Naruto and Jiraiya were—training at Mount Myōboku.
And then, without hesitation, he pulled out her soul.
Shizune's frozen face reflected in Ayame's eyes. She covered her mouth, trembling in disbelief.
"Ah—"
The sound escaped her throat despite herself.
The Human Path's gaze turned toward her. "All must die."
That conviction filled his mind as he charged toward Ayame, Ino, and Inoichi.
Ayame wasn't a ninja. She had gone to find Tsunade only because she carried a summoning talisman—one that, if approved, could summon Shigeo.
But now, there was no time.
The man before her was unstoppable. Shizune hadn't lasted a second.
If she were caught, she would die instantly.
Her body moved on instinct. In the face of death, the first name to flash in her mind was Shigeo.
She snatched out the summoning talisman and shouted, "Don't push me! I have backup!"
Her hands trembled as she lit the charm.
At that same moment, in Monin Village, Shigeo was at the medical ward, checking on Fu.
Though her Seven-Tails was gone, the Yin Kon Rin (Soul-Guiding Bell) had preserved her spirit.
He had used Jūzō Tengen (Ten Elephants Reincarnation) to return a trace of Tailed Beast chakra to her body before restoring her soul.
She was alive—barely two days since he had rescued her from Akatsuki.
Suddenly, he felt the talisman's pull.
He turned, instructing Wumang and Jinshi to guard the village.
"If anything happens, have a clone alert me."
Then he vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Ayame.
Across from them, the Human Path lunged—one hand ripping out the soul of an ANBU, the other reaching for Ino and Inoichi. They dodged and fell back into the rubble.
And in that instant of opening, he reached for Ayame.
"Ah!"
Ayame crouched down, covering her eyes in terror.
Shigeo appeared, his foot slamming into the Human Path's chest, sending him flying.
The body spun and retaliated. Shigeo's palm flashed with a black rod—driving it clean through the chest.
The Human Path shuddered and vanished.
Shigeo lifted his gaze across Konoha—and froze.
The devastation stunned him. Explosions, smoke, the cries of war everywhere.
Pain had moved fast. Less than two days since their last encounter, and already he had come to Konoha.
Shigeo had sent a letter from Monin Village to warn Tsunade, but it was still en route.
Pain had arrived before it could even be read.
"Shigeo—you came!"
Ayame peeked between her fingers. The moment she saw him, tears welled up and fell.
Moments earlier, she had been certain she would die.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]