Chapter 178: A Clash of Ideals
In a forest just outside Otogakure, the two leaders of Akatsuki stood poised for action.
"Hmph. It really is just a minor village. They don't even have a proper barrier," the Deva Path of Pain remarked, his Rinnegan eyes scanning the distant silhouette of the Sound Village with disdain.
"Shall we summon the other Paths to test their defenses first?" Konan asked, her voice calm.
"Unnecessary. A village of this size is not worth the effort. Let's go." With that, the Deva Path began walking towards Otogakure, Konan falling into step beside him.
They soon reached the village gates. The Oto-nin guards immediately spotted them and leapt out to block their path.
"Halt! Identify yourselves!" one guard shouted.
Pain and Konan ignored them completely, continuing their advance as if the guards were invisible.
"Bastards! I said stop!" Enraged by the disregard, a guard rushed forward to physically block their way.
The Deva Path stopped. His Rinnegan eyes, devoid of any emotion, focused on the guard. The guard, meeting that strange, concentric gaze, felt a chill.
"Those eyes... you... who are you?" he stammered.
He received no verbal answer. Instead, an overwhelming pressure slammed into him. Before he could process the terror, he felt a sharp, excruciating pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a black rod protruding from his sternum. Pain had struck faster than the eye could follow.
"You... you..." the guard gurgled, his eyes wide with horror and disbelief. Then his body went limp as Pain withdrew the rod, letting the corpse slump to the ground.
"Hmph. To dare obstruct a god," Pain stated coldly.
The other guards stared in shock. "How dare you! They're enemies! Kill them!" Recovering from their stupor, they drew their kunai and charged in a blind rage.
Konan responded with a dismissive snort. She raised her right hand and several sharp projectiles—shuriken fashioned from hardened paper—shot forth with lethal speed. The charging Oto-nin barely had time to register the attack before each felt a sharp impact in their throats. They collapsed, choking, paper shuriken embedded in their necks.
"Annoyances," Pain commented, stepping over the bodies without a second glance and proceeding into the village.
The commotion had already alerted the rest of Otogakure. More shinobi swarmed the area, quickly surrounding the two intruders.
"Damn it! You dare invade our village? How arrogant!" one of them yelled, ready to attack.
"Hmph. Is Uchiha Ren still hiding? If he won't come out, I'll just clear these pests away first. Konan," Pain said, his voice flat.
"Understood." Konan knew his intent instantly. Her body dissolved into countless sheets of white paper, scattering into the air.
"Trying to escape? Don't let them!" the Oto-nin cried, mistaking her transformation for a retreat. They launched a volley of ninjutsu and weapons at Pain, who remained standing still.
Facing the onslaught, Pain made no move to dodge. He simply raised his hands slowly, his expression unchanging.
"Bear witness to divine punishment." His voice echoed with an otherworldly authority. "*Shinra Tensei!*"
An unimaginable force of repulsion erupted from his body. The incoming attacks vaporized instantly. The wave of force expanded outwards, slamming into the surrounding Oto-nin with the power of a natural disaster. They were flung away like ragdolls. Buildings within a 10-meter radius groaned and collapsed into rubble. None of the shinobi caught in the blast could rise again.
Fortunately, the scale of this Shinra Tensei was limited. The damage was contained to the village entrance and its immediate vicinity. But the explosion of power had served as a deafening announcement of their presence. The entire village was now on high alert. More Oto-nin poured into the area, surrounding Pain once more.
"Damn you! Did you do all this?!" a ninja screamed, his voice cracking with fury.
"Where is Uchiha Ren?" Pain asked, his tone utterly calm, as if inquiring about the weather. He ignored their questions entirely.
"You're looking for death!" the ninja roared, and the crowd prepared to charge again.
"Hmph. Overestimating your abilities." Pain raised his hand once more, preparing to unleash another Shinra Tensei.
"*STOP!*"
A commanding voice cut through the chaos. The Oto-nin froze. Even Pain paused, his hand lowering slightly.
The crowd of sound ninja parted respectfully. Uchiha Ren, followed by Sasuke and the other members of the Eagle team, walked calmly to the front of the crowd. He came to a stop before Pain, a playful, challenging smirk on his face.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes locked onto Ren, their gaze as impassive as stone.
The two forces stood facing each other, the air crackling with tension. The leader of Akatsuki and the destroyer of Kumogakure had finally met.
"Pain?"
"Uchiha Ren."
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