"Good."
"Pain—"
"Let me see… where your limit lies!"
The fire of battle—
Ignited.
In an instant.
If Shenyue Yuan had eyes—
Everyone would have seen it.
That flame—
Exploding.
…
Equality of All Beings—
Activated.
Target: Pain.
Synchronization—complete.
…
Boom—
The rain fell.
What had been frozen in the clouds—
Now crashed down like a flood.
…
"…."
Pain's pupils trembled.
He looked up.
The sky—
Had changed.
…
Konan and Orochimaru both turned—
Sharp.
Alert.
Toward Yuan.
…
Raindrops slid down his face.
He stepped forward.
Pulled the black cane from the ground.
And—
Everything changed.
…
That ordinary confidence—
Gone.
In its place—
Something vast.
Something absolute.
He stood there—
As if fused with the world itself.
Every movement—
Like the breath of heaven.
…
This…
This is it.
Yuan felt it clearly.
This power—
Was nothing like before.
Danzo?
Trash.
This—
Was something else entirely.
…
His body—
Transformed.
Strength—
Beyond limits.
Enough to dominate the entire ninja world.
…
At this moment—
He was the Deva Path.
…
Konan's voice trembled.
"…How can someone…"
"…increase their power to this level…"
"…in an instant?"
"…This is completely different."
Orochimaru—
Was stunned.
"…He really is a genius…"
Regret flickered in his eyes.
He shouldn't have exposed him so directly.
…
This place—
Was no longer safe.
Not for him.
…
Konan frowned.
If Yuan truly had Pain's level of power—
Root?
Konoha?
All of it—
Would be trivial.
So why would someone like this—
Serve Konoha?
And if he joined Akatsuki—
Wouldn't that make things even more unstable?
…
No.
She rejected that thought.
This must be a trick.
A strange ability.
Like his communication earlier.
Orochimaru thought the same.
It has to be fake.
It has to be.
"He can't be that strong…"
He reassured himself.
"He's just a kid…"
"There's no way…"
…
But—
Pain saw differently.
…
He didn't even look at Yuan.
Yet—
He understood everything.
The world—
Had always been under his control.
But now—
That balance…
Was broken.
…
Half the world's power—
Favored him.
The other half—
Favored Yuan.
…
A second Deva Path—
Had appeared.
…
Pain lowered his gaze.
Looked directly at Yuan.
This test—
Didn't need to continue.
But—
He felt it.
That overwhelming will.
That loneliness.
That hunger—
Of someone without equals.
…
"…What have you experienced?"
Pain's voice turned sharp.
"What power…"
"…lets you stand at my level?"
This time—
They resonated.
Not in ideology—
But in strength.
…
Nagato had long stood—
At the peak.
Alone.
Unchallenged.
But now—
Through the fading mist—
He saw it.
Another peak.
And on it—
Stood Shenyue Yuan.
…
That—
Ignited him.
…
"You said it first."
Pain raised his arm.
Cold.
Commanding.
"Then show me."
"Your limit."
…
His palm—
Opened.
Space—
Twisted.
"Universal Pull."
…
A terrifying force—
Exploded outward.
The rain—
Spun violently.
Drawn in—
Like a vortex.
A storm collapsing into a single point.
…
Konan and Orochimaru—
Held their breath.
Watching.
…
Yuan didn't resist.
Not at all.
He let the force—
Drag him forward.
Pulled—
Toward Pain.
…
Of course.
This was the classic combo.
Pull—
Then repel.
For most—
That alone—
Was fatal.
Their organs—
Shredded.
Their bodies—
Destroyed.
…
But Yuan—
Didn't care.
Not anymore.
…
"Shinra—"
Pain began.
…
But—
At that exact moment—
"EAT THIS!!!"
Yuan roared.
Mid-air—
His black cane—
Glowed.
Flooded with chakra.
Blue light—
Surging.
He swung—
Downward.
…
A single strike.
Simple.
Direct.
But—
Carrying enough force—
To shatter mountains.
…
CRASH—
Space trembled.
…
Pain's pupils shrank.
His invisible forces—
Collided with the strike—
And—
Canceled out.
…
WHOOSH—
Yuan landed.
Water exploded beneath his feet.
No retreat.
Only advance.
…
Another strike—
Descending.
Fast.
Brutal.
The cane—
Vibrated.
Sliced through the air—
Like it was tearing space apart.
…
Pain saw it.
Clearly.
Speed.
Power.
Equal.
…
At that moment—
Nagato realized something.
If Konan had been the one testing him—
She might not have survived.
…
"…Hmph."
Pain's sleeve shifted.
A black rod—
Slid into his hand.
"You have a weapon…"
"…so do I."
…
The clash—
Was inevitable.