In a dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha, Natsuro's true body was leaning against a large tree, eyes closed, meditating.
Ever since he had learned from Shikaku that the Akatsuki had begun their assault on the Eight-Tails, he had stationed himself outside Konoha.
At this stage, it didn't matter where he trained. He had already mastered all his destructive ninjutsu, and the only thing left to do was attempt the fusion of the Three Great Sage Modes.
Feeling the occasional breeze brush against his face, Natsuro took in the clear skies, lush trees, and comfortable temperature.
It was a rare, beautiful day.
A smile appeared on his face. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought so.
At long last, they had arrived.
The Akatsuki… or rather, the Six Paths of Pain!
...
Hokage's Office
Natsuro's Spirit Clone raised an eyebrow as he looked outside.
Finally, they were here.
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Shikaku, sound the alarm. Implement Enemy Response Plan No. 2. All shinobi are to escort the elderly, women, children, and the wounded to the shelters immediately," Natsuro instructed.
Hearing this, Shikaku's pupils shrank. He turned to Natsuro and asked, "Hokage-sama, is the Akatsuki attacking?"
Natsuro nodded. "The coming battle is beyond your capabilities. The one leading them is the wielder of the Rinnegan."
Shikaku gulped.
The legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?
"I understand. I'll take care of it right away," Shikaku replied without hesitation and rushed out of the office.
Natsuro placed the document he was holding down and walked to the window. As the village alarm began to wail, he smiled.
There was no other choice.
If Nagato's strongest attack were something like a Tailed Beast Bomb, he could use the Flying Thunder God's Guided Thunder to redirect it.
But Shinra Tensei? That ability rendered Flying Thunder God useless.
Even if he could suppress Nagato, the aftermath of their battle would be something Konoha couldn't withstand.
To minimize casualties in the village, preparations had to be made in advance.
In the original timeline, Nagato had used Outer Path: Rinne Rebirth to bring back everyone who had died.
But this wasn't the original story. There was no guarantee that Nagato would do the same here.
Besides, placing hope in the mercy of an enemy? He found that idea laughable.
Even if resurrection was possible, that didn't mean people should have to die in the first place. Death was never something to be taken lightly.
The best solution would be to intercept the enemy outside the village. His true body was already preparing for that. What he was doing now was just an extra precaution.
Gazing at the buildings of Konoha, Natsuro knew that all this infrastructure was not easy to build. Every bit of destruction meant a loss in village resources.
Unless…
A strange thought crossed his mind, what if Konan secretly funneled all of Kakuzu's savings to Konoha as compensation?
In that case, he wouldn't mind using Konoha as the battlefield.
After all, Kakuzu's hoarded wealth was probably enough to build an entire new village from scratch.
While he entertained that amusing thought, Natsuro watched as the villagers swiftly moved toward the shelters, escorted by shinobi.
The efficiency was impressive.
Seeing this, he realized there was no longer any reason for him to remain in the office.
His Spirit Clone dispersed, transferring all accumulated knowledge and experience back to his real body.
Facing Nagato, who, if not for later plot developments, could have easily been the final boss Natsuro wouldn't let his guard down.
Who knew what kind of abilities those Rinnegan eyes still concealed?
...
Outside Konoha
Seven figures rapidly approached Konoha.
Suddenly, the one leading them, Deva Pain (the main Pain), came to a halt.
"Nagato, what's wrong?" Konan asked in confusion.
"It seems someone is already waiting for us," Pain said, his Rinnegan eyes focusing on a familiar silhouette in the distance.
"They predicted our arrival?" Konan wasn't particularly surprised. The movements of other Akatsuki members in the Land of Lightning weren't exactly secret.
Since they were already capturing the Eight-Tails, it was obvious that their next move would be targeting the Nine-Tails.
Konan turned to Pain and asked, "Nagato, what's our next move?"
"It was always impossible to capture the Nine-Tails without first dealing with the Sixth Hokage," Pain said flatly. "The only difference now is that he's confronting us sooner than expected."
Konan nodded in silence.
At this point, they were committed. There was no turning back.
"Konan, head to the designated location first. I'll join you later," Pain instructed.
"Understood," Konan nodded and transformed into countless paper sheets, flying off in another direction.
With Konan gone, the Six Paths of Pain adjusted their course slightly before continuing forward.
Soon, they arrived within sight of the lone figure standing in their path.
"Yo, long time no see," Natsuro greeted them, his voice carrying a touch of nostalgia.
These were foes he had once feared deeply.
Now, he could stand before them with complete composure.
It was six against one, but Natsuro still felt that the advantage was his.
"Sixth Hokage, Natsuro Shindōkawa," Pain spoke in a calm tone. "You know why we're here. Hand over the Nine-Tails."
"You should also know that's not happening," Natsuro replied, looking at the Six Paths of Pain without the slightest hint of pressure.
In truth, even without his legs, Nagato's true body, capable of wielding all Six Paths abilities, was far stronger than these separate bodies.
"Hmph. Then I shall make you feel true pain before taking the Nine-Tails. This time, you stand before Konoha itself. As Hokage, can you still escape using the Flying Thunder God?" Pain scoffed.
"Make me feel pain?" Natsuro smirked. "Too bad… you're not quite capable of that."
The next moment, Asura Path sprang into action.
His forearm split apart, revealing a concealed weapon system. A series of missiles emerged from his arm and locked onto Natsuro.
With a launch, they hurtled toward him.
However, Natsuro remained still, as if he didn't even see them.
Then, the missiles abruptly halted in midair, as if hitting an invisible barrier.
Pain frowned.
A moment later, the missiles shifted trajectory, causing him to react immediately. The Six Paths scattered at once.
The redirected missiles shot toward them, exploding in a series of powerful blasts.
Thick smoke and debris filled the air.
Yet, Natsuro remained unfazed.
As the smoke approached him, it mysteriously curved around his body, dispersing harmlessly.
Then, Natsuro extended his hand toward a particular direction.
As the dust settled, Pain witnessed an astonishing sight.
Shuradō's body was being forcefully pulled toward Natsuro, as if an invisible force had seized him.
Natsuro caught Asura Path by the throat and looked at him with interest.
"Give it up. The moment you modified your entire body with metal, your fate was sealed," Natsuro remarked.
That's right, this was just a simple application of Magnet Release.
Magnet Release wasn't particularly destructive, but it had a special advantage against puppets.
Puppets relied on metal for durability, but against a Magnet Release user, they were utterly useless.
Asura Path, essentially a humanoid puppet, was completely paralyzed. Even his missiles were affected.
"Magnet Release?" Pain narrowed his eyes in surprise.
Their intelligence had indicated that Natsuro did not possess a Kekkei Genkai.
"Good observation. But it's too late now," Natsuro replied.
He clenched his hand, twisting Asura Path's body into an unnatural, broken form before tossing it to the ground.
At that moment, Animal Path completed her hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
In an instant, massive creatures appeared, toppling trees and shaking the earth: Hell Crab, Chameleon, Three-Headed Dog, Yatagarasu, and Bull.
Each beast was enormous, and all of them bore the distinctive Rinnegan.
"Hey, hey… It takes years for trees to grow, you know?" Natsuro sighed, rubbing his temples.
If environmentalists from his past life saw this, they'd probably be furious.
However, speaking of which, since Konoha had Yamato, there wasn't really a need to worry about reforestation. After the battle, they could simply call Yamato over to use Wood Release to restore everything.
As Natsuro spoke, he bit his finger. It had been a long time since he had used the Summoning Jutsu, but fortunately, he wasn't lacking in summons.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With the completion of the technique, a new wave of colossal creatures emerged in the forest.
Leading the charge was the mightiest toad of Mount Myōboku, Gamabunta, followed by the two elders of the mountain, Gamaken and Gamahiro.
Next appeared the slugs from Shikkotsu Forest and Manda from Ryūchi Cave.
The moment these summoned beasts arrived, the slugs remained calm as usual, but Manda immediately locked eyes with the toads in hostility.
"Enough fighting. The summoned beasts on the other side are yours to handle," Natsuro said indifferently. "Manda, the chameleon is yours. You're not telling me you can't handle that, are you?"
Manda's fury flared. It wanted to roar in protest but then remembered the warnings from the White Dragon Sage. With no other option, it let out an angry snort and turned its gaze toward the chameleon.
It would vent all its frustration on this pathetic lizard.
A mere chameleon? Ridiculous. Did they not realize that a chameleon's camouflage was useless against a snake's keen senses?
"Tch, the Rinnegan, huh? This enemy is troublesome," Gamabunta muttered. "Gamaken, Gamahiro, you take the ox and the crow."
"The clumsy me can…" Gamaken murmured as he turned his gaze toward the massive bull, whose sheer strength was undeniable.
Gamahiro, meanwhile, gripped his sword tightly, setting his sights on the airborne Yatagarasu. It was only natural for the most agile fighter to take on the flying adversary.
As for Gamabunta, he had chosen to face the Three-Headed Hellhound, sensing that it was the strongest among them. As the leader, it was his duty to fight the most formidable opponent.
That left the Hell Crab to the slugs. Fortunately, slugs were naturally easygoing and had no preference for opponents. As long as they weren't facing a flying enemy, they could handle anything.
With that, each of the summoned beasts engaged their respective targets.
"Well then, what other tricks do you have? You'd better use them quickly, or you won't get the chance," Natsuro said as he turned to face Pain.
Pain stood in silence, observing the summoned beasts with an expressionless face.
For the first time, he had encountered someone who could match the Animal Path in summon-based combat.
Even he had to admit, it was absurd.
Initially, Natsuro had intended to finish the battle quickly, but sensing someone rapidly approaching, he changed his mind.
He decided to prolong the fight and play with Nagato a little longer.
To be honest, he was starting to think he had overestimated Nagato, or perhaps underestimated himself.
At this point in time, his strength was downright ridiculous. Even if he were placed directly in the Fourth Great Ninja War, his impact wouldn't be minor.
Pain looked at Natsuro, feeling momentarily unsure of how to proceed.
Among the Six Paths of Pain, only Deva Pain and Asura Path were true combat specialists. The Animal Path relied solely on summoned creatures.
The other three had unique abilities, but they weren't main battle units.
Now, the Asura Path was completely countered by Natsuro's Magnet Release, and the Animal Path's summons were fully occupied.
That meant only Deva Pain was left to fight.
To make matters worse, before even seeing Natsuro's full strength, Pain already sensed that he was stronger than expected, far stronger.
Just based on what he had shown so far, he could have easily wiped out four of Akatsuki's members simultaneously.
"Still not making a move? Well then, someone wants to see you." Natsuro smirked as the presence he had detected earlier finally arrived.
A towering figure, wearing a forehead protector inscribed with the kanji for "oil," stepped forward.
It was none other than Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya… Sensei."
Pain's Rinnegan eyes contracted slightly, and for a moment, his emotions wavered.
"So it really is you…"
Jiraiya, who had rushed to the scene as soon as the battle started, finally arrived. Seeing Pain up close, his expression turned complicated.
"Should I call you Yahiko or Nagato?"
A moment of silence passed.
So Konoha had discovered the truth about the Six Paths of Pain?
After a brief pause, Pain finally spoke.
"Nagato and Yahiko died when Danzo of Konoha conspired with Hanzo to trap us. The one standing before you now is the God's Messenger, Pain."
Jiraiya's eyes widened at the mention of that name.
Danzo.
Even after death, that man continued to be a plague on Konoha.
"Nagato, Danzo is dead," Jiraiya said, his voice tight with anger. "And it was Natsuro who killed him. You must have heard the news."
"His death is irrelevant to me, and it changes nothing. My goal is to create a world without war, and the Tailed Beasts are a necessary tool to achieve it."
"Nagato, this isn't the way to peace," Jiraiya argued.
Pain's expression remained cold.
"Those who suffer will remember their hatred. Those who inflict pain will be hated in return. Guilt and regret will weigh upon them. But only through experiencing suffering can people truly learn to be kind to one another. Humanity can only grow after knowing pain. That is why, as the God's Messenger, I will make the world understand pain! Only then will peace be achieved!"
As he spoke, Pain's voice grew more passionate, and he spread his arms wide.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I am grateful for the lessons you once taught me. Without you, I would not have become who I am today!"
Jiraiya stood in silence, listening to Nagato's twisted philosophy.
He was struggling to comprehend what had turned the once-shy, kind-hearted Nagato into this.
Was it war? Was it pain?
"Jiraiya-sensei, if words can't reach him, then step aside and leave this to me." Natsuro finally spoke up.
Jiraiya hesitated, his heart aching.
Seeing his former student like this was painful beyond words.
"Something… something must have gone wrong along the way."
He clenched his fists.
"This isn't who you are, Nagato."
"Whether it's a mistake or not, we'll find out soon enough," Natsuro replied. "Once I take them down and confront Nagato's real body, the truth will become clear."
Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya stepped back.
Now, Natsuro stood alone against the remaining five Paths of Pain...
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