"Thank you, Naruto," Tsunade said, placing her hand on Naruto's shoulder to signal him to step back. She continued, "Naruto didn't fight Pain long enough to gather more information, but Jiraiya did. Pain has six separate bodies, each possessing different abilities—from summoning techniques to canceling and absorbing chakra, all the way to gravity manipulation—who knows what else? However, Jiraiya did discover one important thing: these bodies have been resurrected and are controlled by the real Pain, who himself isn't among the six combat bodies. He's controlling them remotely from somewhere else."
As Tsunade described Pain's abilities, Naruto felt the Nine-Tails roaring within him.
Noticing that even the Nine-Tails was interested in the information about Pain, Naruto added, "There's also something else—you probably already know, but Pain possesses a Dojutsu called the Rinnegan."
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell completely silent.
Gaara and Kankuro had heard about the Rinnegan from Naruto before, but during his short time in Sunagakure, he hadn't gone into much detail about it.
They both looked to Tsunade, hoping to confirm whether it was true or if Naruto was hallucinating due to his injuries.
However, Tsunade simply nodded, verifying Naruto's statement.
Mei Terumi spoke first, saying, "The leader of the Akatsuki organization possesses the most powerful Dojutsu… the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
"The eye of the 'God' in the ninja world…" Raikage muttered softly, pulling his hat lower to shadow his eyes. "Great, just great—we're going up against the most powerful person in history, a direct descendant of the so-called savior. Just fantastic," he sarcastically remarked.
"He's no savior at all—he's not omnipotent, nor is he any 'god,'" Naruto angrily roared, almost matching the Nine-Tails' fury within him. "He's nothing more than a madman blessed with beautiful eyes."
After saying this, Naruto realized he was truly beginning to inherit the Nine-Tails' hatred for all Dojutsu and Kekkei Genkai—even though his right eye housed a transplanted Sharingan.
Temari had never seen this side of him before.
Naruto struggled to control his emotions, but his fists clenched beneath the bandages revealed his suppressed anger.
"You really hate Pain that much, huh?" she asked.
Temari was sure that during his previous recount of the Rain Village attack, Naruto must've left out many intense moments.
Meanwhile, Yugito studied Naruto closely after hearing how he spoke about Pain.
If even the usually calm Nine-Tails felt uneasy about the existence of the Rinnegan, she could only begin to imagine the depth of Naruto's fury and hatred—especially considering he had clearly faced someone with the Rinnegan before… and lost.
His shaking wasn't from fear—it came from rage.
"You really want another fight with him, don't you?" Yugito gently asked, as if sensing the shift in Naruto's emotions, though her own thoughts were far more complex.
Naruto met Yugito's penetrating gaze as he replied,
"If I can beat him, that'd be best. If I never have to face him again, that works too. Either way, as long as he's dealt with… but since you're asking, my answer is clear—I won't be anyone's pawn in their quest for so-called peace."
Tsunade chose to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"That's not even the most shocking part," she said.
At those words, Naruto finally calmed down. The room's attention shifted away from him, and Pain was no longer the main topic of discussion.
"You all know who Madara Uchiha is, right?"
## Amegakure — Pain's Tower ##
Konan remained silent before Pain's indistinct astral projection, the legendary Rinnegan watching her.
"Konan, it's time," he said in his usual calm and confident tone. "Go announce to my people what is about to happen. Let them see and hear the voice of God."
"As you wish," the blue-haired woman bowed respectfully as she replied.
She formed a few seals, and Pain's projection vanished before her eyes.
Pain's projection reappeared, this time outside the tower, five to six meters taller than the indoor projection.
Everyone in Amegakure was drawn to Pain's towering figure dressed in black robes patterned with red clouds.
"I know you are all suffering," Pain began his speech, his voice booming far beyond the village borders. "Time will be needed to recover from the destruction wrought by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and the scars of those lost lives still linger in your hearts—but this is a pain you must all experience… Now that you've felt such power firsthand, you should understand more clearly than ever that the tailed beasts must be entrusted to those capable of maintaining peace—us."
The hardened warriors of Amegakure erupted into cheers. Finally, they held the power to reshape the ninja world.
For years they had survived in the shadows of wars fought by other villages. Now, civilians celebrated Pain's declaration of "peace," believing war would no longer reach them.
"It's time to change the world. It's time for the greedy, shortsighted leaders of the Five Great Countries to pay the price for their actions. And if necessary, let them feel the wrath of God themselves."
Pain's concentric-ringed eyes swept across the village, sparking another wave of thunderous cheers.
"The pain I've endured throughout my life has transformed me into a divine being. If that's truly the case, then this village is full of the chosen! No village has revealed the true suffering of war and conflict to the world as we have. Therefore, this village shall lead the world into a new era of true peace!"
The villagers of Amegakure erupted into thunderous applause.
As Pain continued his speech, Konan stood at the entrance of the towering spire, listening and feeling the villagers' reactions.
Pain closed his eyes and resumed speaking.
"If I told you that all of this would be easy, then I'd be lying to you. I must be honest with my people. Many of you may not survive this journey—struggle always demands sacrifice. But you are the ones who will shape the future. Nothing worth achieving has ever come easily. I promise every one of you, the effort and sacrifices made for world peace are worth it. We are not alone. The world shall witness divine power. They will either submit and become our allies, or resist and become our enemies!"
Pain left the villagers with his final words:
"Join me in building a utopia! Amegakure shall lead the world to peace!"
As his voice faded into silence, Pain's image vanished.
Cheering erupted from every corner of the village, echoing even into the outskirts.
Konan turned and stepped back into the tower. On the streets below, celebrations had already begun.
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