"You're Shihara Ren?"
Nagato, controlling Pain as he hovered in midair, looked at the figure standing atop the Wood Dragon flying straight toward him. He raised an eyebrow slightly.
He didn't actually recognize Ren. After all, he hadn't personally participated in previous missions, so there was no chance for direct contact.
But the moment he felt that vast, overwhelming chakra—and saw the Wood Dragon soaring through the sky—he immediately understood who this person was.
Wood Release.
That alone was Ren's unmistakable signature.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Ren tilted his head, studying Pain with a hint of curiosity. Inside, though, he sighed faintly.
Why did this guy have to show up now?
At this point, Ren was a rare combination of offense, defense, recovery, and mobility. In this era, there really weren't many people who could make him genuinely cautious.
Shisui was one—his Mangekyō was simply too domineering. Forcibly rewriting someone's will was never something to take lightly.
Uchiha Fugaku counted as well, not because of sheer strength, but because of how little was known about his true abilities.
Then there was Uchiha Obito.
Ren wasn't afraid of fighting Obito head-on. Obito had Kamui, but Ren had Flying Thunder God. Without the so-called "attack eye," Obito found it hard to cause Ren any real harm.
The problem was what came outside of direct combat.
If Obito targeted Ren's friends or people close to him, that would be troublesome.
Fortunately, Ren didn't have many friends.
And for those he did care about, he had already given them Flying Thunder God kunai. If Obito tried anything, Ren would have time to react.
Beyond those three unstable Uchiha lunatics, there was only one person who truly made Ren cautious—
Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan.
He might look like a walking corpse, cursed by the so-called "Child of Prophecy," always on the verge of death—but his power was absolutely not something to underestimate.
Even Ren had to be careful dealing with him.
Nagato was, in every sense, a top-tier stat monster.
As for others—Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage—Ren found them troublesome, but not frightening.
Ōnoki couldn't hit him.
The Fourth Raikage hadn't yet reached his peak. His speed still wasn't faster than Ren's.
"I heard you've been investigating Akatsuki," Nagato said calmly.
Ren's thoughts stopped.
"Since you've gone this far, I'll give you an opportunity. I am Akatsuki's leader."
"Oh?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. Nagato being this direct was unexpected.
But instead of reacting cautiously, Ren smiled.
"Leader of Akatsuki, huh? Interesting. I've been thinking about how to find you—looks like my luck isn't bad."
"Strictly speaking, we've been looking for you as well," Nagato replied.
He hadn't even finished speaking when Ren suddenly drove the Wood Dragon straight at him.
At the same time, Ren's voice echoed across the sky.
"As long as I catch you, I'll have everything—Obito's information, Konan, Yahiko, Nagato—all of it!"
"…What?"
Pain's expression changed instantly.
He genuinely couldn't understand how this guy's mind worked.
No probing. No hesitation.
Just straight into combat.
"Shinra Tensei."
Nagato snorted coldly and raised his hand.
A massive repulsive force erupted outward. The Wood Dragon shuddered and halted midair.
The terrifying shockwave spread instantly, forcing Jiraiya, Pakura, and the others to stop advancing. Kirigakure's shinobi surged forward from all directions, surrounding the battlefield.
"What… is going on?"
Mei Terumi stared at the Wood Dragon in the sky and the lone figure holding it back. Her mind felt dizzy.
These techniques… these people…
None of it made sense.
Yet seeing that the man in the sky was blocking their enemies from escaping, a strange thought surfaced.
Are these… not enemies?
"Mei, move quickly," Ao urged beside her.
"They're tied up. We can't waste this chance. You know about the Elder and the Mizukage."
"…I know."
Mei nodded slowly.
Some things were never said outright, but everyone understood.
"Move out. Stay alert. Eliminate them all."
"Yes!"
Mist shinobi closed in.
Above, while Ren and Pain were locked in their aerial standoff, Jiraiya stared at the figure below with a grim expression.
"Orochimaru… why are you here?"
"Well, well," Orochimaru replied with amusement.
"So you finally stopped calling me by name? How rare."
"You bastard—what are you planning?!"
Jiraiya's heart sank.
Obito really is here.
Otherwise, how could everyone respond this quickly?
Mist shinobi. Akatsuki. Orochimaru.
Ren's judgment had been terrifyingly accurate.
Which only meant one thing—
This was going to be ugly.
When Jiraiya noticed two shadowy figures behind Orochimaru in the mist, he knew there was no avoiding it.
"So… what am I doing here?" Orochimaru tilted his head, smile widening.
"Obviously—"
His body vanished.
Like a phantom, he appeared beside Jiraiya.
"To finally kill the toad who's been chasing me all these years."
The ground erupted.
Kakashi, Tenzo, and Yūgao were forced to retreat instantly, as were Pakura and the others nearby.
The battlefield dissolved into chaos.
High above, Ren studied Pain carefully.
"I've been meaning to ask," he said lightly.
"You don't really feel… alive."
Pain snorted.
"You're talking nonsense."
But inside, Nagato was shaken.
This boy's perception was terrifying.
Ren's gaze sharpened.
"Those black rods on your body are emitting chakra. Your body looks alive, but there's no actual life force. You're being sustained purely by chakra."
He smiled faintly.
"You're a puppet, aren't you?"
Nagato's heart skipped.
Before he could respond, Ren formed seals.
His body suddenly became weightless, breaking free from gravity.
Ōnoki's technique.
Ren almost wanted to praise it out loud.
Flight—humanity's oldest dream.
Vines exploded from the Wood Dragon, lashing toward Pain.
Nagato evaded swiftly, unwilling to let Yahiko's body collide directly with the Wood Dragon.
He counted silently.
Then raised his hand again.
"Shinra Tensei."
The Wood Dragon roared in pain as it was repelled once more.
Ren smiled.
"I've been waiting for that."
The instant the repulsion faded, Ren shot forward like a streak of light, closing the distance in a blink.
"Rasengan."
Pain's eyes widened slightly.
"Banshō Ten'in."
A massive gravitational pull tore at Ren, dragging boulders from the ground into a giant sphere that slammed toward him.
Ren didn't dodge.
The Rasengan smashed into the stone mass, detonating it in midair.
Debris rained down.
Through the dust, Ren's figure emerged calmly.
"Your ability is impressive," he said.
"Repulsion, attraction—but every jutsu has limits."
Golden chakra flared around his body, forming a radiant cloak.
"Five seconds. That's your interval."
Nagato's expression darkened.
Already figured out?
They hadn't even fought for a minute.
"Even if you know," Nagato said coldly,
"information only matters when power is equal."
"You're not there yet."
"Is that so?" Ren laughed softly.
The Wood Dragon lunged again.
Nagato hesitated.
Using Shinra Tensei now meant another five-second window.
That hesitation cost him.
Ren burst forward, the two colliding midair with a shockwave that ripped through the sky.
The mist was blown away.
The forest below was flattened in patches.
Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru paused, staring upward in disbelief.
They could see the fight.
Which was terrifying in itself.
Speed. Power. Flight.
None of it made sense.
"This leader…" Orochimaru licked his lips.
"…he's no ordinary man."
"And Ren…" Jiraiya muttered.
"When did he learn to fly?"
Below, battles slowed.
No one wanted to get caught in the aftermath of that clash.
Then—
A body fell from the sky like a meteor.
"Scatter!"
Mei shouted.
Too late.
Pain slammed into the ground, forming a massive crater. Shockwaves flung shinobi in all directions. Some lived. Some died instantly.
At the center, Pain's body lay twisted, already beginning to regenerate under chakra's influence.
Ren descended slowly.
"Your taijutsu isn't that great," he said casually.
Nagato said nothing.
Ren folded his arms.
"You fight like Konoha shinobi. Let me guess—Jiraiya's student?"
Silence.
Ren smiled.
"Yahiko… or Nagato?"
Nagato finally spoke, voice heavy.
"You really are… astonishing."
Then he sneered.
"So tell me—why would someone as smart as you let Danzo lead you around by the nose?"
Ren's eye twitched.
That one hit a nerve.
He exhaled slowly.
"My plans aren't something you'd understand."
Then he pointed into the distance.
"I let you repair this body for a reason. I followed your chakra."
Nagato's blood ran cold.
"I found you."
For the first time, genuine fear surfaced.
If Ren reached his real body…
"This is your fault," Nagato whispered.
Pain's chakra exploded.
"Super… Shinra Tensei!"
Elsewhere, Zabuza led Mist shinobi toward the battlefield.
Then the world ended.
An overwhelming force tore through everything.
Men. Trees. Stone.
All were flung away like dust.
Zabuza barely held his footing.
When the dust settled, his vision cleared.
At the center—
A monstrous figure, like a living calamity, radiating destruction.
His blood turned cold.
"What… kind of monster… is this?"
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