Pain Mobilizes

Nara Shikaku personally came to the Stone Ninja camp. Since Konoha had ceded considerable benefits, Ōnoki was quite courteous toward Nara Shikaku and the others.

Moreover, Konoha had come to deliver intelligence they had gathered. Ōnoki had begun to believe the intelligence Konoha provided. The Stone Ninja had clashed with Akatsuki several times, but Ōnoki had never expected Akatsuki to have been founded by the leader of Amegakure. Had he known, he would have sent people to investigate long ago.

"Lord of Earth, Hokage-sama’s intention is for both sides to exchange a few intelligence-gathering personnel. If either side encounters Amegakure’s leader, they can gather information on the Rinnegan. Although Amegakure’s leader would most likely be directly eliminated by your forces upon encountering the Stone Ninja forces, Konoha is still rather curious about the Rinnegan’s abilities."

Nara Shikaku spoke with a hint of praise for the Stone Ninja in his words. After hearing him out, Ōnoki pondered for a moment before agreeing to Nara Shikaku’s request.

"Fine, I agree to this."

They were merely exchanging a few intelligence gatherers. As long as they were strictly watched within the camp, there was no possibility of the Stone Ninja camp’s intelligence leaking out. Besides, sending people to the Konoha camp might allow them to uncover information about the other side.

Ōnoki had some understanding of Akatsuki’s strength, but he had no intention of sharing that intelligence with Konoha. Konoha had certainly held something back as well. If they had truly captured someone from Akatsuki, they definitely would have obtained more than just this information.

This time, the Stone Ninja had dispatched nearly twelve hundred ninjas, far more than they had sent against Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War. If not for plundering resources, the Stone Ninja’s actions would have been utterly meaningless.

The reserves of small countries existed for only one purpose: to supply the great countries. This was not merely Ōnoki’s belief; Sarutobi Hiruzen thought the same way.

If Rain Country’s resources were plundered and brought back to Iwagakure, the Stone Ninja’s strength would rapidly grow. Even if the Fourth Shinobi World War broke out a few years later, the Stone Ninja would have nothing to fear.

"Nagato, the Stone Ninja forces are about to reach the place where we stored the steel."

Konan came to where Nagato was, speaking with some urgency. That steel was a necessary resource for changing Rain Country’s environment. If the Stone Ninja plundered it all, their reconstruction plan would have to be halted.

"Have Kakuzu and Raiga Kurosuki reached their positions?"

"Yes. Fortunately, the Stone Ninja haven’t transported the goods back to Earth Country yet. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to recover our previous losses." Konan nodded, then hesitated briefly before continuing. "Biwa Juzo seems to have lost contact. Should we use the Projector Technique to contact him? If there’s no response, then he was captured or killed by Konoha—"

"Konoha."

At the mention of that name, an unreadable look flashed through Nagato’s eyes. He then said calmly, "Ignore him. If he remains out of contact, then he was captured or killed by Konoha Ninja. It seems that although Konoha has few ninjas, its elites are still in Rain Country."

"At present, the Stone Ninja are the greater problem. To satisfy their own desires, they recklessly vent their pain upon small countries. The existence of these great-country ninja villages is itself a mistake in this world!"

Nagato said coldly, "It was because of them that Yahiko died in agony. Unless they experience pain, the great-country ninja villages will never understand the pain of the small-country ninja villages, and peace can never arrive. This time, I will make Iwagakure feel the pain endured by Rain Country’s people."

After a long period of treatment with the Medical Machine, Nagato had gradually recovered his ability to move. However, the black rods in his back were the transmitters through which he controlled Pain’s Six Paths and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Until he regained exceptional mobility, Pain’s Six Paths remained his strongest means.

Nagato said, "Let’s go, Konan. We’ll deal with the Stone Ninja first, then Konoha!"

"I understand!"

After saying that, Konan did not choose to travel using the Paper Clone Technique. Instead, she traveled with Nagato by leaping from tree to tree like a ninja. This would conserve Chakra and allow Nagato to recover as much as possible.

They had originally been positioned close to the front line. After learning the Stone Ninja forces’ intelligence, they headed straight toward them.

Their travel speed was average, mainly because Nagato slowed Konan down.

As they were nearing the Stone Ninja’s location, Konan and Nagato suddenly came across two Stone Ninja squads pursuing and killing Amegakure ninjas.

"Hmph!"

Konan snorted coldly, and her body split into sheets of paper as she prepared to deal with these invaders.

"Konan, let me handle this. The Human Path can obtain some information."

Nagato suddenly stopped Konan, making her halt before activating the Paper Clone Technique.

"Summoning Technique!"

Nagato then formed hand seals with both hands and swiftly used the Summoning Technique.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

After a burst of smoke, Pain’s Six Paths were summoned by Nagato. Under his control, they immediately leaped from the forest and charged toward the Stone Ninja squads.

"Who are you?!"

Six figures suddenly rushed out of the forest, startling the Stone Ninja who had been about to kill the Amegakure ninjas. But when they saw the forehead protectors of these people, the ninjas from the two Stone Ninja squads knew that these sudden arrivals were Amegakure reinforcements.

"A few more fools here to die. Shin, Ryusuke, kill them!"

The Stone Ninja Jonin said with a savage grin. The cooperation of ninjas from a great country utterly crushed these small-country ninjas. Amegakure’s ninjas fought independently; neither their ninjutsu nor their tactics had any coherent system. Before the Stone Ninja’s coordination, they were as weak as soft tofu.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"

The Stone Ninja coordinated flawlessly. As soon as the Jonin spoke, the others understood what ninjutsu to use. The three quickly formed hand seals and simultaneously unleashed the same Earth Release ninjutsu.

Rumble—!

In an instant, hundreds of sharp stone spear pillars erupted from the ground, attacking Pain’s Six Paths from every direction.

Deva Path Pain extended one hand, expressionless. "Shinra Tensei!"

Boom!

Centered on Deva Path Pain, an immensely powerful repulsive force burst outward in every direction. The Earth Spears unleashed by the three Stone Ninja were instantly shattered by that force.

"What?!"

The Stone Ninja Jonin’s eyes filled with disbelief at the sight. What kind of ninjutsu was that? He hadn’t even seen him form hand seals.

But the Human Path suddenly appeared behind the Stone Ninja Jonin. One hand shot forward and directly clamped around the Jonin’s neck.

"Argh!"

A tremendous force instantly surged from the Human Path’s hand, nearly suffocating the Stone Ninja Jonin. Under such agony, he could not even form hand seals.

Then, just as he was about to suffocate and pass out, the Stone Ninja Jonin’s soul was directly torn from his body by the Human Path.

"Captain!"

The other two Ninja tried to rush over and save their captain, but Deva Path Pain directly pulled them in from afar with Banshō Ten’in. Just as the two Iwa-nin neared Deva Path Pain, two Black Receivers extending from his palms pierced their hearts.

"To obtain intelligence, the soul of a Jonin is enough."

Shaking off the corpses of the two Iwa-nin, Deva Path Pain tilted his head slightly and saw that the remaining Iwa-nin were already on the verge of collapse under the attacks of the Asura Path, Naraka Path, and Animal Path.

Konan also appeared before the Amegakure Ninja being pursued, using the Paper Clone Technique. She calmly told them, "Leave this place. You won’t need to take part in the battle ahead."

"Lady Angel?!"

All the Ninja of Amegakure were extremely familiar with Konan’s technique. Upon seeing the sheets of paper drifting around them, the three Amegakure Ninja spoke with excited expressions, then immediately followed Konan’s orders and quickly left the area.