"You two have been watching for a while—why not come say hello?" Naruto descended from the sky, setting Karin gently on the ground as he spoke aloud, to himself and the empty air. His voice was low—and yet it spread in all directions. No one could hide from Naruto's sensory reach, not even one hiding deep beneath the earth.
"We've been spotted." A cold, emotionless voice responded. Two figures stepped from the wind-ravaged forest: "For someone as powerful as you, it'd be strange not to sense them."
One wore a mask, clothes shabbily tattered—just a neckband and some scraps left. His massive body bore countless stitched scars, and his beady eyes darted uncomfortably. The other wore a black cloak with a red cloud pattern and a scratched Rain Village headband, accessorized with piercings—punk style. His most striking feature: six concentric Rinnegan circles in his pale purple eyes.
First was Kakuzu, S-rank missing-nin from the Waterfall Village. Judging by his look, he was either freshly joined to or on his way into Akatsuki. Next to him was the current Akatsuki leader—Pain, actually Nagato's "Deva Path" puppet, fashioned from his friend Yahiko's corpse.
He was the one Naruto heard earlier, chiding about "carrying rice sacks."
Strictly speaking, both Nagato and Karin were members of the Uzumaki clan—Naruto's rare living kin.
Pain's gaze drifted over the spot where Kusagakure once was: just a massive crater remained.
"I've never tried on this scale," he thought, "but it would take my full strength using Shinra Tensei to create even that deep a crater. The power… it's undeniable."
"This one's strength rivals my own."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Quite the big-name in person, huh?"
Normally a corpse puppet emits no chakra—but Pain's puppet still carried Nagato's chakra. And even without chakra, movement generates an energy flow Naruto could sense.
"You know of me?" Pain's voice carried slight surprise, though his expressionless mask revealed nothing.
Akatsuki had operated in the shadows for a long time, their real plan only now unfolding. They remained low-profile.
"Not exactly," Naruto shook his head wryly. "But your chakra stands out like a beacon in darkness, even across mountains."
Pain nodded slowly. "Sensitive as ever."
Naruto tapped his masked forehead. Ignoring Kurama's shouts in the seal-sphere at the sight of Rinnegan, he continued, "If I'm not mistaken—those eyes used to belong to the Sage of Six Paths himself."
He deliberately used archaic speech—"old man"—knowing Pain couldn't see his features. Both Pain and Kakuzu seemed unfazed—logically, it wasn't surprising that a child unexpectedly wiped out an entire village, though.
Karin tugged Naruto's cloak quietly—they both stayed silent.
"It's fair to call you a big shot," Naruto said evenly. "Who in the ninja world doesn't know about the Sage of Six Paths? Having his eyes... that marks one as extraordinary."
Pain nodded, still measuring Naruto in silence. The sheer strength Naruto displayed intrigued him—someone who dreams of "making the world feel pain" might be a kindred spirit. But recruiting such a powerful fighter wouldn't be easy—he couldn't just forced them as he did with Kakuzu. And that mask—so similar to the one "Madara" wore—gave him pause.
Naruto, seeing Pain hesitate, continued without waiting for a reply:
"All Conflict Begins with Chakra. The Sage taught humanity its secrets to establish peace—through the Nine Tailed Beasts. That era was peace, yes." He spoke slowly, with a nostalgic tone as if he had actually lived through it.
"Over a thousand years have passed. With the Sage gone, desire grew unchecked—wars, death, betrayals of family, brothers, villages... distrust poisons the world and hatred drags us deeper into darkness."
"This world is ill…" Naruto's words hit home.
Kakuzu recalled the betrayal of Waterfall Village and the pain of being sold out—ever since, he'd trusted only money. Nagato thought of the tragedies in Rain Village—Yahiko's death, Shino's downfall. Even in Akatsuki's formation, those memories simmered.
Naruto spoke as if preaching destiny and divine purpose—uttering fate, mission, hope.
"You are the heir to the Sage's will—possessing the Sage's eyes. Will you inherit that legacy? Will you lead people and these ninja toward true peace?"
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.
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