The water tentacles that had risen around Akira suddenly froze mid-motion as Konan's amber eyes flashed with genuine interest. Paper sheets began materializing from seemingly nowhere, fluttering through the rain like deadly white butterflies before forming into razor-sharp shuriken that hovered in the air around her.
"I am" she said, her voice carrying a new weight of authority. "Angel of this village. And you have just made a very foolish request."
The chunin behind Akira took several steps back, his face pale with the realization of what he was witnessing. Civilians who had been walking the streets moments before seemed to melt away into buildings and alleyways, leaving the street empty except for the two combatants.
"Angel, huh?" Akira's grin widened as he felt the familiar thrill of anticipation course through his veins. "Perfect. I was hoping for someone with a divine title."
The water tentacles resumed their motion, weaving through the air around him in complex patterns while more moisture was drawn from the rain-soaked environment. The very air seemed to thicken with gathered water as droplets converged from every direction.
"You control water," Konan observed, her paper shuriken shifting positions to maintain optimal angles of attack. "Impressive technique, but water has little effect against paper when properly prepared."
"Let's test that theory."
Akira moved first, his water tentacles lashing out with surprising speed and precision. But instead of attacking Konan directly, they struck the puddles and rain around her, sending pressurized streams of water in calculated arcs that would force her to move in predictable patterns.
Konan's response was immediate and elegant. Her paper shuriken dispersed into countless individual sheets that reformed into barriers, deflecting the water streams while simultaneously launching counterattacks from multiple angles. The paper moved with an almost living quality, each sheet coated with a thin layer of chakra that made it waterproof and sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Impressive," Akira admitted, dodging a cluster of paper spears by liquefying part of his body and allowing them to pass through. "But I'm just getting warmed up."
He formed the familiar hand sign, and suddenly there were three of him. The shadow clones spread out in a triangle formation, each one controlling their own set of water constructs as they began a coordinated assault on Konan's position.
The Angel of Amegakure found herself facing attacks from three directions simultaneously—pressurized water bullets from the front, binding water whips from the left, and a massive tidal wave forming from accumulated rainwater on her right. Her paper responded by fragmenting into thousands of pieces, each one moving independently to create a defensive sphere around her while launching precise counterstrikes.
"Shadow clones," she noted with approval, even as she adapted her strategy. "You're more skilled than your casual demeanor suggested."
The real Akira—positioned at the front—grinned as he watched her paper techniques in action. "And you're every bit as good as I hoped you'd be. But I've got one more trick up my sleeve."
He extended his hand, and suddenly one of the paper shuriken that had passed close to him snapped back as if connected by an invisible rubber extension. Konan's eyes widened slightly as the projectile returned to Akira's palm, now under his control.
"Bungee Gum," he explained cheerfully, even as he used his newfound control over the paper to redirect it toward one of her defensive barriers. "Has the properties of both rubber and gum. Anything I touch becomes connected to me."
Konan immediately recalled all of her paper constructs, reforming them into a massive set of wings that lifted her into the air above the street. From her elevated position, she began launching dive-bombing attacks with spear-like paper formations while staying out of range of his touch-based ability.
"Clever adaptation," Akira called up to her, his clones maintaining their water attacks to keep her moving. "But you're forgetting something important about water."
He gestured upward, and the falling rain responded to his will. Every droplet within a fifty-meter radius suddenly reversed direction, shooting upward like tiny bullets toward Konan's aerial position. The sheer volume was overwhelming—thousands of high-pressure water projectiles that would be impossible to block completely.
Konan's response was breathtaking. Her paper wings exploded outward into an enormous dome, each sheet spinning rapidly to deflect the water bullets while she descended in a controlled spiral. As she moved, new paper formations launched from the dome's interior—not aimed at Akira, but at the buildings around them.
Within seconds, the entire street was crisscrossed with paper ribbons attached to every surface. Konan landed gracefully in the center of the web, her amber eyes focused intently on her opponent.
"Impressive environmental control," she said. "But now you're trapped in my domain."
The paper ribbons suddenly came alive, contracting from all directions to bind Akira and his clones. But as they reached their targets, something unexpected happened—the clones burst into water instead of dispelling, their liquid forms flowing along the paper constraints directly toward Konan.
"Water clones," Akira's voice came from directly behind her as the real version emerged from a nearby puddle. "The shadow clones were just a distraction."
His hand reached for her shoulder, but Konan was already moving. She spun gracefully, her paper flower dissolving into a cluster of explosive tags that detonated between them. The force sent both combatants skidding backward, their clothes singed but neither seriously injured.
"You're full of surprises," Konan admitted, reforming her paper constructs as they faced each other across the crater left by the explosion. "But this has gone far enough. You wanted to test your skills against someone strong—consider your request fulfilled."
She began to rise into the air again, massive paper wings spreading wide as chakra gathered around her for what was clearly intended to be a finishing technique. The very air seemed to thicken with the density of paper constructs forming above the street.
Akira looked up at the display with genuine appreciation. "Beautiful technique. But I think it's time I showed you what I'm really capable of."
The rain around them suddenly stopped falling. Not just in their immediate area—across the entire district, water hung suspended in midair as if time itself had frozen. Akira's eyes took on an intense focus as he extended both hands, and every droplet, every puddle, every trace of moisture began to converge on his position.
"Water Style: Domain of the Sea God."
What happened next defied conventional understanding of water manipulation jutsu. The collected moisture didn't just form into a single massive attack—it created an entirely new environment. The street filled with crystalline clear water that somehow allowed normal breathing while providing Akira with complete three-dimensional mobility. Within this aquatic domain, his speed and power increased dramatically.
Konan found her paper techniques significantly hindered as the waterproof coating on her constructs began to break down under the immense pressure and constant contact with the manipulated water. Her aerial advantage vanished as the domain extended upward, creating a sphere of controlled liquid that encompassed several city blocks.
"Remarkable," she said, her voice carrying clearly through the water despite the apparent impossibility of speech. "This level of elemental manipulation... you're not just some wandering shinobi, are you?"
Akira swam through his domain with fluid grace, approaching her at a speed that made her paper defenses seem sluggish by comparison. But instead of attacking, he stopped just outside striking distance.
"That was incredible," he said, genuine admiration in his voice. "Your techniques, your adaptability, your tactical awareness—everything I was hoping for and more."
The water domain began to dissipate, returning to normal rainfall as Akira released his technique. They both settled back onto the now-flooded street, facing each other with mutual respect.
"You're not here to fight us, are you?" Konan asked, studying his relaxed posture and honest expression. "This was really just about testing your abilities."
"Partly," Akira admitted. "I've been traveling, looking for strong opponents to help me understand the limits of my powers. But I'm also curious about Akatsuki. Your organization has quite the reputation."
Konan's amber eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of curiosity?"
"The kind that wonders if you're really the villains everyone makes you out to be, or if there's more to your story." He gestured to the undamaged buildings around them, noting how their fight had been contained to avoid civilian casualties. "Your first priority was protecting the civilians in this area. That's not typical villain behavior."
For a long moment, Konan said nothing. Then, unexpectedly, she smiled—a small, sad expression that transformed her entire demeanor.
"You're perceptive. Most people see only what they expect to see." She paused, seeming to consider something. "Perhaps... you should meet him yourself."
"Him?"
"Pain. The leader of Akatsuki." Her expression grew serious again. "But I warn you—he's not someone who tolerates games or casual curiosity. If you truly wish to understand our organization, be prepared for judgment."
Akira felt his pulse quicken with anticipation. Pain—the wielder of the legendary Rinnegan, one of the most powerful shinobi alive. This was exactly the kind of opportunity he'd been hoping for.
"I'd be honored to meet him," he said sincerely.
Konan studied his face for several more seconds, then nodded slowly.
"Follow me"
As they began walking toward the central tower that dominated Amegakure's skyline, Akira couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to step into something far more complex than a simple test of strength. The rain continued to fall around them, each drop carrying whispers of pain, loss, and a desperate hope for peace that had driven two people to become something the world saw as monsters.
In the tower above, Pain's ringed eyes opened fully as he sensed their approach.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself. "Very interesting indeed."
. . .
The tower's interior was exactly as Akira had imagined it would be—stark metal walkways, industrial architecture, and an atmosphere thick with the weight of absolute authority. As they ascended through the levels, he couldn't help but marvel at how perfectly everything matched his memories of the anime. The same cold lighting, the same geometric patterns carved into the walls, even the same sense of ascending toward something divine and terrible.
This is really happening* he thought, excitement building in his chest despite the gravity of the situation. *I'm about to meet Pain. The actual Pain.*
"Second thoughts?" Konan asked, noticing his thoughtful expression as they climbed the final staircase.
"Just the opposite." Akira's grin was sharp with anticipation. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
She gave him a curious look but said nothing more as they reached the uppermost chamber. The massive doors swung open at their approach, revealing the circular room that served as Pain's throne room. And there, seated in the center like a king holding court, was the man himself.
Pain looked exactly as Akira remembered from the screen—spiky orange hair, multiple piercings, and those legendary Rinnegan eyes that seemed to peer directly into his soul. The presence he radiated was overwhelming, like standing in the shadow of a mountain that might decide to fall on you at any moment.
"So," Pain's voice carried the same divine authority Akira had heard in the anime, but experiencing it in person was something else entirely. "You are the one who has been testing my Angel."
"That's me." Akira stepped forward, his casual demeanor unchanged despite the intimidating presence. "Hope you don't mind. She's incredible, by the way—probably the most skilled fighter I've encountered."
Pain's ringed eyes studied him with the intensity of a god evaluating an insect. "Konan tells me you wish to understand our organization. That you question whether we are truly the monsters the world believes us to be."
"Among other things, yeah." Akira's mind was racing, cataloging every detail of the encounter while trying to appear nonchalant. He knew exactly what Pain was capable of, knew about the Six Paths, about Nagato hidden away in his mechanical throne. But more importantly, he knew that this fight—if he could provoke it—would trigger his reward system.
Just need to push the right buttons.*
"But honestly?" Akira continued, his tone shifting slightly. "I'm more interested in seeing if the legendary Rinnegan lives up to its reputation. All that talk about being a god... makes a guy curious, you know?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Konan's paper began rustling ominously around her, and even she took a step back from Akira's position.
"You dare..." Pain's voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried more menace than any shout. "You dare question the power of a god?"
There it is.* Akira felt the familiar tingle that meant his system was responding to the rising tension. Combat was imminent, and with it, the promise of rewards that could push his abilities to new heights.
"Not questioning," Akira said, water beginning to swirl around his feet. "Just asking for a demonstration."
Pain stood slowly, his movements deliberate and threatening. "Very well. If you wish to understand pain, then you shall experience it firsthand."
The Deva Path raised his hand, and Akira felt the pull immediately—Shinra Tensei, the almighty push, coming at him with enough force to level a building. But knowing it was coming made all the difference. He liquefied his entire body at the last second, letting the repulsive force pass through his water form without resistance.
Pain's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Interesting. You avoided that with... unusual technique."
"Water's funny that way," Akira said, reforming behind a pillar. "Hard to push something that doesn't have a fixed form."
But Pain was already adapting. "Banshō Ten'in."
This time it was attraction, and Akira found himself yanked forward at tremendous speed. He'd expected this too, but the sheer power behind it was beyond what he'd imagined from watching the anime. As he flew toward Pain's outstretched hand, he managed to twist his body and coat his fist with pressurized water.
The punch connected with Pain's palm in an explosion of force that cracked the floor beneath them. For a moment, they were locked in a contest of pure strength—Akira's enhanced physical abilities against Pain's gravitational manipulation.
"You know my techniques," Pain observed, even as he was forced back a step by the water-enhanced blow. "That level of preparation suggests this encounter was not as random as you claimed."
Shit. He's sharp.* "Maybe I just watch people carefully before I fight them."
Pain's expression grew thoughtful. "No. There is something else. You move as one who knows what is coming next."
Before Akira could respond, the other Paths began materializing throughout the chamber. The Animal Path emerged from behind a pillar, already summoning creatures. The Asura Path's arm transformed into a cannon, targeting systems locking onto Akira's position. The Human Path flanked from the left while the Preta Path moved to block any escape routes.
All six at once. Just like I hoped.*
"Now we begin in earnest," Pain declared. "Show me this power that makes you so confident."
The chamber erupted into chaos. The Animal Path's summons—a giant rhinoceros, a multi-headed dog, and a massive bird—charged from three directions while the Asura Path opened fire with chakra cannons. Akira's response was immediate and spectacular.
"Water Style: Torrential Maelstrom!"
The entire chamber filled with swirling water that moved under his complete control. But this wasn't just environmental manipulation—within the aquatic storm, Akira's speed increased dramatically. He moved like liquid lightning, dodging the rhinoceros charge while simultaneously creating water clones to distract the multi-headed dog.
The Human Path lunged for him, seeking soul contact, but Akira had been expecting that too. A water whip wrapped around the Path's wrist, and suddenly it was yanked back by an invisible force in a form of Pink extension.
"Bungee Gum," Akira explained cheerfully as he used the connection to swing the Human Path into the charging rhinoceros. "Told your Angel about it earlier."
Pain's main body observed from the center of the chaos, those Rinnegan eyes tracking every movement with growing interest. "You fight like one who has studied us extensively. Tell me—what else do you know?"
Instead of answering, Akira continued his dance through the chaos, but his words took on a different edge as he fought.
"You know what's interesting about gods?" he called out while dodging a chakra cannon blast. "They always seem so... distant. Like they're trying really hard to forget what it felt like to be human."
Pain's main body remained motionless, but Akira could see something shift in those ringed eyes.
"You speak of things you do not understand," Pain replied, but there was a note of something beneath the divine authority.
"Maybe." Akira used Bungee Gum to redirect one of the summoned creatures into the Asura Path, creating a brief opening. "But I've seen a lot of leaders who convinced themselves that becoming something else would solve their problems. Usually ends the same way—more pain, not less."
The attack patterns of the Six Paths subtly shifted, becoming more aggressive, more personal.
"You think you understand pain?" Pain's voice carried genuine emotion now, though he quickly suppressed it. "You who fight for sport, who treat battle like a game?"
"I think," Akira said, his tone growing more serious, "that someone who really wanted to end suffering wouldn't be trying so hard to prove he's above it."
The effect was immediate. All six Paths paused for just a moment—not from shock, but from something deeper. Recognition, perhaps, or the sting of an uncomfortable truth.
"Enough," Pain declared, his voice echoing with renewed divine wrath. "You will learn the meaning of true pain."
The Deva Path's hands came together in a seal Akira recognized with a thrill of terrified excitement.
Chibaku Tensei. He's going for the moon technique.*
"You know too much," Pain declared, his voice echoing with divine wrath. "Whether you are a spy, a prophet, or something else entirely—you represent a threat to our mission that cannot be allowed to continue."
The technique activated, and Akira felt the pull of the miniature gravitational core forming above them. Chunks of the tower began ripping away, drawn toward the growing sphere of destruction. This was it—the moment he'd been building toward.
"Finally," Akira breathed, his excitement overriding any sense of self-preservation. "Now I get to see what I'm really capable of."
The power he'd been holding in reserve, the authority over fundamental forces that he'd gained from his previous victories, finally awakened in response to the overwhelming threat. Reality itself seemed to bend around him as he reached for forces that existed beyond chakra, beyond even the Rinnegan's divine authority.
"Let me show you something interesting," Akira said, his voice carrying a new resonance as gravitational fields clashed in the space between them. "What happens when you try to pull apart someone who controls the very forces that hold atoms together."
Pain's eyes widened as his Chibaku Tensei met resistance it was never designed to encounter—not just chakra or physical strength, but manipulation of the fundamental forces that governed reality itself.
For the first time since becoming a god, Pain felt something he hadn't experienced in years.
Uncertainty.
The Deva Path's hands came together in the seal Akira had been waiting for, and the air itself seemed to scream as reality bent around them.
"Chibaku Tensei."
A black orb materialized above the chamber, no larger than Akira's fist, but radiating gravitational force that immediately began tearing chunks of metal from the walls. The tower groaned as its very structure was pulled apart, debris spiraling upward into an ever-growing sphere of destruction.
Here we go.*
Akira felt his feet leave the ground as the technique's pull intensified, but instead of fighting it, he smiled. This was the moment he'd been building toward—the point where he could finally unleash everything he'd been holding back.
"Konan, get clear!" he shouted over the roar of collapsing architecture.
The blue-haired woman was already moving, her paper wings carrying her away from the gravitational epicenter, but her amber eyes remained fixed on the battle with fascination and growing concern.
"Let me show you something interesting," Akira said, his voice somehow carrying clearly despite the chaos. The casual tone was gone, replaced by something that resonated with fundamental authority. "What happens when gravity meets the force that holds atoms together."
He reached deep into the power he'd gained from his previous victories, touching the fundamental forces that governed reality itself. Nuclear force—the binding energy that kept matter stable—responded to his will like an old friend.
The gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei suddenly met resistance it was never designed to encounter. Around Akira, the very atoms of the debris began to vibrate, their nuclear bonds strengthening under his manipulation until chunks of metal and stone became immovable objects in space.
Pain's ringed eyes widened as his ultimate technique faltered. "Impossible. What manner of power—"
"Electromagnetic force"
Akira interrupted, extending his influence. Lightning crackled between his fingers, but this wasn't chakra-based electricity—this was manipulation of the fundamental force that governed all charged particles. The metal debris around him became magnetically charged, creating a defensive barrier that pushed back against the gravitational core.
The Asura Path fired its most powerful cannon, a concentrated beam of chakra meant to overwhelm any defense. Akira caught it with his bare hand.
"Weak nuclear force"
The energy beam simply ceased to exist as Akira destabilized its component particles at the subatomic level.
For the first time since becoming a god, Pain took a step backward.
"And strong nuclear force," Akira continued, his grin returning as he gestured toward the still-active Chibaku Tensei. "The binding energy of atomic nuclei. Want to see what happens when I let go of it?"
The threat was clear—he was talking about nuclear fission. Not the crude explosive kind, but the controlled manipulation of atomic bonds themselves.
"You would destroy the entire village," Pain said, but there was uncertainty in his voice now.
"Would I?" Akira's tone was playful again. "Guess you'll have to trust that I have better control than that."
The standoff lasted for three heartbeats. Then Pain made his decision.
The Chibaku Tensei dispersed, its gravitational core collapsing as Pain released the technique. Debris crashed to the chamber floor in a rain of metal and stone, but the immediate threat was over.
"Enough," Pain declared, but his voice had lost some of its divine certainty. "What are you?"
"Someone who's seen what happens when gods try to fix the world from above," Akira replied, landing lightly among the rubble. "Tell me, Pain—in all your years of bringing understanding through suffering, has the world gotten any closer to peace? Or have you just created more people who understand loss?"
The question hung in the air like a blade. Pain's expression remained impassive, but Akira caught the slight tightening around his eyes.
"The world rejected peace," Pain said, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction. "They chose war over understanding. This is the only way."
"Is it?" Akira stepped forward, water beginning to swirl around him—not as a weapon, but as a demonstration of control. "Or is it just the only way you can see right now?"
The Six Paths began to converge on his position, but their movements had lost some of their earlier coordination. Pain was listening, even if he didn't want to admit it.
"You speak as though there are alternatives," Pain observed, his tone carefully neutral.
"There are always alternatives. The question is whether you're brave enough to consider them." Akira's grin was sharp now, challenging. "After all, what's the worst that could happen? You might discover that pain isn't the only teacher in the world."
For a moment—just a moment—something flickered behind those ringed eyes. Doubt, perhaps. Or maybe just the ghost of the idealistic boy who had once believed in Jiraiya's dreams of peace.
But the moment passed, and Pain's expression hardened again. "You understand nothing. You have not seen what I have seen. You have not felt—"
"Haven't I?" Akira interrupted, and his casual demeanor dropped entirely. "You think you're the only one who's lost everything? The only one who's watched the people you love die while you stood helpless? Pain doesn't make you special. It just makes you human."
The words hit harder than any physical attack. Pain's expression remained impassive, but Akira caught the slight tightening around his eyes, the way his hands clenched almost imperceptibly.
"You know nothing of what I have endured," Pain said, but his voice had lost some of its divine certainty.
"Don't I?" Akira stepped closer, his tone becoming quietly intense. "Loss. Betrayal. The moment when you realize that everything you believed in was built on lies. The choice between becoming a monster or watching the world burn around you while you do nothing."
For the first time since the battle began, Pain was truly silent. Konan, watching from the sidelines, felt something cold settle in her chest as she recognized the truth in the stranger's words.
"The difference," Akira continued, "is what you do with that pain. Do you let it consume you until you become the very thing that created it in the first place? Or do you find another way?"
"You're scared, and you're wondering if maybe—just maybe—there might have been another way."
The words hit their mark. Pain's hands trembled slightly before he clenched them into fists.
"Even if... even if there were doubts," Pain said slowly, "it changes nothing. The path has been chosen. The world will know pain, and through pain, they will understand peace."
"Will they?" Akira asked quietly. "Or will they just learn to fear you? And when you're gone, will they build a world based on understanding, or will they just go back to the same cycles of hatred you tried to break?"
Pain had no answer for that.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken questions. Finally, Akira stepped back, his posture relaxing.
"Think about it," he said simply. "That's all I ask. When you're alone with your thoughts, ask yourself this: if the people who first inspired you to seek peace could see what you've become, would they recognize the dream they died for?"
With that, Akira began to fade into shadow, his form becoming insubstantial.
And then he was gone, leaving Pain and Konan alone in the ruined chamber with questions that neither of them was ready to answer.