"Who are you?"
Tandao Pain stood up, his Rinnegan glowing with a piercing purple hue as he stared at Bai Ye, who had suddenly appeared before him.
Pain had intended only to break through Konoha's defensive walls, using a restrained level of force. Even so, such an attack should have been beyond the capability of any ordinary Kage-level ninja to withstand. Yet, to his surprise, the unknown young man before him had effortlessly blocked it.
Although Pain did not understand the nature of the power Bai Ye had used, the fact that he had managed to stop his attack indicated he was not to be underestimated.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Bai Ye replied calmly. "What matters is that I won't let you destroy this place. After all, this is my territory."
Even as he spoke, Bai Ye's gaze was not on Pain but rather directed at a distant hillside.
Observing from Afar
On that very hillside, a lone figure stood, clad in a customized Akatsuki robe and a distinctive swirling Uzumaki mask—A Fei, a member of the Akatsuki organization.
Of course, A Fei was merely an alias. His true identity was Uchiha Obito, a man long presumed dead.
Obito stiffened under Bai Ye's direct gaze. His heart skipped a beat—he hadn't expected to be noticed from such a great distance.
"Who the hell is that guy?" he murmured, frowning.
"White Zetsu, do you have any intel on him?" Obito asked.
"I don't know much," White Zetsu admitted, emerging from the ground beside him. "We've tried investigating for a while, but there's barely any information on him. It's almost as if he appeared out of nowhere. What we do know is that he killed Danzo and assumed the role of Konoha's Anbu leader."
Obito's frown deepened.
"Also," White Zetsu continued, "that guy can use a fully realized Susanoo. It seems he took Sharingan from Danzo's base."
That revelation stunned Obito.
"Even Susanoo?" he muttered, puzzled. "But I can't sense any chakra from him... Is he just hiding it that well?"
Despite the mystery surrounding Bai Ye, Obito reassured himself. "Nagato has the Rinnegan. Even Susanoo wouldn't be a match for him."
Indeed, Obito believed that unless Uchiha Madara or the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, were resurrected, no one in the ninja world could challenge Nagato.
Confrontation with Pain
Tandao Pain, meanwhile, grew irritated as he noticed Bai Ye ignoring him in favor of watching Obito from afar.
"Uchiha Madara, are you worried about him?" Nagato wondered but dismissed the thought. His focus remained on the destruction of Konoha and capturing the Nine-Tails.
At that moment, Tsunade arrived, taking a stance beside Bai Ye.
Upon seeing Pain's appearance, she furrowed her brow. "You… you look familiar."
Pain remained silent.
"You're that kid from back then, aren't you?" Tsunade continued, vaguely recalling Yahiko's face.
"So you remember," Tandao Pain said coldly.
"Yeah, your name was…"
Before she could finish, Pain cut her off. "I am a god of order."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Something about him felt different.
"Didn't I already say? He's not a real person. He's a puppet," Bai Ye interjected.
Pain was momentarily stunned. He had never openly revealed this fact—not even within Akatsuki, where only a select few knew the truth.
"But that's fine."
Raising his right hand, Pain activated Shinra Tensei.
An invisible force surged forward, aiming to crush Bai Ye.
Yet, as the attack reached him, Bai Ye's spiritual energy erupted, clashing against the repelling force and halting it instantly.
Pain's Rinnegan narrowed. "That's not chakra… What is this power?"
A Gathering Storm
Obito, still watching from a distance, frowned deeply. He hadn't expected Bai Ye to neutralize Nagato's Shinra Tensei so effortlessly.
"His power is strange," White Zetsu muttered. "And he can generate powerful flames—I saw him burn Danzo alive."
"Flames, huh?" Obito mused, an uneasy feeling creeping into his heart.
Nearby, Black Zetsu observed the scene, his expression grim.
"No chakra… Could he be from that place?" he whispered to himself before shaking his head. "No, that wouldn't make sense. But regardless, we must be cautious. Once Mother is revived, everything will fall into place."
Back on the battlefield, Pain, realizing Bai Ye was a formidable foe, decided to send the other Paths to continue Konoha's destruction while he faced Bai Ye alone.
Bai Ye saw through his intent immediately.
"You call yourself a god of order, yet you refuse to face me directly?" he taunted, pointing at Tiandao Pain. "If you defeat me, Konoha is yours."
Pain scoffed. "You really think you can take on all six of us alone? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"
Bai Ye's gaze remained steady. "You'll see soon enough."
He turned and walked away. "This battlefield is too close to Konoha. Let's fight somewhere else. What's wrong? Afraid?"
"You're too confident," Pain sneered before following.
Tsunade, watching them go, clenched her fists. Bai Ye was strong, but facing the Rinnegan was another matter entirely.
Just then, Konoha's forces arrived—Shikamaru, Kakashi, Hiashi, and others, led by Tsunade's assistant, Shizune.
"Where's the enemy?" Shikamaru asked, scanning the area.
"Bai Ye has engaged them alone," Tsunade answered grimly.
The group hurried after them. But before they could reach the battlefield, an astonishing sight unfolded—countless summoned beasts appeared, blanketing the sky and land.
"That's… thousands of summons?" Kakashi's eyes widened. "Even Konoha will struggle against that."
Tsunade braced herself. "We have to help!"
Suddenly, a cataclysmic surge of energy erupted in the distance, shaking the earth and toppling trees. The summoning beasts were instantly reduced to ashes.
Everyone in Konoha's forces stood in stunned silence.
"That power… He wasn't even using his full strength against Danzo?" Tsunade realized, shivering.
On the battlefield, Pain's eyes narrowed as Bai Ye, now enveloped in white flames, slowly unsheathed his blade.
"All things turn to ash… Ryūjin Jakka."
A searing inferno ignited around Bai Ye, pillars of flame erupting from the ground. The summoned beasts disintegrated before they could even react.
Pain's eyes widened in shock. "What kind of power is this?!"
He attempted to counter it, but even the Preta Path, capable of absorbing chakra, was consumed by the unrelenting blaze.
For the first time, Nagato felt fear.
Perhaps he was not the god he claimed to be after all.