Because the caster's state was unstable, Soulfire quickly dissipated, and Orochimaru's body began to fall from the sky.
In midair, Orochimaru's heart sank. He should have realized it earlier—since the Rinnegan possessed repulsive power, it must also possess an equal attractive power.
As Tōshirō was dragged back toward the ground, the Akatsuki members below immediately unleashed their signature techniques upward.
Amid the roar of explosions, a massive black fist pierced through the smoke and came crashing down from the sky.
Deva Path Pain followed the black fist with his gaze, and there—within the connected ribcage—stood an unharmed Tōshirō.
So that's Susanoo…
As Pain thought this, the black skeletal fist came hurtling toward him with astonishing force, even using the pull of gravity itself to amplify the blow.
Just before it struck Pain's face, a surge of powerful repulsion burst forth, forming a shockwave that halted the skeletal fist's advance.
Tōshirō gave a cold snort.
Almighty Push, is it…?
"But tell me, can you stop the next stage of my Susanoo?"
As his ocular power flared, black chakra currents erupted around him, condensing into a half-humanoid form—armor of a crow-tengu manifested upon it. The figure grew in both size and strength, its power rising to a new level.
At that moment, Susanoo's might completely overpowered Pain's repulsion.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes widened, the flesh on his face trembling violently.
Impossible—his Almighty Push couldn't withstand it!
In that instant of struggle, the clash between the two forces reached its conclusion. Before the fist even landed, the backlash from Almighty Push blasted Pain's body away. He skidded across the ground, shattering rocks along his path, and only stopped after his head slammed into a cliff wall.
"Pain—!"
Konan turned sharply, shouting in alarm as she flew in his direction.
It was the first time she had ever seen Pain forced into such a state by direct confrontation.
Having temporarily repelled the Deva Path, Tōshirō, in his crow-tengu Susanoo form, moved to rescue Orochimaru, who had been surrounded. On his way, he casually killed one unlucky Akatsuki member who hadn't reacted in time.
The man had a generic face, though his build was quite imposing.
Tōshirō didn't even recognize him—probably one of the nameless extras who never got a proper introduction before Akatsuki's main debut.
Orochimaru, carrying the corpse of White Zetsu, approached Tōshirō.
Susanoo's hand formed a chain of black magatama, which Tōshirō hurled forward. Each magatama spun like a wheel, streaking through the air in a straight black line.
Yasaka Magatama!
After that, Tōshirō released Susanoo and reactivated Soulfire. With a single leap, he and Orochimaru ascended once more.
This time, Soulfire took flight unhindered, thanks to the barrage of Yasaka Magatama that cleared their path—no one could stop them.
Pain raised his hand, intending to use Universal Pull to drag Tōshirō back again, but the distance was now too great. He could only lower his hand in frustration.
High in the air, Tōshirō looked back at the figures below. His gaze lingered on Deva Path Pain, and a confident smirk tugged at his lips.
"Next time, I'll be your opponent again."
On the ground, Black Zetsu clutched his head in agony as he watched Tōshirō disappear with White Zetsu. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this man had to be something Uchiha Madara himself had created—specifically to torment him.
Orochimaru's betrayal, the deaths of three Akatsuki members—all of it revolved around this man. And not only had Tōshirō survived the combined assault of the Akatsuki, he had escaped completely unscathed. It was as if he'd slapped the organization across the face.
For once, Pain's normally expressionless face twisted in genuine anger—a reflection of Nagato's emotion through their shared link. He turned to Sasori and said coldly, "Sasori, if I recall correctly, Orochimaru has one of your spies, doesn't he?"
Tōshirō's strength far exceeded Pain's expectations. To deal with him, Pain might have to personally intervene with his true body.
If he continued splitting his power among six corpses, Tōshirō could easily destroy them one by one. That was precisely why Pain hadn't called the other Paths into battle.
Sasori's expression darkened, and he nodded silently.
Meanwhile, far away, Tōshirō and Orochimaru had retreated to a safe distance. Soulfire landed smoothly and dissolved into mist.
Both men gently touched down on the ground.
"That should be far enough," said Tōshirō. "We're safe now."
Orochimaru, still carrying White Zetsu's body, looked intrigued. "Tell me honestly—what's so special about this thing that you'd risk your life just to get it?"
Tōshirō smiled mysteriously. "You'll understand once we're back at the base."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Fine, I'll let the surprise wait until the end."
Being a man who believed in the wisdom of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," Orochimaru had established several hideouts across different regions.
They went to the nearest one. The base's overseer greeted Orochimaru respectfully and began reporting on the latest status of their experimental subjects.
As Orochimaru listened, he cast sidelong glances at Tōshirō, curious to see how he would react—since, to outsiders, this kind of experimentation was highly questionable.
But Tōshirō showed no particular reaction.
"You don't seem to mind what I'm doing," Orochimaru said with a sly smile.
Tōshirō replied calmly, "If I did mind, would you stop?"
Orochimaru's habits were deeply ingrained; forcing him to change overnight was unrealistic. All Tōshirō could do was gradually guide him toward a better path.
With feigned ambiguity, Orochimaru said, "If that's what you wish, I might consider it."
Tōshirō shook his head. "Don't misunderstand me—I'm not some naïve idealist. Everything has two sides. What seems inhumane can also advance medical research and save countless lives. Besides, compared to what you do, there was a Hokage in my village who went even further—and he's still revered to this day."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who?"
Tōshirō smirked. "Who else but the Second Hokage? He invented Edo Tensei, remember? A jutsu that literally requires living sacrifices. Imagine how many human experiments he conducted to perfect it. And unlike your version, his Edo Tensei was filled with explosive tags—turning corpses into living bombs."
"That sinister method became infamous worldwide, yet he was still honored within the village."
Orochimaru laughed softly. "As expected, your way of thinking is truly unique. If it were that naïve fool instead of you, he'd probably scorn me—or start a fight on the spot."
"You mean Jiraiya, right?"
"Of course."
Tōshirō chuckled. "Jiraiya really is naïve—he even believes in some prophecy, doesn't he? Something about a Child of Destiny."
"That wasn't just any prophecy," Orochimaru replied. "It came from the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku."
Tōshirō scoffed. "If a so-called Child of Destiny truly exists, there's no need to search for him—he'll appear naturally when the time is right. Instead of chasing destiny, it's better to focus on becoming someone worthy of it."
Orochimaru tilted his head curiously. "Then… if you were the Child of Destiny, what would you do?"
Tōshirō paused, then smiled. "That's an interesting question."
"You've already thought about it, haven't you?"
After a moment of reflection, Tōshirō answered firmly, "The Way of the Overlord."
"What does that mean?"
"In simple terms," Tōshirō explained, "it means practicing benevolence while wielding absolute power—and using that power to uphold justice and order, from kings and nobles down to commoners. Heaven and earth must have law, and it must be enforced without hesitation."
"But this balance is difficult to control," he continued. "Take the First Hokage for example—he trusted too easily in the goodness of others. But that's impossible. Even fathers and sons fall out, like Fugaku and Itachi. How can strangers be expected to live in perfect harmony?"
Orochimaru nodded. "You have a point."
"This world isn't black or white," said Tōshirō. "It's gray—between heaven's white and hell's black. In this gray world, one must act with gray rules and a gray heart. What we see and control is only one shade of gray—not the pure white above or the absolute black below, but a different, unfathomable gray altogether."
Tōshirō's words carried the air of philosophy, and Orochimaru couldn't help but feel deeply impressed.
Tōshirō raised two fingers and continued: "Wherever there are people, there will be conflict. If a nation were like a single human being, the same logic would apply. So, if we wish to end conflict between nations, there are only two possibilities."
Orochimaru asked, "And what are those?"
"One—there are no nations in the world. Two—there is only one nation in the world."
"So, which one do you choose?"
Tōshirō smiled faintly. "Isn't it obvious?"
Uchiha Madara had chosen the first path—to make everyone live in an eternal dream.Tōshirō chose the second—to make the world into one unified nation.
"Perhaps many sacrifices will be born in the process," Tōshirō said. "But that's only the pain that comes before true peace. I'll bear all the darkness myself—whether my deeds are seen as good or evil, right or wrong, history will decide."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with interest. "Once, I wanted to become the wind that turns the windmill. But now… perhaps it's more interesting to simply wait—and see where the wind blows."
End of Chapter)
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