In Konoha Village, alarm sirens blared one after another, their piercing hum louder than the shouts and cries of the crowd in the streets.
Order existed within the chaos.
The village had been prepared for this event, having held several drills. Chunin and Genin, following established plans, orderly guided civilians into shelters.
However, the Jonin did not join the crowd. Instead, they dispersed outwards from the Hokage Building like spokes from a wheel. While covering the villagers' retreat to shelters, they also prepared to face any enemy that might appear from any direction.
For this battle, they were the main force.
On the rooftop of the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had removed his Hokage robe, revealing his armor beneath. He gripped a staff-like ninja tool in one hand, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Behind him stood elite ninja from various clans, all ready for battle and brimming with anticipation.
"Lord Hokage, a strong Chakra reaction has appeared in the northeast direction."
After the report from a Hyuga ninja of the Anbu, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately looked up at the sky. He saw a black dot appear on the blue canvas, rapidly growing larger, as if a drop of ink was spreading itself.
But sadly, what was being drawn on the canvas was not something vibrant and alive, but a ferocious and terrifying beast.
Even without Kekkei Genkai, the Third Hokage recognized what it was. He immediately ordered, "Anbu Third Squad, go tie them down. You must prevent it from disturbing the villagers' evacuation."
"Yes!"
Sounds of wind being cut filled the air. Sarutobi Hiruzen watched them rush towards Satori. His gaze then turned back to the Hyuga ninja.
"Besides that, were any other enemies discovered?"
The village had made such a big fuss for more than just a single Satori.
Although this thing, comparable to a Tailed Beast, was indeed difficult to deal with, it was not enough to make the Great Ninja Village feel like it was facing a formidable foe.
"No enemies were discovered. Neither underground nor around the village's perimeters has anyone been found…"
As he was speaking, the Hyuga ninja suddenly froze. He looked up at the sky and murmured, "Something is up there."
"What!?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen followed the other's gaze and suddenly felt a sense of impending doom. He shouted sternly,
"Stay away from the Hokage Building! Scatter, all of you!"
...
Beneath the high sky, Tendo Pain hovered in a realm unreachable by mortals, looking down at Konoha below.
At this height, even with the most advanced Rinnegan, it was impossible to see the crowds below. They were as small as dust motes.
But he had come to Konoha today because these mortals were about to threaten him, who was a 'god'.
"Orochimaru, watch as I destroy all the high platforms you have built."
Tendo Pain stared at Konoha's iconic buildings, pushed his palms downwards, and shouted, "Shinra Tensei!"
Instantly, a massive shockwave emanated from the Hokage Building, sweeping outwards. Anything in its path, whether person or structure, was flattened.
It was as if after a storm, or as if crushed by a giant bulldozer. Dirt and stone, streets and houses blurred their boundaries, all mixed together.
But the terrifying thing was, this was only the beginning.
Similar situations erupted from Konoha's Central Hospital, secret warehouses… places that White Zetsu clones could only sense superficially, with their interiors completely blocked by sealing arrays. Shockwaves erupted one after another.
It could be said that Konoha's most critical locations were all destroyed by Tendo Pain's first attack.
In the sky, Tendo Pain looked at the few 'small potholes' he had created, breathing slightly heavily.
Continuously using a top-tier Ninjutsu like 'Shinra Tensei' was a considerable burden, even for someone with the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline.
However, his current condition was still good, and he had the ability to continue fighting.
Actually, destroying the entire Konoha Village, like dealing with 'Semi-God of Shinobi' Hanzo, was not out of the question.
But doing so would consume his lifespan, a minor issue. More importantly, it would affect his future plans, thereby defeating the purpose.
"Orochimaru, this time, I want to see if you will run again."
A strange purple light flashed in Tendo Pain's eyes. His body shot downwards like a cannonball, heading straight for the Hokage Building.
...
BOOM!
A collapsed wall instantly shattered. Tsunade leaped out of the earthen hole, spitting out two mouthfuls of bloody mucus mixed with dirt.
"This guy is truly formidable."
Tsunade looked around at the devastated scene, a lingering fear in her eyes.
Although she had seen pictures of Takigakure Village's destruction before, and heard Orochimaru's detailed description of the Rinnegan's abilities, only now, facing it directly, did she realize she had underestimated it.
This kind of unreasonable strong Ninjutsu could probably only be dealt with by her grandfather, Senju Hashirama.
Faint cries and screams could be heard from a distance and underground. Tsunade knew she couldn't delay any longer.
"Alright, I'll do my job this time…"
Tsunade cast a reluctant glance in the enemy's direction, bit her finger, and shouted, "Summoning Technique!"
POOF!
A large cloud of white smoke erupted. In the next moment, a giant blue and white slug appeared out of nowhere on the ruins.
"Hmm… Is this Konoha?" The Slug Sage looked down at the scene below, confused and uncertain, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Lord Slug, you can see what happens next yourself. For now, please cooperate with me in using Medical Ninjutsu."
As she spoke, Tsunade activated her Yin Seal, fine lines like heavy ink strokes instantly covering her entire body.
"Then, please use me as you wish."
A gentle female voice spoke. In a blink of an eye, the Slug Sage's giant body deconstructed into hundreds, thousands… disappearing in all directions.
...
At the former Hokage Building site, elite ninja from various clans reassembled.
However, compared to their previous imposing presence, they were now all disheveled, their imposing aura somewhat diminished.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a grim expression, asked the Captain of the Hokage Guard, "What are the casualties?"
"Most are minor injuries, only four people were unfortunately hit in the head and died on the spot."
The Captain of the Hokage Guard spoke with a hint of relief.
It was fortunate that most of those gathered here were Wood Style ninja who had undergone 'Physical Enhancement Surgery'. The number of vital points had greatly reduced; otherwise, they would have lost nearly all of them in this single impact.
Hearing the number, the Third Hokage also breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, a Hyuga ninja from the side suddenly cried out,
"Lord Hokage, the enemy is descending! They are flying towards us…"
Before he finished speaking, Tendo Pain was already high in the air. He looked down at the people below and said slowly,
"Third Hokage, where is Orochimaru now? Has he run away?"
He got straight to the point, not showing any regard for anyone below him.
"You will see him."
Despite being so underestimated, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained calm. He held his giant staff horizontally in front of his chest, ready to attack at any moment.
"You want to fight me?"
Tendo Pain looked as if he had seen something unbelievable. "Are you seeking death?"
The Third Hokage smiled. "If I can eliminate you ambitious individuals, then even if this old man dies, so be it."
"Ambitious individuals? Fine… " Tendo Pain raised his hands and said slowly, "If I kill your teacher, I don't believe that Orochimaru will continue to hide."
Although the teacher's teacher was not much of a teacher, the disciple's teacher carried some weight.
"Arrogant fool, stop spouting nonsense."
"With us here, you won't be able to harm the Hokage!"
"…"
Amidst the shouts, fierce winds raged, water and fire surged, and earth spears were wrapped in lightning… Ninjutsu of all elements poured towards Tendo Pain, the momentum so great that even a Tailed Beast would not be safe.
However, Tendo Pain merely raised one hand and repelled all the attacks.
"How is this possible?"
The ninja present were elites from various clans, but when had they ever seen such Ninjutsu? Even the 'Susano'o' unleashed by the Uchiha's forbidden eyes could be broken.
While everyone was utterly astonished, the earth dragon summoned by the Third Hokage's feet spat out more than ten mud bullets. They were incredibly fast, and their numbers were enough to block all possible escape routes for the opponent, clearly a well-planned attack.
Just as the Konoha ninja thought this attack would also be in vain, Tendo Pain, unlike before, did not simply push the attack away but chose to retreat rapidly.
Just as the mud bullets were about to hit him, he then used Ninjutsu to reflect them.
But even so, the mud bullets still left marks on that black robe with red clouds.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was not satisfied with this effect and thought to himself with regret. But he quickly shouted aloud,
"That strange and unpredictable instant Ninjutsu is not without a solution. It has a cooldown period, approximately five seconds."
The elites present quickly understood and began to clamor.
"Next, we'll attack in staggered waves, in batches."
"That's right, let's go together. No matter how strong he is, he's still only one person."
"…"
"It seems you have learned quite a lot about me from Orochimaru."
Tendo Pain's expression was impassive. Hearing the shouts of the Konoha ninja, a cold smile appeared on his face.
"Heh, one person?" Immediately, he formed hand seals. "Summoning Technique!"
The white smoke dissipated, revealing five figures. There were men and women, tall and short, fat and thin, each with their own unique characteristics. The only thing they had in common was possessing the same eyes.
Gazed upon by those strange, cold-blooded eyes, the Konoha ninja felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over them. The morale that had just risen quickly plummeted, and a chill ran down their spines.
The Third Hokage had just tested that the opponent's ability had a cooldown period. Now, the opponent had brought out five more ninja with the same ocular power. How could they attack ninjas with an indestructible shield?
"Don't be fooled by the opponent. There is only one true body. After using clones, their abilities are also divided, making it the weakest time for them."
The Third Hokage continued to reveal Nagato's information while boosting morale.
On the battlefield, morale was extremely important, even more so for ninja.
However, the opponent had the initiative. In a flash, they had turned Konoha upside down, and the current pressure was palpable.
If the ninja of the village were to truly see them as an invincible 'god', then this battle would truly be lost.
"The largest ninja village, as expected, has some substance."
Tendo Pain no longer maintained his 'divine' posture, his expression becoming more serious.
Displaying overwhelming strength, then spreading fear, and breaking the enemy's psychological defenses was his specialty.
Amegakure was manipulated by him in this way. The voices of resistance were silenced in the fine rain. He never expected that there was no flawless god, only ninja disguises.
But Konoha was clearly not so easily conquered.
"The fear is not enough, or rather…"
Tendo Pain swept his gaze across the Konoha crowd. With his eyes, he could naturally see that these people had undergone enhancement surgery; they could be considered Konoha's greatest elites.
Their numbers far exceeded his initial estimate, more than double. This was something to be discussed later when dealing with the masked man, but for now, it was irrelevant.
What Tendo Pain was thinking now was whether, by sacrificing this batch of Konoha elites, he could easily spread his fear in Konoha.
"It's worth a try."
With a thought, Chikushodo Pain formed hand seals.
*Bang bang bang!*
Several heavy thuds echoed. In the open space in front of the Third Hokage and the others, four giant summoned beasts appeared almost instantaneously.
Yatagarasu, the Splitting Dog, the Fighting Bull, the Hell Crab… each with a presence not much inferior to the Sage Realm summoned beasts.
"This guy…"
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed, and he immediately ordered, "Everyone, spread out in small teams and defeat the enemies one by one."
Konoha had its own proper countermeasures for dealing with giant summoned beasts, especially now that everyone had undergone physical enhancements, making things even easier.
But even so, the best way was to confront giant summoned beasts with other giant summoned beasts, or with monsters like Susano'o or Tailed Beasts.
However, Jiraiya was still guarding the convoy on the border, and Shisui had been sent to intercept Satori from the Pure Land Box. Currently, they lacked the combat power to counter giant summoned beasts.
While contemplating a suitable strategy, the Third Hokage heard a series of shouts, "Super Expansion Jutsu!"
In an instant, three giant mountains appeared on the Konoha side, confronting the enemy's giant summoned beasts from afar.
"Now, it's time to prove the strength of my Akimichi Clan."
Akimichi Choza let out a roar, "Human Bullet Tank!" Together with the two Akimichi Clan Jonin beside him, they transformed into three large flesh balls.
They spun furiously, charging towards the enemy.
Being of great size also meant being a large target, but after their bodies transformed into wood-like structures, their defense greatly increased. Taking a few hits was nothing.
Furthermore, the stronger defense meant they could spin at a faster speed, making it impossible for ordinary attacks to touch them.
BANG BANG BANG!
After three collisions, apart from the Yatagarasu flying in the air that escaped the calamity, the other three summoned beasts were all knocked away.
"Troublesome fellows."
Tendo Pain glanced at the giants of the Akimichi Clan and raised his hand slightly. However, before he could attack, his expression suddenly changed. He heard rumbling sounds coming from underground.
As the earth trembled, a massive Chakra reaction rapidly approached. Before long, it broke through the ground.
A giant purple snake pushed aside the loose soil, revealing its enormous form, positioning itself between Pain's Six Paths and the Konoha Ninja.
Above it, a light laugh rang out.
"Sorry, I made some preparations. Old man, am I late?"
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