The next day came quietly.
Naruto woke before sunrise, the village still wrapped in early-morning stillness. He dressed without hesitation, pulling on his black jumpsuit and tightening the straps with practiced movements. There was no nervousness—only focus.
' They might not come today,' he thought. ' But if they do… I'll be ready.'
He ate a quick breakfast, barely tasting it, then vanished in a flash of movement.
A moment later, Naruto stood atop the massive village walls, the wind tugging at his clothes as he stared out toward the distant horizon. Below him, Konoha was just beginning to wake—shops opening, shinobi moving to their assigned posts, everything deceptively normal.
His eyes narrowed. Any moment now. His thoughts drifted briefly to recent events.
Not long ago, Sasuke Uchiha and his group had confronted the Eight-Tails. They'd been confident—arrogant, even. And they'd paid for it.
They were crushed.
If not for Sasuke's Amaterasu, none of them would've survived. Even then, they'd returned battered, bloodied… and empty-handed.
What they brought back wasn't the Eight-Tails at all.
It was a severed tentacle—nothing more than a clever transformation jutsu from Killer Bee.
A failure. And failure had consequences. Far away, in the Hidden Rain, a decision had already been made.
The Six Paths of Pain moved through the rain-soaked village in silence, their footsteps splashing against wet stone. Their cloaks billowed as they advanced, expressions empty, eyes cold.
Above them, Konan glided through the skies, paper wings spreading wide as she watched from above. Her gaze was sharp, emotionless, fixed forward.
The rain fell harder.
Pain stopped briefly, staring into the distance.
"The Nine-Tails," he said flatly. "We move now."
Without another word, they surged forward—leaving the rain behind, leaving hesitation behind. Their destination was clear.
Back atop the walls, Naruto felt it. His lips curled into a small, confident smile.
' Yeah… ' he thought. ' They're coming, pause'
.....
As the day dragged on, the air slowly changed. Naruto felt it before he saw it.
A heavy, oppressive presence pressed down on his senses—vast, cold, and deliberate. His eyes snapped open as he turned toward the forest beyond the village.
There.
One tree stood unnaturally tall, looming over the rest, its silhouette dominating the horizon like a silent tower.
' That's it, ' Naruto thought. 'That's where Nagato is.'
Without hesitation, he pulled out his headband. Tilting it just right, he caught the sunlight on the metal plate and reflected it in a sharp, controlled flash—guiding the beam toward the Hokage Tower.
Inside her office, Tsunade noticed it instantly. She rose from her desk and looked out the window, spotting Naruto standing atop the village wall.
' That's the signal, ' she realized.
Her expression hardened.
"Begin the operation," she ordered.
All across the village, shinobi moved.
Back on the wall, Naruto tied his headband firmly around his forehead and rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms.
"…Let's go."
He leapt.
Naruto dove off the wall, the wind screaming past his ears as the ground rushed up toward him. At the last moment, he twisted his body, caught a thick branch with one hand, and swung around it smoothly. Using the momentum, he flipped and landed lightly on the forest floor, barely making a sound.
' I need to get to the post.'
He broke into a sprint.
His body blurred as he dashed through the trees, feet barely touching the branches and ground, moving so fast he was almost invisible. Leaves rustled only a second after he had already passed.
Moments later, he arrived at the designated post.
The jōnin stationed there stiffened in surprise.
"Naruto?" one of them said. "What brings you—"
"The mission has begun," Naruto cut in calmly. "You know what to do."
Their expressions sharpened immediately.
"Yes!" they responded, scattering into the forest without another word.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
' If I remember correctly… this is where they attacked first in the anime before,' he thought. He relaxed slightly.
' Guess I'll just wait here until they arriv—'
His senses flared. Naruto's eyes snapped open. Someone—no, several people—were approaching.
Rustle.
Rustle.
—WOOSH.
Six dark figures dropped into the clearing, landing in a loose circle around him. Black cloaks billowed as they straightened, red clouds stark against the forest green.
Naruto slowly turned, eyes scanning them. Each one had the same eyes.
Purple.
Rippled.
Cold.
The one standing directly in front stepped forward slightly.
"That's Naruto Uzumaki," Pain said flatly. "That was easy."
Naruto smirked. "Guess you guys are the Six Paths of Pain."
"Oh?" Pain replied calmly. "So you know of us. That will make this even easier."
Naruto rolled his neck once, muscles loosening, his confidence unwavering.
' I know all their abilities, ' he thought.' As long as I take them down one by one…'
His gaze sharpened, locking onto the Deva Path.…then only the real problem remains.
Naruto dropped into a fighting stance.
"Well," he said lightly, chakra beginning to rise, "let's see if you live up to the hype."
"Firstly," the Deva Path said coldly, its ripple-patterned eyes fixed on Naruto, "let's make some space."
The air collapsed.
An overwhelming force burst outward in every direction—left, right, forward, behind—like the world itself had been shoved away.
BOOOOM—
The ground caved in.
Trees were torn from the earth, trunks snapping like twigs as they were hurled hundreds of meters away. Grass, soil, and stone were pulverized instantly, erased beneath the invisible pressure. The shockwave rolled outward endlessly, turning the forest into flying debris.
Naruto reacted without hesitation.
He launched himself straight up, chakra flaring beneath his feet as the destructive wave passed below him. From above, he watched calmly as the land was stripped bare—no trees, no cover, no obstacles.
Just ruin.
Wooosh—
The last remnants of dust and debris settled, revealing a vast, empty wasteland scarred with cracks and impact lines.
Naruto descended, landing lightly despite the devastation beneath him. His sandals touched the ground with a soft tap—almost mocking the destruction that had just occurred.
' So that's Shinra Tensei,' he thought coolly. ' Wide range… ridiculous force… and a cooldown, five second is a lot of you're faster than that '
He exhaled slowly.
' How the hell did Sasuke even get the Rinnegan again? Just gave one of the most powerful abilities one could have to the literal terrorist. That whole thing was just a massive load of bullshit.'
Ahead of him, the Six Paths of Pain stood in formation, evenly spaced, unmoving. Each one radiated pressure, their shared gaze locked onto Naruto like predators that had finally cornered their prey.
But Naruto didn't flinch. No fear. Only excitement.
A sharp grin spread across his face as his chakra began to rise—dense, controlled, and dangerous.
"…Alright," Naruto said, cracking his neck once as dust swirled around his feet.
"Let's begin then."
TO BE CONTINUED