Below, Chiyo, who was still observing Pain and dared not act recklessly, said:
"What's that guy trying to do? Flying into the sky, does he plan to use repulsive force for a long-range attack?"
Mei Terumi frowned and said, "His chakra is incredibly powerful. I have a bad feeling about this."
Chiyo responded, "Mizukage-sama, you're overthinking it. No matter how strong he is, Pain is just one person. The reconnaissance team has already scouted the area; there's only Pain here. How could one person possibly stand against tens of thousands of ninjas?"
At the mention of a one-man army, Mei Terumi subconsciously thought of Uchiha Haneda. Every time she thought of him, she couldn't help but purse her lips.
That guy had rejected her advances several times, which was quite frustrating.
Given the urgent situation, Mei Terumi stopped dwelling on Haneda and instead gave orders:
"Chojuro, Ao!"
"Inform everyone immediately to be cautious. Try to cover the ground with chakra or grab onto nearby trees!"
"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Ao and Chojuro responded.
Even though neither of them understood why the leader of the Akatsuki deserved such treatment, they followed the commander's orders.
Other ninjas who received the instructions also didn't understand, but as disciplined soldiers, they carried out the commands regardless of their rationale.
Chiyo silently watched Mei Terumi's actions.
Though deep down, she didn't believe Pain could cause much destruction to them.
At most, he might stall for time, allowing the ninjas from Amegakure and Konoha to regroup.
However, one could never be too cautious when dealing with the leader of the Akatsuki.
As everyone warily looked up at Tendo Pain, the phrase "Shinra Tensei" echoed in their ears.
Pain's significance became clear at that moment.
Pain meant suffering — the name was a phonetic transliteration from English.
As the name of the technique "Shinra Tensei" was pronounced, the sky suddenly lit up with a dazzling white light.
Centered on Pain, an unimaginable repulsive force was unleashed.
In that instant, the heavens stopped weeping.
In that instant, a beam of light streaked across the sky.
The Tyndall effect occurred as sunlight broke through the clouds, descending from the sky like a celestial river.
But the beauty above sharply contrasted with the devastation below. The rainforest beneath was utterly destroyed by the overwhelming force.
Ninjas were flung into the air, swept away alongside trees.
Some ninjas clung desperately to tree trunks, trying to stabilize themselves, while others used chakra to enhance the friction between their feet and the ground.
But ultimately, their efforts failed against the absolute power before them.
The might of Shinra Tensei was beyond ordinary resistance.
Orochimaru had failed, and the Rinnegan within reach became an unattainable dream.
Konoha, in a previous timeline, had been devastated, leaving behind a massive crater encompassing the entire village.
The power of the Rinnegan was this domineering.
An army of tens of thousands was helpless against the Six Paths of Pain.
This single strike resulted in at least a thousand casualties among the Anti-Konoha Alliance's assault force.
Chiyo and Mei Terumi, protected by a metal barrier, stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
They tried using chakra to interfere with each other's internal chakra flow, attempting to break free from what they thought was an illusion.
But the scene remained — this was the real world.
It wasn't a genjutsu...
At that moment, Chiyo, Mei Terumi, and all the ninjas in the rainforest felt pain and despair.
Just then, Tendo Pain slowly descended from the sky, followed by the other six Paths of Pain.
From his central position, Tendo Pain glanced sideways at Chiyo, who used her puppets to anchor herself to the ground, and at Mei Terumi beside her:
"Murderers will eventually be killed. War inevitably brings death and suffering."
"Now, do you understand the value of peace?"
Mei Terumi couldn't hold back at the sound of his lecture.
Looking around at the devastation, she could almost hear the mourning of the Mist ninjas in her ears.
Those were the people she had brought from the Hidden Mist to this battlefield in the Land of Rain!
"Are you kidding me?! How can you lecture us after killing so many of our comrades?!"
As she spoke, Mei Terumi had already finished forming seals, spitting out a glob of acid.
The acid was highly adhesive and corrosive, capable of even destroying the third power of the Uchiha, Susanoo!
But Tendo Pain merely raised his hand, releasing another wave of repulsive force.
The acid was deflected entirely.
Chiyo knew that Tendo's gravitational and repulsive forces had a five-second interval. She summoned the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets, the strongest puppets of the Sand Village, attacking Pain from the front and flanks.
To ensure they could strike Pain, Chiyo allocated five puppets to block the other Paths of Pain.
At the same time, Mei Terumi acted quickly.
She circled around to Pain's rear, coordinating with the puppets to encircle Tendo Pain.
White mist of hot steam spread from her lips, enveloping Pain and assisting the puppets in restraining the other six Paths of Pain.
But...
Pain's expression remained indifferent, as though the current predicament could be broken at any moment.
"I've said it before, murderers will eventually be killed. If you stop resisting now, Amegakure and Konoha won't harm you."
While controlling her puppets, Chiyo responded:
"Do you think that's possible? From Suna's perspective, you've killed too many of us. Even if I were willing, they would never agree!"
Without hesitation, the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets charged at Pain, their blades nearing his chest.
Pain caught a blade with one hand, driving it into his own chest. Afterward, he pulled it out and casually thrust it into the mud:
"Those who control puppets should understand they, too, are puppets."
"The Sand Village is a puppet of the feudal lords. As puppets, don't you see that all the dirty and exhausting work is done by puppets?"
"Only those who are their own masters can have true freedom."
"Only with freedom can one decide what they want, pursue it, and possess it."
"Distancing oneself from war and embracing peace will soon become a reality."
"Give up. Konoha and the Akatsuki will lead humanity to liberation from the shackles of the feudal lords, achieving relative freedom and the peace you desire."
Chiyo gritted her teeth and replied, "Do you really think that's possible now?"
Even if Mei Terumi understood Pain's words, her position made it impossible for her to agree with him.
Too many from the Hidden Mist had died. Even if she died here, she couldn't atone for it.
Chiyo and Mei Terumi spoke in unison:
"Absolutely impossible!"
Pain glanced at Chiyo and Mei Terumi, seemingly unfazed by his injuries:
"Then we'll keep killing until you loathe war and long for peace."
"Those who cannot empathize with pain and do not yearn for peace are utterly foolish."
"Perhaps fear and dread of war are your ultimate path."
"And when that time comes, peace will naturally be realized. As for the dead…"
"I hope they understand true peace as they close their eyes."