Chapter 420: Let the World Feel Pain
In the Land of Rain, thick clouds gathered, and heavy rain poured down.
In the dim environment, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, was leading her troops on a stealth mission towards Amegakure.
This army was the anti-Konoha alliance's force, numbering over ten thousand, composed of elite troops from Sunagakure and Kirigakure.
Sunagakure's senior elders, Chiyo and Ebizō, were in the ranks, serving as vice-commanders.
On the surface, the anti-Konoha alliance and Konoha had agreed to battle in the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
In secret, the alliance had been preparing for a surprise attack on Amegakure and Konoha.
The rain intensified, making it nearly impossible to discern directions in the rainforest. Leading the way was Chiyo from Sunagakure.
She was very familiar with the Land of Rain, having commanded forces during both the Second and Third Shinobi Wars.
As they drew closer to Amegakure, the surroundings became eerily quiet. Chiyo felt something was off, as if they were walking into an ambush.
She slowed her pace, took out a scroll, and released several frog-like puppets to scout ahead for any enemies.
The advance troops also slowed their pace, and soon, the main force led by Mei Terumi arrived.
Seeing Chiyo cautiously deploying her puppets, Mei Terumi asked:
"Lady Chiyo, are there enemies lying in ambush ahead?"
Chiyo replied, "I find this place too quiet. We are only a few kilometers from Amegakure and could arrive at any moment."
"I encountered a similar situation during the Second Shinobi War when Hanzō of the Salamander lured us into a trap and used poison against us."
"If I hadn't been skilled in poison myself, I would have died back then."
Mei Terumi, being unfamiliar with the terrain, wisely heeded Chiyo's advice and sent Ao and several other Kirigakure scouts ahead.
Truth be told, Mei Terumi didn't like the environment of the Land of Rain. She had been sent here because Kirigakure excelled in Water Release, giving them a significant advantage in such a terrain.
But Kirigakure was not familiar with the Land of Rain.
Under Mei Terumi's strong insistence, the Fourth Raikage had dispatched Chiyo along with about three thousand troops who were familiar with the Land of Rain.
At this moment, a Sunagakure scout returned, reporting:
"Lady Chiyo, Lady Mizukage, there are no defenses set up by Amegakure ahead, and there aren't many shinobi within the village."
"They seem to believe we will follow the battle plan and fight near the Land of Rivers."
Chiyo and Mei Terumi exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with a hint of delight.
They had gambled correctly by bypassing the main roads and approaching Amegakure through the rainforest.
This greatly reduced the chance of being discovered, allowing them to strike directly at the enemy's heart and severely weaken Amegakure, Konoha, and the Akatsuki's morale!
But just then, five men and one woman suddenly dropped from the sky, landing in front of Mei Terumi and Chiyo.
They all had yellow hair, the same Rinnegan, black rods piercing their bodies, and wore Akatsuki robes.
Their presence exuded a cold, mysterious, and powerful aura that seemed almost inhuman.
"The leader of Amegakure and the Akatsuki—Pain!" Mei Terumi identified the opponent but didn't immediately attack.
She was curious about why Pain had come alone without any other Akatsuki members.
Mei Terumi and the others already knew that Pain was not just one person, but six, each with different abilities, making him a formidable enemy.
They had identified Pain as one entity because ninjas infiltrating Amegakure to assassinate him discovered that the Six Paths of Pain shared the same field of vision!
Chiyo cautiously asked, "Lord Pain, do you really think you can face me, Lady Mizukage, and an army of over ten thousand ninjas all by yourself?"
Tendō Pain, after listening quietly, coldly responded:
"I am here to convey a fact. Whether you listen or not is none of my concern."
Mei Terumi asked, "What fact?"
Tendō Pain said, "Everything Amegakure, Konoha, and the Akatsuki are doing is for peace. Those who stand in the way of peace will die."
"That includes you, Mizukage, you, Elder Chiyo, and everyone here."
Mei Terumi laughed, "Are you joking? I'm both a woman and the Mizukage. Do you think you alone can achieve that?"
Chiyo added, "Don't be foolish, Lord Pain. Our anti-Konoha alliance only targets Konoha. If you join us, Amegakure can stay out of the war. And don't forget about Akatsuki's Madara—his ambitions are completely opposite to your ideals of peace."
Pain glanced at Chiyo and calmly said, "It seems talking to you all is a waste of time."
"Let me ask you one last question."
"Haneda ended the continuous wars in the shinobi world and brought about a rare peace. Why are you trying to destroy it?"
Mei Terumi bluntly replied, "Orders from the daimyo. The daimyo promised a fifty-billion-ryō aid to Kirigakure if we joined the anti-Konoha alliance."
Chiyo added, "Konoha is too powerful, dominating the world with the most fertile lands and precious resources. Can you blame us? Would a wolf spare a weakened prey? To a wolf, mercy is a cruelty to itself."
Pain scoffed, seemingly mocking their foolishness:
"Ridiculous. The daimyo are the greatest exploiters of the people, taking your wealth, and yet you thank them."
"You help them kill the pioneers of revolution and destroy hard-earned achievements."
"Even though you major nations are the beneficiaries, Konoha's unification of the Land of Fire initially did not target you. The wealth created invisibly solved your problems and brought you greater prosperity. Yet you foolishly resist it."
"You naively believe that you will eventually win."
"Not knowing that whether you win or lose, you are already the losers."
"Killers will be killed in turn."
Chiyo retorted, "Are you lecturing us? I've seen more than you could ever imagine, you fool!"
"With Konoha's lands and wealth, Sunagakure will only thrive!"
Pain laughed, "Like Konoha? Being feared by the daimyo, invaded by the greedy?"
"War brings death and pain. Don't deceive yourselves."
Hearing this, Chiyo thought of her children and grandson, and pointed angrily at Pain:
"Our great nations have suffered the same pain!"
"Ridiculous." Tendō Pain floated into the air, with the other five Paths of Pain standing in front of Chiyo and Mei Terumi.
"A bag of rice to shoulder a floor (feel the pain)."
"A bag of rice to carry to the second floor (consider the pain)."
"A bag of rice—how exhausting (accept the pain)."
"A bag of rice to wash (understand the pain)."
"A bag of rice to wash with so much mud (those who do not know pain)."
"How can you understand peace without pain (now, let the world feel pain)."
"Shinra Tensei!!"
(T/N: Those are memes in Chinese.)
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