Naruto: The Savior of the Shinobi World is a Liar?

The sky was dark, like a tattered cloth soaked in ink, as the incessant rain shrouded the landscape, rendering the muddy roads indistinct beneath the curtain of rain.

In this monotonous gray backdrop, four figures silently tread upon the land.

Leading them was Tendo Pain, controlled by Nagato, his orange hair soaked with rain, clinging to his youthful yet emotionless face.

Behind Tendo Pain followed Ningendo and Shurado, both equally expressionless, along with Konan, her blue-purple hair drenched by the downpour.

As they approached the now clearer sight of Amegakure in the rain, Konan felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

"N—Pain..."

Still not accustomed to calling him directly, she hesitated before changing her wording, "Are we really okay facing Hanzō with just the current three Paths?"

Tendo Pain did not answer her question immediately nor did he turn to look back; each step he took was slow, as if he were assessing the land that he would redefine with his own order.

The sound of rain beat upon everything, the world's sole melody.

"I once respected him."

Tendo Pain did not glance back; his low, emotionless voice pierced through the rain, reaching Konan's ears clearly, "But he is no longer the Hanzō he once was."

Hanzō was likely so old now that he couldn't even summon his salamander.

Tendo Pain's gaze pierced through the dense rain, focused on the distant tower that stood like a gravestone in the mist, his voice colder than the surrounding atmosphere.

"Now, he is just a decayed corpse, huddled with Shimura Danzo, hiding in that high tower, only concerned with fading away."

"The rain cannot wash away the world's sins and past betrayals."

Tendo Pain's voice remained flat, as if stating a universal truth: "Only God can cleanse the filth of the ninja world and bring peace."

In Konan's eyes, the familiar yet strange figure ahead reflected a cold and resolute judgment, void of hesitation or compassion.

The rain hit her face, icy and piercing, stirring complex emotions within her.

An indescribable pain passed fleetingly, settling into a desolate calm, silencing the lightness of her "paper butterflies" and restoring clarity and determination to her gaze.

"Hmm." Her agreement was nearly absorbed into the rain, brief and soft.

The tone held a resolution to let go of all past grievances and a determination for the painful future that lay ahead, like an apostle following a deity into the unknown.

As they approached the gates of Amegakure, they could already see the Amegakure shinobi stationed there.

"Stop!"

As the two Amegakure shinobi caught sight of the indistinct figures, their expressions turned wary, shouting, "Who are you?!"

Tendo Pain had no intention of explaining himself to mere ants, and he made no effort to conceal his presence, merely raising his arm toward the two.

But at that moment.

Tendo Pain suddenly sensed an extremely strong aura rushing toward him like a tidal wave.

Looking up, he saw a solitary figure standing atop the distant, crumbling tower.

"Pain!"

Feeling something, Konan's expression shifted slightly.

Buzz!

The ground beneath them began to hum with a tremor, as if something underground was writhing, eager to break free from its bound cage.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A roar echoed from the heavens, imbuing the statement with brazen confidence.

Crack, crack, crack! An immense force surged upward, shattering the flat ground, forming a rising, bulging staircase of fractures.

Tendo Pain's eyes moved slightly; he reacted almost instinctively, using his repulsive power to rise into the air.

At the same time, a deafening explosion resonated through the heavens.

"Roar!!"

Accompanied by the roar of a beast breaking free, dust and debris shot into the sky, and the haze quickly expanded outward.

In that shroud of dust, a gigantic shadow surged forth, bursting from the ground and lunging toward Pain and Konan.

Konan reacted a moment behind Pain, using her Paper Dance to transform paper into wings and soar into the sky.

However, within her increasingly widening pupils, she could see the gaping maw of the creature below, the foul stench almost brushing against her face.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Tendo Pain raised his arm toward the ground below, manifesting an invisible, powerful repulsive force within the rain as it pressed against the colossal creature descending to bite.

Boom! The massive shadow was uncontrollably propelled back, crashing to the ground and sending dust and rain flying once more.

The three Paths of Pain and Konan appeared at a distance, the latter's expression now somber as she watched the shadowy giant.

"Roar!"

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, ripples spread through the rain, completely dispersing the swirling dust.

The creature's reddish-purple body was tremendous, with four toes on its forelimbs, five toes on its hind limbs, and a thick, flat tail that gently slapped the ground, creating tremors with every impact.

Its skin was devoid of scales, only covered by a layer of mucus that secreted liquid upon contact, which corroded the ground and released wisps of smoke, revealing its strong toxicity.

"This is a salamander, but its size…"

Finally discerning the form of the enormous beast, Konan felt a blend of surprise and gravity.

The salamander, though named a "fish," was not a fish at all. It was a unique amphibian of the Land of Rain, one of the largest living amphibians.

Most salamanders ranged from fifty to two hundred centimeters in length, while a two to three-meter salamander could already be considered a ninja beast. Hanzō's companion, Shinda, boasted a four-meter salamander.

Yet the creature before them lay sprawling, already measuring over ten meters in height, its body length terrifying beyond measure.

If it were to rise completely, it would tower like a collapsed mountain, instilling fear and powerlessness in most observers.

In the entire ninja world, there was only one salamander of such size, and only one person could summon such a massive creature.

"Salamander Ibuse."

Tendo Pain hovered in the air, gazing at the figure standing atop the salamander's head, calmly stating, "And…"

"Lord Hanzō!"

The two Amegakure shinobi guarding the gates of Amegakure gasped in unison, astonished and horrified as they recognized the figure standing there.

Lord Hanzō, who had seemed weary yesterday, how could he suddenly appear so youthful?

Their confusion evaporated, replaced by elation and mania.

It was Lord Hanzō! The former Lord Hanzō!

That aura! That presence! It couldn't be wrong! "Seems the repulsive white creature's master is you guys."

Hanzō crossed his arms, standing atop the head of the salamander as he looked toward the two figures among the four, Tendo Pain and Konan, frowning as he spoke, "Wait a moment, you two look a bit familiar."

He stared at Tendo Pain's face, which held no signs of expression or warmth, resembling a statue carved from cold stone, only radiating a near-empty and hollow stillness.

But that frigid visage gradually conformed within Hanzō's mind to the memory amidst the depths of his recollections—an image once filled with fervor and hope.

"You are…" Hanzō's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke in a low voice, "Yahiko of the Akatsuki?"

How could this be? Yahiko was supposed to be dead!

And that pair of eyes…

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