Inside the cave.
The two were silent for a long time.
It was only after a moment that Pain slowly spoke:
"Konan."
"Regarding this person named Kyo."
"You've had the most contact with him. Is there any useful intelligence?"
For someone who had joined the Akatsuki,
as the leader, Pain naturally needed to understand them well enough.
Therefore, the moment Kyo left, he immediately began inquiring for information.
After all, the power Kyo had revealed during that brief fight was far too mysterious. Even Pain, a seasoned veteran, had never heard of such things.
First, the blue-white Fire Release. Then, the technique to stand in mid-air as if on solid ground. Next, a substitution technique as bizarre as a Genjutsu. And finally, a Golden Lightning Release with terrifying destructive power.
Any one of these, taken on its own, would perhaps be extremely mysterious.
And now, all four of these mysterious abilities were concentrated in a single person.
No matter how he thought about it, it was somewhat astonishing.
However,
upon hearing Pain's words, Konan shook her head and said calmly:
"There is very little intelligence regarding him."
"But for now, I can basically confirm one thing... his "eyes" are likely suspicious."
"Hm?"
Pain's expression shifted slightly. He repeated: "...Eyes?"
"Correct."
Konan nodded, looking at Pain, and said calmly:
"I observed carefully."
"Every time he uses those strange techniques, his golden pupils seem to flash with some peculiar, unusual light."
"Therefore, I suspect that the reason he masters so many disparate powers is very likely related to these golden eyes."
"In other words—"
"It's highly probable he possesses some kind of mysterious Dojutsu we have never encountered!"
"Just like— your eyes, Nagato."
As she finished, Konan was almost staring intently into Pain's eyes, speaking each word deliberately and very seriously.
And as her words fell, Nagato, who was controlling Pain from behind, was visibly stunned.
'Eyes similar to mine?'
Nagato couldn't help but recall the past.
His Rinnegan had awakened during the Second Shinobi World War.
It was during a time of conflict. Two Shinobi from Konoha had broken into his home and killed his parents.
In his fear, Nagato had unconsciously awakened his eyes and used them to kill the two intruders.
Years later, Nagato gradually discovered that his eyes possessed various peculiar abilities, each corresponding to the Six Paths of Pain.
That was how the current Six Paths of Pain came to be.
'Could it be that the young man named Kyo had also experienced some kind of tragedy and awakened a Dojutsu similar to the Rinnegan?'
Thinking this, Nagato fell into contemplation.
If he understood the previous battle in terms of a Dojutsu, then Kyo's various seal-less techniques seemed to make perfect sense.
After all, using a Dojutsu itself didn't require hand seals...
Just as Nagato was halfway through his thoughts, Konan suddenly spoke again.
"Nagato."
"Actually, I think what deserves the most attention isn't his mysterious Dojutsu."
"Rather, it's the power he kept hidden—that sword."
"The sword?"
Nagato snapped back to attention.
Konan nodded and continued:
"Perhaps you unconsciously overlooked it."
"In fact, throughout his entire fight with Kakuzu just now, from beginning to end, he never drew his blade."
"Yet, in the Land of Wind, I personally witnessed him, with his blade drawn, he instantly killed Sasori of the Red Sand who was controlling the Third Kazekage puppet..."
"From this, it can be seen that this power, terrifying in both speed and destructive force, is likely his true trump card."
"The reason he didn't draw his blade might be because he didn't want to kill Kakuzu."
Konan spoke with a calm expression.
"..."
After her words fell, Pain fell into silence.
It was only then that he fully understood why, before the battle, Konan had told Kyo to hold back...
'This man, wielding both a mysterious ninja tool and a mysterious Dojutsu, was far more frightening than he appeared!'
After a long while, Pain slowly spoke:
"Let's continue observing for now."
"When that man returns, we can discuss the detailed situation further."
"...Alright."
Konan nodded gently.
She naturally knew that the man Pain spoke of was the shadowy controller of the Akatsuki—
the mysterious masked man,
the one who called himself "Uchiha Madara".