"He actually withstood the repulsive force of the Shinra Tensei and even destroyed four of my clones!"
Pain's voice carried a rare note of shock. The force that Menma had absorbed completely dissipated into the ground beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, the earth crumbled and collapsed backward, carving a trench hundreds of meters long. A massive cloud of dust and shattered rock billowed upward, blotting out the sunlight.
As the repulsive force was stopped, a tremendous rebound erupted from Menma's body.
"Ugh!"
"The rebound of the Shinra Tensei..."
Forces are reciprocal. The repulsive push failed to move Menma, so the energy had nowhere to go but back to its source. Pain was launched backward at high speed, his body slamming into the ground and carving a furrow with his heel.
"Pain!"
Konan, hovering above, flapped her paper wings and swooped down, reaching for him. But he waved a hand to stop her, pushing himself upright. The Preta Path had already jumped back to his side, protective.
"I was careless," Pain stated, his voice regaining his calm monotone. "I mistook the shadow clone for the real opponent. I didn't commit my full power against this jinchuriki."
His Human, Asura, and Animal Paths had been defeated before they could truly unleash their abilities. Fortunately, the Naraka Path had summoned the King of Hell beforehand, utilizing the Samsara Reincarnation to resurrect the fallen bodies.
"But not anymore," Pain continued, raising a hand. "Because gods cannot be defeated."
A terrifying surge of chakra erupted from his body, a white aura crackling around him. But before he could unleash the attack, Menma appeared before him, carrying the mangled corpses of the Four Paths and Zabuza Momochi.
"Stop, Nagato," Menma said, his voice devoid of tension. "I didn't come here to fight you. Besides, I'm just a shadow clone. Even if you beat me, it makes no difference."
He tossed the four bodies toward the King of Hell's mouth as a gesture of goodwill. He wasn't there for a pointless conflict, and he knew his clone couldn't withstand a Super Shinra Tensei or a Chibaku Tensei. The ordinary Shinra Tensei was already the limit of the shadow clone's durability.
If Menma were actually fighting, he would rely on speed, the transferability of Nine-Tails chakra, and the Tailed Beast Ball. He had taken the hit earlier only to save Zabuza Momochi.
Hearing the name "Nagato," Pain's Rinnegan pupils contracted slightly. He spoke dryly, "I am Pain. I am a god."
Menma lowered Zabuza Momochi to the ground and withdrew the Nine-Tails chakra from his body. He nodded seriously. "I understand, Nagato."
The atmosphere fell silent. Konan descended from the sky, her paper wings fluttering as she hovered behind Pain. She had overheard the conversation and looked at Menma with wariness. Menma simply shrugged.
He reached down and pulled the black chakra rods from Zabuza Momochi's body. Then, he patted Zabuza's shoulder, enveloping him in golden-red Nine-Tails chakra to rapidly heal his injuries and help him stand.
"His Tailed Beast chakra came from you?" Konan asked, shock in her voice. "How did you, a shadow clone, manage that?" She didn't know Nine-Tails chakra could be transferred.
Before Menma could answer, Zabuza—seething with anger—glared at her.
"Idiot woman," Zabuza snarled. "Before asking stupid questions, why don't you tell us why that guy Nagato calls himself Pain? You really don't know that intelligence is a shinobi's second life?"
Konan's expression remained unchanged, but the paper around her rustled loudly. She had blurted out the question in surprise, not intending to extract information from Menma. Zabuza was clearly just venting his frustration over being beaten.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the King of Hell finished chewing. The resurrected Four Paths returned to Pain's side. Pain, who had been preparing to attack, finally lowered his hand, dispersing the gathered chakra. He couldn't tell if Menma was truly a shadow clone, but that didn't stop him from listening.
"If you can't give me a convincing explanation," Pain said, "I will verify for myself whether you are a shadow clone."
Menma shrugged again. "It's simple. We're joining you. We want to participate in your plan to change this corrupt world."
"Join them!?" Zabuza looked bewildered. "I thought we were supposed to have them join us in Four Star Village."
"Join us?" Pain and Konan were equally confused. "This jinchuriki must be insane. Joining an organization that hunts Tailed Beasts?"
Menma had anticipated their reaction. "I'm not a jinchuriki. I stole the Tailed Beast chakra, just as I give it away to others. Besides, you've already sent people out to investigate jinchuriki. A quick check would confirm my status."
He took a step forward, his voice steady. "Furthermore, I can help you deal with Itachi Uchiha—that Konoha spy—and stop Konoha from capturing the Nine-Tails. Like you, I hold a grudge against Konoha. We are natural allies."
His explanation was plausible. Pain and Konan couldn't immediately find a flaw in it. Moreover, Menma seemed to know a great deal about them.
"Who exactly are you?" Pain asked. "And what is your purpose?"
Akatsuki was a collection of rogue ninja, each with their own agendas. The only other figure as mysterious as Menma was the man disguised as Obito. Both wore masks, hiding their true faces.
"I've said what I need to say," Menma replied. "If you insist on fighting, you can't stop me from escaping. In that case, you'd only lose a powerful ally and gain a formidable enemy. Besides, you're starting to capture the Tailed Beasts now. Our strength is exactly what you need. You accept people like Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha, so why should I frighten you?"
As he spoke, eight golden and red chakra tails manifested behind him, blotting out the sky. The light shone on Pain and Konan's uncertain faces.
"As expected," Konan murmured, "another troublesome person like Orochimaru." She looked at Pain. "So, should we let them join?"
Pain stared at Menma for a long time before finally nodding. "You have successfully convinced me. Rather than letting you fight me outside, I'd rather keep you by my side. Even if problems arise, I can eliminate you immediately."
Menma chuckled lightly, offering no rebuttal.
Turning, the Paths of Pain walked toward their base.
"Hmph," Pain said without looking back. "Follow me."
---
This translation project relies on your active support to succeed. Please take a moment to vote with Power Stones and leave a review to boost our ranking.