Persona non Grata
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom - ep. 98
"Persona non Grata"
[Ultima Ratio: Feature]
---
Yesterday was as uneventful as we wanted it to be. Nothing but the most relaxing and fruitless things: sleeping in, junk food, gossip, and lightly annoying each other. We didn't get any work done and went to bed like it was a school night.
Today is the penultimate day of our mission, and it has been fairly quiet. Obito has yet to return, and Konan is not putting any particular effort into finding out what happened to the five we kidnapped two days ago. She hasn't been seen with Pain, or Nagato, for the past day and a half. He also hasn't appeared much at all. The large chakra that kept switching frequencies appeared briefly this morning, but then disappeared again. I have to wonder how they factor into this, if at all.
"Still sleepy over in these parts, boss."
I stand at one of the piers on the lake's edge. Everyone is by themselves for today's observations. Erika has 'gone ghost' as Ino likes to say. She will reappear at her own discretion, as I can only get what I think are brief flickers of her presence as she moves through the village. And if I can't pin her location down, nobody in there should be able to. Hina is on the shore, using her impressive vision to scan the village as she has been for the past few days. She has been picking out areas of interest and noting them for the rest of us. Ino is monitoring the village communications as she did before. From what she's saying now, there isn't much more in the way of activity compared to before.
"Thank you, Ino. Anything on our transmission security?"
"If they've got anything on us, they're playing it real cool. Otherwise, I haven't seen anything and I'm not hearing anything now. These guys are efficient at clearing out intruders, but they do have intruders to clear out efficiently."
"Understood. Keep at it."
"Yes, ma'am."
We've been putting together the information we gathered from our five targets. Ino compiled them in her head before walking us through our bounty together this morning. Our targets were chosen with the hopes that they would give us information that was more than pedestrian, and for the most part, they delivered. An understanding of the intruder response, coordinated by Pain and Konan together. Real-time observation of her moving about the streets as thousands, maybe even millions, of small paper constructs. Direct proof that the war against Hanzo's elements is still being prosecuted, and the deception of the other nations concerning the civil war. Information, both real and falsified. We find out about Pain's grip on just about every aspect of society, and how he allows and blocks whatever he needs to depending on the day. The people are accepting of this, even through their doubts which are almost never openly expressed. They welcome the constant, invasive surveillance because it is better than what was before.
Then there's a very curious thing.
Erika suspected that one of these people was a specialist of some type in the medical profession, and she was correct. This person worked for one of the hospitals, and took requests directly from the so called angel to locate and prepare specific bodies, which would then be moved to a secretive, if not secret facility. That is to say, Pain's Tower. It has long been revered as a place of the dead, whether it's to honour their memories or to inter their bones. And as the place where Pain resides. Many rumours live and exist simultaneously. This prepared corpse was that of a woman, who was taken away once everything was checked and confirmed. Now the only questions are what for, and why. Corpses in the tallest tower, which is often veiled by a strange material that blocks chakra signals. To what end are they brought there, ushered in under extreme secrecy by Konan herself?
"Pain and Konan are together again," Hina says over the radio. "They are speaking on upcoming events...I can read it for you all easily enough."
"Go ahead," I say.
"Copy that, all ears," Ino says.
"They are speaking about...an upcoming mission. A long trip away from the village, though hopefully not too long. Madara...Obito, rather. He wants to ensure continued progress and seeks a way to break the cage forming around the organization by the recent alliance of the five major powers. Heading out to...Water Country. Discussing the possibility of preemptive strikes against the Hidden Mist...would send Kisame out, but he is needed for other tasks."
"They're going after the Three-Tails," I say.
"That's exactly it."
"And that's a huge problem, I'm guessing," Ino says.
"They're trying, but Mei Terumi and her band still haven't gotten themselves together enough to fight this kind of battle properly. Not to mention the resources they would need in case things go south," I reply. "I can't imagine the Rinnegan is easy to take down...these idiots went from bad to worse. That means there is no way we let them leave town right now. At the least, we force them to lick their wounds and ruin their schedules."
"They've finished speaking," Hina says to us. "I'll transcribe the rest for later, but those were the biggest takeaways."
"Hopefully Erika is scouting some good fight spots, because tomorrow is when we rumble, so to speak. Confident as I am...this is still the Rinnegan, and this Pain, or Nagato, or whatever the hell he calls himself-"
"Someone that far up his own ass probably calls himself Daddy at night. Or has his paper lady do it for him," Ino quips. "He's probably nailing her."
I roll my eyes. "Thank you for your insights, Captain Yamanaka."
"You know me, boss. Always on top of it."
"Indeed. As I was saying, someone who can use their fancy eyes to wrangle tailed beasts is more than likely a force to be reckoned with. We don't have much on them, but it has to be enough."
"And Rika will be around in case they decide to tag up. You're right, I think we've done all of the investigating we could without getting real close and poking through their dinner, or something like that. I haven't been able to scoop up anything regarding our mysteriously over-juiced stranger that we saw pop up a few times. Can't be unrelated, though. On that note...the cops and shinobi tend to stay a good distance away whenever any fighting involving Pain or Konan comes up."
"That sounds fair enough. So I won't have to worry about anyone hanging out on the sidelines, looking to be a menace. Good news."
"Of course, we have a couple of big time hoaxes and diversions in place just in case anyone gets bored and decides they want to be saucy on the big day."
"Of course you do. Lovely work, Captain Yamanaka."
"I do aim to please, boss."
"Let's keep at this until Erika gets back. She's supposed to be bringing goodies for me to cook...very spoiled of us, but we need a properly made meal and not something broiled or boiled in its own packaging. Even if it's not a terrible experience, for once."
"Ooh, are you on cooking duty?" Ino asks.
"That I am. I sense that you're looking forward to this upcoming meal, and the one to come later."
"Did she make it too obvious?" Hina chimes in. "That said, I am looking forward to your cooking myself. In times like these, it's difficult to avoid stroking your ego."
"One of the things I adore about you is your ability to compliment me in such unique ways, Hina."
"Then I am glad I could make your day."
"I'm gonna go back to work, so you two don't have to mind me. Carry on with your flirting as always. Ino, out."
"I'll be standing by, then. We can continue our so called flirting in person later, as the Colonel likes."
"Read you both," I say. "I'll be on a walk, listening to the news. Channel's open as always."
"Ma'am."
"Ma'am."
---
The sun has just disappeared below the horizon. Evening has become night as we walk further onto land.
Tonight's dinner will need to be cooked in the great outdoors, so having it far away from our operating base is for the best. We find a lonely place near one of the many streams in sight, and start to dig the cooking pit that will help us keep a low profile. Soon after, I get to work.
"The local conditions for most of the year make it difficult to provide the food needed for such a large village," Erika explains. "So a good deal of it is imported. Supplies are limited, and tightly controlled. This is mainly for security reasons, but those in the village seem not to have suffered as a result of this. Visibly, at least."
"There are also no signs of mass pollution," Hina says. "Disposal of waste and related things must be done securely as well...there are a great deal of water treatment plants, and multiple stages of same to ensure cleanliness. And to erase as much human presence as possible, so that no person or location can be readily traced."
"That lake is pretty deep, too," Ino says. "So you could get rid of things pretty easily by sinking them. I think there are a few passages that lead out to the sea, but the water pressure in this spot alone is probably overwhelming once you go far enough."
"You said that this body of water was shaped by human hands, Hinata?" Erika asks.
"In part, at least. With all of the rain coming down, the lake would have formed naturally over a number of years. However, with the sort of industrialization that took place, and the understanding that the current leader possesses a legendary power, I would say from taking another look that the characteristics of this lake and the surrounding area were modified extensively. By the use of jutsu, machines, or likely both things at once."
"I still can't believe that the Rinnegan is for real," Ino says. "When I was really small, I remember the clan elders talking about it sometimes. Then we glossed over it at school a few times, because it was more or less a myth to everyone. Some guy creating the shinobi world itself and then disappearing, with the power he used never showing up again. Not even once. There's the Sharingan, and the Byakugan, but those have their limits. Mostly."
"It must bring up questions in your mind," Hina replies. "I have too many to count."
"Yeah, it does. The most obvious one being, what is someone with all that power doing with it? Terrorizing the world, capturing the most powerful beings in it for some unknown purpose...if you somehow inherited the power to, like, create everything...I dunno. I keep thinking about it, and then I have questions for my own questions."
"What do you mean?"
Ino shrugs. "Thinking about circumstances, you know? How two people can grow up in the same home, but have completely different experiences and existences. If that can happen, then what about someone who lived in a village, or a country, that was constantly off balance? What do you say to someone who has ultimate power, and uses it in a way that doesn't make sense to you, but makes perfect sense to them?"
"I was thinking of that part of it myself...it's something I can understand, at least a little bit."
"This Pain could also be a victim himself," Erika says. "And what would we say about proper choices to someone like that, if we were able to? Much like Grass Country was used as a battleground by the larger, wealthier countries that surrounded it, this nation was the same. But with Hanzo's withdrawal and the increasingly isolationist stance of its hidden village, the final outcome was much worse. The grass and soil in one nation preserved memories of past struggle. And in another...all of it was washed away with the rain."
"..." There is a cruel irony to it all, when put into those words.
"However, these questions are merely for us to ponder, and not answer. That task is left to the chosen ones."
I turn my head to meet Erika's gaze.
"When you look into the many ripples of the eyes of creation...you, daughter of heaven, will grasp the answers that no other could reach. The understanding of both divinity and pain is something that belongs to a sacred few."
"You worry, but no longer mean to interfere as you did before."
"Yes."
"Then there is no need to ask for forgiveness. Thank you for that, Erika."
"I am forever at your side, ma'am."
"That's good. It means you'll be much easier to wrangle in the future. I've finished my cooking, only the plating left to do. You can all wash up in the meantime."
It's not as difficult to get your hands on anything you want once you get past the village's security. In addition to the legitimate markets, the underground is doing well for itself. There's no way that the upper ranks of the village don't know this, as these hidden economies and their major players are a good vector into the underworld no matter where you are. However, underground trading and rare wares are as far as it goes in the Hidden Rain. The criminal elements are either dead or relocated. All that's left are agents who don't know the real affiliation of the other, aside from the fact that there aren't any factions against Pain or for Hanzo any longer. As long as they can evade the police on occasion, their lives are happy ones.
The village is stable and structured as it is now. Perhaps a sudden change will bring it all tumbling down, ruining the lives of many people who don't have anywhere else to go. Tomorrow, I might destroy the last safe haven for those who had suffered and lost so much already. The indifference of the shinobi powers, the civil war, the takeover by Pain...
But then, I know my answer to the questions that will be asked. I'm all too happy to play the villain, or become a monster in these people's eyes. All that is needed is the chance to deliver my justice, and save the world from falling into an eternal darkness that it could not escape on its own. I won't simply crush this next opponent in body, but in spirit as well.
It's the one and only way to move forward.
---
Dawn on Sunday morning. The rain has started to fall.
Pain stands at the top of the highest tower, hands stretched over the village. Konan is at his side, majestic wings spread.
A few hours earlier, Erika went out to do one last surveillance run before I entered the village itself. Ino is listening to the radios, while Hina observes the movement of people carefully. As far as everyone in the Hidden Rain knows, this is just another rainy Sunday. We are going to change that very soon.
"Your vitals are okay," Hina says, doing a final medical check inside of our base. "I don't see anything preventing you from fighting at your best. Be careful, as always."
"Thank you, Hina."
"Are we ready to go?" Ino asks. She sets down her headphones and stands to meet me and Hina.
"We are definitely ready," I say.
"Okay. Like Hina said, be safe. For now, this is all you."
"Yes. If anything does happen...be sure to bring me home, by any means."
"Yes, ma'am."
"But I expect that I'll come back to you all under my own power. Losing is always an afterthought for me," I say with a smile. "Be sure to enjoy the show, ladies."
"We will do our best, ma'am. Permission to send you off properly?"
"Granted, as always. Come."
I give them both a hug and a gentle kiss on the lips. Their eyes are filled with hope, as I wanted. I'm really not going to lose to this psychopath, no matter what tricks they might have waiting. I've been training for moments like this, and moments far beyond.
I'm more than ready. It's time to finish this.
"Captain Hyuuga, Captain Yamanaka. To your posts as soon as I depart. Be ready to leave base once the fighting starts in earnest."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes, ma'am."
They both stand at attention and salute. I salute back, and we turn from each other before I jump through the entrance of our base.
"Major Kotowari, situation report."
"No changes since morning. Target area clear, targets still in place on the tower. No sign of the unidentified chakra as of yet, ma'am."
"Understood. I'll introduce myself properly upon reaching the target area."
"Yes, ma'am. Continuing surveillance. Be safe."
I leave base, pull on my cloak, and start my jog across the lake. There are some looks from the handful of boats that I pass by, but nothing is said and nobody gives chase.
"The cloak should give you enough cover until you reach your destination, ma'am."
"Understood. Thank you," I say to Erika. "Stand by for final phase."
"Standing by."
The people move through the wet paths, cloaks and umbrellas shielding them from the driving rain. What would be a mighty downpour in most places registers no shock or excitement here. Streets and walkways avoid being flooded thanks to the extensive systems of pipes, drains and grates that appear everywhere. The rush of water is constant, only overtaken by the rain that falls to supply it.
Buildings are the same. Outfitted with piping and basins that collect and guide water down towards the ground. Windows glisten with thick sheets of moisture running downwards, sparkling cascades against the inky darkness of steel and concrete. The clouds are a consistent darkness that seems alien to those who routinely see them gather before a storm, but would draw no scrutiny from those so used to the rain, if they were even inclined to look upwards in the course of their day.
The roads open up and I reach a lonely area, surrounded on four sides by the outer walls of skyscrapers that are decorated with twisting, branching, multicoloured pipes. Water laps at my toes as the drains and basins try to swallow up everything that comes from above.
"This is it. I've arrived at the target area, starting routines shortly. Radio silence after this. If they want to figure out that I have a team, they won't get any help from me. Keep watch and hold your positions after migration unless we have an emergency. Passing command to you from here on, Major."
"Yes, ma'am. Please do what you can. We will be waiting for you here," Erika says.
"We're here and ready," Ino says. "Moving out. Come back soon, ma'am."
"As always, take care. I'll keep an eye on you," Hina says. "And I will be awaiting your safe return."
"Thank you, ladies. Colonel Kobayashi, out."
I switch off my earpiece and place it into my pouch. Deep breaths in and out. A few moments of stillness in preparation.
"Let's do this."
I throw off my cloak and focus my chakra, compressing it as tightly as I can. And then, I let loose.
The sphere of force cracks the concrete beneath my feet, and is enough to push away the falling rain for a few moments. Everything seems to be continuing on as it always does...and here's the shift I was waiting for. The storm is slowing. I look up to see the clouds thinning and dispersing, the rain coming to a stop and sunlight shining down on the village. Konan's presence shrinks for reasons that I can already guess. One of the fortunate things about having so many structures around is that I can use them as conduits for some of my tracking abilities. It means that I can feel her moving towards me, for an attack that would normally be inescapable.
"There it is."
From all sides and above, a swarm of flying paper arrows. Death by a thousand cuts might be a viable strategy in this case. They're not all that fast, so I can wait for a little bit longer. Every route sealed, no good gaps. Experienced and aware. It's no wonder she was chosen as his right hand.
"Mobius, Type Six...Umbrella of Artemis."
The spherical burst of lightning chakra is enough to reject those thousands of paper arrows, tearing up and scorching more than a few in the process. I ready another burst just in case, but it seems that it won't be needed. The sheets float freely in the air before gathering towards a single point, forming a body with giant paper wings. First the black cloak with red clouds, then the blue hair and the origami flower...and finally, the stoic face that I've seen in far off images and memories alone before this moment.
"It seems that your famous performance was not simply a matter of good fortune. You are an intriguing individual, Lilith Kobayashi."
It never fails somehow. A beautiful, mature woman. Everything I could want...and yet again, she's here to kill me. Unbelievably bothersome. And since I'm like this, well...we know what has to come next.
"I'm compelled to tell you how absolutely ravishing you look in person," I say. "A terrible shame that we have to stand on opposite sides like this, and that one of us will be leaving this world in a short time."
"Compelled?" she asks.
"Yes. I've always had a thing for older women."
"I see. And your words are sincere...Ishako Shigisei's colourful reports were correct in the end. Another interesting thing. It means that you've been planning extensively behind the scenes to destroy us. Erasing you is the correct thing to do in this circumstance. However...as you were compelled to express your desire for me, I am compelled to ask something of you, before the hour of judgment arrives."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"You have drawn the interest of our executive backers, and that of God himself. Your movement through the world, the ways that you are both revered and feared...the actions you have taken, and the reports that we hear of you. Perhaps it might be foolishness in the end, but I only think it fair to ask. You should consider leaving your world behind, and joining ours. Place your strength in the hands of those who can truly comprehend and appreciate it. Change this age for the better, along with us. You would be able to serve God in grace and distinction alongside me. And as you desire, enjoy my presence to your heart's content."
"My, my. That's quite an offer to make, especially after the trouble that I've caused you recently. A chance to change this world, and enjoy its most beautiful flowers along the way. Alas...it's unfortunate for you, Konan."
"How so..."
"I have plenty of other ways to get my fix," I say, licking my lips. "And while separating a pretty head from her luscious body is something I dislike doing...it's not something that I'm unwilling to do, especially if it means achieving my goals. As I told your dear friend Deidara, I am going to decline your offer membership for your little club, tempting as it surely is. I came here to see your boss...God, as you like to call him? And give him a slight attitude adjustment before continuing on my way."
"Unfortunate. What you seek is nothing but folly. Your might is known and respected, but it is nothing compared to God's power. He controls the movement of the sky itself, as you must have seen and experienced. Whatever chance you think you stand against him, you should revise it downwards, and reconsider our generous offer to you. Lilith Kobayashi, you stand no chance against us. Not by yourself, nor with this world's most powerful shinobi at your side. All are nothing compared to Pain."
"And yet you saw fit to surprise me as soon as I made my presence known to you and your so-called god." I tilt my head. "Which is it? Am I not a threat, or am I enough of one that you wanted to see me dead before I could confront him?"
"Your choices are thus: join our righteous cause, or die. You will not be allowed to leave as long as you choose to oppose us."
I shrug. "That's just fine. I wasn't planning on leaving, anyways. Not without your heads in hand."
Another figure drops onto a set of overhanging pipes, next to Konan as she floats in the air. The edges of their Akatsuki cloak flap in the breeze.
"Your confidence belies your size, Scarlet Viper. So this is the brilliant star...of the current shinobi world."
It seems that Erika's hypothesis has been borne out...this Pain isn't the same as the one we observed in the tower before, or the one that was controlling the rain a few minutes earlier. This must be the hunter form. But the body is different, in every way. Those piercings are now in an unfamiliar arrangement. The body type, taking on a thinner and less muscular form...that isn't the same, either...but the Rinnegan, those are in place like with the last body. The orange hair is now bound into a long ponytail, and there's the headband with a line scored across the village symbol, same as with most of the other Akatsuki.
"So you're the one they call a god here," I say to him. "Pain...it really is a petulant sort of name for someone, as I've said to others before. What does someone like you mean by that, especially while possessing the eyes of the Sage?"
"You recognize the Rinnegan," he says. "A student of history...no, more than that. I can see in your eyes that you are also one of the enlightened. You do not agree with the current order of the world."
"And what if I don't? Do you think it makes me like you?"
"Not yet. Though you rise above the feeble minds of this world, you have not yet reached godhood."
"..." I restrain myself. It's not the right time...not until I hear what he truly has to say.
"The only way to ascend is to grow up. To learn," Pain says. "And pain...that is the most effective teacher of them all."
"You had a proper master a long time ago. I know him well enough, unfortunately. This isn't what he taught to you, or hoped that you would have take root in your memories."
"Oh? What would you know about my old master, serpent woman?"
"I know him as a hopeless dreamer, who believes that the world could be led to peace through cooperation and understanding."
"And you think him a fool."
"I think him a perpetually young man who has never truly grown up. A fool, yes, yet earnest and with a kind heart. His belief is sincere, and something that he works with all his might towards seeing come to pass. But it's something that only this blessed daughter could call foolishness. Not you. I believe that you've lost the right long ago."
"Jiraiya," Konan says. "He has not changed since the last time we met, it seems. I knew that he was searching for me, perhaps to convince me that my path was incorrect. I could not shed tears at his demise, but he is still someone that I think fondly of. It is unfortunate that he could never truly understand our pain. That he could never truly understand us."
"Was there not one more with you?" I ask. "Nagato, followed by Konan...and another that I know nothing of."
"You have been observing us for some time, then. If you had spoken to Jiraiya, then you would have had a definitive answer before reaching this place. There was another fellow, yes...his name was Yahiko. And he has been dead for a long time."
"I see..."
"It was Yahiko who ignited the spark of revolution. The true creator of Akatsuki...as God, I use this power to carry on his mission. To bring peace to the world."
So this Yahiko created Akatsuki? It means that this wasn't something that Obito or Madara brought into being on their own. This was...a takeover. But why? Was this part of the plan? Some sort of partnership? Or was the group just taken over from the inside? But this founding would have been some time before Obito's birth, and after Madara's public death. There is a lot going on.
This one, Pain...he likes to talk. I can provoke him some more. There won't be another real chance to uncover the truth, not after we start dancing. And this diversion will give me more to prepare myself. Does he see anything? I can't tell, not yet.
Konan has yet to make a move. Either she doesn't think she's strong enough to take me out, or she's standing by until Pain gives her an order. Doesn't matter. I have plenty to get ahead of her if she tries anything.
"You seek peace, yet you throw the world into chaos by stealing the tailed beasts and killing their hosts in the process," I say to Pain. His chakra system is different from the other one. So it's not a clone. Something is going on. What is it? "What is your desire with all of that power in your hands? Do you intend to destroy the governments in your path? The shinobi and their villages? Is there a station that you seek, or is this more esoteric than most would consider?"
"It seems you have much in the way of questions, Kobayashi. But your inquiries are proof that you operate on a level beyond the mortals in this world. It means that you might be able to comprehend my goals. As Konan said earlier, your two choices are to join us or perish. So there is no harm in revealing our mission to you in full."
"Not because you like hearing your own voice?" I ask.
"You should be grateful to Pain for granting you an audience, and the chance to be enlightened," Konan says. A tremor of anger has slipped into her monotone voice. "Even life beyond the mortal plane has use for wisdom gained in previous cycles."
"How eloquently put. Perhaps there truly is merit to what you have said, dear Konan. Fine. Just this once, I will allow my spirit to be enriched by the holder of the Rinnegan. Pain, was it? Tell me your true desire for this lost, tormented world of ours. And I say those words without satire...you and I can both see the state of everything around us."
"I see. A cosmopolitan and well tempered soul stands before us...then I will reveal to you the truth and intricacies of this shinobi world."
Pain makes his way towards the ground, Konan following. I take a few steps back to give them an even berth, measuring my distance quickly and rechecking every signature that I can sense around me. Konan has paper constructs ready and waiting, both in and out of sight. Pain is now close enough that I can feel the cutting and switching of his chakra signal, buzzing and waving in every direction. Where it might be coming from, who it might be coming from...impossible to tell. A corpse puppet isn't viable under those conditions. Not to mention the irregularities from those strange piercings.
Somewhere between seventy and eighty metres between us. Not far, but not too close. Especially for me. I move everything to the rear of my mind and prepare to focus on what Pain has to say. I really am curious as to what he means to do, and what his endgame is. World domination...that was what Itachi said once about Akatsuki's final goal. But I have a feeling that this Pain is seeking something else out of it all.
"Pain is necessary...for the growth of all living beings. The children of this world are born into it. Pain changes them. Shapes them. Affects how they act and think. Ultimately, who they are and who they will become. I have grown from pain of all kinds. Through life and loss, injury and torment...I stood at the nexus of pain for years on end. And do you know what that made me?"
"..."
"It made me into what you see here. A god."
I'm tempted to say that he has lost his mind. But...I have to admit that there is truth hidden in there. That encountering pain, and overcoming it...gives those born into humanity a different perspective. Something potentially world-changing as well.
"To become a god...allows you to dictate things as you see fit," I say to him. "Your thoughts, your theories, even your musings. They can go from simple mutterings to iron clad law, on a whim."
"Yes, it is so. Because I have an understanding that humans do not. Because I have evolved, and become a higher being. So many things that you must have seen here...those only became possible once I ascended to godhood. The things that evaded me so often as a human, they became clear to me once I became a god. Once I became Pain, and accepted my role as this world's saviour."
"Saviour...you mean by conquering this world and remaking it in your image?"
"Only to have my mighty works torn down again by spiteful, unenlightened humans? No...I could not be so foolish after all of these years. And I do not mean to erase civilization, or its progress. Humans are capable of great things when they are properly taught, properly motivated. No, I am going to do something even greater than that."
Pain stares at me.
"I am going to erase the current version of this world. I will stop the endless wars and conflicts that consume and define it. I will put a stop to needless suffering. I will use my power as God to bring this world to order."
"And as said before, you cause chaos and discord by hunting the tailed beasts. You risk destabilizing the world order. Those who sit upon their gilded thrones will not cease their business, even if what has been long called a mythical power presents itself to them."
"The tailed beasts will be used to create a forbidden technique."
My eyes widen. "What..."
"The ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Something that only the power of the Rinnegan could bring into being, and control all at once. A weapon with the power to annihilate an entire country in a single burst. Nothing can match it now. Nothing will match it in the future."
No...I can see the logic in it. The most powerful weapon, in the hands of Pain and Akatsuki. But...there's something missing. With that sort of control, does he mean to hold the world hostage?
"So, you would become the unassailable masters of the world with this weapon. Under your control-"
"No. Nothing so basic. Nothing so...human."
"?"
Pain raises his hands. "Conflict is inevitable. It is part of human nature. No matter what factions change or disappear, no matter the affiliations of nation, religion, colour, creed...humans will always fight. They will always go to war. Even as God, I cannot stop the march of this world's creation. Shinobi will always exist. Fighting will always exist. War will always exist. And how are these conflicts brought to an end, Kobayashi?"
"With force. Usually of the overwhelming kind," I answer.
"Yes. And my weapon will provide a means to do that."
"Provide..." It comes to me. I feel my blood cooling. "No. No, that's not it. You don't mean to..."
"The weapon will be provided to nations who can gather up the necessary payment to use it. In a single moment, they can end conflict by wiping out the enemy. The fear, the terror...it will be embedded into the hearts and souls of the survivors, should there be any left. And the surrounding nations will tremble in fear."
"Until..." I breathe in and steady myself. I'm not hearing this. I can't be hearing this from someone with the Sage's inheritance. "Until they forget about the devastation. Or are motivated by it to seek revenge," I say. "And when that happens, and when war starts again, the weapon will be purchased for use once more. And it will kill thousands upon thousands more. The effects beyond it...ruined land, economies dedicated to raising money for war machines. Or is your hope that they will turn away from that path, somehow?"
"It is. But humans are stubborn. You know it well, Kobayashi."
"End war? End conflict? It's only temporary. Just an endless cycle...of pain. To teach the world pain, to make it grow up. Like you did. And once humans experience enough pain and suffering, perhaps one day they will see things your way. If not, then...then peace will come and go in seasons."
"The death and destruction will serve a greater purpose," Pain says. "It will give light to those who desire a better world. By experiencing pain, the world will grow. It will mature. And it will realize that war is nothing but a waste of time. And I will be here to guide it from above, as God. For as long as it will take. This is the only way that humanity, that this world will learn anything."
"I...understand your plan. Your goals. I can see what you mean to do," I say.
"It seems so. You've listened to what I had to say. As a courtesy, I would like to hear what you have to say, Lilith Kobayashi. What do you see?"
"You're asking me..."
"I see it as a fair thing to do."
I fold my arms over my chest. There's no point in holding back my true feelings at this point. "Then it's a shame that I won't give you the courtesy that you think you've earned. God? Saviour? Take these moments before your demise to humble yourself, and learn your fucking place. You are pathetic. More than even I could have imagined."
"You will not speak to Pain-"
"Do not fucking condescend to me, you frigid, glorified housekeeper," I say to Konan. "You will be quiet when I speak."
"Konan. Be patient. This woman seems quite vexed," Pain says. "I would like to understand why that is. Why do you think I need to humble myself, Lilith Kobayashi?"
"Because you are nothing but a fraud. I know exactly what your problem is. You've given up. You are pathetic, weak, and cowardly. You know exactly what you are doing. You manipulate people for your own gain, while being manipulated yourself. You, who has inherited the power of the Sage, the one who first brought this world to order. This is the extent of your ability. The extent of your wisdom. That humans will forever be in conflict...an infant could deduce as much. And your solution is to give them the means to destroy themselves and each other in mere instants, instead of through bloody battles. Cowardice, plain and simple."
"And you have an alternative, then?"
"There it is. Your game." I shake my head. "You demand that others come up with solutions superior to yours. You look down on the so-called unenlightened, reasoning that if they haven't come up with something by now, they never will. It's as I said...you gave up a long time ago. The pain you find so enriching and inspiring, it broke you. Hollowed you out. And all you could do was cling to the dream of another, someone even more cowardly than you. You haven't fought for yourself. You haven't grown up at all. In fact, you're just as much of a child as Jiraiya is."
"Really...he who chases an unattainable dream of peace, and I who has stared into the abyss of reality. You say that we are the same?"
"Fucking spare me. You don't see reality either. All you've done is retreat into yourself, justifying atrocity after atrocity. You don't care about anyone but yourself. This plan of yours is the furthest thing from salvation. It's revenge for what you went through as a child. You lived in this place, where the tides of blood were washed away by the rain, like none of it ever happened. The great powers surrounding this nation used it as a battleground, as a means of settling their scores, without thinking about what happened to its people. All of that garbage about growth...you don't expect that, do you? A weapon that can erase countries in an instant, what kind of destruction do you think it will cause? What do you think people are, Pain? What do you think their families are? Their communities, their cultures? When nations are devastated to the last man, where do you think all of that goes? Into magical boxes, set to be unpacked for the next generation that comes along? Do you think that people can just rebuild while drowning in fear, not knowing where or when the next attack will come from? Do you think that the human nature you rely on won't just make people bitter and hurt and desperate for survival, instead of immediately becoming enlightened? Do you think that someone who grew up devastated by war is guaranteed to hate the taste of it, and not embrace violence and destruction of everyone and everything around them?"
He pauses to consider.
"Do you know the way to peace, Lilith Kobayashi?"
I stare at him, looking closer into the Rinnegan that have been so revered over thousands of years. Those eyes that helped bring so much into being.
In the Byakugan, I can see confidence and pride. In the Sharingan, emotion and determination. Light, and heart, and soul. Even if I disagree with the people who those eyes belong to.
In these eyes, I see nothing. I can only see them for the tools they are. That they always have been. It took more than the Rinnegan for Hagoromo Ootsutsuki to change existence. I always knew, and this is just confirmation.
I'm done talking to this fucking wretch.
"Since you've asked...yes. I know of a path. One that will be convenient for all of us. We might even walk it together, if you were open to it." I take a kunai and twirl it around my fingers. "And it involves a very simple process."
Pain and Konan look at each other a moment.
"And what might this process entail?" she asks.
I throw the kunai so that it lands just ahead of Pain.
"See that? All you have to do is pick that up. Take it in hand. Then draw it through your useless throat, and kill yourself."
He looks down at the kunai before looking back to me.
"It seems our discourse has come to an end. A shame...I would have liked to hear your plans for bringing peace to these lands. Konan, sweep the village for other intruders. The serpent is mine."
"Of course." She flaps her wings and takes off.
"It is unfortunate that I have to erase such a bright light from this world. But you have placed yourself into this position, Lilith Kobayashi."
"There's nowhere else I would rather be," I say to him. "Especially while trash like you continues to draw breath in this world."
"So be it. Summoning Jutsu."
Pain claps his hands, and in the next moment a summoning circle appears on the floor behind him. Out of the smoke comes a giant red crab, with massive pincers. Instant summoning...a power beyond most beings.
"I understand now why Jiraiya stayed behind to train you, and put his faith in you so long ago," I say to Pain. "You've inherited the eyes of the progenitor of all shinobi. And you had the potential to change this world forever. But you...are nothing compared to the true children of the divine. Here and now, I will show you the true strength of the heavens."
I call Murakumo to my hands.
"I will show you the true hand of God."
"Persona non Grata"
[Ultima Ratio: Feature]
---
Yesterday was as uneventful as we wanted it to be. Nothing but the most relaxing and fruitless things: sleeping in, junk food, gossip, and lightly annoying each other. We didn't get any work done and went to bed like it was a school night.
Today is the penultimate day of our mission, and it has been fairly quiet. Obito has yet to return, and Konan is not putting any particular effort into finding out what happened to the five we kidnapped two days ago. She hasn't been seen with Pain, or Nagato, for the past day and a half. He also hasn't appeared much at all. The large chakra that kept switching frequencies appeared briefly this morning, but then disappeared again. I have to wonder how they factor into this, if at all.
"Still sleepy over in these parts, boss."
I stand at one of the piers on the lake's edge. Everyone is by themselves for today's observations. Erika has 'gone ghost' as Ino likes to say. She will reappear at her own discretion, as I can only get what I think are brief flickers of her presence as she moves through the village. And if I can't pin her location down, nobody in there should be able to. Hina is on the shore, using her impressive vision to scan the village as she has been for the past few days. She has been picking out areas of interest and noting them for the rest of us. Ino is monitoring the village communications as she did before. From what she's saying now, there isn't much more in the way of activity compared to before.
"Thank you, Ino. Anything on our transmission security?"
"If they've got anything on us, they're playing it real cool. Otherwise, I haven't seen anything and I'm not hearing anything now. These guys are efficient at clearing out intruders, but they do have intruders to clear out efficiently."
"Understood. Keep at it."
"Yes, ma'am."
We've been putting together the information we gathered from our five targets. Ino compiled them in her head before walking us through our bounty together this morning. Our targets were chosen with the hopes that they would give us information that was more than pedestrian, and for the most part, they delivered. An understanding of the intruder response, coordinated by Pain and Konan together. Real-time observation of her moving about the streets as thousands, maybe even millions, of small paper constructs. Direct proof that the war against Hanzo's elements is still being prosecuted, and the deception of the other nations concerning the civil war. Information, both real and falsified. We find out about Pain's grip on just about every aspect of society, and how he allows and blocks whatever he needs to depending on the day. The people are accepting of this, even through their doubts which are almost never openly expressed. They welcome the constant, invasive surveillance because it is better than what was before.
Then there's a very curious thing.
Erika suspected that one of these people was a specialist of some type in the medical profession, and she was correct. This person worked for one of the hospitals, and took requests directly from the so called angel to locate and prepare specific bodies, which would then be moved to a secretive, if not secret facility. That is to say, Pain's Tower. It has long been revered as a place of the dead, whether it's to honour their memories or to inter their bones. And as the place where Pain resides. Many rumours live and exist simultaneously. This prepared corpse was that of a woman, who was taken away once everything was checked and confirmed. Now the only questions are what for, and why. Corpses in the tallest tower, which is often veiled by a strange material that blocks chakra signals. To what end are they brought there, ushered in under extreme secrecy by Konan herself?
"Pain and Konan are together again," Hina says over the radio. "They are speaking on upcoming events...I can read it for you all easily enough."
"Go ahead," I say.
"Copy that, all ears," Ino says.
"They are speaking about...an upcoming mission. A long trip away from the village, though hopefully not too long. Madara...Obito, rather. He wants to ensure continued progress and seeks a way to break the cage forming around the organization by the recent alliance of the five major powers. Heading out to...Water Country. Discussing the possibility of preemptive strikes against the Hidden Mist...would send Kisame out, but he is needed for other tasks."
"They're going after the Three-Tails," I say.
"That's exactly it."
"And that's a huge problem, I'm guessing," Ino says.
"They're trying, but Mei Terumi and her band still haven't gotten themselves together enough to fight this kind of battle properly. Not to mention the resources they would need in case things go south," I reply. "I can't imagine the Rinnegan is easy to take down...these idiots went from bad to worse. That means there is no way we let them leave town right now. At the least, we force them to lick their wounds and ruin their schedules."
"They've finished speaking," Hina says to us. "I'll transcribe the rest for later, but those were the biggest takeaways."
"Hopefully Erika is scouting some good fight spots, because tomorrow is when we rumble, so to speak. Confident as I am...this is still the Rinnegan, and this Pain, or Nagato, or whatever the hell he calls himself-"
"Someone that far up his own ass probably calls himself Daddy at night. Or has his paper lady do it for him," Ino quips. "He's probably nailing her."
I roll my eyes. "Thank you for your insights, Captain Yamanaka."
"You know me, boss. Always on top of it."
"Indeed. As I was saying, someone who can use their fancy eyes to wrangle tailed beasts is more than likely a force to be reckoned with. We don't have much on them, but it has to be enough."
"And Rika will be around in case they decide to tag up. You're right, I think we've done all of the investigating we could without getting real close and poking through their dinner, or something like that. I haven't been able to scoop up anything regarding our mysteriously over-juiced stranger that we saw pop up a few times. Can't be unrelated, though. On that note...the cops and shinobi tend to stay a good distance away whenever any fighting involving Pain or Konan comes up."
"That sounds fair enough. So I won't have to worry about anyone hanging out on the sidelines, looking to be a menace. Good news."
"Of course, we have a couple of big time hoaxes and diversions in place just in case anyone gets bored and decides they want to be saucy on the big day."
"Of course you do. Lovely work, Captain Yamanaka."
"I do aim to please, boss."
"Let's keep at this until Erika gets back. She's supposed to be bringing goodies for me to cook...very spoiled of us, but we need a properly made meal and not something broiled or boiled in its own packaging. Even if it's not a terrible experience, for once."
"Ooh, are you on cooking duty?" Ino asks.
"That I am. I sense that you're looking forward to this upcoming meal, and the one to come later."
"Did she make it too obvious?" Hina chimes in. "That said, I am looking forward to your cooking myself. In times like these, it's difficult to avoid stroking your ego."
"One of the things I adore about you is your ability to compliment me in such unique ways, Hina."
"Then I am glad I could make your day."
"I'm gonna go back to work, so you two don't have to mind me. Carry on with your flirting as always. Ino, out."
"I'll be standing by, then. We can continue our so called flirting in person later, as the Colonel likes."
"Read you both," I say. "I'll be on a walk, listening to the news. Channel's open as always."
"Ma'am."
"Ma'am."
---
The sun has just disappeared below the horizon. Evening has become night as we walk further onto land.
Tonight's dinner will need to be cooked in the great outdoors, so having it far away from our operating base is for the best. We find a lonely place near one of the many streams in sight, and start to dig the cooking pit that will help us keep a low profile. Soon after, I get to work.
"The local conditions for most of the year make it difficult to provide the food needed for such a large village," Erika explains. "So a good deal of it is imported. Supplies are limited, and tightly controlled. This is mainly for security reasons, but those in the village seem not to have suffered as a result of this. Visibly, at least."
"There are also no signs of mass pollution," Hina says. "Disposal of waste and related things must be done securely as well...there are a great deal of water treatment plants, and multiple stages of same to ensure cleanliness. And to erase as much human presence as possible, so that no person or location can be readily traced."
"That lake is pretty deep, too," Ino says. "So you could get rid of things pretty easily by sinking them. I think there are a few passages that lead out to the sea, but the water pressure in this spot alone is probably overwhelming once you go far enough."
"You said that this body of water was shaped by human hands, Hinata?" Erika asks.
"In part, at least. With all of the rain coming down, the lake would have formed naturally over a number of years. However, with the sort of industrialization that took place, and the understanding that the current leader possesses a legendary power, I would say from taking another look that the characteristics of this lake and the surrounding area were modified extensively. By the use of jutsu, machines, or likely both things at once."
"I still can't believe that the Rinnegan is for real," Ino says. "When I was really small, I remember the clan elders talking about it sometimes. Then we glossed over it at school a few times, because it was more or less a myth to everyone. Some guy creating the shinobi world itself and then disappearing, with the power he used never showing up again. Not even once. There's the Sharingan, and the Byakugan, but those have their limits. Mostly."
"It must bring up questions in your mind," Hina replies. "I have too many to count."
"Yeah, it does. The most obvious one being, what is someone with all that power doing with it? Terrorizing the world, capturing the most powerful beings in it for some unknown purpose...if you somehow inherited the power to, like, create everything...I dunno. I keep thinking about it, and then I have questions for my own questions."
"What do you mean?"
Ino shrugs. "Thinking about circumstances, you know? How two people can grow up in the same home, but have completely different experiences and existences. If that can happen, then what about someone who lived in a village, or a country, that was constantly off balance? What do you say to someone who has ultimate power, and uses it in a way that doesn't make sense to you, but makes perfect sense to them?"
"I was thinking of that part of it myself...it's something I can understand, at least a little bit."
"This Pain could also be a victim himself," Erika says. "And what would we say about proper choices to someone like that, if we were able to? Much like Grass Country was used as a battleground by the larger, wealthier countries that surrounded it, this nation was the same. But with Hanzo's withdrawal and the increasingly isolationist stance of its hidden village, the final outcome was much worse. The grass and soil in one nation preserved memories of past struggle. And in another...all of it was washed away with the rain."
"..." There is a cruel irony to it all, when put into those words.
"However, these questions are merely for us to ponder, and not answer. That task is left to the chosen ones."
I turn my head to meet Erika's gaze.
"When you look into the many ripples of the eyes of creation...you, daughter of heaven, will grasp the answers that no other could reach. The understanding of both divinity and pain is something that belongs to a sacred few."
"You worry, but no longer mean to interfere as you did before."
"Yes."
"Then there is no need to ask for forgiveness. Thank you for that, Erika."
"I am forever at your side, ma'am."
"That's good. It means you'll be much easier to wrangle in the future. I've finished my cooking, only the plating left to do. You can all wash up in the meantime."
It's not as difficult to get your hands on anything you want once you get past the village's security. In addition to the legitimate markets, the underground is doing well for itself. There's no way that the upper ranks of the village don't know this, as these hidden economies and their major players are a good vector into the underworld no matter where you are. However, underground trading and rare wares are as far as it goes in the Hidden Rain. The criminal elements are either dead or relocated. All that's left are agents who don't know the real affiliation of the other, aside from the fact that there aren't any factions against Pain or for Hanzo any longer. As long as they can evade the police on occasion, their lives are happy ones.
The village is stable and structured as it is now. Perhaps a sudden change will bring it all tumbling down, ruining the lives of many people who don't have anywhere else to go. Tomorrow, I might destroy the last safe haven for those who had suffered and lost so much already. The indifference of the shinobi powers, the civil war, the takeover by Pain...
But then, I know my answer to the questions that will be asked. I'm all too happy to play the villain, or become a monster in these people's eyes. All that is needed is the chance to deliver my justice, and save the world from falling into an eternal darkness that it could not escape on its own. I won't simply crush this next opponent in body, but in spirit as well.
It's the one and only way to move forward.
---
Dawn on Sunday morning. The rain has started to fall.
Pain stands at the top of the highest tower, hands stretched over the village. Konan is at his side, majestic wings spread.
A few hours earlier, Erika went out to do one last surveillance run before I entered the village itself. Ino is listening to the radios, while Hina observes the movement of people carefully. As far as everyone in the Hidden Rain knows, this is just another rainy Sunday. We are going to change that very soon.
"Your vitals are okay," Hina says, doing a final medical check inside of our base. "I don't see anything preventing you from fighting at your best. Be careful, as always."
"Thank you, Hina."
"Are we ready to go?" Ino asks. She sets down her headphones and stands to meet me and Hina.
"We are definitely ready," I say.
"Okay. Like Hina said, be safe. For now, this is all you."
"Yes. If anything does happen...be sure to bring me home, by any means."
"Yes, ma'am."
"But I expect that I'll come back to you all under my own power. Losing is always an afterthought for me," I say with a smile. "Be sure to enjoy the show, ladies."
"We will do our best, ma'am. Permission to send you off properly?"
"Granted, as always. Come."
I give them both a hug and a gentle kiss on the lips. Their eyes are filled with hope, as I wanted. I'm really not going to lose to this psychopath, no matter what tricks they might have waiting. I've been training for moments like this, and moments far beyond.
I'm more than ready. It's time to finish this.
"Captain Hyuuga, Captain Yamanaka. To your posts as soon as I depart. Be ready to leave base once the fighting starts in earnest."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes, ma'am."
They both stand at attention and salute. I salute back, and we turn from each other before I jump through the entrance of our base.
"Major Kotowari, situation report."
"No changes since morning. Target area clear, targets still in place on the tower. No sign of the unidentified chakra as of yet, ma'am."
"Understood. I'll introduce myself properly upon reaching the target area."
"Yes, ma'am. Continuing surveillance. Be safe."
I leave base, pull on my cloak, and start my jog across the lake. There are some looks from the handful of boats that I pass by, but nothing is said and nobody gives chase.
"The cloak should give you enough cover until you reach your destination, ma'am."
"Understood. Thank you," I say to Erika. "Stand by for final phase."
"Standing by."
The people move through the wet paths, cloaks and umbrellas shielding them from the driving rain. What would be a mighty downpour in most places registers no shock or excitement here. Streets and walkways avoid being flooded thanks to the extensive systems of pipes, drains and grates that appear everywhere. The rush of water is constant, only overtaken by the rain that falls to supply it.
Buildings are the same. Outfitted with piping and basins that collect and guide water down towards the ground. Windows glisten with thick sheets of moisture running downwards, sparkling cascades against the inky darkness of steel and concrete. The clouds are a consistent darkness that seems alien to those who routinely see them gather before a storm, but would draw no scrutiny from those so used to the rain, if they were even inclined to look upwards in the course of their day.
The roads open up and I reach a lonely area, surrounded on four sides by the outer walls of skyscrapers that are decorated with twisting, branching, multicoloured pipes. Water laps at my toes as the drains and basins try to swallow up everything that comes from above.
"This is it. I've arrived at the target area, starting routines shortly. Radio silence after this. If they want to figure out that I have a team, they won't get any help from me. Keep watch and hold your positions after migration unless we have an emergency. Passing command to you from here on, Major."
"Yes, ma'am. Please do what you can. We will be waiting for you here," Erika says.
"We're here and ready," Ino says. "Moving out. Come back soon, ma'am."
"As always, take care. I'll keep an eye on you," Hina says. "And I will be awaiting your safe return."
"Thank you, ladies. Colonel Kobayashi, out."
I switch off my earpiece and place it into my pouch. Deep breaths in and out. A few moments of stillness in preparation.
"Let's do this."
I throw off my cloak and focus my chakra, compressing it as tightly as I can. And then, I let loose.
The sphere of force cracks the concrete beneath my feet, and is enough to push away the falling rain for a few moments. Everything seems to be continuing on as it always does...and here's the shift I was waiting for. The storm is slowing. I look up to see the clouds thinning and dispersing, the rain coming to a stop and sunlight shining down on the village. Konan's presence shrinks for reasons that I can already guess. One of the fortunate things about having so many structures around is that I can use them as conduits for some of my tracking abilities. It means that I can feel her moving towards me, for an attack that would normally be inescapable.
"There it is."
From all sides and above, a swarm of flying paper arrows. Death by a thousand cuts might be a viable strategy in this case. They're not all that fast, so I can wait for a little bit longer. Every route sealed, no good gaps. Experienced and aware. It's no wonder she was chosen as his right hand.
"Mobius, Type Six...Umbrella of Artemis."
The spherical burst of lightning chakra is enough to reject those thousands of paper arrows, tearing up and scorching more than a few in the process. I ready another burst just in case, but it seems that it won't be needed. The sheets float freely in the air before gathering towards a single point, forming a body with giant paper wings. First the black cloak with red clouds, then the blue hair and the origami flower...and finally, the stoic face that I've seen in far off images and memories alone before this moment.
"It seems that your famous performance was not simply a matter of good fortune. You are an intriguing individual, Lilith Kobayashi."
It never fails somehow. A beautiful, mature woman. Everything I could want...and yet again, she's here to kill me. Unbelievably bothersome. And since I'm like this, well...we know what has to come next.
"I'm compelled to tell you how absolutely ravishing you look in person," I say. "A terrible shame that we have to stand on opposite sides like this, and that one of us will be leaving this world in a short time."
"Compelled?" she asks.
"Yes. I've always had a thing for older women."
"I see. And your words are sincere...Ishako Shigisei's colourful reports were correct in the end. Another interesting thing. It means that you've been planning extensively behind the scenes to destroy us. Erasing you is the correct thing to do in this circumstance. However...as you were compelled to express your desire for me, I am compelled to ask something of you, before the hour of judgment arrives."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"You have drawn the interest of our executive backers, and that of God himself. Your movement through the world, the ways that you are both revered and feared...the actions you have taken, and the reports that we hear of you. Perhaps it might be foolishness in the end, but I only think it fair to ask. You should consider leaving your world behind, and joining ours. Place your strength in the hands of those who can truly comprehend and appreciate it. Change this age for the better, along with us. You would be able to serve God in grace and distinction alongside me. And as you desire, enjoy my presence to your heart's content."
"My, my. That's quite an offer to make, especially after the trouble that I've caused you recently. A chance to change this world, and enjoy its most beautiful flowers along the way. Alas...it's unfortunate for you, Konan."
"How so..."
"I have plenty of other ways to get my fix," I say, licking my lips. "And while separating a pretty head from her luscious body is something I dislike doing...it's not something that I'm unwilling to do, especially if it means achieving my goals. As I told your dear friend Deidara, I am going to decline your offer membership for your little club, tempting as it surely is. I came here to see your boss...God, as you like to call him? And give him a slight attitude adjustment before continuing on my way."
"Unfortunate. What you seek is nothing but folly. Your might is known and respected, but it is nothing compared to God's power. He controls the movement of the sky itself, as you must have seen and experienced. Whatever chance you think you stand against him, you should revise it downwards, and reconsider our generous offer to you. Lilith Kobayashi, you stand no chance against us. Not by yourself, nor with this world's most powerful shinobi at your side. All are nothing compared to Pain."
"And yet you saw fit to surprise me as soon as I made my presence known to you and your so-called god." I tilt my head. "Which is it? Am I not a threat, or am I enough of one that you wanted to see me dead before I could confront him?"
"Your choices are thus: join our righteous cause, or die. You will not be allowed to leave as long as you choose to oppose us."
I shrug. "That's just fine. I wasn't planning on leaving, anyways. Not without your heads in hand."
Another figure drops onto a set of overhanging pipes, next to Konan as she floats in the air. The edges of their Akatsuki cloak flap in the breeze.
"Your confidence belies your size, Scarlet Viper. So this is the brilliant star...of the current shinobi world."
It seems that Erika's hypothesis has been borne out...this Pain isn't the same as the one we observed in the tower before, or the one that was controlling the rain a few minutes earlier. This must be the hunter form. But the body is different, in every way. Those piercings are now in an unfamiliar arrangement. The body type, taking on a thinner and less muscular form...that isn't the same, either...but the Rinnegan, those are in place like with the last body. The orange hair is now bound into a long ponytail, and there's the headband with a line scored across the village symbol, same as with most of the other Akatsuki.
"So you're the one they call a god here," I say to him. "Pain...it really is a petulant sort of name for someone, as I've said to others before. What does someone like you mean by that, especially while possessing the eyes of the Sage?"
"You recognize the Rinnegan," he says. "A student of history...no, more than that. I can see in your eyes that you are also one of the enlightened. You do not agree with the current order of the world."
"And what if I don't? Do you think it makes me like you?"
"Not yet. Though you rise above the feeble minds of this world, you have not yet reached godhood."
"..." I restrain myself. It's not the right time...not until I hear what he truly has to say.
"The only way to ascend is to grow up. To learn," Pain says. "And pain...that is the most effective teacher of them all."
"You had a proper master a long time ago. I know him well enough, unfortunately. This isn't what he taught to you, or hoped that you would have take root in your memories."
"Oh? What would you know about my old master, serpent woman?"
"I know him as a hopeless dreamer, who believes that the world could be led to peace through cooperation and understanding."
"And you think him a fool."
"I think him a perpetually young man who has never truly grown up. A fool, yes, yet earnest and with a kind heart. His belief is sincere, and something that he works with all his might towards seeing come to pass. But it's something that only this blessed daughter could call foolishness. Not you. I believe that you've lost the right long ago."
"Jiraiya," Konan says. "He has not changed since the last time we met, it seems. I knew that he was searching for me, perhaps to convince me that my path was incorrect. I could not shed tears at his demise, but he is still someone that I think fondly of. It is unfortunate that he could never truly understand our pain. That he could never truly understand us."
"Was there not one more with you?" I ask. "Nagato, followed by Konan...and another that I know nothing of."
"You have been observing us for some time, then. If you had spoken to Jiraiya, then you would have had a definitive answer before reaching this place. There was another fellow, yes...his name was Yahiko. And he has been dead for a long time."
"I see..."
"It was Yahiko who ignited the spark of revolution. The true creator of Akatsuki...as God, I use this power to carry on his mission. To bring peace to the world."
So this Yahiko created Akatsuki? It means that this wasn't something that Obito or Madara brought into being on their own. This was...a takeover. But why? Was this part of the plan? Some sort of partnership? Or was the group just taken over from the inside? But this founding would have been some time before Obito's birth, and after Madara's public death. There is a lot going on.
This one, Pain...he likes to talk. I can provoke him some more. There won't be another real chance to uncover the truth, not after we start dancing. And this diversion will give me more to prepare myself. Does he see anything? I can't tell, not yet.
Konan has yet to make a move. Either she doesn't think she's strong enough to take me out, or she's standing by until Pain gives her an order. Doesn't matter. I have plenty to get ahead of her if she tries anything.
"You seek peace, yet you throw the world into chaos by stealing the tailed beasts and killing their hosts in the process," I say to Pain. His chakra system is different from the other one. So it's not a clone. Something is going on. What is it? "What is your desire with all of that power in your hands? Do you intend to destroy the governments in your path? The shinobi and their villages? Is there a station that you seek, or is this more esoteric than most would consider?"
"It seems you have much in the way of questions, Kobayashi. But your inquiries are proof that you operate on a level beyond the mortals in this world. It means that you might be able to comprehend my goals. As Konan said earlier, your two choices are to join us or perish. So there is no harm in revealing our mission to you in full."
"Not because you like hearing your own voice?" I ask.
"You should be grateful to Pain for granting you an audience, and the chance to be enlightened," Konan says. A tremor of anger has slipped into her monotone voice. "Even life beyond the mortal plane has use for wisdom gained in previous cycles."
"How eloquently put. Perhaps there truly is merit to what you have said, dear Konan. Fine. Just this once, I will allow my spirit to be enriched by the holder of the Rinnegan. Pain, was it? Tell me your true desire for this lost, tormented world of ours. And I say those words without satire...you and I can both see the state of everything around us."
"I see. A cosmopolitan and well tempered soul stands before us...then I will reveal to you the truth and intricacies of this shinobi world."
Pain makes his way towards the ground, Konan following. I take a few steps back to give them an even berth, measuring my distance quickly and rechecking every signature that I can sense around me. Konan has paper constructs ready and waiting, both in and out of sight. Pain is now close enough that I can feel the cutting and switching of his chakra signal, buzzing and waving in every direction. Where it might be coming from, who it might be coming from...impossible to tell. A corpse puppet isn't viable under those conditions. Not to mention the irregularities from those strange piercings.
Somewhere between seventy and eighty metres between us. Not far, but not too close. Especially for me. I move everything to the rear of my mind and prepare to focus on what Pain has to say. I really am curious as to what he means to do, and what his endgame is. World domination...that was what Itachi said once about Akatsuki's final goal. But I have a feeling that this Pain is seeking something else out of it all.
"Pain is necessary...for the growth of all living beings. The children of this world are born into it. Pain changes them. Shapes them. Affects how they act and think. Ultimately, who they are and who they will become. I have grown from pain of all kinds. Through life and loss, injury and torment...I stood at the nexus of pain for years on end. And do you know what that made me?"
"..."
"It made me into what you see here. A god."
I'm tempted to say that he has lost his mind. But...I have to admit that there is truth hidden in there. That encountering pain, and overcoming it...gives those born into humanity a different perspective. Something potentially world-changing as well.
"To become a god...allows you to dictate things as you see fit," I say to him. "Your thoughts, your theories, even your musings. They can go from simple mutterings to iron clad law, on a whim."
"Yes, it is so. Because I have an understanding that humans do not. Because I have evolved, and become a higher being. So many things that you must have seen here...those only became possible once I ascended to godhood. The things that evaded me so often as a human, they became clear to me once I became a god. Once I became Pain, and accepted my role as this world's saviour."
"Saviour...you mean by conquering this world and remaking it in your image?"
"Only to have my mighty works torn down again by spiteful, unenlightened humans? No...I could not be so foolish after all of these years. And I do not mean to erase civilization, or its progress. Humans are capable of great things when they are properly taught, properly motivated. No, I am going to do something even greater than that."
Pain stares at me.
"I am going to erase the current version of this world. I will stop the endless wars and conflicts that consume and define it. I will put a stop to needless suffering. I will use my power as God to bring this world to order."
"And as said before, you cause chaos and discord by hunting the tailed beasts. You risk destabilizing the world order. Those who sit upon their gilded thrones will not cease their business, even if what has been long called a mythical power presents itself to them."
"The tailed beasts will be used to create a forbidden technique."
My eyes widen. "What..."
"The ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Something that only the power of the Rinnegan could bring into being, and control all at once. A weapon with the power to annihilate an entire country in a single burst. Nothing can match it now. Nothing will match it in the future."
No...I can see the logic in it. The most powerful weapon, in the hands of Pain and Akatsuki. But...there's something missing. With that sort of control, does he mean to hold the world hostage?
"So, you would become the unassailable masters of the world with this weapon. Under your control-"
"No. Nothing so basic. Nothing so...human."
"?"
Pain raises his hands. "Conflict is inevitable. It is part of human nature. No matter what factions change or disappear, no matter the affiliations of nation, religion, colour, creed...humans will always fight. They will always go to war. Even as God, I cannot stop the march of this world's creation. Shinobi will always exist. Fighting will always exist. War will always exist. And how are these conflicts brought to an end, Kobayashi?"
"With force. Usually of the overwhelming kind," I answer.
"Yes. And my weapon will provide a means to do that."
"Provide..." It comes to me. I feel my blood cooling. "No. No, that's not it. You don't mean to..."
"The weapon will be provided to nations who can gather up the necessary payment to use it. In a single moment, they can end conflict by wiping out the enemy. The fear, the terror...it will be embedded into the hearts and souls of the survivors, should there be any left. And the surrounding nations will tremble in fear."
"Until..." I breathe in and steady myself. I'm not hearing this. I can't be hearing this from someone with the Sage's inheritance. "Until they forget about the devastation. Or are motivated by it to seek revenge," I say. "And when that happens, and when war starts again, the weapon will be purchased for use once more. And it will kill thousands upon thousands more. The effects beyond it...ruined land, economies dedicated to raising money for war machines. Or is your hope that they will turn away from that path, somehow?"
"It is. But humans are stubborn. You know it well, Kobayashi."
"End war? End conflict? It's only temporary. Just an endless cycle...of pain. To teach the world pain, to make it grow up. Like you did. And once humans experience enough pain and suffering, perhaps one day they will see things your way. If not, then...then peace will come and go in seasons."
"The death and destruction will serve a greater purpose," Pain says. "It will give light to those who desire a better world. By experiencing pain, the world will grow. It will mature. And it will realize that war is nothing but a waste of time. And I will be here to guide it from above, as God. For as long as it will take. This is the only way that humanity, that this world will learn anything."
"I...understand your plan. Your goals. I can see what you mean to do," I say.
"It seems so. You've listened to what I had to say. As a courtesy, I would like to hear what you have to say, Lilith Kobayashi. What do you see?"
"You're asking me..."
"I see it as a fair thing to do."
I fold my arms over my chest. There's no point in holding back my true feelings at this point. "Then it's a shame that I won't give you the courtesy that you think you've earned. God? Saviour? Take these moments before your demise to humble yourself, and learn your fucking place. You are pathetic. More than even I could have imagined."
"You will not speak to Pain-"
"Do not fucking condescend to me, you frigid, glorified housekeeper," I say to Konan. "You will be quiet when I speak."
"Konan. Be patient. This woman seems quite vexed," Pain says. "I would like to understand why that is. Why do you think I need to humble myself, Lilith Kobayashi?"
"Because you are nothing but a fraud. I know exactly what your problem is. You've given up. You are pathetic, weak, and cowardly. You know exactly what you are doing. You manipulate people for your own gain, while being manipulated yourself. You, who has inherited the power of the Sage, the one who first brought this world to order. This is the extent of your ability. The extent of your wisdom. That humans will forever be in conflict...an infant could deduce as much. And your solution is to give them the means to destroy themselves and each other in mere instants, instead of through bloody battles. Cowardice, plain and simple."
"And you have an alternative, then?"
"There it is. Your game." I shake my head. "You demand that others come up with solutions superior to yours. You look down on the so-called unenlightened, reasoning that if they haven't come up with something by now, they never will. It's as I said...you gave up a long time ago. The pain you find so enriching and inspiring, it broke you. Hollowed you out. And all you could do was cling to the dream of another, someone even more cowardly than you. You haven't fought for yourself. You haven't grown up at all. In fact, you're just as much of a child as Jiraiya is."
"Really...he who chases an unattainable dream of peace, and I who has stared into the abyss of reality. You say that we are the same?"
"Fucking spare me. You don't see reality either. All you've done is retreat into yourself, justifying atrocity after atrocity. You don't care about anyone but yourself. This plan of yours is the furthest thing from salvation. It's revenge for what you went through as a child. You lived in this place, where the tides of blood were washed away by the rain, like none of it ever happened. The great powers surrounding this nation used it as a battleground, as a means of settling their scores, without thinking about what happened to its people. All of that garbage about growth...you don't expect that, do you? A weapon that can erase countries in an instant, what kind of destruction do you think it will cause? What do you think people are, Pain? What do you think their families are? Their communities, their cultures? When nations are devastated to the last man, where do you think all of that goes? Into magical boxes, set to be unpacked for the next generation that comes along? Do you think that people can just rebuild while drowning in fear, not knowing where or when the next attack will come from? Do you think that the human nature you rely on won't just make people bitter and hurt and desperate for survival, instead of immediately becoming enlightened? Do you think that someone who grew up devastated by war is guaranteed to hate the taste of it, and not embrace violence and destruction of everyone and everything around them?"
He pauses to consider.
"Do you know the way to peace, Lilith Kobayashi?"
I stare at him, looking closer into the Rinnegan that have been so revered over thousands of years. Those eyes that helped bring so much into being.
In the Byakugan, I can see confidence and pride. In the Sharingan, emotion and determination. Light, and heart, and soul. Even if I disagree with the people who those eyes belong to.
In these eyes, I see nothing. I can only see them for the tools they are. That they always have been. It took more than the Rinnegan for Hagoromo Ootsutsuki to change existence. I always knew, and this is just confirmation.
I'm done talking to this fucking wretch.
"Since you've asked...yes. I know of a path. One that will be convenient for all of us. We might even walk it together, if you were open to it." I take a kunai and twirl it around my fingers. "And it involves a very simple process."
Pain and Konan look at each other a moment.
"And what might this process entail?" she asks.
I throw the kunai so that it lands just ahead of Pain.
"See that? All you have to do is pick that up. Take it in hand. Then draw it through your useless throat, and kill yourself."
He looks down at the kunai before looking back to me.
"It seems our discourse has come to an end. A shame...I would have liked to hear your plans for bringing peace to these lands. Konan, sweep the village for other intruders. The serpent is mine."
"Of course." She flaps her wings and takes off.
"It is unfortunate that I have to erase such a bright light from this world. But you have placed yourself into this position, Lilith Kobayashi."
"There's nowhere else I would rather be," I say to him. "Especially while trash like you continues to draw breath in this world."
"So be it. Summoning Jutsu."
Pain claps his hands, and in the next moment a summoning circle appears on the floor behind him. Out of the smoke comes a giant red crab, with massive pincers. Instant summoning...a power beyond most beings.
"I understand now why Jiraiya stayed behind to train you, and put his faith in you so long ago," I say to Pain. "You've inherited the eyes of the progenitor of all shinobi. And you had the potential to change this world forever. But you...are nothing compared to the true children of the divine. Here and now, I will show you the true strength of the heavens."
I call Murakumo to my hands.
"I will show you the true hand of God."
Last edited: