This trip to Konoha would be one Nagato undertook without any intel to support him.
Because of the consequences caused by Ye Zi's two previous visits to Konoha, the village had become especially vigilant against infiltration. In preparation for capturing the Nine-Tails, White Zetsu didn't gather intel, his focus had previously been on Kirigakure and Kumogakure.
Perhaps Nagato was simply too confident in his own strength, he never insisted on having intelligence support.
Normally, having intel significantly reduces the difficulty of capturing a Jinchūriki.
Take Ye Zi as an example: when he had to face the entire Kumogakure alone, it was only because of White Zetsu's intel that he knew the locations of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. This allowed him to capture the Two-Tails first at minimal cost, paving the way for success against the Eight-Tails.
Likewise, during the operation in Kirigakure, it was White Zetsu's intel that revealed the village's defenses and the Mizukage's location, enabling the smooth capture of the Six-Tails.
The importance of intel in operations like these couldn't be overstated.
This time, however, Nagato had no information on Kushina's whereabouts. His plan was to go alone against the entirety of Konoha, and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki through sheer force.
That confidence stemmed from his own power, but there was also no time to wait for new intel.
Four days later, Nagato and Konan arrived just outside Konoha a full day ahead of schedule.
With White Zetsu's help, Ye Zi maintained a careful distance so that Konan's sensory abilities wouldn't detect him.
It was around noon, and Nagato and Konan stood in the forest roughly two kilometers from Konoha's outer boundary.
The woods were eerily quiet. The usual wildlife had seemingly been frightened away by the presence of these two dangerous intruders.
"At this distance, will it affect your control?" Konan asked Nagato.
"Not significantly," Nagato replied calmly, glancing around before pointing toward an open clearing.
"Let's do it there."
Konan nodded. Spreading her arms, sheets of paper fell from her body, floating into the air and forming two streams. They flew toward the open area, gathering at the base and slowly building up. At a visible pace, the paper formed into a towering paper tree.
Once the rough shape was formed, its white surface gradually changed color, turning into a camouflaged giant tree, taller than all the surrounding ones.
Being at a high elevation would improve the transmission strength of the black rods' signal. But standing out would invite discovery, so with Konan's Shikigami no Mai, she created a disguised signal tower.
If Konan hadn't come along, Nagato might have chosen to get closer to the village instead. Either way, without proper intel, the first step was to send in the Six Paths of Pain to locate the Nine-Tails' position. Only then would he consider deploying his true body.
Once the signal tower was ready, Nagato pressed one hand to the ground.
Summoning Jutsu!
Black sealing script quickly spread from his palm, and a thick cloud of white smoke erupted. Within it, six shadowy figures slowly emerged.
As the smoke cleared, the Six Paths of Pain stood before Nagato, each one bearing the Rinnegan.
Nagato left them stationed in place and entered the paper tree with Konan. Facing toward Konoha, they took their positions.
Konan looked slightly fatigued, silently gazing at Nagato's expressionless face. With the battle about to begin, there wasn't much she could do, but being able to support him in small ways made the trip worthwhile.
"If Konoha has a barrier, we'll avoid triggering it. Let's infiltrate from the air," Nagato thought to himself.
His plan was to throw Animal Path into the air, bypass the barrier, and summon the other five Pains inside the village via Summoning Jutsu.
Once inside, they would split up:
Human Path and Naraka Path would focus on gathering intel on the Nine-Tails' location.
Deva Path and Preta Path would operate as a unit, Preta Path would defend while Deva Path attacked Konoha's main forces. Their pairing allowed for solid coordination.
Animal Path and Asura Path would form another unit, relieving pressure on Deva and Preta Paths. Animal Path would summon creatures to destroy buildings and draw enemy attention, while Asura Path's destructive capabilities would trigger widespread explosions and structural damage.
This was the basic arrangement. Until the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was found, Nagato's real body would remain hidden.
Konoha, unaware of the Six Paths' true abilities, would likely treat them as typical enemies.
What they wouldn't realize was that even if all six Pains were destroyed, Nagato could simply use Animal Path's Summoning Jutsu to bring their corpses back and revive them with Naraka Path, then send them back into battle again.
With the Six Paths' power, even if Konoha managed to defeat them, it would come at a great cost. Just as they thought the battle was over, the revived Six Paths would return, dealing a heavy psychological blow to the Konoha forces.
And reviving the Pains didn't require much chakra. Since they weren't truly alive to begin with, it was more accurate to call it repairing them, rather than resurrection.
This was the terrifying strength of the Six Paths of Pain. As long as Konoha remained unaware of their true nature, Nagato could cause tremendous chaos with them alone.
However, this was only effective in sustained combat. Since the chakra used for their jutsu came from Nagato himself, even his vast reserves couldn't support a long-term battle.
That's why the goal was clear, Find and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki as quickly as possible.
"Even if I run out of chakra..."
Before a battle, one must always be prepared for the worst. If, by the time his chakra was nearly exhausted, he still hadn't captured the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, then...
"I'll burn through my life force."
Nagato's eyes gleamed with unwavering determination as he began advancing the Six Paths of Pain toward Konoha.
It was noon. The sun shone brightly overhead, and the peaceful village of Konoha remained unaware that an enemy invasion was imminent.
At the same time, once White Zetsu confirmed Nagato's location, Ye Zi circled around to the opposite side. There was no need for him to keep watch over Nagato's real body, the most crucial action would take place within Konoha itself.
Ye Zi didn't believe that the Six Paths of Pain alone could capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki amidst the full strength of the village. While they were formidable in a drawn-out fight, when it came to taking on Konoha's elite forces, a scattered assault force paled in comparison to concentrated might.
Nagato and Konan had stationed themselves in the western forest outside Konoha. Ye Zi, however, positioned himself to the east of the village.
As the Six Paths of Pain reached the outskirts of Konoha, Asura Path, with a bizarre grin on its face, extended two large mechanical arms from its shoulder sockets. With all four arms, it grabbed the petite Animal Path, then hurled her forcefully through the air toward the village.
Animal Path's body stretched straight as a rod as she flew skyward, then angled downward like a spear, aimed directly at the chakra barrier enveloping Konoha.
At that exact moment, Ye Zi and White Zetsu arrived on the eastern side of the village, just outside its outer wall.
"Then… it begins."
Gazing at the soon-to-be chaotic village, Ye Zi's expression remained calm.
But deep within, a ripple of emotion stirred his thoughts...
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Currently on Chapter 578 - A Bloom Too Radiant to Remain