In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Deva Path was violently blasted away, his body formed C-shape as he flew backward. Crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom, a large crater formed where his body landed, with cracks spider-webbing out from the impact, leaving a terrifying sight.

Deva Path's Bansho Ten'in was interrupted, and Tayuya lightly fell to the ground. Her body still felt weak as she sat on the wet, muddy earth, staring blankly upward.

Through the curtain of rain, a familiar figure stood with his back to her, his rain cloak sliding off, revealing a head of golden hair she knew all too well. In that instant, even the falling rain seemed unable to touch him.

His presence wasn't overwhelmingly dazzling, but at that moment, it felt irreplaceable. Her long-frozen heart began to beat once again, perhaps because she had narrowly escaped death, or perhaps because the rain had grown heavier.

Whatever the reason, as soon as he turned to look at her, all the resentment in her heart suddenly dissolved.

Some love is like snow in winter, unable to witness the flowers of summer.

But some people can cross seas of people and forcibly bridge the seasons, like a blazing sun shining boldly into winter. Melting all the ice and snow, they stand before you.

"When are you going to pay me back?" Naruto smiled as he looked down at the drenched Tayuya, showing no intention of offering her a hand.

Tayuya was stunned at that moment, and any remaining feelings of gratitude were instantly swept away by a surge of anger. If she could stand, she would've already jumped up and tackled him.

"I'm not paying you back! It's the money I earned with my skills, I won't return it!" She growled through gritted teeth.

"Then, can I spend your money? I'm broke now, and I even have to walk to get here." Naruto asked with a mischievous grin.

"Fine, fine." Tayuya's face involuntarily flushed for a brief moment.

The next second, Naruto pulled her up, and as they passed each other, he lowered his voice.

"In a bit, when I tell you to run, head west, and don't look back. I've got strong backup, so nothing will happen to me. Once you're out, go home and wait for me."

"Mm." Tayuya didn't know what to say, and her heart was in a mess.

The rain grew heavier as Deva Path climbed out of the pit and looked in the direction of Naruto. Konan hovered in the air with paper wings on her back, and the other five Pains all surrounded him.

For a brief moment, Tayuya's heart tightened. Facing just Konan had already put her under immense pressure. And when Deva Path appeared, he almost crushed her. Now, there were five more people just like him.

The heavy raindrops fell endlessly, and the dim light of day was further obscured by the rain. Deva Path stood at a distance, while the five other Pains slowly approached.

Tayuya was drenched from head to toe, her eyelashes wet from the rain. Naruto stood in front of her, shielding her loosely from the encroaching Pains, yet his demeanor remained calm and unhurried.

Amegakure was notorious for its isolation, and few people dared to set foot here.

[Ding!]

[Option 1: Destroy the Six Paths of Pain. Reward: Shinigami's Blade (A rule-based technique that dealt soul damage to enemies).]

[Option 2: Persuade the Six Paths of Pain to lay down their weapons. Reward: Death Demon Consuming Seal (Perfect version, praised by the Shinigami, no soul sacrifice required.)]

The system panel popped up, and Naruto quickly skimmed through it.

Disregarding the options themselves, just from the rewards, both were equally impressive. Whether it was the Shinigami's Blade or the Death Demon Consuming Seal, both would compensate for his current lack of spiritual damage techniques.

Shinigami's Blade was more of a combat technique, while the Death Demon Consuming Seal was a Sealing Technique. The perfect version of Death Demon Consuming Seal means he could forcibly extract and seal his opponent's soul in future battles.

Sealing Techniques truly were unparalleled and domineering, and almost all of them are Forbidden Techniques. Judging from this, there were probably more terrifying Forbidden Techniques during the heyday of the Land of Whirlpool.

But looking back at the options, Naruto had almost nothing to hesitate about. Speaking with words has never been his strong point, especially in front of the paranoid Nagato.

Even when Jiraiya tried to reason with Nagato, he couldn't avoid his tragic fate. By comparison, Naruto, who considered himself a stranger to Nagato, had no illusions about his chances.

Right now, he only has one choice, which is to destroy the Six Paths of Pain. Once Nagato was dead, the Akatsuki's threat would vanish, which is very important to him.

'Choose option one.'

With the clear direction of the system, Naruto let out a small sigh of relief. He did not rush to take action, but instead stared silently at Deva Path. Then, he spoke slowly, "Shouldn't we exchange a few words before the fight?"

That statement was quite audacious. When Naruto was confident, he always opted for swift and decisive action, with no need for pre-fight banter. But when things weren't so certain, he had a habit of buying time.

Nagato clearly had confidence in himself, perhaps thinking that Naruto and Tayuya were already like fish on the chopping block, with their fate entirely under his control.

Thus, Nagato, through the Deva Path, began to speak, "Kyubi's Jinchuriki?"

"I'm not. What about you? What kind of creature are you?" Naruto hunched over slightly, "Controlling puppets... Let me guess, you're hiding in some dark, filthy corner, barely clinging to life."

Deva Path's face remained emotionless as he silently stared at Naruto.

"You Konoha Shinobi are arrogant as ever. You relied on the power of the Biju to start wars and mercilessly destroy smaller countries. Your death will serve as a wake-up call to the world. Only by using the Biju to inflict pain on the arrogant can true peace be achieved."

"Only pain can make the world grow, and only after experiencing pain can we cherish the hard-earned peace."

"I have long transcended this pain. I am no longer a mere mortal but a god among men. Sooner or later, Konoha shall know pain."

Hearing these all-too-familiar words, Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of futility. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the Deva Path and replied, "The more paranoid you are, the more delusional you become about being a god. This is a symptom of the late stage of Chuunibyou. I suggest seeing a doctor as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, I have a license to treat Chuunibyou."

"You'd better be careful with your words. Before a God, you have no power to resist. Against overwhelming strength, any defiance is meaningless." Deva Path responded coldly.

"Setting strength aside, your so-called theory that pain brings peace is fundamentally flawed." Naruto began his verbal assault, "You know deep down that it doesn't hold up. It's a shame your conviction isn't as firm as you pretend."

"You have no real strength to move forward, nor the courage to retreat. You're walking a path destined for failure, constantly numbing yourself with empty principles. Peace can never be achieved."

"Shut up! God's path cannot be wrong. It's you who are mistaken! The arrogant Five Great Shinobi Countries have never cared about the lives of smaller countries, starting wars for their selfish interests!"

Deva Path's voice finally carried a hint of emotion, which is exactly what Naruto had been aiming for.

"Oh, really? If that's true, how did Yahiko die?" Naruto squinted his eyes, the rain intensifying as the facade of noble ideals gave way, exposing the true wound.

At this moment, Naruto's words were not for debate but a calculated strike aimed straight at the heart.

World peace? It didn't concern him. He was fine with continuing the fight. As long as he was around, the Shinobi World wouldn't descend into chaos. Whoever tried to stir up trouble would simply be eradicated. He wants to become the man who surpasses Senju Hashirama by dealing with them one by one.

As for what happened after his death, why would he care?