Logan was mentally prepared to face Pain.
Returning to the Shippuden timeline, he knew this confrontation was inevitable, but he had expected it to happen much later. His intervention due to Itachi's situation had forced things ahead of schedule.
But since it had come to this, Logan was ready to face it head-on. In his mind, Pain, as the leader of Akatsuki, would be furious with him. He had even prepared for the possibility of things escalating into a fight.
'Well, it's not a big problem. At worst case, I'll just run away.'
Logan, who has left his mark on the Ninja World, had some confidence in his Lightning Release speed. Moreover, he had learned the Joestar Secret Technique, so he is very confident in meeting Pain.
"Not just simple and unpretentious on the outside, but even more so on the inside." Logan remarked as the three of them entered the hideout, which was essentially just a hollowed-out cave.
"You can just say it's shabby and pathetic." Deidara scoffed, unimpressed by Logan's diplomatic phrasing. He waved his hand and controlled the clay bird that had carried him all the way to put Gaara down. Then, he dispersed the clay bird.
The interior was dimly lit, with only faint rays of sunlight seeping through cracks in the rock overhead. The space itself was vast, as if the entire mountain had been gutted.
"Yeah, shabby. Does it leak when it rains..." Logan mused, glancing upward, 'This was probably a facility Pain had specifically prepared for Biju Extraction… its roughness made sense.'
But just as he was about to continue his half-hearted complaints, he stopped, as a deep, oppressive presence filled the air.
Sasori and Deidara both tensed slightly, turning toward a single direction.
Logan was slightly startled, then narrowed his eyes and turned his head as well. From the depths of the cave, a silhouette gradually emerged from the darkness. The first thing that stood out were those mesmerizing, ripple-patterned eyes… then the rest of the figure, its body flickering like a projection.
Pain, appearing in the form of Magic Lantern Body Technique, stepped forward.
Sasori and Deidara gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. Pain's gaze swept past them, lingering briefly on the unconscious Gaara before finally locking onto Logan's eyes.
"Raiden Hattori, if you still have the leisure to critique the hideout's conditions, it seems you're not particularly nervous about returning to the organization."
In the cruel Ninja World, many people's voices can become indifferent, but Pain's voice carried the detached indifference of a god looking down upon mortals. It is undoubtedly unique.
"I'm doing alright… Coming back to the Akatsuki big family didn't make me nervous at all."
"..."
Sasori and Deidara looked at him weirdly, 'Damn, even in front of the leader, you're still this shameless?'
'Damn it… That was awkward. Was that really the right thing to say? Why couldn't I hold back?' Logan's face stiffened mid-sentence, immediately regretting his words. He felt this was not his style at all.
Sure enough, Pain fell silent, though it was unclear whether he was contemplating punishment or simply baffled. Logan braced himself, ready for anything.
After a while, Pain, still expressionless, nodded lightly, "Good. In that case, let's attend to the matter at hand."
Logan: "…Huh? Oh… yeah, sure."
Pain looked at the unconscious Gaara on the ground. The cracked, sand-like skin indicated that the Ichibi inside him has been weakened.
"There's no time to deal with you now, Raiden Hattori. Given that you've willingly come to the hideout… I will be temporarily set aside the incident half a month ago, where you attacked a White Zetsu's clone."
After Pain examined Gaara's condition, he raised his head and stared at Logan again. His Rinnegan seemed to be able to see through him. A flicker of thought passed before his expression smoothed over, "You haven't gotten weaker, have you?"
None of the confrontation Logan had anticipated had happened. He had mentally prepared for a fight, maybe even a quick escape... But reality had taken an unexpected turn.
Instead, he was left in a state of utter confusion. After a brief hesitation, Logan answered cautiously, "I… don't think so?"
"Prepare for the sealing."
"What?"
"The Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals is time and Chakra-intensive. With your help, we can complete the extraction ahead of schedule." Pain's tone remained flat, as if discussing something utterly mundane.
Without waiting for a response, he turned to the two Artists Duo and said, "Are your Chakra Reserves sufficient?"
Sasori and Deidra exchanged a glance Aside from lack of rest, they were in decent condition, so they nodded immediately.
"Good. Then let's begin without delay."
"Huh..." Logan watched as events unfolded in a direction completely different from what he'd expected, 'Why did Pain act like a domineering CEO and make arrangements after talking to me?'
Pain calmly walked to the center of the cave and silently formed hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Boom…"
The ground trembled violently as a massive, grotesque statue erupted from the earth. Its body like gnarled wood, its form menacing, with ten bizarre pillar-like protrusions jutting from its back.
Rocks clattered and rolled as Logan took a few steps back, staring in disbelief at the towering emergence of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
The dim light grew even dimmer as nine enormous, hollow eyes peered out from the darkness, gazing emptily into the void.
Its twisted posture, its eerie visage… an ominous aura silently spread. This was Logan's first time seeing the husk of the Jubi in person… and the first time witnessing a summoning that so brazenly reshaped the terrain.
Suppressing his discomfort, he watched as the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path loomed larger and larger, its presence dominating the space.
The pressurized winds within the confined space howled. Suddenly, Logan's gaze shifted from the towering monstrosity to Pain standing below it. At this time, he is looking up expressionlessly.
Beneath the colossal statue, Pain's black robe with red clouds pattern billowed amid the surging Chakra. The tremors of the beast's emergence, the roaring of Chakra… none of it seemed to faze him.
He stood unmoving, composed, his rippling eyes coldly observing the indomitable statue.
In that moment, Logan caught a glimpse of the Rinnegan's power.
The glow of the Rinnegan was like a beacon in the dark cave. Watching Pain's Chakra surge endlessly around him, his oppressive aura unmistakable, Logan began to understand the reason behind his behavior.
This man, wielding such power, had rebuilt Akatsuki for his twisted ideals, paving his path with blood.
Right now, his priority was the collection of the Biju, so how can he care about the return of a former member?
Just like how he viewed the gargantuan Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Pain saw everything as mere tools for his goals.
In his relentless pursuit, even Logan's reappearance was just another variable in his emotionless calculations.
Shimizu on Logan's waist kept trembling slightly amidst the rising changes of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He pressed a hand to its restless blade and shrugged.
As the falling debris settled, the dust cleared, revealing the hundred-meter-tall Demonic Statue of the Outer Path standing imposingly in the cavern.