"Yes, the sewers."
Pain nodded.
"Amegakure has always been rainy—about twenty days out of every month. So when the village was founded, the First Amekage built an extensive underground sewer system to prevent urban flooding. These pipes run throughout the village like a spider's web, reaching virtually any point in the city."
"Are you familiar with these tunnels?"
Rasa asked with interest.
"I couldn't be more familiar—I know them like the back of my hand."
Pain closed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something. In his memories, he, Yahiko, and Konan had just stolen apples from that fierce fruit shop owner and were making their way through the pitch-black sewers toward their secret "base."
"Leader Pain? Leader Pain?"
Rasa tapped Pain's shoulder.
Pain snapped back to reality and pointed at the map, his finger landing on the Shule River.
"Here. There are four large drainage pipes. Follow them upstream—left for 408 steps, then right for 765 steps, then straight ahead until you reach the seventh manhole cover, then turn right..."
As Pain spoke, his finger traced lightly across the map from the Shule River banks, finally stopping at the center—the location of the Rain Tower.
"The exit here is a manhole cover right next to the Rain Tower, just across a street. Right when you come out, there's a fruit shop."
"If that's the case..."
Rasa pondered carefully for a moment.
"Pick a dark and stormy night, select an elite force equipped with the finest gear, launch a surprise attack on the Rain Tower. While Konoha's command is in chaos, have large numbers of ninja simultaneously attack from the perimeter. A pincer attack could work brilliantly!"
A classic center-breakthrough tactic, but with certain risks. Execute it well and you're a hero; mess it up and you're finished.
Suddenly, Rasa stopped his tactical fantasizing.
"There's one problem—this squad must have extremely strong combat power. Not only do they need to take the Rain Tower, they also need to withstand attacks from Konoha ninja on the outside for at least eight hours."
"I'll go!"
Pain said coldly.
"The numbers might be enough, but Konoha's forces in that building aren't weak—Shimura Danzō, Uchiha Fugaku, and others..."
"I said I'll go."
Pain's expression remained cold.
Only then did Rasa understand Pain's meaning.
"You mean... you... going alone?"
Pain nodded.
"Yes."
Rasa's face twitched slightly. If this wasn't pure arrogance, what was it? Had he forgotten who drove him out of Amegakure just a few months ago?
Seeming to read Rasa's thoughts, Pain smiled faintly.
"Going through the sewers is too troublesome. I'll go twist off Danzō's head right now."
With that, he started to leave the command tent. Rasa quickly stepped forward to stop him.
Why is this kid so hot-headed?
Just then, an Intelligence Division ninja rushed into the tent.
"Report, Lord Rasa! Thick smoke is suddenly billowing from Amegakure with continuous explosions—it looks like Konoha's ninja are... burning the city!"
"What?!"
Rasa, Pain, and all the officers in the tent were shocked.
These past few days, Amegakure had unusually clear weather without rain, and Rasa had been planning to use this opportunity to launch an attack. Who would have thought Danzō could be so utterly ruthless!
"Alert all ninja to immediately execute Plan One and assault Amegakure!"
Rasa waved his hand decisively.
"I'll go assemble the troops."
Pain left the command tent without looking back.
"Danzō's making a run for it. Damn, he's truly vicious!"
Watching everyone's retreating figures, Rasa was filled with murderous intent, grinding his teeth.
...
The Akatsuki-Suna alliance organized their forces in record time and burst into Amegakure. Along the way, they encountered no resistance whatsoever. What truly hindered the army's advance were the civilians driven into the streets by Konoha ninja, blocking the roads with their anguished wails, and the smoke-billowing buildings on both sides.
Konoha ninja had set this fire with vicious cunning. Through unknown channels, they had acquired large quantities of asphalt and pitch, systematically dousing the densely packed buildings along several main thoroughfares. Once ignited, fierce flames erupted in a short time.
Cries of anguish, shouts for firefighting, the sound of collapsing buildings, and the crackling of burning structures filled the air. Occasionally, explosive tag detonations mixed in—clearly booby traps left by Konoha ninja.
Konoha ninja hadn't just plundered the wealth of Amegakure's citizens—they'd even burned their final shelters to ash, all just to hinder Sunagakure's pursuit. Absolutely unconscionable.
"This is utterly heartless! Yura! Karuke! Organize firefighting teams—quickly!"
Rasa roared desperately.
"Lord Rasa! There's no way to save it! The fires are already blazing, and those Konoha bastards set countless booby traps—several of our firefighting brothers have already..."
"Tell everyone to stay in the middle of the streets to avoid friendly fire!"
Pain said calmly.
"What did you say?"
Rasa looked at Pain in confusion.
Pain simply walked forward step by step, then rose into the air, standing on nothing.
"Lord Rasa, evacuate the civilians. I'll handle this fire."
Pain hovered in midair like a deity.
Seeing this, Rasa hesitated no more. It seemed this guy might actually have a solution.
"Everyone! Evacuate all civilians from Amegakure at maximum speed!"
Sunagakure ninja were highly efficient and immediately sprang into action. Six thousand ninja, supporting the elderly and carrying children, began rapidly guiding over sixty thousand Amegakure civilians toward the village outskirts.
Pain gazed down from the air at the city burning in fierce flames, his face expressionless.
The beautiful and ugly, happy and unhappy, worth remembering and unbearable to recall—everything was in this village. Now it would all turn to dust.
Lord Kazekage spoke well: revolution isn't a dinner party, isn't gentle courtesy, isn't a dream of romantic bliss, but a bloody fight to the death.
"People of Amegakure, your homes are destroyed? It doesn't matter—we can rebuild from scratch on this blank slate. But we must deeply remember who brought us this disaster! Who made us homeless! Who brought us this endless suffering! Remember this day forever."
Pain spoke quietly in midair. With Chakra Amplification Technique, almost everyone could hear his voice, like a preacher descended from heaven whispering in their ears.
"What a technique—this propaganda method is perfect. Konoha has really made a mortal enemy this time."
Rasa looked up at Pain, unable to help but sigh in admiration.
"It's Leader Yahiko!"
"It's Leader Yahiko!"
"He really is alive!"
The people of Amegakure suddenly felt like they'd found their backbone.
"Evacuate quickly! Don't delay your leader's divine intervention—hurry, this building's about to collapse!"
Sunagakure ninja accelerated their guidance of Amegakure villagers.
"Have all the people evacuated?"
Pain asked.
"All evacuated!"
Rasa replied loudly through a chakra megaphone.
"Good."
With that, Pain raised his hand slightly, and a black orb flew into the sky.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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