Chapter 9: Pain's Intervention
Tsunade gritted her teeth, her fierce, almost murderous gaze locked onto Renjiro's calm, unreadable eyes.
"Hmph! As I thought—one of Orochimaru's people. Even your eyes irritate me."
No matter how hard she stared, she couldn't find a hint of fear or surprise in Renjiro's expression. His composure—his sheer indifference—was infuriating.
She was Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, a name that echoed throughout the entire shinobi world. Yet standing before this young man, she didn't feel the slightest trace of the dominance or awe that should come with her title.
It was as if an emperor, clad in golden robes, stood before a commoner—expecting him to tremble, kneel, and pay reverence.
But this one didn't even blink.
It felt like punching into cotton—no impact, no reaction, no satisfaction. Whatever she did to Renjiro, his eyes would probably stay exactly the same: calm, detached, and quietly defiant.
With a frustrated sigh, she released her grip on his collar. There was no point in killing him—it would mean nothing. And the sight of blood… would only make her feel worse.
"Fine. I'll be there on time. Tell that snake of yours to sit tight and wait."
Her tone carried a thinly veiled threat as she turned away, letting out a cold snort.
Her long blonde hair swayed as she moved, and the faint scent of a mature woman's perfume lingered in the air as she left.
"Shizune, see him out."
Shizune blinked, startled by her master's sudden command. "Ah—y-yes, Lady Tsunade!" she stammered, quickly regaining her composure.
She stepped forward with an awkward smile. "Hello, we'll be there as promised. Please deliver our reply to Lord Orochimaru."
Renjiro gave a polite nod. "Of course. I'll make sure Lady Tsunade's message reaches him."
He watched calmly as Tsunade, barefoot, walked across the wooden floor back into the room with no door—her figure vanishing into the dim light.
His tone remained as even as ever.
No fear.
No emotion.
Just calm acceptance.
After saying goodbye to Shizune, Renjiro prepared to move on to his next stop — it was time for another key player to step onto the stage.
Shizune waved him off with a polite smile, but the moment Renjiro disappeared from view, her expression collapsed into frustration. She gripped the door handle, turned it sharply, and slammed it shut.
"Lady Tsunade! If you keep breaking doors like this, we won't have the money to replace them!"
Tsunade waved her hand carelessly, wearing a confident grin. "Relax, relax! I'll just go gamble again later — I'm bound to make it all back, double or triple!"
She looked back over her shoulder at Shizune, whose face was darkening by the second.
There was a long silence before Shizune clenched her fists, her voice trembling with restrained anger.
"Lady Tsunade, please stop being so reckless! You've never won! If this keeps up, we won't even have money left for food!"
Tsunade let out an awkward laugh, trying to brush it off with a dismissive wave.
"Ahaha… you worry too much, Shizune."
"Honestly, Lady Tsunade…" Shizune sighed helplessly, shaking her head. There was no winning against her master's stubbornness.
Outside, the rain thickened, needle-like drops stitching the sky into a silver curtain.
Renjiro felt the rain pressing heavier against his umbrella — like the sky itself was focusing its downpour on him alone.
It was a subtle shift, one an ordinary person wouldn't notice, but Renjiro's senses had been trained to detect even the faintest irregularities.
They're here.
He stopped walking. The rain splattered around him in rhythmic bursts, each drop striking the umbrella with soft, deliberate taps.
Then — silence.
Behind him, the rainfall seemed to halt entirely, as if a section of the storm had been erased from existence.
A deep, commanding voice echoed behind him.
"Who are you… and why were you speaking with Tsunade?"
Renjiro didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He had already guessed — though the fact that this person had come in person was an unexpected complication.
He tilted the umbrella slightly, letting the rain roll down in a sweeping arc before cascading off the edge.
Through the falling water, he saw him.
A man in a black cloak patterned with red clouds.
Metal rods pierced his nose, his lips, and his ears.
His spiky orange hair remained perfectly dry beneath the rain, a scratched Rain Village headband gleaming faintly on his forehead.
And his eyes—those cold, rippling rings—stared directly into Renjiro's soul.
The Rinnegan.
The eyes of a god.
Renjiro met Pain's gaze calmly.
He had once watched this man in another life—an unstoppable force of conviction and power, crushing enemies beneath the weight of divine judgment.
Now, seeing him in person, that quiet cruelty and overwhelming presence were even more suffocating.
Still, Renjiro did not flinch.
In that instant, he understood why Pain was here.
It wasn't coincidence.
Everyone in Amegakure was under his surveillance.
If Renjiro had disguised himself as a Rain shinobi to contact Tsunade, Pain would naturally see that as a potential threat.
"You are not one of my shinobi," Pain said flatly. "Who are you?"
The words carried the weight of a god's decree.
Renjiro bowed slightly, his tone polite but composed.
"Honorable leader of the Rain, I am merely a messenger sent by Lord Orochimaru. I came to deliver an important message to Lady Tsunade. I assure you, there is no ill intent toward your village."
"Rain's leader?" Pain murmured, his eyes narrowing. His cold voice followed.
"How do you know who I am? Orochimaru… What are you planning?"
Renjiro realized he had slipped — Pain never called himself "Rain's leader." He called himself God.
But the words were already spoken. There was no taking them back.
Maintaining his calm gaze, he replied softly,
"We mean no harm to Amegakure, my lord. Please, rest assured."
Pain's eyes sharpened. The air around him began to ripple, distorting like a mirage.
Invisible pressure radiated outward, bending the rain as if unseen hands were parting it.
The water no longer touched him — instead, it curved away, forming a perfect, transparent sphere of stillness.
The ground quaked beneath their feet. Stones lifted, trembling in the air.
"I will ask you one more time," Pain said, his voice like thunder. "What is Orochimaru planning?"
The rain hammered down, relentless, but could not breach the divine barrier around him.
Two figures stood in opposing worlds:
One beneath the storm,
One above it.
Rain pattered against Renjiro's umbrella.
But above Pain, not a single drop could fall.
Renjiro's tone was even, almost detached.
"Lord Orochimaru intends to attack Konoha. Before that, he wished to speak with Lady Tsunade. That is all I know."
BOOM!
Before the final syllable faded, Pain raised his hand. His crimson nail pointed toward Renjiro.
A burst of invisible force exploded outward.
The shockwave tore a deep scar into the earth.
Renjiro had no time to react — the impact struck like a hammer from the heavens.
His body shattered apart, splashing into liquid that scattered across the rain-soaked ground.
Pain's expression didn't change. He hadn't intended to let the intruder live.
He had heard what he needed to.
But when he saw the remnants dissolve into water, he merely muttered,
"A water clone."
And in the next instant—he vanished.
Back in the Sakuragi household, hidden in the heart of the Rain, Renjiro opened his eyes.
So… Pain himself had moved.
His expression darkened.
This just got complicated.
"The plan has to move forward immediately."
(End of Chapter)