Information about the Rinnegan was not common knowledge.
Even if the Rinnegan were right in front of them, most would not recognize it; it was, after all, the stuff of legends.
Even in the Hidden Leaf, only Jiraiya and the Third Hokage knew it by name.
But everyone was filled with a probing curiosity about these eyes.
Although Pain had not revealed his identity, the other major powers had already guessed who he was.
He had to be the leader of the Akatsuki.
Not since the death of Hashirama had the world seen power on the level of a natural disaster.
Intelligence regarding the Akatsuki's leader spread like wildfire.
The Raikage, drenched to the bone, felt a furious rage ignite within him.
For all his strength, he had only managed to save Mabui.
The salty sea breeze carried the stench of death.
Twisted limbs, broken necks, and chests pierced by the wreckage of ships.
The horrific state of the Hidden Cloud shinobi was visible everywhere on the ocean's surface, which was now a chaotic mess of dying ninja and shattered vessels.
Some struggled to stay afloat, coughing up blood.
Some, with their eyeballs gouged out and only bloody sockets remaining, clung to wooden planks, barely breathing.
Some had their eardrums shattered, their own cries for help unheard.
Some desperately clawed their way out of the water, only to realize their legs were gone, feeling nothing.
The entire sea had become a living hell.
Although Mabui had been saved, the sight of the carnage caused her to collapse onto the sand, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Akatsuki! I'll make you pay for this!"
The Raikage's voice was thick with fury.
But there was no longer any trace of the Akatsuki on the water.
The remaining Hidden Cloud shinobi began searching the sea for survivors.
The surface was teeming with Cloud ninja.
The Hidden Mist, however, would not let such a perfect opportunity for an attack slip by.
A large force of Mist shinobi gathered on the shore and, seizing the moment, launched a fierce assault.
Mei Terumi led the charge, giving her orders.
"Don't get tied down by any single Cloud ninja! Kill who you can, and if you can't, move on to the next target!"
The sea was filled with Cloud shinobi, most of them injured. Striking now was the best way to inflict maximum damage.
If they encountered a particularly strong Cloud ninja, they were not to engage, but to immediately find an easier target.
After giving her orders, Mei headed off in another direction to search.
Beside her, Kisame Hoshigaki and Juzo Biwa followed closely. Zabuza, still recovering from his injuries, remained in the rear.
Some of the Cloud ninja who had been farther away were less affected. Injured, they climbed out from under the water.
Before they could even regroup with their comrades, they were found by a Mist search party and decapitated with a single stroke.
Nearby, the Raikage found the newly-injured Killer Bee and Yugito Nii.
He also located Mabui and Samui's team.
Seeing the Mist's offensive, he quickly moved to counter their attack.
"Mabui, Samui, gather everyone immediately! Prepare to fight back!"
The Raikage was seething with rage and resentment.
The Hidden Cloud had suffered devastating casualties from that single attack, its strength severely depleted.
Damn the Akatsuki! Damn the Hidden Mist!
"Hah!"
Seeing the Mist shinobi preying on his wounded comrades, the Raikage shot forward at full speed.
He activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
A blue aura erupted around him as his speed skyrocketed.
He aimed straight for Mei Terumi and her two companions.
...
Obito had witnessed the entire Almighty Push from beginning to end.
Though he had always viewed Nagato as a mere pawn, he was deeply shaken.
Nagato had managed to develop the Rinnegan to such a degree.
He knew that a large-scale Almighty Push like this required immense ocular power and chakra.
He also knew that after using it, there was a significant period during which Nagato couldn't use his other abilities.
If Nagato continued to develop at this rate, he might eventually escape his control.
Obito had already dispatched Kakuzu. He knew Nagato's control range was roughly forty to fifty kilometers.
If he could just find Nagato's real body!
Obito's eyes narrowed. This potential threat had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
Kakuzu was already meticulously searching the coastline for any possible hiding places.
But he still hadn't found any sign of Pain.
However, in a seaside cave, he did discover the Akatsuki rings belonging to Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara.
The two had gone silent after their last communication.
The moment Kakuzu found the rings, a flicker of joy crossed his face.
He had no desire to follow Obito; he simply couldn't escape, nor could he defeat him.
He had no choice but to serve under him.
As for Obito's boasts—that he was Pain's partner, the inheritor of Madara's will—Kakuzu scoffed at such claims.
The only leader he recognized was Pain.
Though Obito's abilities were bizarre and had left him utterly disoriented in their fight, Kakuzu refused to submit in his heart.
In Kakuzu's eyes, Obito was nothing more than an outcast, a stray dog kicked out of the Uchiha clan.
He'd heard that Obito's few clashes with the Uchiha had all ended in miserable defeat.
Beating him meant nothing. Only if Obito could defeat Pain would Kakuzu even consider reluctantly following his orders.
The moment he picked up the rings, Kakuzu immediately used the Magic Lantern Body Technique, trying to contact Pain.
But when Kakuzu sent out his thought waves, they vanished without a trace, met with complete silence.
It was as if his leader had disappeared into thin air.
Kakuzu's expression turned grim. He missed his old, carefree life as his favorite thing: a bounty hunter.
Day after day, earning money, saving money—life couldn't have been better.
Now, Obito treated him like a common tool.
He had never even looked him in the eye.
It was infuriating.
Kakuzu's thorough search wasn't truly about running an errand for Obito.
He was hoping to find his leader and escape Obito's grasp.
Unfortunately, he had scoured the entire fifty-kilometer radius and found not a single trace of him.
Just then, a vortex materialized behind him.
...
After using Almighty Push, Pain lost consciousness and plummeted into the sea below.
Normally, the technique would only temporarily drain him of his power, but because Nagato was controlling Tendo Pain remotely, all Six Paths became uncontrollable after the jutsu, and Tendo Pain naturally lost its pilot.
In a cave, Nagato's eyes shot open. His frail body was drenched in sweat, his face etched with exhaustion.
Even the light in his Rinnegan had dimmed considerably.
Beside him, Konan knew that Almighty Push had been used and that Tendo was no longer controllable.
Konan quickly began transferring chakra to Nagato.
After a moment, Nagato managed to catch his breath. "That's enough, Konan."
Konan stopped. "Is it enough?"
Nagato nodded. "Enough to summon them back."
Konan immediately unrolled a prepared scroll, on which was an auxiliary summoning formation.
Nagato slowly pulled his hands from his mechanical walker.
He began to form hand seals, but his physical condition was so poor that even this simple action was abnormally slow.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
Six plumes of smoke erupted, and all Six Paths were summoned back.
Nagato let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hands.
Konan rushed forward to inspect Tendo Pain. After all, it was made from Yahiko's body, and she couldn't allow any harm to come to it.
Fortunately, the Tendo Pain's body was incredibly durable. Falling into the sea had only soaked its clothes; the body itself was unharmed.
Nagato surmised that Obito was likely on the battlefield searching for him.
If their mission was complete, there was no need for any more pointless fighting.