Hidden In The Shadows

The Pain Of Six Paths

"We are Pain...we are God..." -Tendo to Jiraya.

In the middle of the barren lands of Ame; below the thundering skies, the Gedo Mazo stood frozen, half out of the ground, fixed in a roar at the cliffs above at an invisible enemy. It's hands rested on the ground as It leaned froward. From its navel at least a dozen long black staffs protruded and extended for at least fifteen meters to where they once were attached to something, presumably the summoner.

Thunder rumbled in the distant skies, promising the never ending rain.

"So Yahiko gave the scroll to you after all, Nagato..." I said to the Statue.

A whizzing noise reached my ears and I phased myself just in time to see a few white shuriken pass through me.

Turning my eye towards the direction of the attacker, I saw an indigo haired woman hovering in the air, with what appeared to be square papers floating lazily around her. But, I knew all about Konan- Jiraya's Pupil. How she could turn herself into small pieces of paper and manipulate them. So it did not surprise me when large strong pair of paper wings grew out from her back nor when she turned them to me and launched a volley of slicing papers toward me. No, what caught my attention was the expression she wore. She had the face of someone who lost everything. Not sad, no. An expression of silent revenge.

And also another thing that caught my attention was that she was not wearing her usual Akatsuki garb...

The papers floated back to her, and she slowly reformed as she landed on the ground and faced me.

...her Ame hiai-te had a long horizontal scratch in the middle and she was wearing a strange cloak: A black cloak with the imprints of red clouds.

From behind me a voice spoke. "I remember you...Madara..."

I turned swiftly behind. I know that voice! How is this possible? Zetsu told me that Yahiko died!

But still, I was facing Yahiko who was dressed in the same cloak as Konan, his hiai-te scratched out. His eyes were closed in silent prayer and His head was slightly bowed to the ground.

Why is he speaking like he didn't recognize me? Is it because Konan was here?

"Oh, I'm honored." I replied curtly. "Yahiko..."

"Yahiko?" He asked, sounding half amused, half furious. "Ah, yes...that was the name of this man..."

I frowned behind my mask. What was he playing at?

There was a movement behind the Mazo and five other people stepped out from behind it, walking towards Yahiko. They were dressed in the same cloaks, had their hair the same shade of orange as him.

And then I realized...

The six who stood before me opened their eyes, and six pairs of Rhinnegan stared at me. And then I noticed black piercings on the side of their necks.

"We are Pain..."

The man who I thought was Yahiko, widened his Rhinnegan eyes.

"...we are God!"

The Pain of Six Paths

ペイン六道

(Pein Rikudō)

"Well done, Nagato."

Pain-Yahiko narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, yes. I know who you are. It looks like you are making good use of the scroll that Yahiko gifted to you. It was really fortunate that he found it in the seventh ward...the scroll that I planted there."