Chapter 166

The unease that had already settled over the group intensified, amplifying the tension that now gripped them all.

Kakashi's gaze rested on the composed and relaxed figure of Carnes before him, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty.

Deep down, he felt a strong urge to ask for the man's help in protecting the village. However, their relationship was complex, which left Kakashi at a loss for words.

Carnes wasn't related to him, he had no familial ties to him, nor was he resident of their village.

His only claim to connection was as a so-called friend of Jiraiya, yet it was undeniable that Carnes had once come to their rescue.

'What more can we expect?' Kakashi mused in silence, his internal turmoil mirroring the uncertainty etched on his face.

Tsunade, noticing Kakashi's internal struggle, couldn't fathom why he thought so high about this stranger.

Granted, Carnes was a friend of Jiraiya and held the Sannin's unwavering trust.

It was entirely possible that Carnes possessed considerable strength, perhaps even surpassing Jiraiya.

But, in Tsunade's eyes, that alone didn't justify Kakashi's concern.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder.

'Why all this fuss over one man?'

After a moment of contemplation, she shifted her attention to Carnes and asked.

"Carnes, I recall you mentioned a few days ago, you mentioned that Jiraiya entrusted you with a mission in our village."

"Could you tell us on what mission exactly did Jiraiya entrusted you with?"

Rather than directing her question at the Deva Path directly, she indirectly referred to Jiraiya.

It was the sole common ground she shared with Carnes.

Carnes sighed inwardly at the situation as he found himself in a quandary, entangled in the web of lies he had spun.

He had learned the hard way that one lie inevitably led to another.

All he had ever wanted was to be a spectator, not a main character in someone else's story.

'I just wanted to enjoy the show. Why must I be dragged into the spotlight' Carnes thought to himself.

'Why must everyone insist on casting me as a character in this drama? Why can't I just enjoy the show?' He lamented internally.

"As for Jiraiya's entrusted mission," he replied, "you will naturally know it when the time is right."

Tsunade, undeterred, pressed on. "Can you at least share with us the true intentions of this 'Pain'? What is he going to do?"

As Tsunade pressed him further, asking about Pain's true intentions, Carnes found himself cornered.

He glanced skyward, contemplating his response.

Pain ascended into the sky, once again uttering those cryptic words that sent shivers down her spine.

It was an unsettling moment for her, to say the least.

Carnes gazed upwards, a sense of foreboding settling over him.

"Perhaps there's no need for me to say it..."

He finally replied, his gaze locked on the figure high in the sky.

Deva Path, sun and Konoha Village formed an uneasy triangle configuration, an unsettling fear gripped everyone.

At that moment, Deva Path, or more accurately, Nagato, who had lost all semblance of sanity suddenly spoke.

"I will never forget the pain that Yahiko suffered... "

He declared, his voice trembling with conviction.

"And now...."

He continued, his words echoing ominously.

"This world shall know pain."

The words hung in the air, a haunting chime resonating in the depths of everyone's soul present there.

A blinding white light erupted from the heavens, enveloping the entire Konoha Village and every person living within its confines.

Countless skilled ninjas gazed skyward, a collective expression of dread and disbelief etching itself upon their faces.

Even Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage herself, wore an expression of sheer horror and disbelief etched across her face.

The voice of Deva Path rang out, chilling everyone to the bone as he declared.

"Almighty Push!"

In that fateful moment, an overwhelming surge of unimaginable energy was unleashed, and it felt as if the world was about to end.

It was a force capable of erasing Konoha Village from existence in an instant.

Deva Path's attack was well directed.

The sheer force behind it was enough to raze the Konoha Village to the ground, obliterating everything in its path.

And then, a voice, tinged with the weight of countless years and ancient wisdom, reverberated throughout the battlefield, reaching the ears of all those present.

"I have witnessed the emergence of the ultimate evil, and the time has come for me to intervene."

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