Gaius walked at the front, his steps steady, the weight of his armor sinking into the mud with each movent. The faint whir of his armor's servos blended with the sound of the rain. Diana followed at his side, her movents smooth, almost silent in contrast to his. Her red and gold armor caught the weak light, rain tracing over the etched lines of her bracers and breastplate. Behind them, Naruto kept close, his gaze wandering across the devastation.
He didn't say a word. There wasn't much to say.
The streets were lined with debris, broken steel beams, shattered pipes, fragnts of walls riddled with holes. Bodies of Rain shinobi still lay where they'd fallen, half-subrged in muddy pools. The rain blurred their faces, washing streaks of red into the puddles.
Naruto swallowed hard. He wasn't used to seeing war like this.
Gaius moved as if none of it surprised him. To him, this was simply the aftermath of victory, a battlefield left quiet after the storm had passed.
The silence broke when movent appeared ahead.
Through the fog and smoke, four towering figures erged. Their silhouettes were unmistakable, hulking forms of ceramite and gold trim, their glowing eye lenses faint beneath the rain.
Titus and his Bladeguard Veterans.
As they closed the distance, Titus stepped forward, his heavy boots clanging against the tal floor. He pressed a fist to his chest in salute.
"Captain Gaius," he said, voice muffled through his helm. "We've eliminated two targets wearing black cloaks marked with red clouds, along with several enemy combatants in local armor."
Gaius nodded once, his tone asured. "Acknowledged."
He didn't ask who they were or how the fight went. He didn't need to. Titus and his squad were seasoned, if they said the targets were dead, they were.
The rain pattered softly against their armor as they fell into formation. The Bladeguard moved with quiet precision, every step asured, every motion controlled. They didn't need words, each man already knew his place. Diana watched them for a mont. There was sothing in the way they carried themselves, steady, deliberate, that spoke of n who had seen too many battles and lived through all of them. It wasn't arrogance. It was the calm of those who had survived things most couldn't imagine.
As they started walking again, Diana finally spoke.
"Gaius," she said, her tone even, "I was wondering… ever since Titus and his squad appeared here."
Gaius turned his head slightly, his expression hidden beneath his helm. He said nothing, waiting.
Diana's voice softened, though the question in it remained. "How did they co to be here? They're not a mber of the Multiversal Chat."
Gaius walked a few steps before answering. "It was my reward. From my last mission, in Tony Stark's world."
She raised a brow. "Your reward allows you to bring people from your world to another?"
Gaius nodded once. "Yes."
He didn't elaborate. His tone, calm but final, left no room for more.
Diana saw it in his posture, the quiet line that told her not to press further. She respected it. The silence between them wasn't cold, just mutual understanding.
Naruto trailed behind them, still saying nothing. He felt small beside these towering warriors, humans who had fought enemies so strong that their battles left destruction everywhere. The weight of their presence pressed against him, but instead of fear, it sparked sothing different, determination.
He wanted to be strong enough to walk beside them.
The group moved deeper into the city, their footsteps echoing faintly through the empty alleys. Steam rose from vents in the ground, mixing with the mist. The Bladeguard fanned out instinctively, scanning the rooftops. Discipline and readiness followed their every motion.
Titus glanced briefly toward Diana as they passed under a broken walkway. The way she carried herself, the poise, the unwavering calm even in ruin, reminded him of sothing. He wondered who she truly was, but he knew better than to ask. Questions weren't his place.
They reached an open square where the rain pooled into wide puddles. Lightning flashed sowhere beyond the clouds, briefly illuminating the scorched buildings. The group paused, assessing the area before moving on. The silence held, unbroken except for the steady tap of rain.
Far away, on the outskirts of the Rain Village, another storm gathered.
The land outside the walls was a wide, gray basin dotted with spindly trees and slick stone. The rain had turned the earth to mud, and each footstep splashed faintly in the shallow water. Four cloaked figures approached through the haze, Akatsuki.
Itachi and Kisa walked in silence at the front. Behind them ca Hidan and Kakuzu, bickering at first until the growing silence of the valley pressed them quiet. They'd t on the road by chance, each drawn by the sa call, to regroup.
A dark cave mouth lood ahead, their hidden eting point. Light flickered faintly from within.
Konan stood at the entrance, her blue hair matted to her face, her paper flower drooping from the damp. She greeted them with a short nod and wordlessly turned to lead them inside.
The air in the cave was heavy, cold, and still. Drips of rain echoed faintly through the narrow stone passage. None of the newcors spoke, but unease settled between them. Sothing felt wrong.
Inside, the eting chamber was dimly lit by a few scattered candles. The familiar round table stood at the center, surrounded by empty chairs.
Kakuzu's low voice broke the silence.
"Where are Sasori and Deidara?" he asked, crossing his arms. "They should have arrived before us. They stole my mission." since the mission was only on the Land of Grass and Deidara can fly, they should have arrived earlier.
Konan didn't reply. Her eyes flicked to the far door, then back. Without a word, she turned and walked out.
Kakuzu grunted in annoyance but didn't pursue it. He took a seat, arms folded. Hidan leaned against a pillar, his scythe resting nearby, tapping his foot impatiently. Itachi sat quietly, unreadable as ever. Kisa stood near the back, arms crossed, frowning slightly.
The door opened again.
They turned toward it, expecting Pain.
But it wasn't him, not as they knew him.
Konan entered first, pushing a chair on wheels. The figure sitting in it was thin, frail, skin pale and almost colorless. Faded red hair clung to his neck, and black rods protruded from his back. His breathing was shallow, but his eyes…
His eyes burned with power.
"Who the hell is this?" Hidan scoffed, stepping forward. "Where's Pain?"
No one answered. The man in the chair lifted his gaze. The candlelight reflected the rippling rings of the Rinnegan.
His voice was quiet, yet carried through the whole chamber.
"I am Pain."
Hidan laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "Hah! You? Pain's got orange hair and doesn't crawl around on wheels!"
The air shifted.
Nagato's hand rose slightly.
"Shinra Tensei."
A sudden wave of invisible force exploded outward. Hidan was flung across the room, smashing through the stone wall and vanishing into the rain outside. The sound echoed like thunder.
The others didn't move. They didn't need to. The truth was clear.
Even in that frail body, the man before them was still Pain.
Nagato lowered his hand, his breathing steadying.
"Sasori and Deidara are dead," he said.
The words hung in the air.
Kisa frowned deeply. "Impossible. Those two were strong. Deidara could fly, who could even touch him?"
Nagato's tone didn't waver. "They were killed by four heavily armored intruders."
The silence stretched. Even Kakuzu had nothing to say. If sothing could destroy Deidara and Sasori together, then this was no ordinary enemy. Still, none of them doubted Pain's power, He should be able to kill them.
After a mont, Kakuzu spoke. "Then what are we here for?"
Nagato's eyes glowed faintly.
"Those four aren't alone. There are others with them. You will find them. Kill them all. And capture the Jinchūriki traveling with them."
None of the Akatsuki questioned the order. The air in the chamber hung thick and heavy, rain tapping faintly against the tal roof above. One by one, the cloaked figures bowed their heads, accepting Nagato's command without a word.
Even so, unease rippled quietly among them. A few exchanged glances between them, sensing sothing unspoken behind Nagato's calm tone.
He gave nothing away.
Behind the stillness in his Rinnegan eyes, Nagato kept the truth buried. He did not tell them who had approached, nothing about the golden-armored warrior or the woman beside him. He knew the fear it would inspire. If the Akatsuki learned that Gaius and Diana had actually defeated Pain, These rogue shinobi might hesitate to obey him… or worse, they might desert.
So Nagato simply said, "Prepare yourselves."
And they obeyed.
End of Chapter 83 – "Gathering Storm."
~~~
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