Naruto: An Informant from the Uchiha

Uzumaki Ku, having lost interest, was already preparing to leave. But it was clear that Jiraiya, who had come intending to investigate him, wasn't ready to let him go that easily.

"Kid, you clearly don't know the great name of yours truly! I am—"

Ku turned around and calmly watched Jiraiya's awkward performance, then said flatly:

"Disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. You got flattened by Hanzō and were handed the title of one of the 'Legendary Sannin' as a consolation prize."

"In your youth, out of spite, you reverse-summoned yourself to Mount Myōboku. There, you received the Great Toad's prophecy about a savior. And since then, you've been running around for that prophecy… and chasing women?"

"I know your past inside and out, and I can guess a thing or two about your future. But you don't carry anything I'm interested in."

"Whether it's Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode or your own repertoire of ninjutsu, your strength means very little in this world."

Jiraiya, watching Ku turn and leave, slowly dropped his playful expression and grew serious.

'Power… Whether it was the leverage passed on from Minato, or the strength drawn from the Pure Land First Hokage, it seemed Ku's true objective had always been power.'

'In that case… here in the Land of Rain'

'Nagato. The Rinnegan.'

Suddenly, a storm of thoughts surged through Jiraiya's mind.

'Could his own strength truly be that insignificant?'

The Land of Rain lay at the intersection of the Fire, Wind, and Earth nations. It rained for at least ten months out of the 12 months, every year.

Given the constant downpour, the absence of landslides and mudflows was practically a miracle.

But more than that, the rain over Amegakure never stopped.

Standing outside the village, Ku looked at the settlement veiled in endless rain.

"So I'll have to force my way in, huh?"

He wondered how far Akatsuki had progressed by now. Obito's new arm should be fully attached, though it didn't matter much anymore.

Ku reached into his pouch and pulled out a special Flying Thunder God kunai. He set his sights on the tallest building in the village, the tower.

Whoosh!

With a flick of his arm, the kunai tore through the air, its whistling sound drawing everyone's attention.

Swish.

In the next moment, Ku vanished from where he stood and reappeared mid-air, gripping the very kunai he had just thrown.

Swish!

He hurled it again, and again he vanished.

In just two throws, his overwhelming strength had already sent the kunai crashing through a window of the tower.

Swish!

Inside the tower, Ku laid eyes on Nagato, pierced with countless black rods and bound to his machine. He tilted his head and grinned:

"Mind if I borrow some blood? A chunk of flesh works too."

Nagato answered with a glare of his Rinnegan.

"Shinra Tensei!"

BOOM!

A powerful repulsive force exploded outward. The stone walls of the tower shattered, and Ku was blasted away.

"Tsk. Just trying to borrow something and he won't even talk."

As he muttered, Ku spotted his kunai being flung away by the force, too. It seemed a direct assault on Nagato's real body was impossible for now.

Swish swish swish

The moment he landed, six figures surrounded him.

The one in front had the same hairstyle as Ku, spiky and reddish-orange, and was embedded with those iconic black receivers.

"Who are you?! Why do you look like this? Dispel your transformation technique."

Tendō Pain's voice was cold. 'To dare appear with Yahiko's face, such blasphemy demanded divine punishment.'

Ku looked around at the Six Paths surrounding him. At this point in the timeline, a few of them weren't as he remembered.

"You, with the Rinnegan, can't even tell? I'm not using a transformation technique. Why do I look like you, except for the hair, well, I'd like to know too."

"Name's Uzumaki Ku. I came to borrow something."

Pain slightly shook his head.

"There's nothing here for you to borrow. And in the face of God, nothing can be borrowed."

Such a chūnibyō line made Ku visibly shudder. He chuckled:

"Then how about… I request that God bestow what I need."

For a moment, silence fell over the scene.

"Your earlier blasphemy has already offended the dignity of God. Only death… can redeem that sin."

The moment Pain finished his edgy declaration, the Six Paths shifted into formation. Asura Path raised its hand, launching six homing missiles.

"Guess we're not talking this out, huh?"

Ku didn't even flinch at the incoming projectiles. Just before impact, he threw a kunai and activated Flying Thunder God.

BOOM!!

The blasts left a deep crater where Ku had stood, but when the smoke cleared, he was nowhere to be seen.

Swish!

Ku reappeared directly above Asura Path and delivered a devastating punch.

BOOM!

The sheer power of the strike, rivaling or even surpassing Tsunade's, smashed Asura Path into scrap metal, a puff of smoke rising from the destroyed puppet.

'Hm?'

As he landed, Ku's body flickered again, dodging a sneak attack from Human Path.

Human Path, who could rip out souls, was indeed a threat, but only to living people. And right now, Ku was only using a clone. The speed of that soul-rip wasn't nearly enough.

Dodging it easily, Ku flung three kunai in different directions.

Swish!

He reappeared above Human Path, about to deliver a finishing blow with his strength.

"Shinra Tensei!"

A repulsive wave exploded again, blasting both Ku and his special kunai away.

Regaining his footing, Ku sighed:

"So you noticed already, huh? That was only my second jump…"

Tendō Pain spoke coldly:

"Uzumaki Ku. The Red Flash. The second person since the Fourth Hokage to use such speed.Space-Time Ninjutsu… And those special kunai, they're your coordinates, aren't they?"

Ku shook his head slightly.

"Everything else is right, but I'm not the second. I'm the third."

Pain replied: "That no longer matters. In the face of God, even Space-Time Ninjutsu is mere flailing."

Oof. That one stung a little.

Ku chuckled awkwardly:

'Should I start talking like that, too? If we're ranking cringe levels across the ninja world, I'll gladly concede you're number one.'

Pain continued:

"Foolish mortal. Now, you will witness the power of God. Only through pain… can one be enlightened."

"Summoning Technique!"

Animal Path slammed down a hand, and with a cloud of smoke, a Giant Multi-Headed Dog and a Giant Drill-Beaked Bird appeared.

The massive summons hovered above, ready to dive at a moment's notice.

Ku looked at the drooling dog and muttered:

"I came here on a gamble, but even when gambling, I made sure I had an ace up my sleeve."

He glanced at the now-empty village around them.

Forming the Ram seal, Ku's hands slammed together.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!!"