Hello readers, welcome to Pain Throughout Remnants. I am your author, some random ass writer, Gamephreak (not related to Phreak) and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did.

Anyway, when I was reading A Gods Pain by SCP-1440 (aka The Baz), I wanted the story to continue. Now, it looks like it's in my hands to finish it. Also, this is a redone version of chapter 1 & 2 from A Gods Pain. So expect what to come.

"Sometimes you must HURT in order to know, FALL in order to grow, LOSE in order to gain because life's greatest lessons are learned through pain."

~Nagato Uzumaki

Pain Throughout Remnants: Prologue

Fear.

His parents were currently fending off the two shinobi that had just broke in his home. His father, while wrestling the kunai from one of the shinobi, shouted directly to his son.

"Run now! Get out of here!"

Watching his father get punched in the face by the ninja, his mother whispered softly to her child.

"Nagato, go!"

But he couldn't; the young red-haired boy and his mother were startled by the second shinobi charging at them. Nagato watched his mother pushed him behind her as the kunai went deeply into her stomach.

"Nagato, hurry... run..." Those were her last words to Nagato before she hit the ground.

His father, while holding back the shinobi, witnessed his wife's death and bit his teeth.

"Run Nagato! Run and don't look back! Hurry!"

But, Nagato didn't do what his father ordered him to. Instead, he fell to the floor, crying while watching the shinobi stabbed his father. A second emotion was born from within Nagato's consciousness. Anger. Fear, sadness, and anger filled his head. But, he couldn't react. He just cried and weep over his parent's death. As the two shinobi neared him, Nagato saw their headband.

"Hidden Leaf Ninja..." Anger built up within Nagato after knowing that Konohagakure shinobi had just killed his parents. The shinobi's mouth moved, but he could only hear mumbled audio. Then, it happened. His eyes; the Rinnegan were activated for the first time.

Distress.

Less than three decades ago, he left the danger of his home in search of a new home. During his hopeless search, his weariness had finally caught up with him. However, if blessed by an act of God, a young girl had saved him and brought him to a cave where he met another orphan named Yahiko. The girl who had rescued him from his darkness hour was called Konan. After giving him some food, Nagato decided to stay with the two war orphans as they formed the Ame Orphans.

Together, they looked after each other and stole food to survive the elongated war. They also dreamt of a future where they were in charge of the world; they then could use their power to eliminate every single war. Eventually, the three orphans met three legendary shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village dubbed 'The Sannin' after witnessing their battle between Konohagakure and Amegakure. Out of the three Sannin, one of them decided to stay behind with the orphans and teach time how to look out for themselves. The name of the Sannin who chose to help the orphans was Jiraiya.

During his stay, Jiraiya would teach them the three how to fish; yet he would not teach Ninjutsu to them, much to Yahiko's dismay. Then one day, an Iwagakure ninja came across their paths when the orphans went outside. The Hidden Stone Ninja demanded food and possessions from the Ame Orphans, but regardless, attacked them. Witnessing his friend's lives in danger sent Nagato into a panic state. He had not felt this way since his parent's death. Engulfed by fear, Nagato killed the Iwagakure ninja; his Rinnegan were used for the second time. Afterward, Jiraiya rushed to their aid after Konan ran back to the hideout. There and then, the Sannin saw the Rinnegan for the first time.

Because of this, Jiraiya changed his mind and for the course of three years, the Sage of Mount Myōboku began training the three in Ninjutsu. After giving them their final test, Jiraiya deemed them ready to forge out on their own. He then headed back to the Hidden Leaf, leaving the Ame Orphans to reform their nation. The three then created an organization the 'Akatsuki'. Yahiko, being the organization's leader, began urging an end to the war. Throughout the years, the Akatsuki's ranks grew in numbers and became well-known in Amegakure. It became so prominent that Amegakure's current leader, Hanzō, acknowledged the Akatsuki's rise to power and was even afraid of it.

This took a turn for the worst for the Akatsuki as Yahiko and Nagato were ambushed by Hanzō and his men, with support from the Hidden Leaf. Apparently, Hanzō kidnapped Konan and lured Yahiko into a 'meeting' where they would discuss the agreement.

"Your organization has become a nuisance to me." Hanzō spoke down to the two, "Yahiko, you're the leader. So you must die. Resist, and I'll kill her instead."

Pointing his kunai at Konan's throat, both Yahiko and Konan growled at Hanzō. The Amegakure's leader smirked behind his rebreather as he threw the kunai below their feet.

"You, red-head." he was speaking directly to Nagato, "Use that to kill Yahiko. If you do, I'll spare you and the girl."

Nagato only stared in terror; Konan quickly yelled to her friends, "Don't Nagato! Forget about me just get away, both of you!"

"Nagato," the voice of Yahiko caused the red-haired shinobi to turned to his friend, "just kill me."

His statement paralyzed Nagato, reminding him of his own words to protect his friends.

"All I want to do is to protect those two, no matter what pain I'm forced to endure."

"Nagato!" Yahiko yelled.

"Don't do it!" Konan cried out.

"Hurry up!" Hanzō was getting impatient with Nagato, "Do you want this woman to die?"

The red-haired shinobi didn't move from his spot, hyperventilate from making a choice. It didn't take long for Nagato to lumber over to the kunai. He pulled the knife from the soaked ground, fear began to control Nagato's movements. Panting deeply, he examined the weapon. "Konan... Yahi-"

It happened so fast. Yahiko drove himself into the kunai, not giving Nagato any time to react. Nagato's eyes widen in horror.

"You and Konan... survive no matter what..." Yahiko leans deeper into the kunai, "You... are the saviors of this world... I know... you can do it..."

With his final words recorded in Nagato's memories, Yahiko slumped down to the wet earth. The leader of the Akatsuki is no more.

"YAHIKO!" Konan cried; Yahiko's blood seeped from his mouth. Nagato only gazed into space, the weeping sound of Konan was only sounds of silence. The only thing he remembered before he 'blacked out' was Yahiko's dreams. "I have big dreams and I'm going to make them come true!"

Justice.

Following the Yahiko's death, Nagato cut all ties with Amegakure; no longer wanting to be affiliated with Hanzō's village. He believed that the cycle of pain and hatred would never end in this world. His only solution was through direct experience of war and it's losses and agonies would it truly bring peace.

Convinced that his ideology about peace was absolute, Nagato took the name of "Pain" and began his mission to bring despair into the Shinobi world. However, his legs were badly damaged when he facing Hanzō and can no longer walk anymore. To overcome this minor obstacle, Pain created the Six Paths of Pain by using corpses that he remotely controlled. One of these corpses was the late body of Yahiko in which he used it as his main body and in memories of Yahiko, the true leader of the Akatsuki.

Years passed and Pain started a civil war in the Hidden Rain village to overthrow Hanzō and become the new leader of Amegakure. The majority of the village supported Pain's cause after witnessing his immense powers as a god. Now, Pain had just killed all of Hanzō's men and threw Hanzō into a corner. Hanzō of the Salamander was now at the mercy of Pain.

"Who are you?" Hanzō demanded the identity of his intruder, "To think you can drive me to this point!"

"Have you truly forgotten my face, Hanzō?" Looking up, the dictator of Amegakure was staring at the 'deceased' Akatsuki leader.

"You!" he exclaimed, "You're Yahiko of the Akatsuki! You're supposed to be death! What's going on?!"

Pain ignored Hanzō's questions, "You allied yourself with Danzo and betrayed us. You now only think of self-preservation, you worthless piece of trash." 'Yahiko' walked forward, causing Hanzō to coward back against the battered wall. "I once respected you. But, you have changed."

"Just who are you?!" After all these years, Hanzō never thought it would end like this, "How do you have so much power?!"

His question was soon answered as five more beings stepped out from the shadows. These beings had the same cloak and same hair color. "After everything you have wrought, you still don't understand why exactly it is you have lost."

"Now begone, Hanzō." Pointing his palm out to Hanzō and ignoring his plea for mercy, Pain killed the former leader of Amegakure with an Almighty Push, thus signaling the end of the civil war. Pain had become much more than the leader of the Hidden Rain; he became a god.

Ambition.

After the death of Hanzō, Pain proceeded to eliminate everyone even remotely connected to Hanzō in order to prevent anyone from challenging him. And for a long time, no one outside of Amegakure knew of Hanzō's demise due to the Hidden Rain's secretive nature. But that was just the beginning. With the help of the infamous Madara Uchiha, who was supposed to been slain by Hashirama Senju, Pain led the Akatsuki into a new direction.

This second version of the Akatsuki was composed of S-rank Rogue Ninjas. The Akatsuki would offer their services to ninja villages as a mercenary group; earning funds necessary to fund their long-term plans. Mostly Pain's for his goal was to achieve peace through pain and suffering. After some time had passed, Pain recalled all the Akatsuki's members to a meeting.

Using the Magic Lantern Body Technique, both Pain and Konan arrived first. Then, the others followed suit. Only Hidan and Kakuzu arrived late.

"You're late." Pain noted their tardiness.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Hidan rudely replied, "If greedy gramps over here didn't waste time counting ryō from our last job, we woulda been here sooner."

"First of all," His partner argued, "I didn't trust the employer. He was very scummy during the exchange. And second, we would be here sooner if you helped me instead of standing there, telling to hurry up."

"I keep telling you!" Soon, it turned to bickering. "The reason he gave us a shitty time was because of your greedy ass! Wanting to agree to more! And, it took you a good thirty minutes counting all that fucking ryō!"

"But the job's specifics were altered at the last second and he wasn't agreeing to raise the credits. I had to count to make sure he wasn't ripping me off. Besides, you're the one to talk. Your mundane rituals waste time and time is money."

"How dare you insult the sacred commandments of Jashin, you fucking heathen!"

"That's enough, Hidan." Pain was getting irritated by their content fighting. "The same applies to you, Kakuzu. Money or not, it was not worth exposing yourself and your partner to prying eyes."

The religious member cursed him under his breath and the immortal member looked away from his partner. After the dust had settled, Pain continued.

"I have called this meeting to notify all of you on our current status. After completing your mercenary's mission, our funds so far is steadily increasing as well as our reputation. With those reaching their goals, we will soon proceed to phase two of the plan."

"The capturing of the Jinchūriki." The wielder of Samehada, Kisame, cracked a toothy grin.

"I don't see why we have to capture them, hn." The clay artist, Deidara, expressed a bored look. "Why do we even need the Jinchūriki for anyway?"

The explosive artist got his answer in the form of his partner, Sasori. "Deidara, if you actually paid attention during our last meeting instead of playing with your 'art', you would know why they are essential to our cause."

"Hn, sorry my man." Deidara sheepishly apologized to Sasori, scratching the back of his head. But then, did a double take. "Wait, what did you about my art?"

"Enough, Deidara." Pain silenced the young bomber, "I did not call this meeting so you can bicker with your partner."

"Hmph." The clay artist folded his arms. A few seconds of silence filled the cave before Pain resumed. "As what Kisame said: The capturing of the Jinchūriki. Not to be taken lightly, but the Akatsuki requires all nine Tailed Beasts in order to create a Tailed Beast weapon many times more powerful than any Tailed Beast in existence. From there, we will this newfound power to start or end wars. And once all major shinobi forces have eradicated, we will rule the Shinobi World without rivals."

"I guess ruling the world ain't so bad." Deidara plainly said, somewhat satisfied with the Akatsuki's plans. "But, I hope it doesn't cut into my 'art appreciation' time."

"The Akatsuki's goal will not interfere with any of your personal activities until phase two of the plan. Even then, you are free to do what you please during each capture; as long as the Jinchūriki are captured and sealed away." Pain replied, "On a side note, Orochimaru has been located."

"It's been a while since his defection." Kisame noted, "So where is that snake anyway?"

"Zetsu, if you would." Pain allowed the Venus flytrap member answer Kisame's question. "The last time we saw him, he was standing outside a huge cave southwest in the Land of Earth. That was four days ago. We're not sure if that snake is still there."

"Deidara, Sasori. Head to the Land of Earth." Pain ordered the two artists, "Orochimaru has vital information from the Akatsuki that could hamper with our plans. Do not let him escape this time."

"Yes, leader." The eternal artist said before ending his connection. Deidara followed suit. "Finally, I will end that treacherous snake's life, hn."

Once the pair left, Pain started assigned the remaining Akatsuki members missions. "Hidan, Kakuzu. A village in the Land of Bear called Hoshigakure wants to expand territory grounds. They will fill you in once you've arrived."

With that, the immortal pair severed their connections. "Itachi, Kisame. A village in the Land of Vegetables requires the Akatsuki to serve as bodyguards."

Itachi nodded silently, but his partner had one question to ask. "Leader, what are you going to do about that Tobi fella? He's been trying to get into the Akatsuki for a while now."

"That issue doesn't concern you." Pain replied, "I will deal with him myself."

Once the two ended their connections, there was only Pain, Konan, and Zetsu left. Until Tobi arrived.

"I see that everyone is on a mission." Madara noticed the emptiness of the meeting.

"Yes, I have sent each member off on a mission. With the Akatsuki's funds reaching their goals, the plan will move to phase two." Pain reported.

"Good, good. Everything is falling into motion." Madara was delighted to see his plans coming closer to his goal, "Anything else to report?"

"Yes." Pain replied, "One of our members, Kisame, was asking me what I'm to do with you. Specifically, your 'Tobi' disguise."

"I see." The Uchiha gestured his mask, almost if he was stroking his chin. "Your response?"

"I told him I'll deal with you myself." Pain answered.

"Good." He said, "And as for me, I'm still working behind the scene. But, soon or later, I'll join the Akatsuki. And with all said and done, I think this meeting is adjourn."

Both Madara and Zetsu disconnected from the meeting, leaving only Pain and Konan. Worried, Konan asked. "Pain, why are you letting him push you around?"

"He's not pushing me around." Pain coldly answered, "We have the same ideals for peace."

"But Nagato," Konan said, "Madara isn't a type of person who would achieve peace in this way."

Pain sighed. "We'll discuss this at a later time."

And with that, Pain ended his connection with Konan followed suit.

Compassion.

More than two years came and went for the Akatsuki. As predicted, once their funds were met, they started hunting down the Jinchūriki. One by one, they were seal away inside the Gedo Statue. These captures, however, took a serious toll for the Akatsuki. With the great nations turning on them, their reputation plumped into infamy. But, that wasn't the worst of all. Members of the Akatsuki had met their end at the hand of Konohagakure shinobi.

Sasori was the first to die; he was later replaced by Tobi.

Hidan and Kakuzu were thought to be immortals. How wrong he was when Zetsu told him of their demise. To add more injuries, the shinobi who took down Kakuzu was a Jinchūriki.

After learning Orochimaru's death was by Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha, Deidara and Tobi set off to kill Sasuke despite Itachi's warnings. Only Tobi came back alive.

Following Deidara's death, Itachi was next on the line. He and his younger brother had fought at the Uchiha Hideout where Sasuke won due to Itachi's disease taking his life. When Zetsu reported about Itachi's death, he was also surprised that Sasuke and his team had joined the Akatsuki.

Even with half their members dead, the Akatsuki's goal was almost at arm's reach. With Madara sending Sasuke to deal with the Eight-Tails, Pain and Konan were tasked to capturing the Nine-Tails, the strongest of all the Jinchūriki. Prior to this, his former sensei, Jiraiya, had infiltrated Amegakure and thus making him as an intruder. After a long fight and chase, Pain had ended his sensei's life. However, Jiraiya had sent a message to the Hidden Leaf Village before his death as well as one of his paths and a subordinate.

But, that matter little to Pain. He and Konan had arrived at Konohagakure where they caused mass destruction while interrogating the Leaf shinobi of the whereabouts of the Nine-Tails. In a final attempt to lure the Jinchūriki from hiding, Pain used Shinra Tensei on a massive scale which obliterated most of Konohagakure. His long awaited revenge had passed. The plan worked as Nine-Tails Jinchūriki known as Naruto Uzumaki appeared before him. Naruto was a student of Jiraiya. The Jinchūriki put up a good fight against Pain; taking down most of his paths. Unfortunately for the Jinchūriki, Pain was too much for him to handle.

After pinning the boy down and explaining his actions against the Hidden Leaf, Pain prepared to take away the Jinchūriki when someone from behind ambushed him. He examined his new opponent; it was a girl from the Hyūga Clan of the Hidden Leaf. He could tell by her distinct, pupilless eyes that were a light shade of lavender.

"Why does she stand before me?" Pain was very confused as to why a girl that was much weaker than the Jinchūriki protect him. "If she were to fight, she will die."

"I won't let you harm Naruto any longer!" The Hyūga told Pain.

"Reinforcement?" Pain was confused, "Why only send one person to stop me?"

"Hinata! Why'd you come out here?!" Distress was coming from the Jinchūriki, "Get out of here! You're no match…"

"I know." The female Hyūga interrupted his sentence, shocking him as well. "I'm just being selfish."

Pain watched the two converse with each other. After all, he wanted to know why she is willing to risk her life to save his.

"What are you talking about?" The Jinchūriki was just as confused as Pain is, "Don't put yourself in danger like this!"

His concerns were soon answered by the Hyūga, "I'm here because I want to be."

"This time…" She paused, "I'm going to save you, Naruto."

"What a foolish girl." Pain thought, "If the Nine-Tails couldn't defeat me, what threat do you pose against a god such as myself?."

"I used to be such a cry-baby." The girl told the Jinchūriki, "Always giving up before I even got a chance to start. I almost took the wrong paths so many times that I lost count."

"Ironically," Pain noted, "what you're doing is one of them."

"But, you helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto." The girl continued, "I always chased after you; wanting to catch up, wanting to walk together with you forever.

"It's not what I think it is." Pain knew where the Hyūga was heading.

"You've changed who I am, Naruto. Your smiling face saved me, Naruto." The Hyūga girl admitted, "That's why I'm not afraid to die here. If it means I can protect you!"

The Jinchūriki was more than shocked after hearing what the Hyūga girl just said. "Because... I love you. I always will."

"Love will be your demise." Pain was prepared to fend off the Jinchūriki's reinforcement.

The girl took an offensive stance; her Dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai activating and prepared to protect the Jinchūriki. Pain created a black receiver from his arm. He waited for his opponent to make the first move. Her glare almost turned into a Killing Intent, causing Pain to tense up. However, what the Hyūga did caught Pain off by surprised. Instead of attacking him, the girl turned around and kicked off one of the black receivers that pinned the Nine-Tails.

"No!" Pain shot out Almighty Push before the girl struck the second chakra rod. A single blast of gravitational movement pushed the girl far away from Jinchūriki, causing her to tumble in the process. "I will not lose the Nine-Tails to her. I've come this far, I will not be denied by Leaf shinobi."

The girl got back up, catching her breath before charged directly at the Jinchūriki. Five seconds are up and Pain flung the Hyūga over the Nine-Tails before she attempted a second try.

"Hinata!" The Jinchūriki watched in horror as the girl tumbled across the ground.

Yet, she did not give up. The Hyūga girl pushed herself back up; a single drop of blood rolled down her face. Pain then walked in front of Jinchūriki, protecting the tailed beast from the girl. He sensed the girl's chakra being poured into her hands; two lion's faces consumed her entire fists. The raw chakra brushed against her hair.

"Jūho Sōshiken!" The Hyūga charged head on at Pain with the Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fist slightly bigger than usual. Looking to the side, Pain narrowly missed her strikes by jumping back. She tried again and still miss. He dodged every single strike the Hyūga made, swaying his body to the side. He hoped by doing so, he would tire the girl out. But when the girl showed no signs of fatigue and her strikes were getting closer to him each time, Pain opted to use Almighty Push.

But for unknown reasons, it backfired, resulting Nagato coughing out blood. This, however, gave the Hyūga the opportunity to attack. Dazing Pain with a clean hook, the girl jumped towards Naruto and managed to break off another chakra rod. But before she could take out the third one, Pain came back to his senses and fired another Almighty Push. This time, it didn't backfire and it made a direct hit on the girl. She was sent hundreds of feet into the air before crashing down only a few meters away from the Jinchūriki.

"Hinata!" the Jinchūriki cried, "HINATA!"

Brushing off the mark from the punch, Pain watched the pitiful girl struggled to stand up after being dropped from hundreds of feet in the air. But even after she stood up and lumbered towards the Nine-tails, he did not understand why she was doing all this. He made no attempt to stop her as the Hyūga girl fell to the ground. But, yet again, she would stand back up.

Even the Jinchūriki didn't understand it, "Just stop. Please, just run away."

But, she didn't listen. She just kept lumbering over to him. After falling over for the third time, the Hyūga decided to crawl to the Jinchūriki. Pain only stared down at the weakened girl as she reached for the black receiver that pinned the Jinchūriki's hands together.

"Why?" Pain wanted to know, "Why would someone weak as you try to resist?"

The girl grabbed the black receiver. "Why would you fight me," Shivers fell down her spine; feeling only a fraction of his chakra through the black receiver, "when you know, you'll only die."

The Hyūga whimpered, unable to utter a single word. Only after her whimpering did she speak, "Because... I'll n-never go back on my word."

"Because... because that's my ninja way." Pain didn't waste any time with her nindō. He threw her into the air like a rag-doll before slamming her back down close to him. The impact created a small cloud of dust. Pain produced a black receiver from his arm and stabbed it into the girl; her life-force is almost fading away.

The Jinchūriki watched the whole thing transpired before him. It was not long until Pain began to speak, "It was just like this. When my parents were killed right before my eyes. By shinobi. Of the Hidden Leaf."

"Because of the existence of love, sacrifice is born as well as hate. And one comprehends, one knows pain." Pain could feel it. Rage washed over the host of the Nine-Tails. His entire eyes turned crimson red.

"Yes, know pain."

Pain.

The battle between the Nine-Tails and Pain was an intense firefight. After the Jinchūriki had transformed into a crimson version of himself, Pain decided to lure him away from Konohagakure and out into the opening. From there, he used Planetary Devastation to trap the Nine-Tails within the growing satellite. The planetary prison, however, proved to be ineffective as the Jinchūriki transformed one final step into his Tailed Beast form, but without any fur or skin.

Pain planned to pour more chakra into Planetary Devastation to contain the beast, but then, the Nine-Tails transformed back into a human. Not only was the Jinchūriki outside the Planetary Devastation, but after using so much of his chakra into his technique, Pain can no longer sustain its earthly sphere as the whole began to crumble and break apart. And to his dismay, the Jinchūriki survived his fall. Noticing the Jinchūriki was back in Sage Mode, Pain opted to end the fight quick.

However, it didn't work in his case. Receiving a Rasengan to the stomach severed Nagato's connection with the Deva Path. With no more Paths to control, Nagato was left vulnerable to an attack as the Jinchūriki used the black receiver, earlier, to pinpoint his location. Rather than panicking, Nagato and Konan waited for the boy's arrival. Nagato had planned to convince the Nine-Tails into giving himself up.

Upon entering the fake paper tree, Konan rushed to protect Nagato. He quickly dismissed she, telling her that it's not necessary. Seeing the true from of Pain, the boy named Naruto asked if it was really him. Nagato didn't bother with his question, knowing full well that it was the real him, and instead asked Naruto if he hated him and if he would destroy him.

Nagato could sense the anger and hatred brewing inside the Jinchūriki. Konan added that killing him wasn't going to solve anything. Hearing no response, Nagato offered the boy to surrender himself and let him be taken by the Akatsuki. He then launched a black receiver at the boy in a last ditch effort to subdue the Jinchūriki. However, the power of the Nine-Tails proved to be even stronger than Nagato anticipated. He awaited the Jinchūriki to rip him apart via chakra, but surprisingly, Naruto allowed him to live.

The boy's desire wasn't to destroy him, but to talk to him and wanting to 'check out something'. That 'something' was what it felt like if he were to stand before his enemy. Naruto's intermediate reaction was to kill Nagato; he yanked the chakra rod from his stomach, something that surprised Konan. No one was able to resist his chakra, especially at this range.

Throwing aside the rod, the Jinchūriki ran dead on to Nagato. Konan quickly stood in front of him, prepared to shield any of his attacks. But suddenly, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. He then began reciting similar words and phrases that once belonged to their late sensei, Jiraiya. The Jinchūriki would later reveal that Jiraiya would pass down his mission for peace to him and finally understood what he meant.

Nagato would then replied that it still wouldn't change anything; he can't longer forgive him. He goes on saying how Jiraiya's words were from a different era long ago and how reality is too different. He would mock Naruto, saying how the Nine-Tails would take him down and bring 'peace' to the Shinobi World. Nagato claimed those were just empty promises and all Naruto wants was to kill him to exact personal vengeance. Now that Naruto sees reality as it is, Nagato asked if he still believed in his late sensei's ridiculous words and ideals.

But, he doesn't answer his questions. Knowing full well that Nagato and Konan were once Jiraiya's students, Naruto questioned why they joined the Akatsuki when they weren't clearly like any other murderous members of the organization. He refused to answer any questions from Nagato until he heard the full story. He agrees to tell him everything about his pain.

Peace.

"I told you my story just as you asked." Nagato finished speaking, "Now let's hears your response."

Before answering him, Naruto pulled out a book from his jacket. He stared at the book briefly before speaking. "You may be right. Truth is, I think the same way you do."

"I see." Nagato muttered.

"But even if I understand you now," Naruto continued, "that doesn't change how I feel. There's no way I can forgive you. I still hate you."

Nagato asked. "Then you want to settle things with me?"

"I do." Naruto's response surprised the both of them, "Pervy Sage believed in me and wanted me to continue his quest. And for those reasons, I choose to believe him and to follow what he taught me. So that's it, that's my answer. That's why I'm not going to kill you guys."

"After everything that has happened, you still believed in Jiraiya's senseless teachings?" Nagato grew annoyed how the Jinchūriki was so stubborn, "Very well then, you've given your answer. And you expect us to wait? Till you somehow magically transform this wretched world into a peaceful place?"

"No! Never!" For the first time in a long time, Nagato became angry. "How can I believe in Jiraiya's words after all of this?! There will never be such a thing as true peace! Not as long as we're forced to live in this accursed world! Peace is impossible, impossible!"

"Well then," the stubborn Jinchūriki argued, "I'm going to break that curse one day! If there's truly such a thing as peace in this world, then somehow, I'll find it. And I'll never stop searching for it."

"You..." What Naruto just said had frightened Nagato a bit, "but that's..."

Konan noticed the distress from his voice. "Nagato, what's the matter?"

"Those words..." He was dazed by memories, "It can't be..."

"That's right," Naruto exactly knew what Nagato was thinking of, "you know them. All of those words were taken right out of this book."

The two Uzumaki looked down at the book. "The very first novel that Pervy Sage ever wrote. He was dead serious trying to change the world with this message."

"In the back of it," he flipped to the last page of the book, "he wrote about a student who helped him provide inspiration. It was you, Nagato."

"But..." Nagato was in disbelief, taking in every single word that the Uzumaki had just said. He couldn't even say a single word; his mind drifted back into his memory with remembered saying those exact words to Jiraiya after coming up with a solution for hatred in the Shinobi World. It might sound foolish now, but, Nagato couldn't believe that Jiraiya had kept those words and wrote them in his novel.

"My name is... my name is..."

Nagato remembered when Jiraiya told him that he was a reincarnate of the Sage of Six Paths and that one day, he will bring a great change to the entire world. It was also that day when his sensei believed in him. It was the first time he had ever smiled ever so brightly.

"You... are the savior... of this world. I know you can do it."

"...more important, is the power to believe it would happen."

"...instead of ruled the world through pain, I wished you passed it and used your power to create peace in a positive way."

"And for those reasons," Naruto said, "I choose to believe in him and to follow what he had taught me."

Nagato had finally figured out the name of the hero in Jiraiya's novel. It wasn't him, it was...

"His name is Naruto." Naruto pointed to himself. "Listen, my name is a precious heirloom that is been handed down to me by my sensei. There's no way I'm giving up and tarnishing his gift to me. I will become Hokage and I will bring peace to the Hidden Rain."

"Was I wrong?" Nagato thought to himself, "Was Madara wrong too? Would bringing about pain and suffering bring peace?"

"I will," Naruto continued, "All I'm asking is to believe in me."

"No. Why should I?" Nagato argued, "How can you stand there and tell me that you would never change your mind? Do you really thing you'll never stray from that ideal? No matter how much pain falls on your shoulders? You think you'll always believe in yourself? Are you sure of it? How can you possibly have that much hope that life won't change you?!"

After brief seconds of silence, he responded. "I felt pain too. You're not the only one." He gripped his stomach, "There's still pain buried deep inside me. And there's no telling what kind of pain I might face upon."

"But," Naruto answered, "if I stop believin' just because things get difficult, if the hero in the book change who he is, then, it would become a whole new story. And it wouldn't be the same story our master left behind. And it wouldn't be about Naruto!"

"I can't write a book like our master did, and so, any sequel has to come from the life I live. That's why no matter how much pain my own path brings, I'll keep walking. Cause that's who Naruto is!" He finally ended.

Nagato was stunned. Naruto's will was even greater than his. And when he gave trying to find peace, Naruto just kept on going. It had amazed Nagato so much that he actually began believing again. It will not be in his hand to deliver peace, but Naruto's. To repay all the damage Pain had caused, he formed a ram hand seal; Nagato was about to perform Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. He knew Konan would try to convince otherwise, but he was set on fixing his mistakes.

From the King of Hell, the souls who had died during his invasion on Konohagakure were returned back to their original owners. However, Nagato's chakra was completely drained; his crimson red hair turned ash white. This signaled his death. Nagato breathed in deep breaths as Naruto gaped at him, "You..."

Nagato responded, "War inflicts death, injury, and pain to both sides. The death of someone dear is hard to accept. We convince ourselves there's no way they could die."

Small blood drops leaked from his mouth, "It especially can't be helped with your generation. You don't know war."

Nagato continued, "You may try to find meaning in death, but there is only pain. An unbearable hatred…" He stared at the ground,

"Senseless death…"

"Eternal hatred…"

"And a pain that does not heal. That's what war is." He then looked up at Naruto as the young shinobi had a somber look on his face.

The pale and skinny shinobi then told him, "Naruto… This is what you will be facing in time."

Nagato closed his eyes, responding with a faded smile. "Regarding that book, and you… it feels like someone set it up."

"Or… Perhaps this is the real work of a god." The paper tree began to scatter as light uplifted the darkness inside the hollow paper tree. As the paper tree shrank, paper began floated everywhere.

"It seems my work ends here, Naruto." As Nagato began to slip into darkness, he told Naruto his last words.

"I believe you can bring true peace…"

Now.

The journey to the afterlife was more than Nagato had expected. When he closed his eyes for the final time, the shinobi was greeted by an explosive array of colors at an immeasurable speed. It wasn't anything he had experienced before. Well, to be honest, he didn't believe anyone did. It felt like as if he spent his whole life chasing down only one thing and finally achieved it; satisfying and empty at the same time. Then, the colors ran out; black only was present.

For what seemed like hours, Nagato was in total darkness. But, he didn't mind the void. He knew that Yahiko, Jiraiya, his parents, and the original Akatsuki members were waiting for him on the other side. Nagato could even feel the warm embrace of his close friend, Yahiko. Konan will soon join them and at last, they will all be at peace.

True peace.

Kaban Forest, Atlas.

A chilly and yet soothe forest, Kaban Forest was home to many winter critters; Grimm included. But in a specific area of the forest, there was a man in his late 20's or early 30's, lying in the fluffy snow. He looked peaceful in his slumber; his hands folded and in front, eyes shut. But when the natural light from the sleep shined upon his head as well as the chirping of birds, the man awoke slowly. The first thing he saw was how blue the sky was.

"Is this what the afterlife looks like?" he thought to himself, "If true, then where is Yahiko? Where are my parents or Jiraiya-sensei or anyone in this matter?"

The man turned his head to both sides, determining where he was. There were countless of barren trees that were covered in snow. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was wearing a black cloak with red clouds; it was the Akatsuki's outfit. The man immediately moved his hands over his face, examining them. A ring, on his right thumb, displayed "零" or zero.

"No, it's not possible." The man thought, "It's not who I think it is."

He sat in an upright position and scanned his surroundings before getting up; he was in a frosty, white forest. He could sense some sort of 'evil chakra' lurking in these cold woods. But regardless, he ventured deeper into the frozen forest, searching for a reflection. The harsh cold didn't bother the man; he was raised in a much harsher environment. During his walk, a frozen, small pond approached his view. He walked over quickly and peered at the reflection of the frozen water. His eyes did not betray him.

"Yahiko…" he muttered to himself, stroking the cheek of his deceased friend as his own. The man's body was not his own, rather, it was his friend who he considered as an older brother. "Where am I? What is this place? How did I get here? Why am I in the body of the Deva Path?"

Before he could answer his question, he heard a loud rustling coming from the blanketed bushes. He jerked his head around and saw a pack of these pitch-black wolves that wore bone masks and bone spikes. Their eyes were crimson red and they stood on their hind legs. He noticed that their 'chakra' was tainted with evil. He didn't know why, but he couldn't answer his own question; the wolves were barbarously charging head on. The man reacted by lifting his right hand, pointing his palm at the wolves while chanting.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The dark beasts were knocked back by a powerful, unknown force. They smashed into the stomach of the leafless trees. Lowering his hand, he was surprised when the black wolves transformed themselves into a black dust before being carried by the frigate wind.

"So these beasts can turn into dust upon death." He took notes, "Fascinating."

But before he could evaluate the situation, the man heard faint voices closing in on him; he could also feel their 'chakra'. Instantly, three men popped out from the bushes. These people's wardrobe were completely different than the shinobi. They wore shirts and pants that were foreign to him.

"Hey, you alright?" The man with the brown mustache asked the orange-haired shinobi.

He nodded to the man. The ginger-haired man then put on a reassuring grin. "Good to hear. There're reports of Grimm crawlin' all over the frozen forest."

"So that's what theses wolves are called: Grimm."

The man extended his hand to the newly stranger. "The name's Randall."

"Yahiko." 'Yahiko' replied, but didn't shake hands with Randall. Even though he was in a different world, he didn't feel the need to give out his real name.

"Yahiko, huh?" Randall pulled back his hand, awkwardly. "Strange name. Anyway, this here is Bill and Mike."

The other two raised their hands, identifying who's who. Mike wore a thick black coat with thick gray pants and Bill had a thick green jacket, gray pant, and a strange looking hat. All of them had some sort of weapon that was strange to the stranger.

"So uh, we're heading back to town." Randall announced, "Do you know where you're heading?"

'Yahiko' answered. "No, I don't have a place to go. Not anymore."

"Oh uh, so uh… would you like to stay at the village?" Randall bit his cheek, asking. "It's not far from here."

"Yes." The man didn't think twice and took up the hunter's offer. "Maybe I can learn about this world and see what it has to offer."

Randall smiled, "Well, let's get a move on then."

Kaban Town was surprisingly small for a settlement; consisting of only thirty-two families. But for a small town, everyone was hard at work. The only people that stood by the gate was a young child, who was no older than six. And upon entry, the child ran up to Randall. The hunter then knelt down and picked him up from the group. 'Yahiko' faintly smiled upon see the connection between father and son.

"Papa!" The child exclaimed, "Look what I drew today!"

Randall chuckled, taking a look at his son's drawing. "That looks nice, son."

Bill and Mike nodded at Randall before heading back into the frosty forest. Lowering his son down, the child noticed the shinobi not far from him.

"Papa, who is that man?" The child pointed at the strange man with purple eyes. Instead of answering, Randall turned around and gently swatted his son's hand, "It's not polite to point at people. You know that."

"Sorry." Randall's son looked down at the frostbitten ground, feeling guilty for his actions. "I forgot."

"That's okay." He told his son, "Anyway, this is Yahiko. Yahiko, my son: Dylan."

"Hello." The shinobi's voice was cold and dry, lacking any emotion. The child whimpered, ducking behind Randall's back.

"Hmmpf, sorry about that." The child's father apologized, "He's a bit shy when it comes to meeting new folk."

"Anyway..." Randall pushed himself off from the ground, "Do you want to come over for dinner? We can discuss your stay while my wife can cook us something."

'Yahiko' nodded, "Sure." His voice was so dry, yet cold.

"Good to hear." The hunter formed a warm smile, "C'mon Dylan, your mother waiting for us at home."

One month later.

'Yahiko' had been most helpful to Kaban Town after spending a couple of days living there. It took some time getting used to these people for him. The villagers, however, were a bit wary of him. Some were even terrified of him. Their angsty behaviors stemmed from the concept of an outcast. 'Yahiko' wasn't like anything they saw before; his outfit, his hair color, and even his eyes, he looked off. But, they were too afraid to speak out. Instead, they just stared at him brief before resuming to their chores. But, as days pass by, the people were starting to get used to his presence.

Eventually, 'Yahiko' gained the trust of the villagers; assisting the town in whatever it needs. From carrying crates to patrolling territories, he worked hard to earn their trust and in return, they tell him what he wants: Their history.

Remnant. That's what they call this world. Remnant's history began in dust; not the type of dust that he was familiarized. Dust in this world was a physical source of energy. It has some sort of similarities with Chakra Nature and how both specializes in a unique typing.

Anyway, in the beginning, there was two races: Mankind and the Creatures of Grimm. Mankind struggled to fend off the Grimm. Mankind used dust to combat the relentless creatures, even going one step further and believing that Mankind was 'born' from dust.

With Mankind beginning to build society and civilization came the Four Maidens; beings that hosted a vast natural power. Some believed that they were the physical embodiment of the four seasons. To 'Yahiko', it didn't really bother him that much. If the Jinchūrikis were ever transported to Remnant, the Maidens would be a thing of the past.

Getting back to Mankind, overtime, they had created four kingdoms: Atlas (formerly Mantle), Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo. And then, they started a war. The 'Great War', as they would call it, was a major conflict involving the concept of individualism. It was somewhat ironic; the 'Great War' strayed from power and craved for individualism while the three Shinobi World Wars strayed from individualism and craved for power. Two polar opposite wars, same amount of bloodshed.

With the conclusion of the 'Great War', it would seem Remnant would be a peace. Until they started another one. Faunus Rights Revolution. Unlike the previous war, it was fought for racial politics. A new race dubbed faunus were seen as savages by Mankind. Yet faunus are completely identical to humans. The only main difference is that faunus have animal-like features. Kisame and Orochimaru would've fitted right in, depending if they were truly humans. Anyhow, it was yet another bloodshed war. However, due to sheer luck and their animal traits, the faunus won over against the humans. But just because they won the war doesn't change anything. Faunus were still being mistreated by humanity, discriminated against.

'Yahiko' showed disgust to both Mankind and faunus; Mankind treated faunus like animals and tried to confine them away from society; faunus began backlashing against humans, resulting in injuries. Sure, people could argue that there existed peaceful organizations such as 'White Fang', but 'Yahiko' knew that they will all change for the worst. But with this repugnance, he had gained knowledge from it.

He understood why Grimm existed in this world. These 'creatures of destruction' are easily drawn in by negative emotion; hatred, wrath, sadness, horror, etc. From this one observation, the shinobi determined and hypothesized the creation of Grimm. Many ancient cultures depicted the Grimm as corrupted souls of deceased animals, however, 'Yahiko' thought otherwise. He believed that the singular hatred between Mankind and faunus had spawned the Grimm into existence. It would explain why Grimm went after humans and faunus.

"Hatred breeds into more hatred."

The shinobi thought to himself. "As long as mankind and faunus exists, hate will exist. They hurt each other more than themselves and yet, they still don't realize it. There can never be peace in this world, not as long as Grimm exists in this world. Pain is the only way to bring true peace into Remnant."

But 'Yahiko' pushed these thoughts aside; he was no longer in the world of shinobi. He was in a completely different world that already entered in an era of peace. Yet his mind was left in his former world. 'Yahiko' was a bit skeptical of the boy's plan to change the shinobi world, but chose to place his faith in him. He can no longer bring peace to his world, but the boy can finish what he and his sensei couldn't.

During his first encounter with the Grimm wolves known as Beowolves, 'Yahiko' discovered that he had still retained the Rinnegan's power. Currently, he could access the Deva Path's gravitational forces. He also found it difficult, not impossible, to access the other Path. He ruled that he needed five other bodies to have complete access to the Rinnegan.

But besides all that, 'Yahiko' lived in peace and quiet within Kaban Town. Until a man dressed in a business suit appeared outside the gates one day. Randall and the chief of Kaban Town went to greet this stranger. 'Yahiko' stood behind a tree, eavesdropping on them.

"...I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid to decline on the construction of a dust mine." The chief said, "It's enough to deal with the Grimm that surrounds this forest, but moving somewhere? Where else is there to go?"

"I assure you. There are a lot of places to go to without the threat of the Grimm." The snarky voice of businessman replied. Just the way he talks got under the shinobi's skins as well as Randall and the chief.

"Oh yeah? Name one place then." Randall demanded, silencing the businessman, "Nothing? Thought so."

"But, I ask you." The businessman begged, "Please let us build a dust mine. My boss would love to negotiate with-"

"Enough!" the chief's voice echoed, "I'm going to say this once. NO. I'm not tempted or persuaded by your deals. Leave now."

Silence reigned for a few seconds before the sounds of footsteps pounded on the thick snow. 'Yahiko' peeked his head behind the tree and saw the businessman getting into a strange metallic thing that flew into the sky seconds later. Once that was gone, Randall and the chief headed back.

"What good men Randall and the chief are." He thought well of them before leaving the scene. "However, evil will strike again."

So about two days later, 'Yahiko' was tasked to deal with potential Grimm that could threaten the town. On the list was a King Taijitu: a two-headed snake that is joined together in the center. He thought of Orochimaru upon seeing its appearance. Comparing the two, 'Yahiko' despised the Snake Sannin more than the Grimm Snake.

Locating the snake wasn't difficult as it would seem; only less than a mile away did the Grimm appeared before him. Half it's body was black and the other one white. But has that distinct crimson eyes that all the Grimm possess. Nonetheless, it wasn't much of a challenge anyway. With a wave of his hand, the creature was lifted off the ground and hurled into the surrounding winter trees. The pointy branches stabbed the giant snake who hissed and screeched into the bitter air, blood-like fluids oozing from its open wounds. 'Yahiko' quickly ended the King Taijitu's life with a simple black receiver.

After delivering the killing blow, the shinobi was about to hunt down more Grimm when all of a sudden, the sounds of gunshots rang the silent forest. It was faint, but he heard it from a mile away. With no time to ponder, he immediately headed back to the village. Closer and closer, he could no longer sense any of the townspeople's chakra or 'aura' as they would call it; only unfamiliar aura flooded Kaban Town.

"No..." 'Yahiko' finally made it back only to witness in horror, the destruction of the village. The settlers had been slaughtered; their bodies were riddled with bullets and their blood painted the snow crimson red. Entering the town, the most of the houses were turned to rubble; the ones that weren't were covered in many miniature holes. There were a lot more dead bodies that littered all over the road; some of them were even children. Each step brought 'Yahiko' into horror and disgust.

"Who could have done this?" he saw a woman with her eyes wide open, her stomach filled with bullets. The shinobi walked softly up to her and closed her eyelids shut. "Who would go so far as to slaughter the innocent?"

Walking further down the bloody path, 'Yahiko' quickly found Randall dead in the red snow. He knelt beside him and pressed two fingers on his neck. No pulse, he was dead. The shinobi quietly mourned the hunter's death. Randall had let him stay at his home and convinced the villagers that he wasn't an outcast. He was a good man and a father who had perished too soon. His mourning was briefly interrupted when someone was sneaking up behind him.

"Whoever did this will pay for their lives." He stood up from the bitter earth, the sound of a gun cocked was behind him. He took a minute to stare at the lifeless body of a good man before turning around and smacking the gun from the stranger's hand. 'Yahiko' grabbed the man by his throat by one hand and produced a rod from his other hand. He drove his rod into the man's stomach, lowering the man to his eye level. The shinobi wanted to look him in the eye as that image would be the last thing the stranger would ever see. Pulling the black receiver from the man's stomach, 'Yahiko' looked up and knew that the stranger wasn't alone.

People, dressed up like the stranger, pointed their weapons at the shinobi. He assumed they were mercenaries. 'Yahiko' then took a glimpse in their eyes; eyes that showed savages ten times more vicious than Grimm. Eyes that showed sadist, greed, and enjoyment of killing. They are worse than bandits and thieves. They're worse than Grimm. And yet, they call themselves humans.

"Shinra Tensei!"

With chakra flowing in his veins, these human beings were flung back by a powerful force and crashed into the wooden debris, killing most of them upon impact. With some of them pulling themselves from the rubble, 'Yahiko' waste no time and dashed towards his enemies. Reeling his black receiver back, the shinobi pierced through a man's skull before throwing his corpse at his friends. He charged again, slashing wildly at them. The shinobi turned around, quickly dodging the bullets that were flying at him. 'Yahiko' took refuge behind a broken slab of stone.

With bullets being sprayed at him, 'Yahiko' had to come up with a plan fast. With his desired plan set in his mind, he slowly raised his hands up, debris underneath the remaining mercenaries began to float up. They then started firing at the debris instead of the shinobi. Almighty Push caused most of the rubble and debris to float in the air before falling down upon the hired men. The mercenaries tried to outrun it, but it was useless, the rubble instantly kill them before they had a chance to react. However, only one person survived that ordeal.

Seeing how one was still alive, 'Yahiko' walked up to the injured mercenary who was coughing out blood. He tried to pull out a gun from his vest, but 'Yahiko' was too quick for him, yanking the pistol from him with Banshō Ten'in. 'Yahiko' pinned down the man with his black receiver.

"Who hired you?" The shinobi questioned him. Feeling pain all over his body, the mercenary replied, "...Schnee Dust Company. We were hired by Schnee Dust Company. Our job description was to kill everyone in Kaban Town and destroy the houses. That's all I know, please spare me..."

After getting the information, 'Yahiko' pulled out the black receiver from the man, only to stabbed him in the heart. He examined the aftermath of the massacre that took place beforehand. He had a new target now. The leader of this 'Schnee Dust Company'. "I'm sorry, Naruto. But this world needs Pain."

The howling winds were louder than usual; snowfall began covering up what remains of the once busy settlement, debris, and the mercenary's corpses. It took a while for Pain to bury all of the villagers due to the snowfall. He did this in a sign of respect for the dead; it would've been what they wanted anyway. Burying the last of the townspeople, Pain took a step back to examine his work. He didn't do a perfect job, but he tried. Besides, digging their gravesite wasn't important to him; delivering retribution to the man who caused their lives was the higher priority.

"Such people don't deserve to live in this world."

Borrowing a map of Remnant from one of the undamaged houses, Pain stood outside the gates of Kaban Town. From there, he took a final look at the settlement. Once was his home was reduced to ruins as well as the people who lived there. Regardless, they will be avenged. Pain leaped onto a tree branch and headed west. From the map, Kaban Town was somewhere in the southeastern region of Atlas. Despite not having any information on the location of Schnee Dust Company, it didn't stop his progress. Pain stopped by taverns, asking strangers about the location. And every single one of them pointed to the capital of Altas.

Since he traveled by foot and stopped by towns that were on his path, the entire journey took about four days. This didn't affect Pain as he would find out he didn't need to eat or rest. And at last, standing over a large rock formation, was the enormous capital of Altas. It was a gorgeous view from the mountain tops; there were many tall skyscrapers that put Amegakure's to shame, thousands upon thousands of specks of light covered the city as well as the snowfall that powdered the city with whiteness. Standing tall and prominent was a futuristic-looking wall that separated the city from the outside nature.

But now wasn't the time to admire the beauty of the capital, he had work to do. The shinobi scanned the whole city to locate the Schnee Dust Company HQ; the headquarters was the second largest skyscraper in the entire city. He knows this because of the emblem that was stapled on top-right position. Taking a few minutes to examine the entire building, Pain leaped down from his spot and made his way towards the gate. He had to jump through trees to remain hidden. At the gate was a line of people entering the capital.

Rather than sneaking into a fortified city, Pain chose to go in an obvious way. He walked out from the bushes and lined up. Overall, it didn't really matter to Pain; the people of Atlas and the rest of the world will know pain soon. Once inside, Pain noted how beautiful the insides of the city were. But, he pushed those thoughts away; he had a job to do. Seeing the Schnee Dust Company a couple of blocks away, he began walking towards it; like a moth to a candle. People around him took a second to stop what they're doing and stare at the strange man walking down the sidewalk. Humans and Faunus alike avoid the orange-hair man, like if he was an infectious disease.

It didn't take long for him to stand before the Schnee Dust Company Headquarters. Tilting his head up, Pain was amazed how tall this building was. Maybe even taller than his tower in the Hidden Rain Village. There were many people dressed in suits who have entered the building; some of them wore the emblem of Schnee Dust Company. After examining the massive skyscraper, Pain walked up the concrete steps and entered the Dust Company building. Upon entry, he was hit with a blast of warm air. It felt refreshing to the shinobi. But, there was no time to idle by. He scanned the room for someone he could ask his question. The young lady behind the main desk caught his attention.

Pain walked casually towards the main desk, ignoring the glares and stares from the people around him. Arriving at the desk, the lady behind the counter was busy typing away something on her screen to notice the shinobi. When she reached for her cup did she noticed the man in front of her. The receptionist was startled by his facial appearance. It took her a few seconds to calm herself before asking him.

"H-hello, welcome to Schnee Dust Company HQ: The Finest Of Them All. How may I assist you?"

"Hello." It's been a while since Pain used his commanding tone, "To who is the current leader of this company?"

Despite his dominant tone, the receptionist spoke in her practiced, professional voice. "Are you referring to William Schnee the 2nd, the C.E.O. of Schnee Dust Company?"

"Is that his name then?" He asked as the lady nodded, "Where is he?"

"Do you have an existing appointment with you?" Unannounced to the shinobi, the woman secretly pressed the silent alarm from underneath her desk. "The C.E.O. is on a tight schedule right now and can't be bother-"

"Is he in this building?" Pain rudely cut her off.

"Yes, but don't even bother about meeting him." The receptionist threatened him. "I've already contacted the police department. They'll be here in a few minute to escort your sorry ass off our premises."

Pain could see the 'confidence' flaring in her eyes; to think she or the police could pose a threat against him. He turned around and headed towards the door, knowing very well that armed forces are waiting for him to come out from the building. How inaccurate his assumption was. Only two police officers arrived on the scene and they weren't even ready. They just got out from the metallic black and white carrier that was foreign to the shinobi. One was around his age and the other looked like he was recently recruited.

"Is this the best they could do?" Pain pondered; he had thought they would send an entire force at him.

"That's him, officers!" the voice of the receptionist followed him outside, "That's the man who's about to attempt murder on the C.E.O. of Schnee Dust Company! Arrest him!"

"Such idiotic creatures." He noted their arrogance. Pain turned to face the older police officer who was walking up the concrete steps. "Go away. I have work that must be done."

But the police officer laughed off his threat. "Yeah, yeah. And I have work too. It's taking you in for causing a disturbance." What a fool he was.

When the officer dug his hand into his belt pouch and pulled out a handcuff, Pain raised his right hand up and rolled his middle finger behind his thumb. And with a flick of a finger, the officer was sent flying towards the metal carrier he and his partner arrived in. Upon impact, the four-wheeled carrier almost tipped over but fell flat on all four wheels. The impact created a huge crater on the side of the carrier where the older officer crashed into. His partner and the receptionist watched in horror as the older police officer fell flat on the pavement, blood leaking from his head and onto the cold concrete; there was even blood on the carrier. There was no denying it, he was dead.

"You bastard!" The receptionist screamed in terror as the younger officer pulled out his weapon. But before he could even fire his weapon, Pain lowered his hand and stared at the younger officer. Suddenly, the police officer found it difficult to pull the trigger; like he couldn't move his arms or legs or any body parts in that matter. He was somehow frozen by the strange man who had just killed his partner with the flick of a finger. The officer watched his own body levitate from the ground and floating in the air. Like a child with a ragdoll, the officer's body flew towards Pain. The shinobi simply step to the side at the last second, causing the police officer to crash through the build's glass panel.

With those two nuisances out of the way, Pain glanced over his shoulder to see the receptionist fled back into the building in terror; the businessmen as well as the bystanders panicked and fled away from the shinobi. Turning his attention to the building itself, he took a deep breath as the shinobi channeled chakra below his feet to levitate himself. About five hundred feet in the air and people began pulling out their mobile devices and recorded this impossible feat. Since Pain was a sensory type ninja and the windows weren't transparent, he used his sensory abilities to locate this C.E.O. of Schnee Dust Company.

Within minutes, he quickly found the location; this William person was in the section of the highest floor that faced south of the city. Pain could sense his aura signature as well as three other people in the same room. He floated himself a tad higher to reach the highest floor. With plentiful chakra reserves, the shinobi used a small fraction of his power to shatter the mirror-like window that separated him and the C.E.O. of Schnee Dust Company.

Life was as smooth as it gets for the president of Schnee Dust Company. With those stubborn villagers from Kaban Town out of the way, another dust mine is claimed by him without any restrictions. And to add the cherry on top, the mercenaries he had sent to exterminate the villagers all went missing. Which meant he didn't have to pay a single dime on them; he essentially got the dust mine for free. As of now? He's busy with paperwork while his son and his granddaughters drop by for a visit. Again, life couldn't get any better. Oh, how wrong his was.

The massive window that faced most of the city shattered spontaneously. This sudden shattering caused his two granddaughters to scream loudly, followed by his son trying to calm them down. Natural sunlight and the cold bitter air illuminated the entire room as a silhouette of a man appeared before them. This shadowy figure stepped into the room, revealing to be a man dressed in a black cloak with red clouds. The president, his son, and his two granddaughters stopped what they're doing and just stared in awe.

A few seconds passed and the businessman was the first to speak, "What the hell?! Who are you?!"

The man dressed in a black cloak menacingly approached the old man while ignoring his question. "It doesn't matter who I am. I am here to bring justice and retribution to the man who had ordered the massacre of Kaban Town."

The president's face paled white after hearing the town's name. "What about that town? I have no knowledge related to any of it." He nervously deluded.

"Please, you lie with unconcealable conviction." The stranger spoke in a monotonous voice, not fooled by a simple lie. "We both know you paid those monsters to slaughter every villager living in Kaban Town."

Just then, the elevator door opened, revealing the president of Schnee Dust Company's assistant. "Sir, there is- aarrgh!"

The assistant was yanked by an invisible force from the elevator and into the hands of the man in the black cloak. Like literally his hand was around his neck.

"This was the same man who arrived at Kaban Town prior to the massacre." The stranger slammed the assistant's head on the desk, frightening the president's son and granddaughter. "You sent him there, didn't you?"

The nervous man quickly nodded, "Hmmpf, what a piece of human filth you are." The stranger threw the assistant out the broken window, falling to his death. The two granddaughters began to cry after hearing a man's screaming as he falls to his death.

"You have more blood on your hands than the Grimm could ever dream of." The stranger's tone slowly began being darker, "You did all of this because of your selfish greed. Because the villagers didn't give you what you wanted."

Nicholas Schnee was slowly becoming terrified by the minute. His son backed away from the man in the black cloak as he stood in front of the girls, protecting them from the horrors that will process next.

"W-wait a minute. Maybe we can strike some sort of deal." Nicholas Schnee made a last-ditch effort to save his skin, masking his fear with his business attitude.

However, this would prove to be ineffective as the stranger frowned upon his offer. "I am not persuaded by your shady 'deals'."

The man in the black cloak grabbed him by his throat, lifting the man into the air, and began to choke him. From between each choke of air, the president asked. "Who are you?!"

"I am a god who will bring about peace into this world. A god who will deliver justice to those who have sinned. A god who will lead Remnant to stability. To understand me, you must feel pain, contemplate pain, accept pain, know pain, for my name is Pain!"

Pain began to tighten his grip, causing the struggling, C.E.O. to suffocate. His son watched in horror as his two daughters buried themselves in their arms, unable to watch their grandfather's death.

"With your last dying breath, I will begin my mission. To make this world know true pain!" Pain gripped the man's neck until a bloodcurdling crack was heard. With that, The late president of Schnee Dust Company dropped death before his son's eyes. The 'god' gazed his purple eyes onto the father and his daughters who were crying uncontrollably at this point.

"You." Pain pulled a sharp black spear from his cloak, scaring the children ever more. "Are you this man's successor?"

The young man glared at the man, even though the 'god' could see right through him that he was very scared after witnessing his father's death. His eyes, however, weren't screaming vengeance, but rather calm valiant.

It took him a few seconds to compose himself, "Y-yes, I am Jacques Schnee. His son-in-law."

"And the girls?" Pain looked down at two terrified girls who were holding each other, with snot clogging their nose canals.

"They are my daughters. Winter Schnee and Weiss Schnee," he answered. "Do whatever you want, just don't hurt my daughters." Pain could see agony and passion in Jacques's eyes as he held his arms apart from each other, shielding the girls.

Pain could see agony and passion coming in Jacques's eyes as he held his arms apart from each other, shielding and protecting his two daughters. Pain only stared silently at him for a brief moment before turning to pick up the elder Schnee.

"I will spare you and your offsprings because you aren't like your father. You care about the ones you love. But betray yourself, and I will come back for you." He warned the newly C.E.O. before jumping through the broken window.

As a ninja, he landed without suffering from any injuries on one of the smaller buildings below. He began dashing across rooftops until he arrived at the center of the crowded city. Pain leaped from the rooftops and landed in the middle of the streets. Drivers were quick to hit the brakes as bystanders began taking pictures of him with a dead body before realizing that it was the president of the Schnee Dust Company. It was when Pain started his first speech to Remnant.

"This is a message to the people of Altas and to the rest of the world! This world is rotting from its own hatred. Human nature pursues strife. Strife pursues hatred. And your hatred for other has blinded you; failing to recognize it was hate that created the Grimm."

As Pain continued his speech, more and more people began recording his speech on their scrolls. "However, I am here with an only solution to this problem. Pain. Pain is the only way to bring about peace to this hate-filled world. We must eliminate those who have caused this world to rot from the inside. No one is safe from my justice."

He then threw the body to the floor, causing some people scream. "Even your most wealthy and powerful are not safe from justice. Engrave my words into your thoughts. So long as there is hate, there will be pain. Hatred breeds more pain and when you finally learn true pain, you will have peace. Follow the path of your new god and you will achieve peace."

Pain faced the wall that divided the city and the Grimms. He lifted and pointed his palm.

"Shinra Tensei!"

A powerful force of chakra ripped and tore apart anything in its way until it reached the wall where it completely obliterated it. With a huge gap in the wall and the shock of its destruction, the Grimm saw this as an opportunity to attack as they began flooding the capital. Attracted by the negative emotions, the dark beasts began ripping apart human and faunus. Pain leaped from the streets to an undamaged part of the wall, watching the capital of Altas slowly crumble. From there, Pain noticed the airships scrambling all over the skies. Bringing down his hands, the 'god' released a powerful Banshō Ten'in that caused everything in the air to come crashing down onto the capital; regardless if it's Grimm or not. The airships crashed into skyscrapers and other buildings, chaining a mass explosions.

Pain took one last look before disappearing into the snowy forest.

Later that evening.

"Breaking news! The capital of Atlas has been under siege by the forces of Grimm!" Lisa Lavender broadcast live to the citizens of Vale, "How could this have happened? Weren't the walls indestructible? Those were a few questions from our viewers. To answer those questions, we have live footage of the destruction of the walls."

The video cuts to the center of the capital where a man known as Pain stood in front of heavy traffic. "The man standing on the street calls himself 'Pain'. It is unconfirmed whenever or not his name is actually Pain, but the man dubs himself as a god."

The audio of the video begins to play, recording Pain's entire speech. "...so long as there is hate, there will be pain. Hatred breeds more pain and when you finally learn true pain, you will have peace."

"Hang on, I'm receiving a message from our prime minister." The news reporter pressed two fingers against the speaker in her ear, "Ladies and gentlemen, a hundred thousand lien warrant had been placed on Pain. Their message is the immediate capture of Pain, alive. Pain, if you're watching this, let Oum be merciful on your soul. This is Lisa Lavender, signing off."

Twelve years later.

Council Summit, ?.

"Twelve years," The Atlas prime minister announced, "Twelve years since this monster had almost brought my capital down to its knees. Twelve long hard years, and yet, why do we let this monster continue wreaking havoc throughout Remnant! No one can stop him or learn anything from him! It's just one man, so how do we keep failing to stop him?!"

Ever since his announcement to Remnant and the near destruction of the capital of Atlas, Pain has gone into hiding, popping up from time to time. When he does pop up, the 'god' obliterates an entire city into ashes.

"Please mister prime minister, calm down." An Atlas councilman warned his prime minister about his blood pressure.

Every four years, leaders from all over the four kingdoms come together for a council summit. There have been three in total; three because that's how many times Pain has destroyed a city.

"Everyone in the council, as well as leaders from other major settlements and cities, want this man dead. But unfortunately, we lack any resources or hunters to combat this global menace. Nor are we able to seek and locate Pain."

"And why is that?" The Atlas prime minister demanded.

"Because he's right, prime minister." A middle-aged man with gray hair growing from his sides answered his impatient prime minister. "As much as I hate to admit it, but we don't stand much of a chance against this international threat. We sent various scout parties to last known coordinates and they all turned up empty handed. This 'Pain' person is very elusive, keeping himself hidden in the shadows. Like if he was dropped from the face of Remnant; I wished it to be true."

"The only time he reveals himself is when he destroys a city or visits a lost temple even we haven't uncovered yet." James Ironwood: 'General of the entire Atlas Military' continued. "And even if we do have a lead on him, he simply decimates everything we throw at him. Knights, Paladins, Commando Units, Special Operatives Units, veteran hunters and huntresses who have more than a thousand confirmed kills. Hell, we even sent an entire air fleet at him and he just obliterates them like if it was nothing!"

The general took in a deep breath after explaining why it was impossible to capture Pain, "Most of my men are starting to believe that he is an incarnation of a god. And I'm beginning to believe them too."

"Speaking of gods, I have something to bring up to the table." The Vacuo prime minister asserted his voice into the discussion, "A somewhat vital discovery if I say so myself. There are reports coming from all over the four kingdoms; all of them involving a cult that have worship this 'Pain' as a deity. They call themselves as the 'Order of Pain'."

"I, myself, have doubted that these insignificant organizations would have caused such a problem." he shook his head, rubbing his temple. "However, its growing members have started to double in membership at a substantial rate. And from our most recent data, we believe that within an entire year, that cult's members will be equal to that of the infamous faunus terrorist group, White Fang."

Some councilmen gaped after a simple glance at the numbers began muttering amongst themselves. Soon, the entire room was engulfed with noisy mutterings.

"Order, order!" The room slowly fell into silence as it was the Vale prime minister's turn to speak, "If I may, I completely agree with Atlas on this matter. We need to focus all of our attention on Pain. We can't just sit here, going on about petty squabbles when there's someone even more dangerous than the Grimm. I propose-"

The sounds of gunshots silenced the Vale prime minister as the entire room glanced at the doors. Sounds of gunfire, screaming, and explosions slipped into the room, causing everyone to be edgy. It lasted for a few minutes before the sounds slowly died off one by one. The soldiers in the council room pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the doors; only silence swept the room. The soldier waited, everyone waited for the doors to open; all of them secretly terrified.

One second, nothing.

Two seconds, nothing.

Three-

The doors swung wide opened as the soldiers began firing their automatic rifles at the door. Sounds of gunshots echoed the entire room; soldiers, who have ran out of ammo, threw aside their rifles and began firing dust rounds from their pistols and handguns. When the last soldier ran out of his magazine, everyone waited nervously to see who it is. Then multiple black rods returned fire, piercing all the soldier's bodies who were in the door's pathway. Seeing how all of his men are dead, General Ironwood reached into his jacket, ready to pull out his personal handgun.

The sounds of footsteps echoed the silent room. Everyone knew who it was. The self-proclaimed 'God' known as Pain has entered the council room. And with him were five addition people who somewhat resembled him; same black cloak with red clouds, same orange hair color, even same eyes. The light purple eyes with ripple-pattern over the eye. When the six Pains entered the room, General Ironwood quickly pulled out his handgun. But before he even could pull the trigger, his handgun was yanked from his hands and flew into Pain's possession. He tossed it on the ground afterward.

"I do not come as your enemy." his emotionless voice echoed throughout the room. "I come to speak with the leader's of Remnant."

"Why the hell should we believe you?!" a bitter, harsh-toned Atlas councilman questioned him. Only for Pain to merely glared daggers at him, causing the Atlas prime minister to petrify on sight.

"You don't," He answered the terrified councilman, "And if I wanted to kill everyone here, I would have obliterated the council summit instead of stepping foot here. But that goes against what I stand for."

"But enough digressing, let's discuss why I have come here." Pain turned his attention to the council while the other five Pains stand before each prime minister, "It's been more than a decade since the near destruction of the capital of Atlas. Twelve years and no one have ever thought to converse with me, asking about what I've been doing. That is why I have coming here. So I can tell you of my plans and answer any questions that you may have for me. This way, you'll have a better understanding about me and my grand plan."

Suddenly, a flurry of roars and questions rained down on Pain, who was unable to hear one man's voice let alone another.

"Silence!" the Atlas prime minister roared, quelling the council. "I'll be the one who asked the questions."

The Atlas prime minister looked down at the shinobi, who is unfazed whatsoever.

"First, how dare you call that peace?!" His voice roared in anger, "All you did is murdered thousands if not millions and you call that justice?!"

"You've hurt so many people as they can not cope without their lost ones!" Pain listened to the Atlas prime minister drone on. "You've destroyed cities, causing everyone to live in a state of fear! You've killed my friend, who was the former head of Schnee Dust Company! And after all the horrible things you've done, you call it peace and justice!"

"Yes, I did all of those things to bring about peace and justice." The 'god' admitted, earning him the confusion of others, "However, everyone here is blinded by the truth."

He then explained his action to the council. "Yes, I've taken thousands of lives, but they weren't innocent. Every one of them was liars, traitors, corrupt politicians, thieves, crooks, and much more that infected this world."

"Your 'friend' was an example of just that; his greed for dust caused him to massacre a town." Pain continued, "I've destroyed cities that are filled with corruption and can not be redeemed. And yes, I've hurt people and made them fear me, but they must cope and learn true pain in order to gain peace."

Before the Altas prime minister could retaliate, a person who was sitting with the council spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Excuse me for intruding on this matter, but can you explain your actions." the man asked, "Simply put, when you said 'they must learn true pain in order to gain peace', what do you mean by that? We aren't experiencing a war at the moment. In fact, we are in a state of peace."

Pain glanced at the man who was asking him. He was a middle-aged man with unkempt gray hair, wearing a black suit with a noticeable dark-green scarf. He also has a cane with him.

"Yes." He acknowledged the man. "This world is not experiencing a war for the time being. However, with hatred and corruption running amuck, Remnant is far from peace. Lies and deceits spread throughout the government and its people."

"General James Ironwood: Leader of the Atlas Military. Explain this to me," he addressed to the general, "you've sent countless soldiers against me and each time, they bring in newly designed mechs. So tell me, why go to great lengths to create such destructive weapons for a time of peace?"

The general winced but kept his posture. "The creatures of Grimm are ever continuing to grow. They're constantly evolving to overwhelm our technology. So, we're creating efficient ways of counteracting with them."

The 'god; could see his point, "I see. But, what I don't understand is the reason behind creating tools such as an Aura radar or a tracking device. And from what I've gathered, Grimm lack auras."

Ironwood began incensed when Pain flat out revealed secret Atlas Military information to the council. Many council members muttered to themselves before one of the prime ministers called for order.

Pain continued when the council was silenced. "The rest of you aren't better than General Ironwood. To the prime minister of Mistral, what does D-H7-S5-039K mean to you?"

The Mistral prime minister's eyes widen to the sizes of dinner plates, "No! That's impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible." The Atlas and the Vacuo prime ministers gave confused looks at the 'more than nervous' Mistral prime minister.

"For the last decade, not only have I bring peace and justice about, but I've also been uncovering secrets and classified information from all four kingdoms. Vale, Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral; I've unearthed them all. Either if it's religion, ideology, resources, land, spite, love or just because. No matter how pathetic the reason, it's enough to start a war. Nonetheless, my ambitions are not to create conflict between kingdoms."

"So enlighten us, then. What are your intentions if you do not wish for a conflict?" Ozpin asked.

Pain turned around to the man, "Originally, my goal was to show this world true pain and to and perform such a feat, I would have to obliterate one of your major cities entirely, followed by a demise of that nation. I would then give the other nations the same power to do on themselves or on each other. The nations would either use it's power to destroy other rivals or that the pain of losing so many lives becomes too great for them and would drive this world into temporary peace. But as time passes on, the pain would fade and the nations would be at each other's throats, followed by momentary peace again. It is an endless cycle of hatred and pain."

Even Ozpin himself was shocked at Pain's extreme solution for Remnant.

The shinobi continued, "However, committing this deed would lead this world in the direction the extinction. And the fear of pain would empower the Grimms to untold levels, levels that no one can match. Not including Human's and Faunus's Will being weakened by the onslaught of Grimm. And that is why I am here, to disclose my new intentions."

"Wait a minute. Not only you're saying you have the ability to do such damage, but a willingness as well?!" James queried, unsure of himself being terrified or livid.

"Yes, and the power most of you seen was just only a small portion of my true power." This statement left everyone in the council room in shock.

"So Pain," Ozpin asked, getting a bit edgy. "what do you propose then?"

"Simple." Pain showed no emotions when he spoke, "After pondering for many years, the only way to end hatred is to create a newer, more potential hatred. Currently, the hatred between humans and faunus is the largest running source of hate in this world. The hatred of Grimm can only marvel at it, which is why I spent the last decade learning and controlling the Grimm."

"Not only am I here to explain my ambitions, but to warn you for what I'm about to do." He continued, "I already have an army of Grimm at my disposal, ready to decimate your cities. This would give the humans and faunus a reason to unite and put aside their hatred for each other."

"This is insane!" A Mistral councilman expressed his opinion on his idea.

Pain only shook his head, "No, this is your reality. I will be waiting on the Dauntless Isle. You will bring to me, four champions of your choosing. One human or one faunus so long as it's four."

With that said, Pain floated down and proceeded to leave with the other five following suit. "You are all given a year. If you fail, I will begin my march upon your cities."

But before he could leave, he was stopped by a question from a prime minister. "Before you leave, can you tell us who these five are accompanying you?"

Pain stopped at the door, before saying. "We are Pain. We are gods." And with that, all six Pains vanished in a puff of smoke.

And ends the Chapter 1. Hoped you enjoy.

1. If you guys didn't know, this is an entire remake on Chapter 1.

2. The reason I added Nagato's past was to better myself as a writer. I know it might be unnecessary, but I'm not going to change it.

3. From now on, I'm going to add quotes to every chapter.

Oh yeah, here's an Omake. Enjoy.

A week before the Summit Meeting.

Vacuo.

Father Jonathan Locke had just finished his prayers and headed toward the confession booth to begin his Confessional session. On the way, he passed by Brother Richard who was carrying a copy of the Bible.

"Good evening, Father Locke." The young man greeted his senior.

"Good evening, Brother Richard." The old man nodded, "Where are you leaving to?"

"I am off to spread the word of the Lord." Brother Richard replied, showing off his friendly smile.

"I see..." Father Locke gestured his beard, "Do know that there are people who will shut their doors on you. Even with your saint smile."

The young man nodded, "That I understand. But despite them shunning me, I will still try to spread the word to those who are willing to listen."

"Hm, let the Lord bless you on this journey then." Father Locke wished Brother Richard off, "Goodbye Brother Richard."

"And to you, Father Locke!" the young man waved goodbye, heading out from the halls and into the outside world.

Just by watching the young man venture out, it caused Father Locke to smile after being reminded of his youthful days. Heading down to the confession booth, the old priest heard the doors of the church creak open. After all, this was the huge house of the Lord after all. That and the church's doors are like giants compared to regular door, so it made sense that the old man would hear it.

But enough of that, Father Locke heeded no attention to whoever was at the door; it didn't mean he was careless. Once inside the booth, the elder priest began his prayers again, rubbing his fingers against the cross he carried around his neck. As expected, Father Locke was a quiet man, not creating a disturbance in the house of the Lord. Only the echoing sounds of a footstep were heard throughout the entire church. The priest did not question or pondered the person's reasons why they have come into the Lord's domain, after all, it would be rude and unkind of him to intrude into someone's personal life without their consent.

The echoing footsteps became louder as if the person was heading in the direction of the confession booth. Father Locke's suspensions were true as the door to the other side of the booth creaked open. Only once did the door fully closed, whenever it was gently shut or slammed, did Father Locke began his session to this soul.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The head priest recited the 'Sign of the Cross' gesture for the thousand times he has done it.

"Do not bless me, Father. For what you call sins, I call an act of virtues." The hooded man with pitch-black shades whispered in a cold yet quiet voice as if he was saddened by his troubled past.

Father Locke was somewhat surprised when the man didn't want the Lord's blessing; usually, people who have traveled to this church for a confession would want to be blessed as they were about to relay to him their sins. However, this person denied blessing for he claims that his sins were virtuous.

"This... is my first time for a confession." The reticent soul explained, his head appeared to be staring at the wooden floor under his feet. I know not how a confession is made but does it require the explanation of my sins?"

"Yes," Father Locke answered, "A confession is where a person, good or evil, comes to the house of the Lord and repents their sins to a priest. Regardless if their sins are great or small."

The hooded man took in a sigh. "But can you brave yourself for the horrors that is reality?"

"Yes." The day he placed his faith into the Lord was the day he swore to endure every form of evil and give light to those who aren't strong enough.

"I do not belong in this world of which there exist destruction and war. Hatred and racism. Pain and suffering." The mysterious man confessed, "And yet, fate has chosen me to be its avatar. I am no holy man, yet I strive for peace. True peace."

"Not this so called 'peace' as of now but," Father Locke became very concerned for the hooded man, "True. Absolute. Peace. Peace that unites nations, that ends wars, that stops violence and racism. That is true peace. And yet, when given the opportunity, mankind will always choose the later."

"Their gluttonous appetite for war and hatred have caused civilizations to fall and tyrannical empires to rise. By living in this world, humans and faunus have and will hurt others and themselves without even realizing it. So long as humanity and faunus-kind exist, hate will coexist. There is no such thing as 'peace' in this cursed world. War is just a crime that is paid by the agony of the defeated." The hooded man ended.

"I see." Father Locke finally spoke, "And I understand where you're coming from. I really do. But you're wrong about humanity and faunus-kind. They are the Lord's greatest creations because they're better than he is."

"Sure, they're weak and they cheat and steal... and destroy and sinned..." The priest admitted, "But they also give and create, and they sing and dance and love. They are the Lord's cherished creation, not because of their curiosity, but they never ever give up. Unlike you."

There was a long period of silence between the priest and this mysterious person before he spoke again. "You're right. I gave up a long time ago. It's been years since I lost faith in my world."

"That day..."

"When I lost all faith in humanity..."

"...was when I ascended into a god."

It wasn't too long before Father Locke noticed the changed in the air. The gentle breeze became a harsh storm that attacked his skin. The head priest began hyperventilating, his lungs were deprived of oxygen. The elder priest tried to stand up, but only to collapse onto the floor. He crawled towards the door, struggling to pull himself up. He started coughing as the priest was too weak to open the door. His vision became a blur as his delicate body began to shrivel up. With the last of his strength and the light fading from him, Father Locke budged against the wooden door, slamming it wide out and collapsing onto the cold concrete. Before his vision shut itself entirely, the hooded man exited the other side of the door, now fully recognizable.

Father Jonathan Locke wasn't conversing with a human-being.

He was talking to a god.