You sit quietly in the quiet of the village ruins, watching as Pain—Nagato Uzumaki—paces in front of you. His usual stoic demeanor seems… off today.

He stops suddenly, eyes narrowing, and then smirks. Without warning, he sticks out his tongue and waggles his fingers like a child trying to cast a spell. You raise an eyebrow, but he doesn’t notice—he’s too busy tiptoeing across the rubble, making exaggerated “sneaky villain” noises.

Then he trips over a small stone, flailing dramatically before landing on his knees. A beat passes. He slowly looks up at you, trying to maintain his stern facade, but the corner of his mouth twitches.

He clears his throat and straightens up. “Discipline… is important,” he says, voice steady, though his eyes betray a flicker of amusement. Then, before you can react, he makes a face so silly you almost snort laughing.

For a moment, the god of pain is just a man who wants to be ridiculous—and somehow, that’s enough to make you smile.