Why Didn't Pain Just Rush SM Naruto with All Six Members at the Same Time?

There are several reasons why Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, decided not to use all six Paths of Pain against Naruto during the battle in Naruto. The main strategy involved the recovery time of the Deva Path, the unique abilities of each Path, and the caution necessary when dealing with a powerful opponent like the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki.

Deva Path's Recovery Time

Firstly, the Deva Path, the primary combat body, has a significant recovery time after using its gravity manipulation techniques, such as Shinra Tensei. Pain utilized the full power of this technique to destroy Konoha. Given the intense power output from the Deva Path, it would take several minutes for the path to regain its offensive capabilities. Therefore, Pain could not rely on the Deva Path for immediate combat, necessitating a more strategic approach.

The Limitations of the Six Paths

Not all of the six Paths are equally combat-effective. The Animal Path, Preta Path, and Asura Path are very powerful for both offense and crowd control. However, the Human Path, with its soul-absorption abilities, is less suited for combat. The Naraka Path, which summoned the King of Hell and provided healing, was too risky to use in the heat of battle. This left Pain with the necessity to initially use the combat-ready bodies to protect the non-combat-effective ones.

Naruto as a Deterrent

The presence of Naruto with a squad of giant frogs was enough to make Pain cautious. Although Pain had deduced that Naruto was similar to Jiraiya, he still did not know the full extent of Naruto's abilities. This uncertainty made it difficult for Pain to predict and counter Naruto's techniques effectively. Naruto's swift and powerful attacks against the asura and animal paths, coupled with the relentless assault on the frog summons, forced Pain to be more strategic.

Pain's Strategic Occupation

Pain's strategy involved initially using the combat-ready bodies to protect the non-combat-effective ones. Once the Deva Path recovered, Pain could shift to using four combat-ready paths and launch an offensive. Naruto's rapid weakening and the openings he provided allowed Pain to begin utilizing the Deva Path early to neutralize the threat. This stalling tactic was crucial in maintaining a strategic edge over Naruto.

The Threat of the Nine-Tails

Furthermore, Pain had to consider the potential manifestation of the Nine-Tails. While it was not an absolute certainty, Pain knew that the injured Jinchuurikis often caused their tailed beasts to appear. If Pain had managed to weaken Naruto without the Deva Path's assistance, he would still face the overwhelming power of the Nine-Tails later, which could easily turn the tide against him.

Conclusion

By employing a more tactical approach, Pain was able to balance the recovery time of the Deva Path, maximize the strengths of each Path, and cautiously engage Naruto. This strategic choice ultimately proved to be the more effective tactic, as Pain managed to?stall Naruto and secure the outcome favorable for his operation.