"Temari, what's wrong?"
"If you're not feeling well, go back. Don't get in the way here."
In the original course of events, Naruto Uzumaki had never punched friendship into Gaara's face. But now, the Fantasy Nation had already unified the shinobi world, and Rasa had completely cleared up the misunderstanding between himself and Gaara.
Because of that, Gaara had changed.
He was still awkward and sharp-tongued, but now there was a trace of clumsy concern in his words. He was clearly worried about Temari, yet his tone remained harsh.
"I… I'm fine."
Temari pressed down the unease rising in her chest.
She didn't know what was happening.
For some reason, she felt as if someone had betrayed her.
Impossible.
Gaara and Kankurō were both here.
Then who could make her heart beat this fast?
After thinking about it for a long while and still finding no answer, Temari could only suppress the doubt in her heart and continue her training.
Because the Akatsuki often sent powerful shinobi revived through the Impure World Reincarnation to harass each village, the Fantasy Nation had assigned several strong fighters to every shinobi village in order to ensure their safety.
On the Iwagakure side, Nagato Uzumaki and Konan were stationed there.
Nagato possessed the Rinnegan. Even if those eyes did not originally belong to him, he could still display strength beyond the level of an ordinary Kage.
Together with Konan's Kage-level support and the strength of Iwagakure's own shinobi, they had already repelled Akatsuki's attacks several times.
After all, one of the Rinnegan's fundamental abilities was an incredibly powerful sealing technique—
Chibaku Tensei.
Against those revived by the Impure World Reincarnation, Nagato could still hold a clear advantage.
"Nagato… I don't know why, but Akatsuki has been too quiet lately."
Inside a room, Konan looked at the red-haired young man before her with worry in her eyes.
"Something must have happened."
Today's Nagato Uzumaki was no longer the skeletal figure he had once been.
After recovering under Namikaze Kirito's help, his body had returned to normal. Not only that, the powerful vitality of the Uzumaki clan had finally begun to show itself.
Even without the Rinnegan, his combat strength would likely still reach Kage level.
Seeing the concern on Konan's face, Nagato spoke calmly.
"Don't worry, Konan. The leader has already returned. Akatsuki is probably keeping quiet because of that."
"I hope so."
Konan's expression remained heavy.
Nagato looked at her for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
A stiff, awkward smile appeared on his face.
It was not that he did not want to smile properly.
He simply had not smiled like this in far too long.
"Konan."
"What?"
"What exactly is going on between you and the leader?"
"What?!"
Konan's composure instantly cracked.
"Nagato, what are you talking about? What do you mean, me and the leader? I don't know what you're trying to say."
The moment Namikaze Kirito was mentioned, Konan became visibly flustered.
A faint blush also appeared on her pale face.
"A lot of people in the village saw you walking through the streets with him."
Nagato's voice was calm, but there was a rare warmth in it.
"They said you were smiling. Like you used to when we were children."
He looked at her gently.
"I'm happy for you, Konan."
"Shut up…"
Konan turned her face away.
"Shut up. I only happened to meet him that day. We… we don't have that kind of relationship."
The more she tried to explain, the worse it sounded.
At this point, her reaction was no different from admitting it.
Seeing the relieved expression on Nagato's face, Konan felt both embarrassed and annoyed.
She herself did not understand what she felt toward Namikaze Kirito.
But every time she saw him, her heart would beat faster before she could stop it.
Was it affection?
Did she really like the leader?
Was this what it felt like to fall for someone?
"Konan, you…"
"Nagato."
Before Nagato could continue teasing her, Konan cut him off coldly.
"Has anyone ever told you that your smile is terrifying?"
Nagato fell silent.
Bang, bang, bang!
While the two were speaking, a knock suddenly came from the door.
A shinobi walked in.
"Nagato-sama, Konan-sama. People from Akatsuki have appeared."
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed.
Nagato and Konan's expressions turned serious.
As expected, that organization would not stay quiet forever.
They had only just mentioned that Akatsuki had been silent for two days, and now someone had already come.
Just as the two were about to leave, Nagato suddenly stopped.
"Konan."
"Hm?"
"You go ahead and check the situation first. I'll follow soon."
Konan did not suspect anything.
"Alright. I'll go first."
Two paper wings unfolded behind her, and she flew into the sky.
The shinobi who had come to report also left.
Only Nagato remained in the room.
After closing the door, the warmth on his face gradually faded.
His gaze became cold.
"Obito."
Nagato's voice was quiet.
"It seems you really have gotten used to living like a rat."
"Always hiding in the dark."
A spiral distortion suddenly appeared in the air.
Space twisted.
Then, two figures stepped out.
One was Uchiha Obito, wearing his mask.
The other was Uchiha Madara, revived through the Impure World Reincarnation.
The moment he appeared, Madara looked at Nagato with interest.
"Nagato."
His voice was calm, carrying the weight of another era.
"You've grown."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But what you owe me… it's time to return it."
"Uchiha Madara…"
Nagato stared at the legendary man from the Warring States Period with complicated eyes.
He had already seen the reports.
Madara had appeared in the capital of the Fantasy Nation.
He had been repelled by the leader.
Yet he had still managed to appear here in Iwagakure without making a sound.
It was this man who had placed the Rinnegan in him.
It was also because of that man's scheme that Nagato had once walked down such a dark path.
Through Namikaze Kirito, Nagato had already learned the truth.
Yahiko's death.
The Eye of the Moon Plan.
Everything.
"Nagato."
Obito's voice came from behind the mask, carrying a faint trace of mockery.
"It's been a long time."
He glanced toward the direction Konan had flown off in.
"You sent Konan away to protect her, didn't you? You really haven't changed. Deep down, you're still soft."
His tone became colder.
"The man who once called himself a god has become so human now?"
Facing Obito's ridicule, Nagato did not show the slightest anger.
Instead, he looked at Obito with a faint, mocking gaze.
"The leader told me something before."
Obito's eye narrowed beneath the mask.
Nagato continued calmly.
"The girl you were willing to give your life to protect… has completely fallen in love with him."
The air in the room froze.
Nagato's voice remained quiet, but every word struck directly at Obito.
"So tell me, Uchiha Obito. What exactly are you doing by appearing here?"
"Still wearing Madara's name?"
"Still pretending to be some mysterious mastermind?"
His eyes hardened.
"In the end, what have you actually gained?"
"Nothing."
Obito said nothing for a moment.
Then his chakra surged violently.
"Nagato…"
His voice was low and dangerous.
"It's been a long time since we met."
The space around him distorted faintly.
"And you've become quite good at running your mouth."
Madara watched the confrontation between them with a faint smile, showing no intention of interrupting.
To him, this was nothing more than a brief sideshow before the real matter began.
Then Madara moved.
In the next instant, he appeared before Nagato.
A purple light flashed.
Nagato's body was immediately restrained.
Obito activated Kamui at the same time.
The figures of the three vanished from the room.
A moment later, in a desert near Iwagakure, a transparent spiral slowly opened in the air.
Obito and Madara appeared with the restrained Nagato.
Madara looked at Nagato.
A cold, arrogant smile appeared on his face.
"Now then…"
"Let me see how much power you managed to draw out from my eyes after borrowing them for all these years."
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