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Nagato slowly lowered his hand, his gaze shifting between Suigetsu and Jugo.
"Sasuke… sent you here? To save me?"
Nagato's eyes still held a lingering skepticism. Jugo stepped forward, his tone firm.
"After the One-Tail hunt ended, Sasuke ambushed us at the Akatsuki's Land of Wind hideout and brought us back. We originally served Orochimaru. We were only forced to join the Akatsuki after being captured in Deidara's attack."
Nagato fell silent, deep in thought.
"If we weren't here to save you," Suigetsu cut in, his point sharp and direct, "I could've lopped your head off while you were stuffing your face with that octopus tentacle."
Nagato had no reason to doubt them now. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "The one I trusted… betrayed me. The one I once wanted to kill… tried to save me. Tried to redeem me with actual, concrete action."
At the end of the Sixth Battle, Sasuke had revealed 'Madara's' true identity—and the truth of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Nagato's conviction had already begun to crack then. Obito's sudden betrayal, a month of starvation and cold in this timeless void… it had shattered the last of his illusions.
His entire life, he'd been a pawn.
As a child, 'Madara' had implanted these Rinnegan—eyes that were never his. After Madara's 'death', Obito had fed him beautiful lies, steering him step by step away from his original path.
For over a decade, he had warped the Akatsuki that Yahiko founded for peace into a terrorist organization the entire shinobi world feared.
The weight of his sins was crushing. If not for Sasuke Uchiha, Nagato would have died still trapped in that lie.
Nagato clenched his fist. "What is the Akatsuki's status now?"
Jugo answered, "The Akatsuki has located the Eight-Tails. Obito—no, Uchiha Obito—has already headed there. He will release us outside soon to participate in the hunt."
Nagato's eyes darkened. "I see. Is there anything I can do?"
Jugo nodded. "We have another purpose in returning to Obito's side. To retrieve the eyes of Sasuke's father, Fugaku Uchiha. Sasuke needs them, but time is against us. We likely cannot accomplish this ourselves."
Nagato looked up. "Those eyes… are they in this space as well?"
Jugo covered his left eye slightly. "Yes. When Obito granted Suigetsu and me these Sharingan, he took us to the location. It seems to be a separate compartment within this dimension. Besides the pair labeled 'Izumi', it also stores many other eyes collected on the night of the Uchiha massacre. Each set is marked with a name. Nagato, as repayment for saving your life… can you complete this task for us?"
A genuine smile touched Nagato's lips. "Do not speak of repayment. Sasuke is not only my savior, he is the one who helped me find myself again. If he needs this, I will move heaven and earth to get it done. The question is… once I find Fugaku's eyes, how do I leave this space? How do I deliver them?"
Suigetsu grinned. "Orochimaru already has a plan. It's… a little reckless. Honestly, I don't fully get it either. I'll just give you his exact words. 'This man's space-time ability actually works like this…'"
Nagato listened intently, processing the information. He gave a slow, understanding nod. "I see…"
"Then, first, I must locate that vault."
Nagato's Rinnegan glowed. His long hair stirred without wind.
—Asura Path: Mirror Drones!
Click-clack-click!
The musculature of his back reconfigured into mechanized armor. Dozens of miniature drones, each fitted with a mechanical Rinnegan, launched into the air. They scattered in all directions, beginning a systematic sweep of the entire void.
Suigetsu watched, fascinated. "What did you just do?"
Nagato closed his eyes, pressing two fingers to his forehead. "I theorize the vault Obito uses for the eyes cannot be in plain sight. Therefore, there must be a 'hidden door' within this space that leads directly to it."
"The area surrounding a hidden door would have distinct structural signatures. I am using the Asura Path's Mirror Drones to scan the entire dimension. They feed visual data back to me, and I will analyze it to pinpoint the door's location."
Click! Three minutes later.
"Found it… But the distance is considerable."
Jugo frowned. "Your legs… are they functional? Should we carry you?"
"No need," Nagato said. "Prepare yourselves to be released into the outside world. Do not arouse suspicion."
—Asura Path: Rocket Thrusters!
KACHUNK! The armor on his back reshaped again, morphing into a sleek, dart-like configuration. Vertical jets of flame erupted.
WHOOSH!
Nagato shot into the air. He gripped the control handles that extended to his waist and blasted forward, a streak of fire speeding toward the distant coordinates of the hidden door.
Suigetsu stared at the receding figure. "Hey, Jugo. That dart-thing on his back… looks a bit like your Cursed Seal transformation. Can you fly like that?"
Jugo shook his head. "I can propel myself skyward in an instant. But maintaining stable levitation and precise maneuvering? The chakra control and sheer volume required… it's on a completely different level. To be honest, that man is in a league of his own. Sasuke is strong now, incredibly strong. But I do not think he is stronger than Nagato as he is right now."
…
On a desolate island in the outer seas of the shinobi world!
Killer B watched as Kisame Hoshigaki materialized once more before him. He immediately broke into a rhythmic dance, improvising a rap.
"Yo! Yo! YEAH~! Shark crossin' the sea~! Workin' so hard, no time for tea~! Model employee~! But death is comin', can't you see~? Cicadas cry? NO, NO~! It's the deep blue weepin' for thee~!"
CRASH!
Waves pounded the jagged rocks. Amid the roar of the tide, Kisame advanced, his expression cold as he slid the massive Samehada from his shoulder.
"Octopus-brat. You're as annoyingly noisy as ever. This time… I'll shut that mouth of yours for good."
Killer B didn't miss a beat, his rap flowing seamlessly with his movements. "Shark is roarin'? NO~! Shark is… adorin'~! Yo! Yo! The man, the myth, Eight-Tails Killer B! Free at last, no chains to hold me back! Feelin' generous today~! Gonna send your ass into early retirement~! YO! YO!"
Whoosh.
Out on the undulating sea, Obito watched the two figures on the shore from behind his mask.
Whoosh.
From his right eye, he released Suigetsu and Jugo onto the water's surface. His voice was a cold whisper. "Go. Use everything you have. Assist Kisame. Beat that bouncing fool into the ground until he can't get back up."
Suigetsu swallowed. "Lord Obito… you're not joining?"
Obito's single visible eye narrowed. "If I join… someone will die. The jinchuriki must be taken alive."
"…Right. The Eight-Tails. Even in that dream… it was a nightmare."
With shared apprehension, Suigetsu and Jugo strode across the waves, taking up positions on Kisame's left and right.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Flames ignited on the fingertips of Obito's right hand. He slammed his palm onto the surface of the sea.
—Uchiha Flame Formation!
BOOM!!
A barrier of dark crimson fire erupted, sealing the entire island in a dome of searing heat.
Obito settled back to observe.
—"Let the caged beast's final struggle begin."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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