Ryou was sent rolling dozens of meters away by Nagato's Shinra Tensei.
Even simple applications of repulsive and attractive forces from the Rinnegan are enough to leave ordinary Ninjas defenseless.
Seeing Ryou seemingly taken out by the Rinnegan, Nagato quickly helped Konan up.
"Konan, don't be afraid. I've dealt with this evil Uchiha."
Konan's face was pale, and tears still lingered in her eyes. She still found it hard to believe that the person who had just been wholeheartedly teaching her Medical Ninjutsu was actually a rogue ninja from Konoha.
The contrast in Ryou's behavior was simply too great; one moment he was a selfless man of great love, and the next, he was an inherently evil Uchiha.
Nagato felt a pang of heartache seeing Konan's pitiful state. That damn Uchiha, why did he deceive Konan? I must search his soul later.
Ryou's voice rang out, full of vigor, "Konan, it's just that I saw your body, right? What's the big deal? I can let you see mine too!"
Konan was instantly enraged. She pulled a Kunai from her tool pouch and rushed at Ryou. "You despicable Uchiha, shut up!"
Nagato was shocked. Ryou could still move after taking a direct hit from his Shinra Tensei?
Nagato's Shinra Tensei was indeed powerful; Ryou's internal organs had been knocked out of place. Any ordinary Ninja would have been incapacitated.
But Ryou was no ordinary Ninja.
After using the Chimera Technique to realign his body, he didn't even need Plunder Rebirth; he could recover just by relying on the powerful regenerative abilities of the White Zetsu cells.
As Konan was about to charge, Nagato quickly jumped in front to stop her. "Konan, you're no match for him. Don't go over there."
"But—!"
Konan wanted to say something, but she eventually backed away slowly.
Nagato was right. Looking at Ryou, it was clear he wasn't someone an ordinary Jonin could handle.
Konan retreated to Yahiko and the others' side, feeling strange. Why weren't Yahiko and the rest doing anything?
Seeing Nagato and Ryou fighting so intensely, even if they didn't join the fray, they should at least be cheering or something!
Konan turned her head to look and suddenly froze on the spot.
The members of the Akatsuki were all standing there like soulless puppets, staring at Konan in unison.
Their eyes all projected the shape of a three tomoe Sharingan.
Every member of the Akatsuki had been controlled by Ryou's Sharingan!
Even Yahiko was no exception.
As for those who hadn't been controlled, they had been knocked unconscious and stuffed into sacks by those who were.
Just as Nagato was about to charge and finish Ryou, Konan suddenly shouted, "Nagato, stop!"
Nagato was confused, but when he looked back, he was instantly shocked.
All the Akatsuki members were staring at him expressionlessly, the projection of the Sharingan in each of their eyes. They looked as if they had been drugged or bewitched.
How was this possible? Even if the Sharingan was incredibly powerful, it shouldn't be able to hypnotize so many people in the Akatsuki at once.
Nagato had heard Jiraiya's explanation of the Sharingan. The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan could cast Genjutsu without hand signs; one would be controlled by the opponent's illusion just by making eye contact.
Thus, in a one-on-one fight, if you see the Sharingan, run.
However, the Genjutsu released by the Sharingan consumed the Uchiha Clan's dōjutsu power, which was proportional to their Chakra and basic Ninja stats.
Did Ryou have that much Chakra?
Nagato turned back to glare at Ryou. "Despicable... Cowardly."
Ryou chuckled. "Nagato, a Ninja's battle is a contest of who has the lower bottom line. This is the lesson Grandpa Ryou taught you."
"Don't you dare mention that!"
Nagato couldn't take it anymore and charged forward recklessly.
This bastard Ryou was so loathsome, pretending to be an elder to make them call him 'Grandpa.' Nagato had called him that quite sincerely over the past few days.
Recalling it now was extremely humiliating.
Just as Nagato was about to rush forward, a hand suddenly emerged from the ground beneath him and grabbed his ankle.
Caught off guard, Nagato fell face-first.
"Enemy off-balance!"
The one who had tripped Nagato was Ryou's Spore Clone, which had returned from training.
Those training in Monster Strength, the Sharingan, and Fire Release had all returned, merging back into Ryou's body one by one.
Ryou's Chakra was fully restored, and he was in surprisingly good condition. He slammed a fist into the nearby rock wall.
Instantly, the rock wall collapsed, the rumbling sound echoing continuously.
Nagato stood up, dazed. A rock wall the size of a room had been shattered by a single punch from Ryou.
If that hit a person, they'd be blown to pieces.
Nagato swallowed hard. "Wh-What Ninjutsu is this?"
Ryou explained, "The secret technique of the Sannin Tsunade, Monster Strength. Well, Nagato, want to give it a try?"
Nagato gulped as he looked at the shattered rock wall. Getting hit by such monster strength would truly be fatal.
At this moment, Nagato had yet to unleash the full power of the Rinnegan. While he could deal with an average Jonin, he was still green compared to a Ninja of the Sannin's level.
This was also why Madara had sent Ryou to protect Nagato's eyes.
Konan released Yahiko from the Genjutsu's hypnosis. Once Yahiko woke up, he walked over to Nagato's side with Konan.
Yahiko shouted at Ryou, "Ryou, what exactly are you after?"
Ryou countered, "What are you after? You say I'm an undercover agent in the Akatsuki, but for what purpose?"
Right, what was Ryou after?
The Rinnegan? No.
Ryou's hand had touched Nagato's eye socket earlier; he'd had the chance to take the Rinnegan then.
The Akatsuki? Not that either.
Though the Akatsuki was the largest organization in the Land of Rain besides Amegakure, the Land of Rain was still just a small nation.
With Ryou's Medical Ninjutsu, he would certainly be highly valued in any hidden village outside of Konoha.
Yahiko thought it over and could only answer, "Konan. That's right, you came here to trick Konan and take her away."
Konan's face instantly turned bright red.
"..."
Ryou was speechless seeing Yahiko guarding against him like he was a predator, but he didn't deny it. "Fine, I'm here for Konan. Happy now?"
"Konan isn't your property. Can't I pursue her?"
"But—"
Nagato and Yahiko suddenly grew anxious.
They hadn't even had a chance yet; how could they let an outsider steal a march on them?
Konan stepped forward and shouted, "Ryou, give it up! I will absolutely never like you."
Ryou acted heartbroken. "Konan, how could you? Didn't we already see everything there was to see earlier?"
"You jerk!"
Konan rushed forward in a rage, grabbed Ryou's shoulder, and bit down.
"You naturally evil Uchiha, I'll bite you to death!"
Nagato and Yahiko wanted to pull Konan back, as the Ryou before them was too dangerous.
But seeing that Ryou wasn't doing anything harmful to Konan, they relaxed.
Although they didn't know what this Ryou was up to, it seemed he held no ill will toward the Akatsuki.
A short while later.
Ryou released all the Akatsuki members from the Genjutsu. Some of them still found it hard to believe.
The great, selfless Ryou was actually a Konoha rogue ninja? This was truly—
Ryou slapped Daibutsu. "What are you sighing for? What's wrong with being a rogue ninja? You look down on them?"
"At least I was once a registered official Ninja. What about you lot?"
Ryou pointed at the trio of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, sneering, "Those Amegakure headbands you're wearing were bought on the black market, weren't they?"
(///▽///). Yahiko and the others were instantly overwhelmed with embarrassment.
After all, Ryou was a registered official Ninja with his own specific Ninja id; he had been on the government's payroll.
Whereas the people of the Akatsuki, aside from a few who had defected from Amegakure, were no different from wandering Ninjas.