As Gento approached, Konan immediately sensed movement behind her.
She turned around, her gaze landing on "Sosuke," her brows slightly furrowing:
"Sosuke? Weren't you outside on a mission? Why did you suddenly come back?"
Gento suppressed the fluctuation in his heart. As he quickly walked toward her, he respectfully lowered his head:
"Reporting to Angel-sama, I have discovered important intelligence regarding Hanzo and must personally return to report it to you."
As he spoke, he shortened the distance between them.
Just a little closer… a little closer, and he could use Kotoamatsukami to control her!
At that point, no matter what command he gave, she would obey!
Konan nodded slightly:
"What intelligence?"
Gento was just about to speak.
Suddenly, Konan raised her right hand and violently waved it!
Countless sheets of paper shot out from her sleeve, raining down toward Gento like a storm!
He's been caught!
Gento's pupils shrank as his body instinctively rolled to the side.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosive tags hidden among the paper detonated one after another, flames erupting within the narrow cell.
Fragments of stone scattered, and smoke filled the air.
Gento narrowly avoided the wave of attacks, but the spot where he had been standing was now covered with countless sharp paper fragments.
The stone walls were embedded with paper, riddled with cracks.
The explosions echoed through the corridors, alerting the entire base.
"What's going on?"
"Where did that explosion come from?!"
"Enemy attack! Someone is attacking Angel-sama!"
Urgent footsteps came rushing from all directions.
Gento's expression darkened.
He rose from the smoke and looked at Konan:
"How did you figure it out?"
Konan did not answer.
Her hands rapidly formed seals, and her figure flickered.
When the smoke cleared, four identical Konans stood in place.
Gento's eyes sharpened.
No time to think; he had to subdue her before reinforcements arrived!
"Yin Release: Mind Rift Gate!"
His Sharingan spun rapidly as genjutsu energy shot toward one of the Konans.
That Konan instantly turned into scattered sheets of paper, drifting down.
A paper clone!
At the same time, the other three Konans raised their hands, countless paper shuriken shooting toward Gento, nearly sealing off all his paths of escape!
Gento stomped hard with both legs and instead lunged toward Konan!
Just as the paper shuriken were about to strike him–
"Susanoo!"
A massive yellow giant instantly enveloped him.
It was Gento's second-stage Susanoo!
The paper shuriken struck the Susanoo and were all deflected, scattering across the ground.
Gento's forward momentum did not slow in the slightest.
The yellow giant extended both hands and suddenly clenched, grabbing two of the Konans in its grasp.
"Yomotsu!"
The giant and the two Konans in its hands vanished instantly.
Gento's idea was simple:
Since Konan did not use space-time ninjutsu, he would drag her into the Yomotsu space.
If one of these two Konans was the real body, then she would be at his mercy!
Inside the Yomotsu space.
Gento looked down–both Konans in his hands turned into paper, drifting down slowly.
Paper clones again!
Outside, the remaining Konan saw Gento disappear, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.
But she reacted fast, immediately turning toward the four bound Konoha ninja!
"Since you want to save your companions…"
Her voice was cold:
"Then let you Konoha's great village ninja experience the pain of losing comrades as well!"
Just as she was about to touch Shinku–
The space behind her suddenly rippled.
Gento's figure appeared out of thin air!
"Got your real body!"
He swung his right hand sharply, and the five iron rings on his fingers shot out, rapidly enlarging in midair as they flew toward Konan's limbs and neck.
The Fivefold Yin Control Rings!
Caught off guard, Konan had no time to evade.
The five rings precisely locked onto her neck and limbs, tightening in a blink!
"Ugh!"
Konan let out a muffled grunt as she lost her balance and crashed heavily onto the ground.
She struggled to stand, only to find the more she resisted, the tighter the rings constricted, locking her joints and leaving her unable to move.
"Damn it… what is this thing?!"
She raised her head, and for the first time, a trace of panic flashed across her usually calm face.
…
At the same time as Gento and Konan were locked in fierce battle, in Konoha–
The night was deep, the moon hidden behind clouds, the entire village shrouded in darkness.
A dim light glowed from the Hokage's office window, standing out in the still night.
The door was suddenly pushed open.
Danzo walked in with his cane, no one following behind him.
Hiruzen sat behind the desk, holding a pipe, several documents spread out before him.
Hearing the sound, he lifted his head, his gaze falling on Danzo, his brows slightly furrowing.
"It's so late. What are you here for?"
There was a hint of vigilance in his voice.
Danzo did not answer immediately.
He walked over on his own, pulled out a chair, and slowly sat down across from Hiruzen, leaning his cane against the desk.
"How is the matter regarding the Uchiha going?"
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, smoke slowly rising under the light:
"You've already brought this up. Gento Uchiha is getting too close to the Jinchuriki. I remember."
Danzo shook his head, a cold smile forming at the corner of his lips:
"It's more than that."
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice:
"Recently, Gento Uchiha bought a property for Kushina, had her move in with the child, and arranged for Naruto Uzumaki to attend the Uchiha's Ninja Academy."
"That house is very close to the Uchiha's Academy. Quite convenient."
Hiruzen's expression shifted slightly.
He suddenly recalled the day Kushina was discharged, when he told her that Minato's assets had all been used for village reconstruction… and Gento's sharp words and cold gaze.
Something about this wasn't right.
Danzo observed the change in Hiruzen's expression and continued:
"That's right. I suspect Gento Uchiha's feelings toward Kushina have far exceeded that of ordinary friendship."
Hiruzen remained silent for a moment, removing the pipe from his mouth:
"Even so, what does that have to do with dealing with the Uchiha?"
Danzo leaned in further, his voice dropping even lower:
"I originally planned to use a meeting as an excuse. When Gento arrives, we would control him directly during the meeting. But…"
He paused.
"His strength is not weak. That approach is too risky; I'm not quite confident."
"So?"
"So I thought of another method."
"Rather than dealing with Gento directly, it's better to control the Jinchuriki."
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened as he stared at Danzo:
"You mean…"
"Exactly."
Danzo nodded slowly.
"You will summon Kushina. If you call her, she is very likely to come."
"Once she arrives and lets her guard down, we seize the opportunity to restrain her with a sealing technique. Then we use her to threaten Gento Uchiha."
"If our guess is correct, he won't just stand by and watch the Jinchuriki be harmed!"
Hiruzen said nothing.
He brought the pipe back to his lips and took a deep drag.
After a long while, he finally spoke:
"What if… Gento doesn't care whether Kushina lives or dies?"
A ruthless look appeared on Danzo's face:
"Then we'll have no choice but to forcibly accuse him of plotting against the Jinchuriki and arrest him by force."
He paused, his tone growing heavier:
"Hiruzen, stop hesitating. The Uchiha's power is growing day by day. They've taken over missions, built their own Academy, and now even the Jinchuriki is slipping into their hands."
"If we wait any longer, Konoha won't be able to suppress them anymore!"
Silence filled the office.
After a long time, Hiruzen slowly turned his head to look at Danzo.
He nodded:
"Alright. We'll do it your way."
...
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