Inside the Akatsuki base.
Gento looked down from above at Konan, who had been restrained, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Now she could only let him do as he pleased.
"Turn over."
He spoke lightly.
Konan, who had been lying face down on the ground, stiffened, then her body uncontrollably rolled over, facing upward.
She lay flat on the cold ground, limbs spread wide in an "X" shape, utterly unable to move.
Those light orange eyes were filled with anger and humiliation, staring fixedly at Gento.
Gento crouched down, examining that exquisitely beautiful face up close.
Even in such a disheveled state, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
Those tightly pressed lips, that stubborn gaze, that faint rise and fall of her chest…
He had to seize this chance to subdue her with Kotoamatsukami!
He withdrew his gaze and quickly took out the Mangekyo Dojutsu Copy Card from his clothes, preparing to place it in front of Konan.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred!
Konan, who had been tightly bound by the Fivefold Yin Control Rings, instantly turned into countless sheets of white paper!
The paper scattered like snowflakes, covering the entire cell floor.
Gento's expression immediately darkened.
Another paper clone!
He hadn't expected that among the four Konans, not a single one was the real body!
He had originally thought he could take in another woman today…
Hearing the approaching footsteps outside, Gento knew he couldn't stay any longer.
He wasn't afraid of the fodder outside.
With his current strength, no matter how many came, he could kill them all.
What he feared was Nagato, and the masked Uchiha behind Akatsuki… Obito.
The Rinnegan and Kamui.
With his current power, he had no way to deal with those two.
Even with Kotoamatsukami in hand, he wasn't certain it would work against the higher-tier Rinnegan.
He had the system; he could still grow stronger over time.
There was no need to take such a risk now.
He had to retreat!
Gento swiftly turned around and rushed to the four Konoha ninja tied to the stakes.
With a wave of his hands, he stored all four into the Yomotsu space.
At that moment, Konan's clear voice echoed from somewhere unseen:
"You're already surrounded. You can't escape!"
Her voice reverberated through the cell, but her figure was nowhere to be seen.
No one knew where she was hiding.
Gento smiled:
"That's not necessarily true."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure distorted and dissipated within a ripple of space, vanishing.
Moments later, a large number of Akatsuki ninja rushed into the cell.
"Angel-sama!"
"Where is Angel-sama?"
They searched everywhere, but all they saw was the mess on the ground and scattered sheets of paper.
Soon, a figure slowly walked in from the end of the corridor.
Konan's real body appeared.
Wearing the black robe with red clouds, her expression cold, her gaze fixed on the spot where Gento had disappeared, deep in thought.
"Angel-sama! Are you alright?"
"What about the intruder just now?"
Konan shook her head without speaking.
She turned and walked deeper underground.
Arriving at the lowest level.
A massive iron door slowly opened.
In the dim space, a gigantic Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stood menacingly at the center.
Beneath the statue, a gaunt red-haired man leaned against a special apparatus, black rods piercing into his back.
It was Nagato.
His eye sockets were sunken, his complexion pale, yet those Rinnegan still radiated a chilling pressure.
Konan walked in and stood beside him.
"Well?"
"Did you find out who that person was?"
Konan nodded and recounted the entire battle in detail.
When she mentioned that the opponent had left using space-time ninjutsu, the air beside Nagato suddenly twisted.
A figure wearing a spiral-pattern mask appeared out of thin air.
The masked man's voice carried clear shock:
"What? The opponent also has space-time ninjutsu?"
Could it be… he also possesses Kamui?
Konan looked at the mysterious man who called himself "Madara Uchiha" and said calmly:
"Yes. However, his speed entering space is much slower than yours."
Hearing this, the masked man let out a sigh of relief.
Good. As long as it wasn't Kamui.
Konan continued:
"According to the intel, this person should be the current head of the Uchiha clan: Gento Uchiha."
The masked man's eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Uchiha…"
He muttered the surname, his voice filled with suppressed hatred:
"Hmph! One day, I'll return to the clan and pay those clan members a proper visit."
Konan did not press further.
She did not understand why this self-proclaimed "Madara Uchiha" harbored such hatred toward his own clan.
And it wasn't her concern at the moment.
She continued:
"Also, at the end, he took out a card, as if intending to use it on me."
"Unfortunately, the paper clone couldn't hold out; I wasn't able to determine what the card did."
Nagato suddenly spoke:
"My Rain Tiger at Will Technique has seen them again!"
The two of them turned to look at him.
Nagato said slowly:
"That Gento Uchiha has reappeared at the outskirts of the village. It seems his space-time ninjutsu has limited range. He can't teleport too far at once."
The masked man nodded:
"Understood. For now, ignore the Uchiha matter."
"The most important thing right now is overthrowing Hanzo's rule."
"During this time, have Nagato fully master the power of the Rinnegan as soon as possible and create the Six Paths bodies."
"As for the Uchiha… sooner or later, I'll go back and settle accounts with them."
…
On the outskirts of the Hidden Rain Village.
Dawn was breaking, and the drizzle still continued.
A figure appeared out of thin air, landing on the wet ground.
Gento steadied himself and vigilantly scanned his surroundings.
Through the rain curtain, the outline of the Hidden Rain Village could be vaguely seen in the distance; no pursuers in sight.
He let out a breath of relief.
Although the Yomotsu space was useful, its coverage range was limited.
He could only teleport outside the village first.
Fortunately, he had left precautions when coming.
At intervals along the way, he had secretly placed Flying Thunder God markings.
He closed his eyes, sensing the positions of those marks.
Afterward, his figure disappeared once more.
…
Konoha.
Dawn had just begun to break.
Outside the Uchiha clan compound, three figures suddenly appeared.
They wore standard Anbu flak jackets and animal masks as they headed toward the compound.
Just as they were about to step into the clan's territory, a boy suddenly emerged from the mist, blocking their path.
The boy looked about twelve or thirteen.
The Uchiha clan's fan emblem was embroidered on his sleeve.
His black eyes carried a calmness and composure far beyond his age.
It was Itachi Uchiha.
He spoke softly:
"You three. This is the Uchiha clan compound. Please stop."
The three Anbu halted.
The one in front sized Itachi up. Seeing how young he was, he immediately sneered:
"Where did this brat come from? We're here under the Hokage's orders! Get out of the way!"
Itachi's expression did not change:
"No outsiders are allowed to enter the clan compound. That is the clan head's order. I cannot step aside."
"Heh!"
The leader let out a cold laugh, his tone turning icy:
"In that case, go die!"
His hands quickly formed seals:
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
Sharp wind-attribute chakra gathered in his palm, instantly forming a cutting blade.
The two behind him also formed seals at the same time, ninjutsu ready, prepared to assist at any moment.
The three worked in perfect coordination, clearly not a hastily assembled team.
The leader charged straight at Itachi with the wind blade in hand!
Itachi stood still, unmoving, as if he hadn't reacted at all.
The wind blade pierced through his body without resistance!
Blood splattered, staining the ground red.
A look of shock appeared on Itachi's face.
"Heh, brat, you brought this on yourself!"
The man laughed smugly.
...
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