Koji frowned, a hint of urgency in his voice as he asked, "You gave Ao a fake spatial coordinate? Why? Why didn't you try to request asylum from Uchiha Akira's Hidden Dark Village instead?"
"Konoha is no longer a viable refuge. A stronger and more concealed place like the Hidden Dark Village should be the best choice, right?"
Amado lit another cigarette and took a slow drag. "Good question, Koji. Let me explain why I cannot seek refuge with Uchiha Akira."
"The reason I valued the Hokage and Konoha was never because of their military strength. It was because they operate under something called the Will of Fire, and more importantly, they are bound by the laws of the Land of Fire."
"As long as I don't cross certain lines, they won't either. That kind of structure guarantees a certain level of safety."
"But Uchiha Akira and his Hidden Dark Village are completely different."
"Their territory exists in a lawless zone, outside the jurisdiction of any nation."
"Uchiha Akira himself… to put it bluntly, he's no different from the ruler of a sovereign state. What laws could possibly restrain him? What ideology would stop him from devouring someone like me, served right to his doorstep?"
"Yes, I, Amado, come from an organization that serves the Otsutsuki. I'm an irreplaceable expert in my field, and I possess a vast amount of knowledge about the Otsutsuki clan. I may even harbor ambitions of my own."
"Akira has the Sharingan, capable of casting genjutsu and hypnosis with ease. He has the Rinnegan, capable of reading information directly from my mind. I cannot imagine any scenario where he wouldn't use those methods on me and instead choose to sit down and have a friendly conversation."
There was a darker thought Amado kept to himself: even if Akira chose not to use such methods, someone of his caliber would never allow himself to be manipulated. Anyone aiming for great ambitions follows the same rule—eliminate risk, maximize benefit.
"My plan runs completely counter to the interests of the shinobi world. There's no way he would tolerate me."
"In short, Koji, Uchiha Akira and I can never be on the same side."
Koji nodded slowly, half understanding. "Then… where exactly does the coordinate you gave Ao lead? If he realizes something is wrong, couldn't he just come back?"
"He won't be able to," Amado replied calmly. "When I input the coordinates into his artificial Byakugan, I deleted all other destinations."
Koji blinked. "That place… where is it?"
Amado pulled out two specially made protective suits from a scientific storage case while holding the cigarette between his lips. "Offshore Island No. 56. A place where I once conducted forbidden scientific experiments. The island is now saturated with lethal radiation. I call it…"
Koji's delicate face showed clear shock. "You conducted experiments like that? Did Jigen know about this?"
"No. And I made sure he never would," Amado said flatly. "That weapon was too dangerous, even unethical. No one knows about it. Not even you, Koji."
"The radiation there is extremely potent. Even Ao's modified body won't be able to withstand it. Only these protective suits can resist it."
He extinguished his cigarette. "We're heading there now. There's something we need to do."
Koji tilted his head. "We can get there?"
"It's not far. Five minutes by aircraft. By then, Ao should already be incapacitated."
"Put on the suit. Let's go."
Five minutes later, their aircraft landed near the contaminated island, a hundred nautical miles offshore.
They found Ao lying on the ground in an open area. His body was trembling, blood seeping from every pore.
He struggled to speak. "Amado… why are you doing this?"
From behind the heavy visor of his protective suit, Amado's voice came out low and steady. "You already know the answer, Ao. Once I do this, there's no going back between us. I wouldn't act unless I was certain."
Ao gave a faint, bitter smile. "When did you figure it out? And how? Since I saved your life once, at least let me die knowing."
Amado paused, then nodded. "Very well. I only truly noticed something after you were modified into the Inner Circle."
"To be safe, I reviewed your interview footage when you joined Kara. You said you were drawn in by the overwhelming power of the Otsutsuki and wished to transcend the limitations of being a shinobi."
"In that case, you should have been tempted by the chakra fruit and the power of the Otsutsuki. So why, when Jigen promised everyone a Karma and a fruit, did you show absolutely no interest?"
"You were watching me even then?"
"Of course. You were important to me. I wanted you to be loyal. Unfortunately, you disappointed me."
Ao coughed, blood spilling from his lips. "Or maybe I just saw through Jigen's empty promises. Is that not possible? Are you the only one allowed to be smart?"
"Good rebuttal," Amado admitted. "That alone only increased my suspicion. The real trigger was something else."
"During the Fourth Great Ninja War, you were the commander of the sensory division. You were stationed at the Allied Shinobi Headquarters, coordinating communication."
"When the Ten-Tails fired its Tailed Beast Bomb, the entire headquarters was destroyed. You were the only survivor—and completely unharmed. You claimed you sensed the attack in advance and fled to avoid pointless death."
"But the way you conducted yourself when facing Uchiha Akira… that didn't look like someone who would abandon his post."
"Unless…"
Amado's eyes sharpened. "Uchiha Akira appeared at the headquarters, used his time manipulation ability, and saved you. From that moment, he began setting his plan in motion—placing you by my side to eventually obtain Eida."
Ao snorted weakly. "Paranoid old man."
"That paranoia is why I'm still alive," Amado replied calmly. "I like to sit and smoke while considering possibilities. I don't need to know the process—just the outcome. That way, risks can be avoided in advance."
"You really live a miserable life. No wonder your hair's gone white."
Amado ignored the jab. "You're loyal, aren't you, Ao? You intended to confirm whether this island held Eida before reporting back to Uchiha Akira."
Ao spat weakly. "Go to hell."
"I admire your loyalty," Amado said, crouching down and retrieving a syringe from a refrigerated case. "But you don't have a choice now."
Koji glanced at the syringe. "What is that?"
"A neurotoxin that paralyzes the central nervous system," Amado replied. "It makes the subject obey commands. If Uchiha Akira doesn't come to this island, that would be… inconvenient."
Koji hesitated. "You're planning to use the radiation here to kill him?"
"No," Amado said, shaking his head. "I'm not that naive."
"This level of radiation won't kill someone like Uchiha Akira."
"My goal is simply to contaminate him with hazardous radioactive material. That's enough."
"Akira cares about his family and companions. I'm certain of that. Once contaminated, he won't be able to return to them. He won't be able to return to the Hidden Dark Village."
"For the next few days, the two strongest beings in this world—Isshiki and Uchiha Akira—will inevitably clash."
"No matter who wins, we benefit."
"And then comes the most important step."
"When they've torn each other apart and are both weakened, we'll take our contribution and approach what's left of Konoha."
"We'll offer help when they need it most. They won't be able to refuse."
Amado injected the neurotoxin into Ao's veins, one syringe after another.
Inside his mind, he continued coldly: Only someone like Naruto Uzumaki, a simple-minded idealist, can be manipulated into carrying out my true objective. No one else will do. Only him.
Kashin Koji, even you… you all believed my goal was merely to revive my daughter, Akebi. You've all been deceived.
"This world has souls. It has countless resurrection techniques. With my resources, bringing Akebi back is trivial."
"My true goal… is not revival."
"I will turn Akebi into something greater than Kaguya, greater than all Otsutsuki—even surpassing Shibai himself. A god."
Ao's eyes lost focus as the toxin took effect. His lips trembled, producing incoherent sounds.
Amado placed an hourglass in front of him. "Considering Akira's ability to rewind time—even if it's limited to ten minutes—I can't take risks."
He issued his command. "Ao, in thirty minutes, you will inform Uchiha Akira that this island is where Eida is hidden."
After finishing, Amado carefully cleaned the scene.
Isshiki, Uchiha Akira—you both have your own ambitions. This is a battle of wits, deception without limits. Your weapons are ninjutsu and divine techniques. Mine are intellect and technology. In the end, only the one who survives will be the true winner.
"Koji, let's go. It's time to disappear."
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