After Ryūjin pressed the shuriken lightly against Rasa's neck, the entire battlefield froze. Baki and the others didn't dare move, and Rasa himself remained perfectly still. The tension in the air was almost suffocating.
"Sir, we promise not to act rashly. Please release the Kazekage first," Baki said, swallowing hard as he addressed Ryūjin with careful respect.
Ryūjin chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Even if you did act rashly, what use would it be?"
Baki and his team fell silent instantly. There was no denying it. This mysterious man's strength was beyond comprehension. Rasa had already been easily subdued. Even with all of them combined, they might still fall short.
Furthermore, now that the Kazekage himself was in Ryūjin's control, negotiating was pointless.
"Sir, what exactly is your purpose?" Baki asked, trying to mask the tension in his voice.
Rasa, true to his reputation as the Shadow of the village, maintained composure even in this life-or-death situation.
"As for my purpose, it's inconvenient to explain right now. But I can guarantee one thing," Ryūjin replied smoothly. "I have no intention of taking Shukaku. You can rest easy."
"It doesn't matter if you're reassured or not. Soon, I'll return Shukaku to you," he added casually.
Earlier, Rasa had dismissed similar words as nonsense. But now, seeing Ryūjin's actions, he felt a reluctant trace of belief. After all, Ryūjin could have killed him without hesitation, yet he chose not to.
With deliberate calm, Ryūjin moved the shuriken away from Rasa's neck. He seemed to recognize someone who understood the balance between attack and restraint. As expected, Rasa, despite suspicion and high alert, did not launch another attack. The atmosphere shifted into a strange, tense calm.
Under the vigilant eyes of Rasa and his team, Ryūjin returned to sit beside Shukaku. No one dared speak, all of them fixated on the mysterious figure.
"'Shukaku's Location' check-in point generated," the Sign-in System announced in Ryūjin's mind, prompting him to rise once again.
"Lord Kazekage, I'm returning Shukaku to you now," he declared, clapping his hands together. "Gracious Deity Gates, Release!"
The crimson torii gates suppressing Shukaku vanished instantly.
"Roar!"
The One Tail, freed from half an hour of restraint, lunged at Ryūjin with blind fury. Yet Ryūjin, with effortless precision, vanished and reappeared beside it using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Now, Shukaku is yours, Lord Kazekage," he said, his words calm as the vortex in his eye reactivated. Soon, his body was drawn into it, disappearing completely.
The check-in opportunity had been used, leaving Ryūjin to wait until his next visit to activate the system again.
Rasa, Baki, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected Ryūjin to depart so decisively, doing nothing more. Why, then, had he subdued Shukaku in the first place?
But there was no time for contemplation. Rasa clapped his palms and manipulated a massive surge of gold dust, directing it toward the rampaging Shukaku.
Man and beast collided in a fierce and chaotic battle. Despite not being in the open desert of Sunagakure, Rasa's power remained formidable. Even so, he successfully subdued Shukaku, sealing the tailed beast inside a Black Tea Kettle.
"Alright, back to the village!" Rasa commanded after a few deep breaths, motioning for Baki and the others to follow.
"We need to find a new Jinchuriki immediately," he mused internally, "and that mysterious person from earlier… we must learn who he really is. He doesn't seem to wish to oppose the Sand, but his strength… it's far beyond anything we've faced. We must remain cautious."
Despite the relief, a shadow of solemnity crossed Rasa's face, thinking of the man who had easily overpowered him.
Yet unbeknownst to Rasa, he had already been placed in Ryūjin's sights. Having checked in at nearly every location in Konoha, Ryūjin now considered expanding his "check-in" activities. Sunagakure seemed an ideal choice. Ryūjin was intrigued by Rasa's Magnet Release: Gold Dust…
Beneath the Kannabi Bridge, in Obito Uchiha's secret base:
Gurgle, gurgle!
A White Zetsu rose from the ground. "As expected, Nagato and the others have already guessed that you were the mastermind behind the events of a few days ago."
Another White Zetsu emerged immediately. "They also figured out that your ultimate goal is Uzumaki Nagato's Rinnegan. The Akatsuki has already put you on their hit list. If they encounter you again, they will not hesitate to kill."
Obito's brow furrowed. The outcome he least desired had unfolded. In the Ninja World, there were no fools, especially not the three leaders who had built the Akatsuki from scratch. While naive and kind, their intelligence was formidable.
"Ungrateful. The Rinnegan wasn't his to begin with," Obito muttered coldly. "They've completely lost trust in you. What now?"
The calm voices of Black and White Zetsu responded. They had observed Obito and had no surprise left in them.
Obito remained silent, lost in thought. The carefully arranged plans, the intricate drama he had built, had been upended by his own clansman, leaving his objectives fully exposed. He realized some things might be beyond repair.
Nagato could never be fooled again, no matter how he tried.
"What our plan needs is the Rinnegan, not Nagato," Obito finally said, voice steady.
"You mean…" the Zetsu twins murmured, sensing his decision.
"Find a new owner for the Rinnegan," Obito declared.
"Do you have any candidates in mind?" they asked. Obito nodded, his choice already made.
"Since these are Madara's eyes, the first choice should be one of Madara's descendants—the Uchiha Clan," Obito explained. "Not just anyone can inherit them. While it's unclear why Madara entrusted Nagato with the Rinnegan, in terms of bloodline compatibility, the Uchiha are the most suitable candidates."