The standoff on the screen continued. On the water surface outside Amegakure, the battle between Konan and Obito was about to erupt.
---
[Akatsuki Hideout]
Meanwhile, inside the hideout, the air had frozen to a breaking point.
Tendo Pain slowly lowered his raised right hand, his Rinnegan sweeping across everyone present. Kisame standing on Obito's side wasn't surprising, but he hadn't expected that, aside from Kisame, everyone else would stand with him.
Hmm… actually, Kakuzu's choice wasn't really surprising. He loved money, and Konan could mass-produce Explosive Tags. Besides, he managed all the organization's finances, there was really no reason for him to betray them.
As for Hidan… probably because he needed Kakuzu to stitch his body back together, so he followed along.
But Deidara and Sasori, that pair actually standing on his side, that was genuinely unexpected.
Zetsu, on the other hand, currently embedded in the wall, was standing neither with Obito nor with him, just watching like a spectator, and this was actually more in line with his expectations for the members of the Akatsuki.
However, all these thoughts passed in an instant, and ultimately, Nagato let his gaze fall upon Obito.
"Uchiha Madara? Tobi? Or Obito—no. You're none of them. You're just a pathetic worm hiding behind that mask, stealing Madara's name and playing with power that isn't yours."
"You don't need to repeat those pathetic things. You know perfectly well that the Akatsuki was founded by Yahiko. It carries his hope for peace, not your delusion for the Eye of the Moon Plan," Nagato said coldly, not bothering to answer Obito's question directly.
"Heh… who I am really doesn't matter. But you've fallen, Nagato. You were once so supportive of the Eye of the Moon Plan, and only through it could true peace be achieved." Obito's voice came from behind the mask.
"Actually, the events on the screen are just one possibility of the future. They haven't happened yet. As long as you still acknowledge that goal of peace, you remain the organization's leader. So why don't we set aside our differences and continue advancing the Eye of the Moon Plan?"
"A plan doomed to fail has no value in being carried out. Moreover, from the moment you raised your hand against Konan, it being the future or not, we ceased to be allies pursuing a common goal." Nagato paused for a moment, then spoke again with a hint of mockery.
"If I were to resurrect Nohara Rin now and kill her again in front of you, and you could still forgive me... then perhaps I could consider it."
Obito's expression beneath the mask instantly turned icy.
"Wood Style: Cutting Spikes!"
With a single hand pressed down, countless sharp wooden spikes instantly erupted from the ground. However, most of the Akatsuki members were on high alert and easily dodged them. Only Hidan, a beat slower, had his foot pierced by a sudden wooden spike.
Nagato, meanwhile, directly used Shinra Tensei, and the wooden spikes stopped right at his feet, unable to advance another inch.
At the same time, a clay spider quietly crawled to Obito's feet and detonated.
BOOM!
Flames burst forth, and dust filled the air.
But Obito's body phased out at the moment of the explosion, the fire and debris passing straight through him, and striking the wall behind, leaving scorched pits.
"It's useless." Obito's voice came from within the smoke. "Even if you know about my abilities... my Kamui is still invincible. None of you can touch me."
"Is that so?" Tendo Pain's voice rang out. He raised his right hand, palm aimed at Obito.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
A powerful gravitational force erupted from his palm, yanking Obito's body violently toward him. But Obito's body phased instantly, the force passing through him, unable to pull him close. Instead, the wall behind him was torn apart by the gravitational pull, rubble flying everywhere.
"Phasing won't last forever." Tendo Pain said calmly. "Five minutes... that's your limit. We have the numbers, and once you exceed that limit, I'll catch you."
"Water Style: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Kisame, a man of few words and ruthless action, formed hand seals rapidly, starting with his ultimate Jutsu to reshape the terrain and simultaneously restrict Deidara's explosions.
"Useless." Tendo Pain raised his right hand. "Shinra Tensei!"
A powerful repulsive force exploded outward. The Jutsu that could create an ocean from nothing on the screen met this force, and countless torrents of water were blasted backward, sending tables and chairs in the hideout flying.
Obito again phased out the instant the repulsion erupted, dodging the attack. Kisame, however, was sent flying by the repulsive force, crashing into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Kisame!" There was a hint of urgency in Obito's voice. He knew they couldn't keep fighting. Though he himself was untouchable, Kisame would definitely be done for by the group.
Moreover, Nagato already knew the mechanics of his phasing. And though the others all had their own agendas, at this moment they were eerily united against a common enemy.
Dealing with Nagato wasn't difficult for him; he just needed to quietly ambush his real body. Surely Nagato couldn't stay on guard against him 24/7. But fighting the Akatsuki members head-on right now was clearly unwise.
"Let's go!"
Obito gave a low shout, appearing instantly beside Kisame and activating Kamui.
A spiral distortion appeared around them, growing larger and larger, and soon both of them vanished.
The hideout fell silent. Deidara tossed the crushed clay in his hand to the ground, looking thoroughly annoyed: "They just ran like that?"
Kakuzu crouched on the ground, picking up the shattered pieces of tables and chairs. He looked at them and sighed: "These things… we'll have to spend money to replace them again. Damn that Obito and Kisame."
Tendo Pain stood there, his purple Rinnegan fixed on the spot where Obito had vanished, silent for a long time.
"Nagato…" Deidara started, then corrected himself. "No—leader. What do we do now? Is the Akatsuki still a thing?"
His blond hair hung over his forehead, his expression unusually serious.
"We are." Tendo Pain's voice brooked no doubt. "But the plan is changing."
He paused, his Rinnegan sweeping across everyone present. "From today onward, the Akatsuki's primary objective is no longer capturing the Tailed Beasts. Our new mission is to uncover the truth about the Ōtsutsuki clan, and stop Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan."
Kakuzu frowned: "What about the bounties? Are we not making money anymore?"
"Bounty work can continue." Tendo Pain glanced at him.
Deidara stroked his chin. "The Ōtsutsuki? You mean the guys on the moon? But can we even beat them? They're Six Paths-level beings." His tone carried obvious wariness.
"We fight them whether we can beat them or not." Tendo Pain's voice remained calm. "And we're not going to our deaths. We just need to gather intelligence and find their weaknesses."
"Meeting adjourned." Tendo Pain stood up. "Everyone, stand by for now and wait for further instructions."
With that, he turned and walked out of the hideout, flying swiftly toward Amegakure.
Only Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu, Sasori, and Zetsu remained in the hideout, looking at each other, no one speaking.
Deidara was the first to break the silence. He leaned back in a chair, hands behind his head, flipping his blond hair. "So… are we the good guys or the bad guys now?" His tone carried a mix of confusion and self-mockery.
Hidan, scythe on his shoulder, grinned. "Good guys, bad guys? We've always been the bad guys. We're just fighting worse guys now." His laughter echoed through the meeting room, a little grating.
Kakuzu crouched on the ground, still picking up the shattered furniture pieces, muttering: "These were all made from spruce wood. One chair costs tens of thousands of ryō… This bill goes on Obito's tab."
---
Meanwhile, on the screen.
Just like in reality, aside from another Mangekyō Sharingan, the shinobis of today had no way to counter phasing.
Konan's attacks still couldn't touch Obito; the paper shuriken covered in Explosive Tags passed through his body without obstruction.
Obito seemed to have run out of patience too. He spread his hands and dropped an even more earth-shattering truth:
"The one who pushed Yahiko to found the Akatsuki… was me!"
He paused briefly, then emphasized: "Also, the one who gave Nagato the Rinnegan… was also me. So it's only right for me to ask for it back, isn't it?"
But Konan didn't engage in any more pointless verbal disputes with him. Determination replaced shock. Her form suddenly dissolved into a sky full of paper butterflies, charging at Obito with unstoppable momentum.
But Obito's body phased instantly, letting the countless paper fragments pass through. He then precisely reached out his right hand from amid the fluttering butterflies and seized Konan by the throat. The powerful suction of the Kamui surged forth!
"She mixed in Explosive Tags?!"
For the first time, Obito's voice carried clear astonishment.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!!!
Countless Explosive Tags detonated the instant he grabbed Konan. Blinding white light and a deafening roar instantly swallowed the space where both stood.
The scene then flashed back to a memory of Konan's.
It seemed to be from when Yahiko was still alive. He was looking at the sky, speaking to the then-young Konan: "This nation continues to weep. It continues to endure pain. I used to hate this land that cries all the time… But now, all I want is to save it."
The people of Amegakure and other small nations watching the Sky Screen wore sorrowful expressions—clearly, those words struck a chord deep within them.
Most shinobis from the major nations remained expressionless. That was just how the world worked: the strong prey on the weak. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.
Besides, the Land of Rain had once been an aggressor in war itself. You couldn't expect to hit someone and not get hit back.
"I will carry on Yahiko's and Nagato's dream."
The scene gradually returned.
The smoke from the explosion slowly cleared. Countless unburned paper fragments still drifted through the air, slowly sinking into the sea below.
Konan was panting, floating in the air, looking slightly exhausted, staring intently at the center of the explosion.
And from within the smoke, Obito's figure emerged, looking disheveled. His iconic orange spiral mask had been partially blown apart, revealing a bandage-wrapped jaw and one Sharingan beneath. Even more shocking was that one of his arms had been blown off at the shoulder, the stump charred black.
Obito's voice came through the broken mask: "I didn't take you seriously enough. I should have remembered that you are a former member of the Akatsuki…" He stared at Konan. "The moment I sucked you in, you intended to blow yourself up, and take me with you."
"However, you failed… I was faster, and although I felt a little of the impact, I sucked in most of the explosion itself. And luckily, you were spared too. You should be grateful." His tone carried a trace of barely concealed fear in retrospect.
"So... do you still have something left?"
Konan gradually regained some strength and spoke slowly, her voice cutting through the rain: "Madara… let me ask you one thing. Do you know why we betrayed you? And why we chose Naruto?"
"No idea. But it was a foolish choice on your part." Obito replied casually.
Konan's body slowly reassembled from the paper fragments. She stared directly into the exposed Sharingan, enunciating each word like a declaration:
"Because… in a world without light, flowers can only wilt!"
The instant her words fell—
RUMBLE!!!
The sea beneath Obito's feet erupted with a thunderous roar. The water violently rolled back and parted to both sides!
An endless, dense, sky-covering ocean of Explosive Tags appeared once more before the eyes of the Shinobi World.
And Konan's voice rang through the skies:
"Come… this is the final gift I prepared for you!"
"Six hundred billion Explosive Tags!"
Even though it was the second time seeing this scene, Kakuzu still felt his heart spasming.
No, he had to stay by Konan's side at all times. He couldn't let her use that move. As for the threat of Obito, that guy was good at defense but lacking in offense, so not that troublesome. Worst case, he'd go steal Kakashi's eye and dedicate himself to guarding against him!
Although the explosion was spectacular, everyone had already guessed the outcome of the battle. After all, during the White Mask era, Obito had a Rinnegan in one eye, meaning he had achieved his goal.
On the screen—
The aftermath of the explosion dissipated, and everyone's eyes were locked on the slender figure kneeling on the sea's surface, nearly drained of chakra.
Konan's gaze was already hazy; the world in her vision was gradually losing its outline.
Suddenly, a black shadow appeared silently behind her. The black rod in Obito's hand violently pierced into Konan's abdomen, blood dripping rapidly.
Certain of victory, Obito smugly explained the power of Izanagi to her. But Konan had no strength left to pay attention to his words.
Just then, the scene abruptly shifted to somewhere in the Land of Rain.
Countless paper roses drifted down like snowflakes. Beneath an angel relief, two bodies lay quietly—the camera zoomed in. They were Yahiko and Nagato.
Konan's life force was rapidly fading, her consciousness sinking into darkness.
And at this very moment, the seemingly eternal gloom over the Land of Rain began to break apart! The dark clouds tore open, revealing gaps, and a brilliant rainbow arched across the sky, illuminating the skyline.
This sudden miracle rekindled a glimmer of light in the dying Konan's eyes, and also made Obito, who was preparing to deliver the final blow, pause noticeably: "The rain… stopped?"
The endless rain of Amegakure was the symbol of this land's unending suffering. And now—it had stopped?
In Konan's mind, Nagato's voice filled with relief and expectation rang: "Seems my mission ends here… Naruto—if it's you, you can definitely…"
That voice seem to inject one last surge of strength into Konan. With the last of her will, she refocused her gaze on Obito, and as if looking through time and space at the spirits of Yahiko and Nagato, said:
"Yahiko's and Nagato's will won't disappear… I believe in Naruto too!"
"He… will definitely become the bridge to peace!"
Konan's body then erupted with its final chakra.
She raised her hands high, and countless paper sheets converged in her palms into a high-speed rotating sharp disc, carrying her final conviction and strength, whistling toward Obito.
But Obito blocked the attacks repeatedly with the black rod in his hand, displaying considerable Taijutsu skills.
"A dying struggle!"
A flicker of irritation crossed Obito's eyes. He lunged forward and seized Konan by the throat, lifting her off the sea's surface.
Konan's eyes were rapidly losing focus, and in her blurred vision, the last thing reflected was that rainbow of hope in the sky.
Then, the corners of her mouth lifted gently, hooking a faint smile, her body hung weakly in Obito's hand, and the last breath of life dissipated completely.
The Angel of God—her wings broken—had fallen.
*****
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