"But, Nagato, what about your body?" Konan said with a worried expression.
"It's fine. This kind of technique doesn't consume much Chakra."
After Zetsu informed the major powers to send spies into the Land of Rain one after another, Nagato knew the Akatsuki Organization's headquarters could no longer be hidden. However, it would take time for the members to gather in the Land of Rain, so he had to resort to this plan.
He didn't want the intelligence personnel from various countries to leave so easily; they had to leave something behind.
If he were still in his prime, not a single one of those people would have been able to leave.
After learning of Nagato's plan, Zetsu submerged into the ground and left.
On a dilapidated water tower at the edge of the Hidden Rain Village, just as Zetsu's figure appeared, the space rippled with a twist, and Obito's figure emerged from the space-time dimension.
"Obito, Nagato's condition is very bad. It might affect our plans."
Obito narrowed his eyes: "Can we use white zetsu cells to treat him a bit? Not a full recovery, just back to his previous state."
Zetsu pondered for a moment upon hearing this. "That's possible. We can dilute it into a nutrient solution for him to drink."
"Then give it to him. We can't let him collapse like this; the plan is set to begin in just over a year."
"Furthermore, the Five Great Ninja Villages now know the Akatsuki's base is in the Land of Rain. There's no telling what they'll do next. He cannot afford to fall now."
In the forest outside the Hidden Rain Village, the curtain of rain remained incessant, shrouding the entire mountain forest in damp, cold mist.
Aoki Yoru, who was sprinting, suddenly came to a halt and looked into the distance.
"What's wrong?" Yui asked in confusion.
"Enemies are coming. Be careful."
The two immediately drew their weapons and took up combat stances.
Before long, three figures slowly emerged from the curtain of rain.
When Kenta and Yui saw them, their pupils constricted, their expressions changed drastically, and even their breathing hitched.
"Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki."
These two had caused a massive commotion in Konoha last time. They knew they were no match for them, and there was another person who also looked like trouble.
Aoki Yoru glanced at them with a relaxed expression. From the moment they appeared, he knew they weren't the real bodies; the Chakra levels were far too different. It must be Nagato's 'Shapeshifting Technique,' meaning their strength was only thirty percent of the original.
At this moment, Kakuzu, who had remained silent, stepped forward: "Seeing your headbands reminds me of the first Konoha Ninja I ever fought—the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
Kenta and Yui were stunned. The First Hokage lived fifty years ago—old man, just how old are you?!
Aoki Yoru teased: "Is that so? Then your survival skills are truly top-notch. I can't imagine how you dodged the First's Wood Release. After all, given your strength, you should have been killed the moment you met."
Aoki Yoru knew that he had merely thrown a shuriken at the First Hokage from eight hundred miles away. This guy had been bragging about this 'achievement' for decades.
"What? You bastard." Kakuzu's face darkened; it was the first time someone had looked down on him like this.
Aoki Yoru ignored him and turned to Kisame Hoshigaki with a provocative smile: "You're actually completely intact. It seems your organization's medical capabilities are quite extraordinary!"
Kisame Hoshigaki's face immediately darkened. He had been at death's door last time. If not for Mr. Madara's miraculous abilities, he might not have survived. Furthermore, he had lost Samehada, which greatly diminished his strength.
"Itachi-san, leave him to me. I'm definitely getting my revenge this time." Kisame looked at Aoki Yoru with murderous intent.
"No, you are no match for him as you are now. Let me do it."
Itachi glanced at his companion. Kisame's current state was simply no match for Aoki Yoru. If he were insta-killed, it would affect the Leader's plan.
As Itachi spoke, he revealed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, staring straight at Aoki Yoru.
Aoki Yoru looked at the three in front of him and said to his two teammates: "Leave Uchiha Itachi to me. You two deal with the other two. Let's separate them first."
Even with only thirty percent strength, the Mangekyo Sharingan was too treacherous. He wasn't sure if the two of them could defend against it.
Kenta and Yui nodded and instantly vanished from their spots.
Kisame and Kakuzu followed unhurriedly. They were just two Special Jonin; even at thirty percent strength, it was enough to deal with them.
The three tomoe in Uchiha Itachi's pupils spun rapidly, twisting and intertwining until they instantly condensed into the three-bladed windmill shape of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Aoki Yoru felt his vision go dark, and he immediately appeared in a red world. He was nailed to a cross, his limbs firmly locked, unable to move.
Itachi's figure slowly appeared within the illusion, looking at him expressionlessly.
"In this environment, time is under my control. No matter how much time passes in the Tsukuyomi world, only an instant passes in the real world."
As he spoke, he plunged a blade into Aoki Yoru's waist.
Aoki Yoru looked down at him, his face showing no sign of Pain. Instead, he fully unleashed his mental power, analyzing the Tsukuyomi's illusory space.
Uchiha Itachi frowned at Aoki Yoru's demeanor, then picked up another senbon and stabbed it in.
Looking at Aoki Yoru's expression, Itachi's sense of foreboding grew stronger and stronger.
After a long time, Aoki Yoru's body was covered in senbon.
But Itachi didn't feel any sense of satisfaction. This was the first time he had encountered someone who was completely indifferent to Tsukuyomi.
"Whew—"
Aoki Yoru let out a long breath. The Uchiha's Tsukuyomi was truly the ultimate application of mental power. He had benefited greatly from it; at the very least, he now had an idea of how to construct his own mental space.
He then looked at Uchiha Itachi with a playful smile: "Genjutsu is nothing more than a contest of mental strength. The Mangekyo Sharingan is indeed miraculous. If your main body were here in person, it might be of some use, but you are too weak right now."
Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi's pupils constricted sharply, and his stoic face flickered with emotion for the first time.
Then, Aoki Yoru's eyes widened, and his mental power surged outward, violently striking the Tsukuyomi space.
Crack—
A crisp sound exploded, and the crimson sky of the Tsukuyomi space instantly shattered with several pitch-black cracks.
The cracks spread wildly like a spider's web. The cross beneath his feet and the surrounding blood-colored ground shattered violently. The entire mental world crumbled inch by inch under the ocular power of Kamui!
The next second, a blinding white light flashed, and Aoki Yoru snapped back to reality. He was back on the actual battlefield, and the blood-colored illusion around him had completely vanished.
"Hmph—"
Uchiha Itachi let out a muffled groan. Due to the backlash, fresh blood flowed from his left eye, streaming down his tear troughs and dripping onto the ground.
Aoki Yoru looked at the heavily panting Itachi. Although this was Pain's technique, Itachi still had to consume a certain amount of ocular power.
Between the backlash from Kakashi breaking his Tsukuyomi last time and this time, Itachi's eyes wouldn't last much longer.
He then looked toward his teammates. They had already begun fighting their opponents, but he had no intention of going to support them.
He knew his two teammates too well; their strength hadn't stayed stagnant over the past year.
If Kisame and Kakuzu's real bodies were here, he would be worried, but these were just clones with strength at the level of an Elite Jonin at best.