Outside Iwagakure, near a low mountain on the border of the Land of Rain, this gray-black hill was embedded at the base of a larger peak, as if it had been naturally formed.
However, anyone who approached and observed closely would notice that the surface of this "hill" was covered with square patterns, as if it were constructed from layers of gray paper.
The interior of this "paper mountain" was not entirely dark, as a hole at the top allowed some remnants of the evening light to seep in, faintly illuminating the space.
At the deepest part of the "paper mountain" sat a gaunt, red-haired man. His face was sunken, his arms thin and skeletal, and his exposed upper body revealed a ribcage so pronounced that he resembled a "consumptive ghost" or a "starving demon of lust."
His legs were confined within a large mechanical device, likely due to mobility issues, forcing him to rely on this crab-like flat apparatus for movement. Black tubes extended from the machine, connecting to various parts of his body.
The back of the machine featured a protruding cross-shaped support that fixed the red-haired man in place, preventing him from collapsing due to his frailty.
In front of the red-haired man, a demonic figure with the character "King" (王) engraved on its forehead materialized.
Accompanied by a radiant purple glow, the demon opened its massive mouth, extending a long, hand-like purple tongue to scoop up four mutilated "corpses" and place them into its maw. It chewed noisily, as if savoring a delicacy of soft cartilage and meat.
Moments later, the repaired "Four Paths" emerged before the demon.
"Konan, you should go as well!"
"This time, our opponents are the Perfect Jinchūriki of the One-Tail and the puppet master, Sasori. Sasori should be manageable for you."
"Once we capture the One-Tail, we will have three Tailed Beasts in our possession..."
"At that point, we can launch an offensive against the Land of Wind. Even if we cannot conquer the shinobi world in the short term, these resources will be more than enough to ensure a prosperous life for the ninjas and civilians of the Land of Rain..."
The cold light in the Rinnegan of the red-haired man, Nagato, flickered as he spoke.
With Sōmi and Sasori continuously leaking information about the Akatsuki, their original plan to secretly capture Tailed Beasts from other villages had become utterly unfeasible.
These were not times of peace. Facing the threat of war, every village guarded their strategic-level Jinchūriki with utmost vigilance.
That said, the combat power of the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Water—all of which were perpetually in a state of arms race—had significantly surpassed their strength in the original timeline. Even Kumogakure had drastically increased its investment in Chakra cannons, with the project already entering the experimental phase.
In contrast, Iwagakure, which arrogantly sought to manipulate the Akatsuki as a hidden tool to stir up chaos in the shinobi world, had shown little improvement in its strength.
It was a sobering reminder: only under the threat of death and annihilation do people unleash unparalleled potential and determination.
Indulging in a false sense of peace only leads to complacency, causing one to slide slowly into the abyss of darkness...
"But Nagato, you..."
Konan glanced at Pain's immobile true body, her delicate face tinged with concern.
"I'll be fine."
"Go capture the One-Tail first; the longer we delay, the greater the risk!"
Nagato waved his skeletal hands, the skin clinging tightly to his bones. Yet as long as his hands could move, ordinary shinobi wouldn't even be able to approach him.
"Besides, there are hundreds of White Zetsu stationed nearby as scouts and guards. If anything goes wrong, I'll retreat immediately. You don't need to worry."
"That guy has personally gone to confront the One-Tail. As long as we keep an eye on him, the White Zetsu won't act recklessly. After all, there are still six more Tailed Beasts waiting for us to capture..."
Nagato's tone softened only when speaking to Konan.
Otherwise, no matter the situation or the enemy, he always maintained a cold and indifferent demeanor, like a deity observing the suffering of the world without offering aid.
However, when mentioning the Masked Man, a flicker of caution crossed Nagato's eyes. After all, their relationship was one of mutual exploitation.
Nagato had never truly trusted the Masked Man. The only reason he continued to cooperate was his unwavering belief in the overwhelming power granted by his Rinnegan.
What Nagato didn't realize, however, was that the Masked Man and Zetsu—those two figures—weren't even on the same side...
Meanwhile.
The battle between Sōmi and the Masked Man continued. The crimson Uchiha Flame Formation had long since disappeared.
A vast section of the stone forest had transformed into a golden lake. Under the blood-red setting sun, the gold sand shimmered with a magnificent, melancholy hue.
From the look of shock in the Masked Man's lone eye, it was clear that he was only now beginning to grasp the terrifying extent of Sōmi's power.
"Impossible!"
"Even as a Jinchūriki!"
"It's just the weakest One-Tail—how could you possibly wield such overwhelming strength?!"
The Masked Man's black cloak with red clouds was nowhere to be seen, and his blue inner garment was tattered, hanging off him like a beggar's rags. He gritted his teeth and shouted in disbelief.
"Hah!"
"The wails of the weak, is it?"
"How could a frog at the bottom of a well comprehend the vastness of the sky?"
"Take your pitiful and laughable pride to the Pure Land and continue chasing your unfulfilled dreams..."
Sōmi sneered, his body still radiating a dense emerald-golden Chakra. Despite the prolonged battle with the Masked Man, his aura showed no signs of diminishing.
Inside the sealing space.
Shukaku, with a violet dragon tattooed across its chest, sat cross-legged, gathering Natural Energy. It opened its eyes, a look of indignation on its face.
Clearly, the Masked Man's "daily insults to Shukaku" had struck a nerve.
Most of the opponents who fought Sōmi underestimated him because he housed the One-Tail, only to end up questioning their life choices as the battle progressed.
The Masked Man glanced at his pale right arm, where nearly all of the Sharingan embedded within had closed.
It seemed he had paid a steep price to escape from Sōmi's violet-gold prison.
Just then—
A vortex-like white humanoid figure emerged from the ground beneath the Masked Man's feet.
"Sorry, I'm late!"
"This guy looks really scary..."
White Zetsu spoke in a flippant tone.
"Cut the nonsense and attach yourself!"
"Where's Black Zetsu? Where did he go?!"
Under the Masked Man's urging, White Zetsu quickly adhered to his leg, melting into a white, hardened shell that covered his body. Even his mask turned white.
"Hah!"
Feeling the surge of power within him, the Masked Man exhaled heavily and quietly formed a hand seal.
Ding...
It was like a faint ripple across the surface of water, but Sōmi's keen senses immediately caught it.
This guy... has finally undone Izanagi!
A sharp glint flashed in Sōmi's eyes as he swung his right hand forcefully.
"Today!"
"Is the day you die!"
Sōmi's rare shout seemed to serve as a rallying cry for himself.
The gold sand on the ground suddenly solidified into massive crimson-gold greatswords, their cold edges gleaming as they slashed toward the Masked Man!
But the Masked Man remained motionless, knowing full well that these golden blades lacked the power to pierce through space.
He simply used his Mangekyō Sharingan's intangibility ability, phasing his body into Kamui's Dimension.
Pshk!
Clang!
Just as the Masked Man deactivated Izanagi and began phasing, blood suddenly spurted from his right eye. His body was forcibly ejected from Kamui's Dimension and struck directly by the golden greatswords.
Fortunately, the hardened white shell provided by White Zetsu prevented him from being cleaved in two on the spot.
"Argh?!"
The Masked Man let out a muffled groan of pain, clutching his bleeding right eye.
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