"Such a pain in the neck, you idiot!"
Kakuzu shot Hidan—a man clenching his teeth in pain—an exasperated look, then propped him up with his shoulder to help ease his posture.
At this, Hidan finally stopped glaring at Kakuzu with that irritated expression. Kakuzu was only putting up with him because of his current terrible state. Under normal circumstances, he'd have knocked him out cold by now.
Across from them, Deidara had already figured out Kakuzu and others' intention. No matter what the reason, it was good news for them. Although Deidara was confident he could survive the battle, Akatsuchi might not be so lucky.
"Neh, you guys go first. Leave this place to me. Oh right..."
The White Zetsu Clone gave Kakuzu some instructions with a relaxed expression, then took a single step forward.
With that single step, more White Zetsu clones emerged from the ground revealed by the melting snow—these were splitting bodies generated by the Spore Technique.
These White Zetsu Clones differed from those ten thousand mass-produced ones Saitama remembered—they were split forms of White Zetsu's original body. While individually weak, they still retained the abilities of the original White Zetsu, albeit somewhat weakened.
Supporting Hidan with half his body, Kakuzu listened seriously to what White Zetsu said. His face gradually turned grim when White Zetsu told him that a group was heading their way. Though they weren't Stone Shinobi, they were Cloud Ninjas nearby who must have sensed the commotion and intended to investigate.
Without speaking, Kakuzu, although unafraid of enemies, decided not to stay any longer. Supporting Hidan, he simply turned around and followed White Zetsu's instructions to retreat safely away.
"Deidara, our enemies seem to be retreating."
Akatsuchi glanced sideways at the blond ninja riding atop the clay bird, feeling strangely that this former classmate had unknowingly become so powerful—he remained unfazed even against such formidable opponents.
"Yeah, not necessarily a bad thing. But there are still enemies here. Once we take care of this guy, you two should return to the village quickly and report what happened here."
Deidara watched Kakuzu and Hidan walk away, then turned his gaze toward the group of nearly a dozen white figures nearby. They looked kind of like his own clay creations, but he recognized instantly—they weren't made of clay. More like some weird synthetic stuff.
"Well then, let me have some fun with you guys—Iwa ninjas!"
The White Zetsu clones spoke in unison, their tone filled with amusement, just like mischievous children about to join a game.
...
Amegakure Village.
Akatsuki Tower.
Pain stood at the edge of an open-air platform with no cover, looking down at the peaceful village below. Although Nagato and Konan ruled over the village now, there still lingered an air of lifelessness.
However, this wouldn't last forever. As he stared into the distant sky, Pain's thoughts drifted far away.
Once the plan of gathering all Tailed Beasts ends, he would reshape the world into an ideal state—one free from conflict and war, filled with beauty and harmony.
However, before that, those great ninja villages still needed to understand what true pain was. Only peace forged through suffering would be the most cherished!
Click, click!
Pain maintained his posture overlooking the world, not knowing how much time had passed, until from the ground behind him emerged something resembling a Venus flytrap.
Inside the plant was an androgynous figure—Zetsu.
"So, do they have results?"
Before Zetsu appeared, Pain had already sensed his presence, so he wasn't surprised by the latter's sudden arrival.
Likewise, as Zetsu rose from the ground, he wasn't shocked that Pain had detected him either. White Zetsu stared at Pain with his somewhat naive eyes, while Black Zetsu kept his single eye tightly shut.
Outside, the rain began falling harder. Pain could hear distant voices from below. As the real ruler here, almost no one had ever laid eyes on him. Everyone revered the Akatsuki deeply—it was this organization that protected them.
"The Five-Tails has been captured. My clone retrieved it before Kakuzu's group arrived. It'll be here soon. Sasori is also on his way back. Saitama and Konan are heading toward the Land of Water now; I wonder whether they can retrieve the Three-Tails."
Looking at Pain's back, White Zetsu slowly began speaking, summarizing the information brought back by the clone. Although according to predictions there hadn't really been any unexpected issues with this mission, completing it so smoothly was still something worth celebrating.
"Hmm, once they return, we will begin the Sealing Technique. This will be a battle where victory is clearly within sight. I believe it won't be too long now!"
Pain turned around, fixing his gaze upon White Zetsu, his tone firm, conveying an unshakable belief.
"I hope so too. We've worked hard for such a long time. If there's nothing else, I'll go down first—I'm planning to check on Saitama's team situation."
White Zetsu's voice sounded slightly restrained. As he spoke, he gradually sank into the ground. When he finished speaking, he had completely vanished from Pain's view.
Naturally, under the perception of the Rinnegan, White Zetsu's chakra remained within sensing range, steadily moving away.
Pain gazed at the spot where Zetsu disappeared, his expression unreadable as he focused on where Zetsu had gone. Within his pale gray eyes, faint glimmers of unusual light continuously flickered.
Before all the hidden villages formed an alliance against the Akatsuki, gathering the majority of the Tailed Beasts—that was currently his plan. And indeed, everything had proceeded perfectly according to schedule. Watching things unfold step by step, even Pain—or rather, Nagato—whose heart had long turned to ice, felt a flicker of warmth returning.
That emotion called excitement reemerged deep within his heart. Faced with the dream he'd once had, he now found himself only a few steps away from realizing it.
Underneath his long sleeves, Pain clenched his fist tightly, his pale knuckles creaking.
The world needed change—and so he arrived.
Rustling—the rain poured even harder outside. People walking along the village streets quickened their pace, yet every time they occasionally lifted their heads, they instinctively looked upward—at the tallest structure in the center of the village: the Akatsuki Tower.
Konoha Village.
"Itachi, keep coming!"
Shisui Uchiha held a ninja blade, his face filled with seriousness. Sweat soaked his forehead, sticking his bangs tightly onto his skin.
This was a battle between him and Itachi Uchiha. Among the entire Uchiha clan, only their strengths were closest, so sparring could provide sufficient effect.
Ever since returning from the previous mission, neither of them had left the village again. The thing they did most often was continuous sparring to sharpen their abilities.
Itachi Uchiha stood opposite Shisui, also gripping a ninja blade in his hand. His swordsmanship was no slouch either.
He didn't look much better than Shisui—his whole body also drenched in sweat, covered in layers of dust, appearing quite grimy.
"Let's take a break. It's already getting late."
Itachi relaxed his body, slowly lowering his blade along his side as he suggested.
"Alright then, it really is getting late. Let's grab dinner first and continue tonight."
For training, both had left home early in the morning, bringing midday rations, continuing until now.
To ensure nobody disturbed them, they'd specially chosen an abandoned training ground seldom visited by others.
They both still felt bitter about their last mission's failure and couldn't forget it. So during this time, they devoted themselves entirely to cultivation and honing their skills.
As Saitama Uchiha's former best companion, Shisui found it hardest to accept what happened. Only through continuously improving his strength could he feel inner peace.
Shisui took a few steps closer and slumped against Itachi, wiping the sweat off his face before speaking: "Itachi, I always feel like we'll run into him again very soon."
Itachi hesitated momentarily before resuming normalcy, slowly using a cloth to wipe his weapon. Naturally, he knew exactly who 'him' referred to in Shisui's words. He himself shared this feeling—that enemy Saitama Uchiha would surely appear before them again soon. And when that time came...
"I never imagined things would end up this way. It's almost unbelievable. Although last time I nearly died at his hands, even now I still can't muster any hatred towards him. Isn't that strange?"
Copying Itachi's movement, Shisui flipped the cloth over, slowly cleaning his blade while speaking somewhat strangely toward Itachi.
"The next time we meet him, I won't be so powerless anymore. Although the village bears some responsibility for his current state, he has now become our enemy. Don't hold back anymore, Shisui."
"Well... I guess that makes sense."
Shisui sheathed his sword across his back, staring solemnly at the distant sunset. The afterglow gradually painted his face red, leaving his words hanging.
"Forget it, I'll head back first. I promised Sasuke earlier to have dinner together."
After finishing up, Itachi greeted Shisui, showing slight apology on his face before instantly vanishing from sight.
Itachi just didn't want to get dragged into this anymore.
"He really is heartless!"
"Shisui wore a helpless expression, shook his head, and then prepared to leave.
Meeting Saitama Uchiha again, he wouldn't hold back. Belonging to opposing sides, the two had already taken diverging paths after their previous battle. There was still some reluctance and confusion in his heart, but what's done is done — there was no point in lingering.
He could sense Saitama Uchiha's inner resolve, though he had no idea how it would all end. He couldn't understand everything Saitama Uchiha had endured because he himself also had many convictions. Saitama Uchiha, who destroyed peace, was no longer that familiar person he once knew. Now that they had drawn blades against each other, they were enemies.
Inside the training ground, Shisui's figure also vanished from the spot, leaving only the silent field behind and countless marks scattered across the ground from earlier practice.
The youths they once were had already strayed from their original paths. Nobody knows what the future holds. All they could do now was hold onto their beliefs and keep moving forward.
...
[Leaf Great Whirlwind!]
Within Konoha's thirty-seventh training ground, a green-clad figure was locked in combat with a dark-cloaked opponent. The two continuously entangled with each other, colliding repeatedly through the air with heavy, audible impacts.
Bang!
Might Guy's kick missed its mark, creating a powerful shockwave through the empty air.
After delivering that kick, Might Guy didn't press forward but instead stood in place, one hand forward and one behind, watching his opponent carefully.
As his lifelong rival, Kakashi Hatake held a weapon wrapped in white bandages, panting heavily.
"Kakashi, even though your strength has improved again and you're faster than last time, I haven't been standing still either. As your rival, I am qualified!"
Might Guy spoke, his tone remarkably composed.
"Yes, your speed has gotten faster."
Kakashi looked at Guy, slowly steadying his breathing as he returned the weapon to his back. With one hand, he pulled his mask down slightly so it wasn't pressed so tightly against his face.
This was their seventeenth duel since his recovery. Last time, he had won. This time, Guy was gaining some advantage. Though both still held back their trump cards, such matches sometimes revealed significant insights.
"That's enough for today's training. I'm feeling a bit tired, and I have plans tonight, so I'll stop here."
Kakashi said while regaining some energy.
Tonight, Obito had invited him for dinner, naturally including their former teammate Rin Nohara. It had been ages since the three of them got together, so they decided to have dinner tonight.
"Oh? Then go ahead, Kakashi. I still need to continue training. Before dinner, I must complete one thousand frog jumps circling this training ground. That's my bare minimum goal."
At first frowning slightly, Guy responded. As a ninja who'd reached his current level through sheer hard work and some natural talent in taijutsu, he clearly understood exactly what he needed most. Reality was cruel like this — the recent mission failure served as his greatest motivation. That man called Saitama Uchiha was someone he absolutely had to defeat personally."
Thinking about this reignited his energy despite his body already being somewhat exhausted. An indescribable force began flowing through his entire body, making him want to do frog jumps around the training ground until dawn.
"Alright then, I'll be leaving first. Remember to go eat something. Being a ninja isn't just about training. Sometimes you also need moments of peace to balance it out."
After saying that, Kakashi disappeared on the spot using the Shifting Body Technique. He needed to go back, clean himself up, and shower off the sweat he'd built up all day.
Although he continuously trained, his swordsmanship had already hit a bottleneck—simple practice wouldn't improve it anymore. Though recent sparring sessions with Guy had improved his mastery of [Lightning Release: Living One], it had only brought a slight increase in his speed.
Though he didn't voice it outwardly, inside he carried a trace of anxiety, especially sensing an unusual shift in the current political climate between the Hidden Villages and Saitama's Organization. The decisive battle between the Hidden Villages and Saitama's Organization couldn't be far off now; all that remained was the right opportunity—the real trigger for the Hidden Villages to launch an attack against that Organization.
Once Kakashi left, Guy clenched both fists, grabbed his head, and squatted down, ready to begin what would be his most intense pre-dinner workout yet.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>