Inside an underground chamber in Grass Country.
"It's almost been a year, Rin," Obito said while holding a diploma, his eyes showing an unusual gentleness. "You must have felt so lonely in that world... Don't worry, I'll bring some people to see you soon!"
"This time won't take long at all—I promise."
Just then, a green aloe head emerged from the ground. Obito quickly returned the diploma to Kamui Space and then, hands clasped behind his back as if nothing had happened, asked, "Your side must be nearly set by now. Time I gave Nagato a little direction."
Black Zetsu gave a slight shake of his head. "Obito... Lord Madara, something unexpected has occurred on your end."
Obito's brow furrowed slightly. "What kind of change?"
Black Zetsu looked conflicted. "Yahiko didn't die—he survived!"
"How is that possible?" Obito turned around in disbelief. "Could it be Nagato?"
But even as he spoke, he immediately shook his head. "No, Nagato wouldn't have mastered the Rinnegan to that extent yet."
Black Zetsu revealed the answer directly. "It seems they were saved by a mysterious masked man."
"A mysterious masked man?" Obito twitched slightly, suspecting Black Zetsu was subtly implying himself.
"According to intelligence circulating among other Akatsuki members, the most distinctive feature of that person is wearing a Shinigami Mask (the mask of the death god)."
"The Shinigami Mask?"
Black Zetsu spoke solemnly, "Though we can't be sure whether this is a deliberate distraction, historically, the clan that possessed the most Shinigami Masks was the now-destroyed Uzumaki clan."
"The Uzumaki clan?" Obito's pupils slightly constricted. "Are you saying someone interfering with our plans could be a survivor from the Uzumaki clan who discovered Nagato's identity and decided to help out of compassion?"
"That's certainly possible," Black Zetsu nodded. "After all, members of the Uzumaki clan are naturally endowed with powerful life force, and many are even born with innate healing abilities."
"To suddenly run into such a troublesome fellow!" Obito felt displeased inside. His plans being disrupted annoyed him, but more than anything else, he resented that Rin had never received a mysterious rescue like Yahiko had!
"If that guy really belongs to the Uzumaki clan, I actually feel relieved," Black Zetsu assumed Obito was only bothered about his plan being interfered with and tried to comfort him actively. "Most of them are rather simplistic-minded anyway. Even if we recruit him into Akatsuki, he wouldn't affect our plans much."
That's true indeed... Obito nodded deeply in agreement, his gaze once again becoming resolute. "Whoever it is, anyone daring to stand in the way of my plans will experience true hell from me!"
...
Rain Country.
"Hanzo-sama, we..." Seeing Hanzo somewhat disheveled, one jōnin hesitated while addressing him.
"Distribute the intelligence regarding Akatsuki to various countries, let them..." Midway through speaking, Hanzo changed his mind. "Wait, this is ultimately our domestic affair; better not involve others. You may withdraw for now—enhance security measures and patrols."
"Yes!" Naturally, none of the jōnin dared question Lord Hanzo's orders, and they quickly left the room.
Once everyone had gone, Hanzo began reflecting in silence. "The ability that guy displayed just now…was that the legendary Rinnegan? No wonder he always kept his eyes covered, pretending to be blind all along. Now it makes sense—that red-haired fellow must be the true leader of Akatsuki!"
As these thoughts surfaced, a long-dormant fire stirred within Hanzo once more. "Who would've thought that the legendary eye actually exists? If I could obtain it, perhaps I could finally defeat Seiki! Before I obtain it, this secret must remain buried!"
...
To the entire shinobi world, the incident in Rain Country was barely worth a mention.
Yet one day, this tranquility was shattered.
Inside the Hokage's office—
"Seiki, this is Lord Shanchuan, the special envoy from the Land of Demons," Minato made the introduction, gesturing toward the man beside him.
Before Seiki could even speak, Shanchuan eagerly stepped forward. "You're the Seiki mentioned by Priestess-sama? Thank goodness—I've finally met you!"
"A pleasure," Seiki responded politely, then asked, "Lord Shanchuan, what brings you here?"
Shanchuan quickly replied, "We have been sent by Priestess-sama upon her orders, inviting you to the Land of Demons to fulfill your promise!"
"There's still some time before my appointed day with the Priestess," Seiki said gravely. "Could it be that something has happened in the Land of Demons?"
"When we departed, everything there remained peaceful. However..." Shanchuan looked troubled. "The Priestess foresaw an immense catastrophe approaching, which is why she chose a safer route to send us out and seek aid!"
He clenched his fist in anger and continued, "Damn it! Those bastards must've known the Priestess's powers would drop to their lowest during the time of childbirth, so they've chosen this very moment to rebel!"
"I understand." Seiki gave a serious nod, then turned to Minato. "Minato, shall I depart for the Land of Demons then?"
Pregnancy... The word lingered in Minato's mind for a moment before he snapped back to reality at Seiki's question. "In that case, I'll leave it to you."
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Palace of the Land of Demons—
There were seals and barriers everywhere. At the heart of the chakra barrier stood Miroku, facing off against a bodiless black shadow, his belly noticeably rounded.
"I didn't expect your power to have seeped beyond the seal already!" Miroku said, his face filled with disbelief. "When did this happen? Why did I not foresee this future at all?"
The shadow chuckled softly. "It seems the power you inherited wasn't complete after all—you don't even know about our connection!"
Miroku frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"You chose a mortal body, passing strength through so-called inheritances—that's truly pitiful!" The shadow lamented, shaking its head. "You've even forgotten that we were once one being!"
"Exactly because we were one, you can't accurately predict my existence either!"
Miroku's expression shifted slightly. "No matter how much nonsense you spout, there are limits! You're a demon, and I'm the priestess who seals demons—we could never share the same essence as you filthy beings!"
"Filth?"
"What a fool! Not that it matters—I wasn't planning on wasting more words on you anyway," Kage shook his head, then smiled. "You're still barely holding on—don't tell me you're waiting for Seiki to arrive?"
"You actually figured that out?" Miroku gasped in shock. "Does this mean you escaped from the Seal long ago?"
"More or less," Kage admitted without concealment. "But the fragment I escaped with back then was still very weak. It wasn't until today that I've finally gained enough power to counter you!"
Miroku exhaled sharply. "You mentioned Lord Seiki earlier—what exactly do you plan to do with him?"
"Don't get your hopes up," Kage chuckled. "You're the one who summoned him to deal with me, right? So I decided to help you out just a little. Of course… assuming he survives long enough to make it to the Land of Demons!"
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>