Holding the document signed by Fugaku, Aozora casually walked down from the Hokage Tower.
He first contacted his Keshin in the Summoning Realm. "Taiyi, prepare paper and ink to record the contents of the Scroll of Seals."
Then he discreetly used his right eye to sense the surrounding defenses.
Unlike several months ago, with the old Anbu restricted and new recruits yet to be brought in, the hidden guards around the Hokage Tower had greatly decreased.
"With security this lax, even I could walk right in!"
Of course, he no longer had to sneak around — with the Hokage's signed document, he walked into the Secret Archives openly and with confidence.
"Mr. Shin, thanks for the trouble!"
The one guarding the Secret Archives was Aozora's maternal relative, Shin Uchiha, who served as Fugaku's personal guard. The two had once competed side by side for the position of Flying Tigers instructor.
After carefully inspecting the document in Aozora's hands, Shin summoned several hidden protectors.
Each of them performed a few hand seals toward the locked cabinet holding the Scroll of Seals. Complex sealing formulas gradually appeared across the cabinet's surface, and after some time, the group managed to crack them.
"Aozora," Shin said, "The Scroll of Seals may only be viewed inside the Archives. No reproduction, transcription, or removal from this room is permitted."
Aozora nodded. "Got it!"
Upon hearing this, Shin vanished from sight, returning to the shadows to continue monitoring.
Right after Shin left, Aozora hurriedly opened the cabinet and took out the Scroll of Seals, which was over a meter tall.
He didn't rush to open it immediately, but instead informed his Keshin in the Summoning Realm to prepare.
"Taiyi, we're starting the transcription now."
In the distant Summoning Realm, Taiyi nodded and laid out a stack of paper before him.
Once Aozora received confirmation from Taiyi, he finally opened the Scroll of Seals.
[Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu]
[Four Symbols Seal]
[Impure World Reincarnation]
[Eight Gates Golden Lock]
[Bringer-of-Darkness Technique]
[Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags]
[Flying Thunder God Technique]
[Spirit Transformation Technique]
[Dead Demon Consuming Seal]
[Curse Mark of Tongue - Silencing Death]
[Eight Gates Golden Lock]
...
As he transcribed one kinjutsu after another, Aozora's lips curled into an increasingly wide grin — nearly crooked with excitement.
"Now *this* is a gold mine!"
He had to admit, this was the richest he'd ever felt in his life.
He was so loaded he couldn't even decide where to start or what to save for later — there were just too many god-tier techniques inside.
Take the Flying Thunder God Technique, for instance. Earlier, to master Space–Time Ninjutsu, he had instructed his Keshin to study sealing techniques.
Yet even now, he had only grasped some intermediate-level sealing methods and still couldn't decipher the complex sealing formulas used in Summoning Techniques.
After all, besides spatial transformation, Summoning Techniques also involved soul contracts, positioning, and other intricate sealing formulas.
However, the Flying Thunder God Technique's sealing formula focused solely on spatial teleportation, so it might be significantly easier to master.
Besides the Flying Thunder God, the other forbidden techniques held equal significance for Aozora.
For example, Impure World Reincarnation might contain foundational knowledge for resurrection techniques.
For instance, the Spirit Transformation Technique might be a prerequisite for "Soul Projection."
The remaining forbidden techniques also held great potential and might unlock other Techniques.
Even so, the abilities within these forbidden techniques were already exceptional.
Unknown how much time had passed, but outside the sky had gradually darkened.
Shin appeared abruptly not far away, as if stepping out from the shadows.
Aozora stopped reading and looked toward Shin. "What's wrong?"
Shin hesitated briefly before speaking. "Time is almost up. Don't hesitate anymore. Focus on mastering one forbidden technique. Don't waste this opportunity."
Shin's voice wasn't warm, yet Aozora still felt waves of warmth radiating from it.
"Thank you, Uncle Shin!" Aozora sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Although Shin's advice wasn't particularly useful to him, he still needed to appreciate the concern from an elder.
Shin gave a slight nod and vanished once again into the depths of the hidden chamber.
After communicating with Taiyi and confirming that he had finished copying the Scroll of Seals, Aozora carefully examined the ancient scroll for a long time before finally rising to leave when the time came.
Stepping out of the Hokage Tower, night had already fallen over Konoha, with only dim yellow lights illuminating the village.
Aozora lightly sprang onto the rooftop and darted forward like a shadow toward the Uchiha Compound.
Soon, Aozora arrived at the edge of Konoha, about to enter the territory of the Uchiha clan.
Suddenly, he halted his steps.
Sitting atop the roof directly ahead was a ninja wearing a swirling mask and a red-clouded robe.
Aozora immediately tensed up, maintaining a calm expression as he asked, "Madara, what brings you to Konoha?"
Obito didn't answer Aozora's question; instead, he said, "Follow me!"
Without another word, he immediately jumped up and sped toward the outskirts of the village.
Frowning, Aozora watched Obito dart away. After a moment's consideration, he also flew after him.
Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to fight Obito.
His power was increasing at an extraordinary speed—far faster than anyone could imagine.
As long as he continued developing steadily, even if the Six Paths Sage were reborn or Kaguya broke free from her seal, he would have the ability to subdue them.
Unless Obito recovered Kakashi's Sharingan or seized Nagato's Rinnegan, his strength wouldn't significantly increase. Time was on Aozora's side.
Besides that, Aozora had just acquired the [Flying Thunder God Technique]. Having just acquired it, he would soon stand an even better chance against Obito once it was mastered.
Moreover, fighting openly within the Uchiha compound would inevitably lead to heavy casualties among the clan members and villagers.
Additionally, since Obito hadn't attacked directly, he had implicitly shown that either the Akatsuki organization or Obito himself still maintained some degree of trust in him.
Therefore, Aozora believed he could manipulate the situation slightly first and feign compliance.
Before long, the two traveled southward, crossed the Nanaha River, and reached a dense forest on the opposite bank.
Standing atop the tallest tree, Obito looked down at Aozora coldly. "Aozora, I heard that you've betrayed the organization!"
As he spoke, scarlet light shone from the hole in his swirling mask.
Internally shaking his head, Aozora realized his suspicions were correct. The Akatsuki or Obito must have trusted him more than they doubted him—it was merely a test.
Confident in his position, Aozora refused to back down and activated his left Sharingan.
"You suspect me too?"
Aozora's voice was icy cold, as if filled with barely suppressed rage and anguish.
In an instant, the two locked gazes, their eyes clashing like swords crossing in the night sky.
Clang!
It sounded like a metallic chime had echoed.
Then their killing auras collided midair, seemingly staining the atmosphere with thick, bloody mist.
The two stood immovable on the treetops, neither backing down, staring intently at each other.
A hoarse voice came from beneath the mask: "Pain suspects you."
Aozora scoffed, "So what?"
Zetsu suddenly emerged from a nearby tree, his chilling voice adding, "So you need to prove your loyalty!"
"Heh—ha ha—ha ha ha!"
Aozora suddenly burst out laughing, as though he'd just heard something hilariously absurd. He laughed so hard it looked like tears were about to pour down his face.
Both Zetsu and Obito were taken aback by his sudden outburst, momentarily questioning reality as they exchanged glances.
Zetsu coldly asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"What am I laughing at?"
Straightening his back, Aozora fixed them both with a cold stare but didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered, "Have you forgotten why I defected from the Village and joined Akatsuki in the first place?"
Obito's brows furrowed beneath his mask, while Zetsu's face under the pitcher plant also looked thoughtful.
They recalled—Aozora had joined Akatsuki because he had been deeply hurt by betrayals from both his village and clan.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded I prove my innocence when he heard about my massacre of commoners!"
"And now Leader suspects betrayal and wants me to prove my loyalty again?"
"How utterly ridiculous!"
A bitter, incredulous look appeared on Aozora's face before he continued angrily, "Akatsuki isn't any better than that! I once thought Akatsuki was different, but it turns out no different from Konoha. And Leader—despite having the Rinnegan—is nothing more than another Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
Then Aozora shifted his gaze toward Obito, disappointment evident in his tone: "As for you, Madara Uchiha... You're no better than Jintai Uchiha!"
Finally, he declared firmly, "If this is what the Akatsuki organization has become, what do I have to lose by defecting again?"
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