The next day, the group packed up and set out again.
Jiraiya seemed to have recovered from last night's blow to his ego.
He kept comforting himself.
'So what if those two brats have talent? When it comes to experience in love, they can't even compare to a literary giant like me!'
Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly came from not far away.
Everyone's gaze simultaneously turned in the same direction.
"It's so big..."
"It's floating in the sky… what is that?"
"An enemy?"
Karin, Jiraiya, and Sasuke were somewhat incredulous at the sight of a massive island floating in the sky.
No, calling it an island wasn't quite accurate. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a huge fortress constructed from stone blocks.
Naruto's expression turned subtle.
'Did Golden Lion also come here?'
That, of course, was impossible.
In reality, this fortress-like flying object was the [Ancor Vantian] created by the Soragakure.
Its essence was a mobile weapon of destruction.
Originally, this fortress wasn't supposed to take flight until several years later. The reason it happened so much earlier was closely tied to the Akatsuki.
…
Some time ago.
Two uninvited guests wearing black cloaks with red clouds arrived at the village disguised by Soragakure's Ninja.
This dated back to the Second Great Ninja War.
At that time, Soragakure had developed ninja tools that allowed individual soldiers to gain the ability to fly, filling them with overconfidence and a desire to claim a piece of the pie in the chaotic world.
Their ultimate fate was being kicked half to death by the Konoha's Ninjas of the Land of Fire, treated like a stray dog on the roadside.
Afterward, the leader of Soragakure, unwilling to accept this, began to recuperate and plan in secret, preparing to counterattack Konoha for revenge.
If not for today's events, everything might have unfolded as they imagined.
The true name of Soragakure's leader was unknown. To conceal his identity, he called himself 'Shinno' and typically presented himself as a traveling doctor.
In reality, he was constantly collecting information on the rumored [Zero-Tails], hoping to obtain the power to destroy Konoha by unsealing it.
Because of this plan, he also adopted a war orphan named Amaru.
Today, Shinno originally intended to leave the village with Amaru to treat patients elsewhere. However, before they could even exit the village entrance, they were blocked by two individuals who clearly weren't ordinary.
"Are you Shinno?"
The one who spoke was Konan, while Asura Path, who was standing behind her, remained silent, merely sizing up the two opposite them with his intensely oppressive Rinnegan.
Amaru, frightened, shrank behind Shinno. But with her master's protection, she wasn't that scared.
"I am Shinno. May I ask… is there something you need? Does someone require my treatment?"
Shinno might have read books like [An Actor Prepares]. When playing the role of a doctor, he perfectly embodied the image of someone weak and incapable of harming a fly, yet full of compassion.
Even the most vicious Missing-nin wouldn't bother targeting such a doctor for no reason.
What could they possibly hope to steal from someone like him… gold and jewels?
Unfortunately, his disguise was useless before Zetsu, who possessed the Ninja World's foremost infiltration abilities.
Konan and her companion had already obtained information about Shinno.
They also had their eyes on the so-called [Zero-Tails].
After all, their original plan was to capture the nine Tailed Beasts, seal them within the Gedo Statue, and create an 'ultimate weapon' that could threaten all the great nations.
If they couldn't recruit Shinno, they wouldn't mind killing him and taking the 'Tailed Beast'.
"There's no need to pretend in front of us, Shinno. We want you to join us."
Konan's words were very direct.
"In exchange, we are willing to assist you in destroying Konoha."
This was originally part of their plan.
Who would have thought that even faced with Konan's almost completely revealed hand, Shinno still maintained that 'I don't know what you're talking about' expression.
"It seems the negotiation has failed."
Asura Path stepped forward.
Shinno and Amaru stared at the man with black spikes 'growing' from his bald head.
In terms of appearance, although both had piercings on their faces, Konan was clearly much better-looking than him.
They can tell at first glance that this guy is not a normal person.
Asura Path directly extended his right hand toward Shinno and the girl. The skin on his arm split open, revealing several small missiles underneath.
In the next instant, those missiles shot forth from his wrist with fiery trails. Shinno and Amaru had no time to evade and were struck by the homing missiles.
Flames enveloped the two in the blink of an eye.
"Is that all?"
Seeing this, Konan just spoke coldly.
"It's not over yet."
Asura Path, possessing the Rinnegan, shook his head.
As the flames and smoke dispersed, Shinno's body, still emitting black smoke and 'covered in wounds', heavily collapsed.
Amaru, whom he had protected with his body, was only dazed by the blast.
Shinno seemed to want to say something to Amaru, but in the end, he only managed to open his mouth before completely losing all signs of life.
In an instant, Amaru felt as if her sky had collapsed.
"No!! Sensei!!"
Her tears flowed freely, forming a string that dripped onto Shinno's charred wounds. Her entire being radiated an aura of darkness and despair.
Asura Path's Rinnegan shifted slightly, as if sensing something hidden deeper underground through the aura emanating from the girl.
Bang!
Suddenly, two black tentacles swiftly struck Konan and Asura Path.
Following the direction of the tentacles, they saw a creature that appeared to be constructed from disordered flesh.
It wore a mask engraved with the character [Zero]. Its shape resembled a large serpent but had grown countless arms.
Unfortunately, the Zero-Tails' surprise attack didn't seem to achieve much.
Konan, who was bound by it, directly transformed into a paper clone and dissipated. Although Asura Path was the real body, he showed no fear.
Many saw blades and cutting knives extended directly from his body, which in turn shredded the Zero-Tails' tentacles into pieces of flesh oozing indescribable fluid.
These things were essentially twisted creations made by Shinno using so-called [Dark Chakra] combined with the evil thoughts of people's hearts.
But to call it an artificial Tailed Beast was a stretch too far.
While the amount of Chakra within this Zero-Tails is indeed far exceeded that of an ordinary person, it couldn't even compare to a real Tailed Beast… not even the One-Tail, Shukaku.
"Can this even be called a Tailed Beast?"
Konan's figure reappeared to the side, mercilessly complaining about the mass of rapidly regenerating flesh.
"This probably isn't its main body."
Asura Path's eyes turned toward the underground where the Zero-Tails' main body was hidden, and he stated calmly.
"They are useless now. Finish them."
After saying this, Asura Path's Rinnegan attempted to suppress the Zero-Tails.
But Zero-Tails, being an artificial product, seemed unaffected by the Rinnegan's suppression, further confirming Konan's thoughts.
Countless explosive tags flew out like snowflakes with a wave of Konan's hand, all sticking to the surface of the Zero-Tails.
The effect of a single explosive tag might be small, but used recklessly in the way Konan did, it was completely different.
Just as the Zero-Tails prepared to attack again, the explosive tags attached to its body began to glow with firelight.
This was followed by a continuous series of explosions, like endless firecrackers.
No matter how fast Zero-Tails' regeneration was, it couldn't keep up with the speed of the destruction caused by the explosions.
Soon, all that remained on the ground was an unrecognizable pile of minced meat and Amaru, who had fallen into a complete coma.