"No—this is where you'll be buried!"
A crisp, icy voice rang out over the sea, its sharp edge filled with unmistakable killing intent.
The sea breeze tugged at Konan's cloak, her expression cold and resolute. The murderous aura emanating from her seemed to freeze the air itself.
Above the endless ocean, the two figures hovered, locked in a silent confrontation.
Behind the mask, Obito Uchiha's eyes glinted with mockery and disdain.
The rapid rise of the Umbrella Organization had made him uneasy. During this time, his own strength had increased as well. With the reinforcement of Hashirama's cells, his chakra reserves had reached a terrifying level long ago.
He knew Konan's methods all too well.
To him, this was nothing more than a futile struggle.
For a brief moment, the scene seemed frozen—like a painting suspended between heaven and sea.
Then, both moved at once.
Countless sheets of paper erupted into the air. Infused with chakra, the paper shuriken were no less lethal than steel blades, streaking across the sky like flashes of white light.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The iconic Uchiha ninjutsu roared to life. In Obito's hands, what should have been a basic technique swelled into an enormous fireball, completely engulfing the incoming paper shuriken.
His eyes narrowed.
Flames burst outward from the inferno, and a sharp, pungent smell spread through the air.
"…Petroleum?"
Obito raised a brow.
"Not bad. Coating paper shuriken with petroleum to trigger secondary explosions."
For a brief moment, there was even a hint of praise in his voice.
Then his tone abruptly turned cold.
"But don't rely on such crude tricks."
With a disdainful snort, his body blurred.
The attacks passed straight through him, phasing harmlessly into the sea below. The flames hissed and died as they touched the water, leaving not even a ripple behind.
Konan's expression did not change.
She lifted her hand, and once again, countless sheets of paper filled the air. Her body dissolved into paper as well, scattering into the wind and surrounding Obito from all directions.
The paper glowed.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Deafening explosions tore through the sky, thick smoke rolling over the sea.
Yet Konan felt no sense of triumph.
She knew—this wouldn't be enough to kill him.
Especially now that she understood who the Masked Man truly was.
"The only fate awaiting those who betray the Organization… is death."
A cold voice echoed behind her.
Obito stood there, completely unscathed.
Paper wings unfolded from Konan's back as she shot forward, landing atop a drifting buoy on the ocean's surface.
"No," she said calmly.
"The Organization was founded by Yahiko. It was never yours. The ones who betrayed it… are you."
Thunder rumbled across the darkened sky. Lightning flashed, followed by a steady drizzle of rain.
Under the gloomy heavens, the scene felt unbearably desolate.
Raindrops slid down Konan's cheeks, indistinguishable from tears.
Obito sneered—and charged.
On the other side of the battlefield, Nagato's fight had reached a stalemate.
The combat power of Hyūga Ichizoku far exceeded Nagato's expectations. More importantly, his current body was immortal.
The sacrifice Obito had used was imperfect, preventing Hyūga Ichizoku from reaching his true peak. Even so, he had already stepped into the Super Kage-level, coupled with an undying body.
This made him extraordinarily difficult to deal with.
The Six Paths of Pain surrounded him. Nearby, the Animal Path's summoned beasts roared and rampaged—the Hellhound had already split countless times.
Yet these once-terrifying summons were like children before Hyūga Ichizoku, easily crushed and suppressed.
"Huff… huff…"
Nagato gasped for breath.
With the help of his mechanical prosthetics and the vitality he had recovered, he forced himself fully into the battle.
"So this is Hyūga Ichizoku," Nagato murmured.
"The legendary shinobi of the Warring States era… said to stand second only to Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara."
His gaze remained locked on his opponent as he rapidly searched for a solution.
An immortal body…
In Nagato's eyes, only sealing techniques could deal with something like that.
But his greatest concern wasn't himself.
It was Konan.
She was facing the Masked Man—Obito Uchiha.
And Nagato knew all too well…
Konan was no match for him.
Anxiety surged through his chest.
Gritting his teeth, Nagato launched a full-force assault, even beginning to burn his own life force.
"Shinra Tensei!!!"
With a thunderous roar, an overwhelming repulsive force erupted outward, blasting everything away.
The violent impact shattered Hyūga Ichizoku's Rotation head-on.
Although Rotation was famed as an absolute defense, it still had limits. In the face of sheer, overwhelming power, even that perfect defense collapsed.
Hyūga Ichizoku's body broke apart once more, scattering like torn paper.
An Edo Tensei body was indeed immortal—but regeneration required time.
And that momentary delay was all Nagato needed.
"Banshō Ten'in!!!"
The Deva Path of Pain exerted its gravitational pull, dragging the still-reforming Edo Tensei body straight toward him. At the same time, Nagato rapidly formed hand seals.
Dark sealing formulae spread instantly, crawling over Hyūga Ichizoku's body like living shadows.
As the seal took hold, Nagato stared at the immobilized figure before him and felt a bitter realization rise in his chest.
Perhaps… I underestimated the people of this world.
Just as he allowed himself a brief moment of relief—
Blood suddenly spilled from his mouth.
Nagato looked down in disbelief.
A black chakra rod had pierced straight through his heart.
Behind him, a dark figure grinned, its jagged white teeth gleaming grotesquely.
The Ninja World's "filial son"—
Black Zetsu.
Nagato turned his head with great difficulty, Black Zetsu's form coming into focus. His vision blurred as another mouthful of blood spilled from his lips. At the same time, the Six Paths of Pain trembled in unison, their movements faltering.
"Zetsu… even… even you…" Nagato rasped unwillingly.
"You betrayed me…"
Before he could finish, Black Zetsu abruptly yanked the black rod free.
The secondary damage was devastating.
Nagato collapsed to his knees, trembling. With his final strength, he reached out, desperately trying to seize Black Zetsu—
But the schemer was already gone.
His body dissolved into black light and vanished.
In the next instant, Black Zetsu appeared beside Hyūga Ichizoku's seal and released it directly.
His sealing skills were crude at best, but his mastery over Yin–Yang Release was exceptional. Undoing such a seal was well within his capabilities.
Nagato witnessed the scene, rage surging through him—only for his vision to darken.
Yahiko's face surfaced in his mind.
Then Konan's.
In his fading consciousness, a sunny young man stood before him, smiling as he once had.
"Yahiko… I entrusted your dream to someone…"
"He's… very reliable…"
Nagato's eyes slowly closed.
With his death, the Six Paths of Pain fell silent, collapsing lifelessly where they stood.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu finally allowed himself to feel excitement—but even then, he kept his distance, wary of deception.
Only after several minutes passed did he cautiously approach.
Once he confirmed Nagato was truly dead, Black Zetsu acted without hesitation.
He gouged out Nagato's eyes and carefully placed them into a small bottle filled with preservative fluid.
The rain fell heavier.
Far away, Konan's heart suddenly clenched.
An unbearable sense of loss washed over her.
She looked up at the darkened sky, rain mixing with the sorrow welling in her chest.
A terrible feeling took root.
And she knew—
Something irreplaceable had just been lost.
(End of Chapter)
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